Media

20 Days of Mariupol: An Essential Documentary

20 Days of Mariupol: An Essential Documentary

20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL directed, produced and filmed by MSTYSLAV CHERNOV. Courtesy of PBS When watching the evening news every night on television with its almost repetitive nature of headlines covering yet another senseless mass killing somewhere in the U.S, I often hear criticism from others claiming there is hardly any media coverage in other parts of the world whose acts are even more tragic and horrific.  This is true, especially in those countries that do not represent human rights and whose brutal leaders do not want the “truth”...

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#OscarsSoAsian – The 95th Annual Academy Awards and Predictions

#OscarsSoAsian – The 95th Annual Academy Awards and Predictions

THE SLAP HEARD AROUND THE WORLD It's been nearly a year since Will Smith infamously slapped Oscar host Chris Rock live onstage at last year's Academy Awards telecast after cracking a "G.I. Jane" joke aimed at Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. It was indeed a surreal moment as the audience watched Smith laugh initially then turn to his wife who was fuming from the inside, got up from his chair to approach the stage and strike Rock. Most of the audience thought that it was just "part of the act", but when Smith returned to his seat...

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Sony Pictures Classics Releases 30th Anniversary 4K UHD Box Set

Sony Pictures Classics Releases 30th Anniversary 4K UHD Box Set

I vividly remember the first time becoming totally immersed with an “Arthouse film” It was in 1992, in a little dinky hole-in-the-wall cinema in San Francisco. I sat there completely mesmerized watching, and as far as I can tell, a “near-perfect” movie, as every component of it’s filmmaking was simply superior in every aspect. The movie was “Howards End”. The tiny theater consisted of less than fifty uncomfortable seats, but that didn’t matter much, as I was glued to how the the story moved along with Emma Thompson’s nuanced...

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Music Dreams Come True in Original Disney Documentary “Mija”

Music Dreams Come True in Original Disney Documentary “Mija”

Disney Original Documentary’s Mija follows Doris Muñoz and Jacks Haupt, two daughters of immigrants from Mexico, navigating their careers in the music industry. A moving love letter to immigrants and their children, this intimate debut feature by Isabel Castro captures the emotional and complex stories of Doris and Jacks for whom “making it” isn’t just a dream, it’s a necessity. A DISNEY FIRST It’s been a quite a musical journey for 27 year millennial old Doris Muñoz, the subject and protagonist of the latest Disney documentary...

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Gamers of the Future on Netflix?  Stranger Things Can Happen

Gamers of the Future on Netflix? Stranger Things Can Happen

In 2007, before the days of "apps" and "streaming" was even heard of, I received a special red envelope from Netflix in my mailbox that was going to change everyone's watching habits forever.  These envelopes were reserved for a select few DVD based Netflix subscribers which was the only option initially there was at the time. The label on the envelope read “Instant Streaming Disc” for PS3.  When Netflix made the announcement to their subscribers that they would soon be able to watch hundreds of movies from their...

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