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There's a trope I really hate in biopics. We have some inspirational tale of adversity that really happened to someone--and, in most cases, this is someone we've heard of before. They accomplish their goals. We end on a sweeping score, and read some epitaph about what happened to all of the main characters. The work … Continue reading BlacKkKlansman (2018) – dir. Spike Lee
I have a fear of pets. To be clear, this is not the same as a fear of animals. Rather, I experience of a specific anxiety and concern regarding the concept of pet ownership. I'm uneasy of the notion of getting close to a creature who will never feel affection towards me the way I … Continue reading Isle of Dogs (2018) – dir. Wes Anderson
At the time of this writing, the news cycle in the United States has been dominated by multiple pieces of footage involving a confrontation outside the Lincoln Memorial between students from Covington Catholic High School, Black Hebrews, and Native American activist Nathan Phillips. The narrative is still unfolding--a few hours ago, a woman released a … Continue reading Paddington 2 (2017) – dir. Paul King
Recently, I was promoted within the city library system in which I am employed. Rather than stay within the same division, however, I was moved to where they needed people. So, as excited and proud as I was to advance professionally, I was not jazzed about leaving the branch I’d been working for nearly a … Continue reading Tampopo (1985) – dir. Juzo Itami
There's this Ira Glass quote I really love. What Glass says boils down to the notion that people who he works with get into the work they do because they recognize great work; they have good taste. But as with any artist, seeing and doing are totally separate exercises. Even the best of any particular … Continue reading Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) – dir. Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman
I don't know why, as an 11-year-old, I heard Billie Joe Armstrong and thought, "I wanna be that guy." And for a couple of years, I really did. I wanted to write rockin' pop songs that were both accessible and thoughtful. I started making music as soon as I could. But tastes change. Green Day … Continue reading If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) – dir. Barry Jenkins
Growing up, I seldom felt like as though I was the one choosing my friends. We just fell in with each other, ate lunch with each other, and I never really said no. Sometimes we bonded over a song, or a movie, or just tolerating each other. And even though I still love many of … Continue reading Shoplifters (2018) – dir. Horikazu Kore-eda
[originally published in early 2018] We want to believe we’re special. This a broad statement, one that could imply many things. In one way or another, though, we all want to excel in ways those around us can’t or won’t. We want to be better known, or smarter, or more talented. We try so hard … Continue reading Blade Runner 2049 (2017) – dir. Denis Villeneuve
I don't take pleasure in contrarianism for the sake of contrarianism. To me, disliking things merely to be defiant--whether one is actively trolling, or attempting to purport some kind of superiority in taste--is a pointless, waste-of-energy exercise. Sometimes, I enjoy films that, say, have tepid critical reception--I maintain Only God Forgives and Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey are two … Continue reading Blade Runner (1982) – dir. Ridley Scott
Every other Sunday, I have dinner with my family. Specifically, my mom's mom, my uncle, my aunts, and my five-year-old cousin. After my grandpa died a couple years ago, so many things changed, but that fortnightly dinner has survived. Part of that tradition is the mediocre television my grandpa used to make us watch--he simply … Continue reading American Honey (2016) – dir. Andrea Arnold
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