Wildfires rage in the hills surrounding a small Montana town in the 1960s. A father, humiliated by his boss while working at a golf course, joins a group of firefighters battling the blaze for weeks on end at $1 an hour. His wife resents her husband’s pride and temporary desertion of his family, and becomes […]
Emma McClatchey
Posted inArts & Entertainment
FilmScene’s featured Oscar contenders continue with ‘Beautiful Boy,’ a familiar but effective addiction narrative
You know this story. Whether or not you’ve read David Sheff’s memoir Beautiful Boy or Nic Sheff’s memoir Tweak, you’ve likely heard — or lived — the film’s central scenario: a parent tries desperately to save their drug-addicted child, but finds his best efforts further alienate or enable the child’s behavior; the child, meanwhile, struggles […]
Posted inCommunity/News
From toys to emergency surgeries, Friends of the Animal Center Foundation fills in funding gaps to help shelter pets
Pinky, Tarzan and Dray took over the boardroom at the South Riverside office of the Friends of the Animal Center Foundation (FACF) in late October. “Having kittens in my office is not crazy for me,” said Christina Kimerle, FACF executive director. “I lived with tigers for a little bit.”
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Up 3,000 feet without a rope: The horror and beauty of ‘Free Solo’
Edge-of-your-seat suspense. Sky-high stakes. Psychological intrigue. Queasy cinematography. And enough unadulterated fear to make your heart pound and palms sweat. Perhaps FilmScene’s most viscerally frightening showing this month is ‘Free Solo,’ a documentary about the death-defying free solo rock climber Alex Honnold.
Posted inCommunity/News
Guns, fascism, infighting and couch-surfing: Researcher Serena Tarr recounts a year studying the alt-right
On March 4, 2018, after following around Richard Spencer and his alt-right entourage for months, Serena Tarr found herself in Michigan for the Foundation for the Marketplace of Ideas conference, organized by Kyle Bristow, the white nationalist attorney who used to sue colleges that rejected requests for Spencer to speak. But due to public pressure and possibly death threats, Bristow backed out at the last minute, and the “conference” was relocated to a house in Ann Arbor. Tarr followed.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
‘We the Animals,’ based on the novel by UI alumnus Justin Torres, premieres at FilmScene
There was no way FilmScene wasn’t going to get its hands on We the Animals. The film is not only based on a novel of the same name by Justin Torres, a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, but Torres worked closely with the film’s director to realize his story onscreen.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Eight things Michael Moore blames for the rise of Trump in ‘Fahrenheit 11/9’
Michael Moore is back to remind us just how fucked we all are. His new documentary, Fahrenheit 11/9, starts showing today at FilmScene, just over two weeks out from its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film’s villains are more numerous, and not all quite who you’d expect. Here are Michael Moore’s primary targets.
Posted inCommunity/News
Hawkeye fans considering a gold-out at Kinnick Saturday in honor of murdered ISU student (Updated)
Nearly two months to the day after University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts went missing during an evening run in Brooklyn, Iowa, the body of Iowa State University student Celia Barquin Arozamena was found at a golf course in Ames. Faced with another tragedy, Iowans have proposed turning to football — and a common color — to express their grief and solidarity.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
‘Sorry to Bother You’ is weird, cool, but not quite wonderful
There’s something extraordinary about Sorry to Bother You. Maybe it’s rookie writer-director Boots Riley’s unique take on science fiction. Maybe it’s the timely discussion of the evils of capitalism and importance of labor unions. Maybe it’s the practical special effects, hearkening back to early sci-fi with a contemporary, satirical sheen. Maybe it’s Lakeith Stanfield’s stellar performance, or Tessa Thompson’s badass hair, make-up and wardrobe.
Posted inFood & Drink
Yes we can! Why canned beer is best
“From a quality-of-beer perspective, the can in a lot of ways is superior to the bottle,” Andy Joynt, head brewer for Big Grove Brewery, said. “There’s an outdated idea that cans impact the flavor of beer because there was a period of time many, many years ago it did, but that’s no longer the case.”
Posted inArts & Entertainment
‘Three Identical Strangers’ takes the idea of ‘stranger than fiction’ to a new level
A cursory glance at the story prompts a thousand questions, one of the prevailing being, “Where are they now?” Enter Three Identical Strangers, a documentary that takes you through the triplets’ story detail by detail. The exceptionally fascinating film is now showing at FilmScene.
Posted inCommunity/News
Wild Culture Kombucha is opening a taproom in Iowa City’s north side
Wild Culture Kombucha is expanding beyond growlers, guest taps and a booth at the Iowa City Farmers Market. The low-alcohol probiotic beverages will soon have a permanent home of their own at 210 N Linn St in Iowa City, formerly Sonny’s Northside Tap. Roughly three years after starting their business, Wild Culture owners Rachelle Schmidt […]
