Dorothy Burk Vasquéz is a full-time writer and avid observer of crime in media. Her works have appeared in Matter Journal and on Voice of Antartika. You can find Dorothy on her blog or can follow her on Twitter @dorothybv.
Features
Monday, April 29 2013
We All Want to Be the Police: Crowdsourcing, Fantasy and National Tragedy
During the Boston Marathon bombings, reputable news agencies were chasing Reddit and 4Chan leads, and social media commentators were lauding this “new move” in crime fighting: crowdsourcing.
Monday, March 11 2013
'The Network' Premieres at SXSW: An Interview with Filmmaker Eva Orner
Academy Award-winning producer Eva Orner marks her directorial debut with a documentary that is at once compelling and heart-breaking. The Network is about how one TV station challenges, informs, and entertains a country emerging from 30 years of war.
Columns
Wednesday, February 27 2013
'Southland' Offers a Fresh Take on Police Procedurals
Southland is both the epitome of a cop show and a substantial departure from traditional police procedurals.
Reviews
Tuesday, May 21 2013
'True Blood: Season Five' Runs a Little Dry
There are moments when we imagine that a character might actually meet the true death, leaving Sookie without a vampire lover to come to her rescue, for once.
Monday, May 20 2013
'Motive' Wonders, Why?
Motive reminds viewers that breaking social norms can lead to dire consequences.
Thursday, May 16 2013
SFIFF Spotlight: Latin American Cinema
The San Francisco International Film Festival celebrated Latin American cinema this year with a selection of diverse, engaging films. PopMatters takes a look at six of the best selections from the festival this year.
Tuesday, May 14 2013
SFIFF Spotlight: Documentary Cinema
The best documentaries create empathy without leaving the audience to believe that the problems or issues presented have been 'fixed' by the cathartic act of viewing. PopMatters picks five documentaries that engendered empathy in the very best way at this year's San Francisco International Film Festival.
Monday, May 13 2013
'Cloud Atlas' Is an Ecstatic Exploration of Humanity
Adapted from David Mitchell's ambitious novel, Cloud Atlas is at once a visually rich Hollywood blockbuster and a philosophically driven experimental film.
Blogs
Friday, May 17 2013
'33 Postcards' Is a Classic Coming-of-Age Tale
Chinese orphan Mei-Mei and her Australian sponsor, Dean Randall, have communicated throughout postcards for years. When Mei-Mei visits Australia with the children's choir she helps direct, she discovers the truth about her sponsor and even more about herself.
Wednesday, May 8 2013
SFIFF Day 7: Frances Ha + Everyday Objects
Stories about the ordinary lives of young women have abounded at film festivals this year. As we look at two of the most popular at SFIFF, we ask whether or not these films are as interesting as they're made out to be.
Monday, May 6 2013
'Pearblossom Highway' Fails to Fully Address the Issues It Raises
Mike Ott's Pearblossom Hwy is meant as a film about a generation of lost youth. Unfortunately, it just can't engage with the concerns that it raises, leaving viewers with no real way to empathize with the film's main characters.
Wednesday, May 1 2013
Atiq Rahimi Chats with the Audience About 'The Patience Stone'
Atiq Rahimi's new movie is a powerful portrait of a woman struggling to care for her comatose husband and protect her two young daughters in war-torn Afghanistan.
Friday, April 12 2013
'42': Is It Too Simplistic?
The new Jackie Robinson bio-pic 42 is taking some heat in critical circles for portraying racism too simplistically. Have writers embraced over-criticism of the movie when they should be paying attention to its positive potential?
