The stories we tell ourselves shape how we view the world. Sometimes the narrating voice is our own, unable to pull us up out of a self-defeating dive; other times, the voice is someone else’s, taking advantage of our vulnerability… Read More ›
Based on a true story
Horror comedy “Cocaine Bear” now available to own at home.
Universal decided to take a swing for the fences and make some relatively low budget horror movies. With movies such as The Black Phone (2021), Violent Night (2022), M3GAN (2022), Knock at the Cabin (2023), and now Cocaine Bear, all… Read More ›
The rise and fall of the “BlackBerry” takes audiences on a wild ride.
Canadian-born and -bred Matt Johnson is no stranger to wearing many hats as he is constantly writing, directing, and starring in his projects (Nirvanna the Band the Show/Operation Avalanche), no matter what they might be. The man behind many constant… Read More ›
Meet Me at the Movies: Review Extra – “Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game.”
Did you know that Pinball machines used to be outlawed? I didn’t either, and when I saw the trailer of this lost piece of history, I knew I had to check out this film that took me back to a… Read More ›
“Pure O” stays raw in its showcasing of real-world impacts of mental health diagnoses. [SXSW]
Writing a screenplay is daunting in of itself; making it be semi-autobiographical is a whole other beast in of itself. Why make life easy though when you’ve decided to also direct your first feature while you’re the limelight of the… Read More ›
Join in the shenanigans in “Stealing Chaplin” from your couch, courtesy of Dreamscape Media.
There are movies that manage to slide under the radar, and then there are movies that are so absolutely bonkers and insane that are based on real events that you can’t possibly imagine them to be real or that you… Read More ›
Director Elizabeth Banks’s “Cocaine Bear” is high on its own supply in this animal attack horror entry.
If I were a basic gay, I would start this review with “A Cocaine Bear? You just mean West Hollywood at 3 a.m.?” and move on with my day…but I’m not, and I won’t…but you get the picture. Despite my… Read More ›
Neither too preachy nor too dramatic, “Jesus Revolution” is a heartfelt, inspirational revolution worth joining.
In desperate, confounding times such as the times we’re living in today, the most arduous of questions begs itself to be pondered: What happens when the message of faith and hope can’t reach today’s generation of tomorrow’s future? Directors Jon… Read More ›
True crime adaptation “American Murderer” raises the kinds of questions even justice may not answer.
No matter how close we are to someone, they’ll never truly know us. We can get close, sharing secrets others don’t know or confiding intrusive thoughts we might otherwise not, but without an actual mindmeld, it’s impossible for someone to… Read More ›
Maria Schrader seeks to honor the #MeToo Movement in “She Said,” available on home video now.
While the real-life work of an investigative journalist might feel like running head-first into a brick wall over and over again, movies and shows usually make it seem like an idealistic, noble, and exciting job that combines the thrill of… Read More ›
Some 30 years after theatrical release, Spike Lee’s masterful “Malcolm X” joins the Criterion Collection.
First there was Do the Right Thing (1989), then there was Bamboozled (2000), and now, for the third entry into the Criterion Collection, writer/director/actor Spike Lee’s Oscar-nominated Malcom X (1992) joins the illustrious physical format boutique distributor nearly 30 years… Read More ›
Open Dialogue with “Till” actor Danielle Deadwyler.
Danielle Deadwyler brings to the screen raw and rich authenticity in the Orion Pictures film – Till as Mamie Till-Mobley. Today on Open Dialogue Deadwyler opens up about the emotional and intellectual impact this performance continues to have on her life…. Read More ›
By not allowing for self-reflection, “She Said” comes off as a buzzword-ridden and self-congratulatory. [Film Fest 919]
When the hammer finally came down on Harvey Weinstein in the Fall of 2017, it felt as if Hollywood as a whole was having to reckon with the collective keeping of the industry’s worst-kept secret. Everyone knew Weinstein was a… Read More ›
“House of Gucci” Blu-ray Giveaway
Do you believe in the Father, the Son, and the House of Gucci? If your answer is “yes,” then delight in the opportunity to win a brand-new Blu-ray copy of the newly out on home release Lady Gaga/Adam Driver-led Ridley… Read More ›
A house divided: As various viewpoints fight for dominance in “House of Gucci,” Lady Gaga’s immersive performance is lost in the shuffle.
Money. Family. Power. Betrayal. Scandal. Murder. When the trailer for House of Gucci dropped in the summer of 2021, it promised all this and more. The ambitious film was set to bring one of the most infamous scandals in the… Read More ›
Game, set, match! Reinaldo Marcus Green’s “King Richard” is out on home video now.
Biopics can occasionally be divisive in their presentation of their subjects. If one leans too hard into realism but fudges details, the whole story can be treated as a pariah. On the same token, if you set up your rules… Read More ›
Phyllis Nagy’s “Call Jane” is an amalgamation of truth events which will hopefully get people talking about the past to preserve the present. [Sundance Film Festival]
At the time of this writing, January 22nd, 2022, it is the 49th anniversary of Roe V. Wade, a court case which ruled in favor of a woman’s right to privacy and governmental inclusion when choosing to abort a pregnancy…. Read More ›
Historical drama “The War Below” reenacts the explosive real events of the Battle of Messines with a strange fizzle.
The war film genre is a strange beast. Many of the films are entirely propaganda, pontificating on the successes of the old made by the sacrifices of young, celebrating the loss of life by infusing it with self-aggrandizing nationalism. Weird… Read More ›
“Respect” Blu-ray Giveaway
Aretha Franklin is one of the greatest vocal talents in music history. That’s not a question. In seeking to honor her, MGM released Respect, a biopic which tracked Aretha’s life from youth through stardom. Though the film can be purchased… Read More ›
“Hell Hath No Fury” but it has a long memory and a demand for justice.
The reason why such great offense is taken when the Holocaust is invoked regarding any potential inconvenience (re: not injustice) is multi-layered and complex. The folks trying to make the connection are trying to attribute, for example, the wearing of… Read More ›