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 ›
Based on a true story
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 ›
In a sea of manufactured biopics, Reinaldo Marcus Green’s “King Richard” takes the crown with its pure sincerity. [Film Fest 919]
To be completely honest with you, I thought Will Smith was doing a period piece where he would play King Richard I in what I thought was one of the more daring pieces of casting I had heard about in… Read More ›
Compelling performances amid a surprising dramatic thriller don’t make up for the shortcomings in “Stillwater.”
Truth and fiction can be a matter of perspective. Because of this, one’s guilt or innocence can shift more to one side than another based on who’s doing the judging. In family squabbles, it’s often harder to identify the guilty… Read More ›
“No Man of God” Blu-ray Giveaway
In August 2021, RLJE Films released Amber Sealey’s film No Man of God, a dramatic thriller exploring the relationship between FBI agent Bill Hagmaier and notorious killer Ted Bundy. This based on a true story film is coming available on physical… Read More ›
Twitter thread-turned-movie “Zola” is available on home video from Lionsgate.
“Y’all wanna hear a story about why me & this bitch here feel out???????? It’s kind of long but full of suspense” This is the tweet that kicked off a 148-tweet thread detailing the heart-pounding adventure A’Ziah “Zola” Wells King… Read More ›
Relying too much on melodrama results in “Little Q” being a ruff watch.
Following up his martial arts fantasy actioner Iceman (2014), director Law Wing Cheong moves in the opposite direction with the based-on-a-true-story animal drama Little Q. The story follows a dog, named Little Q, from puppyhood to old age as it… Read More ›
“Peace by Chocolate” isn’t tempered to satiate an instant craving, but to preserve a legacy. [Tribeca Festival]
Immigrant stories are treated as all-to-common and extraordinary in the same breath, especially in the United States and Canada. The majority of people who live in both countries did not originate there and each possess a legacy of doing terrible… Read More ›
“American Fighter” Blu-ray Giveaway
Written by Carl Morris and Shaun Paul Piccinino (who also directs), Lionsgate’s American Fighter is an adaptation of a true story centered on a wrestler who joins the underground fighting circuit to raise funds for his sick mother. If this sounds… Read More ›
Open Dialogue with “The Mauritanian” director Kevin Macdonald.
Kevin Macdonald is a documentarian, a feature filmmaker, and a master storyteller. Known for projects like The Last King of Scotland, State of Play, and documentaries on Mick Jagger, Bob Marley and Whitney Houston – Macdonald appreciates all aspects of… Read More ›