COME TO DADDY
Elijah Wood plays an emotionally overwhelmed uber hipster attempting to reconnect with his estranged father. Summoned to a secluded home via a mysterious letter from his dad, he finds himself in an unexpected situation. Wood, as always, is vulnerable and funny. I’ll buy anything he’s selling. His body of work is so eclectic and wonderfully bizarre, what’s not to love? Now let’s talk about Ant Timpson‘s amazing directing. As a producer, The ABC’s Of Death is off the wall fun and don’t even get me started on the insanity that is The Greasy Strangler. Come To Daddy, Timpson’s directorial debut is a genre-bending funhouse. Tribeca’s Midnight section is the perfect slot for Timpson’s work and I do mean that as a compliment. This film takes a sharp turn at 30 minutes in, then hurtles from mysterious to funny, unsettling to WTF, and it is a delight. The camera work is top-notch. There is mayhem for days. Wonderfully timed plot treats fall into our laps like a busted piñata. I simply cannot express how damn fun this film is. You will not have any clue where this is going.
Norval’s (Elijah Wood) life has been, to put it lightly, difficult. Currently living home with his mother, the troubled young man is coming off alcohol-related struggles. So when he receives an unexpected letter from his estranged father requesting a visit, Norval catches a bus up to his dad’s secluded and scenic waterfront home. Maybe reconnecting with his father will give Norval the emotional fulfillment he’s been lacking. Before long, though, he notices something off about his dad, an uneasy feeling triggered by inappropriate comments and a possible over-dependence on booze. Norval quickly realizes that his hope of father/son bonding is doomed. Instead of a family reunion, he finds himself in waking nightmare.
FILM INFO
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Section:Midnight
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Year:2019
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Length:93 minutes
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Language:English
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Country:
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Premiere:World
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The Man Who Killed Don Quixote
Decades in the making, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote is finally coming to the big screen. It was worth the wait. Adam Driver plays a young director taking on his own passion project under the financial thumb of studio execs, locals, and his own ego. No doubt is the film about as metaphorical as you can get for the wild ups and downs the legendary Terry Gilliam has endured in bringing this film to fruition. Poking fun at itself and the industry at every turn, it must have been truly cathartic for Gilliam to shoot. The visuals and writing are all so satisfying you’ll want to applaud at the twists and turns along the way. Though admittedly, you’ll most likely be just as confused as both Driver and “Don Quixote” himself, J
Having watched, there is no way these roles would have been better served by other actors. Pryce walks the perfect line between madness and sadness. His commitment from beat to beat is the glue that keeps the story moving along its absurdist pace. But it is Driver who had me belly laughing every time a “FUCK” was spewed with genuine intention. I’ll have to go back and watch again if only to count the number of “F” words, each precisely placed and completely warranted. It’s sheer perfection. There is no doubt that Toby is Terry… and Don Quixote. The love that is so obviously infused within the film will be evident to anyone familiar with Gilliam and his fantastic passion project. It’s a combination of hilarity and insanity. The Man Who Killed Don Quixote and filmmakers like Terry Gilliam are the reasons we go to the movies. 
This star-studded film follows the lives of the people who come in and out of a Cincinnati Public Library. Written and directed by Emilio Estevez, each character is fully fleshed out and complex even if they aren’t on-screen for very long. It’s carefully edited. You get a real sense of relationships and circumstance from the solid writing and stellar performances from this massive ensemble cast including Emilio Estevez, Alec Baldwin, Jena Malone, Taylor Schilling, Gabrielle Union, Michael K Williams, Christian Slater, Che “Rhymefest” Smith, and Jeffrey Wright.
The film is about knowledge and power in the larger sense. It’s a thoughtful commentary on the socioeconomic dynamics of the homeless, the manipulative perceptions created by the media, and the politicians and law enforcement that allow it to happen. It’s filled with humor and heartbreak from beat to beat, and the twists are surprising and impactful. The Public has amazing storytelling and a truly poignant look at class warfare. 
Sam Elliot is a legend of the silver screen, and at the age of 74 it’s always wonderful seeing him in new films. So it’s no surprise that he shines in The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot. The story has a tongue-in-cheek fairy tale quality to it. It’s unique and phenomenally engrossing. Elliot’s character, Calvin Barr, has done more than most men in history, combined. Now he has come to the point in his life where he thinks he’s done all he’d care to. With so much accomplished on paper, a long lost love is the one thing haunts him most. But the government is not done with him just yet. They have one last mission in mind. He’s essentially the greatest, most badass, action hero you’ve never heard of. His nonchalant nature is the perfect balance to the over the top nature of the storytelling. Elliot is this character, somehow. He embodies a quiet strength even as he hurtles through the bizarre. The parallel between the target and Elliot’s character is almost poetic. This film is weird, wonderful, and pretty unbelievable in every sense of the word. Though I’m positive that is the point entirely.
RLJE Films will release THE MAN WHO KILLED HITLER AND THEN THE BIGFOOT in theaters and on VOD and Digital HD on Feb. 8, 2019.
The Amityville Murders offers alternative theories about the infamous killings right off the bat. Whether they a result of parental abuse, drugs, mental illness, or something altogether more sinister actually occurring in the house itself. It also seems to suggest that family and friends were experiencing unexplained phenomenon within the home. There is much controversy surrounding Ronald DeFeo and the deaths of his entire family. The house has been called one of the most haunted in America. Subsequent owners have come and gone throughout the years. DeFeo’s story of what happened that night changed so many times it’s hard to keep track of. We may never know the truth and that what makes this story a great one for film. Writers and directors can take poetic license with all the information that we do have and fill in the blanks. As the film progresses, it unequivocally suggests that the grandparents had something to do with a paranormal aspect. While of the performances in the film are a bit campy, our leading man John Robinson is amazing. He is terrifying all while being vulnerable. He carries this film from start to finish. You are rooting for his sanity and survival. Overall, the film has a classic possession feel to it. The tension is genuine and the scares are visually engrossing. The Amityville Murders is a historical true crime/ paranormal nerd’s fantasy.
Then Came You manages to bypass the usual rom-com tropes and fleshes out a story about kids navigating a real emotional journey. Asa Butterfield has a naturally emo kid look about him but has the sincere chops to shine in every role that’s thrown his way. He appears genuinely grounded on screen and that makes him easy to watch. If you’re not crying at the end of this film you may have no soul. There is more than meets the eye Butterfield’s backstory which makes for an honest to goodness tug at the heartstrings in the end. The shining star of the film is undoubtedly Maisie Williams. Her comic timing and natural snark own you from the very first scene. I need her to be cast in all the things from here on out. Our two leads have a wonderful chemistry that builds organically. It reminds me of the dynamic of Anna Chlumsky and Macaulay Culkin in My Girl, which is clearly a compliment. Then Came You is simply a lovely film that can be enjoyed by a wide audience.
A premeditated murder plays out in an elaborate rehearsal, sound effects and all. A 
WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? could not be coming at a more tumultuous time in history. How did we get here? Director Astra Taylor poses the question to people from every corner of the globe in this poignant documentary. The film explores the past, present, and theorizes what will become of our future if we do not pause to learn from our previous mistakes. The world is in what feels like total upheaval but it is not the first time we as a civilization have been on the precipice of either disaster or triumph. We march, we vote, we are inundated with fake news, and yet the people continue to strive for peace and equality against all odds. But democracy goes both ways. That’s the very essence of the word itself. Can good prevail without its counterpart? What we gather, on the whole, is that the naive promise of democracy is beginning to feel like an unfulfilled promise. That no matter the world’s location, race, socio-economics, and money rule. Let us not become numb to the negative but continue to seek compromise and understanding. Truly, WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? should be required viewing in every high school civics class. Hell, it should be required viewing by every human being.
With PTSD and survivors guilt, hero Kristian is back in the town of Geiranger (Norway) attempting to come to terms with the disaster that was The Wave. He knows Mother Nature has no plans to be kind and that it is only a matter of time before all hell breaks loose again. The signs are all there, you cannot ignore history or hard data. Now he must do everything in his power to save his family and the people of Oslo from the biggest earthquake in its history.
Coming to terms with the explanation of his mother’s untimely death, Alex turns to spiritual contact after the relationship with his father breaks down. As a student of metaphysics, Alex learns of the “scientific” premise of astral projection—the ability to project your spirit into an unseen spatial dimension. Attempting to astral project, Alex becomes plagued by shadow spirits—malevolent entities vying to enter his body to access our world. Alex soon learns that he is not the only member of his family to have been besieged by such beings, as his mother’s dark past is brought to his attention.
The pace of the film is a mystery. By that I mean, it has the feel of a slow and steady burn but in reality, the time passes really quickly. Which is sort of ironic when you consider the editing of a few scenes. You’ll have to watch to see what I mean by that. I was fully engrossed the entire run. Admittedly, the plot went in an entirely different direction than I was expecting which is always refreshing. At first, I thought it was going to be a typical setup of students and professor engaging in some private and shady experiments outside of the classroom but it has none of that. Then you think, well maybe it will a bit Flatliners inspired. Wrong again. Bravo for not falling into any of those traps. With Astral, there is very specific CG and used rather sparingly throughout the majority of the film. The effectiveness of the CG is impactful and it’s all that’s needed to build up the suspense. The film’s believability rests solely with our leading man, Frank Dillane. He happens to be my favorite actor from Fear The Walking Dead and he does not disappoint here. His natural ability to make you feel comfortable is pretty astounding. You genuinely root for him. Astral does an amazing job at making you feel on edge. The ending is worth the wait and the familiar occult historical references give it nicely grounded feel. Is astral projection the new Ouija board? Maybe.
This doc explores the boundaries we push for love and acceptance. Amit is a husband, a father, and business owner. She is also transgender. This story is about her transition and how it affects the family and friends that surround her. It’s a timely film here in the US as the government is attempting to legally discredit transgender identity by legally defining gender as a biological, immutable condition determined by genitalia at birth. Amit has four children with her wife Galit. Daughter Agam is beyond wise for her years and the most vocal about their unique family dynamics. She understands that people’s ignorance is not her problem. She chooses to surround herself with open-minded peers. The emotional toll of transitioning seems endless. It has the highest highs and lowest lows. How does a marriage survive when circumstance completely changes? What happens after she goes to Thailand for gender reassignment surgery for a month? It’s not a glamorous film. It’s real, it’s honest. It’s exactly what people need to see. Family in Transition is a story of unconditional love and the ultimate sacrifices we make to become whole from the inside out.
This new take on a zombie film is actually about protection. Mina is a girl who haunts the woods. She longs for the taste of flesh and is extremely efficient at murder. But the murders serve a higher purpose other than sustenance. She is safeguarding her secret and looking after a kidnapped boy named Alex. She struggles with anger, self loathing, and caring for someone other than herself. Alex suffers from ongoing PTSD, in reality, they are not so different. The payoff of Mina’s backstory is disturbing but meaningful. The trust she builds with Alex is clearly something she never felt while she was alive. She has become a “living” urban legend. The film is driven solely by our two leads. They feel grounded in their backstories and the chemistry is the perfect amount of touch and go, at arm’s length. The film is certainly explores redemption and dabbles further into fantasy with a pretty ambiguous ending. The lack of score, with exception of “Mina’s Theme” that we hear perhaps three times in the film’s duration, adds to the heightened sense of eventual doom and sadness. The Dark is not your typical zombie fare and deserves your full attention
OPENS IN THEATERS TODAY!
Synopsis:
We’re living in a world where we have an admitted sexual predator in the White House. We’re living in a moment in time where women are sick and tired of being trampled on, blamed, persecuted, broken, and made to relive their trauma over and over. In dark times we seek escapism. Movies and theater and art keep us grounded. They let us forget the shit and live in a world that can be, at times, as perfect as the fairytale presented. The new film starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead, All About Nina, is not that film.
A comic, trying to wade her way through shitty relationships and her budding career, invited us to ride an emotionally explosive rollercoaster right alongside her. As the plot rolls along, it takes a complete 180. Nina’s battle with her past finally comes to light in a very public way. Once this occurs, the script’s small, delicately placed moments have their full weight realized. The comedy is raunchy and appreciated. The cast is filled with comic greats, new and old, but it is Common and Winstead that make this story breathe. It took me a full 45 mins to buy into what Common was selling but maybe that’s just the cynic in me. One particular scene breaks that defense for me and it’s worth the wait. As for Winstead, if I thought she’d even be looked at for this role come Oscar season I would send a blimp with her name on it. She is brilliant in the way women often are but don’t have to balls to shows you, for lack of a better description. Although, once you see her in this film you will just realize it couldn’t be more perfect. All About Nina currently has a 100% fresh certification on Rotten Tomatoes. That’s genuinely difficult to achieve and I am thrilled about it.
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Blood Fest takes a page out of the Scream franchise playbook by breaking down the scary movie rules and tropes. It’s a horror fan’s playground, literally. “Bloodfest” is horror’s Comic-Con or Disneyland. The film doesn’t take itself too seriously, the dialogue is snappy as hell, and the sets are incredible. I know people, myself included, that would pay good money to enter such a gore-infused playland. Blood Fest is unapologetically silly and wonderful. Once on location at Bloodfest, we get right into the slashing, enhanced by a nice practical FX and some CG shots. It’s like being trapped in a horror video game you’re watching someone else play for you. Every nightmare someone might have is explored even if only for a moment.Think Cabin In The Woods level humor and (frankly, plot, as well) but with some new twists. To top it off, the entire cast is phenomenally talented. Also, ladies and gentlemen, Zachery Levi cameo. Blood Fest is wildly entertaining and undeniably fun. If you love the horror genre you’ll be thoroughly amused by the tongue-in-cheek way the plot rolls out, despite a few corny moments. Simply sit back and enjoy the bloody ride. Oh, and back to the franchise mention, there is no reason why this couldn’t turn into one itself. A sequel, at the very least, is completely plausible and welcome.
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