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‘Wicked’ assesses the wisdom behind our personal power

Creating and leading a life of fulfillment frequently requires the judicious use of our personal power. That can be challenging in light of what it takes to pull that off. We must be suitably focused yet handle the particulars involved with a deft touch. However, if we fail at that, it’s easy to become frustrated, possibly overpowering our well-intentioned efforts and potentially yielding deleterious side effects, if not outright havoc, that could harm our surroundings or even others.

Brent Marchant2025-02-14T06:55:19-05:00December 8th, 2024|Comedy, Drama, Movie Reviews|

‘Thelma’ advises ‘Don’t mess with seniors!’

According to playwright David Mamet, “Age and treachery will always beat youth and exuberance.” The kind of wisdom that comes from experience can be tapped and put to use in many ways, particularly when others try to pull the wool over the eyes of those who’ve been around for a while and have had ample opportunity to stockpile such seasoned and shrewd sagacity.

Brent Marchant2024-08-22T08:49:23-05:00June 29th, 2024|Action-Adventure, Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|

‘Tuesday’ examines making friends with death

Death. It’s a subject that many of us don’t want to deal with, let alone feel comfortable talking about. It can be especially difficult when it involves someone we care deeply about, particularly in a scenario like a parent having to prepare for the loss of a child. Yet death is the one fate we all ultimately share, so it’s not something we can conveniently try to avoid. Given that, then, this is an eventuality that we must all find a way to accept.

Brent Marchant2024-07-16T14:05:19-05:00June 20th, 2024|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Foreign, Movie Reviews, Sci-Fi|

Wrapping Up the 2024 Chicago Latino Film Festival

With the 40th (and my first-ever) Chicago Latino Film Festival now in the books, it’s time to take a look at what I screened. The event featured films from 28 countries in the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Europe, along with a number of other nations that provided financial and production support. Regrettably, however, based on what I saw, I was largely disappointed with this event, which has given me pause to think about whether I will attend again next year.

Brent Marchant2024-05-23T07:43:31-05:00April 21st, 2024|Comedy, Drama, Film Festivals, Foreign, Movie Reviews, Smart Horror|

‘A Million Miles Away’ reaches for the stars

We all have aspirations we’d love to see fulfilled. Much depends, of course, on how diligent, committed and enthusiastic we are at putting in the legwork to see things through. But perhaps even more important is how strongly we believe in the dream’s realization. If that’s not in place, the rest of this effort may fade away over time or not fall into place at all. So how determined are we when it comes to the strength of our faith and conviction?

Brent Marchant2023-12-10T20:23:59-05:00October 22nd, 2023|Biography, Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|

‘On the Bridge’ explores the transition from life to death and beyond

What happens after we die? Indeed, as we transition from this world to whatever comes next, what can we truly expect? That’s arguably the most profound – and most mysterious – question that we ask ourselves during our lifetimes. And the only definitive way to know for sure is to actually go through the experience. Nevertheless, that’s not to stop us from speculating about what could occur.

Brent Marchant2023-10-26T10:34:09-05:00September 10th, 2023|Animation, Conscious Creation, Documentary, Foreign, Movie Reviews|

‘Afire’ explores what can occur when clearing the slate

Getting away from it all is often an effective way to regroup, recharge and put one’s life back on track, especially when it comes to sorting out complicated issues and stalled creative endeavors. At the same time, though, things can sometimes go sideways in these experiences; unforeseen developments may intrude on hoped-for expectations, thrusting circumstances into unexpected territory and uncontrolled chaos. Nevertheless, such disruptions can also yield surprising outcomes, opening new doors

Brent Marchant2023-10-09T10:28:43-05:00August 9th, 2023|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Foreign, Movie Reviews|

‘Indiana Jones’ dials up his destiny one last time

All things eventually come to an end, whether we’re ready for it or not. We may not like what we see, either, especially if we’re troubled by what’s on the horizon. We might even feel like there’s more that we could or should have done to forestall what’s unfolding while we had the chance, opportunities that slipped through our fingers and are unlikely to come again. But sometimes destiny has a way of intervening, giving us another unexpected shot at realizing our aspirations and perhaps even making a meaningful difference.

Brent Marchant2023-08-20T17:15:02-05:00July 5th, 2023|Action-Adventure, Conscious Creation, Movie Reviews|

‘Viking’ stresses the need for flexibility, resourcefulness

When we take on challenging, risky or dangerous tasks, it usually helps to have a back-up plan in place. No matter how well we might plan for all conceivable contingencies, there may be times when things still slip through the cracks and need to be addressed. But, even with such a Plan B option, there may yet be occasions that defy even our best projections and sincerest intentions for trying to identify solutions for the unexpected.

Brent Marchant2023-06-04T21:31:09-05:00May 7th, 2023|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Foreign, Movie Reviews, Sci-Fi|

‘Let It Be Morning’ advises escape from our self-made prisons

No one likes feeling trapped by his or her circumstances (at least not overtly), but sometimes we find ourselves unwittingly confined by the walls that physically and/or metaphorically surround us. These “cages” or “prisons” keep us locked in place, preventing us from moving forward in our lives. And no matter how much we may want to see our way clear, sometimes we’re unable to figure out how to proceed.

Brent Marchant2023-04-27T11:22:36-05:00March 29th, 2023|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Foreign, Movie Reviews|