Described as “a lively action flick with a samurai twist,” latest Well Go USA release Samurai Marathon meets that description with a unique vigor. Directed by Bernard Rose (Candyman) and adapted from the novel “The Marathon Samurai: Five Tales of… Read More ›
streaming
Take flight anytime you want with “Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)” on home video.
As I left the theater in early February, I knew instantly that director Cathy Yan’s Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) was not for me. The post-fight margaritas, the bullet-proof bustier, the severity of Black… Read More ›
A Conversation with director Robin Hauser.
Documentary director Robin Hauser speaks with Noel T. Manning II about her documentary Bias. She explores her own journey into discovering who we are and why we each carry some sort of bias … even if we’re unaware of it…. Read More ›
Teen comedy “CRSHD” is a fun and colorful take on coming-of-age in the social media generation.
From Rebel Without a Cause (1955) to The Breakfast Club (1985) to Lady Bird (2017), each generation has its special coming-of-age films that it can claim as its own. These are the movies grounded in a cultural milieu that take… Read More ›
“Clementine” has all the makings of a juicy coming-of-age story, but struggles to pull it all together.
From writer/director Lara Jean Gallagher, Clementine is a psychological drama and emotional think-piece that deals with the consequences of a breakup and the rocky, unstable journey from one stage of life to the next. Aspiring artist Karen (Otmara Marrero) is… Read More ›
Slow burn neo-western “Arkansas” is a strong first feature directorial debut for Clark Duke.
When you do something for the first time, you don’t expect a grand slam, even out of a big swing. You might hope, you might dream, but you’re more likely to keep expectations close. For author John Brandon, this meant… Read More ›
Animated adaptation of Chinese tale “Ne Zha” asks children what we owe each other.
Myths and legends, stories like those of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round, Robin Hood, and Paul Bunyan and those of gods, goddesses, demons, and immortals, are often given the adaptation treatment in cinema. These stories are often… Read More ›
Shailene Woodley’s performance in “Endings, Beginnings” is really what makes this movie strong.
Romance movies typically skew for a certain instead of appealing to all audiences. The great ones (The Fault in Our Stars, Titanic, and The Big Sick) are the ones that can resonate and move a wide variety of people, both male… Read More ›
“Tammy’s Always Dying” is an honest, non-judgmental look into toxic relationships.
For her first feature script, Joanne Sarazen (I Came Here Alone) nails the endless pain and difficulty of a parental toxic relationship: the way the parent, an incubus born of weaponized love, cycles through terrible behavior after terrible behavior, pulling… Read More ›
Ready for home viewing, “The Rhythm Section” is an interesting twist on the spy thriller whose sum is rarely as strong as its parts.
Sometimes, no matter how many strong pieces a story has or how fantastic of a cast and crew, it doesn’t gel as expected. This is the case with The Rhythm Section, a film starring Blake Lively (All I See Is… Read More ›
“The Wretched” is a nuts and bolts monster movie, and it delivers.
The horror genre is arguably the most diverse genre in Hollywood when you take into consideration of all the sub-genres that it offers. Slasher, zombies, paranormal, and psychological are all prime examples of sub-genres of horror movies, but one should… Read More ›
Discover surrealist artist Reine Paradis in the VOD documentary “Queen of Paradis.”
The tale of Reine Paradis begins with the story of how the French-born artist came to the United States to pursue her dream of being an artist. After being fired as a photographer’s assistant, she had to make a decision,… Read More ›
Justin Kurzel’s rendering of Ned Kelly and his gang in “True History of the Kelly Gang” sizzles with punk rock energy.
Every culture has their notorious outlaws, and in Australia, probably no such figure looms larger than bushranger Ned Kelly, who famously wore a suit made of bulletproof armor during his last standoff with local authorities. While at least 10 movies… Read More ›
Netflix Original “Extraction” is a theater-quality adventure that deserves a big screen.
The names Joe and Anthony Russo have become synonymous with big blockbuster comic book films thanks to their work with Marvel Studios directing Captain America: The Winter Solider, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. However you… Read More ›
“Time Warp: The Greatest Cult Films of All-Time, Vol 1” is an informative, if imperfect, beginning of a cult film documentary series.
If you’ve ever felt lost, unseen, unacknowledged, or just generally without people, chances are that something came into your live and turned all of that around. We’re not getting into something as deep as religion, but, for many, the art… Read More ›
“Like a Boss” celebrates friendship making for a wonderful catharsis: a home release review.
A Word of Warning: This home release review is going to get a little personal. If you want to know about the film without all the excess, jump to the spoiler-free theatrical review. The whole reason I love movies as… Read More ›
Smartly layered feature-film debut “Why Don’t You Just Die!” brings the carnage as it explores the price of vengeance.
While anyone can insert their influences into their art, it’s something else entirely when the creation stands on its own. Writer/director Kirill Sokolov is open about his fondness for directors Sergio Leone (The Good, The Bad and the Ugly), Martin… Read More ›
“The Witch: Subversion” balances multiple genres within a singular narrative to keep audiences on the edge of their seat.
There’s an elegance and simplicity to writer/director Hoon-jung Park’s The Witch: Subversion that all begins with the opening. Via photo montage with intense tonal scoring, The Witch sets up a mysterious cabal performing medical experiments on children: iron lungs, tubes… Read More ›
The minimalism in indie drama “Stray” is both its greatest strength and weakness.
Writer/director Dustin Feneley’s feature film debut, Stray, is a bold swing. An exercise in minimalism, the dialogue is scant, pans are few, scoring is largely absent, and narrative points are inferred more than directly stated. Aspects of this does translate… Read More ›
Bring the immense theatrical scale of “1917” home now.
Of the films to drop in 2019, none impressed this reviewer more from a technical perspective than Sam Mendes’s 1917. Designed, shot, and edited to create a seamless one-take feel, 1917 became one of the year’s most immersive experiences without… Read More ›