Will Sorg- In the opening chapter of the worst book I have ever read, Scientologist founder and human airbag L. Ron Hubbard describes his pseudo-scientific text as an adventure that will change the reader. This is true. I was changed by this book. However, this adventure and subsequent change was not like Around The World in 80 Days or 10,000 Leagues Under The Sea. It … Continue reading Book Review: Dianetics: the New Science of Mental Health

Will Sorg- On Sunday, Cord Jefferson, a first-time film director, won Best Adapted Screenplay for his film American Fiction. Jefferson’s win was accompanied by a fantastic speech where he passionately argued for movie executives to take chances on newer filmmakers and smaller-scale movies. He outlined his struggle to get his award-winning film made and said of his speech: “It’s more a plea to acknowledge and … Continue reading The 2024 Academy Awards

Will Sorg- You have not experienced true enlightenment until you have watched Madame Web. My sides hurt so bad from laughing after watching this movie. I don’t know how to describe this cinematic experience. I think I saw God and her name is Dakota Johnson. Madame Web is a Sony-produced superhero movie set in the Spider-Man universe that has yet to feature Spider-Man in any … Continue reading Madame Web: the heat death of the Sony Spider-Man universe

Will Sorg- The only thing I’ve ever read from the famous Hunter S. Thompson was his obituary of Richard Nixon. In it, Thompson recommends burning Nixon’s body in a trash bin and jettisoning his coffin into the LA sewage system. This leaves a strong impression of the kind of writer and person Thompson was. An incredibly cool one. Hunter S. Thompson invented Gonzo Journalism, a … Continue reading Movies from Swank: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Will Sorg- Moneyball, if you can believe it, is about baseball and economics. Your dad probably loves this movie – and for good reason. It has the king of the actors your dad likes: Brad Pitt. On top of that, it’s written primarily by Aaron Sorkin, writer of The West Wing, A Few Good Men, and more dad-related media. Here’s the interesting thing: I do … Continue reading Movies from Swank: Moneyball

Will Sorg- It is Jan. 30th, 2024, as I am writing this. About 4 hours ago, I left the movie theater. I realized while I was sitting in my car, shaking, that I had to write a review on The Zone of Interest. I was not planning on writing something until school started up properly again, but this movie demanded that I get something out … Continue reading The Zone of Interest

Will Sorg- Paul Schrader has been making movies for a very long time. At 77, the writer, director and film critic has been making movies since he was an angry young screenwriter putting his personal struggles with toxic masculinity into the character of Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver. In the many decades since, Schrader has continually used the simple setup of an existentialist and isolated … Continue reading Movies from Swank: Master Gardener

Will Sorg- I doubt there’s a movie that captures following your passion in life as accurately as Almost Famous. Writer/director Cameron Crowe had plenty of experience to draw from as he started out as a writer for Rolling Stone when he was 18-years-old. Most movies are built out of the lived experience of the people who make them, but this one more than others draws … Continue reading Movies from Swank: Almost Famous

Will Sorg- Two unpopular lesbians start a fight club to lose their virginity before high school is over. If you’re not immediately sold by that premise like I was then Bottoms may not be your kind of movie. Bottoms is an easy movie to love if you’re the right person. If you are a fan of camp, a fan of high school comedies, a lover … Continue reading Bottoms

Will Sorg- Andrew Haigh is not interested in conventional love. Haigh, who’s an openly gay filmmaker from the United Kingdom, has been making films about outsiders finding love for decades. His breakout film Weekend follows two men as they fall for each other during a weekend fling. This year his film, All Of Us Strangers, premiered – and it is a truly incredible experience. Over … Continue reading Twin Cities Film Festival: All of Us Strangers