Movie

  • David Byrne’s American Utopia

    by - Sep 10, 2020
    “David Byrne’s American Utopia” is a joyous expression of art, empathy, and compassion. It is the intersection of two artists—Spike Lee and David Byrne—who have been interrogating how we connect through art for decades. Thirty-six years...
  • Cuties

    by - Sep 10, 2020
    There’s a saying in criticism that “depiction does not equal endorsement.” Art should be able to address taboos without necessarily advocating for them, but some surface-level readings miss what the work digs into because it’s not...
  • Netflix’s Musical Series Julie and the Phantoms Infrequently Charms

    by - Sep 9, 2020
    A ghost story that too often ignores the creative potential of its central specters, Netflix’s “Julie and the Phantoms” is so committed to mimicking creator Kenny Ortega’s past filmography that it never becomes its own thing....
  • Jimmy Carter Rock & Roll President

    by - Sep 9, 2020
    On first blush, peanut farmer and former president Jimmy Carter doesn’t inspire the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll rebelliousness. More than anything, for Americans of an older generation, the mild-mannered politician conjures images of the 1978...
  • You Can Protest at the Ballot Box: Liz Garbus and Lisa Cortes on All In: The Fight for Democracy

    by - Sep 8, 2020
    The documentary “All In: The Fight for Democracy” shows us that recent voter suppression initiatives are part of an American tradition that goes back to the very beginning of our country. Our founding documents spoke of...
  • The Social Dilemma

    by - Sep 8, 2020
    The more we learn about the insidiousness that underlies social media in the new documentary “The Social Dilemma,” the more it seems like the film is bringing a sling shot to a nuclear war. What we learn...
  • Venice Film Festival 2020: The World to Come, Dear Comrades, Apples

    by - Sep 7, 2020
    With limited capacity audiences, the Venice Film Festival is currently unfolding in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. For years, Venice has been an early platform for films that people will be talking...
  • Don’t Bother Getting Up for Hulu’s Woke

    by - Sep 7, 2020
    In the semi-autobiographical Hulu comedy series “Woke”—created by cartoonist Keith Knight and Marshall Todd—Keef (Lamorne Morris) is the author of a popular, light-hearted, apolitical cartoon comic strip named “Toast and Butter.” His work is a hit...
  • Amazon’s The Boys Struggles with its Powers in Bloated Second Season

    by - Sep 5, 2020
    Eric Kripke’s “The Boys” returns to Amazon bigger and better for its second season, but still with a good deal of issues. At its best, it side-steps from the extreme self-amusement that made the first season of...
  • Feels Good Man

    by - Sep 5, 2020
    It’s an awful feeling for an artist, having a beloved work be put to sinister and destructive purposes. Once a work is out in the world, the artist has no control over it: everyone who makes...