Year: 2014

“Black Mirror”—Dark Reflections of the Mind

Written by diana on December 29, 2014. Posted in Television reviews. 2 Comments on “Black Mirror”—Dark Reflections of the Mind

Black Mirror I’ve just discovered the extraordinary showstopper, “Black Mirror”, a British sci-fi television series that is part “Twilight Zone” but darker and more bizarre. In six episodes in Season One we are let into a dystopian future narratively thrilling yet outrageous, because of its plausibility. The season finale, “White Christmas”, is...

“The Theory of Everything”—A Brief History of Love

Written by diana on December 20, 2014. Posted in movie reviews. 3 Comments on “The Theory of Everything”—A Brief History of Love

This is a lyrical and magnificent film, adapted from a literary source (a memoir by Jane Hawking). Rich in character and dialogue, “The Theory of Everything” is primarily a romance wrapped around a chronicle of a brilliant and beautiful mind trapped in a malfunctioning body. This film is a narrative of heartbreak, marital and emotional...

“Peaky Blinders”—A View of Injustice

Written by diana on December 15, 2014. Posted in Television reviews. 1 Comment on “Peaky Blinders”—A View of Injustice

Peaky Blinders This BBC television drama series starring the amazing Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby, the leader of the Peaky Blinders gang, is Britain’s answer to “Boardwalk Empire”. Netflix released the first six episodes comprising Season One this past September and the next six of Season Two in November. Taking place immediately after the...

“Whiplash”—Marching to the Beat of a Different Drum

Written by diana on December 8, 2014. Posted in movie reviews. 3 Comments on “Whiplash”—Marching to the Beat of a Different Drum

Whiplash For lovers of jazz music and of stories dealing with young artists trying to find their way, this 2014 movie has it all. A young drummer, Andrew Neyman (Miles Teller) is accepted into Shaffer Conservatory, one of the best music schools in the country and yearns for the approval of Terence Fletcher, the school’s intimidating and...

Keith Haring (1958-1990): The Political Line (November 8-February 16, 2015)

Written by diana on December 1, 2014. Posted in Art.

Many of the works in this comprehensive exhibit at the De Young Museum (San Francisco) are being publicly presented for the first time, several on loan from the Keith Haring Foundation, Brooklyn, New York, [In March 2012, a retrospective exhibit of Haring’s work, Keith Haring: 1978-1982, opened at the Brooklyn Museum in New York. See my...

Ai Weiwei—Without a Trace

Written by diana on November 25, 2014. Posted in Art. 3 Comments on Ai Weiwei—Without a Trace

With Wind The extraordinary @Large Ai Weiwei exhibit is now part of the daily tour to Alcatraz by ferry (Pier 33). Ai Weiwei, 57 years old, whose art raises questions about freedom of expression and human rights, has served several prison sentences in China. This major installation invites viewer participation. Alcatraz Several of the...