I love dystopian fiction. When I discovered “Black Mirror,” I devoured it. I am not a fast reader, but I finished “The Hunger Games” series in just […]
Tag: streaming
‘The Survivor’ serves as a reminder to fight
As we enter an era when few living Holocaust survivors remain and when there is a concerted effort to ban books like Maus that directly confront the […]
Dreaming of better streaming
It came as mild surprise that Netflix reported a sharp drop in viewers and even less surprise that CNN canceled its CNN+ channel. It’s not enough for […]
‘Metal Lords’ taken down by uneven tone
The high school rock band is something that I would swear was an invention of movies if I wasn’t married to someone who played in one. He […]
‘Rothaniel’ is a piece about secrets
BY ALISE CHAFFINS There’s a saying that comedy is just tragedy plus time. Story-telling comedians like Mike Birbiglia, John Mulaney and Hasan Minhaj have proven this over […]
Big themes get muddled by ghost story in ‘Master’
Subtlety is a lovely tool that, when used effectively, can transform a good film into a great film. In Mariama Diallo’s film “Master,” streaming on Amazon Prime, […]
Not much to take away from ‘Windfall’
The opening credits and the sepia-type filter on the new film, “Windfall” streaming on Netflix gives you the sense of an old Hollywood thriller. When I settled […]
‘Turning Red’ uses panda as a metaphor
Parenting is not for the faint of heart. Each stage brings new joys and challenges. For me, the hardest part was during the tween years. There are […]
Don’t run away from tough themes in ‘Flee’
Every once in a while a movie comes along that is so unique yet relatable, so heartbreaking yet joyful, loathsome yet generous, that you are compelled to […]
‘The Sky is Everywhere’ shows another way death affects people
BY ALISE CHAFFINS The subject of grief seems to be permeating pop culture right now. Not simply death and sadness, which have always been a staple of […]