Off of Broad Street, deep in Scott’s Addition between warehouses and alleyways, is a black hole in the wall filled with music, vintage VHS, and (perhaps most importantly) Richmond’s preeminent collection of horror-themed pinball machines. I came to Wax Moon on a cool...
Netflix's Dolemite Is My Name depicts the rise of sexually explicit comedian Rudy Ray Moore, from underground phenomenon to blaxploitation legend. There is a scene in Dolemite Is My Name, the new Netflix film about the rise of Rudy Ray Moore and his famous persona, when Dolemite and his new friend, Lady Reed, perform a near-nonsensical song about...
Bong Joon-ho's latest film, Parasite, is an awe-inspiring morality tale that's perfect for 2019. From the opening frames of Bong Joon-ho’s newest film, Parasite, it’s made clear that this is a world centered around necessity, and the way it feeds into the societal roles we play. The focus is on two families, the most important being the Kims, in...
Delving into the alienation of modern life, groundbreaking Iranian film A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night is so much more than just another vampire picture. It comes to The Byrd next week. A melancholy romance draped in the atmosphere of 1950s noirs and 1960s spaghetti westerns, Ana Lili Amirpour’s 2014 directorial debut announced her as a...
Celine Sciamma's powerful period piece, Portrait Of A Lady On Fire, creates a sensitive and devastating portrayal of two women falling in love. “Is it better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all?” It's a question that has been asked countless times throughout the history of cinema, to the point where, frankly, it isn’t that...
Lulu Wang's directorial debut, The Farewell, explores the morality of lies and the complexities of family dynamics. Lulu Wang's The Farewell features a scene where Billi, played by Awkwafina, learns from her grandmother, or Nai Nai, how to dispel toxins from her body. The routine involves exhaling and then forcefully thrusting one's arms in front...
Featuring Jane Fonda at her early-70s best, this atmospheric mystery from Alan J. Pakula shines in its new Criterion Collection reissue. Successful producer-turned-director Alan J. Pakula hit a hot streak in the 1970s, beginning with his “Paranoia Trilogy” -- three films with a visceral sense of atmosphere and a Hitchcock-ian sense of voyeurism,...
In his latest film, director Riley Stearns takes on deceptive ideologies to shock audiences with humor and horror. In our modern age of fast information and lack of fact-checking, it has become easier than ever to indoctrinate and brainwash populations. This is seen in the rise of the Alt-Right in particular, as well as the general rise of...
In a film adapted from star Jimmie Fails' own life experiences, The Last Black Man in San Francisco examines one man's relationship with history, gentrification, and the city he comes from. The Last Black Man in San Francisco details the many complex relationships present in Jimmie Fails’ life. The main focus is his nostalgic and loving...
In Midsommar, the horror of a Swedish cult ritual takes a backseat to the horror of a decaying, toxic relationship. Nothing is worse than hanging out with a couple at the end of their relationship. The snide remarks, the palpable tension in the air, the frustrating lack of action. These situations can be unbearable, and only seem worse once the...
