American Television
bySome time in the late seventies, when Iraq was flourishing, we bought our first television. Some other families we knew already had a TV, other uncles who worked at Mosul…
Film & TV
Where is Faye Hiding?
byMom and I’ve trained our eyes to focus intensely for hours. Whenever I’m in my childhood home, I unroll in the recliner and Mom perches on the upright chair that’s…
In Defense of Killing Them Softly
byThe 2012 neo-noir crime thriller Killing Them Softly polarized critics and audiences upon release, and it still does today. A good friend of mine told me he will never forget…
Moby Dick and The Whale: Navigating the Ties Between Melville’s Masterwork and Aronofsky’s Newest Film
byAt its world premiere during the 79th Venice International Film Festival back in September, Darren Aronofsky’s latest drama, The Whale, received a six-minute standing ovation after the film came to…
Annie Hall Stole My Daughter’s Virginity
byI HAVE NOTHING AGAINST DIANE KEATON. However, I am guilty of giving my daughter full late-night DVD viewing rights which include Annie Hall on a tireless loop. Estimated hours played:…
Decent Fellows
byDESPITE THE NAME; despite the posters and the DVD covers that depict only its central pairing of Westley (Cary Elwes) and Buttercup (Robin Wright); despite its constant harping on the…
On the Poetry (and Promise) of Chuck and Jimmy
byThey think they always have the same conversation set to a similar tempo. Conversations often a blend of propositions and positioning. Even so, I learn something new with each reading,…
Meta, Cool, Antagonist
byIn terms of story, every character needs an antagonist to push them beyond the person they currently are and into the person they’re going to become. It’s why the character…
Meta, Cool, Character
byFrom King Gilgamesh in The Epic of Gilgamesh to the courageous Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games, an audience needs a subject to follow through a solid conclusion. Though some could argue…
Locked Out of Eden: Fleabag and the Condemned Narrator
byMaybe you don’t know what the nights are like for people who can’t sleep. They all feel guilty— the old man, the young woman, the child. They’re driven through darkness…