Category: Film & TV

Rewind, Review, and Re-Rate: ‘A Raisin in the Sun’: Dreams Deferred Aren’t Always Dead

PG | 2 h 8 min | Drama | 1961 Lorraine Hansberry begins her award-winning play with one word that describes the living room of a poor, mid-20th century black household: weariness. Weariness has won, Hansberry writes of her characters’ living room, because everything in it has been sat on, used, and scrubbed too often….


Epoch Watchlist: What to Watch for April 14–April 20

This week, we feature a classic about becoming rich suddenly and a thriller about two men who form an unshakable bond on the battlefield. New Release ‘Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant’ In Afghanistan, U.S. Army Sgt. John Kinley (Jake Gyllenhaal) hires Afghan interpreter Ahmed (Dar Salim) to work for his unit. When they’re caught in an…


‘The Girl of the Golden West’ (1938): A Movie Operetta vs. Puccini’s Spaghetti Western

Commentary A saloon in an 1850s California gold mining town called Cloudy sounds like a great setting for an old Western, maybe starring John Wayne. It certainly doesn’t sound like the setting for an Italian grand opera by Puccini. Nevertheless, this is the setting for Giacomo Puccini’s 1910 opera “La Fanciulla del West,” which means…


Overfed and Undernourished | Documentary

Examine a global epidemic and our modern lifestyles through one boy’s inspiring journey to regain his health. The film forces us to ask the fundamental question: Are we really nourishing ourselves? …


Rewind, Review, and Re-Rate: ‘Sabrina’: Director Billy Wilder’s Rom-Com Shines Despite Off-Screen Drama

1954 | PG | 1h 53m | Comedy, Drama, Romance Some of the greatest romantic comedies were undoubtedly from the Golden Age of Hollywood (approximately 1934 to 1959). In many cases, part of the cinematic alchemy that made these films so successful was the natural chemistry and behind-the-scene comradery between their leading actors. A case…


TV Docuseries Review: ‘American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing’

TV-MA | 2h 57min | Documentary, Crime, History | 12 April 2023 (USA) While not nearly as deadly or widespread as the coordinated attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the bombing of the Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013, nonetheless shook the nation to its core while reminding us that evil never rests; it only takes breaks. As with 2001, the 2013 destruction…


‘Cheers for Miss Bishop’ From 1941: The Female Mr. Chips

Commentary “Goodbye, Mr. Chips” from 1939 was an Academy Award-winning tribute to the teaching profession. Starring Robert Donat, this MGM production depicted the selfless, inspiring story of Charles Chipping, a man who dedicated his whole life to teaching at one institution. “Cheers for Miss Bishop” from 1941 could be considered the female counterpart of this…


Film Review: ‘Acidman’: Hey, Hollywood, Cast Thomas Haden Church in Bigger Movies Already

Not rated | 1h 27m | Drama | March 31, 2023 I’ve been saying it for years: Actor Thomas Haden Church, best known for his supporting role in 2004’s “Sideways,” is cinema’s hidden weapon; a full-fledged mega-movie-star leading-man waiting to happen. Maggie (Dianna Agron) and Lloyd (Thomas Haden Church) are father and daughter, in “Acidman.” (Brainstorm…


Top 5 Pet Movies: To Our Loveable Furry Companions on National Pet Day (April 11)

There’s no need for me to point out the importance of domesticated animals to the millions of those with whom they share their lives. In many instances, these creatures are as beloved and cherished as family; for others, they are family. Happy National Pet Day! “My Dog Skip” (2000) Willie Morris (top image) grows up…


Global Panic | Documentary

Amid the 2020 COVID pandemic, the world seemed as though it might be coming to an end. Panic struck the world’s citizens, stores were cleaned out, and neighbors were shunned as virus carriers. Amid this chaos, courage and compassion were born within our world’s communities. Individuals set their own needs aside to help others: a…