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 ›
In Theaters
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 ›
Actor Lily Gladstone’s “The Unknown Country” is no fly-over film.
The Unknown Country is a noisy film. A small, internal road drama steeped in cinema verité, it mixes score with the noise of the real world — overlapping voices, clinking dishes, the radio that refuses to shut up. Radio has… Read More ›
Teresa Sutherland’s directorial debut, “Lovely, Dark, and Deep,” speaks to humanity’s quest for answers as they rage against the unknown. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
“The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.” – The final stanza of Robert Frost’s Stopping by Woods on a Snowy… Read More ›
“Stay Online” pulls the audience into a personal battle set during a current war and pins you down. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
Trigger Warning: A newsreel montage near the beginning includes footage of wartime incidents, including the dead and wounded. We are a world on the brink of a third global war all because of pride and greed. For nearly 10 years,… Read More ›
From “The First Slam Dunk” to the last, this manga adaptation will have you on the edge of your seat. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
Born first as a manga series that ran from 1990 – 1996 under the title Slam Dunk, the creation of Takehiko Inoue has been adapted for television, film, and video games since its debut. The series ran in Shueisha’s Weekly… Read More ›
Larry Fessenden’s “Blackout” seeks to eviscerate more than tender flesh. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
Monster stories, creature features, if you will, generally are tales of outsiders. Dracula is but a lone survivor of a people trying to rekindle his species, Frankenstein’s creation is but a homemade newborn trying to find a place in a… Read More ›
Fission accomplished! “Oppenheimer” more than delivers on the anticipation and hype.
With the exception of one film of his in recent years, and regardless of your opinion on him as a filmmaker, a new Christopher Nolan film releasing in theaters always feels like an event the scale of which we simply… Read More ›