CULTURE




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“Knives Out” Is A Classic Whodunit Pumped Up For 2019

In Knives Out, Last Jedi director Rian Johnson takes a stab at a traditional country-house murder mystery, with excellent results. Don’t be surprised to find out that one of the most politically prescient films of the year comes from a director whose last film, Star...

Raising the Bar: Richmond Native Lands Work on Netflix Show

Emlyn Crenshaw, a veteran of the Richmond theatre scene, never thought she could have a job in television production. A year after arriving in LA, though, she's landed behind the scenes at Netflix's Raising Dion. Plenty of unemployed college graduates pack up and head...

“Marriage Story” Is a Tear-Inducing Triumph For Noah Baumbach

This affecting portrait of a marriage coming to an end gets beyond marriage and divorce to tell a story about all the struggles and vulnerabilities that make us human. At first glance, Charlie and Nicole Barber could be considered the ideal couple. They’re...

Suspense In The Shenandoahs

Virginia film Mount Skylight, originally a short, is expanding to feature length with help from Winchester's Magic Lantern Theater. The chilling film tells a story of four hikers who encounter a seemingly empty town in the Shenandoahs. Fans of the suspenseful,...

Satirical Comedy Jojo Rabbit Wants You To Laugh At Nazis

Jojo Rabbit is an "anti-hate satire" featuring a bumbling Nazi pre-teen and a comical imaginary Adolf Hitler. But is there an effective message underneath these startling satirical elements? Taika Waititi’s most beloved films combine an unencumbered sense of fun with...

Dolemite Is My Name Is Less Than Perfect, But Completely Joyous

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,...

Kyle’s Criterion Corner: The Breakfast Club (1985)

No film about adolescence has stood the test of time quite like John Hughes’ ode to forced school on a Saturday quite like “The Breakfast Club”. A quintessential 80’s flick, released slap dab in the middle of the decade, was a rounding success at the time of its release and then went on to become a fevered favorite among those looking for...

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RVA #31: Bringing Vintage to the Masses From RVA

From monuments to restaurants, Richmonders crave the new, yet remain mesmerized by the old. The dichotomy between old and new comes into focus in the fashion community here, including how we shop and what we buy. For starters, like much of America, we’re heading to the mall much less often. For the first time in history, American shoppers will...

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Kyle’s Criterion Corner: Jabberwocky (1977)

Good nonsense is indeed hard to find. Terry Gilliam’s 1977’s “Jabberwocky” is less the spiritual successor of his previous landmark comedy “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”, but more of a continuation on that film’s satirical bent of the Dark Ages with silliness run amok during very cruel, nasty times. Based (very) loosely off of the mythical...

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Two VCU students launch fashion startup, Agapito Co.

A new fashion company, Agapito Co. has sprung up in Oregon Hill and is bringing a bright and furry flare to Richmond runways. Co-owners Maya Agapito and Michaela Bradley started the company last August and didn't waste any time launching their brand, High Maintenance. The company started out selling chic square-shaped purses and they’ve quickly...

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Kyle’s Criterion Corner: Desert Hearts (1985)

A cornerstone for gay cinema, “Desert Hearts” is director Donna Deitch’s first scripted feature, but also a rare coming out in independent cinema and the romance genre. It’s 1959 and Vivian Bell (Helen Shaver) needs a divorce. She rides in on a train to Reno, Nevada to fulfill and establish a six-week residency, all while trying to maintain her...

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