More often than not, a documentary reveals as much about the person behind the camera as it does about the person in front. Like all things, what we see is a matter of perspective and point of view. The documentarian… Read More ›
Reviews
Australian comedy “Swinging Safari” is a blissfully fun summertime romp.
Let’s talk comedy; more specifically, international comedy. For little, misunderstood kids growing up in the South, it feels like we all had an outlet to express our humor when we found that ours didn’t fall under what was considered popular… Read More ›
Crime drama “Chase” possesses the formula of a fascinating character drama, but can’t quite get the pieces to fit.
From writer and director Michael Matteo Rossi, Chase follows the title character’s (Damien Puckler) journey as he attempts to maneuver his way out of a life of crime, violence, and deception. There is a solid layer of intriguing foundational material… Read More ›
Documentarians Chris Ghelfi and Laura Sheehy’s chronicle the highs and lows of Kinsale King’s career in “Chasing The Win”.
The industry that is horse racing certainly isn’t the beast it once was. What used to be an event for the elite and commoner alike, has now become more of a status symbol than anything else. While horse racing doesn’t… Read More ›
Strong performances and a tight script make “Late Night” resonate.
As theaters ramp up for animated animal adventures, alien invasions, and yet another zombie apocalypse, there’s a small work-place comedy executed by an incredible cast of comedic actors offering up something different. Written by Mindy Kaling (The Mindy Project), directed… Read More ›
In the mood for good, cheeky fun? Look no further than teenage horror-comedy “Slaughterhouse Rulez”.
Chances are, even if you’re reading this, that the film Slaughterhouse Rulez is a bit of an enigma to you. Despite boasting a cast which includes Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz), Nick Frost (At World’s End), Michael Sheen (Tron: Legacy), and… Read More ›
Feeling nostalgic for the Old West? “The Outsider” may be just the ticket.
In 2018, a wildfire tore through California, burning homes and woodland areas to ash as it raged. Of the many things destroyed, the one most closely linked to cinema history was the Paramount Ranch. Purchased in the 1920s, the Paramount… Read More ›
Existential dread only gets you so far in “Head Count”.
We’ve seen so many horror movies where the central focus is on a group of people in their 20s who go out in the middle of nowhere and are then stalked by a bunch of murderous psychopaths. While the story… Read More ›
Documentary “Free Trip to Egypt” presents the adventure of seven U.S. citizens on a cultural experience of a lifetime.
The premise of Free Trip to Egypt on its own is enough to grab any person’s attention who is remotely aware of the state of our world’s societal and political issues. A Muslim man of Egyptian heritage, Tarek Mounib, sets… Read More ›
Martial arts nostalgia only goes so far in “The Unity of Heroes”.
When it comes to crafting compelling stories, anything can inspire ideas: love won or lost, a desire to return to childhood innocence, moments of great historical significance. All of these and more provide the baseline for audiences to engage emotionally… Read More ›
Animated tale “Funan” captures the incredible journey of the human spirit and the personal toll it can take.
Animation is an unbelievably versatile medium for storytelling, more so than most audiences give it credit for. At the mere mention of animation, most think of the latest Disney project like Ralph Breaks the Internet, Frozen, or Moana, each strong… Read More ›
Documentary “Father The Flame” brings the fading art of pipe-making into vibrant focus.
If a viewer were to visit director Chad Terpstra’s Father The Flame website, the About page contains a lovely adaptation of the René Magritte line from “The Treachery of Images” now-reading “Ceci n’est pas un filme de pipe,” or “This is… Read More ›
“The Bastards’ Fig Tree” is an inelegant adaptation with an engaging narrative.
Ana Murugarren’s The Bastards’ Fig Tree tells the story of Rogelio (Karra Elejalde), a soldier who’s fighting on the side of the fascist Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War. One night, he and several colleagues raid a house and execute… Read More ›
Holy 80th Birthday, Batman! In his honor, WB releases a 4K UHD remaster of the “Batman: Motion Picture Anthology”.
After 80 years in print, the DC Comics Dark Knight, the Batman, is still going incredibly strong. Whether you are an avid comic reader or primarily stick to the broadcast iterations, there’s likely a story that immediately endeared the bereft… Read More ›
“Booksmart” blends the real with the hyper-real to create absolute magic.
Watching Booksmart, the new teen comedy from Annapurna Pictures, you would not know that this is the directorial debut feature film for Olivia Wilde (Life Itself/House, M.D.). Nuts to bolts, Booksmart is a heat-seeking rocket of a film. It’s precise,… Read More ›
Writer/director Sarah Pirozek’s teenage noir “#Like” pulses with the energy of a ‘70s thriller. [Brooklyn Film Festival]
There’s a constant argument between generations about who had it worse vs. who had it better. The “always on” digital generation may scoff at the concept of their predecessors’ reliance on books for information, while the analog generation derides their… Read More ›
Writer/director Jason B. Kohl’s feature debut “New Money” is an indictment of prescription culture.
Debut features are more than a coming out, they often represent the clearest version of the individual. In the case of directors, debuts provide the most honest interpretation of how the director views the world. In the case of Jason… Read More ›
Flavio Alves’ “The Garden Left Behind” is an authentic, yet flutctuating debut.
Having a transgender protagonist is something that hasn’t been explored much to in Hollywood movies, but Flavio Alves’s directorial debut, The Garden Left Behind, is an organic and interesting way of capturing an individual who feels misplaced and misguided. The… Read More ›
Brian De Palma’s “Domino” is an underwhelming effort from the acclaimed director.
On the surface, legendary director Brian de Palma’s latest project, Domino, looks like it has solid potential to be a successful under-the-radar crime drama. With a cast including Nikolaj Coster-Waldeau and Carice van Houten of Game of Thrones fame, as… Read More ›
“Isn’t It Romantic” lampoons rom-coms and owns every minute of it.
Before you can lampoon something, before you can satirize something, you must know as much can you can about it. You have to know the ins-and-outs of it, the heart and soul of it. In order for the humor to… Read More ›