The most frequent criticism of the book version of “A Monster Calls” is that it is overly dark and depressing. While that may be true, it speaks more to our sensibilities concerning death than to the reality of coping with the final act. The original book was conceived by Siobhan Dowd as she was in […]
ROGUE ONE: The Star Wars Prequel No One Asked for that Transcends the Ones We Did
No sooner had the Star Wars franchise gotten back on track with The Force Awakens, a film even whose detractors grudgingly accepted as a safe but necessary course correction for a franchise stigmatized by the word “prequel,” the new Lucasfilm handlers at Disney announced the release date for Rogue One…which, by the way, happens to […]
Dagger Movie Night: “Arrival” — Not a Science Fiction Movie, and Not Quite in Focus
It may be a stretch to call “Arrival” a science fiction movie. It certainly borrows from the genre’s themes and presents itself in the guise of an alien invasion movie. But at its heart it is something closer to a meditation on faith, loss, and the challenges of the tough decisions life presents us. There […]
Dagger Movie Night: “Birth of a Nation” — A Missed Opportunity for an Important Conversation
“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” – Edgar Degas “Race is the great taboo in our society. We are afraid to talk about it. White folks fear their unspoken views will be deemed racist. People of color are filled with sorrow and rage at un-righted wrongs. Drowning in silence, […]
8th Annual Town of Bel Air Film Festival Kicks off at Bel Air Armory October 13-15
From the Town of Bel Air Film Festival: The Town of Bel Air, in conjunction with the Bel Air Cultural Arts Commission, announces the 8th Annual Town of Bel Air Film Festival to be held October 13-15, 2016 at the Bel Air Reckord Armory, 37 North Main Street in Bel Air. The festival provides a […]
Dagger Movie Night: “Sully” — An Uneven Movie Written to Win Awards
There’s no question that “Sully” will take you on a visceral, emotional ride. Much of the first 45 minutes of the film offers visions of what could have happened if Sully had turned the plane back to LaGuardia instead of landing in the Hudson. Scene after scene of planes hitting buildings in New York have […]
Dagger Movie Night: “Suicide Squad” — Another Missed Shot at Establishing DC Film Universe
This film makes one thing very clear: there is a reason why Marvel made standalone movies for each of their characters before they put them together. Not only does it make the characters relatable to the audience, but it prevents having to reduce the backstory of each character to a throwaway line. That is the […]
Dagger Movie Night: “Ghostbusters” — A Balance of Original Comedy and Nostalgic Homage
Let’s get something straight first. If you’re someone who contributed to the vitriol this movie received during the months leading up to its release this past weekend, I implore you to read no further. This will not be a venom-spitting rant that allows you to take a warped sense of joy in the hypercritical condemnation […]
