Photo by Geoffrey Carter By Geoff Carter Well, the Christmas season is upon us in full force. The commercials are everywhere. We’ve seen that ad for the car—or Energizer Bunny, wrapped in a bow and sitting in the driveway on Christmas morning at least one hundred times. Sometimes it’s hard to find the spirit of Christmas amongst all …
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Category:Movies
The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “X”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo Young at Heart: Film Review of X ★★★1/2 By Geoff Carter The A24 production group has almost singlehandedly revitalized the horror film genre. With elevated horror epics like The Witch, Hereditary, or Midsommar this company has taken psychological terror to new spellbinding levels. Now, with Ti West’s The Film X Series, A24 has initiated …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Bad Sisters”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo My Sister’s Keeper: Review of Bad Sisters ★★★★☆ By Geoff Carter One of the great pleasures of watching streaming series like The Sopranos, Yellowstone, Slow Horses or the dozens of other offerings on premium stations is the anticipation. From week to week—or episode to episode—the viewer is constantly presented with burning questions: Who will …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Anora”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo Sweet and Sour Dreams: Film Review of Anora ★★★★1/2 By Geoff Carter Seth Baker is a filmmaker whose singular focus on the forgotten, the misbegotten, and pariahs of society—specifically sex workers—addresses issues of class, dignity, and compassion. His movies Tangerine, The Florida Project, Red Rocket, and his newest, Anora, chronicle the discrimination and contempt …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Going Above and Beyond
The Ten Best War Movies Capt. Saska Ball, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (Originally published in June, 2019) By Geoff Carter “…that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Janet Planet”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo Summer Time: Film Review of Janet Planet ★★★★☆ By Geoff Carter We are all familiar with the way that plotlines of traditional mysteries, romances, horror flicks, and comedies play out, but movies that eschew these narrative parameters convey a completely different sort of cinematic experience. When based on subjective impressions and …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movie: Review of “Woman of the Hour”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo A Man’s World: Film Review of Woman of the Hour ★★★☆☆ By Geoff Carter The film Woman of the Year is based on the premise of a serial killer competing on “The Dating Game”. The premise seems preposterous, but it is based on the true story of serial killer Rodney Alcala’s appearance …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: The Ten Best Political Movies
Illustration by Michael DiMilo (Originally published 10/23/20) By Geoff Carter Election season is upon us—with a vengeance. Besides the usual bombastic rhetoric, excessive patriotic fervor, and annoying media ad blitzes, we are also dealing with a disinformation campaign that may very likely affect the integrity of the voting process. Artificial intelligence, foreign election interference, and …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Red Rocket”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo Rock Bottom: Film Review of Red Rocket By Geoff Carter ★★★☆☆ There has been a tradition in American cinema–and narrative fiction–to romanticize the poor and unfortunate as noble and determined. The Grapes of Wrath, Sounder, Precious, and Slumdog Millionaire are examples of narratives that valorize the struggles of the lower class to fight for …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Tuesday”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo Death Be Not Proud: Review of Tuesday ★★★★☆ By Geoff Carter There is no greater mystery than death. Its inevitability, its ubiquitousness, its power, and the question of life afterwards are awe-inspiring and fearsome questions. It is the last great unknown, and conversely, the one final certainty. The depiction of Death …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to Horror Films: The Next Generation
Damian Gadal, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Geoff Carter (Revised October 17, 2024) The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting longer, and there’s a chill in the air. Frost is on the pumpkin. The leaves are turning color. All this means one thing—Halloween is just around the corner. And that means horror …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: The Strange Staying Power of “My Cousin Vinny”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter Some movies are unexpectedly, inexplicably, and unbelievably popular. It’s obvious how classics like White Christmas, Hocus Pocus, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and The Wizard of Oz have become beloved holiday traditions, but who would have predicted that The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Eraserhead, Pink Flamingoes, or Napolean Dynamite would become cult classics? Or that …
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