films

Directed by Alison Klayman, White Hot: The Rise and Fall of Abercrombie and Fitch is a prolific documentary released in April 2022. This fast-paced exploration dissects the cultural phenomenon of the iconic brand, examining the decisions that propelled it to the heights of popularity before its eventual downfall.

Traditional storytelling relies on a coherent linear plot that ends with a satisfying conclusion -- ideally leaving no questions for the audience. However, the ambiguous storytelling offered by an unreliable narrator often leaves an audience with a lot more to think about, examine, and analyze.The execution of an unreliable narrator can vary; however, an unreliable narrator’s story is never trustworthy.

By now Christopher Nolan’s reputation and track record are capable of marketing a movie all their own. His affinity for bombastic effects and somewhat distracting scores have become a double-edged sword. While the effects and editing in this movie are impressive, the fact that no special effects were used is something I only would have known from reading headlines, as it didn’t really seem necessary while watching the film.

Along with the tired story, “Gray Matter” features severely underdeveloped characters. Isaac and Dukes are fine considering the material they’re given to work with, but both  characters are nothing more than rough sketches of human beings. Dukes is the protective mom, constantly uptight and worried, while Isaac is the rebellious youth convinced her mother is overreacting.

Raimi’s amateurish filmmaking worked to the movie’s advantage. His do-it-yourself style of directing and special effects allowed the film to be made on a shoestring budget with the help of his friends and his brothers Ted and Ivan. Whereas filmmakers are often keenly aware of their financial limitations, Raimi never allowed his budget to get in the way of his ambition.

Pam and Tommy was made anyway, of course. It received generally favorable reviews though; in the zeitgeist that is the current state of the Hollywood machine, the series has been largely forgotten already. It came and went and it rode the visibility that anything about a sex-tape was bound to receive, especially if it was about one of the most famous sex-tapes in the world to this day.

Even though a person locally owns and has a piece of software downloaded and installed to their hard drive, that storage space is useless without an internet connection to verify it is legitimate. This greatly restricts the use of the media you allegedly “own.” Playing games or using software that use this sort of DRM protection is no longer possible on laptops in places without connection, such as airplanes.

The growth of foreign media’s popularity poses many interesting questions as to the future shape of media in the U.S. and worldwide. While platforms like Netflix seem content to purchase and serve as a distributor for foreign content, how will American media producers, especially in fields in which they are lagging behind foreigners, try to appeal to domestic audiences? How will questions of media representation be perceived with art created in different nations and different local contexts?