At the start of Jason Reitman's new drama Labor Day, a mother and son are shopping when a wounded man appears, gently grabs the son by the neck and forces them to drive him to their home. Once there, he reveals himself to be an escaped convict. Yet, there's something different about him. Initially, the mother and son are on edge but gradually, they warm up to him. The criminal, … [Read more...] about LABOR DAY New Movie Review
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Toilet News and Weird Death and Animal Sacrifice
SOMETHING IN THE AIR Is the signature smell of Texas A&M University more “Italian lemon, bergamot and iced pineapple” (that open into “a body of vivid florals, raw nutmeg and cinnamon”) or more “bat feces” and “chilifest stink”? The two commentaries were contrasted in a November Wall Street Journal report on the introduction of Masik Collegiate Fragrances’ Texas A&M cologne … [Read more...] about Toilet News and Weird Death and Animal Sacrifice
OUT OF THE FURNACE New Movie Review
Here’s the story of two brothers living in West Virginia. One is a hard working factory man named Russell, played by Christian Bale. The other is Rodney, a younger, directionless knucklehead, played by Casey Affleck. While the wise brother is aiming for a future with his girlfriend (Zoe Saldana), Rodney takes up amateur boxing. After walking away with a tenderized face and a … [Read more...] about OUT OF THE FURNACE New Movie Review
Busy Superheroes and Deaf Jam and Boring Surgery
‘FAIRLY’ IDIOT-PROOF? Which is more characteristically American–that a Texas company could invent an ordinary rifle that mimics a machine gun or that America’s incomparable legal minds could find a loophole in existing anti-machine-gun laws to permit it to be manufactured and sold? The Slide Fire company’s weapon can spray bullets “like a fire hose” from a legal, semi-automatic … [Read more...] about Busy Superheroes and Deaf Jam and Boring Surgery
MAN OF STEEL New Movie Review
The most interesting thing about Superman has always been his unacknowledged status as the American Jesus, a figure defined by his genuinely good character and compassionate nature. Most superheroes are far more interesting when out of their spandex disguises and revealed for whom they are. Batman and Iron Man are striking by themselves by Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark are … [Read more...] about MAN OF STEEL New Movie Review