When it was announced that the programmers of this year’s SXSW had selected this new action-comedy starring Nicolas Cage, I was beyond excited. Since I first heard about this film, I simply could not wait to watch it, and seeing it at Austin’s Paramount Theater at the film festival, with the filmmakers and lead actors… Continue reading SXSW 2022: THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT
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THE BAD GUYS
Based on the popular children’s book series of the same name, Dreamworks’ adaptation of The Bad Guys is guaranteed to entertain audiences of all ages, regardless of their familiarity with the source material. With a mix of classic cartoonish silliness, physical gags, smartly written comedy, and thrilling action, this movie delivers laughs and excitement galore.… Continue reading THE BAD GUYS
THE WHITE FORTRESS – Tabija
Bosnian filmmaker Igor Drljača opens his new gritty yet poetic crime drama, Tabija/The White Fortress, in the rundown, graffiti-covered Sarajevo suburb of Alipasino Polje. The war-torn ghetto is the perfect landscape for this unsettling film.
STANLEYVILLE
Stanleyville is bizarre. There, I said it. I sat through the 90-minute runtime, wanting to turn it off half the time and wanting to see how it ends for the other. My guest tuned out and I stayed put. Writer/director Maxwell McCabe-Lokos makes an apparent effort to create an intriguing dark comedy, but it never… Continue reading STANLEYVILLE
THE DUKE
In film, intrigue and art theft are typically reserved for suspense thrillers with handsome leads dressed to the nine’s plotting the perfect heist. A stodgy, slightly bumbling low-class thief isn’t the typical type unless the story is true. Based on a radio play story, director Roger Michell’s version is nearly perfect – cast, sets, costumes,… Continue reading THE DUKE
FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE
Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, movie audiences would have to wait four years for this sequel to Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. While I am not a massive fan of the “Wizarding World” franchise, I feel that I actually benefitted greatly from this longer-than-expected break for this next installment. With its flaws and problems,… Continue reading FANTASTIC BEASTS: THE SECRETS OF DUMBLEDORE
FATHER STU
Based on the true story of Catholic priest Father Stuart Long (portrayed in the movie by Mark Wahlberg), this biopic definitely has a firm foundation, with an inspiring spiritual story of redemption. During Long’s youth and young adult years, he endured heartbreak through the loss of his brother, and the subsequent divorce of his parents… Continue reading FATHER STU
DUAL
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
MOTHERING SUNDAY
“Mothering Sunday,” a novel by British author Graham Swift, is adapted by Alice Birch (“Lady Macbeth”) for the feature film by the same name that is now having a wider release April 8th after having been shot in 2020. Directed by Eva Husson, the film features Jane Fairchild (Odessa Young) as the young maid who… Continue reading MOTHERING SUNDAY
SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2
The Sonic the Hedgehog saga continues. I have to admit that I totally missed the first movie went it was released in 2020. I don’t remember the exact details as to why I didn’t screen the film, but eventually, the COVID-19 pandemic pretty much shut down most public activities. I, therefore, never, ever caught up… Continue reading SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2