On this latest episode of EoM Presents, EoM Contributor AJ Friar sits down with director James Keach and producer Michael Lehman to discuss documentary Gregg Allman: The Music of My Soul, coming to select theaters on June 17th. A four-year… Read More ›
Music
Questlove’s “Earth, Wind & Fire” doc is an engaging, enlightening tribute to one of the greatest musical groups of all time [Tribeca]
It’s fitting that a documentary about one of the greatest bands of all time comes from The Roots drummer and all-around music geek Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson. It’s even more fitting that the man who holds the most memorable afro this… Read More ›
Documentarian Josh Alexander invites audiences into a creative commune with “Sara Bareilles: Good Grief.” [Tribeca]
In 2007, singer/songwriter Sara Bareilles released Little Voice, her second album, the one that helped her breakthrough with tracks like “Love Song,” “Bottle It Up,” “Morningside,” and (personal favorite) “Many the Miles.” Since then, she’s released several studio and live… Read More ›
Oliver Hermanus’s “The History of Sound” comes available on physical formats via MUBI.
Music is a significant part of the oral tradition. Even if we lack words for our feelings or experiences, we can always chant, using the power of our lungs to vibrate our breath into song and story. This is why… Read More ›
The Home for Anime Podcast: Talking “Cosmic Princess Kaguya!”
As a writer, my comfort zone is putting my thoughts on paper and hitting publish, but there’s truly nothing like having a conversation with a fellow film nerd. In this case, joining fellow NCFCA member Cameron Allison on his The… Read More ›
Mona Fastvold’s musical drama “The Testament of Ann Lee” brings its hunger and thirst to home video.
Each award season brings frustration as a film that one loves (for any reason) doesn’t make it onto the short list — it gets snubbed. In a sea of talented performances, gifted crew, and dazzling creative leadership, there’s always going… Read More ›
“The Man with the Big Hat” mirrors the style of its focal point, Steven Fromholz. [SXSW]
Documentarian Austin Sayre’s The Man with the Big Hat reintroduces audiences to the independent legend of country music, Steven Fromholz, name that, for many, has lived just outside the mainstream despite a songwriting legacy that quietly shaped the genre. Having… Read More ›
“40 Years of Fuckin’ Up” captures the life and times of NOFX.
NOFX’s 40 Years of Fuckin’ Up is a loud, irreverent, and surprisingly heartfelt documentary celebrating four decades of chaos from one of punk rock’s most enduring bands, NOFX. For longtime fans, the film lands with a bittersweet edge. The band… Read More ›
Skip out on Sunday Church and head straight for the punk rock hilarity of teen comedy “Edie Arnold is a Loser.” [SXSW]
“Teenage girls are like mysterious, dark, and dangerous …” – Keely Jones, Ted Lasso First films are not barometers by which all subsequent films must account, but they play a massive role in the expectations audiences create. If a first… Read More ›
Open Dialogue with “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert” filmmaker Baz Luhrmann.
How do you bring Elvis Presley back to the stage in a way that feels immediate, immersive, and larger than life? On this episode of Meet Me at the Movies, Noel T. Manning II sits down with visionary filmmaker Baz… Read More ›
Documentarian Matt Finlin’s music/medical doc “Matter of Time” utilizes a three-prong narrative approach to craft of tale of shared hope.
“This too shall pass.” – Persian phrase of complex origin Though it’s hard to say exactly when epidermolysis bullosa (EB) first appeared, the genetic disease was first noted by Austrian dermatologist Ferdinand Ritter von Hebra in 1870 and it would… Read More ›
“Song Sung Blue” is a very human musical romantic drama based on real life events.
Song Sung Blue stands as one of the most grounded and quietly affecting performances in Hugh Jackman’s career, a surprising turn for an actor often associated with larger-than-life characters and blockbuster spectacle. Here, he strips away the bravado and theatricality… Read More ›
Get a peek behind the creative intention of one of Bruce Springsteen’s most notable albums in director Scott Cooper’s “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere.”
Adaptations are the bread and butter of entertainment, whether it’s “ripped from the headlines” episodes of some Law & Order spin-off to capture the zeitgeist or the story of an established celebrity. Going further are the adaptations of books which… Read More ›
“Spinal Tap II: The End Continues” takes the stage on home video.
Spinal Tap II: The End Continues arrives with the kind of baggage only a decades-delayed sequel can carry. The original This is Spinal Tap (1984) didn’t start life as a blockbuster or even much of a mainstream success; rather, it built its… Read More ›
“Blue Moon” is worth a ticket to ride for its lead performance and stage play approach
Director Richard Linklater’s films hold a deep personal connection to me. From the Before trilogy’s sense of love and yearning, to the mellow qualities of Dazed & Confused (1993) and Everybody Wants Some!! (2016), they show a serious directorial range…. Read More ›
Chandler Levack’s “Mile End Kicks” tangles with the struggles of early adulthood against the Montreal grunge scene of the 2010s. [TIFF]
Chandler Levack (I Like Movies) is back with her sophomore feature and Mile End Kicks makes one wonder what horrible tragedies and injustices Chandler went through herself or if there are a lot of creative liberties being taken in her… Read More ›
The Criterion Collection goes to 11 with its 4K “This is Spinal Tap” release.
This Is Spinal Tap remains one of the funniest and most influential comedies ever made, a true landmark in both the mockumentary format and cinematic comedy as a whole. Directed by Rob Reiner (The Princess Bride; Stand by Me) in… Read More ›
Linus O’Brien takes us on a “Strange Journey” in exploring the enduring legacy of his father’s “Rocky Horror Show.”
“So, come up to the lab and see what’s on the slab. I see you shiver with antici …” There are moments in our lives that we can recognize as (“…pation.”) life-changing; that we can see as the creation of… Read More ›
“Stans” delves deep into the way fans found their voices through Eminem’s music, lyrics, and personal struggles.
Stans is a compelling and emotional new documentary that explores the powerful connection between legendary rapper Eminem (The Slim Shady LP; The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce)) and the devoted fanbase inspired by his music. Directed by Steven… Read More ›
The physical release of the sometimes-musical dramedy “The Ballad of Wallis Island” charms you despite arriving empty-handed.
In 2007, director James Griffiths (Cuban Fury) and co-writers/co-stars Tom Basden (Plebs: Soldiers of Rome) and Tim Key (Wonderdate) released their short The One and Only Herb McGwyer Plays Wallis Island. The trio has been working since to adapting it… Read More ›