Tag: film
Straight Outta Compton: NWA, the Marx Brothers, and Artistic Expression
This is a story about anarchy. About how artists deal with a crazy, messed-up world. And as such, it a story about the value of art. The power of art. The danger of art. Three young men were searching for a place in a harsh terrain. They were outsiders, hailing from a segment of society…
Another Country: David Gulpilil Explains Indigenous Culture
The Molly Reynolds’ directed film, Another Country, is a difficult work to define. Guided by the cool, calm, and soothing narration of indigenous actor, David Gulpilil, we are sent on an almost structure-free wander through Gulpilil’s home town, Ramingining. I say almost, because both he and Reynolds have a very clear purpose in mind – to…
Reviewing Joel Edgerton’s ‘The Gift’
A beautiful young couple move into a beautiful house in the American suburbs. He has a new job and she is working freelance. Everything is perfect, right? The Gift shows us that our past can catch up with us when we least expect it, threatening to unveil secrets and turning everything upside down. Ten years…
Death is Not the End: Big Hero 6 and the Big Cheat
This is not so much a film review or article, but a beginning, an initial exploration. I’m fascinated by how technology and the fear of death are becoming increasingly entwined in Western culture. There are no easy lessons to draw, but I wanted to write something about how mainstream cinema interacts and deals with such…
The Reboot Fallacy: Why Every Film is a Remake
We forget, within a modern societal structure, that the propagation of culture is often achieved through re-enactment or retelling. When oral tradition was the dominant social form, prior to the written word, the most famous, most important and the most socially relevant stories or mythologies were the ones being retold at festivals, around campfires and…