truth

Obliviousness scrutinized in ‘The Invite’

Nineteenth Century Irish novelist, playwright and raconteur Oscar Wilde, widely known for his witticisms and observations about life, is generally credited for the following arguably astute advice: “One should always be in love. That is the reason why one should never marry.” And it’s most fitting that those very words should eloquently serve as a cinematic epigraph at the start of a new comedy-drama about a casual, neighborly social occasion that goes awry while simultaneously providing its unsuspecting participants with new, eye-opening, revelatory insights about life, love, marriage, sexuality and a host of other topics, “The Invite.”

Brent Marchant2026-07-21T02:03:31-05:00July 13th, 2026|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Featured Post, Movie Reviews|

‘Disclosure Day’ delivers revelations on multiple levels

“Disclosure” can be an awfully loaded word, one that carries connotations on multiple levels, both big and small, but nearly always with personally meaningful ramifications. However, sometimes those implications may be so subtle that they’re not easy to spot, grasp or understand, even though that does not diminish their importance. It’s also interesting to note how they’re frequently revealed simultaneously, heightening their impact, especially if they’re considered in tandem with one another, a circumstance that may be hard to ignore. Such are the dynamics at work in the latest offering from iconic filmmaker Steven Spielberg, “Disclosure Day,” handily the director’s best picture in years.

Brent Marchant2026-06-22T04:59:44-05:00June 17th, 2026|Action-Adventure, Conscious Creation, Drama, Featured Post, Movie Reviews, Sci-Fi|

‘Is This Thing On?’ looks for solutions on the brink

No matter how much we may care for our significant others, we sometimes appear to experience issues with them that threaten the future of our relationships. The love between us might still be seemingly present, but the overall tone of the partnership feels … off, and we’re unlikely to know why. Unfortunately, under those circumstances, we give up and choose to separate, but is that really the wisest course? Perhaps there’s something more at work here.

Brent Marchant2026-06-17T08:32:44-05:00March 23rd, 2026|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews, Romance|

‘Mr. Nobody Against Putin’ offers a profile in courage

Courage comes in many forms, some of them plainly apparent and others seemingly unlikely. Ironically, it’s those emboldened but unsuspecting heroes who often end up achieving the greatest victories in their endeavors, even when up against formidable opponents. And now the makings of such an implausible scenario provide the focus for an insightful first-person documentary, one in which an unassuming, mild-mannered David matter-of-factly takes on a daunting Goliath.

Brent Marchant2026-04-19T01:39:14-05:00March 8th, 2026|Conscious Creation, Documentary, Foreign, Movie Reviews|

‘The Plague’ matches wits with disempowerment

Anyone who has ever been on the receiving end of a bully’s wrath can understand the hurt, anxiety and self-esteem issues that frequently accompany such physical and emotional trauma. The abusive taunting, teasing, mockery and ostracism that come with such cruel treatment can leave its victims devastated for years afterward, making it difficult, if not impossible, to recover. And this doesn’t even account for the awkwardness that the abused go through in seeking to assimilate into society and its everyday course of conduct. However, such incidents – as painful as they can be – frequently lead to valuable life lessons in empowerment and overcoming adversity.

Brent Marchant2026-03-08T18:57:44-05:00January 26th, 2026|Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews, Smart Horror|

‘Eleanor the Great’ wrestles with the merits of ‘the good lie’

We’ve all been taught the wisdom behind the notion of “honesty is the best policy.” It’s sound, solid guidance that’s nearly always appropriate (provided it’s not carried to an unhealthy extreme). But what about the opposite of this advice: Is there ever any benefit in a falsehood, the so-called “good lie?” At first glance, it might be easy to dismiss this idea out of hand, but what if something less than truthful is capable of imparting insight, inspiration or comfort to someone in distress? In cases like that, can it realistically be summarily rejected?

Brent Marchant2026-02-02T18:24:02-05:00December 8th, 2025|Character Study, Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|

‘Bugonia’ urges us to ask, ‘what’s real and what isn’t?’

In an age where distinguishing what seems genuine from something that’s clandestinely veiled, it may be difficult to know what to believe. As a result, we might abandon any attempt to identify inherent (and potentially significant) differences. Or, by contrast, we may become so obsessed with reconciling the truth behind such discrepancies that we descend into a sea of paranoia and conspiracy theories, potentially seeing shadows at every turn and placing ourselves on the sidelines of reality with virtually no credibility to our names. In actuality, the “truth” probably resides somewhere in between, but where and how do we draw the lines of accurate and meaningful distinction?

Brent Marchant2026-01-17T12:53:16-05:00November 9th, 2025|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews, Sci-Fi|

‘Words of War’ courageously exposes a terrible truth

As much as one would like to believe that humanity is capable of great things, we’ve also seen many instances where the opposite, unfortunately, is true. And, to make matters worse, many of those unsettling developments remain out of view, hidden in the shadows – that is, until someone comes along to courageously expose them. Those revelations often come at tremendous personal cost, too, but, when the world becomes aware of such horrors, opportunities for change, justice and healing begin to emerge. Such are the hopes offered up the gripping new fact-based historical drama, “Words of War.”

Brent Marchant2025-09-27T18:55:38-05:00August 6th, 2025|Biography, Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|

‘Wallis Island’ contemplates recapturing the past

Recapturing the past may be an enticing, seductive prospect, especially when it involves revisiting pleasant memories of days gone by. If nothing else, it can help to plug holes of loneliness and despair in our psyche, filling us with feelings of warmth and happiness. But is it realistically achievable or just wishful thinking? At most, it may only provide fleeting relief, not nearly enough to satisfy us for the long term or to resolve the source of the underlying anguish.

Brent Marchant2025-08-20T17:59:13-05:00June 26th, 2025|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Movie Reviews, Romance|

‘The Penguin Lessons’ points the way to inspirational wisdom

Most of us would probably agree that learning lessons is an important part of our life experience. However, at the same time, most of us would also likely concur that we seldom know what those lessons will be, what their messages are or how they will arise in our lives. What’s more, and perhaps even more perplexing, we often don’t know who the teachers of those lessons will be. Could they be the circumstances that appear? The people who cross our paths? Or maybe something else entirely unexpected?

Brent Marchant2025-07-15T19:23:56-05:00May 23rd, 2025|Comedy, Conscious Creation, Drama, Movie Reviews|