Tag: Arts & Culture

New Comic Creator Succeeds in Face of Mainstream Comics

Eric July, 32, has been a fan of comic books since he was a kid. His podcast “For Canon Sake” and YouTube show “YoungRippa59” often center around comics. The comics industry’s creative decline, however, is typically the subject that takes center stage. Having ingratiated himself into the world of comics and studied the reasons for…


A President Who Warned Americans What Extravagant Federal Spending Would Do to Character

“I favor the policy of economy, not because I wish to save money, but because I wish to save people. The men and women of this country who toil are the ones who bear the cost of the Government. Every dollar that we carelessly waste means that their life will be so much the more…


Film Review: ‘A Man Called Otto’: A Homogenized Remake of a Swedish Cult Favorite

PG-13 | 2h 6min | Drama, Comedy, Mystery, Romance | 30 December 2022 (USA) This past calendar year, professionally speaking, has not worked out well for Tom Hanks. He appeared in three films (“Elvis,” “Pinocchio,” and now “A Man Called Otto”) and none of them come close to matching his glory days of the 1990s or early 2000s (or even his post…


Kenneth Clark’s ‘Civilisation’: Still Important, Still Relevant

The year 1969 is one to remember in the history of American television. “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” premiered that year, and its madcap antics transformed TV comedy. Other beloved series still remembered today, like “Gunsmoke,” “Bonanza,” and “Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color,” entranced audiences as well. In January of that year, in what is…


Popcorn and Inspiration: ‘The Bishop’s Wife’: Lessons on the Spirit of the Season

G | 1h 49min | Romantic Comedy, Drama | 1947 Director Henry Koster’s film “The Bishop’s Wife” (1947) is based on American writer Robert Nathan’s eponymous 1928 novella. Starring Cary Grant, it tells a story that only children could possibly believe, but one that adults can try to embrace. It’s about how love helps us…


Popcorn and Inspiration: ‘Our Little Sister’: The Family Ties That Bind

PG | 2h 7min | Drama, Comedy | 8 July 2016 (USA) There are quite a few movies adapted from Japanese Manga (think Western-based graphic novels) but few of them of quality ever reach our shores and when they do, it’s usually blood-soaked, action-based stuff (“Ghost in the Shell,” “Oldboy,” “Alita: Battle Angel”). “Our Little Sister” is different in that it’s very…


Rewind, Review and Re-Rate: ‘The Bellboy’

1960 | Approved | 1h 12m | Comedy It’s quite fun to watch big Hollywood stars who are so self-assured of their celebrity that they poke fun at both themselves and the rabid, celebrity-worshiping infrastructure that surrounds them. A perfect example of this type of self-deprecating humor is during the first act of the 1960…


A New Year’s Hope for Our Troubled Times: Tennyson’s ‘Ring Out, Wild Bells’

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky, The flying cloud, the frosty light; The year is dying in the night; Ring out, wild bells, and let him die. Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow: The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false, ring…


Sydney Steeped in Christmas Holiday Cheer With Market Stalls, Christmas Trees, Live Performances

More than 145,000 Sydneysiders and visitors soaked up the festive spirit of Noël Sydney, a hugely popular family-friendly Christmas celebration spanning 16 nights in Sydney CBD.  Attendees got the chance to immerse themselves in a magical wonderland of Christmas trees and market stalls—selling items sourced from around the state of New South Wales—at the Royal…


Busking’s Bright Future as Acts Ramp Up

At half past midnight on a crisp Melbourne morning, two smiling buskers watched as a shiny steel box was hoisted into the heart of the city. The repurposed newspaper stand had been turned into a lock-up for their precious props, amps and costumes. While the storage concept was simple, it represented the first of its…