MOVIE: I’m Still Here (2024)

by benmweilertNo Comments
I'm Still HereYear: 2024Rating: PG-13Length: 137 minutes / 2.28 hours One of the nice things about more foreign films being nominated for the Best Picture Oscar is that I get to learn about the history of these countries. I know countries like Brazil haven’t had the most stellar history of politics, but movies like I’m Still Here (2024) provide a snapshot of what these unnerving times were like for their citizens. The unfortunate thing with these historical dramas is that I still feel disconnected from these events because they happened somewhere that I have little experience with. It’s educational, but that’s about it. With the rise of political movements that use military might to keep the public in a constant state of fear, I’m Still Here is an important movie to remind us that resistance is necessary but also risky. Standing up for what’s right isn’t always easy when you could find yourself disappeared by the party in power. That your family...
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MOVIE: Civil War (2024)

by benmweilertNo Comments
Civil WarYear: 2024Rating: RLength: 109 minutes / 1.82 hours With Alex Garland's latest film, Civil War (2024), I still maintain my belief that his films use the medium of movies to ask, "What makes us human?" In his previous sci-fi works like Ex Machina (2014) and Annihilation (2018), the genre did most of the heavy lifting with that question. For Civil War, the current heated political climate is the backdrop that shines a harsh mirror on humanity during armed conflict. The framing, however, is truly what makes this film stand out—and it's not about politics at all. As a photographer, I understand what it takes to capture a moment without being part of the moment. You need to be present, but neutral. Civil War pushes this concept to its limits within the context of war photography. How does the press capture these atrocious moments while standing by to let them happen? Is documenting the war more important than stopping it? On top...
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BOOK: How to Talk to Your Cat About Gun Safety (2016)

by benmweilert1 Comment
How to Talk to Your Cat About Gun SafetyYear: 2016Author: Zachary AuburnLength: 144 pages I had seen this book cover on the internet a few years ago and found it to be an amusing concept. When I ran across the paperback version of this book at a thrift store, I bought it and gave it a read. Presented by the fictional "American Association of Patriots," How to Talk to Your Cat About Gun Safety is a satire parody of right-wing and evangelical pamphlets that seek to inform readers of the "right" way to do something. In this case, talk to your cat about gun safety. This book is actually a collection of a few different pamphlets that cover a variety of topics, including safety for guns, sex, online, and the apocalypse. To its credit, if you didn't realize this was satire, you'd think this book was being serious. Perhaps this is more an indictment of how crazy some people have become since...
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MOVIE: Milk (2008)

by benmweilertNo Comments
Milk Year: 2008 Rating: R Length: 128 minutes / 2.13 hours It seems like there are biopics for almost every notable person who has done anything significant in the last 50 years. In the case of Milk (2008), we get a peek into the personal, professional, and political life of gay rights activist Harvey Milk (Sean Penn). Unfortunately, as is the case with most biopics, I have found that the titular character is good at enacting societal change but at the cost of their relationship with a significant other. To me, I generally throw my hands up in the air and yell, “Come on!” when this happens since it seems to be ubiquitous with the genre. While I don’t mind watching a film about the activism behind gay rights, I do mind having to watch Sean Penn and James Franco make out. What struck me as odd was a portion of the film where people were encouraged to come out as being homosexual, which a...
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