This December will be 20 years since Peter Jackson’s remake of King Kong was released. Premiering on the heels of his iconic, Oscar-winning The Lord of the Rings trilogy, few films have probably ever been more anticipated. But when it arrived in theaters (lol, remember going to those?) in Dec. of 2005 it was a…Read more On Peter Jackson’s King Kong and the Problem with Directorial Final Cut
Essays
“Let’s See De Niro Do This”: On Orlando Bloom in Deep Cover
Amazon Prime's action-comedy Deep Cover is a decent original film, which is a pretty big thing to say in our era of never-ending streaming slop. Perhaps the main reason why it's so watchable is surprisingly Orlando Bloom. He's deeply funny and delightfully self-aware in the film. Bloom plays Marlon Swift, a failed actor and improv…Read more “Let’s See De Niro Do This”: On Orlando Bloom in Deep Cover
On the Democratic Party’s Long History of Bait and Switch
Last week, the labor organization Workers Strike Back sent an email about the desperate need to build a grassroots movement for Medicare for All. The Democratic Party, they argue, is simply not a reliable actor on the issue. It refuses to mount a serious policy fight to get a program like this passed, instead relying…Read more On the Democratic Party’s Long History of Bait and Switch
Goodbye and Good Riddance to Tina Smith
Minnesota's Junior Senator Tina Smith recently announced that she will not run for reelection in 2026, and nobody should be particularly sad about it. Smith hasn't been a terrible rep., per se., but also not a great one. She achieved a few policy wins and displayed some admirable qualities while in Washington—yet ultimately became complicit…Read more Goodbye and Good Riddance to Tina Smith
On Disney’s Robin Hood: A Triumph of Details Over Structure
Whenever you return to a piece of art after some time away, it's never easy to know what your reaction might be. If enough time has passed, you have likely evolved and so too have your opinions. Recently, however, I rewatched one of my favorite childhood Disney movies, Robin Hood, and I must say, I…Read more On Disney’s Robin Hood: A Triumph of Details Over Structure
On Michael Moore, Gaza and Political Personalities
Listening to the cultural conversation on Gaza over the past year has been deeply disturbing, and not just for the obvious reasons. Instead of providing serious context or analysis, the chatter has focused mostly on parsing the ongoing genocide through an individual rather than systemic lens. This failing extends to those who should know better,…Read more On Michael Moore, Gaza and Political Personalities
“Conan O’Brien” Truly “Must Go” or A Once Great Comedian Finally Gets Old
When I was growing up in the 90s and 00s, the late-night comedy landscape was bleak to say the least. Old, creepy and painfully unfunny figures like David Letterman and Jay Leno reigned supreme. Conan O'Brien was a breath of fresh air when he unexpectedly replaced Letterman in 1993. His show's patented brand of surreal,…Read more “Conan O’Brien” Truly “Must Go” or A Once Great Comedian Finally Gets Old
“It’s What it Is”: On The Irishman’s Evolutionary Portrait of Ordinary Evil
When it comes to Martin Scorsese’s epic biographical crime drama The Irishman, it is safe to say that peoples’ mileage may vary. While full of craft, the movie’s 3-hour portrayal of the life of WWII veteran and mob hitman Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro) and his friendships with crime boss Russel Bufalino (Joe Pesci) and union…Read more “It’s What it Is”: On The Irishman’s Evolutionary Portrait of Ordinary Evil
“That Was the Turning Point”: On Spaceman or How Brandon Flowers’ Past Changed the Killers’ Future
If there is one thing that nobody would ever call me it's topical. Grandiloquent? Sure. Pessimistic? Ad nauseum! Tedious? Quite possibly. But certainly not topical. You probably could tell as much from the title of this essay. The first clue is that I am talking about The Killers and specifically the band's frontman Brandon Flowers.…Read more “That Was the Turning Point”: On Spaceman or How Brandon Flowers’ Past Changed the Killers’ Future
“A Really Good Investment for the United States”: On Ukraine, War Profiteering and Historical Revisionism
On Dec. 21, Hilary Clinton appeared on Anderson Cooper to fawn over Volodymyr Zelenskyy's trip to the U.S. Just the night before, the Ukrainian President had given an impassioned plea to the U.S. Congress for humanitarian and military support in their fight against Russia. Beaming psychotically, Clinton proclaimed the Ukrainian war a “really good investment…Read more “A Really Good Investment for the United States”: On Ukraine, War Profiteering and Historical Revisionism
Adam Mohrbacher 