TIFF 2017 Review: Govinda Van Maele’s ‘Gutland’
“The brooding ominousness Van Maele plays with throughout seems to run through many of this year’s European offerings.”
Netflix from 5 to 6: Reed Morano’s ‘Meadowland’
“With ‘Meadowland,’ Reed Morano doesn’t shy away from pain, and neither should Netflix viewers.”
Review: Geoffrey Orthwein and Andrew Sullivan’s ‘Bokeh’
“It’s ‘The Leftovers’ minus the chainsmokers, angry locals and cryptic dialogue.”
Netflix from 5 to 6: Daniel Barber’s ‘The Keeping Room’
“There’s no blaze of glory, but rather a collective maturation. Patience is their virtue.”
‘Twin Peaks’ and Beyond the Alphabet
“The failure of language permeates ‘Twin Peaks,’
an abundance of verbiage disintegrating under the looming and ageless presence in the woods.”
Vague Visages Is FilmStruck: Marshall Shaffer’s #FilmStruckFebruary
Marshall Shaffer Reflects on a Full Month of FilmStruck
Two Drink Minimum: Christopher Guest’s ‘Mascots’
“Jamming its artistic support into the final few moments, ‘Mascots’ just checks off boxes.”
Two Drink Minimum: ‘Iliza Shlesinger: Confirmed Kills’
“It’s a savvy marketing strategy for extremely capitalist comedy, but the Shlesinger routine never amounts to anything more pleasant than being stuck sharing a cab with someone that seemed much more interesting several hours and drinks ago.”
Two Drink Minimum: ‘Cedric the Entertainer: Live from the Ville’
“For all Cedric’s struggling against modernity, I can’t help but think Harambe would’ve improved this bit.”
Two Drink Minimum: ‘David Cross: Making America Great Again!’ (Netflix)
“Similar to the audience polarization of other onenote comics (like Ricky Gervais), Cross’ locked, angry views overwhelm his substantial wit.”
Review: Werner Herzog’s ‘Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World’
“It is Herzog’s simultaneous exhibition of curiosity, awe, and irreverence in the face of the digitally connected world that makes ‘Lo and Behold’ a unique treatment of its subject that is not to be missed.”
‘Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’: In Celebration of Dramatic Women
“Through all of these corny musical numbers, the rom-com scenarios, and the outrageous ‘I Love Lucy’ levels of scheming, I find myself relating to Rebecca against the odds.”
Two Drink Minimum: ‘BoJack Horseman’ Season 3 Recaps (Part 4 of 4)
“As long as those around BoJack grow more and more distant, so will his second chances.”
A Trip to the Sensory Deprivation Tank: Comparing ‘Fringe’ and ‘Stranger Things’
“Perhaps, in an alternate-parallel-upside-down universe somewhere, Fringe was a massive sensation on Netflix or Amazon Prime.”
Two Drink Minimum: ‘BoJack Horseman’ Season 3 Recaps (Part 3 of 4)
Two Drink Minimum is a Comedy-Based Column by Jacob Oller.
Two Drink Minimum: ‘BoJack Horseman’ Season 3 Recaps (Part 2 of 4)
“This may be the midpoint of the season, but it already feels like these cycles of self-delusion are about to crash.”
Two Drink Minimum: ‘BoJack Horseman’ Season 3 Recaps (Part 1 of 4)
“Despite being under the ‘Two Drink Minimum’ banner, make no mistake: ‘BoJack Horseman’ is not a comedy.”
Two Drink Minimum: Bo Burnham’s ‘Make Happy’ (Netflix)
“When the red, white and blue lights go off, one can begin to understand that Burnham hasn’t put together a comedy special, but a deconstructive stage play of epic proportions.”
Two Drink Minimum: ‘Ali Wong: Baby Cobra’ (Netflix)
“Never preachy, Wong finds lots to love in her overwhelming honesty.”
Two Drink Minimum: ‘Hannibal Takes Edinburgh’ (Netflix)
“Hitting the cerebrally relatable and the absurdly goofy, Buress provides an allegory for the American worker: even if your daily grind is performing stand-up, taking pleasure in your work is the only way to stay sane.”