On Mt. Hiei in Japan lives a secretive sect of Buddhists who push their bodies to their limits in order to achieve enlightenment. Seeking guidance, documentarian Ashen Nadeem travels to the monastery in hopes of chatting with Kamahori, a monk… Read More ›
Art being subjective, the likelihood that each film released is going to be the latest masterpiece is small. Individuals may certainly feel that way, but, objectively, it’s far less likely. Odds are always on the side of familiar stories being… Read More ›
“Written in 2017, shot in 2019, Official Selection Sundance 2021” — these words find themselves repeated often when promoting writer/director Iuli Gerbase’s feature-length directorial debut, the science fiction drama A Nuvem Rose, now more widely known as The Pink Cloud…. Read More ›
In my lifetime, the following actors have physically donned the cowl of Bob Kane and Bill Finger’s legendary detective Batman: Adam West, Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, George Clooney, Christian Bale, and Ben Affleck. With each actor came a distinct version… Read More ›
Since its initial release in September 2019, director Mattie Do’s (Dearest Sister) dramatic sci-fi thriller Bor Mi Vanh Chark (The Long Walk) has seen either additional festival screenings or limited releases across the globe. Now, with distribution from Yellow Veil… Read More ›
When it comes to band movies, documentaries (The Sparks Brothers (2021); a-ha: The Movie (2021)), and biopics (Straight Outta Compton (2015); Walk The Line (2005)) offer opportunities for audiences to get to know the music and members that they perhaps… Read More ›
Sometimes while watching movies we get that vague feeling of deja vu, and sometimes that feeling is almost welcomed. In Tyson Wade Johnston’s first full length feature, Streamline, the audiences are going to be hit with this sense of familiarity…. Read More ›
There’s an old saying, “Time heals all wounds,” which implies that one becomes whole again after a period of restoration. This isn’t the case, though, really. As was reminded to me recently, wounds heal, you’re just not as you once… Read More ›
Trigger Warning: Marry Me contains several scenes involving lights flashings, predominantly from cameras. Be advised in case you have any kind of light sensitivity. If you sit in the question, the answer will find you. This line, the mantra from Owen Wilson’s… Read More ›
I love me a good period horror film, and I particularly love those set on the American frontier, and while Ghosts of the Ozarks isn’t *technically* frontier territory, there was a down-home charm the trailer gave off that made me… Read More ›
Accessibility is the thing most take for granted. The whole entire world is designed for people without disabilities and, due to such rigidity, found itself stumbling to create the kind of necessary tools and improve access (telecommuting, remote services, increased… Read More ›
There’s something to be said about “movie magic” or whatever word or phrase you use to describe those “Nicole Kidman sitting in the world’s cleanest, emptiest AMC” moments where you really just appreciate every aspect that not only went into… Read More ›
Inspiration is found everywhere. Even the best filmmakers have inspirations that they imbue into their own work, using the work that made them into the filmmakers they are today in smart, reverential ways. Sure, occasionally things can get heavy-handed and… Read More ›
NOTICE: I will obviously not be discussing spoilers or fun reveals for this film, however, I will be divulging the very basic plot setup, as well as spoilers for previous Scream films. You’ve had decades, don’t get mad at me… Read More ›
In a career spanning over 20 years, writer/director Mamoru Hosoda has cultivated a filmography of works which communicate to the general masses (Digimon: The Movie (2000)) and to a specific niche audience (Summer Wars (2009); Mirai (2018)). Full disclosure: Mirai… Read More ›
One could describe The 355 as an action thriller with an all-star cast, and that would be true. But a more simple way to describe The 355 is that it’s every spy thriller flipped so that the old tropes feel… Read More ›
Chinese adventure hybrid Schemes in Antiques from director Derek Kwok (Immortal Demon Slayer) may feel, to American audiences, like a mash-up between National Treasure (2004) and Ocean’s Eleven (2001). It’s at times silly, serious, delicate, and violent, all while using… Read More ›
In 1999, a question was posed that would have an unexpected impact on cinema and my life as a cinema-goer for years to come: “What is the Matrix?” It’s little more than tagline, a simple query that also serves as… Read More ›
Since before well covers became popularized in its modern form, singing has been a way to carry on local history and traditions, carrying warnings or lessons that the listener will absorb and carry forward into the next generation. The minstrels… Read More ›
“Is he man or beast?” barks Willem Dafoe’s Clem, the man who runs the oddities exhibit at a carnival, enticing people to look down upon an enclosure where a figure is hidden. These people have come to see something horrendous… Read More ›