No matter how well off we think we are, each of us are one bad day away from mountains of debt. This is especially true in areas where medical bills can mount, forcing people to make choiceless choices regarding what… Read More ›
In Theaters
Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” recontextualizes the heroic epic poem into a melancholic exploration of regret and consequence.
Review Warning: The following review will do its best to refrain from specific details as it relates to the filmmaker’s intention, but the source material is so woven into modern storytelling in a variety of ways that not discussing the… Read More ›
The “Crime City” series shifts to Japan with head-bashing action thriller “TOKYO BURST.” [Fantasia]
In 2017, director Kang Yun-sung’s based-on-a-true-story The Outlaws introduced audiences to Detective Ma (Don Lee), colloquially known as “Beast Cop” for the way he resolves conflicts within his district with his power-packed fists. Watching Ma tackle Chinese gangsters trying to… Read More ›
“The Samurai and the Prisoner” traps itself.
Things are not going great — globally and locally. Upheaval is in the air, and we’re all waiting to see when it will come down. In 1578, the same could be said for the feuding Samurai lords of Japan, and… Read More ›
Bergholm and Rautsi’s “Nightborn” falls short in delivering something darker to sink your teeth into. [Fantasia]
I first got to discover director Hanna Bergholm with her debut film, Hatching, in 2022 as part of virtual Sundance, and instantly fell in love with her direction, writing, and prowess. So, when it was announced that Hanna and her… Read More ›
Harrison Atkins’s keeps his trippy “Sour Minnows” experience grounded enough for audiences to buy-in to the ride. [Fantasia]
Harrison Atkins’s Sour Minnows is an experimental film in an unconventional sense of the definition, with a very loose and whimsical plot. It doesn’t feel anything like a Stan Brakhage (Dog Star Man) movie (depending on how that makes you… Read More ›
Open up wide and let “Corpus” in. [Fantasia]
“And I need you now tonight And I need you more than ever And if you only hold me tight We’ll be holding on forever And we’ll only be making it right ‘Cause we’ll never be wrong Together, we can… Read More ›
The only thing stopping Springtime for Hitler is “The Last Temptation of Becky.” [Fantasia]
“You probably heard we ain’t in the prisoner-takin’ business; we in the killin’ Nazi business. And cousin, business is a-boomin’.” – Lt. Aldo Raine in Inglourious Basterds (2009) There are a few things in cinema that most audiences agree on:… Read More ›
Filmmaker Kenichi Kutsuna’s animated video game adaptation “Sekiro: No Defeat” beautifully captures its jidaigeki roots through classic animation and action. [Fantasia]
What does it mean to live an honorable life? Is it honoring yourself? Honoring your community? Existing by a code? These may sound like old-fashioned queries, the sort of things that warriors or soldiers asked themselves when written by poets,… Read More ›
Nick Taylor’s doc “RUBBERHEAD: The Life & Monsters of Steve Johnson” successfully unveils the magic of making movies but not of the subject himself. [Fantasia]
Movies are a place for escape, but also for self-discovery. They take us to unseen lands, places of pure imagination, situations in which the amazing and the horrible occur in equal measure, containing the ability to excite us in ways… Read More ›
Berner’s “Splash City” is a brutal Bay Area crime thriller dominated by powerful performances.
Born in the Sunset District neighborhood of San Francisco, Gilbert Anthony Milam Jr., known professionally as Berner, is a rapper with multiple albums under his belt, as well as a cannabis entrepreneur. Berner is the Co-founder and CEO of Cookies,… Read More ›
Flameo, Hotman! “Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender” satisfies like a fresh cup of tea from the Jasmine Dragon.
“No one wins a fight.” – Dalton in Road House. When Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino premiered their Nickelodeon program Avatar: The Last Airbender in 2005, there was likely little sense of what the response would be. On paper,… Read More ›
“Big Break” has cult comedy group Simple Town leap from the stage onto the cinema screen, creating plenty of hysterics along the way. [Fantasia]
Comedy is subjective, but when it’s done right and done in a way that hasn’t been overdrawn and overdone, then it can be a wild success. In Ian Faria’s first feature, cult comedy group Simple Town (known to their fans,… Read More ›
Director Bob Colaers’s “Attack on Paradise” attempts a fresh perspective on well-worn tropes with mixed results. [Fantasia]
When stories aren’t being told the way you want to see them, sometimes you have no choice but to make them yourself. Based on an artist’s statement, that’s the idea behind the creation of Attack on Paradise (formerly Paradise) by… Read More ›
“You Are the Film” continues the trend of fantastical whimsy as writer Makoto Ueda shifts his talents to include the director’s chair. [Fantasia]
All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts – From the “All the World’s a Stage” speech within William… Read More ›
“Tight Lettuce” recounts the weight of the opioid crisis on a family level in an appropriately darkly comedic drama. [Fantasia]
Addiction is not an easy subject to tackle, and it’s even harder to tackle when it’s inspired by a true story. A lot of care was taken and understanding was used to tell this story, which a close friend of… Read More ›
When communication breaks down and anger seethes, “Evil Dead Burn.”
Trigger Warning: There’s a brief club sequence early in the film that features flashing lights that may be disturbing for photosensitive viewers. Additionally, the subject of familial abuse courses throughout. Be sure to take precautions before watching. Sheila: You found… Read More ›
Yeon Sang-ho’s “Colony” sees individuality and community collide in the filmmaker’s latest horror thriller.
Despite the well-worn nature of certain subgenres, there can be a magical configuration of approaches that result in a sensation of something new and special. This is the case with Yeon Sang-ho’s Train to Busan (2016), an action horror thriller… Read More ›
“Hadestown: The Musical” comes to theaters for a limited five-night run. [Tribeca]
There is no way to describe the life-changing feeling of seeing a musical on stage. Not everyone can access that experience. Pro-shot is the closest one can get to that same magic and for a fraction of the price of… Read More ›
“Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass” is a comedic breath of fresh air worth pursuing this summer season.
Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass is one of the best light-hearted comedies in a very long time and a nice send-up of The Wizard of Oz (1939). At a time when so many comedies rely on recycled jokes… Read More ›