“You don’t stop playing because you grow old, you grow old because you stop playing.” – George Bernard Shaw, Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. On wintry days when it was too cold to venture out or on summer… Read More ›
In Theaters
Go see “House” already, it’s perfect. [Japanese Horror Fest]
Running from March 1st – 14th at Film Forum NYC, a 25-film Japanese Horror festival gives New Yorkers the chance to see Nobuhiko Obayashi’s (The Little Girl Who Conquered Time; His Motorbike, Her Island) House (1977). This Japanese blockbuster was… Read More ›
Family documentary “Lili” explores parental separation from the perspective of a child in the fallout. [SBIFF]
Divorces are hard. Rarely is there an instance where both parties walk away satisfied, happy, or otherwise ok. Divorce is the resolution of a relationship ending and there’s often regret at what could have been or sadness over what is… Read More ›
Kate Cobb’s feature directorial debut “Okie” asks audiences what they owe to their homes. Its answer may unnerve you. [SBIFF]
My therapist introduced the idea of “the story we tell ourselves.” What they mean by this is that individuals have a tendency to create a version of the truth that fits within the framework of information that they have. Someone… Read More ›
“Ordinary Angels” embodies a heartfelt story through powerful performances and a nuanced script.
The purpose of a movie trailer is to get an audience intrigued in seeing the movie, however, when the trailer paints the movie as something it absolutely is not, it does a disservice to the movie itself and sets up… Read More ›
“Lucha: A Wrestling Tale” captures the ways lessons work on and off the mat. [SBIFF]
In American high school sports, for most schools, it’s football, basketball, and maybe soccer as the big three. Sure, you can run cross country, maybe play tennis, but down on the lower rungs of high school competition (in terms of… Read More ›
Crunchyroll teases the upcoming fourth season of action fantasy anime “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” with cinematic event “To the Hashira Training.”
Running from February 2016 until March 2020, the shonen manga Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba by Koyoharu Gotouge was adapted into an animated series by Studio ufotable in April 2019 and is set to release its latest story arc soon…. Read More ›
Grief-based horror short “Above & Within” captivates with its storytelling, performances, and cinematography. [SBIFF]
Death, grief, isolation, and the horrors within them all are universal. The question of what gives life meaning when it all comes crashing to a halt, sometimes, unexpectedly, tends to send a chill running down our spines at the mere… Read More ›
“Bob Marley: One Love” fumbles its attempts to capture the icon’s life and legacy.
Musical biopics can deliver some rousing cinematic feats. Not only can they appease fans of classic artists, but they can also inform them about the artists’ lives. The finished results can be bountiful in the right films (Straight Outta Compton… Read More ›
Despite a loaded action cast, “Lights Out” fails to find its fit.
Inside Lights Out are two wolves: one is a post-war drama involving a solider struggling with PTSD and lost meaning from time in the service, while the other is a thriller involving cops on the take and the money they’re… Read More ›
Documentarian Dan Partland’s “God & Country” deftly lays out the historical evidence that explains the current rise of Christian Nationalism. [SBIFF]
E Pluribus Unum. This brief Latin phrase meaning “one from many” was first added to United States coins in 1795. It’s a motto that speaks to all citizens of the United States of America, even in an era when those… Read More ›
Documentary “The Movie Man” deftly reminds that filmgoing is a social experience that requires social responsibility to maintain. [SBIFF]
Though the first moving pictures were shown in the 1800s and began as a sideshow, they transformed into a main event with the advent of the movie theater. No longer having to go into a tent or side space, people… Read More ›
Pair “The Taste of Things” with a good meal for the perfect Valentine’s Date.
It was December 16th, 2023, when I received the text “Do u want soup tonight?” to which I replied, “Yeah I can do a soup.” The dinner invitation came from fellow film buff Scott Rogers, who, along with his partner… Read More ›
Wrestling doc “The Death Tour” is more than about heels, faces, or even the pop – but why the audience matters. [Slamdance Film Festival]
In the United States, names like World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), Assault Championship Wrestling (ACW), and All Elite Wrestling (AEW) may come to mind when bringing up sports entertainment. But wrestling isn’t a U.S.-based sport, with countries… Read More ›
New Disney+ documentary “Madu” breaks tradition as it follows a gifted dancer from Nigeria to England. [SBIFF]
Photosensitivity Warning: There are a few scenes of refracted light that may be triggering for sensitive viewers. In August 2020, a video of 11-year-old Anthony Mmesoma Madu dancing outside of his ballet school went viral, garnering attention not just from… Read More ›
Filmmaker Omar Kamara explores the rich complexity of sibling relationships in dramedy “African Giants.” [Slamdance Film Festival]
“If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” – Sir Isaac Newton With all of the discussion of borders — who’s securing them, who’s refusing to do so, what do we do with the… Read More ›
Silent film action comedy “Hundreds of Beavers” is a film you need to see to believe.
City Lights. Metropolis. Hundreds of Beavers. From 1894 to 1931, the earliest period of moving periods is known as the Silent Era. These films, made with celluloid and glass (to help simulate color), make up a significant portion of our… Read More ›
First-time documentarian Ryan Jacobi explores the man behind the improv character in “I’m ‘George Lucas’: A Connor Ratliff Story.” [Slamdance Film Festival]
Before there was The Mandalorian (2019-??), Andor (2022), The Book of Boba Fett (2021), or Ashoka (2023), before there was either a Prequel or Sequel Trilogy, there was only Star Wars (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Return of… Read More ›
“Scrambled” captures the complexities of finding out your egg timer is going off.
Writer and first-time feature director Leah McKendrick (Pamela & Ivy) taps into the millennial’s primal fear of being alone in her debut feature, Scrambled. When 30-something Nellie (Leah McKendrick) is sick of being an eternal bridesmaid, she goes on an… Read More ›
Matthew Vaughn’s spy actioner “Argylle” is a fun and zany spy adventure that delivers entertainingly mixed results.
Director Matthew Vaughn revitalized the spy-genre with the Kingsman franchise. Those films offered a different take on the typical James Bond-esque espionage story. The films were more brutal and bloody, reinvigorating the genre for audiences. After three Kingsman films, Vaughn… Read More ›