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The After highlights children’s intuition < Back The After highlights children’s intuition Neon Films, 2023 18 minutes Director/Writer: Misan Harriman / John Julius Schwabach and Misan Harriman Reading Time: 4 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, Netflix The After A Dark Past (WYJRMRUKNMDQSZB1) 00:00 / 04:01 Dandelion Movies/shows with heavy subjects Chris Chaisson 2024-02-06 Many of us believe that when we lose one of our senses, the others grow stronger. In the same way, younger children, due to their underdeveloped verbal communication skills, possess stronger nonverbal abilities and even an intuition of how others feel. As adults, we are frequently too distracted with our own problems and responsibilities to recognize a grieving person in front of us. Just the same, we can often be too desensitized or callous to care even when we do. In this sense, adolescents have an advantage over us, still having empathy and observational skills that have not dulled or hardened from life experience. Misan Harriman’s Oscar-nominated short film, The After , hints at this reality over the course of its 18 minutes. David Oyelowo ( Selma ) plays Dayo, a loving husband and father whose world is turned upside down after a stabbing attack that cost him his family. A year later, his career as a businessman is a distant memory, and he works as a rideshare driver while still grieving the sudden, tragic loss he’s endured. Dayo is not without a support system, as many friends call to check up on him, but he has trouble responding and keeping up with his grief counseling appointments. Over the course of a typical day, he provides rides to numerous strangers in London and becomes numb to the conversations occurring in his backseat. Most of his customers are adults who are either conversing with each other, arguing, or on their phones. Though unspoken, it is clear from Dayo’s demeanor that he is repressing a lot of his still unprocessed emotions in order to put on a face for his job. One day, a bickering couple and their silent child pile into his backseat for a ride home. The child sits in the middle, clearly affected by her parents arguing. However, she observes Dayo’s body language and facial expressions as he drives. When they arrive, the parents exit the car and head up their front steps, but the child remains in the car. Dayo asks her if she’d like to get out and go inside, to which she reluctantly obliges. However, before heading up the steps, she turns around and hugs him from behind. The parents, still wrapped up in their own argument, suddenly turn and run down to pry their child off Dayo as he falls to the ground sobbing. They leave him on the sidewalk, where he continues crying before pulling himself together and driving off. The After ’s opening sequence is jarring and tragic enough to make Dayo a sympathetic character for the rest of its duration. However, the interesting aspect of the short film is its display of children’s intuition. Despite all of the adult passengers Dayo has in his car, none seem to acknowledge or read him at all; to them, he is somewhat invisible. The first pair of passengers make this reality evident, as the father brags about his son’s soccer accomplishments while the son tells his dad that Dayo probably does not want to hear it. Being polite, Dayo denies any disinterest, even though deep down the conversation is white noise to him. What eventually cracks him open is the child of the bickering parents, who very clearly resembles his own deceased daughter. Often, films depicting a grieving parent begin after the death has already occurred. Witnessing the sudden and violent nature of his family’s death puts the rest of The After into perspective. In particular, it is easy to become detached from the grieving of other adults, as we not only hear about so much bad in the world but witness it for ourselves. Sometimes, it takes the innocence of a young, attentive soul to recognize another person’s hurt and reach out. The After reminds its audience that although we do not typically think of children as the teachers, sometimes it is good to follow their example. Available on Netflix Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

< Back Biosphere takes a more docile, academic angle in the post-apocalyptic genre Duplass Brothers Productions, 2023 106 minutes Director/Writer: Mel Eslyn Reading Time: 4 minutes Biosphere Strange Science (DHJJSCGX4M4QFF6S) 00:00 / 04:14 📷 : Pixabay Barley: Movies and TV shows with a lot of dialog Ginger: Thought-provoking movies and TV shows Chris Chaisson 2023-08-02 Set in an apocalyptic future, Biosphere stars two lifelong friends, Ray (Sterling K. Brown, Black Panther ) and Billy (Mark Duplass, Safety Not Guaranteed ), who have witnessed the end of civilization and now co-exist in a self-sufficient biosphere. As they are both biologically male, Ray and Billy being the sole survivors would indicate the inevitable extinction of the human race. But is it that simple or is an unforeseen evolutionary change coming? Ray and Billy’s relationship sees its ups and downs as they debate their differing perspectives, reflect on their lives before the incident, and plan for what is to come. As one might expect from a two-character story, Ray and Billy have very glaring differences. Ray is the overachieving intellectual, having built the biosphere they are surviving in himself. Not only is he highly educated in biochemistry, but he served as an adviser to Billy’s presidency. What to some may be the most perplexing element of the story is that Billy was ever the President of anything, let alone the United States. Though charming, he appears to lack any leadership skills or authoritative presence, mostly deferring to Ray’s expertise. His character is most likely a satire of many leaders in real life, if not the entire idea that a leader knows any more than the average person. Billy serves as the voice of the audience, specifically those not well-versed in science or evolution, and reacts just as they would to hearing the volume of information that Ray throws out. Ultimately, Billy becomes a sympathetic character, as having a highly intelligent and accomplished friend could conjure up feelings of insecurity. Biosphere being a post-apocalyptic buddy comedy allows for it to present many interesting questions. One such question is where to turn to after an argument? In many post-apocalyptic films, there is one survivor who speaks to inanimate objects for a sense of socialization. However, Ray and Billy each have someone to talk to, but not anyone to moderate once they have verbal disagreements. One solution is the fish that they are growing (and eventually eating) in the biosphere’s pond. Ray talks to them for a reprieve multiple times after getting into it with his best friend. Though not exactly like Wilson in Cast Away or the mannequins in I Am Legend , we see that even with the presence of a human companion, situations dictate turning to other beings for conflict resolution. The movie’s main question pondered over the course of 106 minutes is “could an organism’s biological makeup change out of necessity in order to continue its species?” On this topic, Ray and Billy both must face changes propelling them to act in ways they never thought they would have to in a civilized society. What pulls the viewer into the story is that due to their lifelong friendship and confinement to a single space, the characters have candid conversations about who they are, how they have been raised, and how both factors act as mental roadblocks to evolution that they must figure out a way around. Writer/director Mel Eslyn’s film differs from many others in its genre. In most films with two friends struggling to survive, they are stranded in the wilderness or space, still with some faint hope of rescue. In many post-apocalyptic movies, there is either a sole survivor still able to traverse the wasteland for resources or many groups of survivors that form their own cliques (i.e. Mad Max ). Having two friends co-existing in a biosphere avoids the violence and tribalism that we often see from movies in this category. Instead, it goes the academic and largely comedic route. Pressed for a comparison, Biosphere bears some resemblance to the Oscar-nominated 2017 film The Shape of Water . In Guillermo del Toro’s critically acclaimed flick, a lonely janitor forms a relationship with an amphibious creature being held captive. Both films raise questions about how human beings adapt in the face of loneliness, desperation and, in the case of Biosphere , possible extinction. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

Drone uses lifelike graphics for a funny, yet ominous glimpse into AI < Back Drone uses lifelike graphics for a funny, yet ominous glimpse into AI E.D. Films, 2023 15 minutes Director/Writer: Sean Buckelew Reading Time: 3 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, B&B Pictures Drone Solatium Mysterium (KKCUB6QA8KN9QZSR) 00:00 / 03:09 Ginger Thought-provoking movies and TV shows Saffron Movies and TV shows with great visual effects Reba Chaisson 2023-07-26 Drone is an animated short film by Sean Buckelew about a drone that grows a conscience. With the use of artificial intelligence (AI), a drone, dubbed “Newton,” is presented at a CIA press briefing to announce AI-enhanced drones as new military hardware. Demonstrating its capabilities during a livestream in front of the audience, the press secretary engages in a pleasant conversation with Newton, indicating the drone is ready to show what it can do. Things go awry when the drone fires a missile into an empty building, but then verbally acknowledges it committed a grave error when it detects that a person was killed in the explosion. Feeling guilty, the drone vows to “never inflict pain and suffering on anyone again,” and people around the country embrace him for it. Buckelew does such an exquisite job of presenting the drone as self-aware, that you are likely to find yourself referring to it by its name or pronoun. The drone is presented not as an “it,” but as an object personified with human emotions of happiness, sadness, and even guilt. It makes me wonder to what degree AI will eventually make us feel emotionally close to inanimate objects, beyond the guitars we play or the cars we keep in our garage. Drone is both a funny and important film with astounding graphics that presents racially and ethnically diverse, lifelike characters, who smoke and use social media on their smartphones. It is not only a joy to watch, but it imparts lessons about our social and political realities in the age of livestreaming and government arrogance. The political fallout for the drone’s mishap provides a glimpse into what happens behind the scenes when things do not go as planned, and agencies and leaders are embarrassed by what transpires in full view of the public. Drone also helps us understand how an outcome, even a tragic one, can be twisted into a pretzel to justify staying the course. The rationalizations make it clear that handshakes and signed contracts occur long before Newton and his cousins get their first bolt. We are a long way from the days when robots looked like painted cardboard boxes with eyes, or even when they were made of stiff metal, like “C3PO” and “R2D2” of Star Wars fame. They now resemble objects we have been in awe of, such as cars, mobile phones, and yes, airplanes. This is the first step to feeling a kinship or connection to robots, as they gradually begin to fit into our world. Giving them names and adding AI to put them in conversation with us normalizes them as belonging in our space. And who knows? Maybe, eventually, we will feel as if we need them there. Available on Film Shortage Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

The series examines the drug trade that centers around key dealers, corner boys, addicts, policemen and politicians in modern-day west Baltimore. < Back The series examines the drug trade that centers around key dealers, corner boys, addicts, policemen and politicians in modern-day west Baltimore. Blown Deadline Prod., 2002-08 60 minutes Creator: David Simon Reading Time: 3 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, HBO The Wire Wade in the Water (SIHXMHIW8JFP2XQP) 00:00 / 04:17 Barley Movies and TV shows with a lot of dialog Dandelion Movies and TV shows with heavy subjects Chris Chaisson 2021-07-25 In the wake of the overwhelming popularity of The Queen’s Gambit , it is fitting to discuss the figurative portrayal of chess that is The Wire . A series that examines the drug trade in modern-day west Baltimore, The Wire centers around key dealers, corner boys, addicts, policemen and politicians that play roles in the city’s condition. The show’s ensemble cast, along with the “hyper-realism” described in the show’s pitch bible, paint the picture of fictional characters that represent very real people. Not just in Baltimore, but in any city with all the same moving parts. Despite the lack of classical training, many of the actors across the five-season series depict solid portrayals of characters across the spectrum. Most interestingly, British actors Dominic West ( Chicago , 300 ) and Idris Elba deliver such strong performances that many fans of the show were unaware they hailed from across the pond. Where does chess come into play? Well, the show centers around cause-and-effect. City politicians reallocate funding for the purpose of their own reelection. Policemen circumvent rules to bring media attention to cases they’re tackling. Dealers team up with one another to get rid of a problematic player. Every move influences the next move, but it’s all part of the same game of chess. However, this particular game never runs out of pieces and the king is never truly mated. “Fighting the War on Drugs, one brutality case at a time.” “Girl you can’t even call this **** a war...wars end.” A frequent criticism of The Wire and shows like it is that they try to make “evil” characters redeemable. The dealers are not just dealers; some are violent sociopaths, or as one lawyer puts it, “[parasites] feeding off the despair of the drug trade.” However, they are also proud owners of pet fish or avid fans of basketball and boxing. Some TV audiences accustomed to archetypes castigate this type of character writing, believing that these figures should be portrayed as nothing but the worst. A counterargument is that humanizing characters like this is perfectly appropriate, as the most evil humans in the history of the world were indeed still human. Identities are rarely if ever one-dimensional. Acknowledging the complexity of the characters and forgiving them for their crimes and misdeeds are matters of personal choice. This choice could very well factor into your decision to binge-watch the series—or not. Another criticism thrown around about The Wire is that it “moves too slow.” This analysis is often lobbed at shows with a large ensemble cast and several storylines, but it’s not without merit. The perception that this particular series trudges along likely exists due to its multi-faceted subject matter. Examining education, politics, crime, law enforcement, print journalism and where these areas intersect takes time. Inevitably, these will include elements that are not guaranteed to be of interest to every viewer. Nonetheless, the many moving parts of The Wire make for great setups, payoffs, and well-rounded characters. Back to our chess metaphor, a move early in the game (castling, trading queens, etc.) can reverberate throughout the next 50 or 60 moves. In The Wire , the significance of a brief interaction can resurface two full seasons later. Does that make it boring? Slow-moving? Possibly. But it certainly means every detail matters. Though polar opposites in genre, The Wire may remind you a little of Game of Thrones . An abundance of characters, life-and-death stakes, and a far-reaching chain of cause-and-effect bring these two series together stylistically, despite one being pure fantasy. Sadly, there is a notable absence of fire-breathing dragons in west Baltimore, but an ensemble cast and the strategic moves of the main characters may be enough to draw you in. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

Interviews Derek Magyar A Conversation with River of Grass Director Derek Magyar River of Grass Writer/Director Derek Magyar sits down with Cup of Tea Critiques Chris Chaisson Reading Time: 13 minutes Read More Greg Sgammato A Conversation with Film Composer Greg Sgammato Cup of Tea Critiques chats with Greg Sgammato, film composer and member of the Society of Composers and Lyricists Chris Chaisson Reading Time: 18 minutes Read More Steven Renkovish Interview: A Talk with Writer/Director Steven Renkovish Interview with Writer/Director Steven Adam Renkovish on The Awakening of Lilith Chris Chaisson Reading Time: 18 minutes Read More Alain Fleury A Conversation with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Assistant Editor Alain Fleury Alain Fleury joined COTC to discuss the ins and outs of assistant editing for big-budget Marvel movies Chris Chaisson Reading Time: 16 minutes Read More Anton Deshawn A Conversation with The Untold Story of Mild Sauce Writer/Director Anton Deshawn Writer/Director Anton Deshawn joins COTC for a deep dive into his short film Chris Chaisson Reading Time: 11 minutes Read More Dani Abraham A Conversation with Murder, Anyone? Producer Dani Abraham Cup of Tea Critiques has a chat with Murder, Anyone? producer Dani Abraham Chris Chaisson Reading Time: 14 minutes Read More Alex Morsanutto A Conversation with Operation: Cavity Writer/Director Alex Morsanutto Cup of Tea Critiques sits down with indie director Alex Morsanutto Chris Chaisson Reading Time: 10 minutes Read More

< Back Fatale can leave viewers with conflicted loyalties Hidden Empire Film Group, 2020 102 minutes Director/Writer: Deon Taylor / David Loughery Reading Time: 4 minutes Fatale Timeless 00:00 / 04:37 📷 : Licensed from Shutterstock Dandelion: Movies and TV shows with heavy subjects Ginseng: Suspenseful and intense thrillers Reba Chaisson 2021-07-25 Fatale is a story set in the southern California mountains about a wealthy, married man who struggles to extricate himself from the grip of a psychopathic woman, after sleeping with her in Vegas. Trying to do this without his wife learning about the one-night stand proves to be complicated to say the least. While the film’s plot is cliché and contains a few holes, it delivers as a suspense-thriller. Much of what is predictable about movies like this does not occur in Fatale . Part of it can be explained by the strong performances of Hillary Swank ( Million Dollar Baby , Boys Don’t Cry ) and Michael Ealy ( Takers , Barbershop ), who play Val Quinlan and Derrick Tyler in the lead roles. Another has to do with the viewers being left wondering which one was the ‘bad guy’ creating the conflict in the story. Movies about obsession tend to get lumped into the same category despite at least one strong distinction among them. The most fundamental is whether a real (versus imagined) intimate, consensual, physical relationship occurred between the obsessed person and the target of his or her obsession. In the 2009 release, Obsessed , starring Beyoncé and Idris Elba, with Ali Larter playing Lisa as the stalker, no actual physical relationship occurs between her and Derek (Idris Elba’s character). At the end, the audience is left with the dampened, simplistic view of Lisa as just another psychopath. A film that does involve a physical relationship is the classic 1987 release, Fatal Attraction . In it, Michael Douglas portrays a married man who has an affair with Alex, played by Glenn Close, who later obsesses over him. She inserts herself so deeply into his life that she endangers his family and even kills his little girl’s pet rabbit, leaving it in a pot of boiling hot water. The film, however, lets the audience get to know Alex as a competent career woman with a social life. This deepens Alex’s humanity and makes her character complex. As a result, viewers end up sympathizing with her rather than simply dismissing and hating her. Because of this depiction, she is viewed as a tragic character rather than a psychopath like Lisa. Fatale is much like Fatal Attraction in this respect. The film lets the audience get to know Val as capable and competent. So, she is deeper and more complex than a caricature who can be dismissed as psychotic. In some ways, she is an empathetic character because her experiences–the drivers of her mania–likely resonate with those of some audience members. In some regards, Val is also a sympathetic character who is even rooted for at times. But because the things she does are so over the top, this sympathy and empathy get stretched and shifted to Derek as the story evolves. How does this happen? How does it happen that our loyalties conflict at times? That our emotions are manipulated like this as a story unfolds? The questions themselves explain why Fatale passes as a thriller. As viewers, we are immersed in this story, given the protagonist, and then emotionally whiplashed. Afterwards though, we have to sit back and reflect. We have to ask ourselves, who is the protagonist in this drama? Who are we supposed to sympathize with when both are presented with complications? Perhaps an unintended consequence of Fatale is its fodder for discussion about the cost of stress on mental health. This includes noting the pressures to keep it all together with few options for help and no reward to look forward to in the end. The suspense part of suspense-thriller is clear–what will the climax reveal? But it’s the thriller part that’s the real kicker of Fatale . If you like edge-of-your seat thrillers with themes that cannot be easily dismissed, you might want to consider this one. Oh, and Michael Ealy’s in it too!!! Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

< Back The Independent revs up mainstream and newsroom politics Anonymous Content, 2022 108 minutes Director/Writer: Amy Rice / Evan Parter Reading Time: 5 minutes The Independent Exploring the Unknown (1ZXT82ZUXBOWIIH0) 00:00 / 06:17 📷 : Licensed from Shutterstock Barley Movies and TV shows with a lot of dialog Matcha Mysteries or whodunnits Reba Chaisson 2023-02-15 It has been a while since I’ve seen a film about journalism and the newspaper industry. The 2017 release, The Post , is probably the most iconic, though Spotlight (2015) and Absence of Malice (1981) come to mind as well. Nothing stands out for me more than the 2009 film, State of Play , starring Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, and Rachel McAdams. Seeing movies like these takes me back to the days when I would buy a Chicago Tribune or “Sun-Times” from the El-station vendor on my way to catch the morning train to DePaul, where I attended undergrad. The smell of the ink, the sound of a page turning, and the feel of the paper in my hands as I read the stories from the front page to the Opinion section, made me feel connected to the city and acclimated me to the day. It also helped make me oblivious to everything else about the hour-long train ride, such as vendors moving from car-to-car yelling: “Got those socks!” “Got that rolling paper!” The creak of the doors seemingly opening every minute to let passengers on and off. And the blare of boom boxes playing the disco versions of Evelyn Champagne King’s “Shame” and Barry White’s “Ecstasy” too loud, too early in the morning (smiley face). Yes, The Independent took me back as it went inside the newsroom. It’s a story about a young Black female journalist determined to pursue stories that matter, like issues around politics and schools. Instead, her direct and confrontational style, it seems, leads her boss, Gordon White, to dismiss her ideas and relegate her to menial, unimpactful stories, like what people do for Valentines Day. While informing the team that the paper, now electronically published, has been acquired and that layoffs will ensue, he cynically asks for story ideas that could enhance the value of the paper, minimize the inevitable layoffs that occur when companies are bought, and keep the bosses happy. Undeterred by the cynical if not rude dismissal of several ideas offered by some of her older and more experienced colleagues, “Eli,” played by Jodi Turner-Smith ( Without Remorse , Queen & Slim ), bravely offers up a couple of ideas. The first one Gordon, played by Stephen Lang ( Avatar: The Way of the Water , Old Man ), declares as effectively stupid, but she persists in her second idea to cover the new Independent presidential candidate, played by John Cena, who is giving the Democratic incumbent and Republican candidate a run for their money. Gordon yields but instructs her to “hand over [her] notes” to Kevin, a slightly more senior colleague played by Andrew Richardson ( Killer Among Us , A Call to Spy ). Raise your hand if you have seen or experienced this before on your job. Nonetheless, this scene sets the stage in the film for seeing the difference that can be made in one person’s life or career by the decisions senior colleagues make. After he observes Eli being teased by the beneficiary of her idea, Nicholas Booker intercedes, sending Kevin off with his tail between his legs. He subsequently turns to Eli, stating “Send me your best work.” Played by Brian Cox ( Succession , Bourne Identity ), Booker is a 50-year seasoned and accomplished newspaper veteran who is highly regarded by bosses, colleagues, politicians, and others who have been on both the right and wrong ends of his work over the years. Ultimately, he and Eli collaborate on the forbidden project and enter a quagmire over who is stealing funds from the lottery to pay for their political campaign. Interestingly, while the film focuses on the political story, politics play out in the newsroom and corporate offices visited throughout the film. At the newspaper, a colleague with a level of experience similar to Eli takes immense joy in watching her stay mired in menial, low-impact stories. Meanwhile he is placed on a path for his career to progress and put in a position to make a name for himself. There is also the jaded and cynical senior editor, Gordon, who is preoccupied with maintaining the status quo by avoiding risks. He routinely lets go of people who dare to challenge, to make noise, and to do what newspapers set out to do centuries ago. In a scene at a corporate office, the head of Human Resources for a company expresses her discomfort to a senior colleague about a memo “suggesting” they contribute to a candidate’s political campaign. He nonchalantly advises her, “Do it to keep the ‘ol man happy.” Unfortunately, so much of politics – traditional and corporate – is about keeping those who control jobs and livelihoods happy rather than about doing what’s right, ethical, and what ultimately leaves people with their self-respect intact. Exemplary of this is when Eli, while clearly displaying her journalistic chops, reveals her inexperience when she unethically, if not illegally, acquires the information she needs for the story. Nicholas admonishes her for her grave lapse in judgment, stating that he did not get to the end of his career and achieve prestigious accolades to have it all diminished on the brink of his retirement. In other words, ethics count for something. While not necessarily an action-packed, edge-of-your-seat political thriller, The Independent’s bright and clean cinematography, strong messages about principles and ethics, and diverse representations of the characters make it a solid contemporary piece. The unusual mentoring relationship between a 30-something Black woman and a boomer-age adult demonstrates the value of wisdom, experience, and institutional knowledge, especially when there is a genuine willingness to share it with those of a different background who are equally willing to learn. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

< Back Marketing Associate Apply Now San Francisco, CA, USA Job Type Part Time Workspace Remote About the Role This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. Want to view and manage all your collections? Click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. Here, you can make changes to your content, add new fields, create dynamic pages and more. Your collection is already set up for you with fields and content. Add your own content or import it from a CSV file. Add fields for any type of content you want to display, such as rich text, images, and videos. Be sure to click Sync after making changes in a collection, so visitors can see your newest content on your live site. Requirements This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. To manage all your collections, click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. To manage all your collections, click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. To manage all your collections, click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. To manage all your collections, click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. About the Company This is placeholder text. To change this content, double-click on the element and click Change Content. Want to view and manage all your collections? Click on the Content Manager button in the Add panel on the left. Here, you can make changes to your content, add new fields, create dynamic pages and more. You can create as many collections as you need. Your collection is already set up for you with fields and content. Add your own, or import content from a CSV file. Add fields for any type of content you want to display, such as rich text, images, videos and more. You can also collect and store information from your site visitors using input elements like custom forms and fields. Be sure to click Sync after making changes in a collection, so visitors can see your newest content on your live site. Preview your site to check that all your elements are displaying content from the right collection fields. Apply Now

< Back CODA displays a young girl caught between loyalty and personal ambition Vendrome Pictures, 2021 111 minutes Director/Writer: Sian Heder / Sian Heder, Victoria Bedos, and Stanislas Carré de Malberg Reading Time: 4 minutes CODA The Found (YKSIWLISR6QCNHWJ) 00:00 / 04:17 📷 : Used with permission, Seven Heavens Design https://www.instagram.com/sevenheavensdesign/ https://twitter.com/SevenHeavensART https://www.sevenheavensdesign.com/ Chamomile: Family dramas Jasmine: Movies and TV shows with heart, positive vibes, and warm messages Chris Chaisson 2022-04-24 From the outside looking in, the togetherness of any family can be very enviable. Many adolescents come from a home full of fractured relationships, constant arguing and emotional volatility, if not worse. This reality can make us look at any loving family as a perfect, problem-free unit. CODA (“child of deaf adults”) examines the dynamics of a loving family that still has their differences. It centers around the only hearing member in a hearing-impaired household, Ruby (Emilia Jones, Locke & Key ), who suddenly experiences a conflict of interest after joining high school choir. While she never planned on going to college, her music teacher, Arthur (Lonnie Farmer, Black Mass ), believes she has the talent to audition for Berklee School of Music. He offers to train her, which makes her less available to be the American Sign Language (ASL) translator for her father and brother who are fishermen. CODA excels in showing a family that struggles with communication, despite their love, togetherness and shared fluidity in ASL. As many teenagers do, Ruby suddenly realizes herself capable of more than she previously thought and experiences a shift in her life goals. Her parents cannot fully understand her newfound passion and are dismissive, hitting on a common truth in life. Even many well-meaning guardians are the first to dash their offspring’s dreams without realizing it. As every generation carries out what they learned, many parents who did not have as many options as their kids fail to embrace the full potential of their children’s futures. Jackie (Marlee Matlin, Children of a Lesser God ) and Frank (Troy Kotsur, The Number 23 ), though initially unsupportive, learn to be there for their daughter with the help of Ruby’s older brother Leo (Daniel Durant, Switched at Birth ). This perspective is driven home by Ruby’s duet partner, Miles (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Vikings ). After visiting Ruby’s place and gossiping about her family to their classmates, he apologizes and admits that he envies the relationship she has with her parents. From his vantage point, her home life is sunshine and rainbows, but she, along with the audience, knows that this is an unfair characterization. In admitting his immaturity and reconciling with her, he comes to understand that every family has their issues, even if they maintain their camaraderie. Another major takeaway from the film is the importance of not simply pitying people with disabilities. Throughout the film, Jackie, Frank and Leo display charming senses of humor, emotional fortitude and affection. Though they are the target of scorn from fellow fishermen or classmates, they still have friends, relationships, and moments of joy like everyone else. The true way to embrace people with impairments is to build relationships through communication and caring rather than harboring guilt. Leo points this out to his and Ruby’s parents, saying the burden should not always be on Ruby to translate or on the rest of them to communicate with the other residents. At some point, other members of the community should meet them halfway rather than ignore or chastise them. The best comparison for a movie like CODA is the 2000 drama Billy Elliott , where a boy obsessed with ballet dance becomes torn between his art and his family. While his home life was turbulent in a different way than Ruby’s, it shows the same struggle between the need for creative satisfaction versus the need to take care of loved ones. Interestingly enough, both Ruby and Billy are the antithesis of a classic movie character: Michael Corleone. Ruby begins CODA accepting her role in the family business before wanting to leave it. Michael’s initial disdain for the family business in The Godfather gradually becomes a desire to take it over. As you might guess, this is not the only way Ruby and Michael would be considered polar opposites, but combined, they do provide balance in the world of cinema. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

Florida Man adds hilarity to parallel and seemingly disconnected plotlines < Back Florida Man adds hilarity to parallel and seemingly disconnected plotlines Aggregate Films, 2023 50 minutes Creator: Donald Todd Reading Time: 6 minutes 📷 : Used with permission, Netflix Florida Man Another Round (TFTXNDKQV3RPRF6U) 00:00 / 07:03 Oolong Movies and TV shows that make you laugh or involve physical activities like dance and exercise Peach Movies and TV shows with a springtime feel or with images of the season Reba Chaisson 2023-05-18 My guitar teacher talks a lot about the importance of gradually building the music during a performance, especially when you are a solo act playing acoustic guitar. Start a song off deliberately, for example, with simple Travis picking, build it to a light strum maybe adding a 4 th to a couple of the main chords, and move into the end with a serious strum that puts all these together and gets people moving – or at least their heads shaking to the rhythm. The new Netflix mini-series, Florida Man , brings this to mind. What is interesting about the 7-episode series is rather than laying out maybe two or three main plots in the first few episodes, it develops several parallel plotlines as the story moves along. While each seems random to some degree, once converged, they fit the characters and existing storylines like a glove. Florida Man stars Edgar Ramirez ( Yes Day , Gold ) as Mike Valentine, a reluctant and unconventional mobster. In contrast to portrayals of gangsters where underlings do as they are told and go about their “business” donned in slacks, polos, and suits, Mike frequently argues with his boss and dresses in jeans and a casual untucked print collared shirt. He also hates Florida, a place where gangsters are rumored to retire, describing it as “[the place] that provided [him] with the opportunity to leave, and [he’s] not going back.” Originally “employed” by his boss’s late father, Mike wants out but Moss Yankov, who now heads the Philadelphia-based “family business,” refuses to let him go. In the absence of an emotional connection with Moss, who is also her fiancée, Delly West becomes close with Mike, as he drives her around town to nightspots and on coffee runs. One morning, Moss awakens to find her gone. She has taken the BMW he gave to her the night before and is heading towards Florida. Moss, played by Emory Cohen ( Lords of Chaos , The OA ), orders Mike to go to Florida to bring her back. Begrudgingly, Mike makes the trip and reunites with his family, which includes his seemingly well-grounded sister, Patsy, played by Otmara Marrero ( Clementine , Yoshua ), who he is very close to, and his father, Sonny, who he is not. At this juncture, the show peels back the layers of Mike’s disdain for Florida, suggesting that something is amiss between him and his father, played by Anthony LaPaglia ( Without a Trace , Halifax: Retribution ). But this is only a teaser, as the source of this tension still has not been revealed. Meanwhile, Deputy Ketcher is a detective on vacation with his family in Florida. He lost his gun somewhere in transit, and he is feeling uncomfortable without one. Frustrated at his difficulties buying a replacement at a firearms store, Deputy Ketcher, played by Clark Gregg ( Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. , The Avengers ), rants, “This is Florida. The g**damn state is shaped like one. I can’t go to a mailbox without tripping over 3 of ‘em, but God forbid you sell me one.” Desperate, he buys one illegally, adding another seemingly disconnected but hilarious plotline to the story. Upon finding Delly, Mike observes her faking her own death, which makes Florida’s television news. When he confronts her, he learns that she is in pursuit of a large cache of gold, one that Moss talked about incessantly but still believed to be a myth. Mike is hooked both on Delly’s quest and Delly herself, so much so that he lies to Moss about Delly’s fate – adding more layers to the plotline. Moss is so heartbroken, he even holds a repast for Delly at his home in Philadelphia, where Tyrone Davis’s 1970 R&B hit, “Turn Back the Hands of Time,” is heard playing in the background at the all-White gathering. Things become complicated when Delly, played by Abbey Lee ( Mad Max: Fury Road , The Dark Tower ), grows impatient and invites Sonny to help in searching for and recovering the treasure. However, Sonny, who is the retired chief of police in town, turns out to be a bit unsavory and develops his own plans. All of this is occurring while the FBI is investigating a gangland style murder, which they believe was committed by Moss’s crew in Philadelphia. They need Mike and/or Delly’s help to make their case. But they, like Moss, bought the news that Delly is dead, and they cannot seem to locate Mike – whose ex-wife is one of the investigators. To sum, the numerous and parallel plotlines and characters culminate in a fun and entertaining story. Florida Man brings to mind the 1984 film, Against All Odds . Besides a terrific soundtrack by Phil Collins, the movie stars Jeff Bridges as Terry Brogan, an injured and broke former professional football player who owes favors to Jake Wise, a shady nightclub owner played by James Woods. Jessie Wyler is Jake’s girlfriend played by Rachel Ward. When she leaves Jake and heads to South America, Jake forces Terry to go find her and bring her back. Terry finds her and the two fall in love. While the stories are nearly identical, the look, tone, and feel of Against All Odds and Florida Man differ dramatically. The former is heavy and dark with adult themes, violence, and menacing characters. The latter, on the other hand, is colorful and light. While it has adult themes, they are not presented in scary and intimidating ways. Even the violence in Florida Man is tough to take seriously because it is embedded in such hilarity. What I also like about this series is that Mike speaks in a Latino dialect, and his father and sister do not. That this is never highlighted nor explained in the series suggests the filmmakers, and perhaps Edgar Ramirez himself, insisted on bringing his ethnic identity to this role and proving that it can indeed be pulled off for this character. For the first half century of cinema, White actors played people of color using makeup and wigs to modify their appearance to resemble the groups they were portraying, or sadly, present caricatures of some others. No special makeup or dialect is used for Mike Valentine’s character in Florida Man . Ramirez brought his full authentic self to the role. I wonder about the implications of this for actors in portraying characters of different racial and ethnic groups. Does this have the potential to work for or against making more on-screen roles available for people of color? This is something to ponder. But regardless of which side you come down on, Florida Man pulls this off without a hitch. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

< Back The Substance throws subtlety out the window Working Title Films, 2024 140 minutes Director/Writer: Coralie Fargeat Reading Time: 6 minutes The Substance The Great Beyond (TRJQZFP7BOZXMZSS) 00:00 / 06:17 📷 : Siddharth Vinod https://www.instagram.com/21ddharth/ https://x.com/21ddharth Saffron Movies and TV shows with great visual effects Coca Movies and TV shows about drugs or with disorienting presentations Chris Chaisson 2024-10-14 Artists and critics alike make a habit of applauding subtlety, maybe even overvaluing it. Often, viewers scoff at anything that is not filled with symbolism and subliminal messaging, categorizing it as low-brow or simple. But who made this rule? Why does every project have to take a “medicine in the candy” approach to be valued? The Substance bucks this trend as the newest critically acclaimed body horror that goes for broke at every turn. Demi Moore plays Elisabeth Sparkle, an aerobics instructor/actress with her own Walk of Fame star, who experiences a mid-life crisis after overhearing a crass executive (Dennis Quaid) named Harvey (hint hint) expressing his wishes to push her out the door. He insults her age and appearance, going beyond the insinuation that she is replaceable, to later just flat out saying it and firing her. Disheartened, she ruminates on Harvey’s hurtful language, and while heading home, sees a picture of herself being removed from a large billboard. The distraction causes her to get in a violent car accident and a visit to the emergency room, where the younger of her two doctors slips her a card with a phone number and quietly comments that [“she’s] perfect.”. When she calls the number, she learns about a cell-replicating chemical solution that, when injected, will “unlock her DNA” and allow her to become a younger version of herself, whom she must switch off and on with every seven days. When Sue (Margaret Qually, Sanctuary ), the younger version, starts stealing both time and anatomy from Elisabeth, the consequences for Elisabeth are irreversible and grotesque. You may have heard of the sub-genre “body horror.” The Substance is the body-horrorest of body horror films you will ever see. While the film has a clear, strong and possibly repetitive message, it is not for the faint of heart (or other body parts for that matter). During its nearly two and a half hour run time, there are numerous scenes of blood, gore, and body metamorphoses; these despite the film not having much actual violence at all. Director Coralie Fargeat ( Revenge ) goes heavy on the stylized elements of the film, using amplified sounds, extreme close-ups and the occasional fish-eye lens effect to create a sensory overload for the audience. The goal of all these disconcerting technical elements is to hold a mirror up to viewers, highlighting how ageism and misogyny operate in tandem within the entertainment industry. Rather than display the mental and physical effects of these social ills subtly and sporadically throughout the story, Fargeat amplifies them at every turn. The Substance does bear resemblance to many films in the “robot takeover” sub-genre in that, though not an actual robot, Sue begins as a seemingly empty vessel. In a heartfelt, dramatic version of this movie, she and Elisabeth would develop a mentor/student relationship that enriches both of their lives. But in the sci-fi universe, they are not allowed to co-exist and instead end up pitted against each other. Sue learns how to navigate the world through social interactions and the attention and opportunities that she is awarded; thus, she quickly views Elisabeth as disposable, nothing more than a barrier to her own continued success. In this way, the drug has the opposite effect from what Elisabeth intended. The film will definitely turn a few stomachs, and as with the release of other gruesome films, such as the new Terrifier sequel, a common criticism will be that the volume of gore is unnecessary. Certainly, everything isn’t for everyone, and regardless of message, The Substance may not be everyone’s cup of tea (hmm). However, if you gravitate toward films of the Coca and Saffron variety, maybe you have already decided that you’re game. One could also criticize the film for being repetitive in its messaging, but then again, discrimination to oppressed parties feels very repetitive. An unfortunate reality is these social ills have spanned many generations. In this respect, such a story probably holds true and resonates with those who can relate. The abundance of visual effects should not overshadow how strong the performances are. Quaid effectively plays Harvey, who is not just a smarmy chauvinist but a fairly disgusting human being. Early on in the film, he goes to the bathroom while on the phone, does not wash his hands and leaves to eat. His table manners in the next scene leave a lot to be desired. Harvey’s interactions with both Elisabeth and Sue lack any level of professionalism, empathy or genuineness, and he consistently speaks about Sue to others as though she is his “creation.” Just the same, Moore commendably plays a forlorn former star who cannot peacefully appreciate the success she has achieved. While her decision to inject the substance in the first place suggests she is desperate to revisit her youth, her actions later in the film indicate that deep down, she would have relished simply having an authentic relationship with a protégé. Lastly, Qualley strikes a perfect balance in her role as an adaptive humanoid. Early in the film, she gives off blank expressions, empty stares and minimal speech. As she has more exposure to others and more time in the spotlight, her non-verbal communication becomes much more nuanced with eye rolls, head turns and shrugs. For sci-fi and horror fans, The Substance may bring to mind Darren Aronofsky’s Requiem for a Dream , a film about the crippling effects of drug use on four people with intersecting stories. Both films come across as quite downtrodden, with Requiem being the classic “It was good, but I’ll never watch it again” movie. The Substance dabbles in satire and offers a few more chuckles with its absurdity. One way or another, this film exists as the perfect example of how important it is to find your cup of tea. Although after watching some of the visual effects, you may trade the tea out for a large bottle of mouthwash. Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!

< Back Longlegs conveys the burden of tracking down a gruesome villain Neon, 2024 101 minutes Director/Writer: Oz Perkins Reading Time: 6 minutes Longlegs Demogorgon (UTQ3ENKFYFFDOUHW) 00:00 / 06:42 📷 : Jaime Ventura https://www.jximedesigns.com/ https://x.com/jximedesigns Ginseng: Suspenseful and intense thrillers Matcha Mysteries or whodunnits Chris Chaisson 2024-07-12 Generally, I am not a fan of true crime. I will listen to the occasional podcast about a famous bank robbery, but some of my friends watch mini-series about serial killers, or bizarre murders involving families and love triangles. Often, the most chilling aspects of such cases are the lack of criminal history by the assailant. It leaves viewers with the feeling that no one is safe and no one is trustworthy. In the case of a string of connected crimes, an even more spooky element is the notion that the alleged killers may have not been in complete control of their actions. Some find this content fascinating but I prefer to get adequate sleep every night. Nonetheless, Neon’s newest horror thriller Longlegs dives into all of these elements of true crime through the eyes of a young law enforcement agent carrying a huge burden. Maika Monroe ( It Follows ) stars as rookie FBI Special Agent Lee Harker, who has an uncanny intuition even for her profession. Her first day in the field, she locates and brings in a violent suspect, putting her on the radar of Agent Carter (Blair Underwood). He assigns Lee to work a case involving a string of ritualistic killings, seemingly murder-suicides committed by the husband/father of each family and influenced by Satanic teachings. Despite no sign of forced entry, every crime scene consists of a letter in coded language signed by someone named Longlegs (Nicholas Cage). Lee must track down Longlegs and find the common thread in the continued murders before they persist. Director Oz Perkins (formerly Osgood) reincorporates the dark, grisly atmospheres created in his past movies, such as his A24 debut The Blackcoat’s Daughter . This one, however, plays much like a crime procedural. Lee exhibits a largely stoic and uptight demeanor, most clearly demonstrated in an early scene where she meets Agent Carter’s family. She initially resists and, once coaxed by Carter, enters his house but does not engage in any pleasantries. As she talks alone with his daughter, the audience receives a moment of vulnerability when the daughter asks, “Is it scary, being a lady FBI agent?” Lee responds yes without elaborating, but it is enough to explain her disposition; she is new, intimidated, and likely holding on to trauma that may have propelled her to this field in the first place. Perkins films Lee close up and in the dead center of the camera several times when she is at or approaching a crime scene. Few times in the film does Lee share the frame with anyone, even when she is not alone. This stylistic choice heightens the sense of fear and uncertainty that she feels, as she frequently has no backup when she is in danger. In addition to fear, the centered close-ups serve as a reflection of the pressure that she is under. Having been switched onto the case due to her clairvoyance, she has an immediate realization that lives are solely in her hands. Not only does Lee feel a sense of dread and being trapped, but she also has no one else to rely on. As with many thrillers that have occult influence, Longlegs has a couple of bloody and disturbing moments. The film, however, does well to pick its spots to scare or gross out the audience. A mistake some films make is to overdo the gore to the point that it becomes absurd and laughable, but Longlegs spaces out its gruesome scenes in order to stay in the pocket. The best compliment to pay to a thriller such as this is to laud its ability to go against the rhythm of scares that the average horror movie falls into. If you watch enough movies in the genre, you can predict when the jump scares, screams or spikes in music will happen. Instead, Longlegs manages to catch its audience off guard several times. It waits for the moment that the viewer relaxes to bring a random loud noise or sudden act of violence, compounded with Lee’s close-ups to make her feel trapped. If she has nowhere to run, then neither do we. As is always the case, the effectiveness of any crime thriller hinges on how scary the bad guy is. Cage as the devil-worshiping antagonist is more than convincing. Satanic characters in media tend to go one of two ways, either well put together and dressed to the nines or complete messes. Sometimes you can look at them and go, “I bet that guy worships the devil.” One such example is the minor character Declan from the series Banshee , who has literal horns inserted into his head. While Longlegs is not quite that on the nose (no pun intended if you’ve seen the film already), he appears very uncouth and deranged, randomly shouts and pants loudly as he talks. Despite his disposition, he has the skill to hand-craft dolls that play a part in his brain-washing schemes. The fact that he can build such influential toys as well as write coded messages that only Lee can crack makes him all the more chilling of a villain. Some may compare Longlegs to the 1995 David Fincher favorite Se7en , due to the religious influence in the antagonist’s crimes. Longlegs feels far less composed than John Doe, played by Kevin Spacey, yet they may be two sides of the same coin. The killers in other similar films like Zodiac or The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo may be diabolical and unsettling, but none of them feel as though they are serving some higher power. The conviction with which Doe and Longlegs carry out their acts adds the effect of feeling like they cannot be talked down or stopped, and if their own lives are taken, their influence can still lead to future violence. If you like true crime, Longlegs may serve you well; if not, you can still appreciate a well-executed thriller (and maybe turn your head before a certain character bangs his own off a table). Previous Next Sign-up for new reviews, exclusives, deep dives, and more First name Last name Enter your email here I agree to the terms & conditions Sign-up Thanks for joining us!