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Establishing Shot Indiana University
Created in a dark room after being exposed to images from infinite worlds, Aja Essex seeks to engender thought, conversation, and possibility through film. Co-founder of Establishing Shot as well as co-founder and co-operator of Bloomington's own Cicada Cinema, she has always aimed to spotlight the underseen, underscreened, and underappreciated. She hosts, edits, and produces the IU Cinema podcast, Footage Not Found, with the same haphazard but enthusiastic zeal as her writing. She loves getting lost in a song and despite her namesake being her favorite Steely Dan album, she has probably listened to Countdown to Ecstasy more.

Entries by Aja Essex

One More Chorus: Thank You, Establishing Shot

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You find salvation in the funniest places sometimes. You spend so much of your life thinking you’ll be chasing one thing that’ll make you feel fulfilled and free only for something else to sprout through the concrete you paved over your own garden long ago. If I had known my own salvation was going to… Read more »

Physical Media Isn’t Dead, It Just Smells Funny: Criterion and Imprint Reviews for December, Kino Lorber Holiday Gift Guide, and Picks of the Year for 2022

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Artwork by Nile James Arena

  Full transparency: all Blu-rays reviewed were provided by Kino Lorber, Fun City Editions, the Criterion Collection, Imprint Films, Arrow Video, 88 Films US, Dekanalog, and Vinegar Syndrome. Well, here we are everyone: at the end of another calendar year for this column and another incredible year for physical media. We saw long-awaited releases, upgrades… Read more »

Physical Media Isn’t Dead, It Just Smells Funny: Kino Lorber, Fun City Editions, and Criterion Blu-ray Reviews for November 2022

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Artwork by Nile James Arena

Full transparency: all Blu-rays reviewed were provided by Kino Lorber, Fun City Editions, and the Criterion Collection. This month’s cavalcade of carefully curated content is mostly some near-and-dear favorites of mine and a new certified slapper in my arsenal of “dad movies” I’ll be revisiting on many Sunday afternoons to come. From Kino Lorber, we… Read more »

Physical Media Isn’t Dead, It Just Smells Funny: Fun City Editions, 88 Films, Arrow Video, and Criterion Blu-ray Reviews for August 2022

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Artwork by Nile James Arena

Full transparency: all Blu-rays reviewed were provided by Fun City Editions, 88 Films, Arrow Video, and the Criterion Collection. It’s a juicy season for the devotees of the disc. Movies of all makes and models find their way on this month’s round up. From Fun City Editions, we have the end-of-the-’70’s-tinged neo-noir starring Lisa Eichhorn,… Read more »

Physical Media Isn’t Dead, It Just Smells Funny: Peekarama, Kino Lorber, Vinegar Syndrome, and Fun City Editions Blu-ray Reviews for August 2022

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Artwork by Nile James Arena

  Full transparency: all Blu-rays reviewed were provided by Peekarama, Vinegar Syndrome, Fun City Editions, and Kino Lorber. We have what I would call a pandering line-up of titles for this half of the month’s Blu-ray reviews. Who’s it pandering to? WHY, ME, OF COURSE. What I mean is that all four films I will… Read more »

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