— by WILLIAM STERR — Wes Anderson has been making films since “Bottle Rocket” (1996). They are distinctive for the symmetrical composition of his shots, the color palate of each shot, long, tableau-like takes, deadpan delivery of dialogue, etc. And, of course, the recurring cast of actors playing different parts. Some people love Wes Anderson […][...]
Review: Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey
— by WILLIAM STERR — Once upon a time, when we were very young, our parents read us stories. In these stories, fairies danced in the moonlight, pirates buried wonderful treasures, cows jumped over the goodnight moon, and a handful of stuffed animals came to life and played with their little-boy friend in the 100 […][...]
Review: In the Shadow of Beirut
— by BEV QUESTAD — I came of intellectual age in 1970. Palestinian women, dressed in oppressively hot black, sat on sheets on the sidewalks I had to navigate on my daily walk to the American University of Beirut. My dad had always told me giving money to beggars only reinforced their begging, not their […][...]
Review: South of Sanity
— by WILLIAM STERR — At last! A movie that accurately portrays the denizens of our southern states – “South of Sanity.” Actually, no. “South of Sanity” does poke fun at the negative sterotypes of white southern folks, specifically Alabamans, but in the same sort of way that the Wayan Brothers have lampooned Black sterotypes, […][...]
Review: Biosphere
— by WILLIAM STERR — Ray and Billy have been friends since childhood. Really close friends. So close that Billy refers to them as “brothers from different mothers.” Ray is black. Billy is white. They even live together, although theirs is not a romantic relationship. Oh, and one more thing: Billy was President of the […][...]
Review: Sam Now
— by BEV QUESTAD — Back in 2000, three teenage boys lost their mother, Jois. It’s usually the rebellious teen who runs away, but the tables got turned in this true-life mystery. Jois left her job and almost everyone she knew without a note. Initially, it was assumed she just went on a spontaneous vacation. […][...]
Review: Anonymous Sister
— by BEV QUESTAD — In the ’80s, when his girls were about 2 and 3 years old, Dad brought home a video camera. His precocious little girls with fuzzy blond hair and his beautiful wife were his subjects. They were bundles of energy, happiness and cuteness. Soon, the youngest girl, Jamie, took control of […][...]
Review: Citizen Stan
— by WILLIAM STERR — This is a documentary about a man who has devoted his life to the search for peace and justice here within the United States and around the world – even when that meant arguing against the powers-that-be here. Stanley K. Sheinbaum was born into a well-to-do Jewish American family in […][...]
Review: Who We Are
— by BEV QUESTAD — My best friend and I thought we knew what needed to be known. We really weren’t enthused about the title or the short blurb describing this film, but we decided to give it 10 minutes. I turned on “Who We Are” and we forgot about our timing. When Jeffery Robinson […][...]