Film Reviews and Commentary
MECHANICAL EYE – The Martian (2015)
I happened to see The Martian early on a day the theater offered half-price tickets to seniors. As one of the few young people in attendance, I looked around and realized that most of these ......
AS PITHY AS IT GETS – Bridge of Spies (2015)
Steven Spielberg has directed a vast repertoire of films, ranging from big summer blockbusters to serious historical dramas. Oftentimes, his films feature a protagonist with strong convictions ......
MISE EN SEAN – Goodnight Mommy (2014)
Instead of motifs, Goodnight Mommy has fetishes: blinds, reflections and doubles, bandages and masks, mouths, eyes, fire, insects, and the empty spaces of an austere IKEA home haunted by three ......
SO IT GOES – Grandma (2015)
Based on Grandma’s title, I expected a feel-good family drama about the rekindling of a relationship between a grandchild and their grandmother. In no way was I expecting to see the grandmother ......
MECHANICAL EYE – The Prophet (2014)
I loved Fantasia as a child. Mesmerized by a wordless world, where dinosaurs, centaurs, and ghosts lived by the strings and horns of an unseen orchestra, I was disappointed a few years later when ...
DAYDREAMER’S NOTEBOOK – The Best of the Northwest Animation Festival 2015
The Northwest Animation Festival showcases some of the best animated films from around the globe, and the Bijou Metro is hosting the best of the best (14 films in total) on September 19. These ......
VIEWTIFUL DRE – Meru (2015)
There is something about the human spirit that makes people want to do things that they aren’t meant to do. For example, jumping out of a perfectly good airplane makes no logical sense. But for ......
VIEWTIFUL DRE – Speaking for the Trees
Tonight at 6 p.m., the Bijou Art Cinemas will host Speaking for the Trees, which organizers describe as “a film festival to explore the impacts of forest management in Western Oregon.” The ......
SO IT GOES – The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015)
The coming-of-age story is a staple in cinema, a way in which the studios can relate to a younger audience. The change from adolescence to adulthood is one that all must go through, therefore the ...
SO IT GOES – The End of the Tour (2015)
As an avid reader of author David Foster Wallace, I was nervous when I heard that David Lipsky’s famous “lost five-day” interview with the author was being made into a movie. The ability to ......
