The best science fiction is either pure spaceships and aliens escapism or intelligent present-day social commentary viewed through a more pliable lens than that available to Charlotte Bronte or even Tom Wolfe. By virtue of its title, Black Mirror is prevented from being the former, so it must succeed at the latter, which it did […]
Many war movies and TV shows feature a climactic scene when a soldier finally breaks. My crisis moment in the Afghanistan War came not from combat stress, but from a TV commercial. I should probably explain. American service members serving overseas have access to Armed Forces Network television. This morale booster is a high priority […]
Without Edward Gorey, many modern classics wouldn’t exist. Edward Scissorhands, for example: The aesthetic of the movie is unmistakably influenced by the distinctive mood of Gorey’s art. In fact, when they first met, writer/director Tim Burton and score composer Danny Elfman bonded over their mutual love of Gorey’s work. Nor are they the only artists […]
William P.A. Hunt began work on what became his superb new book on Georgia’s Golden Isles in 2020, when, amid the pandemic, he perceived a hastening in the trend to erase history. Hunt will have none of it. “History is an unchangeable reality — a tapestry woven with both beauty and tragedy,” writes Hunt, whose […]
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson warned Thursday against attacks and pointed rhetoric against the judiciary in an unsubtle reference to President Trump's criticisms of judges ruling against his policies.
Spain’s government was forced to declare a national emergency at the end of April when the country’s electric grid blacked out for more than 18 hours. While the precise cause of the blackout has not been confirmed, it is clear that the widespread nature of the failure and its duration are due to Spain’s excessive […]
Ryan Coogler was born to be interesting, but fate has instead consigned him to importance. After erupting onto the scene in 2013 with Fruitvale Station, Coogler was parachuted into the Rocky franchise to direct Creed, saving the franchise and Sylvester Stallone from self-parody. However, achieving such excellence so soon was the worst possible development of […]
I went to the doctor last month, and he told me about a new medication that helps people like me who occasionally have red, rashy skin on their faces. Sorry if this is too much information, but I promise you that the worst is over. The new medication is actually an old medication, but with […]
They did it again. It happens every year. My invitation to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner got lost in the mail. However, this year, I was not the only one to avoid the penguin suit and the rubber chicken. Every president since Calvin Coolidge has attended the dinner at least once. So far, President Donald […]
India and Pakistan are sliding toward war. Perhaps we should not be surprised. There has been bad blood between the two kindred nations since they came semi-conjoined into existence in 1947. Indeed, the sanguinary circumstances of their birth defined their future enmity. What with everything else going on, we have been slow to wake up […]