Crime stories are a staple in cinematic storytelling. These stories take the form of films like Internal Affairs (1990), Crime Story (1991), Heat (1995), and The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil (2019). Sometimes, the individual films are standalones (Point Break… Read More ›
In Theaters
“About My Father” is a heartfelt, funny, and narratively safe trip to the cinema.
Robert De Niro has built one of Hollywood’s most unique filmographies. He has worked with great filmmakers like Martin Scorsese (The Irishman), Sergio Leone (Once Upon a Time in America), Quentin Tarantino (Jackie Brown), and Michael Mann (Heat). De Niro’s… Read More ›
Though the approach threatens to push away general audiences, there are many lessons within documentarian Melody C. Miller’s “California’s Forgotten Children” that should be heeded.
The stories we tell ourselves shape how we view the world. Sometimes the narrating voice is our own, unable to pull us up out of a self-defeating dive; other times, the voice is someone else’s, taking advantage of our vulnerability… Read More ›
“The Wrath of Becky” is a strong, violent, and fun second entry in the “Becky” universe.
2020’s Becky was arguably the definition of a sleeper hit, garnering some acclaim through word of mouth and possibly solidified Lulu Wilson as an action star who can certainly hold her own. Did the 2020 movie need a sequel? In… Read More ›
“The Little Mermaid” falls in line with the fun-but-underwhelming Disney Live Action remakes.
Disney’s track record of live-action remakes of animated classics has given mixed results. Certain live-action adaptations garnered praise, like Jungle Book (2016) and Cinderella (2015). Others, like The Lion King from 2019, were met with a more divisive response from… Read More ›
Sun’s out and the beer is cold: must be time for “Buddy Games 2: Spring Awakening.”
We should all be so lucky as to work with our friends. It makes the hard days easier and the light days more fun. Doesn’t matter what the gig is, doing it with people that you trust just improves the… Read More ›
“Hypnotic” spirals a tad too much.
“…a thrill ride in the Hitchcock sense..” – Director Robert Rodriquez. Remaking Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1958) is an unofficial right-of-passage for many auteur directors, and after 21 years of trying, Robert Rodriquez has finally made his. Hypnotic seems to view… Read More ›
“Fool’s Paradise” is fool’s gold.
“Do nothing, works for tons of actors.” – Ray Liotta as The Producer. Fool’s Paradise is the directorial debut of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005-present)’s Charlie Day. It’s a comedy about the absurdity and tragedy of the business of… Read More ›
Driving and striving, “Rally Road Racers” aims to go the distance in a silly family-friendly adventure.
When it comes to automotive competition, there’re different forms of endurance racing. In the U.S., there’s NASCAR, whereas in Europe, there is Le Mans. But if you really want to push yourself as a driver, there’s the road rally, often… Read More ›
Documentary “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie” captures the perpetual-motion life of the actor through multi-media.
Biography pictures come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes they take a more chronological approach (Malcolm X), sometimes they’re more focused on a specific moment in time (Chevalier), and, for others, it’s more interpretive (Rocketman). This doesn’t just apply to… Read More ›
The rise and fall of the “BlackBerry” takes audiences on a wild ride.
Canadian-born and -bred Matt Johnson is no stranger to wearing many hats as he is constantly writing, directing, and starring in his projects (Nirvanna the Band the Show/Operation Avalanche), no matter what they might be. The man behind many constant… Read More ›
New rom-com doesn’t tread new paths as it asks audiences to consider “What’s Love Got to Do with It?”
Romance has been a part of storytelling for centuries. There’s a Greek myth that Zeus tore humanity from their original form of two heads, four arms, and four legs because he worried about their strength, thereby causing humanity to search… Read More ›
Justin Johnson tells a “Naturally Impressive” story in “Mom & Dad’s Nipple Factory.”
Personal stories can be the most challenging stories to tell. Talking about yourself is easy, but refining a personal story in order to share it with others takes skill and humility. For an unskilled writer or filmmaker, the result is… Read More ›
Attention A-holes: It’s time for one last ride with the Guardians of the Galaxy via “Volume 3.”
Say what you will about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but, in the early days, no one expected to be so taken by a collection of assassins, thieves, marauders, and murders brought to live action from the mind behind Tromeo and… Read More ›
Director Philip Barantini’s latest social-cultural dramatic thriller leaves us all “Accused.” [The Overlook Film Festival]
It used to be that when something horrible happened, citizenry had to wait for official word before they knew what was going on. This meant that their imaginations could run wild with speculation, their worst fears, their most depraved visualization,… Read More ›
“A Touch of Zen,” a pinch of cinematic magic. [Old School Kung Fu Fest]
From the titular King of Wuxia, King Hu’s A Touch of Zen is what wuxia cinema is all about. In this groundbreaking entry in the genre, a poor scholar named Gu (Shih Chun) paints the portrait of a mysterious stranger… Read More ›
“Sisu” is a ferocious mindset turned into a blood-splattered actionfest that’ll delight on almost every possible level.
Let’s begin with a brief historical recap: at the end of World War I, Germany was not in a good place (financially or spiritually) leaving them open to the ideas of a charismatic failed painter vegan coward who used the… Read More ›
“The Swordsman of All Swordsmen” promises a great time. [Old School Kung Fu Fest]
The Swordsman of All Swordsmen has filed his amicus brief on debt forgiveness, and he wrote it in blood. Kung Fu Legend Joseph Kuo’s early wuxia film is back and digitally restored for your viewing pleasure, and it is a… Read More ›
“The King of Wuxia:” Fall in love with the Twilight Samurai. [Old School Kung Fu Fest]
“He was a pure artist. The kind you meet once or twice in a lifetime.” King Hu, the subject of documentary The King of Wuxia, was once named among the five greatest filmmakers on Earth. Kicking off Metrograph’s 10th Old… Read More ›
Stephen Williams’s “Chevalier” may just incite curiosity about all the other stories we don’t know.
It should come as little shock these days how diminutive our knowledge of the world and our place in it really is, not in a celestial sense, but in the very real, tangible historical terrestrial way. Especially in the United… Read More ›