Among the highlights of the 2024 El Dorado Film Festival’s first full day was Short Film Block #1, a curated collection of six dramatic short films spanning a wide variety of styles, themes, and genres. It was an eclectic blend that featured drama, comedy, science-fiction, and even a musical. Here is a rundown of the short films along with a few impressions.

“Music for a While”

With “Music for a While”, writer-director Kelvin Z. Phillips has made an aching yet beautifully lyrical short film that taps into the filmmaker’s longtime love for musicals. Exquisitely shot in New York City, this elegant and heartfelt poem uses the ambiance and aura of the city and melds it with the transportive power of music. Drawing inspiration from Baroque composer Henry Purcell and pulling from some of his own experiences, Phillips delivers something that you will see, hear, and feel. (4.5 STARS)

“Break”

Director Sam Henderson’s “Break” follows a jazz trio minutes away from performing a live television recording that could finally put them on the map. The problem is they had to scramble to get a new drummer, ending up with a nervous young kid fresh out of Juilliard who has never laid eyes on the music. Tension builds as their time approaches sending the story to an unexpected and slightly unfulfilling conclusion. Shot in gorgeous 35MM black-and-white, “Break” looks great and feels plucked out of time. (3.5 STARS)

“Chairs”

Writer, director, and producer James Hughes takes an utterly absurd premise beyond its limits in the simple yet fittingly titled “Chairs”. A terrific Georgina Campbell plays a psychiatrist whose new patient Joel (Akemnji Ndifornyen) has a most unusual issue – he is aroused by…plastic chairs. I won’t give away the weird places this wacky comedy goes, but writer, director, and producer James Hughes takes some crazy leaps that are often funny but hard to stay onboard with. (2.5 STARS)

“Outpost”

Science-fiction lover and bonafide Star Wars enthusiast Jamie Costa jumps feet-first into the genre he clearly loves with “Outpost”. This sci-fi swashbuckler sees Costa playing a scoundrel shooting his way out of an old bunker after snatching a highly sought artifact. But before he and his snarky robotic orb can escape, they’re attacked by a mysterious stranger who turns out to be the last person they expected to see. Filmed in just one day, writer-director Ben Anklam does a lot within that short time. And while his story sets up more than it reveals, “Outpost” captures what so many of us love about the sci-fi genre. (3.5 STARS)

“Purgy’s”

Writer-director Robbie Bryan’s fascinating “Purgy’s” plays like a neo-noir episode of “The Twilight Zone” with some spiritual flavor. The film is built around a terrific premise that has deeply personal roots for the filmmaker. And you can sense Bryan’s heart in every frame. The story is set in a bar where people come together and discover they have more of a connection than they first realize. I know that’s vague, but “Purgy’s” is a film best experienced blind. It won’t take you long to figure out what’s going on. But Bryan’s visual savvy and heartfelt storytelling sucks you in. And it certainly doesn’t hurt to have the great Richard Riehle as one of your stars. (4.5 STARS)

“They Grow Up So Fast”

John Beach writes, directs, and stars in “They Grow Up So Fast”, a lightning-paced comedy that earns its title in ways you might not expect. For Brian (Beach) and Amy (Emily Althaus), a wild night on the town leads to a one-night stand. And that’s when things get weird. As Brian tries to sneak out Amy suddenly informs him she’s pregnant. A minute later she’s in labor. Another minute later their son is ready for pre-school. Is Brian in some kind of time warp? We never know. It can be needlessly crass but also very funny as Beach packs some pretty big laughs into his zany story. (3.5 STARS)

What can I say, I never got onboard with the Deadpool movies. They felt more like gimmicks – hard R-rated superhero movies that leaned heavy on star Ryan Reynolds’ schtick. But then you have Hugh Jackman as Wolverine – some of the very best superhero casting we have had to date. What happens when you bring those two things together? I suppose “Deadpool & Wolverine”, the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s attempt to tap into the popularities of both.

Disney has dropped a lukewarm first trailer for the film and it doesn’t really tell us much. I guess you could say it’s more of a gag and tone sampler. Whatever you call it, the worse thing about it is the absence of Wolverine! Yes, I know it’s the first of what will be three or more trailers and we will see Jackman down the line. But this one could have really used him.

“Deadpool & Wolverine” opens in theaters on July 26th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

EDFF REVIEW: “The Hill We Climb”

“The Hill We Climb” is a poignant and powerful documentary short film from director and executive producer Raeden Greer. The film tells the moving true story of two Benton, Arkansas residents and their tireless efforts to improve and revitalize a marginalized 100-year-old African-American community known to the locals as “The Hill”.

Greer centers her film on two of her friends and classmates, Farisha Brown and Aaron Calvin. Both lived across the proverbial tracks in the “The Hill”, now referred to as the Ralph Bunche Community. Speaking mostly through compelling testimonies and the evocative camerawork of her DP Christian Wallace, Greer addresses the community’s complex problems with a heart-piercing clarity.

Interestingly, the struggles Greer emphasizes come from both inside and outside of the community. There is the constant battle for its reputation. There is the neighborhood’s history of crime and the resulting stigma that Farisha, Aaron, and others have tried to overcome. Then there is the difficulty in getting participation from within the community – a surprising dilemma that only adds to the challenge.

Farisha and Aaron are both interesting and inspirational. But just as important to the film’s overarching message are the various community members we see and hear. Whether it’s an elder preacher sharing his real-world wisdom, a longtime resident expressing the ways their neighborhood has changed, or a young boy explaining why he plans on moving away once he’s old enough. The people we meet bring out the energy, the frustration, and the personality of a part of Benton that people only know by the image they project.

Greer shares some of the city’s ugly history which speaks to the progress that has been made since. But she makes it abundantly clear that there is still a long way to go. That leads to an urgency in her approach that energizes the film. But there is also an honesty that leaves us wondering not only how change might come about, but if it even will.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

EDFF REVIEW: “The Last Thing Lost”

At the risk of stating the obvious, one of the great things about documentaries is the opportunity they provide filmmakers to tell affecting real-life stories that otherwise wouldn’t be shared outside of their own communities and circles. One such example is “The Last Thing Lost”, a striking 41-minute film from writer-director Jake Siam Solomon that’s equal part heartbreaking and uplifting.

“The Last Thing Lost” tells the story of Sarith Ou and his improbable journey from war-torn Cambodia to Wisconsin, USA and then back to Cambodia. Solomon chronicles Sarith’s unimaginable life, highlighting a man haunted by his traumatic past yet using it to drive his heartfelt desire to help future generations in his homeland.

The fourth of seven siblings, Sarith grew up part of a farming family in Tom Poung village. With the Cambodian government in chaos, a young Sarith joined the Khmer Rouge, a ruthless and murderous regime who is said to have killed three million people between 1975 and 1979. Sarith rose in rank, soon commanding a total of 300 troops. But he defected after seeing the group’s genocidal reign of violence and oppression, running for his life and even serving time in a Thai prison before making it to safety in the United States.

Sarith made a good life for himself in Wisconsin, but the trauma and guilt remained. With his native country ever in his mind, Sarith returned to Cambodia. There, with the help of his American friend Roger Garms, he began building a new school and teaching the enthusiastic children in hopes of setting their young lives on a better trajectory.

Solomon does a good job laying out Cambodia’s tumultuous history in relation to its current state, through Sarith’s personal testimony, archived footage, and even an occasional chalkboard-esque animation. Not only does it provide context to Sarith’s life, but it helps us understand what compels him to action. It truly is a remarkable story relayed through an evocatively shot, skillfully edited, and keenly directed documentary.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

Guy Ritchie had a good 2023 and deserved more attention for his silly yet fun “Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre” and his brilliant “Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant”. He’s shown no signs of stopping in 2024 as evident by the fun and spirited new trailer for his upcoming film “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare”. This wild action-packed spy thriller is based Damien Lewis’ 2014 book “Churchill’s Secret Warriors: The Explosive True Story of the Special Forces Desperadoes of WWII”. Our first look at it leaves me genuinely excited.

“The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” is said to be based on the true story of a team of misfits who gave birth to our modern day black operations. The film stars Henry Cavill as the leader of the ragtag outfit sent on a top-secret undercover mission to neutralize German U-boats in the North Atlantic. “Hitler is not playing by the rules, so neither are we.” In addition to Cavill, the film also stars Eiza González, Alan Ritchson, Henry Golding, Cary Elwes, Alex Pettyfer, Til Schweiger, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Babs Olusanmokun, and Henrique Zaga. Sign me up.

“The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” lands in theaters April 19th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

Dev Patel has proven to be a fabulous actor, but his latest film “Monkey Man” promises a grit and intensity we’ve never seen from the 33-year-old Brit. Even more exciting, the film marks Patel’s directorial debut. Working from a story he conceived, “Monkey Man” looks to be a stylishly fierce action movie as evident by the kinetic first trailer.

In our first look we see Patel playing an anonymous young man known only as Kid who scrapes by working low-paying jobs and street fighting underground. But following the murder of his mother by big city elites, the Kid’s festering pent-up rage boils over, sending him on a John Wick-styled rampage of revenge. But this is no John Wick knockoff. The setting, the cultural inspiration, and the cinematic style give the movie an exhilarating original feel. I can’t wait.

“Monkey Man” hits theaters on April 5th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

I can honestly say that out of all of the 1980s movies to remake, “Road House” wasn’t among the first to come to mind. Yet here we are, a couple months away from a new “Road House” movie. It’s said to be a remake that tells a similar story but with a modern twist. It comes from director Doug Liman and stars Jake Gyllenhaal as a former UFC fighter who finds work at a roadhouse in the Florida Keys.

The film is set to release March 21st on Prime Video. In anticipation of its upcoming trailer drop, Amazon MGM Studios has released a new poster. Check it out below and tell me what you think.