As a huge fan of Batman, I can confirm and say confidently I thought Todd Phillip’s Joker was good, but that’s about it. It certainly was not the Clown Prince of Darkness we’ve come to see on screen or really… Read More ›
drama
“Hold Your Breath” keeps you in a chokehold until the very end. [TIFF]
No one has ever questioned Sarah Paulson’s (Serenity; Ocean’s 8) ability to breathe life into something, and with her newest film, Hold Your Breath, this streak will continue as she is effortlessly brilliant in it and genuinely transforms the movie… Read More ›
“Saturday Night” achieves the impossible in capturing the anarchy of airing the first ever episode of “SNL” [TIFF]
Live from Elements of Madness, its SATURADAY NIGHTTTTTTTTTT! Jason Reitman’s latest (co-penned by Gil Kenan) is one of the most incredibly stacked and impossible ensembles to bring together about the chaotic moments before the first ever episode of Saturday Night… Read More ›
Mike Flanagan adapts one of Stephen King’s non-horror works with great aplomb in “The Life of Chuck.” [TIFF]
If you’ve ever read, listened to, or watched an interview with Stephen King about the adaptations of his works, he typically hates them for one reason or another, but usually because they stray enough from the source material to make… Read More ›
Janus Contemporaries brings “Tótem” and its unforgettable family home.
In Tótem (2023), newcomer Naíma Sentíes plays Sol, a little girl who we first meet taking her turn on a public toilet while her mother Lucía, played by Iazua Larios (Apocalypto; Sundown) makes her laugh by peeing in the sink…. Read More ›
Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway shine in the gorgeous-but-forgettable “Mothers’ Instinct,” now home on Blu-ray.
Benoît Delhomme’s directorial debut Mothers’ Instinct (2024), a remake of Olivier Masset-Depasse’s French-language thriller of the same name (2018), feels like it was born out of a cinephile’s (or actor-phile’s) dreamboard. Oscar-winners Jessica Chastain (It: Chapter Two) and Anne Hathaway… Read More ›
Reactions to “Megalopolis” are as divided as the successes and failures within the film.
While every person on Earth has their own crop of favorite filmmakers, there are those who stand as an almost objective list of the most influential to ever live: Alfred Hitchcock (Rope), Akira Kurosawa (Hidden Fortress), Federico Fellini (8 ½),… Read More ›
“Before Dawn” Blu-ray Giveaway
In July of this year, Well Go USA released the historical fiction Before Dawn from director/co-writer Jordon Prince-Wright into theaters and on digital services. If you missed it then or just prefer your films on physical formats, get excited as Before Dawn… Read More ›
Radiance Films releases a lovely high-definition restoration of Seijun Suzuki’s surprising yakuza dramedy “Tattooed Life.”
Art is chaos and chaos is life, therefore, art is a manifestation of the chaos of life. Our experiences, our views, everything that is “us” is transported into what we create. In some instances, what is absent from it is… Read More ›
Road trip dramedy “Bookworm” rewards the strong of heart and spirit with adventure. [Fantastic Fest]
Odd couple stories are the bread-and-butter of comedy. Putting mismatched people in situations (regular or irregular) is a breeding ground for hilarity as the two’s friction slowly grinds until it flares up. Add in estranged parentage with a little bit… Read More ›
Thanks to The Criterion Collection, “All of Us Strangers” receives a proper physical release.
We live in a world, it seems, where every single thing anyone ever does gets criticized and argued about no matter how absolutely fantastic and incredible things are. No matter what a company or someone does, there’s always going to… Read More ›
“Coup!” highlights how history tends to rhyme via a pandemic-set class warfare dark comic satire.
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – Writer/philosopher George Santayana There’s a presumption that everything that happens to you now, for the first time, is happening now for the first time. This is partially what… Read More ›
Blockbuster Bets: “Fresh Kills” offers a fresh perspective.
When I was a young filmmaker, I sat in a classroom while a poor excuse for a film producer talked to us about making films. At one point, when asked about how to get started in feature filmmaking, he pulled… Read More ›
Paramount Pictures celebrates the 25th anniversary of Martin Scorsese’s “Bringing Out the Dead” with a first-time 4K UHD edition.
Photosensitivity Warning: Bringing Out the Dead contains multiple sequences of flashing lights either directly (scenes with or focused on ambulance lights) or indirectly (lights flashing on characters) which may disturb sensitivity viewers. A lot can happen in 25 years. For… Read More ›
Sean Wang’s effective and heartwarming film about growing up in the age of peak-internet, “Dìdi (弟弟)” comes home on digital.
At first glance (or first trailer), Sean Wang’s directorial debut Dìdi (弟弟) (Chinese for “younger brother”) may seem like an empty rehash of other contemporary coming-of-age films like mid90s (2018) or Eighth Grade (2018), but to my surprise, there is… Read More ›
Whether you’re entering your romantic era or feeling nostalgic for one, make a date for “The 4:30 Movie.”
It all starts with eye contact from across a room. You find yourself pulled in and, next thing you know, you’re making small talk to learn a little more as they find themselves in your hands. Feeling mutual energy, the… Read More ›
Sonny Chiba films “Karate Bullfighter” and “Karate Bear Fighter” get a two-disc restoration release by Eureka Entertainment.
Born Sadaho Maeda, Japanese actor and martial artist Shin’ichi “Sonny” Chiba would be one of the more prolific action stars of his era. From early work on tokusatsu programs to English-language performances in Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003) and Fast… Read More ›
José Lourenço’s feature debut “Young Werther” will charm most audiences, rom-com or otherwise. [TIFF]
It is not an unfair statement to say that I am fond of the romantic comedy genre; it hits a sweet spot for my personal taste and certainly can be charming and enjoyable even if it is far-fetched and schlocky…. Read More ›
A full pew of talent on all sides of the pulpit delivers a flawless thriller in “Conclave.” [TIFF]
How does one, specifically Edward Berger, follow up All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)? With one of the most interesting and captivating stories about selecting a new Pope and the events that happen during the conclave. For a task… Read More ›
Drama “Really Happy Someday” captures how the process of becoming your true self is far from linear. [TIFF]
Having been a fan of musical theatre practically my entire life, I can only assume the trepidations, hardships, and sheer determination and power one needs to go through being a live performer and dealing with the day-to-day challenges. There is… Read More ›