LL Bean turned 100: A look back at 2012

In 2012, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her diamond jubilee; Dressed as the Joker, James Holmes opened fire on a crowd during a screening of The Dark Knight Rises; The Summer Olympics were held in London; Curiosity landed on Mars; The Innocence of Muslims prompted protests around the globe; Felix Baumgartner became the first person to break… Continue reading LL Bean turned 100: A look back at 2012

Reflections on 3172, Year of Our Lady of Discord: A look back at 2006

In 2006, The Winter Olympics were held in Turin, Italy; Twitter launched; The Human Genome Project published the last chromosome sequence; Montenegro became an independent nation; Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet; The United States population passed 300 million people; No. 5, 1948 by Jackson Pollock was sold for $140 million, becoming the most expensive painting at the time; Saddam… Continue reading Reflections on 3172, Year of Our Lady of Discord: A look back at 2006

Best of the 2000s

  The Gleaners and I (2000) Agnes Varda’s beautiful film follows gleaners at work, from people who depend on the practice for survival to hobbyists. She exposes how connected we are and shines a light on our coldness to the needs of others as she pointedly interviews jurists about the seemingly arbitrary French laws which prohibit some forms of… Continue reading Best of the 2000s

Meeting Frankenstein’s cousin at dawn

  Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943) When Larry Talbot is accidentally revived, he seeks he notes of Dr. Frankenstein in hopes they can lead to a permanent cure for his condition. The first Universal film to combine two of their iconic horror characters was going to star Lon Chaney Jr. in both title roles, but this was too… Continue reading Meeting Frankenstein’s cousin at dawn

The grandmaster tells us stories

  Stories We Tell (2012) Sarah Polley’s directorial work focuses on fractured relationships. Away from Her (2006) shows the effects of Alzheimer’s on a long-term commitment,  Take This Waltz (2011) is about a young couple who experience a crisis, and her third feature film explores the brokenness in her own family. Twenty years after her mother died,… Continue reading The grandmaster tells us stories