After gathering a sizeable following on YouTube with a series of short comedy skits, Curry Barker used that platform to self-release his feature film debut, 2024's found footage thriller Milk & Serial. Available to watch for free, that movie has racked up over two million views. It's no surprise then that Hollywood knocked on Barker's door, but what is perhaps surprising is how much the Blumhouse-backed Obsession feels like an indie movie rather than a Hollywood production. With an intimate cast and just a handful of locations, you suspect Barker would have made Obsession himself if the House of Blum hadn't thrown money in his direction. Unlike so many other filmmakers who have been rendered soulless by the studio system, Barker has maintained his vision here, and he even casts Milk & Serial's Cooper Tomlinson in a major supporting role.
The Makin Waves Song of the Week is "Shine" by Princeton singer-songwriter Helen O'Shea. The song from Helen's latest album, "“Songs in the Key O," features E Street Band backing vocalist Michelle Moore.
(TENAFLY, NJ) -- Visual artist Lemar Kim will present her first U.S. solo exhibition, HELLO WORLD, at ACC Gallery from May 26 through June 6, 2026. This exhibition brings together her signature character works and paintings, featuring a diverse range of artworks including paintings, digital print editions, and installation elements that showcase the breadth of her artistic expression.
(MONTCLAIR, NJ) -- The Montclair Art Museum (MAM) has announced the appointment of Kate Kraczon as Chief Curator, effective June 15, 2026, marking a significant step in the Museum's vision for its next chapter. A nationally respected curator with more than two decades of experience leading contemporary art institutions, Kraczon will help shape an ambitious curatorial program centered on artistic excellence, contemporary relevance, and meaningful community connection.
