I’ve seen many movies over the last two years. Nothing I saw inspired me with enough words to express how I felt about what I was seeing… until I saw Taratoa Stappard’s Maori gothic horror film Mārama. A stunning feature film debut that examines female rage, ancestral bonds, and reclaimed indigeneity in post-colonial England.
Continue reading “‘Mārama’ is a Māori Horror Thriller That Will Chill You to the Bone”
Nathan Greno’s Swapped may not reinvent the body swap formula, but it uses it effectively to remind audiences of the importance of seeing the world through someone else’s perspective. Backed by a terrific cast led by Michael B. Jordan and Juno Temple, Netflix’s latest animated film turns a familiar premise into a funny, heartfelt story about empathy, identity, and our relationship with the natural world.
Continue reading “‘Swapped’ Uses a Familiar Story to Deliver Timely Lessons on Empathy”
Sharp. Biting. Insightful. These are the words we think of when we reference 2006’s The Devil Wears Prada. So does The Devil Wears Prada 2, the long-awaited reunion between stars Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci follow in the high-end stilettoed footsteps of its well-regarded predecessor? Let’s just say, this time around, the sequel had me pursing my lips.
Continue reading “NOC Review: ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ Goes from Prada to Blah-da”
Despite this new revival of Flower Drum Song having a second revision from David Henry Hwang, no amount of rewrites can shake the core that this Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, now playing at East West Players, is still very much outdated as an orientalist and voyeuristic crowd pleaser for old white people with subpar musical numbers.
Continue reading “A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Flower Drum Song’”
We review Lee Cronin’s latest film set in Egypt with our dear friend, actor Ali Nasser.
Continue reading “The Middle Geeks Episode 79: ‘Lee Cronin’s The Mummy’ Review with Ali Nasser”
It’s been a few days but after watching the world premiere of Olivia Dufault’s For Want of a Horse at Echo Theater Company, I am still at a loss of what exactly the point of the play is. It’s well acted and well directed with perhaps a deep meaning to it but ultimately, it’s a play about a man who has sex with a horse. Are we supposed to be more empathetic of folks who commit such acts? Do we condemn it? Is this even a discussion worth having?
Continue reading “A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘For Want of a Horse’”
The Mummy remains one of the most iconic figures of the classic movie monster era. For nearly 95 years, the character has been reimagined through horror, romance, and action-adventure, evolving with each generation without ever fully losing its mythic power. Lee Cronin’s The Mummy recognizes that any new take must do more than reinvent the monster. It also has to leave room to engage with the story’s cultural roots in a way that feels thoughtful, grounded, and free of the outdated stereotypes that have often shaped past depictions.
Continue reading “Lee Cronin’s ‘The Mummy’ is a Viscerally Unsettling Reinvention of a Horror Icon”
Hot off her Coachella performance and A Matter of Time: The Final Hour deluxe edition release, Laufey, the Chinese-Icelandic genre-defying Grammy award winner, has revealed the music video for “Madwoman.” Framed through a dreamy 1960s bossa nova-inspired aesthetic, the video feels like more than just a visual flex. It is a deliberate gathering of Wasian talent across music, film, television, and sports, turning a buzzy release into a larger statement about visibility.
Continue reading “Laufey’s “Madwoman” Music Video is a Wasian Celebration”
Gabriel Rivas Gomez‘s Level Up!, now having its world premiere at the Latino Theater Company, is a cute and ambitious multimedia-heavy play that is unfortunately bogged down by too many storylines.
Continue reading “A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Level Up!’”
Nocturne Theatre’s Jesus Christ Superstar has not only reinvigorated this classic Andrew Lloyd Webber musical with their astounding production work and talent but through conscious & well thought-out casting decisions, has given it urgent relevancy in the world we live today.
Continue reading “A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’”
It’s common knowledge that the Star Wars fandom is an extremely divisive one. However, if there’s one aspect of the nearly 50-year-old franchise that most are on the same page about is that the animated series succeed at doing what several of the live-action series don’t always nail: impeccable storytelling, effortless world building, and the bravery to go deep on spiritual and morality-related subject matter.
Continue reading “‘Maul — Shadow Lord’ is a Strong Yet Perplexing ‘Star Wars’ Animated Series”
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is out this week, already poised to keep making bank by turning more game nostalgia into a pumped-up franchise for Nintendo and Universal Pictures. Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) reprise their roles as the Mushroom Kingdom’s go-to plumbers to fix and fight well… anything you’ve seen in the games you grew up playing.
Continue reading “‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ is Non-Stop Cinematic Confetti”
Growing up in the US as an Iraqi Kurdish/West Asian Muslim kid in the ‘90s here in the US, pre-heroes like Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel), Zari Tarazi of DC’s Legend of Tomorrow, Khalid Nassour (Dr. Fate), and Green Lantern Simon Baz coming up in the 2000s and 2010s, you rarely, if ever, saw heroes on screen you could identify with.
Continue reading “How Supergirl Inspired this Brown Immigrant Child”
Artificial Intelligence, or “AI,” is an intentionally misrepresented term. A vast collection of machine learning algorithms using vast quantities of human-made data for predictive analytics, it is ultimately more simple than we’re led to believe. Mainly this is the design of the capitalist tech CEOs who insist that towering and complicated AI simply must be part of our daily lives when in most ways we have no practical use for it and we can get by.
Continue reading “‘The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist’ is a Rousing Call for Humanity to Take Action”
The Disneyland Resort has officially welcomed Bluey to its theme park universe. The debut of Bluey’s Best Day Ever drew in massive crowds of fans who flocked to Walt Disney’s original theme park during the spring break opening weekend of the experience. As vacation season gets in full swing, expect lines from rope drop at park open, a constantly packed pit of kids on the immersive dance floor, and full houses for performances on peak days.
Continue reading “‘Bluey’ Has Arrived at Disneyland: What Fans Need to Know”
Though Kim’s Convenience, now having its run at Center Theatre Group, is enjoyable in its many funny and touching moments, Ins Choi‘s 2011 play is very much outdated in its necessity to showcase Korean identity and culture that is completely catered to white people.
Continue reading “A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Kim’s Convenience’”
A gated community is supposed to represent safety. Order. Protection from the chaos of the outside world. But The Gates quickly reveals that promise to be something else entirely.
Continue reading “‘The Gates’ is a Tense Study of Race, Power, and Belonging”
Hamid Rahmanian‘s Song of the North, now currently playing at Pasadena Playhouse, is an extraordinary multimedia production that is a marvel for all ages to enjoy. Utilizing shadow puppetry (483 puppets!!) and projected animation with immense success to reimagine the Iranian epic Shahnameh, the joy and magic found in this adaptation is undeniable.
Continue reading “A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Song of the North’”
Do you like quiche? Do you like immersive theatre? Do you like outrageous comedies fused with social commentary in the form of a nuclear apocalypse? Then 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche, now having its Los Angeles premiere via New Forms LA, will fill that savory spot just right, even if its pacing suffers a bit near the end before revving right back up for a fantastic finish.
Continue reading “A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche’”
There are many incredible ingredients at work with the Los Angeles premiere of Jackie Sibblies Drury‘s 2019 Pulitzer Prize winning drama Fairview, now playing at Rogue Machine Theatre: a crackling ensemble cast, an intriguing and twisty premise, and a thrilling direction by Oz Scott. But despite these elements present, the play fall short of its clever ambitions as it settles into an abstract moral message play written primarily for white people.
Continue reading “A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Fairview’”
When Ready or Not premiered in 2019, it quickly became a surprise hit, cementing Samara Weaving as a rising horror star and establishing Grace Le Domas MacCaullay as one of the genre’s great modern Final Girls. For me, as well, it was an immensely enjoyable surprise, coming out of nowhere to become one of my favorite movies in a year stacked with heavy hitters like Avengers: Endgame and Parasite.
There is something truly remarkable when you witness a play that not only makes marine biologist wholly relatable but that you feel so much compassion for a giant octopus puppet and inspire mythical wonder in the deep watery unknown. Such is the accomplishment of Weston Gaylord’s Octopus’s Garden, now having its world premiere in this gorgeous co-production with Boston Court Pasadena, Circle X Theatre Co., and Outside In Theatre.
Continue reading “A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Octopus’s Garden’”
The Bride! is an electrifying tale that leaves you clawing for more. Jessie Buckley delivers a phenomenal performance as the troubled Bride brought to life, with Christian Bale delivering a moving portrayal as Frankenstein‘s monster. Maggie Gyllenhaal’s script and direction are an absolute masterclass in storytelling and proves that women should be in charge of Hollywood with this retelling. “People love a monster,” and Gyllenhaal certainly serves up all of the good and bad monstrosities one could hope for in this film.
Continue reading “‘The Bride!’ Proves That Women Should Be Running Hollywood”