Everyone loves a good comeback story. Everyone cheered when Rudy made that touchdown at the end of Rudy, everyone loves Robert Downey Jr.’s comeback in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and today, we get to celebrate not only one, but two,… Read More ›
streaming
Fernando Meirelles’s “The Two Popes” explores the push-pull involved in church reformation via the conversation of two old men. [Film Fest 919]
In another life, I swear I’d be Catholic. Of course, I’m too much of a dirty sodomite to get away with it in this life, but something about the sheer pageantry of it all feels more like drag than RuPaul’s… Read More ›
Photorealism may not suck you into “The Lion King” (2019), but the bonus features in the home release showcasing just how impressive the undertaking was just might.
On paper, adapting The Lion King for a new generation of fans seems like an absolute no-brainer. First released by Disney in 1994, the original Lion King blew the minds of audiences and critics alike as the story and songs… Read More ›
Alice Waddington’s “Paradise Hills” uses a fairytale motif to demolish the chains of the patriarchy.
Throughout the centuries there’s been one constant: women get the short-end of everything. They’re expected to be virginal, yet sexual; wise, yet naïve; knowledgeable, yet silent. They are instructed through social norms on how to comport themselves publicly and privately…. Read More ›
Now available for home viewing, “Toy Story 4” breaks the wheel and creates something new.
2009’s Toy Story 3 seemed like the definitive end to the Pixar series begun in 1995. After their owner, Andy, left home for college, Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) and company found a new home with the daughter of a… Read More ›
Through nuance, “Marriage Story” blooms into full emotional devastation. [Film Fest 919]
Soulmates are bullshit and you know it. The idea that there is a single person for you in the entire world only for you is laughable at the very least. There are dozens of people in your town who you… Read More ›
Documentary “The Elephant Queen” is an incredible tale of coexistence, love, and loss.
Recommended for ages 8 and up. As this is a nature documentary, be advised that aspects of the life cycle are prominently featured. Across four years of filming, directors Mark Deeble and Victoria Stone tracked the activities of a herd… Read More ›
Presenting people instead of caricatures elevates “Miss Virginia” to a film with a high emotional payoff.
No matter the time, no matter the place, the defining trait in every civilization is its educated populace. The choices each individual member makes are based upon the information they have or the information they lack. In modern politics, education… Read More ›
Devon Parks makes his filmmaking debut with “The Riot Act,” and proves that he has a future in this medium
Filmmaking debut, The Riot Act, is an ambitious project with a surprisingly low budget. Set in the year 1901 and the state of Oklahoma, The Riot Act focuses on how murder in a small frontier town leads to the haunting… Read More ›
Feeling brave? You can welcome “Annabelle Comes Home” into your own now.
When you hit the seventh installment of a series, you’re either scraping the bottom of the barrel or hitting your stride. What began with co-writers Chad Hayes and Carey W. Hayes and director James Wan in 2013’s The Conjuring is… Read More ›
Planning to check out “Bloodline”? Go in with an open mind and a stomach of steel.
The unrelenting, brutally realistic, and “Hard-R” feature, Bloodline, from director Henry Jacobson, examines the atrocities of a serial killer from a unique perspective. Rather than the stereotypical villain who inhumanely preys on the weak and helpless out of sheer wickedness,… Read More ›
Writer/director Jason Cabell draws from personal experience to create crime thriller “Running with the Devil”.
The crime thriller genre has been explored thousands of times, with many different approaches, throughout the history of cinema. Some of the best directors in this category, such as Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Brian de Palma, and Michael Mann,… Read More ›
Techno-thriller “Empathy, Inc.” puts the question of identity up for examination.
The things we want out of life don’t often go the way we planned. Sometimes it feels like planning is just a way people go about trying to control an outcome. Even now, with apps, gadgets, and tech of all… Read More ›
Are two Aladdins better than one? With two home release versions available, you can decide for yourself.
There’re two ways to look at re-releases and remakes: the nihilist “cash grab” view or optimistic “opportunity for new audience” view. The chorus is rarely louder about this issue than when it comes to the live-action/photorealistic adaptions Walt Disney Studios… Read More ›
“Double Eagle Ranch” is a well-crafted rom-com with a surprisingly thought-provoking message.
Marc Webb’s directorial debut, 500 Days of Summer, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel in the titular roles, was lauded as one of the best films of 2009 and was almost unanimously praised by critics for its screenplay, lighthearted comedy,… Read More ›
New audiences or old will be delighted by the singing, dancing, and surprisingly adult topics tackled in “Descendants 3.”
There are so many films which cross your path in a lifetime that it becomes a gamble deciphering the good from the bad. This is why we apply subjective filters when making our selections. The upside is that it helps… Read More ›
Thriller “3 Lives” explores just how many lives are destroyed when one is assaulted.
**Trigger Warning: While not discussed in detail, the film does center on a female character post-rape and that aspect will be explored within.** Director Juliane Block is not afraid to tackle difficult subjects. Her 2018 film, 8 Remains, examines toxic… Read More ›
The special features make all in difference in the home release of “Godzilla: King of the Monsters.”
If you’re the type of person who’s into monster movies of any kind, then you’re likely to recognize Godzilla as the king of them all. Since 1954, the creature from Japan has represented man’s violence against nature, even if the… Read More ›
Expectations and perception collide in Mike Gan’s “Burn,” a provocative view into human nature and connection.
Looking at the catalogue of films writer/director Mike Gan has developed, each film appears to deal with the darker sides of humanity. This is not to say that there aren’t protagonists, but that they are muddied and never completely wholesome…. Read More ›
Generational conflicts play out as bloody mayhem in Richard Bates Jr.’s “Tone-Deaf”.
Probably for as long as there have been parents and children, there’s been a war waging between generations. Parents tend to think that the ones coming up have no regard for way things used to be and children think it’s… Read More ›