The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Sinners”

Illustration by Michael DiMilo Immortal Sins: Movie Review of Sinners ★★★★☆ By Geoff Carter Movies can be larger than life which is—of course—a great part of their appeal. It always has been. Spectacles like D.W. Griffith’s Intolerance, the 1963 Twentieth Century-Fox version of Cleopatra, or the more recent Babylon, movies featuring “a cast of thousands”, lavish sets, and …
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Announcing the Publication of “In Bad Faith”

Cover art and Animation by Michael DiMilo Coming June 6th to a Bookstore or Online Outlet Near You: In Bad Faith A New Mystery Novel by Geoff Carter Animation by Michael DiMilo In Bad Faith Nelson West, a former Chicago homicide detective, is hired by wealthy heir Lionel Bing to discreetly help “fix” scandals and …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “September 5”

Illustration by Michael DiMilo ★★★★☆ The Agony of Defeat: Film Review of September 5 I remember, in my first week as high school sophomore, watching Mark Spitz swimmer dominate the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. Spitz was a sensation, winning a total of seven gold medals that year. As always, the Olympics provided a variety …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Companion”

Illustration by Michael DiMilo Body and Soul: Review of Companion ★★★★☆ By Geoff Carter What is it that makes us human? Is it sentience, emotional awareness, empathy, intelligence, or the knowledge of our own mortality? Is it the ability to manipulate our environment?  We share many of these qualities with our fellow creatures. Birds build their …
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Stemming the Tide

Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter The beat goes on. And on. It just won’t stop. Like the relentless pounding of a jackhammer or the thumping of an overdriven car speaker, the deranged agenda of the Trump administration and its Project 2025 adherents will just… not… stop.  For a while, it seemed as if …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “The Room Next Door

Illustration by Michael DiMilo A Friend in Need: Review of The Room Next Door ★★★★☆ By Geoff Carter Film, like painting, is mostly–but arguably–a surface medium. While voiceovers and internal dialogues might allow audiences access to a character’s thoughts or intentions (think Sin City, Taxi Driver, or A Clockwork Orange), the audience is mostly constrained—as we are …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “We Live in Time”

Illustration by Michael DiMilo Measured by the Heart: Review of We Live in Time ★★★1/2 By Geoff Carter The tragic love story has been with us forever. From the star-crossed lovers in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet(and West Side Story) to Love Story to The Notebook to Titanic to Brokeback Mountain—and many, many more—these tales of love and loss and regret draw audiences like flies …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “The White Lotus”

Illustration by Michael DiMilo Ugly Americans: Review of The White Lotus ★★★1/2 By Geoff Carter We’ve seen it all before. Privileged Americans come to an exclusive resort and find fun—and murder, jealousy, sex, and decadence—all of which makes for great TV. This, of course, is the formula for the wildly successful MAX show The White Lotus, …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Fly Me to the Moon”

Illustration by Michael DiMilo Lassoing the Moon: Film Review of Fly Me to the Moon ★★★☆☆ By Geoff Carter To be honest, I’m a little tired of movies that reflect reality—mostly because I’m exhausted by today’s reality. It has nothing to do with the quality of the films, but seeing dystopian flicks like Civil War, The …
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Dialogues on MAGA Economics: A Tariffying Spectacle

Illustration by Michael DiMilo Featuring the Fabulous Dadbots: Dave S., Mark M., Mark O., Dennis C., and Geoff Carter Good am, members of the resistance:   Comms channel: reminder to follow protocols and scramble all correspondences.  Idea for political cartoon: Then and now axis of evil.   Trying to understand how tariffs might trickle down, not just …
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