Harper Barnes, the author of "Never Been A Time: The 1917 Race Riot That Sparked The Civil Rights Movement," is a special contributor, who frequently reviews movies for The Beacon.
The producers of the movie (nine are listed) bought and paid for 3-D, and the director just had to use it -- and abuse it, repeatedly, until the mind reels from the dizzying and meaningless images attacking the screen. Not until the last part of the movie do the characters display anything like real human emotion.
The protagonist is determined to get his share of a cask of rare Scottish malt whisky that is coming up for auction and that is expected to draw bids in the hundreds of thousands of pounds sterling. Special bonus: This Scottish movie has subtitles.
Robert Redford's suspenseful new movie, “The Company You Keep,” about a search for former ‘60s radicals flows with the strong, steady current. The intelligent thriller's excellent cast of stars who came to prominence in that time also includes Shia LaBoeuf.
"To the Wonder," Terence Malick's strange new meditation on life, love, and the search for the holy spirit, is undeniably beautiful to look at, but it has a negligible story line and very little dialogue.
Danny Boyle can flat-out shoot film. His movies are visually kaleidoscopic, with images cascading by. But this time, his characters are trapped in the baffling flow and never really come alive.
The Chilean film "No," an Oscar nominee, is a devilishly clever satire that tells the story -- at least part of the story -- of the ultimately successful anti-Pinochet in 1988. Much of the emotional strength of Germany's "The Silence" comes from complex connections among the characters.
The movie is moderately entertaining, and some of the portrayals are quite good. But the director never understood Kerouac’s spirituality and the vastness of the novel.
In "Gatekeepers." director Dror Moreh asks very pointed questions of these men who ran Israel's counterterrorism and intelligence agency, Shin Bet, and they give some startlingly frank answers. "Stoker" is an overt homage to Alfred Hitchcock. Indeed, if you remember the master's "Shadow of a Doubt," you'll already know how to feel about a fellow called "Uncle Charlie."
The new Werner Herzog documentary, "Happy People: A Year in the Taiga," records a year in the life of the inhabitants of a small, thoroughly isolated village in Siberia. As with many of his movies, this one shows his fascination with places and people not just off the beaten path but on the edge of the known universe.
The quants are coming, armed with zeroes and ones, aiming straight for the Academy Awards. Who should be surprised? The winners of sports events, elections and other phenomena have been predicted by numbers-crunching (and crunchers) extraordinaire.
Bill Murray · Quvenzhané Wallis · Leonardo Dicaprio · Matt Damon · David Cronenberg · Michael Apted · Cecil MacKinnon · Philip Seymour Hoffman · Danny Boyle · Janine Del’Arte
Cinema St. Louis · Circus Flora · Circus Harmony · McCormack Baron Salazar
St. Louis International Film Festival · Beasts of the Southern Wild · Cloud Atlas · 2012 SLIFF · Anna Karenina · Hitchcock · Killing Them Softly · The Flat · Django Unchained · Monsieur Lazhar
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Meeting in St. Louis next week, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious will have its first opportunity as an assembled group to consider what to do after the Vatican issued a mandate for change this spring. It calls on the conference to reorganize and more strictly observe church teachings.
When a family of four goes to the St. Louis Zoo, they can be forgiven for not knowing it will cost them $60, $72 if they park. If they can't pay, the alternative is to tell the kids they can't do what kids do at the zoo.
Missouri House Speaker Steve Tilley gave reporters less than a half-hour’s notice today when he announced that conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh’s sculptured bust will be formally installed in the Capitol at 1 p.m.
Developers on the south side come in all shapes and sizes, with ambitions that vary from single buildings to entire city blocks. In the first of a two-part story, Jason Deem talks about building community.
Author M.M. Costantin, who has lived near the Loop for more than 40 years, compiled a photo book that shows Delmar when it was bustling, when it was dangerous and when it came back to life.
They arrived four years ago as fifth-graders, behind in their work and not used to rigorous classes, but they've advanced rapidly and have a strong academic grounding for high school.
The Beacon's Mary Delach Leonard and Rob Koenig extensively covered flooding in 2011 in Missouri. Now this coverage is compiled in an iBook. Read the stories.
Organizers aren't trying to replace the rib fest, but music lovers will be able to find tangy sustenance as they listen to such greats as Mavis Staples (pictured), Big George Brock, Trombone Shorty, Kim Massie and Marquise Knox take the stage.
Isley, a world-class guitarist as well as a gifted songwriter, communicates and connects swith an audience on an intimate level at "An Evening of Music and Discussion." He is hosting the event on Thursday in O'Fallon, Mo.
Like many artists, dancer Antonio Douthit hears a different drummer. But the drumbeat that changed his life at 16 wasn’t in his head. It wafted from a window on Washington Avenue. Douthit comes home for a May 25 performance in "Spring to Dance."
Donna Korando is the Beacon's arts and features editor. You can contact her at dkorando@stlbeacon.org.
Developers on the south side come in all shapes and sizes, with ambitions that vary from single buildings to entire city blocks. In the first of a two-part story, Jason Deem talks about building community.
Speaking to reporters at Monsanto, Howard Buffett warned that future generations would foot the bill for irresponsible soil use. He urged leaders to address thorny issues such as malnutrition and environmental destruction.
Twenty winners will split a million dollars and a wide array of professional services after this year's Arch Grants competition. Victors will also see one-on-one business mentoring in their prize package. The diverse group includes everything from biotech concerns to fashion enterprises.
Innovation and entrepreneurial activity are on the rise in St. Louis, especially in bioscience, technology and alternative energy. The Beacon's InnovationSTL section focuses on the people who are part of this wave, what they're doing and how this is shaping our future. To many St. Louisans, this wave is not yet visible. InnovationSTL aims to change that. We welcome you to share your knowledge, learn more about this vibrant trend and discuss its impact.
The Academy of Science-St. Louis hosts tours of EarthDance, an organic farm, and the Monsanto Agronomics and Breeding Facility May 21-22. The workshop is meant to prompt discussion and answer questions about these two competing philosophies of food production.
Speaking to reporters at Monsanto, Howard Buffett warned that future generations would foot the bill for irresponsible soil use. He urged leaders to address thorny issues such as malnutrition and environmental destruction.
Vernon Bowman's challenge to Monsanto Co.'s patent on its Roundup Ready soybean seeds was billed as a David vs. Goliath contest. Goliath won and won big. The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that an Indiana soybean farmer had violated Monsanto's patent on its genetically engineered soybean seeds.
Sally Altman is the Beacon's Health and Science editor. You can contact her at saltman@stlbeacon.org.
You have to know your audience: McDonald's regulars don't need free-range chicken or a certain breed of beef; a second-chance high school needs personally motivated students as opposed to people ordered to attend and low-income Democrats by and large don't want a cigarette tax.
Last week, Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura sacrificed his crown as the King of America. He faced an individual decision to play against the best in the nation or the best on the planet. Find out what happened at that world-level tournament.
Our world sees rapid change in many ways -- how we view women, races, sexual minorities and other populations, for instance. While a daily delivery of new and different can be exhausting, it can force us to reflect and consider how to move forward, often incrementally, toward what is good and what bring value to our lives.
Donna Korando is the Beacon's Voices editor. You can contact her and submit opinion pieces for possible publication at dkorando@stlbeacon.org.