Get out of your head’s gilded cage. When people ask me to describe the view from my NYC high-rise apartment window, I say I see “perspective.” I see other buildings occupied by people like me, going about their day wrapped up in their thoughts, each the master of the kingdom created in their heads. We […]
One-line review: A superlative comedy that gets its laughs by being a sincere ode to the originals. Young Frankenstein is the touchstone of movie comedies, all muscle and no fat, like a tight five-minute stand-up comedy set. And that is no accident. Director Mel Brooks started a trend by showing the film’s rushes to the
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One-line review: Harry Dean Stanton plays mostly himself in his befitting last hurrah. I discovered Lucky after a recent rewatch of Fargo and John Carroll Lynch’s brief but unforgettable turn as Marge’s adoring husband in it. As I explored his other works, I stumbled upon his solo directorial venture: Lucky. The film was written for
Indians need chicken biriyani, not chicken soup, for the soul. While it is no secret that Indians love chicken biriyani, it became official when chicken biriyani topped the list of most ordered items in India during the pandemic. The biriyani’s origin story is debatable; it either came to North India from Persia with the Mughal
Don’t waste your gift of sight for just looking at your phone. At a recent show, a comic’s joke that he liked panhandlers who ask him for money because they are the only ones who “look” at him, and make him feel visible, barely elicited a laugh. But it got me thinking about the statement’s
One-line review: A drunk in love, Adam Sandler, packs a mean punch. Punch Drunk Love was PTA’s escape after the long and heavy Magnolia. He wanted to make a short romantic comedy (inspired by Jacques Tati). But we know a PTA film can never be that simplistic, so we have a crazy love story aided
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Death is the only failure-proof event in life. The fear of failure’s success rate in making people lead regretful lives is unmatched. But not all failures are born equal. What is failure? Failure can be tangible or intangible. Tangible failure involves measurable losses, like going bankrupt, losing a home, or failing an exam. On the
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One-line review: A buddy movie for the ages about hope and happy endings. The universal fan-favorite Shawshank Redemption needs no review almost three-decades after its release, so this piece explores why the movie still resonates with the audiences: it’s always showing on some channel and yet always difficult to skip. The film’s shaky journey from
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One-line review: An adult coming of age story, aided by a kid. Mike Mills’ new black and white offering feels like a documentary, a faithful recording of a memorable period in radio journalist Johnny’s (Joaquin Phoenix) otherwise routine life. Johnny decides to help take care of his young nephew Jesse (Woody Norman) when his mom
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Choose complex emotions like joy to guide your life. Osho, the late Indian godman, says labeling emotions is dangerous because it makes you only seek out the ones you like. Instead, he suggests we observe emotions like someone sitting atop a hill watching the weather change. Is that sage advice (pun intended)? Mindfulness techniques also