For years mankind has been obsessed with the question of whether or not there’s life to be discovered amongst the stars. Even more pressing is whether extraterrestrials would see humans as equals or enemies. Sometimes that question is played out…
The Great Buddha + Movie Review
Pickle (Cres Chuang) and Belly Button (Bamboo Chu-Sheng Chen) are two broke, down-and-out drudges whose lives are as exciting and meaningful as their names might suggest. Pickle works as a night security guard at a metalworks manufacturing giant Buddha statues;…
Slamdance 2018 Review: Man on Fire
Grand Saline, Texas, a small-town of about 3,000 people a little ways out from Dallas, seems like any number of small towns dotting the Bible belt. Known primarily for its massive salt deposits owned by Morton Salt (“If you eat…
Mary and the Witch’s Flower Movie Review: Debut From Studio Ghibli Offshoot Is Less Than Enchanting
Mary and the Witch’s Flower may just be impossible to consider on its own terms. This is certainly no fault of the film itself, it’s simply the first feature from Studio Ponoc, the company founded by two veterans of the…
Proud Mary Review: Taraji P. Henson proves she’s an action heroine worth rooting for in mediocre film
The movie Proud Mary might not be anything special in itself, but its heroine sure as hell is, with Taraji P. Henson proving she can kick ass and take names like the best action hero the movie won’t let her…
Paddington 2 Review: The sequel shines with displays of humanity and decency
Children movie whimsy is a real double-edged sword. While it may be a requirement for family films to have an atmosphere of brightly colored, bubbly wonder, there can be too much sugary sweetness in one movie. On top of that,…
Movie Review: Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Light spoilers ahead. During a review for last year’s Rogue One, Red Letter Media’s cynical squeaking mascot Rich Evans pointed out a contradiction in the Star Wars universe: despite taking place in an entire galaxy far far away, Star Wars…