Try Harder Film Review

By: Vernon Nickerson At Lowell High School, the top-ranked public high school in San Francisco,the seniors are stressed out and I can can relate. “Try Harder” shows the unbelievable pressure students are under to achieve their dream, but sometimes it’s not their dream but their parents. There is a parallel of what these students went through and what I went through in my earlier academic … Continue reading Try Harder Film Review

Review of Days of Rage:Day of Rage: How Trump Supporters Took the U.S. Capitol | Visual Investigations

Rarely does a k-12 Social Studies certificated education professional dual-credentialled ( in-progress) in Special Education have the honor of reviewing  a documentary that has a current mainstream narrative. I am grateful that the stars aligned– Day of Rage: How Trump Supporters Took the U.S. Capitol | Visual Investigations is the documentary; I am the teacher. Based upon a six-month-long investigative process which yielded never-before-seen footage, … Continue reading Review of Days of Rage:Day of Rage: How Trump Supporters Took the U.S. Capitol | Visual Investigations

“Kung Food” Is A Pitch Perfect Engaging Family Action Adventure

By Vernon Nickerson “Kung Food”, from Director Haipeng Sun and the writing team of  Jinglei Lin, Hua Ma, and Haipeng Sun is a veritable feast of animated food fantasy. Engaging performances by its three principal actors: Zhengjian Guo, Yu Meng. and Puzhao Yangguang allow the audience a full immersion experience in state-of-the-art animation. I look forward to someday watching this fine adventure/comedy unfold on the … Continue reading “Kung Food” Is A Pitch Perfect Engaging Family Action Adventure

Squirrel Me Bad A Rock band For Today and Their Music Video “The World’s Gone Nutz” Review

By Vernon Nickerson Animator Daniel Robert Cohn who thrives when expressing through creativity has brought together the most famous metaphor of and for the Twenty-first Century, The World’s Gone Nutz to technicolor life on the silver screen. Cohn’s creative mind went into overdrive, writing and recording an anthem song for 2020 called “The World’s Gone Nutz” and creating an epic music video to go with it. … Continue reading Squirrel Me Bad A Rock band For Today and Their Music Video “The World’s Gone Nutz” Review

“Through These Brown Eyes” Book Reveiw

By Vernon Nickerson “Attention, all lovers of edge-of-your-seat, hair-raising, triumphant, tragic, and triumphantly heart-wrenching romance dramas currently live-streaming in 2021! Have I got the perfect low-tech/high-heart string tugging memoir for you. Angelica Robles debut as an author to watch, Through These Brown Eyes, is the perfect getaway book for your reading pleasure. I highly recommend it as well earned respite from way too much electronic … Continue reading “Through These Brown Eyes” Book Reveiw

At Long Last, STEEL SONG

By Vernon Nickerson Fans of Game of Thrones and or cosplay enthusiasts will be enthralled by the behind-the-scenes documentary “Steel Song” by Director Adrian Cicerone. Be advised, the film resembles a medieval jostling contest where the combatants attemp. It beat the snot out of each other. The objective: to be th. Last person (male or female) standing. To the filmmakers’credit, the story is apologetic an … Continue reading At Long Last, STEEL SONG

“They Them Us” Shows The human Side Of Sexuality And Relationships

By Vernon Nickerson Have you ever had a fantasy about your most outrageous sexual adventure? Or, has eighteen months of COVID-19 drama robbed you of your ability to fantasize? Either way, you will want to see “They Them Us” by writer and director JON SHERMAN(HE/HIM). This film can give your dreaming brain and or your beating heart some idea of what you have been missing. … Continue reading “They Them Us” Shows The human Side Of Sexuality And Relationships

Film Review Of The 2021 Newport Beach Film Festival Short “Wichita”

By Monteque Pope-Le Beau How fast would you run to hide your affair? Director Sergine Dumais’s award winning short “Wichita” shows what you do in the dark will eventually be brought to the light. Director Sergine Dumais brings a lighthearted approach to a very difficult and often traumatic life changing situation. In modern times relationships have changed in respect to what it is to be … Continue reading Film Review Of The 2021 Newport Beach Film Festival Short “Wichita”

No Time to Clean? Listen to Pauline Irene Stacey!

By Vernon Nickerson The best thing about “No Time to Clean? Listen to Irene!” it got me thinking of the people in my world who could benefit from Ms. Stacey’s compact and  accessible coaching and direction.  Practically, everything the novice, veteran or expert needs to know about cleaning a living space lies within the pages of “No Time to Clean? Listen to Irene!”   The timing … Continue reading No Time to Clean? Listen to Pauline Irene Stacey!

“WHAT” A Not So Silent Film

By Vernon Nickerson “WHAT”, written and directed by Alex Lev, stars brilliant actor John Maucere in a film with a stellar cast of deaf male and female actors. They collaborate to give us a profound, powerful, and whimsical look at being a minority deaf culture in a majority culture of hearing humans. WHAT, is aptly billed as a not-so-silent film about a deaf actor searching … Continue reading “WHAT” A Not So Silent Film

2021 Dances With Films Review of “Dear Ike: Lost Letters to a Teen Idol”

By Vernon Nickerson Film animator chronicles a 40- year journey to make a movie with his teen idol Ike Eisenmann (of Walt Disney’s Escape to Witch Mountain’ fame). Just when I had given up expecting anything that gave me a warm fuzzy trip down memory lane to suddenly appear in the middle of 2021 and COVID-19 Delta Variant, a funny valentine comes along. Professional animator … Continue reading 2021 Dances With Films Review of “Dear Ike: Lost Letters to a Teen Idol”

“Mondo Hollywoodland” A Story Of Selfreflection

By Vernon Nickerson “Mondo Hollywoodland” looks and feels vaguely familiar. In fact, it is a story I have lived in the bohemian lives of many artist friends in Los Angeles’ Silverlake Community. The film was directed, produced and co-written by award-winning director, producer, and writer Janek Ambros “Mondo Hollywoodland” also stars Alex Loynaz (PEDRO, 9-1-1), Alyssa Sabo (Totally Rad, Floor is Lava), and Jessica Jade … Continue reading “Mondo Hollywoodland” A Story Of Selfreflection

A Review of Jonathan Baker’s Film “Becoming Iconic”

By Vernon Nickerson By his own admission, relatively “new” Director Jonathan Baker wants a career in filmmaking and defines film as propaganda. So, I can only conclude from Jonathan Baker’s “Becoming Iconic” that Baker wants to become an iconic creator director. Jonathan Baker is a writer, producer and director has always been enthralled by smart storytelling and larger than life figures, taking inspiration from greats … Continue reading A Review of Jonathan Baker’s Film “Becoming Iconic”

“Wolfgang”, The Moveable Feast of 2021: A Film Review About One “Hella’ Life!” Where Food Is Life And Life Is Very Good Food

By Vernon Nickerson Can we all agree Wolfgang is a hetero-rock god’s first attempt at a reflection that strongly hints at the tell-all memoir that I predict audiences will crave after watching an epic plate of delicious small bites, tastefully delivered like all of Alexander Wolfgang Puck’s culinary arts masterworks? Well, gentle readers, we cannot have that conversation to agree or disagree unless you all … Continue reading “Wolfgang”, The Moveable Feast of 2021: A Film Review About One “Hella’ Life!” Where Food Is Life And Life Is Very Good Food

SEE “SUMMER Of SOUL” AS SOON AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE

By Vernon Nickerson Where were you in summer 1969? Can’t remember? Not born yet? That’s okay. I have the perfect film for where you needed to be in 1969 on the day man walked on the moon. GO SEE SUMMER SOUL AS SOON AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE! A Questlove Jam: “Summer of Soul”, Or, when the Revolution Could Not Be Televised, is more than a documentary. … Continue reading SEE “SUMMER Of SOUL” AS SOON AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE

Country of Hotels, a Quirkily Entertaining Relief from the Summer of Comic Empire Promotionals

By Vernon Nickerson Country of Hotels, a new film by Director Julio Maria Martino and Producers Saba Kia and Emily Corcoran is a somber 21st Century homage to Rod Serling’s Night Gallery. Intrigued, gentle movie-watching public? Well if you are still fighting your natural urges to explore a mysterious sci-fi-ish drama, I would add that Country of Hotels was the winner of the Audience Award … Continue reading Country of Hotels, a Quirkily Entertaining Relief from the Summer of Comic Empire Promotionals

A Summer Blockbuster in Independent Film: “Skin Deep: Formulating a Legacy” Is A Serious Piece Of 2021 Summertime Fun!

By Vernon Nickerson In the new film, “Skin Deep: Formulating a Legacy”, we are reminded that while “Jersey Shore” was becoming a cultural phenomenon, an actual phenomenally talented entrepreneur and cosmetic chemistry genius was working against relentless odds and a jaw-dropping series of unfortunate events. Thanks to the star and Executive Producer Vince Spinnato, a Jersey native and proud graduate of Vineland High School, we … Continue reading A Summer Blockbuster in Independent Film: “Skin Deep: Formulating a Legacy” Is A Serious Piece Of 2021 Summertime Fun!

A Vocabulary of Essential Terms for Universal Understanding

By Vernon Nickerson Add Addition More More than Multiply Multiplication Logs Logarithms Subtract subtraction Less Less than Inequality Divide Division Equal Equals Equality From here we get to Calculus, Quantum Physics, and the mathematics of Star Trek, MCU, and DCU; to infinity and beyond. (S),where (s) equals silence and silence comes before sound. Sound is there to help us appreciate silence. Silence allows our ears … Continue reading A Vocabulary of Essential Terms for Universal Understanding

An Inspiring Interview with AJ Ali, Producer of “Walking while Black: L.O.V.E. Is The Answer”

By Vernon Nickerson Good afternoon. Today it is my honor to be in conversation with AJ Ali, Producer of a powerful new documentary that is a must-see-and-discuss event for a global audience: “Walking While Black: L.O.V.E. is the Answer”. AJ kindly allowed us to have wonderfully diverse conversation with him Vernon Nickerson: Welcome to The Art of Monteque. AJ Ali: Hi Vernon, How are you? … Continue reading An Inspiring Interview with AJ Ali, Producer of “Walking while Black: L.O.V.E. Is The Answer”

“Walking while Black L.O.V.E. Is The Answer” – A MUST SEE FILM for Our 21st Century

By Vernon Nickerson Full disclosure: I want the planet to watch this entire documentary from beginning to end as many times as needed so that no human being in America forgets. Specifically, we must never forget the history of our current pandemic of violence at the hands of people who, once upon a time, were universally believed to keep the peace, even when everything else … Continue reading “Walking while Black L.O.V.E. Is The Answer” – A MUST SEE FILM for Our 21st Century