Cocaine Bear’ is a B-movie for the modern age
A movie named “Cocaine Bear” is a forceful statement and a beguiling intrigue. The comic absurdity of the title begs us to ask: Does the bear do cocaine? How does…
Jesse Koblin
2023 Oscars take two steps forward and one step back
The 2023 Academy Awards, telecasted on March 12, were a success for inclusion in the films themselves, yet showed signs that Hollywood remains resistant to change. This year was a…
HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’ is a startling success
Translating the entertainment value of an interactive medium like video games to a passive one like that of television is a Herculean effort. There are a few shows that succeeded…
A movie watcher’s guide for Winter ’23: fun finds to must-sees
College winter break is a needed reprieve from the stresses of academic life, where students often travel, catch up with old friends and begin new professional opportunities. My winter break…
‘Topdog/Underdog’ is a top-tier Broadway revival
I had the pleasure of seeing the revival of Suzan-Lori Parks’ “Topdog/Underdog” over Thanksgiving break. Playing at the Golden Theatre through Jan. 15, 2023, the show deals with themes of…
David Bowie’s life explored in documentary ‘Moonage Daydream’
The music documentary and biopic are well-established forms in the film industry. These two genres weaponize cross-media loyalties to music icons and find great critical and financial success as a…
‘A Strange Loop’ examines identity, society, artistic unconscious
Stuck in Manhattan traffic on a recent Friday at 8:10 p.m., I and a busload of Vassar students thought we would miss the evening performance of Michael R. Jackson’s “A…
Is Roger Waters more important than Drake and The Weeknd?
The image of a rainbow refracted into pure light by a triangular prism is iconic and inescapable, printed on endless t-shirts, postered on college dorm walls and notably stamped on…
Progress gets slapped back at the 2022 Academy Awards
The recent Oscars controversy and its ensuing media frenzy undermined years of institutional improvements and intersectional acknowledgments by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The confrontation between actor…
Music Versus Misinformation: Artists Leave Spotify Amid Joe Rogan Controversy
Recent controversy over statements made on the Spotify podcast The Joe Rogan Experience has focused on many topics such as the pervasive influence of big tech, the growing influence of…