Transformation of any kind requires not confidence, but commitment. Anyone who’s observed small children as their minds develop will tell you that it’s a miracle that the majority of us survive into adulthood given the commitment to explore one’s surroundings…. Read More ›
film festival
When one realizes that there’s always a “Next Exit,” life becomes an unending journey, not a quest with a hard stop. [Tribeca Film Festival]
**Trigger Warning: Next Exit explores concepts of life and death, which involves discussion/examination of self-harm, suicidal ideation, and euthanasia.** “On this bridge,” Lorca warns, “life is not a dream. Beware. And beware. And beware.” And so many think because Then… Read More ›
Meditative drama “Montana Story” offers provocative material to chew on, even if not totally satisfying in the conclusion. [SFFILM Festival]
After a nine year break from directing, filmmaking partners Scott McGehee and David Seigel (What Maisie Knew) return with family drama Montana Story, screening during SFFILM Festival 2022 and releasing in select theaters on May 13th courtesy of Bleecker Street…. Read More ›
Be transported back to the bittersweet moments of adolescence in Sophia Silver’s “Over/Under.” [SFFILM Festival]
Summer 1996 — I was 15 and spent several days with a childhood friend, Glen, his sister and her friend, and his father at a beach house on the Outer Banks. To this day, I remember the days we spent… Read More ›
Creating a near-first person perspective places audiences in the experiences of director Reid Davenport in “I Didn’t See You There.” [SFFILM Festival]
After directing a series of shorts, filmmaker Reid Davenport jumps to features with documentary I Didn’t See You There, an experimental film exploring identity, visibility, and the continued consequences of the circus freak show from his perspective as an individual… Read More ›
Sarah Jones’s docu-drama “Sell/Buy/Date” effectively blends the stage with the screen to create a challenging exploration of sex work. [SFFILM Festival]
Tony Award-winning playwright Sarah Jones (Bridge & Tunnel) has developed and performed in several one-person shows over her career. They’ve explored immigrants, prejudice, community, feminism, sex work, and more, tackling complex topics with humor without losing insight. Inspired by people… Read More ›
Rita Moreno is the teacher you love to hate in Maureen Bharoocha’s “The Prank.” [SXSW Film Festival]
School days offer bored kids the opportunity to imagine wild scenarios about notable teachers. Students love to speculate on the personal lives of their instructors and wonder what goes on after the bell. What if the rumors turn out to… Read More ›
Addison Heimann’s “Hypochondriac” is horror as therapy. [SXSW Film Festival]
Addison Heimann deals with the ghosts in his past by bringing them to light, inviting scrutiny from whoever chooses to open the Pandora’s box that is Hypochondriac. While few directors probably choose to enter the game with an exposé into… Read More ›
Cooper Raiff continues to deliver strong crowd-pleasing stories in his second feature, “Cha Cha Real Smooth.” [SXSW Film Festival]
There’s always *that* Sundance film each year that comes out the festival the most triumphant one way or another, whether it be from the awards it won or the stars it has within it or the amount of money a… Read More ›
“The Cow” fails to deliver on an intriguing concept. [SXSW Film Festival]
There was a viral tweet going around a few days ago from E! News with some truly stunning pictures of Anne Hathaway and a caption that read “Did Anne Hathaway make a deal with the devil? She is literally aging… Read More ›
Drama “To Leslie” offers another powerful leading role for Andrea Riseborough. [SXSW Film Festival]
Every gay has their actress, or at least the one that we consider “our own” in a way the mainstream doesn’t fully. Sure, we all generally love Gaga and Meryl and Glenn, and so many other classic gay icons, but… Read More ›
The horror of “Soft & Quiet” is in the truth of it, for better or worse. [SXSW Film Festival]
It’s often said that money is the root of all evil, and while over the course of all human history that might be true, in the modern era, it’s becoming more clear that white supremacy is the root of all… Read More ›
Sam Green’s experimental documentary “32 Sounds” is something you listen with, not to. [SXSW Film Festival]
What does it mean to sit in a moment? For some, it means to be present, to actively engage in the “now.” It implies an action, a movement made in order to seize what’s before you. It’s the difference between… Read More ›
Pete Ohs’s “Jethica” offers an approach to forgiveness and grief we’d all be better to consider. [SXSW Film Festival]
Jethica is a film that wastes no time in laying its narrative out on the table with a refreshing efficiency. No padding, no filler, no three hour runtime, just a film that has a statement to make, makes it, and… Read More ›
Aisha Dee slays in Australian horror comedy “Sissy.” [SXSW Film Festival]
We’ve all had our experiences with bullies. Some more than others, certainly, but looking back on the pitfalls of adolescence in the light of adulthood, there’s always that nagging voice in the back of your head telling you “If you… Read More ›
The supporting cast steals the show in comedy “Spin Me Round.” [SXSW Film Festival]
Jeff Baena has written a lot of things over the last few years that have broken the mold and done something new for the comedy genre by not delivered the typical trope movies. He and his now wife, Aubrey Plaza,… Read More ›
“Spaz” explores the failed success of cinematic CG artist Steve Williams. [SXSW Film Festival]
Steve Williams. This is a name anyone who loves movies should know, but how many people can honestly say they know of Steve Williams, or Spaz as he was known to friends? He is the reason why James Cameron’s Abyss… Read More ›
“A Lot of Nothing” delivers on a whole lot of something. [SXSW Film Festival]
“Messy” defined by Mirriam-Webster’s Dictionary is as follows: “marked by confusion, disorder, or dirt.” Mo McRae’s feature debut A Lot of Nothing is absolutely messy, but in the best way possible. The movie starts off being one thing and then,… Read More ›
30 Helens agree: “Kids in the Hall: Comedy Punks” is a hilarious and heartfelt tribute to comedy legends who’re still at it. [SXSW Film Festival]
You can get a sense of a person by the comedy they ingest or reference. Often, their humor is shaped by those they enjoy or admire, so you can tell what they find sacred or profane. It’s the same thing… Read More ›
Regina Hall and Zoë Renee bring the damn house down with their performances in “Master.” [SXSW Film Festival]
One of the larger debates during my senior year of high school was the rift between my Black friends debating the merits of attending a Historically Black College & University (HBCU) or that of a Primarily White Institute (PWI), and… Read More ›