The feature film Becoming Vera, written and directed by Spanish filmmaker Sergio Vizuete, premiered at several film festivals and won several awards. The drama and coming-of-age story explore identity, resilience, and self-discovery through the journey of a young Latin jazz prodigy searching for her voice and roots. The film is set in Miami. About: Becoming… Continue reading Movie Review: Becoming Vera Receives Theatrical Release After Festival Run
Category: MAIN
Wuthering Heights: visually sumptuous, boldly acted, yet deeply disappointing
As a retired literature teacher who read and later introduced students to Emily Brontë’s only novel, I approached the 2026 adaptation of Wuthering Heights with anticipation—and, I admit, protectiveness. Directed and written by Emerald Fennell and starring Margot Robbie as Catherine and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff, the adaptation is visually sumptuous and boldly acted. Yet… Continue reading Wuthering Heights: visually sumptuous, boldly acted, yet deeply disappointing
WUTHERING HEIGHTS: This Is Not Your Mother’s, Grandmother’s, Or Great-Grandmother’s Adaptation
Ever since Emily Brontë’s novel was published in 1847, there have been multiple adaptations of the story. Provocative filmmaker Emerald Fennell (Saltburn, Promising Young Woman) now takes a turn with a version of the “love story” that is bold, passionate, and also hilarious and quite naughty. I have watched only the 1939 version starring Laurence… Continue reading WUTHERING HEIGHTS: This Is Not Your Mother’s, Grandmother’s, Or Great-Grandmother’s Adaptation
Film Review: Crime 101
High Stakes, Low Originality There is a specific kind of disappointment that comes with a “pre-release” screening. You walk in hoping to be the first to see a modern classic, especially with a heavy-hitting Don Winslow adaptation and an epic cast like this. Unfortunately, Crime 101 is a movie that spends so much time trying… Continue reading Film Review: Crime 101
Fantastic Fest 2025: GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN, DON’T DIE
One of the secret screenings of Fantastic Fest came as a complete surprise to me. I had never heard of the movie, so when the title leaked before the screening, all I could do was shrug. I knew it was the newest movie from director Gore Verbinski, the filmmaker behind the first three Pirates of… Continue reading Fantastic Fest 2025: GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN, DON’T DIE
CRIME 101: A Solid And Often Intriguing Crime Thriller
Based on the novel of the same name by Don Winslow, Crime 101 comes across as a Michael Mann crime thriller copycat. It is not a bad imitation, but it doesn’t achieve the same level of quality in storytelling and filmmaking that makes its inspirations, like Mann’s Heat, seminal classics. Writer/director Bart Layton and team… Continue reading CRIME 101: A Solid And Often Intriguing Crime Thriller
Solo Mio: warm, funny, sad, and uplifting all at once
I didn’t expect to fall for Solo Mio, but I did. Kevin James is the first reason—it’s hard not to carry the shadow of Paul Blart, and yet he’s fully human, fully charming, and quietly heartbreaking. He plays Matt, a grade school art teacher whose carefully planned wedding in Rome… well, let’s just say life… Continue reading Solo Mio: warm, funny, sad, and uplifting all at once
GOAT: An Animated Underdog Story That Has Visual Flash, But Is Lacking In The Humor Department
In an alternate earth where anthropomorphic animals thrive, a skilled, athletic goat aspires to take the sports world by storm, allowing other smaller-statured athletes to prove themselves. I often enjoy a good underdog story, but the problem is that there have been so many others that have preceded it, with varying degrees of success. This… Continue reading GOAT: An Animated Underdog Story That Has Visual Flash, But Is Lacking In The Humor Department
Pillion – Relationships Have Challenges, No Matter the Individuals
Directed by Harry Lighton, the dramatic (and limited humor) film Pillion is based on the 1975 novel “Box Hill” by Adam Mars-Jones, adapted by the director. It is set in an unnamed city in England, in a later time than the novel. Lighton’s feature-film directorial debut had its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film… Continue reading Pillion – Relationships Have Challenges, No Matter the Individuals
Movie News: The Strangers Chapter 3 Now Available in Theaters
Directed by: Renny Harlin Written by: Alan R. Cohen & Alan Freedland Based on Characters Created by Bryan Bertino Produced by: Courtney Solomon, Mark Canton, Gary Raskin, Alastair Burlingham, Charlie Dombek Cast: Madelaine Petsch, Gabriel Basso, Ema Horvath Synopsis: In the final film of The Strangers trilogy, Maya (Madelaine Petsch) faces the masked killers one… Continue reading Movie News: The Strangers Chapter 3 Now Available in Theaters