As children, there’re all kinds of games available to entertain and to instill a little competition. The trick is that some of those games can end up with some players feeling a little left out, especially when the point of… Read More ›
film festival
Filmmaker Jules Arita Koostachin offers optimistic resistance while exploring generational trauma caused by religious violence in her documentary “WaaPaKe (Tomorrow).” [imagineNATIVE]
In May of 2021, news broke worldwide of a discovery in Canada of a mass grave containing the bodies of 215 Indigenous children. This would be shocking to many, the idea that schools created by the Canadian government would so… Read More ›
Erica Tremblay’s family drama “Fancy Dance” is a fictional tale baring the scars of real trauma. [imagineNATIVE]
There are the stories we tell and then there are the stories beneath them. These are sometimes stated outright, bubbling to the surface, unable to be contained, while others are told via pieces of dialogue or in the negative spaces… Read More ›
Writer/director Pierre Creton’s “A Prince (Un prince)” utilizes an observatory documentary-like approach that disconnects the audience from his coming-of-age tale. [New York Film Festival]
When we think of coming-of-age tales, there are certain staples that come to mind: youth, love, introspection, heartbreak, and maybe a little absolution. Writer/director Pierre Creton (A Beautiful Summer (Le bel été)) disregards almost all of these in his recent… Read More ›
Filmmaker Miko Revereza’s “Nowhere Near” is an experimental documentary capturing the scars of a life lived in waiting. [New York Film Festival]
There’s a strange hypocrisy to the American Dream. Citizens of the United States of America have called their country the greatest in the world, touting its various freedoms (perceived or law-based), all while going to other countries to spread their… Read More ›
Rosine Mbakam’s “Mambar Pierrette” elevates with an observation approach over tropes. [New York Film Festival]
Despite what stories tell us, our lives don’t end when we achieve the dream, overcome the adversity, or, worse yet, get taken down by the corporate monster trying to rip down the community center. Until we cease to function, the… Read More ›
Intriguing concepts are diluted by abandoned threads in Paul Duane’s folklore horror “All You Need is Death.” [Beyond Fest]
Before the written word carried the words of the present into the future, the oral tradition was used to safeguard family and cultural histories. This method, though reliant on the memory of the custodian, still remains a valued part of… Read More ›
Filmmaker James Benning’s experimental doc “Allensworth” is a meditation on time and space that may only resonant with those aware of the subject. [New York Film Festival]
Filmmaker James Benning has been making movies as early as 1972, starting with his short film Time and a Half. His projects shift in specificity, but each one appears to be an exploration of a precise subject, and Benning has… Read More ›
Documentarian Michael Gitlin invites audiences to go night swimming with “The Night Visitors.” [New York Film Festival]
Trigger Warning: Photosensitive audience members beware as there are several moments of flashing/strobing, close-ups on bulb filament, bright white backgrounds, and other elements which may induce episodes or migraine. Recently, on a walk with my family, my eldest spoke about… Read More ›
A Conversation with “The Last Stop in Yuma County” writer/director Francis Galluppi. [Fantastic Fest]
EoM Senior Interviewer Thomas Manning recently spoke with writer and director Francis Galluppi about his directorial debut, The Last Stop in Yuma County. A selection for Fantastic Fest 2023, this western flick stars the likes of Jim Cummings, Jocelin Donahue,… Read More ›
Kim Jee-woon’s dark dramedy “Cobweb (거미집) explores the duality of depression and optimism in creation. [Fantastic Fest]
“Oh what a tangled web we weave When first we practice to deceive.” Sir Walter Scott, author There is no story more powerful than the one we tell ourselves. Are we the hero? The villain? Are we the main character… Read More ›
Original in concept and philosophy, Gareth Edwards’s “The Creator” is a gorgeously shot, powerfully acted, and thoughtful protest film. [Fantastic Fest]
… Compromise is made out of peace But history’s made out of violence … – From “Sing Along” by Sturgill Simpson. Though he made his big splash for most audiences with 2014’s Godzilla, writer/director Gareth Edwards has been releasing films… Read More ›
When it comes to “Pet Sematary: Bloodlines,” perhaps dead is better. [Fantastic Fest]
I’m fairly certain I might be the only person on Earth who feels this way, but I stand firm in that the 2019 remake of Pet Sematary is a better rendition of Stephen King’s source novel than that of the… Read More ›
Writer/director Francis Galluppi’s feature-length directorial debut “The Last Stop in Yuma County” is like a poker hand where everything remains uncertain even after the river. [Fantastic Fest]
Some days it doesn’t matter what you do, your fate is sealed before you’ve even woken up. On those days, you ride it out to the best of your ability, holding on tight to the proverbial wheel is one option… Read More ›
Writer/director Yūdai Yamaguchi brings his martial arts actioner “One-Percenter” to whoop ass at Fantastic Fest 2023. [Fantastic Fest]
Who doesn’t love a little meta-angle in their entertainment, something that’s willing to poke fun at itself all while telling its own version of the very thing it’s potentially satirizing? We’re talking movies like Hollywood Shuffle (1987), The Player (1992),… Read More ›
Nicholas Tomnay’s new darkly comic thriller “What You Wish For” is a dish worth waiting 13 years for. [Fantastic Fest]
There’s an idea that one should never compare their daily struggles with someone else’s highlight reel. I forget where it popped up on social media or who wrote it, but it’s a smart thought. As we toil away at our… Read More ›
The latest short film from writer/director Sam Fox is “Fck’n Nuts.” [Fantastic Fest]
Fantastic Fest is the largest genre film festival in the U.S. and always brings with it some truly memorable experiences. EoM’s been formally covering the festival since 2021, discovering gems like The Execution (2021), Baby Assassins (2021), Unicorn Wars (2022),… Read More ›
John Barker’s follow-up track, “The Umbrella Men: Escape from Robben Island,” captures the magic of the first and pushes it further. [Toronto International Film Festival]
At the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), writer/director John Barker unveiled his third feature film, the comedic caper The Umbrella Men. Filled with the sights, sounds, and life of Cape Town, Barker invited audiences to see a few good… Read More ›
EoM Presents: A Conversation with “The Umbrella Men: Escape from Robben Island” director John Barker and actors Jacques De Silva, Shamilla Miller, and Bronté Snell. [Toronto International Film Festival]
In this edition of EoM Presents, Senior Interviewer Thomas Manning chats with the cast and crew of The Umbrella Men: Escape from Robben Island, a 2023 TIFF selection. Manning speaks with director John Barker and actors Jacques De Silva, Shamilla… Read More ›
“Toll (Pedágio)” explores the cost of individual actions and societal pressures. [Toronto International Film Festival]
Life has grown far more absurd in reality than any other satire could possibly conceive. We have states where the governor actively lobbies for (and signed into law) a reduction in the age to work so that adolescents and teenagers… Read More ›