The final scene of Kubo and the Two Strings has haunted me since seeing it last week. Haunted might be too strong of a term, but it has resonated with me in a way that moves me very deeply. Even…
Gus Van Sant returns with The Sea of Trees
Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting, Milk) is known for directing films that include strong and complex characters with profound themes. We haven’t heard much from him for a while (since 2012), but just a few days ago the trailer…
Movie Review: Free State of Jones
You can’t argue that the new movie Free State of Jones has been made in earnest, with plenty of good intentions and high ambitions. But all that can’t dismiss that the movie is structurally, narratively and ultimately ideologically, a complete mess…
Sing Teaser: Illumination Entertainment’s “Animal Idol”
Illumination Entertainment, the studio behind the continued success of the Despicable Me franchise, recently released a new teaser for an upcoming animated musical project known only as Sing. With this news, it appears that Illumination has been hard at work cranking their…
TV Review: True Detective (2×01) “The Western Book of the Dead”
Welp…we’ve got something to talk about. True Detective was originally an HBO mini-series starring two of coolest Texans ever to grace Hollywood today (Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey) looking for clues in the Louisiana bayou. But, surprise surprise, Harrelson and…
Out of the Past: “Killer Joe” (2012)
The pit bull outside the Smith’s trailer barks at everyone, but Joe. Joe wears a black cowboy hat sitting atop his jet black hair with his black aviator resting on his nose. Joe is a part-time police detective and part-time…
The Film Canon: The Wedding Planner (2001)
You might have noticed a pattern in the latest installments of The Film Canon. Being February and Valentine’s Day around the corner, I felt compelled to revisit many of the romantic comedies I adored as a teenager. The Wedding Planner…