Hunger Games meets cloning in Dual, a new film starring the talented Karen Gillan. Writer/director Riley Stearns creates a darkly satirical story regarding some intense themes, beneath which there lies a rumble of serious existential questions. Stearns creates a futuristic and otherworld feel to his setting, characters, and plot, allowing for a disconnect from the… Continue reading DUAL
Author: Laurie Coker
SXSW: SISSY
I am not a huge fan of horror films. Some bore me and others just gross me out, but occasionally, I stumble across one that excites me. During the SXSW Film Festival this year, ‘Sissy’ a film directed and co-written by Kane Senes and Hannah Barlow engaged and surprised me. Clever writing and even more… Continue reading SXSW: SISSY
The Yellow Wallpaper
I haven’t taught in years, but when I did, “The Yellow Wallpaper,” a short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, was a staple in the sophomore literature text. The film by the same name, adapted and directed by Kevin Pontuti, stays true (for all but the ending) to the source. Pontuti manages to capture the psychological… Continue reading The Yellow Wallpaper
SXSW 2022: PRETTY PROBLEMS
We all get into ruts – with our relationships, our careers, and our daily lives. We also often want a different life than the one dealt to us – especially if it means financial freedom and a carefree existence. With Pretty Problems, director Kestrin Pantera and screenwriter Michael Tennant explore age-old themes of self-worth, pride,… Continue reading SXSW 2022: PRETTY PROBLEMS
SXSW – TONY HAWK: UNTIL THE WHEELS FALL OFF
My son’s first skateboard was a Tony Hawk board – I remember it well, and I remember how in awe my son was of the champion trickster. Hawk is not a stranger to documentaries, but Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off sheds more light on the skating phenom than others have and shares insights… Continue reading SXSW – TONY HAWK: UNTIL THE WHEELS FALL OFF
SXSW 2022: LINOLEUM
It can be tough to review a film with detail and flourish and not reveal the surprises that make it entertaining. Linoleum, a film from director Colin West, starring Jim Gaffigan, had its Indy film premiere at SXSW digitally and in-person and provided a delightful and subtly cool diversion. This is the writer/director West’s second… Continue reading SXSW 2022: LINOLEUM
SXSW: APOLLO 10 1/2
The name “Boomer” seems to have a super negative connotation for some – namely millennials, but I am proud to have grown up when drinking out of the hose, climbing trees, having dirt fights, swimming in the resaca, catching fireflies, playing freeze tag, family game night, and the Wonderful World of Disney were cool. Richard… Continue reading SXSW: APOLLO 10 1/2
SXSW 2022: THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’s title sums it up. Nicolas Cage and Pedro Pascal star in this laugh-out-loud, utterly silly, action-packed homage to Cage himself. Director/co-writer Tom Gormican with Kevin Etten has created a wild and hilarious farce with leads who have excellent and excitingly entertaining chemistry. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent pleases… Continue reading SXSW 2022: THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT
SXSW: A GIRL FROM PLAINVILLE – LIMITED SERIES
A girl from Plainville, Massachusetts, made headlines, and the series A Girl from Plainville chronicles the tale of Michelle Carter, a young woman who encouraged her boyfriend Conrad “Coco” Roy III to get back in his truck and kill himself. A Girl from Plainville takes viewers inside the lives of Michelle, Conrad, and their families,… Continue reading SXSW: A GIRL FROM PLAINVILLE – LIMITED SERIES
SXSW 2022: X
Horror or porn or both – the latter seems the direction for X, a new film by director Tim West. West helms this 1979-based horror flick, Grindhouse style, that centers on the filming of a porn movie. Unlike other more successful offerings in the horror genre, like the terrifying Texas Chainsaw Massacre, X, even with… Continue reading SXSW 2022: X