Ballad

The Mournful Ballad Of Punch The Monkey

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When I first heard rumblings that the world had assembled a conclave to elect a new celebrity zoo animal, I felt preemptively wary, partly due to world events and partly because we still don’t know the long-term psychological consequences of fame for child stars like Moo Deng. Then I saw a video of the seven-month-old … Read more

Ballad of a Small Player (2025) Movie Review – Jimmy Star’s World

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In the awkwardly titled Ballad of a Small Player, Netflix and Colin Farrell attempt to turn a mid-grade gambling drama into an awards contender—a “go big or go broke” attempt that unfortunately goes broke. About an expat living beyond his means in Macau, Ballad of a Small Player depicts a pathetic man with a gambling … Read more