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By coincidence, I just happened to be watching THE HUMANITY BUREAU (2017) last night. I say coincidence since I had no idea this low budget Nicholas Cage film was a fever dream for right-wing conspiracy types, so watching it, I felt like I was getting a glimpse of their thought world in the aftermath of last week’s real-life insurrection. . . . → Continue reading: The Humanity Bureau (2017) 
My friend Brian and I viewed BLADE RUNNER (henceforth, BR2049) last Thursday. Our discussion, animated by a bit of delirium on my part (dehydration plus lack of sleep), helped to process my lingering combination of amazement and disappointment following end credits. (I’ll give a half-hearted spoiler alert now — the sort I’d appreciate before being . . . → Continue reading: First thoughts after viewing Blade Runner 2049 
A story told by Isak Jacobi (Erland Josephson) in Ingmar Bergman’s FANNY & ALEXANDER (1982-1983). . . . → Continue reading: Uncle Isak’s Story: A young man journeys down an endless road… (from Fanny & Alexander, 1982) 
Endreal — where the explicit message of a film is the antithesis of its implicit message. Perhaps even an unintended subversion. e.g., Ducky’s rejection in John Hughes’ PRETTY IN PRINK; Trinity’s perfect eyebrows outside of the perfect world of the Matrix. And really, endreal doesn’t just describe film: it applies to numerous populist political campaigns and revolutionary movements. Can you think of other examples? (My friend Holly Johnson invented this useful term in the late 1990s.) . . . → Continue reading: Endreal Just a few notes on the film Defiance. My housemate and I caught a free screening courtesy of gofobo.com and the Ritz East. The film is based on the 1993 book by Nechama Tec, Defiance: The Bielski Partisans, and it is an excellent story told well. Had it been a fantasy written by Tolkien it . . . → Continue reading: Hobbits, Jews, and Romantics in the Woods 
Ten years ago I was in Philadelphia and excited to learn that Emergency Broadcast Network (or EBN for short), an art music/video project would be touring with dj Spooky providing live mixed visuals and even performing their own set. I had first seen their work in college in the mid 90s, probably on a friend’s . . . → Continue reading: More on Emergency Broadcast Network 
I promised myself that I would not think too hard about You Don’t Mess With the Zohan, Robert Smigel and Adam Sandler’s comedy film this summer. But alas, reading about the story of Yiftach in the haftorah reading this past shabbat, I couldn’t help but think of the context of Zohan within the context . . . → Continue reading: You Don’t Mess With the Samson |
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