The dating scene has always been rather bleak. This is not news. With the creation of “dating” apps, the odds of meeting someone this way and it working were always slim and bleak. I haven’t had to be out there… Read More ›
In Theaters
Director Soi Cheang’s “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In” incorporates elements of new school and old school Hong Kong cinema which rattle audiences’ bones and souls in equal measure. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
Every community has its stories — tales of victories and defeats, of perilous ends and new beginnings, and of the old guard and the new. Sometimes these take the form of myths and legends born from imagination and other times… Read More ›
Within the weird and zany world of “Ghost Cat Anzu” lies a bittersweet story of broken hearts searching for healing. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
In Japanese folklore, there exists what’s known as “kaibyō,” a cat that possesses supernatural properties. Of the three types within kaibyō — bakeneko, maneki-neko, and nekomata — manga creator Imashiro Takashi took inspiration from the bakeneko type for his series… Read More ›
“Cuckoo” loudly calls its shot and still hooks its audience with mystery and plagues them with horror. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
In 2019, writer/director Tilman Singer made an enormous splash with his possession thriller Luz. It’s as much an homage to the horror films of the ‘60s and ‘70s, evoking the look via cinematography and art direction, while telling a unique… Read More ›
Dark comedy “The Duel” is a fascinating directorial debut that misfires its exploration of class.
“The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.” – Proverb of unclear origin. In our lives, there are those who are family by DNA and those by relationships. When those who sired us, grew up… Read More ›
Yûgo Sakamoto’s “Nice Days” showcases why you should never underestimate these “Baby Assassins.” [Fantasia International Film Festival]
Over the last few years, writer/director Yûgo Sakamoto’s (A Janitor) created a very specific cinematic world in which low-stakes slacker comedy meets high-stakes wet work via his Baby Assassins series. Returning for a third outing in Baby Assassins Nice Days,… Read More ›
“Sing Sing” delivers Grade-A performances in a story capturing the significant rehabilitative properties of art.
Writer and producer Greg Kwedar (Transpecos) returns to the director chair for his sophomore feature film debut with Sing Sing, a prison drama following John “Divine G” Whitfield (Colman Domingo), imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit. While incarcerated, he… Read More ›
Writer/director Jun’ichi Yasuda’s “A Samurai in Time” is a meta sci-fi dramedy with a thoughtful core. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
“To have never gone to war is something to be proud of.” – Seiji Akitsu (Kuranosuke Sasaki) in Godzilla Minus One (2023) There’s this belief that the old ways are better than new. They’re tried, they’re true, and they meet… Read More ›
Director Tatsuya Oishi composites the “Monogatari” prequel trilogy into “Kizumonogatari -Koyomi Vamp-” an interesting curio of a cinematic experience. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
Shtriga, vrykolakas, strigoi, vampire — they are mythical creatures of the night who feed on human blood, exist in a perpetual outward appearance of the moment of their transformation, and can live forever under specific conditions. Stories of their existence… Read More ›
“Chainsaws Were Singing” falls short on its promise but is well worth the price of admission. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
When a movie is pitched as “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) meets Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) meets Les Misérables (2012),” there is something that immediately grabs my attention because a musical that is zany and over-the-top… Read More ›
“Mash Ville” takes on many meanings in a confluence of stories around a moonshine business. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
Having never seen Hwang Wook’s previous movies (Dog Eat Dog; Live Hard), I did not know what to expect when watching the latest, Mash Ville, and what was delivered was a combination of some of the zaniest wackiest things ever… Read More ›
A well-cultivated pairing of performances makes “Starve Acre” a worthy addition to the British folk horror genre.
MaXXXine (2024) is a tribute to giallo horror of the ‘80s, The First Omen (2024) pays homage to the psychological horror of the late ‘70s/early ‘80s, In A Violent Nature (2024) adds a twist to the great American slasher film,… Read More ›
Poor CGI quells any well-developed suspense in horror thriller “The Last Breath.”
Since 1975, filmmakers have tried to capture the horror and the magic of a killer shark movie. Jaws broke all kinds of box office records and terrified millions of theater-goers enough that going to the neighborhood pool was panic-inducing. Even… Read More ›
Documentarian Chelsea McMullan uncovers a beautifully human story in “Swan Song.”
In the first half of 2022, the dancers and staff at the National Ballet of Canada were pouring themselves into rehearsals for a historic opening: a new production of the iconic Swan Lake directed by ballet legend Karen Kain. This… Read More ›
Director Park Jin-pyo’s “Brave Citizen” delivers satisfying vigilante justice in this web comic adaptation. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
“If you do nothing, nothing will happen.” This quote is spoken by the character So Si-Min, portrayed by Shin Hye-sun (See You in My 19th Life), as part of a class on ethics. It’s one of several concepts that particular… Read More ›
“Deadpool and Wolverine” brought the buddy cop mantra but left everything else in the cab.
There will be no spoilers in this review as there are plenty of surprises that will be used to great effect for those who care. Basic plot points will be covered, but nothing that wasn’t in the trailers. When the… Read More ›
“The Beast Within” leaves telltale tracks resulting in an immediate blood-letting of tension. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
Whether textually or subtextually, horror films explore elements of society that upend or terrify. Sometimes the horror comes from the loss of bodily control from foreign invasion (Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)), other times it’s from the very natural… Read More ›
“Vulcanizadora” delivers on its promise to those who dare to tread past the point of no return. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
A slow burn — something that either turns out great or, on occasion, as something audiences despise and generally hate in films. There is no real winning ground when it comes to films as there are things about traditional movies… Read More ›
Filmmaker Fábio Powers’s “The Old Man and the Demon Sword” asks its audience to consider the value of a soul. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
Every day, someone picks up a camera — 8 mm, 16 mm, 35 mm, iPhone, iPad, Android, whatever they can find — and they tell a story with it. They combine image with sound to inspire, delight, terrify, or simply… Read More ›
“Twisters” is summer popcorn fun with its “if you feel it chase it” energy.
1996’s Twister, starring Bill Paxton (Near Dark; Weird Science) and Helen Hunt (As Good As It Gets), holds a place of nostalgia for many. That film has resonated with viewers, making it something they have continuously returned to years later…. Read More ›