Author Archives: Liz Whittemore

About Liz Whittemore

Liz grew up in northern Connecticut and was memorizing movie dialogue from Shirley Temple to A Nightmare on Elm Street at a very early age. She will watch just about any film all the way through (no matter how bad) just to prove a point. A loyal New Englander, a lover of Hollywood, and true inhabitant of The Big Apple.

Review: Scary Movies XII’s Opening Night Film ‘VILLAINS’ is terrifyingly good.

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presents Scary Movies XII’s Opening Film VILLAINS Opening In Theaters Nationwide This Fall Two hilariously small-time millennial robbers break into the wrong house. Something is clearly amiss when Jules and Mickey are confronted by the owners. In an attempt to do the right thing, they are faced with challenges no one will see coming. Evil comes in many forms. The film has Read More →

Review: ‘Driven’ is a great vehicle to showcase Jason Sudeikis’ talents

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When you think of Back To The Future, you cannot help but see one of the most iconic cars of all time in your mind is: The DeLorean. But does anyone know a single thing about the creator of this movie legend? Few names in the tech industry evoke an immediate portrait of that person: Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and perhaps now Elizabeth Read More →

Review: For ‘Them That Follow’ it’s devotion until death

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Deep religious beliefs permeate an extremely small and isolated Appalachian community.  Pastor’s daughter Mara is trapped between her feelings and the expectations put upon her by her father and his followers. She is secretly pregnant. She is rightfully petrified to be found out. Blind faith and reality might just split her in two. Olivia Colman is completely unexpected as a Read More →

Review: ‘AFTER THE WEDDING’ proves life never goes as planned.

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presents Directed by: Bart Freundlich  Starring: Michelle Williams, Julianne Moore, Billy Crudup, and Abby Quinn ** Opening Night Film 2019 Sundance Film Festival ** As if driven by an inescapable force, Isabel (Michelle Williams) has devoted her life to running an orphanage in a Calcutta slum. With funds running dry, a potential donor, who requires she travel from India to New York, to deliver Read More →

Review: Go head over heels for ‘Ode to Joy.’

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Martin Freeman sports an American accent in this film based on a story from This American Life. Charlie has a rare disorder that causes him to pass out when he experiences strong emotions but especially joy. This makes life and dating especially difficult. With odd coping mechanisms that keep him in a constant state of depression and boredom, he meets Read More →

Review: ‘The Operative’ deserves a pace that matches its performances.

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SYNOPSIS: “The Operative” is a taut psychological thriller about a young Western woman (Diane Kruger) recruited by the Mossad to go undercover in Tehran where she becomes entangled in a complex triangle with her handler (Martin Freeman) and her subject (Cas Anvar). New thriller, based on Yiftach R. Atir‘s book, The English Teacher, The Operative shines when Martin Freeman‘s voiceovers guide Read More →

Fantasia International Film Festival 2019 review: Let us all worship at the altar of ‘THE DIVINE FURY’.

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The Divine Fury After losing his father at a young age in a terrible accident, Yong-hu (Park Seo-jun) abandons his Christian faith and chooses to only believe in himself. Now as an adult, Yong-hu is a champion fighter and has everything he has ever wanted, that is until mysterious wounds appear in the palms of his hands. He solicits help Read More →

Fantasia International Film Festival 2019 review: ‘The Deeper You Dig’ will never let you rest in peace.

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THE DEEPER YOU DIG In the aftermath of a roadside accident, the line between the living and the dead collapses for a mother, a daughter and a stranger. This is one of the most unique films of this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival. The fact that our three stars wrote, directed and shot this film is absolutely astounding. The script Read More →

Fantasia International Film Festival 2019 review: ‘HARPOON’ is a wild ride of deceit on the high seas.

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Wealthy Richard (Christopher Gray) is prone to fits of violent anger, particularly when he believes his girlfriend Sasha (Emily Tyra) is cheating on him with his best friend Jonah (Munro Chambers) — who’s been having worse luck than even his Biblical namesake. Once they reassure him that his fears are unfounded, Richard invites Sasha and Jonah on an excursion aboard Read More →

Review: Based on a true story ‘Skin’ inks morality questions into our brains.

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Synopsis:        After a difficult childhood drives him into the grasps of a white supremacist gang, Bryon (Jamie Bell, delivering a visceral, explosive performance) tries to escape to a new life, all the while questioning whether he’s capable of undoing— and repenting for — the evil he’s done. Academy Award- winner Guy Nattiv makes his English-language feature debut with this galvanizing Read More →

Fantasia International Film Festival 2019 review: “Culture Shock’ takes fake news to task with genre realness.

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CULTURE SHOCK The White House and their white nationalist propaganda make for great resistance in art these days. Hulu’s Blumhouse Into the Dark series is now streaming Culture Shock to its subscribers. Using real-life scenarios as a jumping-off point, this film takes illegal immigration beyond the hell we’re currently seeing at our border and brings it into true sci-fi territory. Read More →

Fantasia International Film Festival 2019 review: ‘The Art Of Self-Defense’

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Jesse Eisenberg has mastered playing the quirky, whipsmart, douchebag. In The Art of Self-Defense, he plays genuinely sweet, pushover Casey looking to stand up for himself after a brutal attack. He gets a lot more than he bargains for when he signs up for karate lessons. The film is an unapologetic look at toxic masculinity.  It’s over the top dark Read More →

Fantasia International Film Festival 2019 review: ‘The Incredible Shrinking Wknd’ is insightful genre bender.

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THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING WKND Alba is losing time. A mysterious place in the woods has caused her days to take a true Groundhog Day turn but with an added twist. Each repetitive day during an overnight trip with her friends is one less hour than the day before. The only consistent thing is the clothing she ends her day with Read More →

Review: ‘Astronaut’ soars.

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ASTRONAUT Starring Academy Award Winner Richard Dreyfuss Richard Dreyfuss plays Angus, a grandfather who’s family has made him feel like a burden.  Forced into a home and with failing health, Angus and his grandson see a competition held by a billionaire entrepreneur calling for applications for the first civilian flight into space. Slowly drowning in a sea of the sad Read More →

Fantasia International Film Festival 2019 review: ‘Black Magic For White Boys’ spells it out in dark humor.

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BLACK MAGIC FOR WHITE BOYSOnur Tukel is truly one of a kind in his IFGAF honesty and deliciously bizarre approach to storytelling. (There I go again with the tasty metaphors. This all started with Applesauce.) At this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival, Tukel has given us another smart indie with Black Magic for White Boys. The film uses the power Read More →

Fantasia International Film Festival 2019 review: ‘Ode To Nothing’ is everything a cinephile wants.

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Synopsis: “Sonya, an old maid is about to give up on herself until one day, she meets a corpse in her family’s embalming business that changes her life.” Another North American premiere at Fantasia International Film Festival 2019 is that of Ode To Nothing. The slow burn of creepy factor launches this film into skin-crawling territory. The setting alone is Read More →

Fantasia International Film Festival 2019 review: DREADOUT plays well on the big screen.

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Jessica, Beni, Dian, Alex, Erik, and Linda want to increase their popularity through recording their adventures to upload to their social media accounts. They chose to go to an abandoned apartment famous for its awesomeness. Linda manages to persuade Kang Heri, security guard, to enter the apartment. Linda and friends found one apartment unit which is given a police line. Read More →

Review: ‘PHIL’, Greg Kinnear’s directorial debut is now in theaters and On Demand.

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**Closing Night Film – Sarasota Film Festival 2019** Phil, a depressed dentist whose life is falling apart, is shocked when one of his patients, a man who seemed to have the perfect life, kills himself. Determined to find out what would drive a man who had everything to end his life, Phil pretends to be a handyman and integrates himself Read More →

Hold onto your butts, Fantasia International Film Festival is back!

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To give you an idea of why Fantasia International Film Festival is my favorite redheaded stepchild of a festival, here are a few films from my youth that still haunt/entertain the crap out of me. 1. Poltergeist: the film my father thought a 2-year-old should watch. 2. The Rocky Horror Picture Show: because a sci-fi musical with Tim Curry in Read More →

Review: Award-winning documentary ‘The Push’ now available on VOD platforms.

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The Push Grant Korgan is a scientist and a professional athlete. Grant Korgan should not be able to do the things he does. After sustaining a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the belly button down, his entire spirit was deflated. Until he discovered other disabled athletes were training to continue their sports and beyond. Along comes an Read More →