guest of honor

‘Peacock’ seeks the nature of the self and our existence

In this age of increasingly untrustworthy AI, rampant fake news and unabashedly self-serving social media, it’s becoming ever more difficult for many of us to distinguish what’s “real” and what isn’t these days, almost as if we’re stuck in a frightening new Orwellian paradigm. That’s significant, not only for how we perceive existence, but even in terms of how we experience and respond to it. In fact, these circumstances might even be looked upon as a metaphysical or existential nightmare. But how do we cope with such circumstances?

Brent Marchant2026-01-06T20:04:40-05:00October 20th, 2025|Character Study, Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Foreign, Movie Reviews|

‘Tótem’ celebrates life in the face of death

It’s never easy to face difficult situations, especially when they’re impending and it seems as though they’re inevitable, circumstances in which there’s nothing we can do about them. Indeed, it’s hard enough for us as adults to process and cope with such conditions, but how are children supposed to handle these kinds of situations? Youngsters seldom possess the experience and wisdom needed to deal with their feelings.

Brent Marchant2024-03-24T04:21:52-05:00March 6th, 2024|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Foreign, Movie Reviews|

‘Another Round’ wrestles with two sides of a troubling coin

Is it possible that something can be harnessed for good, on the one hand, and for just the opposite, on the other? If we put our mind to it, we can problem think of many examples. Fire, for instance, can be used for cooking and heating when employed judiciously. At the same time, though, it could also be used as a tool for arsonists. Similarly, there are countless instances where knives can serve useful purposes and many others where they can wreak havoc. Some would contend that nuclear energy can be both beneficial and destructive, depending on how it’s used. And on and on it goes for numerous other devices, substances and technologies.

Brent Marchant2021-02-23T13:57:24-05:00January 22nd, 2021|Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|

‘The Farewell’ explores how to arrive at the best outcome

“The Farewell” (2019). Cast: Awkwafina, Shuzhen Zhou, Diana Lin, Tzi Ma, Han Chen, Aoi Mizuhara, Yongbo Jiang, Lu Hong. Director: Lulu Wang. Screenplay: Lulu Wang. Web site. Trailer. When it comes to caring for the well-being of others, is total honesty necessarily the best policy? Isn’t it possible that there could be something to be said for “blissful ignorance?” But then isn’t it unconscionable to intentionally leave someone in the dark? These are thorny questions, much of which depends on one’s perspective, both individually and as part of a collective, issues that are among those addressed in the touching new comedy-drama, “The Farewell.” Grad student Billi Wang (Awkwafina) leads a full life In New York. While anxiously awaiting word on [...]

Brent Marchant2019-08-26T11:04:37-05:00August 5th, 2019|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|