if the reader were an alcohol, it would have one of those painful, complex tastes. something that burns as it goes down, and sobers as much as it intoxicates. the film is complex in that sense that it’s hard to … Continue reading
doubt is an actor’s vehicle, a film of great performances, but without any real drive to its narrative. where philip seymour hoffman, meryl streep, and amy adams put in exceptional performances, they seem to be almost freestyling through a listless … Continue reading
the curious case of benjamin button is philosophy produced from a photograph found in the attic of american literature. it is gimmick made beautiful, which makes it a truly american film, caught between the circus and the opera as it … Continue reading
in the spirit of christmas, and the fact that i just completed my gift wrapping (yes! best wrapping-EVER), here’s a short history of xmas in celluloid. 1898 the most interesting thing about this short clip, is that santa claus carries … Continue reading
the big news today is that a hospital in cleveland (cleveland?) has completed the most advanced face transplant in history, the first such operation in the united states, and just the fourth worldwide. while no one’s talking about it, i … Continue reading
here is a story about stories; with a question about whether stories are still stories and whether we are beginning to live in a post-story age. the already cool mit media lab has founded a “center for future storytelling.” the … Continue reading
the american action movie is founded on the idea of catharsis through violence. which is why critics and intellectuals generally object to it. because it espouses a sort of primitivism in the name of healing, and engages in profound acts … Continue reading
i recently caught a pretty underground flick at the fenway regal. you might not have heard of it. it’s called “the dark knight” and it’s about a rich, urban billionaire who spends his evenings fighting crime as a super hero … Continue reading
before i crash for the evening, a quick note on sphere, the best bad sci fi thriller of the 1990′s. it was just on “chiller” (what kind of a name is that for a tv network?), and I finally got … Continue reading