Spotting human tracks in the snow
As an animated children’s film, Smallfoot could have gone wrong. But it didn’t. Instead, ‘Smallfoot’ was an animated children film whose slapstick Tom-and-Jerry humor and catchy tunes mask its sensitive approach to criticizing censorship, discrimination, and the fear of the misunderstood.
The life of Gilda Radner
'Love, Gilda' thrived in its showcasing of Gilda Radner’s charm, most likely because it was told through her own words. However, it occasionally lacked in depth and provoked thoughts about comedy as a crutch for humanity.
‘Russian Subway Dogs’ is a punny canine platformer
At initial glance, the beta test of 'Russian Subway Dogs' by Spooky Squid Games Inc. is fun-to-play, charming, and quirky in its art style and character but has a high learning curve (for an average gamer like me) from level to level.
No offense, but get out
The trademark coarse-grained dialogue of Stephen Adly Guirgis returns in the New England premiere of Between Riverside and Crazy, an explosive comedy about an ex-cop bitterly fighting against eviction and injustice. Mounted by SpeakEasy Stage, the production is a thrilling and humorous depiction of urban life in New York with all of its challenges and contradictions.
Ride isn’t just another sports-type BMX movie
When a troubled child, John, who grew up within the tight grasps of a white supremacist gang, finally escapes juvenile prison, he ends up being fostered by an interracial couple. As John attempts to navigate through his new life, he finds unlikely solace in riding bikes.
‘Madeline’s Madeline’ is part mental illness, part performance, and whole immersion
If you like unhappy but unsad stories, this is the movie for you. 'Madeline’s Madeline' is volatile and chaotic but simultaneously grounding and hyperreal.
Two rooms and a sea of troubles
'Hamnet' is a raw, intimate portrait of William Shakespeare’s only son who died at the age of 11 and has ever since been shrouded in mist. It paints in broad, metaphysical strokes the relationship between father and son, while skirting around explicit literary analysis.
Prepare to be amazed
The Champions of Magic team consists of five members, each with their own special talents and brands of magic. There’s Young & Strange, a comical dynamic duo who specialize in classic magic illusions, some imbued with their own personal twist, Fernando Velasco is the whimsical escape artist, Kayla Drescher is the bubbly close-up trick magician, and Alex McAleer is the charming mind reader.
Guide dogs work hard
‘Pick of the Litter’ follows a litter of five puppies as they train to become potential guide dogs under the organization Guide Dogs for the Blind. ‘Pick of the Litter’ is an edifying documentary beyond mere cutesy fare while occasionally suffering from tonal whiplash and lack of focus.
‘You can’t vote for me if you have no arms’
‘The House With a Clock in Its Walls’ focuses on the story of Lewis Barnavelt, who moves in with his Uncle Jonathan after losing his parents. After spending a short amount of time with his uncle, Lewis finds out that his uncle is, in fact, a warlock; together with the help of next door witch Florence Zimmerman, they must race against time to prevent the end of humanity as we know it.
The beautiful chaos of ‘MANDY’
MANDY came out amongst high praise from the film festivals it premiered at, and it has not disappointed. With top-notch performances from its leads, including the performance of a lifetime by Nic Cage, an evocative soundtrack from the late Jóhann Jóhannsson, and gorgeous cinematography, this movie stands out as one of 2018’s greats.
Speaking her truth in grad school
Truth Values peeks into the life of Gioia, an MIT Ph.D. candidate in logic, from the moment she gets accepted till she leaves MIT with a master’s. Based in the author's own experiences at MIT, this autobiographical one-woman show portrays the rawness of MIT grad school as I've never seen in theaters before.
Fine wine in a faience lion
For time periods from which extant written records are few, drinking and serving vessels can serve in an illuminatory capacity. Assembling an exhibition dedicated to such artifacts, as Susanne Ebbinghaus has done at the Harvard Art Museum, provides an unparalleled opportunity for cross-cultural and cross-temporal analysis of the tradition of animal-shaped vessels that persisted over three millennia, from Greece to China.
Legion M and the future of production
A discussion with the President of Legion M, the first fan-owned production company. We discuss the balance between fan ownership and fan rule, why engineers are awesome, and what to expect from the upcoming release, MANDY.
Becoming the tycoon of aquariums
Aesthetically, Megaquarium is simple. The graphics are nothing compared to current big game titles like Assassin’s Creed and the recently released Marvel’s Spider-Man, but they’re appropriate for the basic premise of Megaquarium.
The first 48 hours of ‘Dead Cells’
Dead Cells is about restarting over and over again. Each run is about getting good for the run after, but restarting is not as frustrating or as repetitive as it may sound.
‘So far I’ve never lost a case before any judge’
I’ve watched 'The Invisible Guest' at least five times, with friends and family alike, and I’ve always found something new to pick out and analyze each time. The writing that went into 'The Invisible Guest' is clever yet tense, but the excellent acting is also another factor into what makes the film great.
The horrific story of Willi Herold
Based on the true story of the Executioner of Emsland, the black and white film starts off with the aforementioned heart-pounding chase before settling into a much slower-paced examination of Willi Herold’s questionable actions.
‘I thought I could do it. I really thought I could.’
As one of MTG’s more realistic shows, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown portrays the worries, passions, and day-to-day life of unique characters. Their uniqueness provides a good balance of personalities, and there are some parts of every character that are relatable to the audience.
Her Name is Aurora
Kiss of the Spider Woman is an unabashedly queer play set in the darkest of places, prison.