Year: 2016

“Morgan”—Science Embedded in Sci-Fi

Written by diana on September 24, 2016. Posted in movie reviews, Unhealed Wound. No Comments on “Morgan”—Science Embedded in Sci-Fi

Viewers of science fiction movies have an interest in the scientific ideas driving the plot. In the sci-fi movie, “Morgan”, (https://www.foxmovies.com/movies/morgan) a computer captures Morgan’s behavior with the intention of giving an in-depth understanding of the science behind artificial intelligence. For years a team of scientific researchers have been at work creating, developing and observing artificial humans. Morgan is their latest prototype. The group of people charged with Morgan’s care were optimistic about the advanced development of its artificial intelligence. Although...

“Slavery by Another Name”—The Re-enslavement of Black Americans in the US

Written by diana on September 17, 2016. Posted in movie reviews, Television reviews. 2 Comments on “Slavery by Another Name”—The Re-enslavement of Black Americans in the US

African Americans are pulled back into slavery after the Civil War.

“Weiner” — An Attention-Getter

Written by diana on September 11, 2016. Posted in movie reviews. 4 Comments on “Weiner” — An Attention-Getter

Weiner Hubris, narcissism, tabloid spectacle and massive self-deception collide with the mesmerizing inevitability of a slow-motion trainwreck in “Weiner”. The movie is an engrossing, almost shamefully entertaining documentary about former congressman Anthony Weiner and politics at its most sensationalist and superficial. After a promising career as a rising Democratic star that began as New York’s youngest city council member, Anthony Weiner became perhaps better known as the pugnacious, delusional punch line for his dick pics in a Twitter account to a college student in 2011. He...

“The Broad”—A Vast Expansion of Modern Art

Written by diana on September 5, 2016. Posted in Art, Local travel. 4 Comments on “The Broad”—A Vast Expansion of Modern Art

Murakami The Broad Museum, funded by billionaire philanthropists Eli and Edythe Broad, is one of the hottest tickets in downtown Los Angeles. Just scan the huge stand-by crowds for tickets (which are free) on a weekday early in the afternoon. Maybe they heard about the special selfie opportunities? The millennial crowd seems to swipe patiently on their iPhones while eating from food trucks parked in front of the giant white building. Origami-like corrugated folds covering a vault-like interior with glass elevator and escalator, The Broad’s architecture accentuates the contemporary...

“Thirteen”—An Unlucky Life

Written by diana on August 28, 2016. Posted in Television reviews. 3 Comments on “Thirteen”—An Unlucky Life

Thirteen BBC America The BBC mini-series Thirteen (available online) follows 26-year-old Ivy Moxam, who was held captive in a cellar for thirteen years. After escaping from her attacker’s prison, she returns to her family home outside of London, but struggles to put her life back together. There is an uncanny resemblance to the story in the American television series, The Family. (See July 3, 2016 review) Thirteen presents the police investigation as a secondary plot and focuses on the victim’s situation and psychology, touching upon the Stockholm syndrome and the fragility and...

The Fundamentals of Caring—A Different Sort of Road Trip

Written by diana on August 22, 2016. Posted in movie reviews. 2 Comments on The Fundamentals of Caring—A Different Sort of Road Trip

In this Netflix original film, The Fundamentals of Caring, (based upon Jonathan Evison’s novel,“The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving,) takes us on a road trip with a sullen teenager, Trevor (the disingenous Craig Roberts), confined to a wheelchair with muscular dystrophy. His loving and overprotective mother– divorced and struggling with career and parental responsibilities—sequesters her son at home where he watches soap operas all day, bored out of his mind. Along comes a writer wannabe (Paul Rudd), Ben, who is a freshly minted caregiver, desperately looking for a change in his...