I went into the latest SpongeBob SquarePants movie (2025) with a surprising amount of goodwill. This franchise has survived for decades because, at its best, it balances absurd humor with genuine wit and a kind of anarchic charm that works for kids while slyly entertaining adults. Unfortunately, this installment is not just a misstep—it’s easily… Continue reading SpongeBob SquarePants: a loud, empty echo of better times
Author: Laurie Coker
Arrest the Midwife: stylistically steady and reflective
Watching Arrest the Midwife felt less like being swept into a dramatic crusade and more like being dropped into a complex situation that’s been developing for years. Director Elaine Epstein presents a case that’s emotional, yes, but also complicated — legally, culturally, and personally. The documentary follows three certified professional midwives in upstate New York… Continue reading Arrest the Midwife: stylistically steady and reflective
Sallywood: heartfelt and quietly memorable
Sallywood is a small film with a surprisingly lasting impact. Written and directed by Xaque Gruber and inspired by his own experience as an assistant to Oscar-nominated actress Sally Kirkland, the movie combines comedy, memoir, and gentle reflection into an understated Hollywood story that remains personal from start to finish. Tyler Steelman stars as Zack,… Continue reading Sallywood: heartfelt and quietly memorable
Now You See Me, Now You Don’t: light, charming, occasionally funny
Walking into Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, I didn’t expect much beyond flashy—and, of course, unbelievable—sleight-of-hand and a few smug grins from the returning Horsemen. What I got was pretty much that—but with enough charm, humor, and energy from the new cast to keep me more entertained than I expected, even if I… Continue reading Now You See Me, Now You Don’t: light, charming, occasionally funny
Round Top Film Festival – Due West: imperfect, yes, but grounded and relevant
Due West doesn’t shock or reinvent anything, but it genuinely captures what it’s like to live somewhere with few options and serious consequences. Watching it at the Round Top Film Festival, surrounded by a community that truly understands rural Texas, gave the film an extra boost. Adrianne Palicki anchors the story as an unnamed woman… Continue reading Round Top Film Festival – Due West: imperfect, yes, but grounded and relevant
Round Top Film Festival 2025 – Cottonmouth: a gritty Western thriller that doesn’t pull its punches
I caught Cottonmouth at this year’s Round Top Film Festival, and it left me both unsettled and impressed—a gritty Western thriller that doesn’t pull its punches. Directed by Brock Harris, the film is steeped in dust, betrayal, and retribution, a modern take on the old frontier morality tale. It’s not an easy watch—bleak, violent, and… Continue reading Round Top Film Festival 2025 – Cottonmouth: a gritty Western thriller that doesn’t pull its punches
Round Top Film Festival 2025 – Nouvelle Vague: both a love letter and a restrained bow to Jean-Luc Godard’s revolutionary spirit
Richard Linklater’s Nouvelle Vague is both a love letter and a restrained bow to Jean-Luc Godard’s revolutionary spirit. I saw it at the Round Top Film Festival, where its black-and-white shimmer felt perfectly at home amid the festival’s thoughtful, art-loving crowd. It’s a pretty film—undeniably so—and its monochrome palette gives every frame the texture of… Continue reading Round Top Film Festival 2025 – Nouvelle Vague: both a love letter and a restrained bow to Jean-Luc Godard’s revolutionary spirit
Round Top Film Festival 2025 – Adult Children: set the tone for a weekend that celebrated heartfelt storytelling
There’s something both comforting and quietly disarming about a film that tackles the idea of “family” without sentimentality or moral lessons. Adult Children, which opened the Round Top Film Festival 2025, does exactly that. Written by Annika Marks and directed by her husband, Rich Newey, the film finds humor and heartbreak in equal measure as… Continue reading Round Top Film Festival 2025 – Adult Children: set the tone for a weekend that celebrated heartfelt storytelling
Round Top Film Festival 2025 – Short Drama Showcase
A Look at the 8 Dramas I had initially planned to catch all the festival shorts, but due to timing and a last-minute decision, I chose the drama block. Eight films later, I learned something about myself: I can sit more easily through a two-hour feature than through eight short ones in a row —… Continue reading Round Top Film Festival 2025 – Short Drama Showcase
Round Top Film Festival 2025- a must attend, little festival with a big heart
Round Top Film Festival 2025: A Small Festival with Big Charm Now in its second year, the Round Top Film Festival is already proving to be something special—an intimate, well-organized event with a genuine sense of community. Everything about the weekend felt thoughtfully planned. The volunteers and festival staff deserve special praise for their warmth,… Continue reading Round Top Film Festival 2025- a must attend, little festival with a big heart