Created by Belgian author Gabrielle Vincent, the characters of Ernest the bear and Celestine the mouse have been the center of several books, adapted into an award-winning 2012 film, Ernest & Celestine, and a 52-episode television series called Ernest &… Read More ›
In Theaters
Charlotte Regan’s “Scrapper” is a benchmark coming-of-age film.
There are movies that can really be defined as once in a lifetime kind of movies, and once they exist, anything that tries to convey a similar story usually cannot compare to what that benchmark has already done. That is… Read More ›
Todd Max Carey’s documentary “tOuch Kink” makes a strong case that kink isn’t another dirty four-letter word. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
What do you think of when you hear “BDSM”? Do you think of pain and torture? Leather and dark dungeons? Confinement and control? Or do you think of pleasure and release? Do you think of freedom? There’s a good chance… Read More ›
West African film “Mami Wata” is a contender for Best Looking Film of 2023. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
As the ocean rises and falls, and the tide is the guarantor of its own return, so too does the astonishing black and white photography of Mami Wata step return a bygone style to modern folklore for a modern moment…. Read More ›
Allow yourself to be swept up in director Junta Yamaguchi’s time loop comedy “River.” [Fantasia International Film Festival]
One of the best films I discovered during Fantasia 2021 was director Junta Yamaguchi’s feature-length directorial debut Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes (ドロステのはてで僕ら), a time travel comedy presented entirely in one take. Now, two years later, Junta returns to Fantasia… Read More ›
Documentary “King on Screen” is a familiar examination of Stephen King and adaptations of his works.
Documentaries can focus on quite literally anything they want and convey the story they’ve set out to tell. It doesn’t have to be wrapped in a pretty package to fit a genre or subgenre, which gives the director the most… Read More ›
Ilulian Postelnicu thrills as put upon cop in “Men of Deeds.”
What matters more? Getting things done or getting them done the right way? That’s the question at the heart of Paul Negoescu’s Men of Deeds (Oameni de treabă), screening in select NYC theaters beginning August 4th and in L.A. at… Read More ›
John Rosman’s directorial debut “New Life” explores all the angles of the phrase in his engaging thriller. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
It is entirely human to draw fear from the unknown. How does one plan for it? Prepare for it? Is it the loss of control or autonomy that one fears? Or is it something else entirely? When we look into… Read More ›
Can we still live with ourselves when “Vincent Must Die (Vincent doit mourir).” [Fantasia International Film Festival]
Despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage… “Butter with Butterfly Wings,” The Smashing Pumpkins There are terms and conditions within a society that we all agree to, whether consciously or not. This social contract… Read More ›
“It Lives Inside” utilizes horror to explore the schism of cultural identity via the immigrant experience. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
Immigrant stories are connected to the fabric of America as it exists today. Whether they are just arriving, first generation, second, or beyond, what binds the majority of immigrants together is that they (including myself) are not from here and… Read More ›
“Restore Point” offers a thrilling ride even along a predictable path. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
One of the great things about science fiction stories is the way audiences can jump past an infraction point in society — all the failures, all the arguing, all the attempts at restoration — and explore a world that’s seemingly… Read More ›
The fourth entry in the “Shin” Universe, “Shin Kamen Rider” explores the battle of hope against nihilism within a tokusatsu package. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
Released in March earlier this year in Japan, Shin Kamen Rider (a.k.a. Shin Masked Rider) is the fourth film in the Shin series developed by writer/director Hideaki Anno and others in order to make modern reimaginings of popular Japanese tokusatsu… Read More ›
Sneaky link with Jean Grémillon’s “Lady Killer” at Metrograph NYC.
Originally premiering at this year’s Canne Film Festival, the new 4k restoration of Jean Grémillon’s Lady Killer (1937), aka Gueule d’amour (1937), is headed for the US, opening August 4th at Metrograph NYC where it will screen for a one-week… Read More ›
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” brings the turtles back in a chaotic and hilarious adventure.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are back with a new animated adventure after a rocky track record in live-action adaptations. The writing team of Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, and Jeff Rowe attempts to deliver a new take with Teenage Mutant… Read More ›
Russian satire “Ампир V (Empire V)” sinks its teeth into the metaphor of control. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
No matter how hard we try, we are always bound to a system. At birth, we’re in the hands of our caregivers. In adolescence, we’re in the hands of those who guide us. In adulthood, we’re in the hands of… Read More ›
A24 horror movie “Talk To Me” makes misery terrifying.
Talk to Me’s Mia (Sophie Wilde (You Don’t Know Me, The Portable Door)) is still using an outdated iPhone because it contains irreplaceable memories of her dead mother. She also doesn’t put a case on it. This marriage of grief… Read More ›
One might have “Sympathy for the Devil,” but they won’t have any surprises.
There are few actors whose name recognition is tarnish-free whether appearing in a prestige picture or low-budget romp. In fact, among those few, Nicolas Cage is one where when his name is attached, audiences are aware that, whether good, bad,… Read More ›
“Aporia” reminds that time is but a series of moments to be cherished amidst the chaos. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
APORIA: 1 – an expression of real or pretended doubt or uncertainty 2 – a logical impasse or contradiction Time manipulation in film is nothing new as the fascination with changing outcomes is the foundation of many people’s misery. “What… Read More ›
It’s Pros vs. Amateurs in “Baby Assassins: 2 Babies.” [Fantasia International Film Festival]
There are some films whose descriptions pique your interest and under-deliver, some which meet expectations, and some which blow your mind (the diamonds in the rough). The 2021 crime comedy Baby Assassins, written and directed by Yûgo Sakamoto, is the… Read More ›
Shrouded in a daft disguise, “Haunted Mansion” pretends to terrorize.
I’d like to think that I’m a large proponent of “horror films for kids,” even if they don’t always particularly excite me as an adult viewer. Films like Goosebumps (2015), Monster House (2006), Beetlejuice (1988), and Hocus Pocus (1993), while… Read More ›