— by BEV QUESTAD — A younger generation has taken over the 2019 Portland International Film Festival (PIFF) with the theme: Empathy has no Ethnicity. “Amateurs” was their brave choice to open the festival. Filmed liked a documentary about two sets of filmmakers making a marketing film about their town, the experimental Swedish film breaks […][...]
Trailer: What is Democracy?
— by BEV QUESTAD — “…until political power and wisdom unite… there can be no rest from troubles” (Plato, The Republic, Book V). From the brave art of Ambrogio Lorenzetti in 1338 to the always insightful challenges of Cornel West, Astra Taylor investigates ideas of democracy. What do ordinary Americans think? Refugees? What was Plato’s […][...]
Review: The Hummingbird Project
— by RON WILKINSON — A fiber optic data transmission line from Kansas to New York would allow the transmission and execution of millions of securities orders a millisecond faster than everybody else. Not a big time difference, about the time of one cycle of a hummingbird’s wing. But enough that since “first come first […][...]
Review: Auggie
— by BEV QUESTAD — Well, I’m going to tell you one thing — Richard Kind, the star of “Auggie,” is going to be teased unmercifully about his role in this film. What will his good friend (and best man at his wedding), George Clooney, have to say about it? In “Auggie,” the newly-retired Felix […][...]
Review: Sophia Antipolis
— by RON WILKINSON — “Sophia Antipolis,” the name suggests something very central and mysteriously feminine. The “Antipolis” part, for you Americans who are not familiar, is a technology center. The Sophia lends the vision of a virtual assistant, or perhaps a virtual lover. The park is not just a center of power, radiating the […][...]
Horror films are good for your health
When one thinks of horror movies, the first thing that might come to mind is that nothing good ever comes from the terrifying moments. The horrifying experience brings about feelings of anxiety, fear or intense. So, who would ever consider watching a horror movie for health benefits? Well, grab the opportunity and enjoy the health […][...]
Review: School’s Out
— by RON WILKINSON — The acclaimed professor at an elite prep school climbs out of a third-story window in the middle of class and does a swan dive. A bad day for the teacher and a rough year for the school, but nothing compared to what lies in store for humanity. As might be […][...]
Review: Paul Sanchez is Back!
— by RON WILKINSON — Paul Sanchez Is Back! And we are all Paul Sanchez! A loopy curve ball of a flick that gets wackier and wackier until it is not anymore. A mysterious mass murderer who killed his family, burnt their bodies and then disappeared has been spotted by locals. All the south of […][...]
A look at some charismatic actors/actresses
When you are an actor or actress, charisma is everything. When we talk about charisma, we are talking about personality – the thing that makes people either love you or hate you. Some might refer to it as charm. You might fail to understand why people fall in love with some actors but detest others. […][...]
Review: Time for Ilhan
— by BEV QUESTAD — What motivated a refugee woman who wore a hajib, lived according to Muslim custom, and had three children to enter state politics in Minnesota? This documentary follows her 2016 entrance into the Democratic party and the group that supported her. Born in Somalia, Ilhan was two years old when she […][...]