Dear Alice Robb,
I'm more than positive that you have no idea who I am and until a few hours ago, I didn't know you either. From what I've gathered from your contributions to The New Republic, you seem to be a woman after my own heart. We have a lot in common, Alice. We both like social justice posts, we enjoy psychoanalyzing the media's influence on society, and we like writing about gender equality. However, you've recently written an article in response to THE BABADOOK titled "What It Says About You If You Enjoy Horror Movies." My facebook timeline has exploded today with people posting in anger, frustration, and heartbreak about your article. But, it was my dear friend (and fellow horror enthusiast) John Squires who wrote a heartfelt response to you that compelled me to hop...
Lifestyle
Dear "Parks and Recreation,"
One of your leading men is growing up fast. Chris Pratt, who we have been loving for seasons as the doofy Andy Dwyer, is quickly becoming one of the hottest leading men in Hollywood. Now his latest film, "The LEGO Movie," just had the biggest opening of 2014 to date.
If you haven't seen "The LEGO Movie" yet, go fix that. The film is charming and gorgeously animated and so meta it hurts, and hands down one of the best movies of the year so far. Beyond Chris, it's got an amazing lineup of voice actors, many of whom are also from the small screen.
But it's Chris who really shines in this film. Despite the fact he simply voices a lowly LEGO construction worker named Emmet, his sweet nature and charming personality is what largely carries the movie. He...
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Dear Narendra Modi, Amitabh Bachchan, Sachin Tendulkar, Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan and Anil Ambani,
I am writing to YOU specifically because you are the most powerful and influential MEN in our country.
I am writing to you as a woman who grew up in a middle class family in Mumbai.
I am writing to YOU for HELP!
My parents may not like me saying this. I apologize to them if they are reading but this is NOT MY SHAME. It’s THEIR SHAME.
My first experience with the opposite sex, was when I was just 13 and groped by a man (never saw his face but will never forget his hand) while walking in the vegetable market with my mom. She had just given me the worst haircut and as an angry teenager I was upset at her and was lagging behind as she walked ahead. I still remember what I was...
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Dear Ms. Ephron,
You should be ashamed of yourself. Taking two impressionable young girls, stuffing their heads with lies and montages and Godfather quotes. You ruined us, spoiled for life, lost with no grip on reality. We’re ready to go to the mattresses!
Actually, let’s back up. This letter comes to you in three parts. Part one: gratitude.
We would be remiss if we didn’t start things off with a big fat thank you. Thank you for hours of entertainment, for tugging at our heartstrings and our tear ducts and for making us laugh until we hurt. Thank you for witty repartee and soundtracks we could groove to for days, for utterly charming romances and Meg Ryan’s bob. Thank you for making daisies our favorite flower and for giving us an appropriate phrase to describe a head cold, for...
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Dear Hollywood,
it has come to my attention that it is now the middle of 2014 and, regretfully, I can count on one hand the number of films you’ve produced which have actually been worth spending my time and money on. Actually, one hand is probably more than I need.
As a reviewer in the context of increasingly over-priced tickets, I feel a pretty keen responsibility over a single issue: is this movie worth the time and money a reader might spend on it? The answer so far this year – with a couple of exceptions – has been a resounding “No.”
Your obsession with sequels, reboots, superheroes and remakes is becoming depressing. You appear to be stuck in a cycle of bigger and bigger budget movies relying on massive special effects and a star system that requires insane amounts of...
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Dear Minister,
We are writing to you regarding decisions made by the Ministry of Public Safety with respect to the recent Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) raids at construction sites in Vancouver. According to federal access to information documents, on June 7, 2011 your signature and approval were given to Force Four Entertainment’s proposal to produce a reality television series focused on the work of the CBSA. On March 13, 2013, the arrest of several undocumented workers in Vancouver was filmed and broadcast.
Amnesty International is deeply concerned that filming and broadcasting immigration raids may endanger the lives of some of the people in question, as well as those of their families. Some of the individuals who are filmed in the course of these raids might have attempted...
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Dear Amanda Nevill, Dear Greg Dyke,
We, the undersigned, wish to protest in the strongest possible terms at not only the lack of an Industry Delegate facility at the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival this year, but also the fact that the very festival itself is under review.
The European Queer Film and Arts Festival Alliance was formed in 2008 and is an alliance of queer film and arts festival professionals. Many of us have been attending the festival for many years and have found the Industry Delegate facility invaluable for screening and networking purposes.
The LLGFF has a well-deserved reputation of being of international interest for film festival makers and the film industry, and its unique timing offers the opportunity for us as European residents of a “first look” at...
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Dear VIVA,
Thank you for giving birth to James Reid and Nadine Lustre as VIVA Artists. Everyone would agree with me that 2014 wouldn’t be as exciting as it has been today without JaDine. Patronizing their tandem is one of the highlights of our 2014.
We trust VIVA on how you handle your artists having been in the industry for quite a long time. But we also believe that you put much consideration on how would the fans or people react on certain decisions or strategies that the management does. Launching JaDine last April 2014 was one of the best timing and decisions that VIVA has ever made.
However, coming from the two back-to-back movies that JaDine did, we, as their die-hard fans, tend to evaluate the career run of our idols and their reputation as movie stars. DnP is undeniably...
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Dear Steven Spielberg,
Eighteen years ago, shortly after my graduation from 5th grade, I sat in a Florida movie theater anxiously waiting for the lights to go down. I couldn’t wait for Jurassic Park to start. The reviews, the toys, the various and sundry tie-ins—all had me in a dinosaur-fueled frenzy, and I couldn’t wait to see my favorite prehistoric monsters come to life.
You didn’t disappoint. Yeah, Stephen Jay Gould was right that the plotline was dumbed down to the classic “mess with Nature (or ‘God’s domain’, or whatever you like) at your own peril” trope, but my 10-year-old self didn’t care. Jurassic Park was the closest I had ever come to seeing real, live dinosaurs. (Well, before the fact that birds are living dinosaurs really took off and made its way into the public...
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