Today on Open Dialogue, Noel T. Manning II interviews The Dry writer, producer, director Robert Connolly and acting talent Genevieve O’Reilly (Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Rogue One, and Rebels, The Matrix, Tin Star, The Glitch, Tolkien). Starring Eric… Read More ›
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Coming of age comedy “The Get Together” pulls through with an endearing charm.
Storytelling is essential. It’s one of the easiest ways to communicate our values, express our beliefs, and process our experiences. Even our 280-character tweets are a form of storytelling, and many of us couldn’t make it a single day without… Read More ›
Anders Thomas Jensen’s dark comedy “Riders of Justice” offers shocking profundity amid violence.
A young girl and her mother are riding a subway train when an accident occurs, killing the mother and leaving the daughter injured but alive. Her father, a military man, comes home from active duty to care for his daughter… Read More ›
Director Paul Starkman showcases his mastery of filmmaking in his feature debut, “Wheels.”
Wheels starts with its greatest strength: music. A lively rock-n-roll tune plays over a black screen as a few opening credits fly by, and we hear the protagonist, Max (Arnstar), introduce himself while doing what he loves most: DJing. But… Read More ›
Q-Bits with the “Minari” writer/director Lee Isaac Chung and producer Christina Oh.
During awards season, there are multiple opportunities for filmmakers and journalists to engage in cinematic dialogue. Cast and crew from award’s caliber films are eager to engage in conversation about their films. During the pandemic, many film junkets have transitioned… Read More ›
After several festival premieres, Emma Seligman’s “Shiva Baby” gets the wide release it deserves.
There are a few moments in life where the dichotomy of promise and pressure collide as they do with family. Ideally, family are the folks who love and support you “no matter what,” yet, along with that, they also are… Read More ›
Martial arts action comedy “The Rookies” is best left on the bench.
When you market a film based on being from the writer of 2004’s New Police Story, a continuation/reboot of Jackie Chan’s action-martial arts-drama series, then you’d better be on par or be willing to lose a lot of face. Sadly,… Read More ›
Hey, Birthday Boy! Bring home the party with “Willy’s Wonderland” on home video.
Sometimes, the movie experience you need most is the one with the least number of hurdles to get over. There’s a comfort that comes from a film that’s so straight-forward and streamlined that you can just kick back and enjoy… Read More ›
Ran Slavin’s feature debut, “Call for Dreams,” is “A Page of Madness” for the 21st century.
According to the press notes for Call for Dreams, Israeli director Ran Slavin started the project in pursuit of a “new cinematic form.” Slavin began with the idea to collect dreams from strangers that he could use as inspiration for… Read More ›
Life is good. But it could be better with “Wonder Woman 1984” out on home video.
Kicking off Warner Bros. Pictures’s new simultaneous release policy with HBO Max, Wonder Woman 1984 debuted in select theaters and on the burgeoning streaming service on December 25th, 2020. For 31 days, audiences could elect to either head to theaters… Read More ›
Bonkers B-Movie gore fest “Jakob’s Wife” is brimming with bloodlust. [SXSW Film Festival]
Immediately after I finished watching Jakob’s Wife, I sat there in a state of confusion, perplexed by the madness of what I just witnessed. A jumbled mess of incohesive thoughts and emotions floated around in my mind as I tried… Read More ›
“Sound of Violence” fails to deliver on promising concept by sliding into familiar horror territory. [SXSW Film Festival]
On paper, Alex Noyer’s Sound of Violence has all the building blocks needed to succeed as a dark and twisted indie horror. The concept and synopsis sound fascinating, and the film expands upon themes Noyer has already explored for years…. Read More ›
Effulgent and joyous, “Mr. Soul!” is a celebration of one man’s work.
In 1968, you couldn’t turn on the television, listen to the radio, or read something in print without seeing a White face. Even during the Civil Rights Movement, any presentation of the Black experience was almost always presented through a… Read More ›
Action/adventure flick “Burn It All” trips and stumbles over its stiff dialogue, making it difficult to take the story seriously.
Like a well-choreographed action sequence, movies have a lot of moving parts. While certain aspects of a film might not fall into place, the film may do so well in other areas that it turns out alright in the end…. Read More ›
Keith Thomas’s phantasmagorical “The Vigil” explores the destructive terror of generational trauma.
When it comes to those who identify as Jewish, theirs is a life of constant reminders of threat, peril, and near-extinction several times over. Trying to explain holidays, for instance, to my eldest but still-quite-young son, is to find a… Read More ›
Have a killer time at “Willy’s Wonderland.”
A silent lead. A gang of teenagers. A house of horrific animatronic monsters. With this trifecta, Willy’s Wonderland is either going to be the stuff of legends or nightmares. If you’re a fan of small budget horror films like Evil… Read More ›
“PG: Psycho Goreman” DVD Giveaway
After a tour on the festival circuit and a mixed theatrical/VOD release, The Archduke of Nightmares is coming to your home, ready to bathe in your blood. That’s right, PG: Psycho Goreman is slated for a home release on March 16th:… Read More ›
“The Wanting Mare” is a paradox: breathtaking and rich, yet hollow and vacant.
To quote Keanu Reeves, “I love movies.” While he has the joy of making them and watching them, I love them for their transportive abilities. They can move you through time to see a version of what has been, expel… Read More ›
Writer/director Ben Hozie’s “PVT Chat” demonstrates admirable skill, creativity, and resourcefulness despite other shortcomings.
From writer and director Ben Hozie, PVT Chat is a story of urban loneliness and isolation along with lust and obsession. Peter Vack acts in the role of Jack, an online gambler who feels internally empty and without any clear… Read More ›
Outside of a few unfortunate parallels to current events, “Rams” is a quaint comedy/drama with a delightful cast.
Director Jeremy Sims brings together the talents of Sam Neill, Michael Caton, and Miranda Richardson in Rams, his English-language remake of the 2015 Icelandic film, Hrútar. Rams centers around feuding brothers Colin and Les Grimurson (Neill and Caton, respectively), who… Read More ›