Authors: Alexander Ortega
Sundance Film Review: Axolotl Overkill
Axolotl Overkill is a character study of Mifti, a teenage girl who feels disaffected by the life that people her age are supposed to lead. … read more
Sundance Film Review: Family Life
Directors Alicia Scherson and Cristián Jiménez present Family Life as an anxious film: We watch Martín spin his lie to Paz while we become enamored of her. … read more
Sundance Film Review: Dayveon
In the “NEXT” section, Dayveon depicts the frustration of the film’s namesake character, Dayveon, played by Devin Blackmon. … read more
Sundance Film Review: Plastic China
Plastic China features foreman Kun’s plastic-recycling facility. They reside among knolls of plastic waste and veritable mountains of work. … read more
Sundance Film Review: Sami Blood
Sundance chose well by including this film in the “Spotlight” section, as Sami Blood continues to delight and does the Sami people justice. … read more
Salt Lake City Staycation
You may be in town for some film festivals, or you may be a born-and-raised, diehard Salt Laker. Either way, you deserve your Salt Lake City staycation. … read more
Local Reviews: Killbot
Killbot’s back with insatiable metal hunger in The Horror E.P. Deavy Metal eases us into the mayhem with a gorgeous classical guitar intro in “Beware the Moon,” which is riddled with howls from a werewolf and the whimpers of victims-to-be. … read more
Local Reviews: Problem Daughter
I’m a little disappointed that it took me this long to find out about this band. Problem Daughter delivers catchy-as-hell punk rock atop major-key chord progressions with fun upbeat instrumental work. What’s interesting is that the actual words that singer Regan Ashton belts out in songs like “Good Friends” aren’t what initially seize our attention, but, rather, his timbre and comfort with his melodies—he demonstrates his vocal skills with a balance of scratchy and melodic singing. … read more
The Geometry of Pheonix & Stagg: Pour-Over Coffee with St....
I’ve long fantasized about making my own pour-overs at home, and St. Anthony Industries piqued my interest as a localized option to make this foray, outfitting me with the Phoenix70, a box of Perfect Paper Filters and a Filibuster Decanter, all of which St. Anthony designs and sells. … read more
Movie Review: Gimme Danger
Director Jim Jarmusch’s Iggy Pop & The Stooges documentary is a straightforward history of the band throughout the film’s two-hour duration—and that’s all it needs to be. … read more
Songs of the Cross: Guillermo Galindo’s Border-Healing Ritual
Creating and playing musical instruments he creates from the U.S.-Mexico border, Guillermo Galindo seeks to cure the “wounds of immigration” and to transition our focus from the politics and numbers to the human beings therein. Bordercantos.com hosts videos of Galindo performing instruments such as the “Piñata de cartuchos,” a metal piñata draped with a net of bullet shells with a core in the shape of a soccer ball. Learn more about his musical creations and social justice in his interview feature. … read more
CONTRIBUTOR LIMELIGHT: Alexander Ortega – Editor
Since 2010, Alexander Ortega has risen through SLUG’s ranks, assuming the titles of Contributor Writer, Senior Staff Writer, Copy Editor, Junior Editor, Editorial Assistant, Managing Editor and now Editor. … read more
