Morbius: It's Morbin' Time
Morbius, released in April 2022 and starring Jared Leto as the titular character, has been the subject of many viral Twitter threads…if only because it somehow became a meme completely unrelated to the plot of the movie itself. To be completely honest, I don’t remember watching most of the movie. In fact, I fell asleep multiple times, including towards the very end. So, this review will consist primarily of the little I still remember, why I fell asleep, and why its main character has become a highly successful meme.
Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down Is A Documentary About Heroes In Civilians’ Clothing
A blazer. A brooch. A tie. Even an astronaut suit. These are just some of the items worn by Gabby Giffords and her husband, Mark Kelly.
At first glance, Giffords and Kelly are perhaps best described as a political power couple that have spent the last decade in the public eye, largely due to personal tragedy. But in the new documentary, “Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down”, it becomes clear that they are also heroes in disguise - two individuals who have found joy in life and love despite all odds being stacked against them, and who have dedicated themselves to making Americans’ lives better every single day.
Beanpole’s Frozen Trauma
The icy Leningrad wind blows through the soulless, gray buildings. The equally soulless, gray people recovering from the immediate aftermath of The Second World War blow through the streets like torn pieces of newsprint. These frigid streets mask the squalid desperation of those who’ve survived, and look to make the transition into what will become the post-war Soviet socialist state. It’s a moment beautifully frozen in time, but also the moment we first meet Iya (played by the incredible Viktoria Miroshnichenko), frozen in place not by the weather, but by the temporary immobility of post-concussion syndrome. Her voice in close-up crackles and she trembles as her muscles spasm. All we hear is a distant ringing, and the drowned voices of the blurred figures she works with in the infirmary. The shot uncomfortably lingers. We are forced to watch ever closer, increasingly drawn into her suffering.
Heat: An Experience Like No Other
It’s rare to have out-of-body experiences, and it’s even rarer to have an out-of-body experience in anticipation of the actual out-of-body experience. I had several such experiences in anticipation of the 4K UHD Restoration Premiere of action epic Heat at the Tribeca Film Festival. The anticipation was a product of both seeing a movie that came so highly recommended and also getting to see in person revered screen legends Al Pacino and Robert De Niro talk about their craft and career. And it did not disappoint. Watching them I was not only transported at once to many of my favorite films but was able to understand the deep and painstaking filmmaking process that gave us so many timeless classics.