When Astronauts Return to Earth
I had studied astronomy, and I had studied cosmology, and fully understood that the molecules in my body and the molecules in my partners’ bodies and in the spacecraft, had been prototyped in some ancient generation of stars. In other words, it was pretty obvious from those descriptions we’re stardust. Well, that was pretty awesome,...
“Prince Avalanche” is Indie Movie Royalty
Paul Rudd and Emile Hirsch (of “Into the Wild“) team up to comprise of what seems like exactly one-half of the total actors in this great movie, “Prince Avalanche.” This somber, humorous, and inspiring movie is about two guys whose job it is to paint stripes on East Texas roads. Alvin, played by Paul Rudd,...
“Into the Wild” is the Happiest Sad Movie Ever
This could have been a really bad movie. Overly-explained, out of touch, untruthful, and shallow. It would have been so easy to make this film into the usual Hollywood bastardization of someone’s life story and nonfiction book, but fortunately for us, Sean Penn didn’t direct it that way. I recently got around to watching the...
An Old Man’s Fantastical Story in “West of the Moon”
Playful humor, macabre, nostalgia, and sadness all come together to form this film by Brent Bonacorsco, and results in one of the best short films I’ve come across in a long time. “West of the Moon” animates a narrated story from a man who has quite the imagination. The film’s animation has touches of Tim...
“Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” is a Western Classic
This weekend I revisited one of my favorite older films, “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” and was reminded how awesome that movie is. Paul Newman and Robert Redford depict a couple of aspiring wild West outlaw train and bank robbers. Eventually they rob the wrong train, and a majority of the movie consists of...
“Looper” is a Thrilling Dystopian Masterpiece
Rian Johnson’s work, “Looper,” is one of the best films of the year. As a fan of the dystopian genre, I was excited to go see it in the theater, but wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Honestly, except for time travel, I wasn’t entirely sure what the movie was about. Walking in cold, without...
Move, Eat, Learn
“Move, Eat, Learn” is a three-part film project by Rick Mereki where three guys spent 44 days in 11 countries doing just what the project suggests: moving, eating, and learning. Each film can stand alone, but as a trio, the films amass into a project that demonstrates the best way to live. The guys look...
Flying Lotus: Until the Quiet Comes
Flying Lotus, for whatever my opinion is worth, is one of the most talented musicians around. Classifying his music in a genre is near impossible, not only because his work is so diverse, but because he really should have his own genre. Flying Lotus simply is Flying Lotus. Set to release a new album in...
Movie Review: “Submarine”
The 2010 British comedy film, “Submarine,” is the story of 15 year-old Oliver Tate as he tries to save his parents’ dissolving marriage while trying to impress his pyromaniac girlfriend. Oliver narrates throughout the film, and the movie is divided up into marked portions of a play: prologue, scenes, and epilogue. Throughout, Oliver struggles with...
Movie Review: “The Greatest Movie Ever Sold”
Morgan Spurlock’s documentary “The Greatest Movie Ever Sold” is an up-close look into the world of product placement in pop culture and the advertising firms and companies that make it happen. Throughout the film, you watch him bounce from business to business pitching the exact film you’re watching. What’s it about? He doesn’t really know....
“The Arctic Circle” Examines Greed and Temptation
This stop-motion film by Kevin Parry is one of the coolest stop-motion films I’ve ever seen. Everything from the music to the tedious articulations of the characters is spot-on. Tim Burton called the film a “cross between 2001 [A Space Odyssey] and Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer,” and in some weird way I think he’s right....
Short Film “Gone Goodbye” Explores Relationships
This 2009 film was created in 100 hours for a film competition, which it wound up winning. From the moment the work starts, it seems to haunt the viewer. The opening shot is excellent–a truck driving in a remote area, perhaps away from someone/something, or perhaps towards something else. The narration of the note, the...
