By Jared Free As this period of social distancing stretches on, I have found myself rewatching shows and movies that I haven’t seen in years. Scrolling through my letterboxd diary and Netflix watch list made me aware of just how many K-dramas I’ve seen. K-dramas were for a long time the dark horse of the Hallyu wave in the West, overshadowed by...
By Jared Free Like many businesses, Feagin’s Fretboard was unsure of how coronavirus-related closures would impact them. As a music education studio, their bread and butter was intimate, one-on-one lessons. However, they adjusted better than their team expected! While switching to online teaching had its obstacles, by remaining true to their core...
By Jared Free A few things have been keeping me sane this quarantine. I just got a Nintendo Switch, which has succeeded in drawing most of my attention for the last ten days. I exercise Monday through Friday to keep my endorphins flowing and my stress levels low. And I watch a lot, lot, lot of movies. The plethora of options available to stream...
By Rob Hallberg Have you ever been curious about Parrots? They are beautiful and they do talk, but your experience with them probably comes primarily from movies or books. How would you like to see over 700 Parrots, in person? The Oasis Sanctuary, located in Cascabel, offers tours of their facility, and they’re kid friendly so the whole family can...
By Jared Free Brick (2005) Director Rian Johnson has benefited from an increased profile in recent years, following up his divisive but acclaimed entry into the Star Wars canon with one of the most successful original films of 2019. But his first feature, Brick, made 2005 for half a million dollars, proves that he’s always had an ingenious touch...
By Jared Free As we begin this new decade, I’d like to draw attention to some films that you may not have seen. Most of these movies I saw for the first time in 2019, and they highlighted just how amazing the 21st century has been for increasing access to diverse styles and modes of filmmaking. Although I still have a long way to go with my...
By Jared Free It’s been a wild year in entertainment. Game of Thrones finally came to an end, but with its legacy, ultimately its bitter and disappointed fans. Avengers Endgame became the highest grossing film of all time, cementing Marvel – and by extension, Disney – as the most powerful entertainment company in the world. Several of...
By Jared Free I’d like to use this space for this month on to bring attention to the movies on streaming services that might not have gotten the much attention. Although it’s frustrating that the streaming age has resulted in the need for people to get several monthly subscriptions, the fact remains that there are a lot of hidden gems on various...
By Jared Free Studio Ghibli movies have been getting theatrical rereleases for several years now. As was recently proved in China when the decades old Spirited Away smashed Toy Story 4 at the box office, it’s basically a guaranteed cash cow for distributors and theaters alike. In the past, I’ve balked at the idea of spending extra money to see...
By Jared Free When the last episode of Game of Thrones (GoT) aired in June, an era ended. Over the last decade, the show amassed a huge following, bringing fantasy storytelling into the center of the public consciousness in a way we haven’t seen in years. But the entertainment world is much different now than it was when Harry Potter and Lord of...
