Authors: Esther Merono
Yellowcard @ The Complex with Geoff Rickly 09.30
When I heard that Yellowcard would be in town, playing all the way through Ocean Avenue, I rounded up my high school besties and added it to our schedule to fit around babies, husbands, classes and full-time jobs––a lot has happened in a decade. … read more
Judith Hill @ Energy Solutions Arena 10.11 with Josh Groban
It was a Friday night, and while everyone in Salt Lake City of my demographic was preparing to spend the night out dancing at Urban or sipping cocktails at Bodega, I was headed to the long lines that branched out from the entrances to the Energy Solutions Arena—with my mom—to see Josh Groban. … read more
Sundance Film Review: Lilting
Director Hong Khaou beautifully captures the unique story of Junn, a woman whose son—her only connection to the world around her—dies tragically, leaving her in discomfort and suspension in a rest home as her deceased son’s boyfriend, Richard, struggles to help her while coming to terms with his own loss and guilt. … read more
Sundance Film Review: Only Lovers Left Alive
Only Lovers Left Alive is Jarmusch’s take on the vampire genre, and the Jarmuschian way of underplaying the “mainstream” draw is the film’s strength. Any violence and seduction that usually defines the myth is all implied. … read more
Sundance Film Review: What We Do In The Shadows
Have you ever wondered what a vampire’s life is really like? Where they like to sleep? How they get along with their roommates? What kinds of clubs they go to on weekends? From sunset to sunrise, the camera crew (RIP Camera One) of What We Do In The Shadows tails blood-sucking friends and roomies Viago, Vladislav, Deacon, Peter and their eclectic group of living and undead pals through their daily, complicated lives in Wellington, New Zealand. … read more
Sundance Film Review: Love Is Strange
Love Is Strange is a much-needed breath of fresh air blowing away the cobwebs of a tired romantic dramedy genre. In this truly unique story, partners of 39 years, Ben (John Lithgow) and George (Alfred Molina) lose a coveted Manhattan apartment after their official marriage results in George’s termination from his job as a music teacher at a Catholic school, forcing them to temporarily move in with separate family members. … read more
Sundance Film Review: Private Violence
Sundance is known for its quality, life-altering documentaries, but Private Violence is not one of them. Interviews, B-roll and evidential photographs make up the film, which lacks a clear, linear line of thought and regurgitates the question, “Why do they keep going back?” without giving an intelligible answer. … read more
Sundance Film Review: Fishing Without Nets
Fishing Without Nets reflects the new generation of filmmakers who think outside the box in terms of perspective, focusing on characters Hollywood keeps on the sidelines and revealing rich stories where the white guy doesn’t swoop in to save the day. … read more
Sundance Film Review: To Kill A Man
Opening with a promising still shot of a forest scene and aggressive baritone horn music as the lead character Jorge (Daniel Candia) appears in the light, To Kill a Man is a unique and artistic addition to the revenge movie catalog. … read more
Sundance Film Review: Blue Ruin
Refn and Tarantino can fuck off now that Jeremy Saulnier has joined their ranks with his genre-defying revenge flick. Saulnier manages to keep the audience on the edge of their seats throughout with a main character who remains expressionless and silent for nearly the entire film—yet draws us in better than Ryan Gosling’s pretty pout ever did. This is top-notch cult classic material. … read more