Category: Arts & Culture

Film Review: ‘Users’

NR | 1h 20min | Documentary, Technology, Nature | 09 June 2023 (USA/Mexico) Back in April, I reviewed two documentaries (“Matter out of Place” and “River”) for the Epoch Times. Each focused on ecology, climate change, and the supreme lack of urgency we humans possess in doing anything to rectify these “sky is falling” issues. Both movies also featured next to…


‘Stan Lee’ Documentary Directed by David Gelb Premieres at Tribeca, Online

Comics writer Stan Lee, today nearly synonymous with Marvel, is a figure beloved by many. Known for pushing the envelope in the comics medium, he has inspired countless creatives to pursue their vision. Documentary filmmaker David Gelb, who expanded the visual language of the medium with his debut film “Jiro Dreams of Sushi” and created…


Epoch Watchlist: What to Watch for June 9–15

This week, we feature a true-to-life military drama of survival and an action thriller about a man on a mission to save a family from harm. New Release ‘Extraction 2’ From top action producers Joe and Anthony Russo comes a powerful film that follows black ops warrior Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth) as he takes on…


Epoch Booklist: Recommended Reading for June 9–15

This week, we feature the recently found memoirs of one of baseball’s greats and a fascinating true story of a shipwrecked, mutinous crew. Nonfiction ‘The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder’ By David Grann In 1740, a squadron of seven ships left Portsmouth, England, on a mission to capture a fabled Spanish galleon….


Porto Velho to Iguazu Falls | Tough Rides Season 3 Episode 5

When Ryan successfully reaches the end of the BR-319, his vehicle breaks down yet again but more Brazilian hospitality comes to the rescue in the form of a local rancher who tows the support vehicle to his ranch and cooks up a BBQ for the team. …


‘I Serve a Savior’: Josh Turner’s Album Featuring Popular Gospel Songs

Singer-songwriter Josh Turner became one of country music’s most well-known voices in the early 2000s with hits of “Your Man” and “Would You Go With Me.” After years of touring, Turner decided to take a break in 2018. Suddenly, he found himself with extra time on his hands. He used the grace period to accomplish…


Painting Dante’s Epic Poem ‘The Divine Comedy’

Where are we heading—heaven or hell? Poet Dante Alighieri explores just that in his epic poem “The Divine Comedy,” which he completed around 1321, the year that he died. Dante wrote 100 cantos (sections), averaging 142 lines, for his poem that charts the journey of the pilgrim Dante through Hell to Purgatory and Paradise. The…


Film Review: ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’

PG-13 | 1h 57m | Action, Fantasy | June 9, 2023 What I think about it is … Hold on a second. Let us pause briefly for a moment of perspective. The voiceless Bumblebee in Camaro form, with Cheetor (voiced by Tongayi Chirisa), a Maximal scout who transforms into a cheetah, in “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.” (Paramount…


Manaus to Porto Velho | Tough Rides Season 3 Episode 4

It is now time to test Ryan’s resolve and put his survival skills to the test. After exploring the Amazon rainforest from the air, Ryan meets up with Leo, a tree-climbing and jungle survival expert. …


Book Recommendation: ‘How the Canyon Became Grand: A Short History’

The word “breathtaking” did not make it into Noah Webster’s original 1823 American Dictionary of the English Language. Perhaps, it is because the adjective was not necessary until the Grand Canyon became a national monument and then a national park almost a century after Webster first published his grand volume. Yet, it is the word…