How many times have you heard of someone like what someone else has, work, relationships, etc.? Not only like what someone else has but to the point of saying or demonstrating, they want it too. It is not unusual to learn that someone also takes extreme measures to access or secure the coveted “thing.” What… Continue reading Fantastic Fest 2023 Film Review: What You Wish For
Category: Reviews
Fantastic Fest 2023: THE TOXIC AVENGER
I was initially bewildered by the idea of “remaking” the Troma cult classic, The Toxic Avenger when it was first announced that it would open this year’s Fantastic Fest. As a fan of all kinds of cinema, my first reaction is normal. I am sure several fans of the original film currently feel this way,… Continue reading Fantastic Fest 2023: THE TOXIC AVENGER
Megalomaniac Available on Digital after Festival Favorite Run in 2022
Megalomaniac premiered at the Fantasia Film Festival last year, where it took home the top Jury Prize for Best Feature. The film about a dark serial killer is an ultra-violent horror movie. Aside from the win at Fantasia, the lead actress, Eline Schumacher has won awards for her “outstanding” and “best” performance at festivals. An… Continue reading Megalomaniac Available on Digital after Festival Favorite Run in 2022
Fantastic Fest: Strange Darling – a Thriller filled with Surprises
True crime, murder porn (as some call it), and serial killers, like train wrecks, mesmerize many. People seem fascinated by podcasts, shows like Dateline and Cold Case Files, and movies depicting the likes of Ted Bundy and Son of Sam and all those who came before and after. In line with public appeal, Strange Darling… Continue reading Fantastic Fest: Strange Darling – a Thriller filled with Surprises
Fantastic Fest: Last Stop in Yuma County – Not a Typical Western
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
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