The enchanting world of Studio Ghibli returns to Richmond this week as Studio Ghibli Fest takes over the historic Byrd Theatre. Kicking off Monday, March 31 with a screening of Howl’s Moving Castle (2004), the fest brings a lineup of beloved animated films that have...
As soon as I walked through the door of Strange Matter Sunday night, I heard the iconic Twin Peaks theme playing over the speakers. Soon after, it was interrupted by the “The Pink Room,” a hard rock jam that plays within the sleaziest of corners in the world of “Twin Peaks”. While I then realized that I had coincidentally walked in the room at...
For the third consecutive year, The Great Southern Festival will celebrate all things "Twin Peaks", this weekend with a uniquely Richmond spin. Die-hard David Lynch fans will recognize the name of the festival as a play on the Great Northern hotel at the heart of the "Twin Peaks" series. Sugar Shack donuts, local bands, and coffee from Rostov's...
They say money is the root to all evil right? Renowned French director Robert Bresson may agree to that. Loosely based on Leo Tolstoy’s novella The Forged Coupon, his final film L’argent (money) follows the downfall of a young-ish fuel truck driver, Yvon Targe (Christian Patey), who is given a forged Franc note that soon leads a series of...
Ever fantasize about being a passing face or an awkward bystander in a college orientation video? Still have no plans this Friday afternoon? (Staying in bed with Netflix and napping don't really count.) By some strange dysfunction-related miracle, you're in luck, because VCU Parking & Transportation is looking for current VCU students and...
Few films are as highly regarded or as revered in Japanese cinema as Kenji Mizoguchi’s haunting, fantasy fable “Ugetsu”; a timeless masterpiece of post-war cinema that not only works as a fatalistic fable but also a critique of class and patriarchy told through a kaidanshu-lensed ghost story. Through themes of greed, karmic retribution,...
It’s been described as a marathon of the mundane; a work of art built around household chores and boredom, or perhaps even the most relevant films about subtextual feminism. “Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles” is a seminal work of the 70s and still a very unique experience as a film. The film follows the seemingly...
I should preface this review by saying I’m unnecessarily harsh in critiquing comedies. I just expect all movies I see to have a decent plot, a conclusive ending, and some form of character development, but I think for most comedies I really just need to ask myself, “Did it make me laugh?” Because that’s really all this movie wanted me to do, and...
Tense anticipation describes the sentiment of Alien: Covenant’s pre-premiere marketing season, and torrential amounts of fresh speculation ensued after the London showing stirred more excitement. And yet, even as a Prometheus/Alien superfan, I’m here to tell you that I walked away from Covenant in an oddly unsettled state. But, before I get to...
You ever wonder what would happen if you and your sarcastic high school classmates were destined for the bottom of the sea? Well, this weekend, the Byrd is giving you a chance to find out. Richmond's historic move palace is screening My Entire High School Sinking into the Sea, an animated film directed & written by Dash Shaw. Described as an...
