Category Film
The Grand Budapest Hotel and the Lost Age of Civility
“There are still faint glimmers of civilization left in this barbaric slaughterhouse that was once known as humanity. He was one of them…” I revisited The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) today and received the kind of warm feelings that fill a certain cold, emptiness. Just look at it! The hotel exterior looks as if it […]
American Dreamers: Nightcrawler and A Most Violent Year
When people talk about the American Dream, it’s easy to assume they’re referring to the Baby Boomer Generation–post-war Americans born roughly between the years 1946 and 1964. A higher quality of life lead to a peak number of births during this time in America. No generation before them experienced a better future both mentally and […]
Review: Frank
Originally posted on Cinema and silliness:
If music be the food of madness … They didn’t know it, but the band had suddenly become the new face of Primark … Director: Lenny Abrahamson Cast: Michael Fassbender, Domhnall Gleeson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Scoot McNairy, Francois Civil, Carla Azar Outside of the UK (and best known in the…
The Dude Abides: Lebowski as a modern-day Übermensch
He goes by “the Dude”. Call him Duder, His Dudeness, or El Duderino if you’re not into the whole brevity thing. Laid-back Los Angelenos, the Dude cruises through life on a roll of a bowling ball, a few joints, and generous gulps of White Russian cocktails; if you think that makes him a no-good, lazy […]
Melancholia: a Critique of Modernism
Sometimes I think Lars Von Trier just want his audience to give in to despair. But that’s kind of the point with Melancholia (2011). Like Requiem for a Dream (2000) or Roots (1977), it’s not exactly a film you see for fun. Although undoubtedly Von Trier’s most accessible film, Melancholia still imparts that unsettling nihilistic dread […]
Rickamarole
“What about the reality where Hitler cured cancer, Morty? The answer is: Don’t think about it.” For a trans-dimensional, scientific genius like Rick, “don’t think about it”, is perhaps the greatest philosophy. Classically intoxicated, Rick drags his grandson across the universe on high concept sci-fi rigmarole, unfazed by the absurdity of their adventures. Together, […]
Inside Llewyn Davis: A Character Study
A drama has a progressive plot, an emotional climax, and a resolution. Consider your real life, everyday Joel Smith. Joel isn’t afforded such simplicity; there is no point A or B, no master plan, no carefully crafted screenplay. Realistically, he has a handful of vague anxieties that are never resolved by the end of the day. His life’s trajectory is […]
Digital: A Love Story Better than ‘Her’
Link. Click. Download. Promised a computer mystery romance “set five minutes into the future of 1988”, I loaded up “Digital: A Love Story” (2010). Christine Love’s interactive visual novel has but a simple interface; you, the protagonist has just installed your very own Amie workbench (think 1980’s desktop operating systems). Provided only with phone number codes to dial […]
E.Y.
Thought for Your Thoughts 