Holy Unknown

Mr. Brooks (2007)  is a gripping psychological thriller directed by Bruce A. Evans and written by Evans and Raynold Gideon. The film follows Earl Brooks (Kevin Costner), a Portland businessman and devoted family man who harbors a secret: he is an addictive serial killer known as “The Thumbprint Killer.” His compulsion is fed by his bloodthirsty alter ego, Marshall, played with morbid humor by William Hurt. Brooks finds his double life threatened when a voyeur, Mr. Smith (Dane Cook), photographs him committing a murder. Instead of reporting him, Smith blackmails Brooks into taking him on as a protégé. Complicating matters further, the relentless Detective Tracy Atwood (Demi Moore) is determined to solve the case. The central tension is derived from Brooks’s genuine, earnest struggle to quit his violent “habit” while indulging the darkness embodied by Marshall. The film was shot in Shreveport, Louisiana, despite the story being set in Portland, Oregon. The blackmailer role proved cha...

Charlie Wilson's War (2007)   is a political drama directed by Mike Nichols and written by Aaron Sorkin. The film is based on the true story of the largest covert operation of the Cold War. The story follows U.S. Congressman Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks), a charismatic Texas Democrat, who is persuaded by anti-Communist activist Joanne Herring (Julia Roberts) to use his political clout to fund the Afghan resistance against the Soviet invasion. Wilson partners with a cynical CIA operative, Gust Avrakotos (Philip Seymour Hoffman), and together they secure massive, unprecedented funding for the Afghan Mujahideen. This operation eventually succeeds in driving the Soviet army out of Afghanistan, marking a crucial strategic victory in the Cold War. The film was shot primarily in California, with scenes depicting Afghanistan filmed in Morocco. Julia Roberts met extensively with the real Joanne Herring, who used her socialite status to influence powerful political figures. Herring ...

Heat (1995)  is a crime drama written and directed by Michael Mann. The film follows the parallel lives of master thief Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) and obsessive LAPD Detective Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino). Their lives are set on a collision course as Hanna hunts McCauley’s crew following a high-profile bank robbery. The film is a meticulously detailed look at professionalism and the emotional toll of a life consumed by work, capturing the tension, discipline, and isolation that define both men, culminating in a tense manhunt. The film was shot in over 65 locations in Los Angeles, with not a single scene filmed on a soundstage, lending the production a palpable authenticity and urban grit. To prepare for the bank robbery, the actors spent several weeks training with former British SAS operatives. Mann based the iconic coffee shop dialogue about destroyed marriages on his conversations with real-life, high-level detectives and criminals. The film’s legendary bank heist shootout was ...

The Intern (2015)  is a comedy-drama written and directed by Nancy Meyers. The story follows Ben Whittaker (Robert De Niro), a 70-year-old widower seeking purpose in retirement. He becomes a senior intern at a thriving online fashion company, and he's assigned to work with the company’s founder, Jules Ostin (Anne Hathaway). Ben at first seems out of step with the fast-paced, youthful office culture. But his steady, old-fashioned sensibility gradually earns the respect of everyone — including Jules. What begins as a cautious professional arrangement turns into a genuine friendship, as Ben offers guidance not only on Jules’s demanding career but also on the challenges of her personal life. Shot in Brooklyn, NY, the production had several casting changes. Originally, the lead female role of Jules was offered to Tina Fey. After Fey, Reese Witherspoon was attached to the role but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. Anne Hathaway was eventually cast in the role of Jules. The creativ...

Shattered Glass (2003)   is a uniquely intriguing drama written and directed by Billy Ray. The film follows the true story of Stephen Glass (Hayden Christensen), a young, charismatic journalist working at the esteemed magazine, The New Republic . Glass is a prolific writer with a knack for sensational stories. His career unravels when a reporter from the new online publication, Forbes Digital Tool , investigates one of his articles and finds no evidence to support it. The magazine's editor, Chuck Lane (Peter Sarsgaard), realizes that Glass has fabricated not one, but dozens of stories over a period of three years. The film documents the methodical process of uncovering the lies and the quiet devastation it causes to a respected journalistic institution. The film was shot in Montreal, Canada, which convincingly served as the backdrop for Washington D.C. Director Billy Ray showed his cast and crew the 1976 film All the President’s Men to set the tone and mood for the production. Both...

  Best in Show (2000)   is an inspiring comedy directed by Christopher Guest and written by Guest and Eugene Levy. The film follows five couples who travel across the country to compete in the prestigious Mayflower Kennel Club Dog Show. Among them are a tightly wound couple, Meg and Hamilton Swan (Parker Posey and Michael Hitchcock), a devoted husband and wife, Gerry and Cookie Fleck (Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara), and a quiet fly fisherman, Harlan Pepper (Christopher Guest). The film follows their interactions and eccentricities as they prepare their dogs for competition, all of them hoping to take home the grand prize. Shot in Vancouver, Canada, the film was entirely improvised from a 15-page outline. The actors didn't know what their scene partners would say until the cameras were rolling. The character of the commentator, Buck Laughlin (played perfectly by Fred Willard), was based on the baseball announcer Joe Garagiola, who was known for his uninformed, off-the-cuff r...

  The Post (2017)   is an outstanding docudrama directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Liz Hannah and Josh Singer. The film follows the unlikely partnership of Katharine Graham (Meryl Streep), the first female publisher of a major American newspaper, and her editor Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks). In 1971, they race to expose a massive government cover-up spanning three decades and four U.S. presidents. As the Nixon administration attempts to silence them, Graham decides whether to publish the classified Pentagon Papers, risking her family's company and her own freedom to uphold the truth and the public's right to know. The film was shot in Washington D.C. and New York City. For her role as Katharine Graham, Meryl Streep relied heavily on Graham's Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir, "Personal History," listening to an abridged version of the book, which Graham herself narrated. Tom Hanks, for his role as Ben Bradlee, spent time with the real Bradlee's family and visit...

  Copycat (1995)  is a thrilling drama directed by Jon Amiel and written by Ann Biderman. The film follows criminal psychologist Dr. Helen Hudson (Sigourney Weaver), a recluse with severe agoraphobia after a brutal attack by a serial killer, Daryll Lee Cullum (Harry Connick Jr.). When a new murderer begins a crime spree, mimicking the methods of past serial killers, she is pulled back into the world she had sworn off. Paired with tough but compassionate police inspector M.J. Monahan (Holly Hunter), Dr. Hudson must use her knowledge of the criminal mind to help police track down the killer, all while confronting the demons of her past and the very real danger that she is the killer's ultimate target. The film was shot in San Francisco. The on-screen dynamic between Sigourney Weaver and Holly Hunter was a result of their strong professional collaboration. Both actresses were determined to make their characters feel authentic. Hunter spent time with an actual San Francisco homici...

In & Out (1997)   is a delightful comedy directed by Frank Oz and written by Paul Rudnick. The film follows a well-liked high school English teacher, Howard Brackett, played by Kevin Kline, living a quiet life in a small town. Just days before he marries his fiancée, played by Joan Cusack, his life is turned upside down. A former student, now a famous actor, outs Howard as gay during his Oscar acceptance speech on live television, which comes as a shock to everyone, especially Howard. As his life becomes a media circus, Howard must navigate the scrutiny of his small, conservative town, all while trying to prove he is who everyone thinks he is. The film was shot in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey, which provided the picturesque, small-town setting for the story. Frank Oz's direction was noted for balancing the film's humorous romantic-comedy with its heartfelt message. An interesting fact about the film is that the screenplay was inspired by a real-life event: Tom Hanks' Oscar...

The Truman Show (1998)   is a comedy-drama directed by Peter Weir and written by Andrew Niccol. The film follows the life of Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey), an insurance salesman who is unaware that he is the sole star of a 24-hour reality television show. His entire life, from birth, has been an elaborate fabrication filmed within a massive, enclosed set. His friends, family, and everyone he knows are actors, and his every move is broadcast to the world. Laura Linney plays Meryl Burbank, his wife in the show. As Truman begins to notice odd occurrences in his seemingly perfect world, he grows suspicious and starts to question his reality, leading him on a quest to escape his meticulously crafted existence. The film's visionary concept was ahead of its time, predicting the rise of reality television. The town of Seahaven, where the film is set, was filmed in Seaside, Florida, a real-life planned community that already had the idealized, pristine look the filmmakers wanted. The role of ...

Fallen (1998)   is a supernatural thriller directed by Gregory Hoblit and written by Nicholas Kazan. The film follows Detective John Hobbes (Denzel Washington) after he witnesses the execution of a serial killer, Edgar Reese (Elias Koteas). Soon after, new murders begin that are eerily similar to the executed killer's work, and Hobbes starts to suspect that a sinister force is behind them. With the help of his partner, Jonesy (John Goodman), Hobbes uncovers the truth that an ancient demonic entity, named Azazel, is possessing people and committing the crimes. The demon can transfer from one person to another with a simple touch, making it a powerful foe that threatens to frame Hobbes for the murders. The film was shot primarily in Philadelphia, with some scenes shot in New Jersey. One notable feature is the recurring use of the song "Time Is on My Side" by The Rolling Stones, which serves as a sinister anthem for the demon Azazel. The ending of the film was a point of co...

An unsettling frustration is growing over Oklahoma's schools. At the center of it, overseeing 700,000 students, is State Superintendent Ryan Walters. His leadership, which he promised would fix education, has essentially only created political drama that has left parents, educators, and even members of his own party shaking their heads in disbelief. For starters, Walters’ PragerU textbooks teach students that being a slave “was better than being killed” and that slaves were actually fortunate to have "developed skills" from their experience that "could be applied for their personal benefit.” All of which is unimaginably insulting and historically inaccurate. It doesn’t stop there. Walters sent emails to Oklahoma lawmakers and their assistants containing "inappropriate adult material” that Walters says was to demonstrate the kind of explicit material that is being made available to students in a "left-wing woke culture" that is "pushing pornography...

Stranger than Fiction (2006)   is a comedy-drama directed by Marc Forster and written by Zach Helm. It follows the peculiar life of Harold Crick (Will Ferrell), an IRS agent whose monotonous existence is turned upside down when he begins to hear a narrator describing his life. The voice belongs to a reclusive author, Karen Eiffel (Emma Thompson), who is struggling to finish her latest novel and plans to kill her main character—Harold. Harold must race against time to find Karen and change his fate. Along the way, he falls for a free-spirited baker, Ana Pascal (Maggie Gyllenhaal). He seeks help from literature professor Jules Hilbert (Dustin Hoffman). The film's writer, Zach Helm, was inspired by his own experience of hearing his thoughts narrated. The production was filmed primarily in Chicago. The film's characters are named after famous scientists and artists, such as Francis Crick and Blaise Pascal, a deliberate choice by Helm to engage the movie's form as much as its co...

What About Bob? (1991)   is a superb comedy directed by Frank Oz and written by Tom Schulman. The film follows Bob Wiley, a neurotic and clingy patient played by Bill Murray, who tracks down his psychiatrist, Dr. Leo Marvin, played flawlessly by Richard Dreyfuss, while he's on vacation with his family. As Bob worms his way into the family's affection, Dr. Marvin’s professional poise begins to unravel. The cast also includes Julie Hagerty as Dr. Marvin’s wife, Charlie Korsmo as their son, and Kathryn Erbe as their teenage daughter. The balance between Murray’s eccentric charm and Dreyfuss’s escalating rage drives the film’s absurd tension. Behind the scenes, the chemistry between the actors mirrored the on‑screen conflict—Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss famously clashed during filming. According to crew accounts, Murray would taunt Dreyfuss, throw things at him, and provoke him between takes. Dreyfuss described Murray as "drunken" and "irrational" at times, ...

Virginia Hall Goillot wasn’t supposed to become a spy. Born in Baltimore in 1906 to a well-off family, she was raised with polish and possibility—fluent in French and German, educated in Europe, and expected to live a life of comfort and marriage. That was the plan. Then, while hunting birds in Turkey, she tripped and accidentally discharged her rifle. The injury led to a leg amputation below the knee. She was just 27. Her new prosthetic—a heavy wooden limb she named “Cuthbert”—could have ended any ambition to work abroad. Instead, it marked the beginning of a career that would make her one of the most elusive and effective spies of World War II. She applied to the U.S. Foreign Service, but her disability disqualified her. So she looked elsewhere. By 1940, Hall was in France as a freelance journalist. The Nazi invasion pushed others to flee, but she stayed. She started passing along information to the British and caught the attention of the Special Operations Executive, or...

Election (1999)  is a marvelous and refreshing dark comedy directed by Alexander Payne and written by Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor. The film is set during a contentious student body presidential election at a suburban Omaha high school. Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick), a well-liked and dedicated history teacher, finds his professional and personal life unraveling when he decides to sabotage the campaign of the pathologically ambitious and overachieving student, Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon). Believing her to be unfit for office and personally disliking her intensity, he persuades Paul Metzler (Chris Klein), a popular but simple-minded football player, to run against her.  The film was shot on location in and around Omaha, Nebraska, director Alexander Payne's hometown. The school scenes were filmed at Papillion-La Vista High School, and many of the students seen in the film were actual students from the school. The screenplay is based on the 1998 novel of the same name b...

Parenthood (1989)  is a fantastic comedy-drama directed by Ron Howard and written by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel. The film follows the interconnected lives of the extended Buckman family, focusing on their varied and often chaotic experiences with parenting. Gil Buckman (Steve Martin) is a conscientious father who is terrified of repeating the emotional neglect he felt from his own father, Frank (Jason Robards). Gil and his wife Karen (Mary Steenburgen) struggle with the fears of raising their three children, particularly their intense and neurotic son. Meanwhile, Gil's sister, the divorced single mother Helen (Dianne Wiest), deals with her sullen teenage daughter (Martha Plimpton), her daughter's aimless but good-hearted boyfriend Tod (Keanu Reeves), and her withdrawn, rebellious young son Garry (a very young Joaquin Phoenix, credited as Leaf Phoenix). His other sister Susan (Harley Jane Kozak) is married to the overly analytical Nathan Huffner (Rick Moranis), who is meticu...

The Desperate Hour (2021)   is an intense thriller directed by Phillip Noyce and written by Chris Sparling. The film follows Amy Carr (Naomi Watts), a recently widowed mother who is out for a jog in the woods when she learns that her town is on lockdown due to an active shooter incident at her son's high school. Miles from home and with her phone as her only connection, Amy desperately races through a dense forest to save her son, Noah (Colton Gobbo). She must use every resource she can to make contact with him to ensure his safety while the authorities close in on the school. The film was shot in just 28 days during the COVID-19 pandemic in a remote area of Ontario, Canada. The main themes revolve around parental fear and the lengths a parent will go to protect their child. 2021 • R • 1h 24m Rotten Tomatoes: 27% Holy Unknown Grade: B Worldwide Gross: $1.7M Where to Watch

Inside Man (2006)   is an exceptional crime thriller directed by Spike Lee and written by Russell Gewirtz. A meticulously planned bank heist in New York City escalates into a high-stakes hostage situation when Detective Keith Frazier, portrayed by Denzel Washington, is called to negotiate with the enigmatic Dalton Russell, played by Clive Owen. As Frazier attempts to decipher Russell's true intentions and secure the safe release of the hostages, a powerful and mysterious woman, Madeleine White (Jodie Foster) enters the scene, seemingly with her own agenda tied to the bank's founder, Arthur Case (Christopher Plummer). The film explores themes of morality and ethics, particularly concerning wealth and power. 2006 • R • 2h 9m Rotten Tomatoes: 86% Holy Unknown Grade A- Worldwide Gross: $186M Where To Watch

By Cody Andrus In the U.S., men are responsible for 90% of all homicides. This statistic has remained consistent for decades, across regions and demographics. It’s not a popular topic because it challenges how we talk about crime, gender, and responsibility. But ignoring it serves no one. It’s not enough to say men commit more murders. We should ask why. One reason often cited is biology. Testosterone is linked to dominance, impulsivity, and aggression—traits that can make violent behavior more likely in some men. Research shows that elevated testosterone levels don’t directly cause violence, but they can increase risk factors. Still, biology doesn’t tell the whole story. Most men have normal testosterone levels and don’t kill anyone. Cultural expectations also play a role. From early childhood, boys are taught to be tough, not to cry, and to fight back when disrespected. Power and control are often seen as male virtues. In the wrong conditions—poverty, broken families, lack of educati...

Large language models, often called LLMs, are a type of computer program that can understand and create human language. They are built using complex computer networks that learn from extensive amounts of text data. Think of it this way: these models read an enormous number of books, articles, and websites, and through this process, they learn patterns in language, grammar, and even facts about the world. This allows them to respond to questions, write stories, or even summarize information in a way that sounds natural and intelligent. The foundation of LLMs lies in something called deep learning, a branch of artificial intelligence. These models are not explicitly programmed with rules for language. Instead, they learn by finding connections and relationships within the data they are trained on. For example, if an LLM reads millions of sentences where the word "dog" appears near "bark" or "fetch," it starts to associate these words. This learning process i...

In the Line of Fire (1993)   is a thriller directed by Wolfgang Petersen and written by Jeff Maguire. The film centers on Frank Horrigan (played by Clint Eastwood), a Secret Service agent haunted by his failure to protect JFK during his assassination. Decades later, Horrigan finds himself in a deadly cat-and-mouse game with Mitch Leary (played splendidly by John Malkovich), a brilliant and psychopathic former CIA operative who is threatening to assassinate the current President. Horrigan and his partner, Lily Raines (Rene Russo), race to uncover Leary's plan and stop him. The main themes include redemption, duty, and the burden of past failures. The film received three Oscar nominations: Best Supporting Actor for John Malkovich, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Film Editing. John Malkovich would have won for best supporting actor had it not been for Tommy Lee Jones winning for The Fugitive . 1993 • R • 2h 8m Rotten Tomatoes: 96% Holy Unknown Grade: A- Worldwide Gross: $177M ...

Artificial intelligence is developing at an incredible pace, and while it offers many benefits, there's a growing concern about its potential misuse, particularly in shaping public opinion and interfering with democratic processes. This isn't just about the spread of simple falsehoods; it's about sophisticated AI systems creating highly convincing disinformation campaigns that can influence elections and other critical events. One of the most alarming ways AI can be used for disinformation is through the creation of "deepfakes." These are manipulated images, audio, and videos that realistically portray people saying or doing things they never did. Imagine a fabricated video of a political candidate making an inflammatory statement that could go viral just before an election. Such content, generated by AI, makes it increasingly difficult for the public to discern what is real and what is not. In the U.S., there have already been instances where AI-generated robocal...

Moneyball (2011)   is a fantastic and understated drama directed by Bennett Miller and written by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin, with a screen story by Stan Chervin. The film follows Billy Beane (played by Brad Pitt), the general manager of the Oakland Athletics, as he attempts to build a competitive baseball team on a shoestring budget. Frustrated by his team's inability to retain star players who are lured away by wealthier franchises, Beane, with the help of Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), a Yale economics graduate, employs a radical analytical approach. They focus on undervalued statistics and sabermetrics to identify players overlooked by traditional scouting methods, challenging decades of baseball dogma. Moneyball explores the clash between tradition and innovation, the power of data-driven decision-making, and the pursuit of success against overwhelming odds. Both Pitt and Hill are uniquely exceptional in this film, and it’s worth watching for this reason alone. It received si...

New York City could elect Zohran Mamdani as its first Muslim mayor, following his apparent victory in the Democratic primary. This outcome, pending final ranked-choice tabulations, signals a notable moment for the U.S.'s most populous city. Mamdani's campaign centered on a progressive platform, emphasizing social justice and addressing the affordability crisis. Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda. He’s the son of Indian-born Ugandan academic Mahmood Mamdani and acclaimed Indian filmmaker Mira Nair. He moved to New York City at age seven, after spending early years in Cape Town, South Africa. Before entering politics, Mamdani worked as a foreclosure prevention housing counselor which influenced his political aspirations. He briefly explored a career in rap music. In 2018, he became a naturalized U.S. citizen. He married Syrian artist Rama Duwaji earlier this year. And he is a practicing Shia Muslim. Mamdani’s political career began with his election to the New York State Assembl...