*NEWS RELEASE* TO CELEBRATE THE ARRIVAL OF F9 IN THEATERS JUNE 25 UNIVERSAL PICTURES ANNOUNCES “FAST FRIDAYS” EIGHT WEEKS OF FREE NATIONWIDE SCREENINGS OF EVERY PREVIOUS FAST AND FURIOUS FILM TO THANK FAST FANS AND TO WELCOME AUDIENCES BACK TO MOVIES SELECT THEATERS WILL SCREEN A DIFFERENT FAST FILM EACH FRIDAY BEGINNING APRIL 30, 2021… Continue reading ARRIVAL OF F9 IN THEATERS JUNE 25
Author: Laurie Coker
REEFA
By Laurie Coker Rating: B A parent should not have to bury a child. In 2013, Israel ‘Reefa’ Hernandez’ parents put their son to rest. Reefa, starring Tyler Dean Flores, chronicles the story of the wrongful, called “accidental,” death of Hernandez at the hands of the Miami police. This relevant tale plays it safe in… Continue reading REEFA
MORTAL KOMBAT
By Laurie Coker Rating: C+ It is probably minorly important to understand the source material for films like the new Mortal Kombat. I am not a gamer and really, except for pinball in my youth, appear to have no skill or propensity for video games. Regardless, I went in with an open mind. Mortal Kombat,… Continue reading MORTAL KOMBAT
THE KNOT
By Laurie Coker Rating: B+ Indian writer/director Ashish Pant explores disparaging class divides in his freshman, full-feature film effort, The Knot (Uljhan). The film, starring Vikas Kumar and Saloni Batra rolls along at a slow burn and digs deeply into the chasm that exists between the haves and have nots. Pant’s is suspenseful, although sometimes… Continue reading THE KNOT
GODZILLA VS. KONG
By Laurie Coker Rating: A I still get a chuckle when I think about watching old-school Godzilla movies and the rubbery creature stomping around with people screaming “Godzilla” lips not matching sound. Great stuff! The giant lizard has graced the screen countless times in several different forms, but CGI experts have gone above and amazingly… Continue reading GODZILLA VS. KONG
SXSW 2021: WOMEN IS LOSERS
By Laurie Coker Rating: A+ Getting into my VIRTUAL SXSW mode, settling into my office chair, and choosing my first film proved a bit more difficult than I imagined compared to face-to-face experiences of past festivals. Once I figured it all out, I chose Women is Losers as the first film I watched. Written and… Continue reading SXSW 2021: WOMEN IS LOSERS
SXSW 2021: WITHOUT GETTING KILLED OR CAUGHT
By Laurie Coker Rating: A Texas music has a life of its own. Whether born in the state or transplanted from elsewhere, stars like Townes van Zandt and Guy Clark left their mark on the industry beyond the Lone Star State’s borders. SXSW documentary, Without Getting Killed or Caught, takes a personal and bare look… Continue reading SXSW 2021: WITHOUT GETTING KILLED OR CAUGHT
SXSW 2021: THE FALLOUT
By Laurie Coker Rating: A As a teacher who in her final two years of a long career found herself participating in active-shooter drills and watching the aftermath of school shooting, I hesitated to choose The Fallout as one of my SXSW Festival picks. A fellow critic encouraged me to take a look and it… Continue reading SXSW 2021: THE FALLOUT
SXSW 2021: THE END OF US
By Laurie Coker Rating: C All joking aside, during this pandemic, many people found themselves “locked-down” with people with whom they already had shaky relationships. We have yet to discover the magnitude of the emotional toll this situation has taken on relationships. The End of Us, the feature film debut by directors Henry Loevner and… Continue reading SXSW 2021: THE END OF US
COMING 2 AMERICA
By Laurie Coker Rating: B- We need humor, especially now. I decent, belly laugh can raise spirits and is priceless to the soul. Over thirty years after the Coming to America had us rolling in the aisles, the cast is back, and then some in Coming 2 America. This newest film offers up culture-clash comedy… Continue reading COMING 2 AMERICA