Boston Hassle - There Were No Gods Left (Page 7)

There Were No Gods Left

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Boston Hassle

A collection of 167 posts

The Violence of the Gift in The Last Duel

The Violence of the Gift in The Last Duel

The French continental philosopher Jacques Derrida thought “the gift is impossible,” since it necessitates reciprocation and thus isn’t free. If a gift doesn’t differ from an economic transaction, it isn’t a gift. This is why we rotate who picks up the check when going out for drinks

Form and Faith in "The Last Temptation of Christ" (1988)

Form and Faith in "The Last Temptation of Christ" (1988)

The Last Temptation of Christ, also written by Schrader, is a movie that matters.

Documentary Shows Democracy Tested in Venezuela

Documentary Shows Democracy Tested in Venezuela

“Left vs. right isn’t at the center of this issue. It is authoritarianism vs. democracy.” This description from Ricardo Hausmann, a Harvard University economics professor, that’s paired with images grouping the regime of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro with global far-right demagogues like Rodrigo Duterte, is an apt summary

A Personal, Indefatigable Superhero Outing

A Personal, Indefatigable Superhero Outing

The Suicide Squad feels like the twilight of the age of superhero movies, making way for a new form of megablockbuster to exchange places. And if it turns out to be the final moment of light for the genre, it was one of the most unique and indefatigable outings it

Another Dumb Netflix Romance

Another Dumb Netflix Romance

Yeah… I should have known this would be a cookie-cutter romance movie. But for some reason, I hoped Shailene Woodley (as Jennifer Stirling), who has surprised me with interesting roles like Lindsay Mills in Snowden and one of the better performances in the 2010s Young Adult dystopian novel adaptation surge

Mediocrity in Gunpowder Milkshake

Mediocrity in Gunpowder Milkshake

The first quarter or so of Gunpowder Milkshake feels rushed. The movie is forced to flirt along the border of just plain cheesy—where all the dialogue feels simultaneously heavy-handed and weightless, as in the trailer—and campy—where the movie knows exactly what kind of movie it is and

The Ice Road Is a Total Dad Movie

The Ice Road Is a Total Dad Movie

Netflix should have released The Ice Road on Fathers Day, because it’s a capital-D Dad Movie. Much like Ford v. Ferrari (a clearly far superior movie), with the shared subject of automobiles, director Jonathan Hensleigh’s The Ice Road isn’t a four-quadrant movie, but probably lands a knockout

Of Myths and Monster Hunters, Part 2: The Divine Player and Visual Theology in the Films of Paul W.S. Anderson

Of Myths and Monster Hunters, Part 2: The Divine Player and Visual Theology in the Films of Paul W.S. Anderson

The following piece, using the theologian Friedrich Schleiermacher as a resource, is an auteur analysis of the visual grammar of Anderson’s films that argues his visuals invoke a sense of a “divine player” through their resemblance to the visual grammar of video games.

"Oslo" Muddles Style as much as Politics

"Oslo" Muddles Style as much as Politics

Even the film’s narrative focus on the Oslo Accords seems a little self-serving to the “white savior” complex since– spoiler alert– they end up failing even in the short-term.

Of Myths and Monster Hunters, Part 1: Religion in the Films of Paul W.S. Anderson

Of Myths and Monster Hunters, Part 1: Religion in the Films of Paul W.S. Anderson

His films evoke a sense of the divine. In particular, they invoke a feeling of utter dependence on a mysterious Other.

"Cruella" has Surprising Directorial Energy

"Cruella" has Surprising Directorial Energy

Cruella is an ostentatiously over-directed female-centric movie centering on two successful women in the 1970s London fashion scene rifle with popular tunes. Had it not been made by Disney and necessarily attached to pre-existing material, it would be the type of film hyped by the Academy. If “Oscar adjacent” earns

The Disciple (2020) dir. Chaitanya Tamhane

The Disciple (2020) dir. Chaitanya Tamhane

A beautiful Netflix original that takes seriously religious mysticism, in a Hinduism variety, The Disciple (2020), through its pairing of seraphic visuals with hypnotic music and sounds, navigates the ephemeral and enchants the view in the process. Unfortunately, the studio doesn’t seem to have placed much confidence in the

"Nobody" is more Trumpist than "John Wick"

"Nobody" is more Trumpist than "John Wick"

Post-Trump, Nobody feels intentionally reflective of the Trump presidency, but unlike most mainstream movies in the Trump/post-Trump era, Nobody has a dark conservative streak.

Paper Lives Is More than a Tearjerker

Paper Lives Is More than a Tearjerker

I watched this film just a few hours after receiving the news that a close family member of mine most likely has cancer. And while there are still some medical uncertainties surrounding the situation of my family member, I was completely emotionally unprepared for Paper Lives and the pain-filled performance

"Space Sweepers" and the Incompatibility of Blockbusters and Environmentalism

"Space Sweepers" and the Incompatibility of Blockbusters and Environmentalism

Being flaunted as South Korea’s first space-opera, "Space Sweepers" (or Victory, in the English translation of the Korean title), is less operatic than myopic, being limited by the seeming incompatibility of the blockbuster format with pro-environmentalism stories.

Cinema Quarantino: Cirkus Columbia (2010) dir. Danis Tanović

Cinema Quarantino: Cirkus Columbia (2010) dir. Danis Tanović

Bosnian filmmaker Danis Tanović’s Cirkus Columbia is one of those hidden gems of modern Eastern European cinema.

Religion and Politics in "Kati Kati"

Religion and Politics in "Kati Kati"

Mbithi Masya, a first-time director, is clearly confident behind the camera as he makes effective use of Godardian jump cuts, muffled sound mixing to exchange character perspective, and tactical production design—all together amounting to a rather stylized and opportune debut in Kati Kati (2016). Kati Kati, with its delightfully