What makes the ideal family movie? First, let’s define what I’m not talking about. I don’t mean an animated feature that’s geared toward kids but has a few pop-cultural references thrown in for the olds. I don’t mean an entry in the MCU, as older viewers might be turned off by the comic-booky violence and the serialized nature of each installment. I also don’t mean a treacly drama with an inspirational message.* An ideal family movie (IFM) should ideally feature the following aspects: Jokes, but not too many Likable characters Emotion, but nothing too intense Violence that’s not... Read More

The One and Only Ivan is streaming on Disney+. Once upon a time, there was a mall, located in a faraway land known as Tacoma. This mall wasn’t the sort of mall you might have hung out at as an incorrigible youth. It didn’t have a food court. It didn’t have an Apple store. It didn’t have a mall security guard. It was not a gleaming bastion to capitalism. Instead, this mall was…different. Instead of chains, it was a haven of small businesses. Some of them were the kind of places that sold incredible art or wonderful used books. Other were the kind of places that would sell throwing... Read More

Some buildings feel wrong. You set foot inside them and you feel uneasy, the hairs on your arms stand up, every instinct tells you to get the hell out of there with a quickness. Why does that happen, though? Is it an evolutionary throwback to when we mammals were tiny, bite-sized rodents? Is it because our minds are playing tricks on us? Or is it because the place is haunted? Go ahead and scoff. But somebody pretty smart once wrote, “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.” We humans only evolved about 200,000 years ago, and we’re arguing... Read More

In December of 2013, a wedding was scheduled in Yemen. This was not unusual and, with the exception of those participating, not particularly noteworthy. On December 13, the day of the wedding, a convoy consisting of approximately 60 people traveled from the home of the groom to a neighboring village where the bride lived. According to intelligence reports, some of the members of the convoy were believed to be al-Quaeda militants. A decision was made. By who, we do not know. Regardless, a U.S. drone attacked the convoy, and 4 of the 11 vehicles were targeted. 2 vehicles were utterly destroyed.... Read More