Reviews of films
Yet another movie where Mifune Toshirō does not wield a sword. Except this time, it is because it takes place before the age of the Samurai, not after. Available in Canada, the United States, and perhaps a few other countries. Approximately 121 minutes. … Continue reading WTF ASIA 183: Princess From The Moon (1987)
The most important thing about Princess Diana is that she died. This is not to be reductive to the tumultuous and complicated life she led before her untimely passing, but from the arc of history Diana’s life will always exist … Continue reading SFIFF Review: Spencer Provides an Elliptical Look Into the Impenetrable Life of Princess Diana
James Whale directed Hollywood classics like Frankenstein, The Invisible Man and Show Boat. Now he’s retired and he wants to see his gardener naked. Gods and Monsters examines how artists process death. Whale channeled the traumas of the closet and … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Gods and Monsters (1998)
Despite some gnarly violence, the third second Halloween movie is a dull, fan servicing mess. Full disclosure, I haven’t seen the first Halloween. I mean, I’ve seen the first first Halloween, but not the third first Halloween. Or the second … Continue reading Halloween Kills Review: Less Talk, More Stabbing
Expectations can be a dastardly thing. What you want, and what a movie is actually giving can create a gulf that hampers the experience no matter the quality on display. It’s both the wonder and the danger of the film … Continue reading Three Films Show The Flexibility of Genre and Tone at SFIFF
When going to a film festival one always has to be concerned about the time. When screenings start, if there’s enough minutes on the clock to grab food, or if a movie beginning late won’t run so long that you … Continue reading Memoria Bewilders and The Worst Person in the World Charms on the First Full Day of the Santa Fe Independent Film Festival
A woman gets pregnant by a man who runs off with her money, and the only people who can help her is her ex-boyfriend and his boyfriend. Okay, so…the poster below is a bit misleading. Available in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United … Continue reading WTF ASIA 182: The Third Party (2016)
Let’s take a break from talking about children being in danger in society to MEN PROTECTING SOCIETY FROM THREATS BOTH INTERNAL AND INTERNATIONAL. Available in Australia, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, and perhaps a few other countries. Approximately 115 minutes. … Continue reading WTF ASIA 181: PASKAL The Movie (2018)
Break ups were a common theme at Chicago’s annual LGBT film festival. Characters kept having affairs, getting dumped or running into their exes. I covered the recent Frameline Festival and How To Get Away With Mordor has covered Outfest. But … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Reeling Festival 2021
Tom Hardy and Woody Harrelson navigate toxic relationships in this off-kilter superhero rom-com Remember those weird-concept romantic comedies from the 80s? You know, the ones where a guy falls in love with a mannequin possessed by the soul of an … Continue reading Venom: Let There Be Carnage Review: Tentacle Difficulties
I swear that it was not my intention to have three movies in a row be centered around unfeminine behavior and the danger of street life, but here we are. This time, it is about a cop. Available in Australia, Canada, France, the United … Continue reading WTF ASIA 180: Mardaani (2014)
Connor Murphy and Evan Hansen are a pair of emotionally unstable teens. When Connor takes his own life Evan is mistakenly labeled Connor’s “best friend.” He leverages this for personal gain. The musical Dear Evan Hansen works overtime to garner … Continue reading Movie Review: Dear Evan Hansen
Perhaps the real locker is family. Available in Canada, the United States, and perhaps a few other countries. Approximately 110 minutes. A teenage girl is lying in pain on the floor. A blood-splattered older woman stands above … Continue reading WTF ASIA 179: Coin Locker Girl (2015)
Each week in Late to the Party, someone posts about an older piece of media that they’ve just experienced for the first time. This week: Packer_Hat finally watches The Shawshank Redemption (1994). Continue reading Late To The Party: The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Jamie New, a gay teen, prepares for his drag debut in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. This joyous musical was adapted from a 2017 stage show and a 2011 documentary. On stage I found it fun but repetitive. The film trims … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
Everything is exactly as it seems in this mundane road trip western. There’s a comforting simplicity to the world depicted in Cry Macho. Men are strong and stoic, women are either virtuous or temptresses, cities are dens of sin and … Continue reading Cry Macho Review: Clint Eastwood Serves Up Macho Cheese
Even in the 1930s, masking up was important. Available in the United States and…seriously? That’s it? Well, perhaps a few other countries. Wang lives on a boat, which on the river by the city. In his sixties, he is all alone, … Continue reading WTF ASIA 178: The King of Masks (1996)
Wladziu Valentino Liberace was a talented musician. He was famous for his campy outfits and wicked sense of humor. Scandal derailed his attempts to keep his personal life private. His sexuality had been on a “don’t ask, don’t tell” basis. … Continue reading LGBT Movies: Liberace: Behind the Music (1988)
The cards never quite form a winning hand in Paul Schrader’s bleak horror noir. How much are we responsible for our own actions? To what extent is the path of our lives forged by chance or by choice? And when … Continue reading Review: Oscar Isaac Tries to Control the Game in The Card Counter
Married man unhappy with his life has an affair with a widow. Tale as old as time. Available in Canada, the United States, and perhaps a few other countries. Approximately 98 minutes. Just another day in Hamajima Yukio’s life. He is … Continue reading WTF ASIA 177: The Shadow Within (1970)
After a 9 year absence, Leos Carax has finally given us another film, the musical Annette, starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard. The idea for the film found its genesis in a concept album idea by the band Sparks, who … Continue reading Movie Review: Annette is as great a musical you could expect from Leos Carax
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