— by BEV QUESTAD — At age 13, Edith was blinded from the impact of a German bomb in the Netherlands. Undaunted, she learned to gallop on a horse while her guide dog scampered beside, trying to keep up the pace. What a great life for several dogs, all who lived and died under Edith’s […][...]
Review: Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes
— by BEV QUESTAD — The only way to write an honest reflection on a Blue Note Records documentary is from a dark inner city bar where James T is on stage and the audience only stops their chatter to clap between performance pauses. James tells me it’s that chatter that gives the musician freedom […][...]
Review: The Dead Don’t Die
— by RON WILKINSON — We thought Jim Jarmusch was getting serious with “Patterson.” But now this. A most glorious send-up of zombie films complete with anarchic cheerleading and bonus jabs at liberal smugness. A superb cast of thoroughly wasted performances sacrificed on the altar of heedless enjoyment. A magnificent loser of a success. Re-uniting […][...]
Review: Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am
— by BEV QUESTAD — “If there is life on Mars, they are reading Toni Morrison to find what it means to be human,” matter-of-factly says Farah Griffin, a professor at Columbia University. My first exposure to Morrison was through “Beloved.” A group of 10 teachers and I had intended to read her book, see […][...]
Review: The Reports on Sarah and Saleem
— by RON WILKINSON — The most important ingredient in a great thriller is guilt, and right from the starting gun Sarah and Saleem have it in spades. Undeniably, the most inexplicable yet undeniable failure of human judgment is the extra-marital affair. Almost always doomed to failure, the sensual fling hurts everyone around the perps […][...]
Are R ratings cinema gold?
There has long been a perception in Hollywood that films rated R are not profitable. Why? Because according to the charts, the most common film-goers are teenagers. So, a film with an R rating means that you are cutting off a large portion of your prime audience. It makes sense, on paper. Whether it was […][...]
Sonic The Hedgehog redesign is official
The fan base of Sonic the Hedgehog is notoriously loyal, to the point of fanaticism. Each new game is awaited anxiously when announced, debated passionately upon arriving, and likewise defended ferociously from outside criticism. So, when an official Sonic the Hedgehog live action film was announced, that some controversy would arise was all but guaranteed. […][...]
Review: The Spy Behind Home Plate
— by RON WILKINSON — Intending to capture audiences for both spy thrillers and baseball memorabilia, this campy mix of archival footage and semi-historic interviews will not entrance either demographic. Pro ball player Moe Berg appears to be both “enigmatic and brilliant,” as advertised. The question is whether marginally notable marks in both categories will […][...]
The Top Five Ice Hockey Movies
It’s Stanley Cup time once again, as the top two teams face off for the biggest prize in ice hockey. And if you’ve ever seen the Stanley Cup itself, you’ll know what a huge prize it really is. Standing 35.25 inches high and weighing in at 34.5 pounds, it is one of the biggest trophies […][...]
Is DC back from the brink?
It wasn’t so long ago that “Batman v. Superman” was splitting audiences down the middle. Some said it was okay, while others were cringing at the name Martha somehow being the ultimate resolution to a superhero conflict. No problem, fans thought nervously, surely they’ll bring it back in the “Justice League” film. But that didn’t […][...]