In the winter of 1996, Rolling Stone journalist and fledgling author David Lipsky spent four days with the renowned novelist David Foster Wallace on the last leg of his “Infinite Jest” book tour. Lipsky had just published a novel that didn’t get much attention, and he was both impressed with and intimidated by Wallace’s talent […]
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Sundance Review: The Shaun the Sheep film is winning and witty
In the first film of Aardman Animation’s character Shaun the Sheep, Shaun the Sheep: The Movie, the wit is in the details as Shaun finds his way to London and shenanigans ensue.
Deafening silence: Phoenix and The Look of Silence
Christian Petzold’s film Phoenix and Joshua Oppenheimer’s The Look of Silence are both about the need to face and make peace with the painful past that would seemingly be easier to ignore. Earlier this year, the Art Gallery of Ontario held an exhibit of Henryk Ross’s photos from the Lodz Ghetto. It was hidden in […]
Warchus’ ‘Matilda: The Musical’ at SHNSF is a miracle without peer
“My mummy says I’m a miracle! My daddy says I’m his special little guy! I am a princess And I am a prince. Mum says I’m an angel sent down from the sky My daddy says I’m his special little soldier, No one is as handsome, strong as me. It’s true he indulges my tendency […]
Kris Swanberg on Unexpected, her female-driven pregnancy film
Kris Swanberg’s Unexpected is a quiet film full of small, wonderful revelations about what women go through during pregnancy. Swanberg maintains the perspective of the female characters throughout: the men come and go, but the women are always on-screen, often dealing with pregnancy alone.
A terrific ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ at Santa Cruz Shakespeare
A successful production of Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing” must satisfy three requirements: Beatrice and Benedick — the lovers in a merry war of wit — have to be lovable, the story needs to be clear, and the jokes have to land. Even Kenneth Branagh’s otherwise brilliant and definitive film of the play suffered from […]