#unique to this film) is that banning this film ended up giving it a legacy which has kept it alive much longer than it would have otherwise

[mariocki]

I Miss You, Hugs and Kisses (Drop Dead, Dearest, 1978)

"What is this? What is this? I'm not a suspect, am I?"

"I didn't say that."

"Goddammit, why aren't you doing something? Why aren't you out there looking for the person who did it? Look, look, look. I don't have to be treated in this...this, this manner! I'm not some motorcycle punk you've dragged in off the street! I'm a wealthy man!"

[marcellusbitsandpieces]

Bits and Pieces - Favorite Children’s Books  3/21/21

As most teachers, I had a private library in my classrooms. It was a favorite hangout, especially when I taught 6th graders. Not only did they enjoy choosing and reading, but they really loved it when it was “reading time” for me to read to them. It was a wonderful time for me, too.

Here are some of the classic favorites. They haven’t gone out of choice even over all these decades.

Many of you most likely have read Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown to your own children. What is so unique about this book is that it broke the standard of fairy-tale and fable for children’s books.

Goodnight Moon has a modern setting with an almost “here-and-now” philosophy. Even the clock in the story almost reads as a current reading time and movement as one progresses through the story.

Though first published in 1947, its popularity didn’t begin until the mid-70s. It has been voted among the Top 100 books for children by the National Education Association, School Library Journal and the New York Public Library.

One of my all-time favorite young adult books is Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh.

Though parts of the story include spying on classmates and keeping a notebook as well as bullying and shunning, it lent excellent points of stoppage for discussion.

It was banned in some classrooms and libraries. However, the legacy of Harriet the Spy has lived on to put it on the 2009 list of children’s classics and have Time Out New York put it as #49 on their 2020 list of best books for kids.

I have never read The Snowy Day, written and illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats. But after reading about it, it is on my list.

Keats is Jewish and white, but the main character, Peter, is African American. Keats was criticized for featuring a Black main character when he wasn’t Black. However, many found the book inspiring. The Snowy Day won the Caldecott Medal (as seen on the cover) the year after publication, 1963.

Keats saw a void in books about minority children and wanted to fill it. Over the years, he received countless letters of support and appreciation, including one from Langston Hughes.

Another all-time favorite is The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. Juster recently passed away, and when I read his obituary, I felt like I lost a friend.

Juster had finished three years in the military and was returning to civilian life as an architect. He had also accepted a grant to write a children’s book about cities and city planning. The project wasn’t going well, and he ended up writing about the confusion and disconnection he remembered from his own childhood.

The Phantom Tollbooth is a fantasy about Milo who gets a unique parcel. Inside the package, there was a highway tollbooth. By stepping inside, he could “go” to Lands Beyond. This was a wonderous place where he could escape his everyday life.

It took a while for adults and children to accept this kind of story in the 60s. It finally found its rewards and has been translated into many languages and made into a film, stage play, opera and symphony.

I love giving books as gifts. It is the best way to explore; learn about new things, people and places; renew friendships (I love sagas) and share insights with friends and family.

[shankarjaikishanfansassnintl]

The brief but magical association of KISHORE KUMAR & SHANKAR-JAIKISHEN…

Feature courtesy

https://myviewsonbollywood.wordpress.com/2018/06/12/the-brief-but-magical-association-of-kishore-kumar-shankar-jaikishen/

By

Sharada Iyer

The very mention of their names immediately brings to our mind the evergreen super-hit song ‘Zindagi ek safar hai suhana…’ from the film ANDAZ. From the opening prelude to the yodelling to the fast-paced beats – everything about the song became unforgettable! Added to that superstar Rajesh Khanna’s charismatic screen presence turned this song not only into one of the most loved songs of Hindi cinema but also became one of the biggest hits of the careers of  Rajesh Khanna, Kishore Kumar and Shankar-Jaikishen.

ANDAZ (1971): ‘Zindagi ek safar hai suhana…’

Shankar-Jaikishen (SJ): The music director duo who revolutionized the very definition of Hindi film music with their path-breaking music and tunes…

Kishore Kumar: The genius actor-singer who created his own path and carved a place in the Hindi film music scene which people cannot even dream of achieving…  

Both the singer as well as the music director duo reached dizzying heights of popularity during the years they were active. And yet when we look back it is sad that three of the most loved and cherished musical geniuses of our industry hardly got much opportunity to work together during their long and illustrious careers …

Interestingly they even made their debut around the same time –

Shankar-Jaikishen’s debut film as independent music directors was R K Films’ Barsaat which released in 1949…

Kishore Kumar’s debut film as an actor and a playback singer (sang for Dev Anand) was Ziddi which released in 1948…

Shankar Jaikishen somehow always worked with heroes like Raj Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor, Rajendra Kumar, Dilip Kumar, Biswajit, Joy Mukjerjee, Shashi Kapoor, Sunil Dutt for whom Kishore Kumar never got the opportunity to playback. When they worked for Dev Anand they used Mohammed Rafi except for one instance-‘Dooriyan nazdeekiyan ban gayee…’ a Kishore Kumar-Asha Bhonsle duet that turned out to be the biggest hit of the film:

DUNIYA (1968): ‘Dooriyan nazdeekiyan ban gayi…’

It was around the late forties that the triumvirate of Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand and Dilip Kumar entered the industry, became great stars creating a special niche for themselves and also had their own favourite playback singers singing for them. While Rafi became the voice of Dilip Kumar with Talat Mehmood also contributing in some songs, Mukesh was the voice of Raj Kapoor with Manna Dey singing for him at times. In case of Dev Anand, both Rafi and Kishore Kumar’s voices were used.and hence Kishore Kumar between 1948 and 1968 sang only for himself when he acted or did playback for Dev Anand.

NEW DELHI, KROREPATI, BEGUNAAH, RANGOLI and SHARARAT are the five films for which Shankar-Jaikishen worked with Kishore Kumar where he acted and sang his own songs and what beautiful music they created:

Here is a gem from the 1962 film RANGOLI. What an absolutely haunting song- simple, hummable and so melodious

RANGOLI (1962): ‘Choti si yeh duniya pehchaane raaste hain…’

Interestingly both the above song and ‘Zindagi ek safar…’ from ANDAZ had other singers singing their version but really do people even remember that? For when Kishore Kumar sings, such is the magic and resonance in his voice that the other versions pale in comparison.

A fun-filled Kishore-Lata duet-‘Ik nazar kisine dekha aur ban gaya afsana…’

A soulful solo-‘Rangoli sajaao re…’

Listen to this superb song from NEW DELHI. The simple orchestration, the yodelling, the subtle variations in the song all go to make this a masterpiece!

NEW DELHI (1956): ‘Nakhrewaali…’

NEW DELHI (1956): ‘Milte hi nazr aap mere dil mein aa gaye…’

While Kishore Kumar enjoyed immense popularity as an actor-singer during the fifties and early sixties, he had to undergo a long period of struggle to be considered as a playback singer for other heroes. In fact there are rare instances when other singers like Mohammed Rafi and Manna Dey sang for him.

SHARARAT (1957): ‘Hum matwaale naujawan…’

After giving him such a wonderful solo, wonder why did Shankar-Jaikishen settle for Rafi to sing ‘Ajab hai dastaan meri yeh zindagi…’!!! What made them think that Kishore would not have delivered that song brilliantly in his own way?

SHARARAT (1959)

BEZUBAAN (1957)

Only audio of this song is available

To achieve his dream of becoming a playback singer, Kishore Kumar had to become an actor and act for almost 20 years before giving up acting to become full-fledged singer. This phase coincided with the coming of a new star Rajesh Khanna in the horizon and Kishore Kumar became a voice to reckon with for all the actors after 1968.

In 1968 Shankar-Jaikishen gave music in the Dharmendra-Hema Malini starrer TUM HASEEN MAIN JAWAAN. Kishore Kumar got to sing only one song and that too a comical one in the film- ‘Munne ki amma yeh to bata…’. The song did become popular with the masses:

THE FATEFUL YEAR OF 1971:

This year was important for this combination in more ways than one. Not only did they team up to give several super-hits unfortunately, it was also the last year they worked as a team together  for Jaikishen from the duo passed away due to cirrhosis of liver.

Apart from the blockbuster song ‘Zindagi ek safar hai suhana…’, the Kishore-SJ combo gave us some of these superb songs also in 1971 :

SOLOS:

LAL PATTHAR (1971): ‘Geet gaata hoon main…’

KAL AAJ AUR KAL (1971) : ‘Bhanware ki gunjan…’

DUETS:

KAL AAJ aur KAL: ‘Aap yahan aaye kisliye…’

This film which launched Raj Kapoor’s son Randhir Kapoor had superb music by Shankar Jaikishen and Kishore Kumar became Randhir’s voice and all songs were super-hit. There were two more lovely duets in the film- ‘Tik tik tik tik…,’ ‘Jab hum honge saath saal ke…’

NAGINA: ‘Tere mere pyar ka andaz hai nirala…’

MAIN SUNDAR HOON: ‘Mujhko thand lag rahi hai mujhse door tu naja…’

The song ‘Naach meri jaan…’ from the same film had Kishore Kumar and Jaikishen making a brief appearance at the beginning of the song…

SEEMA: ‘Waqt thoda sa abhi kuch aur guzar jaane de…’

First in 1966, lyricist Shailendra passed away. On Septemnber 12, 1971, Jaikishen passed away. The team of SJ was hit very badly. Though Shankar did try to keep the flag flying by continuing to compose under the name of Shankar-Jaikishen as per their agreement, but the magic had started fading away.

POST 1971:

Films like JANGAL MEIN MANGAL, AANKHON AANKHON MEIN and DIL DAULAT DUNIYA released in 1972. Probably the music for some of the songs had already been scored by the two together and kept in their music bank. Here are some brilliant songs from these films:

JANGAL MEIN MANGAL: ‘Tum kitni khoobsurat hoy eh mere dil se pucho…’

Here is a rare Rafi-Kishore duet from the film JANGAL MEIN MANGAL picturized on Kiran Kumar and his friends which included  a weird looking Pran: ‘Ae Bagh ki kaliyon sharam karo sharam karo…’

AANKHON AAKHON MEIN: ‘Aankhon aankhon mein baat…’ with Asha

Another duet from the same film:

‘Do baatein pyar bhari kar loon…’with Asha

The Rajesh Khanna-Kishore combo came together again for this film after Andaz but the results were certainly not anywhere near their best. There were a couple of solos and duets by Kishore Kumar:

DIL DAULAT DUNIYA: ‘Saath mein pyara saathi ho…’

Soon offers reduced though Shankar did manage to come up with a few aces with Kishore Kumar:

DO JHOOT (1975): ‘Chalo bhool jaayen jahan ko yahan do ghadi…’

‘Chatri na khol ud jayegi…’

AAJ KI TAAZA KHABAR (1974) : ‘ Mujhe meri biwi se bachao …’

I end this musical blog with this lovely solo from RESHAM KI DORI picturized on Dharmendra.

RESHAM KI DORI (1975): ‘Chamka pasina banke angina…’

There is no doubt that this talented and unique singer-music director combination would have definitely created a different kind of euphoria for whenever they did come together and whatever little work they did together, they created magic. Whether it was industry politics or just destiny which kept them apart, fans remain grateful for the precious and priceless legacy left behind by them…

[elsewhereuniversity]

FAQ and Tags Masterpost

What is Elsewhere University?

Elsewhere University is a university on a fairy hill, as first depicted in this comic I drew a year ago! People began asking questions about the world, and then writing stories and drawing art set within it, and then building on each other’s stories and on my answers about the world, and it’s become a big lovely sandbox (the second comic‘s entire purpose is to celebrate some of my favorite things that have grown exclusively out of the fandom). The various submitted stories aren’t necessarily compatible with each other, because there are currently well over 2k stories and asks building this world and expecting anyone to know all of that is absolutely mad. But they’re all built on the same base mythology of folklore+college weirdness outlined in the first comic.

Where can I find the original comic?

As part of my Tapastic series, or on my main blog. 

My ask/fortune/submission hasn’t shown up yet.

At the time of this writing, my inbox is around 2500, and roughly 3/4 of those are student asks. There’s going to be a bit of a wait before anything you submit sees the light of day (although stories will show up before fortunes do). I know it’s not ideal, but I will reach it eventually, I promise!

That said (given that this is tumblr) message me privately, off anon, if you’d like to make sure it hasn’t been eaten by the website. If you can give me a username or an exact phrase to ctrl+f, I’d be happy to check that it made it safely to my inbox! But if you send a find-it ask on anon, I won’t answer it - I get enough of those that it would clutter up the blog pretty badly.

Are there any guidelines for Elsewhere U fanworks?

The bare minimum - it should be readable with regards to grammar/spelling, it should be related to Elsewhere University, and, you know, don’t be an asshole. Don’t worry too much about continuity! Due to the sandbox nature of the project, that’s all a bit fuzzy anyway.

Fortunes should be about the size of a single ask.

Nothing made or sold for profit.

How should I get my submission to you?

One option is to submit a story through tumblr

Another is to publish it on your own blog, or on AO3 (there’s an official tag!) or somewhere else

If you opt for something other than submitting it through this blog, send me a link through messaging or an ask if you’d like to see it shared here!

You can try @’ing me but I’m not great at checking that. 

And lastly if you do post it somewhere else, please credit this blog or the original comic specifically. Thank you!

Types of posts

Stories - written prose submissions

Art - comics and illustrations of the world

Students and Charms - fortunes and futures

Vignettes - very short stories

Podcast - episodes of Elsewhere University Student News, a fan podcast

Tv Tropes Page

Poetry

Recs - Reader-submitted books/games/etc in the vein of this blog

Love letters to majors - submissions specifically regarding the ups and downs of a major

Newsletter - Elsewhere U newsletters and notices

Prophecies - vague, ominous, regarding the future

Advice - do

Warnings - do not

Original - my contributions to Elsewhere

GENERAL TAGS

Changelings - what the Fair Folk leave when they steal your roommate

The Forbidden Major - the (banned) study of the Fair Folk

Knights - students keeping the campus safe. Crusaders, mercenaries, and idealists.

Stolen Away - so you’ve gotten yourself kidnapped into a weird magical summer world

Deals - striking bargains

Debts - Owing

The Aftermath - Graduation and afterwards

Courtesies - the politics of please and thank you

Legacies - people who fit in better than they expected

The Treaty - Posts touching on the delicate agreement between the university and the Elsewhere

Belief - reality gets malleable here

Names - Names and their power. Full FAQ below.

PLACES

Location - where the fuck is this school, anyway (and a masterpost of the borders)

The Pool

The Library

The Theatre (and The Play)

The Dorms (dorm list/summary here)

The Forest

The Train Tracks

The River

The Wishing Well

The Greenhouse

The Unsea

Walmart

Denny’s

LIFE ON CAMPUS

Student Life - anything to do with day to day Elsewhere U existence

Majors - a full alphabetized list of majors and their standing with the Gentry at the end of this page

Prospective Students - why people come to EU

International Students - how they deal with this bullshit

Sports - what sports, where, and why they’re Off

Parties - hella revels

Food - “We must not look at goblin men, we must not buy their fruits: Who knows upon what soil they fed their hungry thirsty roots?”

Electronics - how that works out (or rather, doesn’t)

School Spirit, and on a related note the Mascot and the school Motto (full list of mottoes below)

Graduation

Greek Life

Holidays

Games

Sign Language

Marching Band

Clubs and Secret Societies

Student Witches

STAFF

Professors - who in their right minds would work here (list and summary of notable professors here)

RAs - Resident Advisors and their responsibilities

The Librarians

Administration

Groundskeepers - nonacademic staff. A statistically unlikely number own swords.

NOTABLE INDIVIDUALS AND PHENOMENA

The Foxy Lady

Jimothy

The Wyrm -the dragon sleeping under the condemned building in the western corner of the campus

Anna Monday

The Wild Hunt

The Washer at the Ford - she will tell you the time of your death, but only if you’re into that

Courts - here the year turns on Spring and Autumn

The Tall One - warning

Royalty - don’t speak of them

Cat-Eyes - purveyor of Seeing glasses

The Rose Prince

FOLKLORE

Protection - including iron, salt, and running water

The Sight - including modified glasses, silver, and mirrors

VARIOUS

Ghosts

Werewolves

Banshees

Brownies

Sirens

Selkies

Gremlins

Mermaids

Kelpies

ANIMALS

The Crows - Do Not Wrong The Crows

Pets - Fish, Cats, Dogs

Wildlife - Birds, Insects

Horses

School Mottos thus far (translations may be incorrect - I haven’t personaly checked them)

Cauti, Cordati, Auspicati - Wary, Wise, and Lucky

Cum Gladio Et Sale - With Sword and Salt

Fainiciúil, Ciallmhar, Ámhar - Wary, Wise, and Lucky

yn dilyn y seren - Following The Star

Beware the Lights

Swallow the Hidden Names

BLOOD AND BONES BLOOD AND BONES BLOOD AND BONES

Tine Agus Airgead - Fire and Silver          

כבדו את העורבים - Respect The Crows

Tha Iad Ag Innse Gun Bhreaug - They Tell No Lies

Carpe Nihil - Seize Nothing   

Iron and Salt - a warning 

Aspectum, Dolorem, Sacrificium - Sight, Sorrow, Sacrifice

Scientia Defendit Fideles - Knowledge protects the faithful

What Doesn’t Bend Will Break

Names FAQ

What’s a true name? The name that you consider to be truly yours; it’s highly personal and subjective.

Does the legal status of the name matter? No.

Can nicknames be true names? Yes.

Can you have more than one true name? How would that work? Yes. Depending on what each name meant to you, each true name might have power over you in its entirety, or each be part of a larger whole.

If I pronounce or spell my name differently/use a derivative or variation of my true name as a safe name, would that be safe? No. It wouldn’t have power over you, but it wouldn’t be hard to discover your true name.

What happens if someone speaks my true name? If you are given a command with your true name, you are compelled to obey it. This is only true in the Elsewhere and areas affected by it.

Can safe names influence a person over time? It’s unusual, but it’s happened.

Can a safe name become your true name? Yes; if you feel yourself becoming too attached to a safe name, it’s time to change it (not an uncommon event).

How does the school deal with safe names? Student IDs and role call lists for professors include the student number and the preferred name of a student. There’s a hard ban on obscenity, at least as far as the safe names in the school system go, but even so, they range from mundane to pop culture to total nonsense.

Would a name with negative associations be a good safe name? Yes, in the sense you’d never have to worry about growing too attached too it.

Is it possible to be nameless? Yes, which renders you invulnerable to this particular hazard. There are still plenty of other pitfalls, so overall the nameless don’t attract too much malice from the Gentry.

Is my last name part of my true name? It depends on the importance it holds for you. But even if it doesn’t signify anything, it’s recommended you keep all parts of your legal name secret in order to make it more difficult for anyone to find personal information on you.

How does the school protect true names? The administration offices are heavily guarded against both human and Elsewhere intruders, including but not limited to 24/7 guards, iron in all the walls, heavily password-protected computers, and formidable custom iron filing cabinets that hold all the paperwork they couldn’t avoid printing out.

Does everyone on campus go by a safe name? Almost everyone. There’s always a few skeptic freshman who don’t buy into what is presented as Elsewhere university’s ‘unique traditions’. The lucky ones are given nicknames by other students who persist until the skeptic has stopped protesting. The unlucky ones find out the hard way why you don’t want anyone to know your true name.

Majors

accounting majors

animal husbandry majors

anthropology majors

architecture majors

art majors 

art history majors

astrophysics majors

bio majors

biochem majors

biomech majors

business majors

chem majors

classics majors

comp sci majors

culinary arts majors

dance majors

econ majors

education majors

engineering students

english majors

environmental studies majors

film majors

forestry and wildlife majors

geology majors

history majors

humanities majors

journalism majors

language majors

law majors

math majors

midwives

military

mortuary science majors

music majors

philosophy majors

physics majors

poli-sci majors

pre-med majors - any medicine-related fields

pre-vet majors

psyche majors

smiths - the tag for shop class and metalworking

sociology majors

stats majors

textile majors

theatre majors

theology majors

Elsewhere University © 2017 Samantha Dow

[rswoan]

Seattle International Film Festival 2017 Films Ranked

SIFF 2017 Feature Films listed from best to worst with special emphasis on editing and structure along with content (especially with documentaries):

 The Farthest - history and legacy of the NASA Voyager project. Maybe best talking heads documentary in history of SIFF...

Ethel & Ernest - fantastic animation of the lives of the parents of a graphic artist set against World War 2 in London.

The Net - fascinating story of a North Korean who inadvertently crosses into South Korea.

Becoming Who I was - interesting look at the reincarnation of a Buddhist leader growing up. Stunning filmmaking over course of 8 years.

Secret 1

Dirtbag: The Legend of Fred Beckey - fascinating look at life of legendary climber Fred Beckey.

This Is Our Land - dramatization of how populism can take hold in France or any Western country.

Food Evolution- well edited documentary on GMOs and science.

The Last Animals - trying to save rhinos and elephants from extinction.

American Folk - best of the road trip movies this year as two people thrown together to drive cross country following 9/11.

God of War - well made genre movie. China defends against Japanese incursion against great odds.

Wind River - fantastic murder mystery set on Indian reservation.

At the End of the Tunnel - suspenseful crime caper drama.

Kills on Wheels - assassin in a wheelchair and his helpers.

The Journey - drama of what might have happened to end Irish Civil War.

Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton - well made documentary on Laird Hamilton’s contribution to big wave surfing.

Ivan - former helicopter pilot turned ambulance driver works through personal issues while taking care of young girl.

Better Watch Out - fun horror take on Home Alone theme of kid left alone with his babysitter near Christmas.

The Smuggler and Her Charges - filmmaker’s father’s past as a Jewish child on the run during WW 2 and a woman who helped him. Well made and educational.

Angry Inuk - commercial seal skin commercial trade bans threaten Inuk way of life.

The Odyssey - fascinating story of the life of Jacques-Yves Cousteau.

Mr Long - aspects of various Asian movie styles and themes blended in a cohesive movie.

I, Daniel Blake - drama of people caught up in UK support system bureaucracy.

Ingrid Goes West - social media obsessed woman moves to CA after death of her mother in attempt to reboot her life.

The Oath - doctor tries to rescue his daughter from a life of drug use with her boyfriend dealer.

Secret 3

Kalushi - story of a young man drawn into the ANC militant wing during apartheid.

The Unknown Girl - a doctor tracks down death of an unknown girl who she could have saved.

A Date for Mad Mary - young woman released from prison needs to find date for best friend’s wedding.

Handsome Devil - well executed coming of age as an outsider in high school.

Soul on a String - epic Tibet “western” chase movie.

Chasing Coral - bleaching of the world’s coral and climate change.

Quest - decade in the lives of a North Philly black family.

Finding Kukan - in search of a lost Academy Award winning documentary and the story of the woman behind it.

Afterimage - historical drama about life of a prominent artist swept up by socialist takeover of Poland.

Nowhere To Hide - 5 years in the life of a nurse and his family in central Iraq starting from being outside to becoming engrossed by war.

Cook Up a Storm - fun Chinese cooking competition movie.

Lady Macbeth - solid period drama focusing on indentured wife taking back her life.

Columbus - relationship between man dealing with ill father and young lady dealing with issues with her mother and future.

Gook - a pair of Korean-American brothers selling shoes in LA against backdrop of crime and Rodney King riots.

Entanglement - interesting look at a man dealing with mental illness after suicide attempt.

Feather - Italian teens dealing with pregnancy and life.

Mellow Mud - an orphan brother and sister struggle to make it on their own after guardian dies.

The Wedding Plan - woman gives herself and God 30 days to find a husband after breaking up with fiance.

I Was a Dreamer - unscripted drama based on life of non-actor lead.

Trouble - dysfunctional brother-sister relationship revisits past and changes future.

Wulu - solid crime drama set against the backdrop of turmoil in Africa.

The Midwife - a woman is reunited with her father’s ex during an inflection point in her life.

The Nile Hilton Incident - murder mystery against backdrop of Arab Spring and police corruption.

The Man - artist reunites with estranged street artist son.

The Truth About Love Is… - light hearted comedy regarding family relationships.

New Chefs On the Block - breezy documentary on two first time restaurant owners opening up in Washington DC.

Borders - Murphy's law for 4 women who meet on a cross West Africa journey spanning multiple countries.

Dara Ju - drug addiction and family secrets set against Wall Street and immigration.

Small Town Killers - dysfunctional couples find themselves after hiring assassins.

Napping Princess - enjoyable anime with contemporary themes, fantasy and reality.

Secret 3

The Feels - dialogue improvised, bachelorette party exposes many truths.

Hero - aging actor tries to come to grips with legacy.

The Reagan Show - documentary on importance of PR at beginning of television age.

Bad Influence - coming of age set against conflict between Chile government with native people.

Zip & Zap and the Captain’s Island - fun kids romp mystery movie. Far better than original movie.

Chavela- portrait of an iconic Mexican singer. Great subject but talking heads format is mind numbing during non-performance period of her life.

Moka - mother seeks justice for hit and run death of her son.

Two Irenes - 2 girls with the same name with a shared secret and curious of each other's lives.

A Ghost Story - time and sentimentality.

In the Radiant City - dysfunctional family torn apart by childhood disaster years later.

Whose Streets? - Birth of Black Lives Matter from Ferguson killing and return of citizen activism in a modern age.

Weirdos - coming of age in the face of family secrets.

8 Borders, 8 Days - first hand look at the journey of a Syrian refugee family to Germany.

Tea Pets - animated feature, life of tea pets when people aren’t around.

Death in Sarajevo - scattered look of tragic history of the city through interactions of individuals tied together by a hotel.

What Lies Upstream - water quality in US.

City of Ghosts - poorly edited documentary on incredible citizen journalism of Raqqa Syria.

500 Years - documentary on government genocide against indigenous peoples.

Roberto Bolle - The Art of Dance - ballet equivalent of a concert film.

After the Storm - father attempts to connect with divorced wife and son while dealing with personal demons.

Hedi - life of a Tunisian man getting cold feet before his wedding.

The Winter - life of Argentina sheep ranch foreman.

Searchers - classic western remake set in Arctic with Inuit people.

Goldstone - missing girl mystery in Australian outback.

Paradise - unique way of telling a WW 2 story from perspectives of persecutor and persecuted.

Godspeed - roadtrip drug smuggling story.

The Door - sliding doors what if look at life of a man as a mechanic and successful businessman.

The Landing - what if Apollo 18 wasn’t scrubbed?

Susanne Bartsch: On Top - life and times of a pre-eminent NYC party/club host.

Person to Person - a day in lives of different folks tied together only by NYC.

Manifesto - modern performance art answering question of what art is.

Heal the Living - lives of the families of an organ donor and recipient.

The Girl Without Hands - minimal charcoal like animated Grimm tale.

Come Together - Korean family drama set aside societal norms.

Landline - yet another dysfunctional family drama.

The Beautiful Kokonor Lake - awkward Chinese soap opera of love lost for duty in Communist China.

The Paris Opera - scatter shot look at a year of the Opera. No real narrative, just brief look ins.

Backpack Full of Cash - documentary of how charter schools are destroying public education. Too repetitive.

Rocketmen - campy episodic Seattle based serial.

Gholam - a immigrant/refugee taxi driver affected by a mysterious past that never quite emerges.

Have A Nice Day - animated mobster drama starting with foot soldier stealing money.

A Dragon Arrives! - Iranian mystery, bizarre, unrelatable characters.

Divine Divas - well made documentary of lives of Brazilian transvestite performers. Good if you have connection with subject. I just didn't care.

Footnotes - musical of struggles of shoe factory workers trying to prevent offshoring.

Vampire Cleanup Department - campy movie of team battling strange vampires in HK.

Pyromaniac- character study of a pyromaniac. No real insight just hints never tied together.

The Bloom of Yesterday - grandchildren of those involved in Holocaust still wrapped up in it’s aftermath. Unrelatable damaged characters. Who cares?

Zoology - middle-aged woman deals with having a tail.

It's Only the End of the World - day in life of dysfunctional family with return of prodigal son.

God’s Own Country - gay son finds romance on a rural farm in the UK.

Yourself and Yours - want to be amusing romcom really feels like making fun of mental illness.

Lane 1974 - coming of age set against hippie culture, feels long and sleepy.

The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson - cold case investigation into death of LGBT activist icon.

Anishoara - mind numbing year in the life of a girl in a Moldovan village.

Secret 2

Santa and Andres - a dissident and his government minder develop relationship in Cuba.

Without Name - pointless horror movie.

Terror 5 - a bunch of over the top stories of zombies, snuff films, and partying loosely connected.

Knife In The Clearwater - best described as contemplative meditation on lives of rural Muslim family in China, aka mind numbing days in the life.

Devil’s Freedom - mind numbing talking heads documentary on the Mexican drug wars.

Pendular - pointless character study with gratuitous sex and nudity.

Black Code - important topic feels more like a vanity piece for organization.

Lives With Flavor - this year's chef ego movie. Don't learn much about food or his life really. Lots of food porn though without much explanation.

Lemon - pointless not funny comedy.

Struggle for Life - not funny French slapstick.

Hello Destroyer - predictable character study of a hockey player whose life is destroyed by a dirty play.