Home/Blog/
Personal Empowerment on The Cinema Scribe

Personal Empowerment on The Cinema Scribe

Tune in for the latest Cinema Scribe segment on Bring Me 2 Life Radio, beginning Tuesday March 26, available by clicking here. You can also catch it later on demand on Spreaker, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Podchaser, Audible, Deezer, Podcast Addict and Jiosaavn ...
This Week in Movies with Meaning

This Week in Movies with Meaning

Reviews of “Problemista,” “The Eternal Memory” and “Beyond Utopia,” along with my Oscar scorecard and a film festival wrap-up, all in the latest Movies with Meaning post on the web site of The Good Media Network, available by clicking here ...
‘Beyond Utopia’ charts the quest for freedom of thought

‘Beyond Utopia’ charts the quest for freedom of thought

“Beyond Utopia” (2023). Cast: Pastor Seungeun Kim, Hyeonseo Lee, Barbara Demick, Sue Mi Terry, Soyeon Lee, Hyukchang Woo, Yeongbok Woo, Yonggil Roh, Jinhae Roh, Jinpyeong Roh, Sunok Park. Archive Footage: Kim Il-Sung, Kim Jong-Il, Kim Jong-Un, Douglas MacArthur, Nikita Khruschev. Director: Madeleine Gavin. Web site. Trailer. Imagine living in a country where citizens are effectively not allowed to think for themselves, where their beliefs are determined for them. And the dogma used to drill those thoughts into their minds is so formidable and so pervasive that most residents readily capitulate, even reaching a point where they gladly and willingly comply with the dictates planted in their consciousness. They accept conditions for what they are and even celebrate them, readily buying into the notion that they’re living in some kind of paradise, deplorable circumstances to the contrary notwithstanding. However, when individuals are coerced into a situation where it’s impossible to know – or even believe – any differently, it’s not surprising that they comply. Nevertheless, there are those who can see through the relentless propaganda and willingly seek other options for themselves and their families, their courageous stories providing the basis for the mesmerizing documentary, “Beyond Utopia.” In today’s world, it’s ...
‘Problemista’ examines how successes flow from failures

‘Problemista’ examines how successes flow from failures

“Problemista” (2023 production, 2024 release). Cast: Julio Torres, Tilda Swinton, RZA, Catalina Saavedra, Laith Nakli, James Scully, Greta Lee, Larry Owens, Logan J. Alarcon-Poucel, Kelly McCormack, Greta Titelman, Theo Maltz, James Seol, Miles G. Jackson, Jason Furlani, River L. Ramirez, Ronald Peet, Carlos E. Navedo, Isabella Rossellini (narrator). Director: Julio Torres. Screenplay: Julio Torres. Web site. Trailer. Isn’t it amazing how failures can often lead to unexpected successes? Those missteps frequently have a way of opening meaningful doors, even if it doesn’t seem that way at the time they occur. An allegedly wrong turn, for instance, may lead us to a fortuitous synchronicity that pays off handsomely at some point – an outcome that may not have occurred were it not for that supposed error. But how readily aware are we that such developments can occur? That’s one of the uplifting insights to come out of the new absurdist comedy, “Problemista.” While growing up in El Salvador, young Alejandro Martinez (Logan J. Alarcon-Poucel) lived a special life. Under the watchful care of his attentive and loving mother, Dolores (Catalina Saavedra), the imaginative youngster was nurtured in the development of his innate creativity, particularly his ability to devise ideas for inventive ...
‘Eternal Memory’ seeks to preserve as much as possible for as long as possible

‘Eternal Memory’ seeks to preserve as much as possible for as long as possible

“The Eternal Memory” (“La memoria infinita”) (2023). Cast: Augusto Góngora, Paulina Urrutia, Javiera Góngora. Archive Footage: Raúl Ruiz, Cristobal Góngora. Director: Maite Alberdi. Screenplay: Maite Alberdi. Web site. Trailer. It’s been said that one of the most cherished hopes for a loving relationship is that its partners inevitably have someone with whom they can grow old together, a time when they can warmly look back on their time as a couple with fondness and treasured memories. Invariably, it’s an earnest, heartfelt exercise in diligently seeking to preserve as much as possible for as long as possible. But what happens when something occurs that threatens the viability of such a meaningful personal endeavor? How are the parties to such a profoundly momentous venture supposed to react when faced with the prospect of losing that connection, particularly the precious recollections of so many loving years together? Those are among the issues raised in the moving documentary/love story, “The Eternal Memory” (“La memoria infinita”). Renowned Chilean author/journalist Augusto Góngora and his wife, Paulina Urrutia, spent many happy years together. In that time, they built a solid, adoring relationship with one another, a tender, affectionate bond that almost took on storybook proportions. They were ...
New Movies for March and More!

New Movies for March and More!

In case you missed the March movie edition of the Frankiesense & More video podcast with yours truly and show host Frankie Picasso, you can now find it on Facebook by clicking here and YouTube by clicking here. Tune in for looks at four new films, one of 2024’s first film festivals and our Oscar predictions, which you can read more about here (and my post-Oscar scorecard here). Join us for all the fun and lively discussion! ...
Go to Top