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Chris Ahrens Ian Anderson Eric Bartl Don Bauder Ed Bedford Siobhan Braun Robert Bush Chad Deal Joe Deegan Barbarella Fokos Leorah Gavidor Dave Good Marty Graham Moss Gropen Andrew Hamlin Dorian Hargrove Garrett Harris Ken Harrison Patrick Henderson Tam Hoang Eve Kelly Dryw Keltz Eva Knott Thomas Larson Ken Leighton Matthew Lickona Mike Madriaga Bill Manson Scott Marks Bob McPhail Walter Mencken Joseph O'Brien Sheila Pell Ian Pike Matt Potter H.G. Reza Dave Rice Elizabeth Salaam Jay Allen Sanford Julie Stalmer DJ Stevens Matthew Suárez Amanda Tascher
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Chris Ahrens Ian Anderson Eric Bartl Don Bauder Ed Bedford Siobhan Braun Robert Bush Chad Deal Joe Deegan Barbarella Fokos Leorah Gavidor Dave Good Marty Graham Moss Gropen Andrew Hamlin Dorian Hargrove Garrett Harris Ken Harrison Patrick Henderson Tam Hoang Eve Kelly Dryw Keltz Eva Knott Thomas Larson Ken Leighton Matthew Lickona Mike Madriaga Bill Manson Scott Marks Bob McPhail Walter Mencken Joseph O'Brien Sheila Pell Ian Pike Matt Potter H.G. Reza Dave Rice Elizabeth Salaam Jay Allen Sanford Julie Stalmer DJ Stevens Matthew Suárez Amanda Tascher
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Movie Reviews

Infidelity and feminism are at the core of India Sweets and Spices

- min read

Luzzu does neorealism right

- min read

Two tricks, three treats from the San Diego Asian Film Festival

- min read

San Diego Asian Film Festival 2021 sampler

- min read
Latest
Movie Reviews
Infidelity and feminism are at the core of India Sweets and Spices

Many families, in some way or another, exercise their right to rely on secrets and lies as means of postponing (prolonging?) life’s darker moments. It wasn’t until I turned 30 ...

Movie Reviews
Luzzu does neorealism right

Author's note: an hour after the paper went to press, I received a note informing me that the distributor delayed the virtual engagement at the Digital Gym by one week. ...

Movie Reviews
Two tricks, three treats from the San Diego Asian Film Festival

This year’s San Diego Asian Film Festival continues to dazzle. The three films up for discussion will screen at UtlraStar Cinemas in Mission Valley. Next week’s lead review is Drive ...

Movie Reviews
San Diego Asian Film Festival 2021 sampler

Thank heavens for this year’s San Diego Asian Film Festival, if for no other reason than it gives me an excuse to showcase quality over Hollywood’s latest regurgitation. The Festival ...

Movie Reviews

Movie Reviews
The Addams Family 2: new kooky characters gone wrong

Who ya got: The Munsters or The Addams Family? I had just turned ten the season both shows made their network debuts, so the choice became the subject of raging schoolyard debate. It wasn’t a ...

October 14, 2021
Movie Reviews
Wife of a Spy: Kiyoshi Kurosawa unravels a tired Hitchcockian yarn

The latest from Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Pulse, Cure, Tokyo Sonata) is being pitched as an “old-school Hitchcockian thriller.” The Master has been dead over 40 years. All this slavish delineating has long since passed the point ...

October 7, 2021
Movie Reviews
September 23, 2021
Five from the Fourth Annual Joyce Forum Jewish Short Film Festival

UPDATE: I was mistakenly sent sent a list of screeners that included Skylark and Point Symmetry. Neither film is included in the Joyce Forum. Sorry for any confusion. With the San Diego Jewish Film Festival ...

Movie Reviews
September 16, 2021
Tsai Ming-liang bathes Days in pink moments

The bad news is that Days is intentionally unsubtitled. The good news is that there’s barely a word spoken by our two leads. Loneliness is their universal language. More bad news: this is the only ...

Movie Reviews
September 9, 2021
Flag Day: proud papa Penn

Sean Penn’s latest arrived at multiplexes armed with an edict from its star/director aimed at the unjabbed among us: unless you’re vaccinated, stay away from Flag Day. Talk about cruel and unusual punishment. Why should ...

Movie Reviews
September 2, 2021
Respect: Aretha Franklin’s remarkable vocal reach

C.L. Franklin (Forest Whitaker) regularly awakened his daughter Aretha (Skye Dakota Turner) to wow the partygoers gathered in the spacious living room below with the young girl’s remarkable vocal reach. These so-called “church parties” were ...

Movie Reviews
August 26, 2021
Sweet Girl: Jason Momoa’s howlingly enjoyable nonsense with a twist

It’s been a fertile period of late for adventure films that pair tough burly movie stars opposite young unknowns — Dave Bautista and Chloe Coleman in My Spy, Liam Neeson and Jacob Perez in The ...

Movie Reviews
August 19, 2021
Habit: guns, nuns, and jump cuts

There was a time in the mid-’90s when it seemed like every other indie release owed a debt of originality to Quentin Tarantino. Hell, he produced half of them! The studio press release for Habit, ...

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Movie Reviews
Hitler, baby, one more time

There should never be another fictionalized account of the Holocaust put to film. The temptation to sentimentalize the atrocities too often proves impossible to resist. (As Prof. Deborah Lipstadt points out, “The minute you’re trying ...

August 12, 2021
Movie Reviews
Jungle Cruise: 127 minutes to nowhere

There have been movies based on 45 rpm singles (Ode to Billy Joe, Harper Valley P.T.A.) T.V. shows (Downton Abbey, Barney’s Great Adventure), toys (Ouija, The LEGO Movie), and comic books too numerous to mention, ...

August 5, 2021
Movie Reviews
July 29, 2021
Joe Bell: nothing new from Mark Wahlberg

A careful jog of the memory might help to recall the headline-grabbing story upon which Joe Bell is based. Those who have seen the trailer should find it fairly easy to ascertain the gingerly hinted-at ...

Movie Reviews
July 22, 2021
Pig: Nicolas Cage’s purloined pal

What is life but a succession of good and bad choices? There were times when Nicolas Cage’s career and personal life bounded off the rails in the direction of Charlie Sheen wackyland. But then Cage ...

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Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town Letters — Our inbox [email protected] — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
Chris Ahrens Ian Anderson Eric Bartl Don Bauder Ed Bedford Siobhan Braun Robert Bush Chad Deal Joe Deegan Barbarella Fokos Leorah Gavidor Dave Good Marty Graham Moss Gropen Andrew Hamlin Dorian Hargrove Garrett Harris Ken Harrison Patrick Henderson Tam Hoang Eve Kelly Dryw Keltz Eva Knott Thomas Larson Ken Leighton Matthew Lickona Mike Madriaga Bill Manson Scott Marks Bob McPhail Walter Mencken Joseph O'Brien Sheila Pell Ian Pike Matt Potter H.G. Reza Dave Rice Elizabeth Salaam Jay Allen Sanford Julie Stalmer DJ Stevens Matthew Suárez Amanda Tascher
More writers Former writers
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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News & Politics Neighborhood News News Ticker Under the Radar
Food & Drink Beverage News Booze News Drinks All Around Feast! San Diego Beer Tin Fork
Movies Big Screen Movie Archives Movie Reviews [email protected]
Happenings Fishing Report Outdoors Reader Travel Roam-O-Rama Surf Diego Your Week
Music Blurt Classical Music Live Five Musician Interviews Of Note Upcoming Shows
Comics Famous Former Neighbors Obermeyer Overheard in San Diego
Archives Reader by issue date Today’s stories All of the latest stories
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town Letters — Our inbox [email protected] — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
Chris Ahrens Ian Anderson Eric Bartl Don Bauder Ed Bedford Siobhan Braun Robert Bush Chad Deal Joe Deegan Barbarella Fokos Leorah Gavidor Dave Good Marty Graham Moss Gropen Andrew Hamlin Dorian Hargrove Garrett Harris Ken Harrison Patrick Henderson Tam Hoang Eve Kelly Dryw Keltz Eva Knott Thomas Larson Ken Leighton Matthew Lickona Mike Madriaga Bill Manson Scott Marks Bob McPhail Walter Mencken Joseph O'Brien Sheila Pell Ian Pike Matt Potter H.G. Reza Dave Rice Elizabeth Salaam Jay Allen Sanford Julie Stalmer DJ Stevens Matthew Suárez Amanda Tascher
More writers Former writers
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
See all neighborhoods
December 8, 2021
December 1, 2021
November 24, 2021
November 17, 2021
November 10, 2021
November 3, 2021
October 27, 2021
October 20, 2021
October 13, 2021
October 6, 2021
September 29, 2021
September 22, 2021
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