Writer/director Kleber Mendonça Filho (Bacurau) is back with The Secret Agent (O Agente Secreto) starring Wagner Moura (Civil War). A harrowing story of escape and refugee sanctuary, it feels more like a less comedic version of a serious take on… Read More ›
Reviews
Bring the Kikimora home as “Ballerina” arrives on physical and digital formats.
As has been written many times, the phenomenon that is the John Wick series almost didn’t happen. The film was originally slated as a direct-to-video release, it was helmed by two first-time feature directors (Chad Stahelski and David Leitch), had… Read More ›
Gail Maurice, Dana Solomon, and Derica Lafrance make their marks with “Blood Lines.” [TIFF]
Family dramas are always difficult subjects and can either be rewarding or miss the mark entirely. Thankfully, Gail Maurice (Rosie) pulls off quadruple duty as writer, director, producer, and actor well, and leads Dana Solomon and Derica Lafrance (in their… Read More ›
“Aztec Batman: Clash of Empires (Batman Azteca: Choque de imperios)” clings so tightly to its DC roots that it stifles the flair when it embraces its Mexican influence.
In 1991, DC Comics published Batman: Holy Terror, a tale featuring an alternate history for the United States in which it remained a Commonwealth of the United Kingdom. It shifts the origin story we know of Bruce Wayne into Batman… Read More ›
Linus O’Brien takes us on a “Strange Journey” in exploring the enduring legacy of his father’s “Rocky Horror Show.”
“So, come up to the lab and see what’s on the slab. I see you shiver with antici …” There are moments in our lives that we can recognize as (“…pation.”) life-changing; that we can see as the creation of… Read More ›
Glenn McQuaid’s “The Restoration at Grayson Manor” is an alchemical mixture of melodrama and body horror which asserts some rehabs are best treated with napalm. [Fantastic Fest]
Names mean something. They hold power. Names withheld can create mystery and names known can open doors. They are the things that can be passed down from generation to generation — be it a surname, a given name, a middle… Read More ›
Make it weird, make it big, make it bloody – make it “Deathstalker.” [Fantastic Fest]
Photosensitivity Warning: There is a brief flashback sequence near the start of the film and a longer sequence during the climax wherein lights flash quite frequently. There’s no strobing and it’s somewhat predictable, but may still be triggering for photosensitive… Read More ›
Surviving horror comedy “Coyotes” is simple: stay with your pack. [Fantastic Fest]
“Il meglio è l’inimico del bene. (Perfect is the enemy of good.)” – Attributed to Voltaire in 1770. If we spend our time pursuing perfect, we’ll miss out on a great deal. What ideal we set up for ourselves —… Read More ›
“The Man in My Basement” walks a delicate moral and ethical line. [TIFF]
Co-writer/director Nadia Latif takes on double duty in their first feature while adapting Walter Mosley’s novel The Man in My Basement. While Mosley’s material has yielded something interesting in an adaptation before (Devil in a Blue Dress) and this adaptation… Read More ›
Filmmaker Ken’ichi Ugana’s onryō tale “The Curse (咒死你)” blends cultural customs with modern conveniences in order to craft maximum carnage. [Fantastic Fest]
It’s not an uncommon practice for a filmmaker to release two films in a year. John Huston released The Treasure of the Sierra Madre the same year as Key Largo (1948), Akira Kurosawa released Scandal in the same year as… Read More ›
Realities collide in Lucile Hadžihalilović’s fantastical drama “The Ice Tower.” [Fantastic Fest]
Danish author Hans Christian Andersen is known for many a tale from The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Princess and the Pea, The Ugly Duckling, Thumbelina, and, of course, The Little Mermaid. One title that’s well-known in the U.S. is his… Read More ›
“Megadoc” brings the long messy tale of the making of “Megalopolis” to the big screen.
Megalopolis is a film about Great Debates by Great Men. It has inescapable original sins for which the public will not even grant it the graceful reputation of “fine.” It debuted in a time when the efficacy of debates is… Read More ›
James Sweeney carries double duty of filmmaker/actor in “Twinless”, one of the most provocatively original dramedies in recent years.
There’s something to be said of independent film that continues to carry the torch of creativity and intrigue, taking its viewers on a journey of being entertained without a huge budget or expensive special effects. With his sophomore feature Twinless,… Read More ›
Documentary “Chain Reactions” shares the voices of five pop culture pillars discussing the on-going impact a 1970s film has had on their lives and careers. [BUFF]
If you’re a fan of the cultural zeitgeist documentaries, then the name Alexandre O. Philippe should mean something to you. Philippe has directed such projects as The People vs. George Lucas (2010), Doc of the Dead (2014), Lynch/Oz (2022), William… Read More ›
Tokuzō Tanaka’s 1966 jidaigeki tale “The Betrayal (大殺陣 雄呂血)” receives a first-time Blu-ray edition from Radiance Films worthy of its influence.
Photosensitivity Warning: Occasionally black and white films will possess a flicker and its continuous presence within The Betrayal may prove disorienting to photosensitive viewers. One of the greatest mistakes in humanity is incuriosity, this notion that all you know is… Read More ›
“Sentimental Value (Affeksjonsverdi)” drops audiences into the middle of a complex daughters/father relationship complete with Hollywood drama. [TIFF]
Audiences connected with the last outing by Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt as writers and Renate Reinsve (The Worst Person in the World) in a lead role in a meaningful way. Back again in the same roles, the trio brings… Read More ›
Straddling two worlds, “Tin Soldier” is unable to be more than a prop for an as-expected action thriller.
Trigger Warning: Tin Soldier deals with a number of issues related to trauma-induced by war and the film incorporates several visual and sound elements intended to convey such psychological trauma that may trigger sensitive viewers. In the United States, members… Read More ›
Danny and Michael Philippou’s “Bring Her Back,” a brutal essay on grief-induced madness, is now available on Special edition 4K and Blu-ray from A24.
Content Warning: The following home release review will include descriptions of child abuse and death, which may be difficult for sensitive individuals. Death is inevitable. At some point in our lives, we will all be touched by grief due to… Read More ›
Morality comedy “Death of a Unicorn” charges onward to home video.
How much do you need? Not want, but need. The basics of living include food, water, and shelter. In the times we live in, it may be fair to extend that further to include medical care and internet access (can’t… Read More ›
Manga Breathing First Form — “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” reaches the first part of its three-part cinematic finale in the blood-soaked “Infinity Castle.”
Manga author Koyoharu Gotouge’s fantasy adventure shonen Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (鬼滅の刃) first published in February 2016, introducing audiences to Tanjiro Kamado, a young boy living in Taishō era Japan with his mother and siblings, making their living as… Read More ›