The year the towers fell: A look back at 2001

In 2001, American Online and Time Warner merged; Wikipedia launched; George W. Bush became the 43rd President of the United States; Hijackers crashed America Airlines flight 11 and United Airlines flight 175 into the World Trade Center; Nintendo released the Gamecube; Apple introduced the iPod; Microsoft released the Xbox;  Enron declared bankruptcy; Mister Roger’s Neighborhood aired… Continue reading The year the towers fell: A look back at 2001

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

Starsky & Hercules

  Hercules (1997) Jealous Hades (James Woods) plots to overthrow his brother Zeus (Rip Torn) and rule Mount Olympus by killing Hercules (Tate Donovan), Zeus’s infant son. He sends his minions, Pain and Panic, to give the child a formula designed to make him mortal, but they fail to give him all of it. Deprived of immortality, but maintaining… Continue reading Starsky & Hercules

The drunken fox is afraid

  Drunken Master II (1994) Won Fei-Hung (Jackie Chan) hides ginseng in the suitcase of an employee of the British consulate to avoid paying taxes. This innocent act backfires and Hung is inexplicably involved in a crazy conspiracy to steal a valuable Chinese antique. Chan’s genius was a merger of eastern and western entertainment traditions, combining Chinese… Continue reading The drunken fox is afraid