Documentaries that manage to introduce a new audience to something niche and relatively uncommon (while retaining entertainment value and artistic excellence) instantly earn my admiration. From director Jeremy Workman and executive producer Kelly Marie Tran, Lily Topples the World shows… Read More ›
Reviews
Trippy, manic, and violent only begins to describe Ben Wheatley’s “In The Earth.”
Off-the-bat: Major epilepsy/strobe warning in effect for In The Earth. Stay far away from this film if that concerns you in any way. Director Ben Wheatley is no stranger to putting on different filmmaking hats, from his takes on British… Read More ›
“Thunder Force” is on the way to protect your town.
Given the option of choosing a Melissa McCarthy-led drama or comedy, the former is near-guaranteed to be stellar while the latter can be hit/miss. She’s a fantastic actor and one whose willingness to embrace physical comedy is something akin to… Read More ›
Ran Slavin’s feature debut, “Call for Dreams,” is “A Page of Madness” for the 21st century.
According to the press notes for Call for Dreams, Israeli director Ran Slavin started the project in pursuit of a “new cinematic form.” Slavin began with the idea to collect dreams from strangers that he could use as inspiration for… Read More ›
Director Mary Wharton’s documentary “Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free” is good for the heart and soul. [SXSW Film Festival]
From director Mary Wharton, the documentary Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free feels like a secret glimpse into a lost part of history. Considering that we are less than three decades removed from the time period of this film’s focus,… Read More ›
Writer/director Patrick Picard’s “The Bloodhound” is the best unfaithful adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe you can experience at home.
“During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heaves, I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country; and… Read More ›
Flashes of brilliance in co-directors Mallory Everton and Stephen Meek’s “Recovery” are diminished by inconsistency. [SXSW Film Festival]
A little over a year ago, mentioning the term “COVID comedy” as a film genre would have probably brought looks of confusion. Of course, events within the last 12 months or so have changed the entire motion of the world… Read More ›
“Godzilla vs. Kong:” Showdown for the Monsterverse.
Not since the 1962 film King Kong vs. Godzilla have the mighty titans faced each other in combat on the silver screen. It was the third film for both and, in keeping with the traditions of perceived heroism, Kong won… Read More ›
Jacob Gentry’s jazzy tech noir “Broadcast Signal Intrusion” takes us down a rabbit hole. [SXSW Film Festival]
Imagine being in the middle of a favorite television program, only to have your television hijacked by unwanted and disturbing images. While the interruption doesn’t last long, what appeared on screen you can’t unsee. While this sounds like an old… Read More ›
Documentary “The Hunt for Planet B” begins with the amazing minds at home. [SXSW Film Festival]
Are we alone in the universe? This is the question that drives some people to search the stars and others to question your sanity. “Why would there be others like us?” some may wonder, “For we are divine creatures thanks… Read More ›
“Nobody” brings comfort like family.
Audience expectations are killer. They will ruin you every time, which is often why the marketing has to work so hard to manage them. A little tease here, a little explanation there — just enough to get folks interested without… Read More ›
Bonkers B-Movie gore fest “Jakob’s Wife” is brimming with bloodlust. [SXSW Film Festival]
Immediately after I finished watching Jakob’s Wife, I sat there in a state of confusion, perplexed by the madness of what I just witnessed. A jumbled mess of incohesive thoughts and emotions floated around in my mind as I tried… Read More ›
If you can stomach it, “Violation” from writing/directing team Dusty Mancinelli and Madeleine Sims-Fewer has something worth hearing.
**Trigger Warning: Discussion of topics surrounding sexual assault** There’s this strange sort of thought process that goes into the writing of the stereotypical rape-revenge film. Woman (always a woman, because that’s totally not something that ever happens to a man,… Read More ›
Just In: “Breaking News in Yuba County” fails to live up to the promise of its cast.
No one can accuse Tate Taylor of being the kind of director who’s confined to one genre or style. He’s tackled book adaptations with the Oscar-winning The Help (2011), biographical material with Get on Up (2014), suspense with The Girl… Read More ›
Documentary “Hysterical” is a showcase of the sheer fearlessness and tenacity of female comics. [SXSW Film Festival]
There is a lot to take away from the official SXSW selection, Hysterical, a documentary feature directed by Andrea Nevins, which examines the culture of women in stand-up comedy. Just to set the scene, I am a straight, white male… Read More ›
The unique benefits of “The Spine of Night” outweigh its sometimes impenetrable downsides. [SXSW Film Festival]
Of the nominations for Best Animated Film at this year’s Academy Awards, Onward, Over the Moon, Shaun The Sheep: Farmageddon, Soul, and Wolfwalkers, not a single one of them was made for anything but family audiences in mind. It’s a… Read More ›
Riveting documentary “Introducing, Selma Blair” captures the spirit of a person unbroken. [SXSW Film Festival]
There’s a point about two-thirds of the way through Introducing, Selma Blair where the titular Selma Blair is recounting her career based on her magazine appearances, including an admittedly unfortunate Seventeen Magazine cover, a stunning Italian Vogue cover, and the… Read More ›
“Best Summer Ever” is may be cheesy, but it’ll sweep you up in its charm nonetheless. [SXSW Film Festival]
Originally slated for a 2020 SXSW premiere, musical comedy Best Summer Ever from first-time feature directing partners Michael Parks Randa and Lauren Smitelli instead makes its world debut at the 2021 festival. Part Grease homage, part Disney Channel wannabe, part… Read More ›
Documentary “Alien on Stage” charms from lights down to the final curtain call. [SXSW Film Festival]
If you’re like me, you’ve been obsessed with the North Bergen High School’s production of Alien two years ago. The New Jersey high school, with the film and a dream as inspiration, crafted a unique and (by high school standards)… Read More ›
Failing to live up to its promise, “Offseason” feels more like a pale imitation to other works. [SXSW Film Festival]
If you ever even mutter the words “silent” and “hill” within seven words of each other in a sentence within a 10-meter radius of me, buckle in because I’m going to tell you everything I know about the Silent Hill… Read More ›