REVIEW: Eating Animals [2018]

No one fired a pistol to mark the start of the race to the bottom. Author Jonathan Safran Foer (of Everything is Illuminated and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close fame) wrote his third book—a memoir entitled Eating Animals—as an answer to the question he asked himself upon the birth of his newborn son: Should he raise him a vegetarian? It’s a hot-button issue these days with the amount of money food processors and growers earn as “true American entrepreneurs living a ‘small business’ dream” and then put into the government…

Read More

Picking Winners at the 84th Annual Academy Awards

For the next week and a half, Spree contributor William C. Altreuter, our online film reviewer Jared Mobarak, and me will share our thoughts on who will take home the Oscars. Let’s kick things off with … Best Supporting Actress. —C. S. BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:Bérénice Bejo – The Artist as Peppy MillerJessica Chastain – The Help as Celia FooteMelissa McCarthy – Bridesmaids as Megan PriceJanet McTeer – Albert Nobbs as Hubert PageOctavia Spencer – The Help as Minny Jackson Christopher Schobert: Bill, it seems like every time you and I tackle…

Read More

REVIEW: Everything is Illuminated [2005]

“My grandfather informs me that is not possible” There aren’t very many debut directorial efforts by actors that make their mark on the moviegoing public. For every Redford, whose Ordinary People won him best picture and director at the Oscars, you get a handful of Mel Gibson’s, whose debut The Man Without a Face just didn’t hold the weight that Braveheart and The Passion later would. Not since maybe George Clooney have I really enjoyed a debut effort with Confessions of a Dangerous Mind in 2002. Last year in 2005,…

Read More