Artwork by Michael DiMilo The Pen in Hand’s Top Ten St. Patrick’s Day Movies By Geoff Carter It’s that time of year again, that special day of days set aside to celebrate the joy of being Irish. Green beer, corned beef sandwiches, the wearing of the green, The Chieftains spinning on your turntable, and a …
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Category:Movies
The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Josie and the Pussycats”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo ★★★★★ What’s New, Pussycat?: Review of Josie and the Pussycats By Geoff Carter Our favorite theater, The Oriental, is part of Milwaukee Film, a non-profit institution dedicated to (according to their mission statement) “entertaining, educating, and engaging our community through cinematic experiences… where we are committed to high-quality and accessible film programming.” (MKE …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Film Review of “The Apprentice”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo ★★★1/2 The Art of Greed: Film Review of The Apprentice By Geoff Carter One of the timeliest films to come out this year was The Apprentice, a biopic of Donald Trump’s life as a young man and his subsequent career as a ruthless and unscrupulous businessman. Even fans of Donald Trump might find …
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Kickass and Wisconsin Dead Friend Zoe
Attribution: Photo by Jake Hills on Unsplash By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, supports the keeper and Phyllis in their updating of the list of political absurdities that define life as a “Badger.” Add to the long-standing MINORITY REPRESENTATION in the legislature, the fact that Wisconsin is one of only two states where the tax structure makes it …
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Kickass and “My Dead Friend Zoe”
Attribution: Photo by Chris Murray on Unsplash By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, does not do movies, which he regrets after listening to the keeper and Phyllis rave about the recently released “My Dead Friend Zoe” which was created, written and produced by the keeper’s grandnephew Kyle Hausman Stokes and is currently in local theaters. It is …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Sing Sing”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo Hard Time: Film Review of Sing Sing ★★★★1/2 By Geoff Carter Prison films have been a Hollywood staple for years. I am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang, The Birdman of Alcatraz, The Green Mile, Cool Hand Luke, The Shawshank Redemption, and many, many more have all tried to depict the struggles, …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: An Oscar Rubric
Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter . In sports, winners and losers are determined by how many points they score. Some measure success by the size of a bank account or fame, but there are other more subtle metrics. When I taught English, it was a requirement of the job to develop a rubric, …
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The Pen in Hand’s Guide to the Movies: The Legacy of Gene Hackman
(In Memorian: January 30, 1930 to February 27, 2025) Trish Overton, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Geoff Carter During his long and storied career, spanning back to his breakthrough role as Buck Barrow in 1967’s Bonnie and Clyde, Gene Hackman has excelled at portraying tough gritty characters as both a leading man and a character …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Nickel Boys”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Bill Stokes ★★★★☆ Collective Memories : Film Review of Nickel Boys By Geoff Carter Memories come in flashes, snippets of sound, images, smells, sensations, or any combination of these. An assemblage of these recollections, like old snapshots, can recreate a life, a childhood, or a tragedy. Film is physically, in …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Film Review of “The Brutalist”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo Wretched Refuse: Review of The Brutalist ★★★★☆ By Geoff Carter Brutalism: noun To gain insight into both the immigrant experience and psychological subtleties of Brady Corbet’s monumental epic film The Brutalist, an understanding of the film’s protagonist Laszlo Toth’s (Adrian Brody) obsessions with the brutalist architectural school are helpful. Brutalism is concerned with …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: The Ten Best Valentine’s Day Movies
Illustration by Michael DiMilo Top Ten Romantic Films By Geoff Carter (Originally published on February 14, 2024) It’s Valentine’s Day. Love is in the air, but those of us who choose to enjoy a warm and cozy evening inside, finding that perfect romantic movie is the perfect way to enjoy that special someone. So, rather …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “The Substance”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo Inner Child: Film Review of the Substance ★★★★1/2 By Geoff Carter In a number of recent independent films, including Drive Away Dolls, Love Lies Bleeding, and the X Series there has been a blurring of boundaries. This is particularly true in the horror genre. Subgenres like body horror and hag horror have been reinvigorated …
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