A group piece by Ben Barker and Ryan Canter, which channeled the Calvin and Hobbes comics, combined a cultural reference to identify with and a ‘take with you’ life message—which is my preferred style of slam poetry. … read more
Most of the folks who make it to these Cons seem to be decent, none so more than Anthony Michael Hall. … read more
“I had a fan come up to me, I think, in an airport and say, ‘You were Paul in Dexter, You were such an ASSHOLE! I love you,’” said Mark Pellegrino. … read more
In what may be one of the most aptly-named films at this year’s festival, Slow West is in no hurry to tell the story of Scotsman Jay Cavendish and his continent-spanning quest to find Rose, the long-lost love from his hometown. … read more
Upon seeing Me & Earl & the Dying Girl, I was reminded that movies can be commercially successful and good at the same time—and that’s okay. The film chronicles the senior year of Greg, his friend Earl, and Rachel, who has been diagnosed with leukemia. … read more
It draws forth anxiety from the characters and the audience alike to create a tense ambience, which is effective for a drama whose sole setting is a ship (besides a brief montage at the very beginning to contextualize the main characters). Ivy works—it’s an artful film that makes the most of its conceit. It’s stressful to watch, though. … read more
Glassland is both a love story without sex, and a crime story without violence—a decided anomaly among just about every other film about life in an Irish slum. … read more
While the Romanian people struggled under their political restraints, a few upstarts started passing around dubbed VHS copies of Western films. Through this, the Romanian people learned about the world outside of their country’s oppressive borders. Chuck Norris vs. Communism is a charming little doc for those of us who believe that movies can be a sanctuary in our darkest moments.
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Jenny practiced competitive synchronized swimming—her passion—but this dream becomes deferred as she is mired in her erstwhile home once her father falls to extreme depression under the weight of guilt for his wife’s previous death. … read more
The most popular event of the entire convention featured the 11th doctor Matt Smith and two of his companions—Billie Piper and Karen Gillan. … read more
This panel featured more well-known X96 radio personalities such as Kerry Jackson and Bill Allred, who are both fans of the Monty Python series, as well as a few other guests from local podcasts including SLUG’s own Gavin Sheehan. … read more
When the announcer said to welcome Ray Park and his entourage, my first thought was, “Oh, one of those guys.” I was surprised when some Boba Fett cosplayers walked out on stage, then some Jedi and even a Wookie made an appearance, which got the crowd amped. … read more
