Year: 2013

“American Hustle”:—Everyone Hustles To Survive

Written by diana on December 31, 2013. Posted in movie reviews, Unhealed Wound. 2 Comments on “American Hustle”:—Everyone Hustles To Survive

With its ensemble cast, this film has received almost unanimous accolades for the universally stunning performances, under the direction of David O. Russell. Still at the top of his game (after “I Heart Huckabees”, “The Fighter”, and “Silver Linings Playbook”). All of Russell’s movies, intentionally or not, are the embodiment of a certain...

The Hunger Games Revisited: Part 2– “Catching Fire”

Written by diana on December 20, 2013. Posted in movie reviews, Unhealed Wound. 1 Comment on The Hunger Games Revisited: Part 2– “Catching Fire”

In what has to be the biggest blockbuster franchise since Twilight and Harry Potter, in this sequel to the first Hunger Games film (see my April 8, 2012 review–“The Hunger Games”–Our “Harry Potter”), the post-apocalyptic Panem is still a hell on earth. Former victors are forced to participate in a Quarter...

“Time of Death”—Not for the Faint-Hearted

Written by diana on December 11, 2013. Posted in Television reviews. 1 Comment on “Time of Death”—Not for the Faint-Hearted

Not since Elisabeth Kubler-Ross’s “On Death and Dying” with its study of the five stages of grief or Ernest Becker’s “The Denial of Death”, has there been such a tour-de-force depiction of the process of dying and the way that death impacts those who are left behind. This groundbreaking documentary series reminds me that many of us still have...

Engrenages (“Spiral”)–A Vortex of Thrills

Written by diana on December 2, 2013. Posted in Television reviews. 3 Comments on Engrenages (“Spiral”)–A Vortex of Thrills

Internet streaming and cable/satellite TV have opened the door to some superb international films and television series formerly nearly unknown to the average American viewer. Think “Borgen”. It’s not just Denmark, however. “Spiral” (the English translation of the French crime series) has been a blockbuster hit not only in France but also...

“Ruby Sparks”– A Spark of Creativity”

Written by diana on November 11, 2013. Posted in movie reviews. 1 Comment on “Ruby Sparks”– A Spark of Creativity”

If you could create the partner of your dreams, would you be happy with him or her? Would that relationship be all about you, completely one-sided, and therefore unsatisfying? What makes “Ruby Sparks” so funny, but also harsh and uncomfortable, are answers to those questions given throughout this quirky film. Written by and starring...