Category: MAIN

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

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

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

THE LONG WALK: A Bleak, But Emotional Stephen King Story Realized Superbly For Cinema

Violence begets violence is the big takeaway from The Long Walk, a film adapted from Stephen King’s novel of the same name by director Francis Lawrence and screenwriter JT Moliner. The Long Walk is the very first novel he wrote as a professional writer, but it would not be published until later, under the pseudonym… Continue reading THE LONG WALK: A Bleak, But Emotional Stephen King Story Realized Superbly For Cinema

Pools – TIFF Next Wave/ SXSW Sydney Film Now in Theaters

Sam Haye’s directorial debut feature, Pools, is the 2024 SXSW Sydney Audience Award Winner and had the North American Premiere at TIFF Next Wave. Pools had a sold-out screening at the festival that features a breakout performance from Odessa A’zion (Until Dawn, “Ghosts” TV series, Sitting in Bars with Cake, Hellraiser, “Nashville” TV series) as… Continue reading Pools – TIFF Next Wave/ SXSW Sydney Film Now in Theaters

TWINLESS: A Poignant, And Often Hilarious Film

James Sweeney is a filmmaker with whom I am not at all familiar. However, after watching Twinless, I would love to see what this talented filmmaker and actor have to offer. This movie boldly combines awkward, dark humor with just the right amount of humanity, examining how some people can connect in profound ways, despite… Continue reading TWINLESS: A Poignant, And Often Hilarious Film