Think back in the recesses of your mind, what was your first horror film? Mine was Poltergeist, a film that I assumed was safe because it carried a PG rating but soon learned, with my sister and her friends, that… Read More ›
In Theaters
Indie drama “Take Out Girl” delivers a thoughtful meal, not a dissatisfying snack. [Indie Memphis Film Festival]
There are many paths to success. Even one generation ago, that meant going to school, getting a job, and working there until retirement. On that path at that time, a single income was typically enough to provide for an average… Read More ›
Director Tali Yankelevich’s “My Darling Supermarket (Meu Querido Supermercado)” explores the macro and micro elements of a fractal existence. [Indie Memphis Film Festival]
Much of our lives are mundane. We wake, we eat, we work, we eat, we sleep, we wake. In a way, life is a recursive action, predictable and endless. Where many would see a paralyzing dread, director Tali Yankelevich sees… Read More ›
Director Ja’Tovia Gary’s “The Giverny Document (Single Channel)” challenges its audience to consider the emotional weight of ignorance. [Indie Memphis Film Festival]
Artist Ja’Tovia Gary is a provocateur, a demonstrator, and a rebel. She uses her art as a means of proclaiming her space, her ideas, and her life as something of incredible value. None of this should be necessary, which appears… Read More ›
The Atlantic’s documentary “White Noise” shines a spotlight on white supremacy.
Documentaries are tricky to make, but they’re also a bit more challenging to review than your standard and more conventional type of movie. That’s due to the fact that you really don’t have characters, performances, or anything else to really… Read More ›
Time is but a conduit for an examination of self in creative duo Moorhead and Benson’s unique sci-fi thriller “Synchronic.”
Creative team Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson have an obsession with time: how it moves, how it operates, how it functions in relation to the space we occupy. This curiosity has given rise to three films — Resolution (2012), Spring… Read More ›
Comedian Steve Byrne trades the stage for the director’s chair in feature debut “The Opening Act.”
There was a moment, perhaps not so long from this one, where you wondered if you were doing what you always wanted to do, where you contemplated if the “you” of before would be proud of or impressed with the… Read More ›
Martial arts dramedy “The Paper Tigers” honors the heritage of the genre while exploring the cost of neglected bonds. [Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival]
The phrase “peaceful warrior” will always sound like an oxymoron to those who don’t understand it. The confusion lies in perceiving these terms as in opposition to one another — one can’t be peaceful if one is trained in the… Read More ›
“Possessor” is a gruesome, ugly, and morally repugnant film and you’ll love every minute of it.
Hollywood nepotism can be frustrating at times. With so many burgeoning actors and filmmakers bursting onto the scene in their family member’s footsteps, it can sometimes feel unfair to the whole selective process that weeds so many quality filmmakers out… Read More ›
Sci-fi drama “LX 2048” appears to possess themes running parallel to current quarantine life, yet fails to explore any of them deeply.
Time is truly the enemy of us all. It’s perhaps the only thing in our lives which is truly finite. whose amount is uncertain and, once used, is never be replenished. There’s a quote attributed to singer/actor/activist Henry Rollins that… Read More ›
The whole world is watching events like “The Trial of the Chicago 7” play out again and again.
Inequities of man are met with protests. Some agree and the voices get louder, some disagree and tell them how to protest. Then lives are lost unnecessarily and protesters get angry, taking to the streets to confront their government. To… Read More ›
Unexpectedly, “Spontaneous” offers much needed catharsis during a time of pandemic.
It’s in the strangest of places that we often find that which affirms life. It could be a sunrise, a child’s laugh, a taste of pumpkin spice pick-a-thing, a song you’ve heard a million times, or a film you’re experiencing… Read More ›
Sometimes it requires a little “Misbehaviour” to change the status quo.
November 1970. Several women in support of the Women’s Liberation Movement took part in a demonstration that interrupted the live broadcast of the Miss World competition at Albert Hall in London, England. The protestors threw flour bombs, used noise crackers,… Read More ›
Emotional and powerful, “Blackbird” is an exquisite family drama.
Blackbird is the kind of small movie that provides something much bigger and grander for audiences to take in. On top of that, it also features an enticing and very well-respected ensemble of actors, all of whom have incredible backgrounds… Read More ›
Documentary “All In: The Fight for Democracy” is a compelling proclamation that our democratic republic cannot function when we devalue the voting process.
Let me ask you something: What is the responsibility of the legislative branch of the United States government? Where does the Constitution of the United States place the final authority on decisions in our country? Which officer presides over an… Read More ›
“Last Call” is a bold experiment that will leave you in tatters by the end.
Since the kinetoscope, artists have been devising new and creative ways to push the boundaries of motion picture storytelling. Audiences have seen gimmicks as simple as smell-o-vision and 3D or as technically complex as 4DX and ScreenX enter their local… Read More ›
If you’re in the mood for something dark and gory, look no further than Bryan Bertino’s “The Dark & The Wicked.” [Fantasia Film Festival]
One of the first horror films I ever saw during its release time was Bryan Bertino’s 2008 home-invasion thriller, The Strangers. I will always have the distinct memory of watching it at my best friend’s house after a July 4th… Read More ›
“Bill & Ted Face The Music” is a most triumphant end for the time-traveling duo.
Imagine, if you will, that you’re a teenager sitting at your local hangout, a Circle K, perhaps, when someone drops out of the sky and tells you they are from the future and that you’re destined to be the foundation… Read More ›
The discomfort within “Centigrade” is more than a matter of degrees.
I hate snow. Perhaps it’s because my exposure to snow has been the rare snowstorms that hit North Carolina once or twice a year, leaving a wake of dirty black ice in its wake, but I’ve genuinely never enjoyed the… Read More ›
“Hard Kill” is a disappointing, low stakes action flick.
We all love a good action flick. Even the worst action movies can get somewhat of a pass if the action is exciting and visceral. Action movies, as of late, have become much more versatile than some might expect. On… Read More ›