When I heard that the screenwriter of +1 had a new film out there I was elated. Bill Gullo‘s sci-fi/thriller really knocked it out of the park. It was incredibly unique and and completely unpredictable. A true genre fan’s dream. So when I had the chance to view The Quitter, I was immediately interested on what Gullo would churn out next. Read More →
When I was 11, I was dancing 5 days a week, going to girl scouts and slumber parties. Life was pretty incredible. I had not a worry in the world then. I did what I wanted, wore what I wanted, (when not in school uniform), loved The New Kids on The Block, and scrunchies. Everyday I came home from school and ate two pieces of American cheese folded into fourths. I was kind of peculiar, graceful yet awkward, bright and precocious, but I had a ton of friends and loved every day I was alive. Australian documentarian, Genevieve Bailey, recalls being just as happy at age 11. As an adult, she wondered if that was the case for kids today. Taking time off to travel, she decided that along here journey she would interview kids that were 11 and find out if they were as happy as we remembered being then. I AM ELEVEN proves to be a beautiful phenomenon and on the heels of the release of Richard Linklater’s BOYHOOD, the timing could not be more perfect. Read More →
I knew going into this film that the trailer alone was NSFW. I was in for a complete surprise when Wetlands as a whole blew the trailer way out of the water. Never have I ever experienced a movie so utterly disgusting and amazing at all once. Read More →
Mental illness is a hot button issue these days. We pretend to address it but if we’re being honest, we continue to sweep it under the rug. In a brand new film by writer/director Signe Baumane, we follow the true story of her familial heritage, specifically with undiagnosed bouts of severe depression. Read More →
Making a film is expensive. But it doesn’t have to be. The new film And Uneasy Lies The Mind is the very first of its kind; shot entirely on an iPhone. The story revolves around a young movie star named Peter. For his birthday and he aims to celebrate in his new ski resort mansion with expectant wife, Julie, and their best couple friends, Jack and Lauren. The day starts off all good and well until drugs and alcohol are introduced and the night begins to go haywire. Jealousy and secrets lead to misguided confessions and confusion. We’re not quite sure what is reality and what is insanity in this brand new psychological thriller. Read More →
It’s Friday of Labor Day weekend and there’s plenty of new movies to watch without leaving your living room! Comedies, thrillers, docs, and the new Terry Gilliam movie! Read More →
Last year I toured the Catacombs of Paris. If you are at all claustrophobic, this may not be the tour for you. They are very deep beneath the streets of Paris and not for the faint of heart. If you don’t know, they are the resting place for over 6 million bodies; skeletal remains. Check out a few pics from my trip. Read More →
Zach Galifianakis, Owen Wilson, and Amy Poehler in a new film written/directed by Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner; I had high hopes. Too high. Are You Here is a story about two friends, Steve and Ben, who travel back to their hometown after the death of Ben’s father only to find that he has inherited the entirety of his father’s massive fortune, leaving his sister, Terri, high and dry. Read More →
Here’s a quick look with more detail description and trailers below:
It’s rare these days you see a film that is so different from everything else. Frank is the story of an eclectic indie band and it’s lead singer of the same name. A young aspiring songwriter Jon, played adorably by Domhnall Gleeson, stumbles upon the band “Soronprfbs” and inadvertently becomes their keyboardist. The band travels to Ireland to record their album. While abroad, Gleeson delves into the mystery that is Frank. You see, Frank is never seen without his massive, cartoonesque, papier-mâché head on. Gleeson secretly shares short rehearsal clips on the internet to create a buzz around the band, leading to a requested appearance at South By Southwest. But is that really best for Frank? Read More →
C’mon, it’s Saturday. Rent something tonight. So what do you want to watch? Well, here’s some suggestions: Read More →
As a writer, actor, and avid reader, there are certain artists who resonate with me on a very personal level. Robert Altman is one of them. From M*A*S*H* to Gosford Park, Robert Altman’s ability to capture an audience like no other. His passion for truth and realism is tough to match these days. He is a legend in the business and one to be studied. Read More →
One of the first films I had the pleasure of viewing at last year’s New York Film Festival was James Franco‘s Child of God. I was certainly in for a ride. Below is my original review.
Child Of God is a new film with James Franco in the director’s chair. Based upon the 1973 Cormac McCarthy novel of the same name, we are introduced to Lester Ballard. Clearly a social outcast both physically and emotionally, he lives in the woods, barely surviving off squirrel meat. One day he comes upon a car with two deceased teenagers and proceeds to rape the young girl. Deciding not to slip away quietly, he takes her body to an abandoned shed where he lives for a while. Clearly with no sense of relationships, he treats the body as if it is still alive; buying it clothes and food, perhaps to somehow justify the nightly necrophilia. Due to an accident, the shed and the girl are burned to ash. This is merely a small deterrent to Lester’s behavior as eventually he moves into the local West Virginia caves and continues to wreak havoc on the small town. Read More →
Drinking Buddies was on my Top 10 list of Films for 2013. It was refreshing to see Olivia Wilde cast against her “usual type”, and thank God for that. She is incredibly talented. Jake Johnson is always funny. The two together, completely believable best friends with an edge. What was awkward in Drinking Buddies is still awkward in Joe Swanberg’s latest improv driven film, Happy Christmas. That something is Anna Kendrick. Read More →
Video Games: The Movie
These are the movies that are newly available online to stream or download before or during their time in theaters.
Joaquin Phoenix was a busy man during last year’s NYFF51. Following up HER, his second film,The Immigrant, is a story of a young polish immigrant named Ewa (Marion Cotillard). Landing at Ellis Island in 1921, Ewa is at her wits end when her sister is put into quarantine and she is about to be sent back home due to false reports that she is a loose woman. In swoops Joaquin’s character, Bruno. He promises to take her in and make sure she has a job to make enough money to get her sister released from the island. Once inside Bruno’s clutches, he emotionally manipulates her into working in his burlesque show. When the burlesque show doesn’t make enough money, she coerced into prostitution. Enter, Orlando, Bruno’s dashing stage magician cousin. He is sincere in his efforts to woo Ewa and invites her to travel as his assistant. Bruno will have none of this, as his passion for Ewa grows exponentially. They struggle with each other for loyalty and to survive. Read More →
Two very different movies, Aftermath is a zombie movie with Edward Furlong and The Congress is an official Cannes entry starring Robin Wright.
Stay tuned for Michael’s review of Aftermath! Read More →
Today I noticed that there were several 1980s movies in my queue. Since there’s no way to sort movies by release date (silly), I just took some time to comb through to find them. I always seem to have issues linking the titles, so you’ll just have to do a search when you get in there. Please comment with the ones you’ll watch and let me know if there are any I missed. Read More →
As someone who has been on a whirlwind adventure in writing exclusively about film for the past year, it was sincerely my pleasure and honor to see Life Itself this afternoon. Director Steve James brings a touching documentary to the audiences who grew up watching Robert Ebert tell them which movies were worth spending their time and hard earned money on. We are privy to passages directly from Ebert’s memoir of the same name, intimate interviews both on camera and via private emails between Steve and Roger, as well as sit down, one on ones with some of the people closest to this critical giant, including his wife, Chaz, director, Martin Scorsese, and Marlene Iglitzen, wife of his industry other half, Gene Siskel. Read More →
Over the holiday weekend, I went to a typical NYC rooftop party. The company was comprised mostly of young lawyers and investment bankers in their mid to late twenties. When one girl complained about the Lower East Side becoming irrelevant, I was perplexed. ” Why?” (an audible Freudian slip). She explained, “Every five feet, they’re are strollers and children! It’s so obnoxious!” I have to say I was genuinely offended. At 34 and kids on the brain, I was angry. Was I ever like this at parties?! Truth is, I probably was. Cue the ashamed shoulder slump and face palm. Read More →
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