Gems pop up unexpectedly at festivals. Sometimes more than anticipated. This year’s Fantastic Fest has several. My favorite so far is The Last Stop in Yuma County, starring Jim Cummings, for its quirky western (not a western) feel and well-crafted scenarios and characters. Writer/director Francis Galluppi creates a clever, crisp, and crafty situation that builds,… Continue reading Fantastic Fest: Last Stop in Yuma County – Not a Typical Western
Category: MAIN
Film News: Fantastic Fest 2023 Lineup Offers Diverse Films from Around the World
Fantastic Fest is back for its eighteenth edition, featuring 29 World Premieres, 24 North American Premieres, and 18 U.S. Premieres. The festival will again be held at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar in Austin, TX, from September 21st – 28th. The festival will open with the World Premiere of Legendary Pictures’ The Toxic Avenger from… Continue reading Film News: Fantastic Fest 2023 Lineup Offers Diverse Films from Around the World
OUTLAW JOHNNY BLACK
How often do you see the words “Western action-comedy” in today’s films? I say not often, but Outlaw Johnny Black falls under the combined genre. The film is from the actor Michael Jai White (Black Dynamite, 2009), who holds black belts in several martial arts styles and is a writer and now director of the… Continue reading OUTLAW JOHNNY BLACK
A HAUNTING IN VENICE Finally Scores A Win For Branagh in His Poirot Series.
Kenneth Branagh has devoted several of his recent career years to adapting some of Agatha Christie’s mysteries, which only means he loves the source material. While I moderately liked Murder on the Orient Express but was not impressed with his take on Death on the Nile, I attended this screening with tempered expectations. Thankfully, this… Continue reading A HAUNTING IN VENICE Finally Scores A Win For Branagh in His Poirot Series.
A Million Miles Away – Shoots for the Stars
We never forget certain things, like when Kennedy was shot, towers went down, and each of the NASA Space shuttles exploded. Events such as these stay in our collective memories, and we pass those memories on to our children. A Million Miles Away doesn’t follow one of these ill-fated events; rather, it reminds us of… Continue reading A Million Miles Away – Shoots for the Stars
A Haunting in Venice – Not True to Christie, but Close
I first fell in love with mysteries as a child with The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, but Agatha Christie lit the fire that keeps me reading, watching, and writing mysteries. It is a passion I used to share with my mom. Director Kenneth Branagh and screenwriter Michael Green adapt (changing many aspects of the… Continue reading A Haunting in Venice – Not True to Christie, but Close
SITTING IN BARS WITH CAKE
Based on the cookbook of the same name by Audrey Shuhlman, this charming and bittersweet film adaptation is now available for streaming on Amazon Prime. And that is fine. Nothing about this movie begs to be watched on the big screen. This type of film is tailor-made for streaming on television, and I don’t mean… Continue reading SITTING IN BARS WITH CAKE
MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 3 Is A Scattershot Attempt At Filmmaking
I love the very first movie in this franchise. It skillfully tells a cultural story of familial love with an albeit predictable story, but its heart is undeniable. The second installment comes across as a weak idea, further derailed by lazy rehashes of attempted humor from the first film, and has no real, tangible stakes.… Continue reading MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 3 Is A Scattershot Attempt At Filmmaking
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3: Unnecessary but CUTE
When a film does decently at the box office, filmmakers often consider sequels. Sometimes, the sequel pays off, and other times not. If a second film bombs, it’s best to let the series lie, but despite abysmal reviews, for number two, the makers of the My Big Fat Greek Wedding franchise have made a third… Continue reading My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3: Unnecessary but CUTE
#ChadGetsTheAxe Released Now on Digital Platforms and On Demand
Adapted from an award-winning short with the same title, #ChadGetsTheAxe is directed by Travis Bible from the script he co-wrote with Kemerton Hargrove. Synopsis: The feature film follows four social media influencers as they live-stream their trip to Devil’s Manor, the former home of a satanic cult. Things don’t go well. And as the violence… Continue reading #ChadGetsTheAxe Released Now on Digital Platforms and On Demand