Category Archives: Culture

Reading Well: Lock In by John Scalzi

Posted on December 7, 2015 by Daniel (@MKNN)

In some ways, Lock In by John Scalzi is two different things lurking inside one book. On the one hand, it is a sketch of a fascinating possible future where an epidemic has left millions of people fully conscious in fully paralyzed bodies, … Continue reading →

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@The Movies with PopPop: Clouds of Sils Maria

Posted on December 5, 2015 by Daniel (@MKNN)

Clouds of Sils Maria is a 2014 film, written and directed by Olivier Assayas and starring Juliette Binoche, Kristen Stewart and Chloe Grace Moretz. This is a very interesting film dealing with several layered themes: aging; acting; “real” life and fiction among … Continue reading →

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Reading Well: Waiting by Ha Jin

Posted on November 30, 2015 by Daniel (@MKNN)

Waiting is a novel by Ha Jin, set in near-contemporary China and focused (although it never quotes nor acknowledges Langston Hughes) on exploring the question of deferred dreams. The protagonist is a comfortably successful doctor, stationed at an urban military base. He has a wife, … Continue reading →

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Reading Well: The Southern Reach Trilogy by Jeff Vandermeer

Posted on November 3, 2015 by Daniel (@MKNN)

The Southern Reach Trilogy (the individual books are Annihilation, Authority, and Acceptance) is an engaging and intriguing piece of horror fantasy, somewhere between traditional Southern Gothic and HP Lovecraft. Each books is pretty short–the whole trilogy is about 800 small-size pages. … Continue reading →

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@The Movies with PopPop: Timbuktu

Posted on October 5, 2015 by Daniel (@MKNN)

Timbuktu, a 2014 nominee for best foreign film comes from director Abderrahamane Sissako, born in Mauritania but known as a Malian film director (a prior film of his is Bamako). It’s a powerful, beautiful, and often times difficult film, set … Continue reading →

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@The Movies with PopPop: Pariah

Posted on September 26, 2015 by Daniel (@MKNN)

Pariah is a far better and more interesting movie than the trailers would indicate. It’s the story of a young teen who has realized she’s a lesbian and is struggling with family, peers, and the existing lesbian community, taking place … Continue reading →

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@The Movies with PopPop: Even the Rain

Posted on September 20, 2015 by Daniel (@MKNN)

Even the Rain (2010) is a very well done fascinating film that layers two stories. The first is of a film crew that comes to Cochabamba, Bolivia in 2000 to make a left wing perspective film (film is dedicated to the … Continue reading →

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@The Movies with PopPop: The Wind Rises

Posted on September 11, 2015 by Daniel (@MKNN)

The Wind Rises is a 2013 animated Japanese film by Hayao Miyazaki, possibly his final film. It’s an animated biopic about Jiro Horikoshi, an aeronautical engineer who did wondrous things in improving airplanes, unfortunately including the Japanese WW II fighters. … Continue reading →

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@The Movies with PopPop: Chinese Coffee

Posted on September 4, 2015 by Daniel (@MKNN)

Chinese Coffee (2000) is another of those films directed by and starring Al Pacino that after limited festival showings was never generally released. It’s now part of a boxed set that also includes The Local Stigmatic and Looking for Richard. … Continue reading →

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@The Movies with PopPop: Barbara

Posted on August 29, 2015 by Daniel (@MKNN)

Barbara is a film about an East German doctor prior to the collapse of the Wall and reunification, who as a result of trying to leave East Germany has been sent to a rural location to practice medicine. The doctor … Continue reading →

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