avengers

‘Space Jam,’ ‘Free Guy’ and the New Corporate Media

Garrett Hartman

In film, however, there is only a finite amount of content. You can’t just watch something unrelated to the story. The film is the story. Bonus content and features are sometimes packaged with films, but this optional content is not as big of a component to the film as open-world exploration, multiplayer, or arcade modes are to videogames. Anything over the top than a sly reference will feel like advertising, as opposed to the slight nods to the audience they’re supposed to be.

‘Black Widow’ Pays Homage to Female Empowerment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Forrest Hartman

The story doesn’t revolve around potential Armageddon (refreshing since most comic book movies have world-ending stakes these days), and we don’t get cameos from other Avengers. We also don’t get the immense creativity seen in the recent MCU TV series WandaVision, which – by the way – was also a better nod to female empowerment than Captain Marvel. But we do get an enjoyable picture that moves like lightning.

Mourning the Loss of an Icon: The Disappearing Comic Book Store

Christopher Karr

“My hope is that the documentary inspires its viewers to reflect on the places and rituals (comic shops and otherwise) that have given them a sense of belonging, as my comic shop did for me,” Desiato said in a statement. And to the extent that the movie prompted me to reflect on my own experiences at a comic shop, it’s successful. The problem is that reflection isn’t necessarily the most engaging response to elicit from a viewer.

The Frick Art Collection Finds a New Home

by Sandra Bertrand

The Fricks had the Fragonard Room rebuilt in the early 20^th century to complement the artist’s Progress of Love series. Jean-Honore Fragonard (1732-1806) was a prolific French painter of the late Rococo period who painted these works for the music pavilion on Madame du Barry’s property (du Barry was the last mistress of Louis XV). Visitors will now have the rare treat of enjoying the collection in its entirety, even if the former ambience is absent.

Tax Justice: Democrats’ Plans to Make the Wealthy Pay More

by Gabriel Zucman and Emmanuel Saez

The progressivity of the U.S. tax system has dramatically declined over the past seven decades. The upshot is that for most income levels, the U.S. tax system now resembles a flat tax that becomes regressive at the very top end, meaning the super-rich pay proportionately less. Today, virtually all income groups pay roughly 28 percent of their income in taxes--– except for the 400 richest Americans.