To go into a movie without knowing anything about it is a rare experience, but sometimes something drops into your inbox and you decide to jump head first into it knowing nothing other than that it is a festival screening…. Read More ›
foreign film
Horror thriller “Burning” utilizes multiple perspectives to showcase how little we know about the people around us. [Fantasia]
In storytelling, the most obvious thing is that the narrative is based on perception, but it’s also the thing that we most take for granted as an audience. We presume that what we see, what we hear, is what happens;… Read More ›
Filmmaker Youssef Chahine is welcomed into the Criterion Collection with a 4K HD restoration of his 1958 crime thriller “Cairo Station.”
Film scholar Joseph Fahim describes director Youssef Chahine’s 1958 crime thriller Cairo Station (باب الحديد) as a film that failed to connect with audiences and was viewed as a failure upon its initial release. He also states that the film… Read More ›
You may not know you’re “Transcending Dimensions,” but you’ll certainly feel it. [Fantasia]
Photosensitivity Warning: There are three instances of powerful strobing/flashing lights that may trigger a painful response in audiences: two shortly after the title card appears and one in the climatic sequence of the film. Japanese filmmaker Toshiaki Toyoda has built… Read More ›
Vittorio De Sica’s first masterpiece “Shoeshine,” a devastating tale of innocence lost in postwar Italy, comes home in excellent restoration, courtesy of The Criterion Collection.
Before he directed one of the greatest films of all time, 1948’s Bicycle Thieves, Vittorio De Sica became the face of Italian Neorealism in 1946 with his first masterpiece Shoeshine. Italian Neorealism was a post-World War II film movement which… Read More ›
Polish filmmaker Grzegorz Królikiewicz’s 1973 feature debut “Through and Through” gets a 2K restoration from Radiance Films.
What would you do for love? Would you fight? Would you protect? What would you build? What would you sacrifice? Polish filmmaker Grzegorz Królikiewicz (The Dancing Hawk), having previously made a series of short films, released his feature debut, Through… Read More ›
“Crown of Shadows” DVD Giveaway
On August 12th, High Flier Films released Richard Campbell’s fantasy actioner Crown of Shadows on DVD. Now, courtesy of Alliance Entertainment, EoM is giving away one (1) DVD edition of the film to one lucky winner. No battling with a dragon or… Read More ›
“Buffet Infinity” is the full experience, pulling you in with curiosity and excitement and leaving you feeling over-stuffed. [Fantasia]
Trigger Warning: Viewers with audiovisual sensitivities may find elements of the film disconcerting or triggering due to various auditory elements. If you’ve seen some of the more recent V/H/S anthology movies, then you know their stories focus around a central… Read More ›
Meta movie “I Fell in Love with a Z-Grade Director in Brooklyn” is the rare one that hits you in the feels. [Fantasia]
There is something special about movies that are love letters to filmmaking, genres, and low-budget movies — it is just such a niche topic to touch upon but, when done right, it can be a cinephile’s perfect movie. Thankfully, Kenichi… Read More ›
The 2019 4K HD restoration of Jean Epstein’s 1929 drama “Finis Terrae” is now available for UK and North American cinephiles via Eureka Entertainment.
Trigger Warning: Much of this black-and-white film features a flickering that is more noticeable in non-white/mostly-grey or dark sequences. This may prove triggering for photosensitive viewers. Stories of hubris are as old as time. Whether it’s literary figures like Lex… Read More ›
“Detonation! Violent Riders” explodes upon impact via 88 Films.
Content Warning: The following review discusses scenes of sexual violence. A sweaty biker gang leader with a head shaved in the shape of a swastika huffs fumes from a plastic bag, swearing revenge and delivering exposition at the same time…. Read More ›
Underdog sports action drama “Blazing Fists” offers profound revelations to go along with bone-crunching action. [Fantasia]
Between the stories we tell ourselves and the ones we present to others, somewhere in the middle lies the truth of who we are, that part of ourselves that we either can’t bear to put into the light of day… Read More ›
Low-stakes sports dramedy “Good Game” is worth booting up and logging in. [Fantasia]
In the realm of capitalism, if you can do it, chances are you can make money off of it. That’s why you can make money from doing everything from playing board games, tossing a pig skin, or PvP Counter-Strike competitions…. Read More ›
When death is on your side, “All You Need Is Kill.” [Fantasia]
Live. Die. Repeat. Live. Die. Repeat. Live. Die. Repeat. Live. Die. Repeat. Before these words were linked to the Doug Liman-directed Edge of Tomorrow (2014), they belonged to Hiroshi Sakurazaka and his light novel All You Need Is Kill. Initially… Read More ›
“Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy” is an ambitious fantasy adventure exploring the limitations of humanity. [Fantasia]
A world invaded by monsters. Celestial observers meddling with humanity. Humans given the ability to upgrade their physical form by completing scenarios and defeating monsters, including acquiring specialty weapons. If this sounds like the 2016 web novel series Solo Leveling… Read More ›
Comedic short “Shrimp Fried Rice” may not contain shrimp (it totally does). [Fantasia]
Sometimes filmed content needs 90+ minutes to tell its story effectively. Other times, it needs less. It all depends on the story that is being told, the ability of the actors in the project to convey the story in the… Read More ›
Amid clunky execution, fantasy rom-com “ChaO” reminds that we are forever our own storytellers. [Fantasia]
We are the music makers, And we are the dreamers of dreams, Wandering by lone sea-breakers, And sitting by desolate streams;— World-losers and world-forsakers, On whom the pale moon gleams: Yet we are the movers and shakers Of the world… Read More ›
Get ready to throw down in “The Forbidden City.” [Fantasia]
Since Cain slew Abel, it’s believed that humanity has continued to find ways to betray itself, regardless of the cost. As such, stories have found ways to exploit this element of the human condition as a means for narrative catalyst,… Read More ›
“Honeko Akabane’s Bodyguards” walks the fine line between manga art direction and reality, bringing some fun along with it. [Fantasia]
Trigger Warning: An extended introduction sequence includes frequent brief flashing effects that may be difficult for photosensitive viewers. What does it mean to be a hero? Stories from around the world and throughout time try to navigate this question. Few… Read More ›
Filmmaker Tōru Murakawa’s “The Beast to Die” gets a welcomed limited edition 4K HD restoration from Radiance Films.
If someone is asked to identify their favorite war-related films, most likely they’ll name American-made films, not because they’re inherently better but because they are often more prolific. The truth is that war is one of the few concepts that… Read More ›