On paper, The Aftermath would appear to possess the makings of a period drama classic. Ticking all the necessary genre boxes, the adaptation of Rhidian Brook’s 2013 novel boasts a talented cast, impeccable production design, and slick cinematography. Still, something…
The Hummingbird Project Movie Review: Kim Nguyen’s tonally messy film loses momentum
As Benjamin Franklin famously said in Advice to a Young Tradesman, Written by an Old One, “time is money,” and when you’re dealing with billions of dollars, every millisecond counts. Kim Nguyen’s The Hummingbird Project finds its monumental stakes riding…
Juanita Movie Review: Alfred Woodard gives mileage to the trip
When we first meet Juanita (Alfre Woodard), she’s delivering exposition directly into the camera, breaking the fourth wall to bring the audience into her world as if it were her character introduction in Cameron Crowe’s Singles. Stuck in a thankless…
Album Review: The Cactus Blossoms – “Easy Way”
The cover art of Easy Way, the latest album from Minneapolis folk duo the Cactus Blossoms, is a tad misleading. Its image finds brothers and bandmates Page Burkum and Jack Torrey walking in opposite directions, as if strangers passing each…
Transit Movie Review: History melds with contemporary in subtle refugee drama
“What’s in a name?” — as with his last film, the haunting and radiant Phoenix, writer-director Christian Petzold is perpetually fascinated with the notion of assumed identity. How much of our status is attached to the name others call us?…
Album Review: The Claypool Lennon Delirium – “South of Reality”
As audiences had already seen 2016’s Monolith of Phobos, in one another, Les Claypool and Sean Lennon found kindred spirits. Seemingly upon meeting each other, they recognized a familiar cultural shorthand, each growing up on a healthy diet of prog…
The Changeover Movie Review: A modern day fairytale
Miranda Harcourt and Stuart McKenzie’s The Changeover, based on the award-winning 1984 novel of the same name by famed New Zealand children’s author Margaret Mahy, has a bit of a timeless energy to it. Planted firmly in the realm of…
