In 2013 Barack Obama began his second term as President of the United States; Benedict XVI resigned and Francis was chosen to replace him as the 266th pope; Edward Snowden revealed the US government had been engaged in mass surveillance of its population; Grand Theft Auto V was released; Croatia joined the European Union; In… Continue reading 100 years of the Income Tax: A look back at 2013
Tag: Richard Linklater
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
Mr. Holland smoked some locusts in the park with Adaline; now he’s departed
Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995) Musician Glenn Holland (Richard Dreyfus) takes a temporary job as a music teacher, but, as his idol John Lennon once sang, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” After thirty years in this temporary job, Mr. Dreyfus is forced to retire. On his last day of school, a… Continue reading Mr. Holland smoked some locusts in the park with Adaline; now he’s departed
Best of the 1990s
Dreams (1990) Nearing the end of his life, legendary director Akira Kurosawa reflects on his childhood and finds inspiration for several beautiful vignettes. After a child stumbles upon a fox wedding during a sunshower, his furious mother demands he apologize. Their surviving commander orders the ghosts of Japanese soldiers returning from the second World War… Continue reading Best of the 1990s
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
An old man goes to a hell house and a flood breaks out
Venus (2006) Elderly actor Maurice (Peter O’Toole) begins a relationship with Jessie, the much younger niece of his friend Ian. Jessie tolerates his amorous advances because she’s struggling financially and Maurice provides her with a steady income, while the pursuit of Jessie provides Maurice with a purpose and renewed vitality. Richard Griffiths, Leslie Phillips, and… Continue reading An old man goes to a hell house and a flood breaks out