Fantastic Fest Review: Quentin Dupieux’s Dark Comedy Satire is Spot-On

About: A social media star, Magalie Moreau (Adèle Exarchopoulos) often shoots videos that go viral and keeps going to “test” various items that include her body as the test site. As a youngster, she began with some items that caught people’s attention, then gradually moved on to more shocking ones. She has vast numbers of… Continue reading Fantastic Fest Review: Quentin Dupieux’s Dark Comedy Satire is Spot-On

FANTASTIC FEST 2025: Silver Screamers – a breath of fresh air — a warm hug in cinematic form

After several days of watching dark thrillers, grim horror films, and cynical dramas at Fantastic Fest, Silver Screamers felt like a breath of fresh air — a warm hug in cinematic form. As someone who’s 66 myself, I wasn’t just watching this documentary; I was deeply feeling it. It’s rare to see people my age… Continue reading FANTASTIC FEST 2025: Silver Screamers – a breath of fresh air — a warm hug in cinematic form

FANTASTIC FEST 2025: Luger – lures viewers in with a grin before hitting square in the chest

Bruno Martín’s Luger is the kind of film that lures viewers in with a grin before hitting square in the chest. It opens with an almost breezy rhythm — Toni and Rafa, stepbrothers and fixers for hire, spend their days doing the dirty work rich clients would rather not be caught doing themselves. Whether it’s cleaning up… Continue reading FANTASTIC FEST 2025: Luger – lures viewers in with a grin before hitting square in the chest

FANTASTIC FEST 2025: The Forbidden City – an excellent “spaghetti” martial arts film

Gabriele Mainetti’s The Forbidden City was one of the most distinctive films I saw at this year’s Fantastic Fest, a sharp and confident entry that blends multiple genres into something strikingly original. Best described as a “spaghetti martial arts” film, it combines the choreography and intensity of classic kung fu cinema with the grit and atmosphere of… Continue reading FANTASTIC FEST 2025: The Forbidden City – an excellent “spaghetti” martial arts film

HIM -never rises above these flashes of potential

Some movies feel like they’ve been built around a killer idea that simply doesn’t survive once the lights go down. Him is one of those films. It has all the ingredients for a creepy, genre-bending sports thriller: a promising young player invited into the inner circle of a living football legend, an isolated training compound… Continue reading HIM -never rises above these flashes of potential

Published
Categorized as Banner

London Calling -part buddy comedy, part coming-of-age story, and part slapstick shoot-’em-up

Sometimes a movie doesn’t quite know what it wants to be, and that’s both the strength and weakness of Allan Ungar’s latest film, London Calling. On paper, it’s a crime story about a burned-out hitman who flees the UK after a job gone wrong, only to end up working for a new crime boss. His… Continue reading London Calling -part buddy comedy, part coming-of-age story, and part slapstick shoot-’em-up

Crítica de cine: HIM – Desafortunadamente, el guion es insuficiente para las buenas escenas

Alguien que conozco se refirió a esta película como “la película de fútbol” cuando luchaba por recordar el título. Sí, se trata de fútbol y de un joven con una carrera prometedora, pero es una película de horror. Hay una escena de un joven mariscal de campo, Cameron Cade (Tyriq Withers, Sé lo que hicisteis… Continue reading Crítica de cine: HIM – Desafortunadamente, el guion es insuficiente para las buenas escenas

A BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY Takes A Novel Approach To Relationships With Baggage

Romantic relationships are challenging. When emotional baggage is involved, this further complicates matters. Writer Seth Reiss and director Kogonada (Columbus, After Yang) tackle this problem with a film that uses surreal fantasy to pair a couple of people who have struggled to have a good, solid, romantic relationship. The movie has many inspired ideas that,… Continue reading A BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY Takes A Novel Approach To Relationships With Baggage

HIM: The Devil Wants A Star Football Quarterback, Apparently

I caught the trailer for Him when I went to the movies for a film that wasn’t screened for press. The trailer had me instantly intrigued and hopeful for an incredible horror experience that takes place in the world of professional sports. Though the visuals are often striking, the editing, the writing, and sometimes the… Continue reading HIM: The Devil Wants A Star Football Quarterback, Apparently

Movie Festival News: Fantastic Fest Celebrates its 20th anniversary in Austin, TX

Fantastic Fest is celebrating its 20th anniversary with films from around the world. Fantastic Fest’s 20th anniversary lineup features 45 World Premieres, 15 International and North American Premieres, and 12 U.S. Premieres. If you have attended Fantastic Fest before, you know what great cinema to anticipate, and even if this is your first time attending,… Continue reading Movie Festival News: Fantastic Fest Celebrates its 20th anniversary in Austin, TX