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Review: Lana Wachowski reclaims The Matrix in “Resurrections”

WARNING: Spoilers ahead. Earlier in the year, the MCU introduced one of its newest heroes to audiences everywhere in “Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings.” The film, based……

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Published December 29, 2021
Categorized as Reviews

Review: “No Way Home” is Fun Nostalgia Bait

WARNING: Spoilers Ahead Earlier in the year, I watched the sequel/reboot of the 1990s kids classic “Space Jam.” “A New Legacy,” as it was called, starred LeBron James this time……

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Published December 23, 2021
Categorized as Reviews

Sam Raimi’s “Spider-man” is both Dated and Refreshing

It might not feel like it, but Sam Raimi’s original “Spider-man” will be 20 years old by May of 2022. It feels like a short time ago in some ways……

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Published December 22, 2021
Categorized as Deep Dives

My Top 5 Favorite Characters

WARNING: Some spoilers for these characters ahead if you haven’t seen them. Growing up I was always known as a bit of a space case. My teachers would often take……

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Published December 11, 2021
Categorized as Top 5

Review: Netflix’s “Cowboy Bebop” Misses on Multiple Levels

WARNING: SPOILERS ahead. A few weeks ago I had middling but also what I felt were reasonable expectations of Netflix’s “live-action” Cowboy Bebop adaptation. I never once thought this could……

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Published December 2, 2021
Categorized as Reviews

Review: “The French Dispatch” Tells At Least One Great Story

Wes Anderson is definitely one of the most unique directors working in Hollywood today. Whether you love or hate his filming style you can always tell what is and isn’t……

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Published November 16, 2021
Categorized as Reviews

My Top 5 Favorite Movies

Many moons ago, I was out on a date with a girl in my senior year of college and took her out to see a movie. That movie was “Immortals”……

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Published November 9, 2021
Categorized as Deep Dives, Reviews

“Young Frankenstein”: How to tell a Sincere Story in a Funny Way

One of the things that has always irked me about the Marvel Cinematic Universe is how adrift the entire franchise is in bathos. What is bathos, you might ask? Bathos……

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Published October 31, 2021
Categorized as Deep Dives

Growing Old Sucks and So do Mummies in “Bubba Ho-Tep”

Warning: Some Spoiler Clips Ahead Each year seems to feel shorter and shorter than the last as we get older. This isn’t too surprising, of course. When we really stop……

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Published October 17, 2021
Categorized as Deep Dives

“Princess Mononoke’s” Pacificism is Admirable but a bit Naive

If there is one film that describes director Hayao Miyazaki’s entire ethos and philosophy the most, it’s probably “Princess Mononoke.” The film showcases Miyazaki’s love of nature and spirituality in……

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Published September 27, 2021
Categorized as Culture, Deep Dives

How Martial Arts and Identity Merge in “The Matrix”

A few years back I was wrapping up a session at karate practice when one of my senseis brought me to the side to speak with me. I had done……

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Published September 14, 2021
Categorized as Deep Dives

“Shang Chi” and Hollywood “Representation”

When I first started this blog a few years ago my initial goal was to give the pop culture community a new Asian American voice and perspective, I felt it……

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Published August 22, 2021
Categorized as Culture, Deep Dives

Review: Evangelion Finally Gets Its Closure in “Thrice Upon a Time”

WARNING: Some spoilers ahead. Roughly 24 years ago, “End of Evangelion” was released as somewhat of a giant middle finger to the fans by creator Hideaki Anno. After receiving tons……

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Published August 17, 2021
Categorized as Reviews

Review: “The Green Knight” asks “What are you afraid of?”

About a week before I graduated college, my fraternity (yes, I was in a frat) held an event called Senior Couch Night. It’s a semesterly party where brothers come together……

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Published August 8, 2021
Categorized as Reviews

“Starship Troopers”: You’re Not Immune to Propaganda

Not sure how many you remember the early 2000s, but I remember it now as the era our news media truly became the powerful, manipulative engine that it is today.……

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Published July 31, 2021
Categorized as Deep Dives

“The Grandmaster”: Life, Martial Arts, and Living with our Regrets

One of my biggest fears these days is what kind of legacy am I going to leave behind. When I’m old and can no longer move around as I used……

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Published July 25, 2021
Categorized as Culture, Deep Dives

Hollywood and the Pentagon: A love story

Trigger warning: Discussion of war crimes and some disturbing images ahead… One of the better later season Simpsons jokes comes in an episode called “New Boys on the Blecch” in……

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Published July 9, 2021
Categorized as Deep Dives

“Megalo Box 2: Nomad” is a beautiful gut-punch

Warning: Some spoilers ahead. 2018’s “Megalo Box” came out at a time when I felt personally unfulfilled and desperate to reach out for my true potential. My passions in both……

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Published June 29, 2021
Categorized as Reviews

“Total Recall”: When catharsis replaces justice

Escapism can be good for the soul when coping with the harsh reality of everyday life. The often crushingly brutal world we all reside in does not provide much mental……

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Published June 12, 2021
Categorized as Deep Dives

“Cowboy Bebop” reminds us to rediscover our lost Humanity

Most “Cowboy Bebop” episodes start out more or less the same. The crew is typically going through financial dire straits of some kind, barely able to scrounge up enough food……

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Published June 5, 2021
Categorized as Culture, Deep Dives

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