Genres galore make up the craziness that is Krystin Ver Linden’s “Alice”, a film that teases big things but is ultimately undone by both its ambition and execution. It’s a movie centered around an idea that has all the potential to be a wild and stylish Tarantino-esque revenge thriller. Instead, “Alice” never gets its footing … Continue reading
I’ll say it again – I hate this current trend where horror movie sequels rehash the same title as the original film in their franchise. “Halloween” did it. “Scream” just did it. And now “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” is doing it (they actually did it back in 2003, but that was a remake rather than a … Continue reading
(CLICK HERE for my full review in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette) On its surface, “Lucy and Desi” looks like a fairly by-the-books documentary. There’s little to its style or approach that sets it apart from countless other docs. But don’t be misled. In addition to its compelling subjects, the feature is energized by director Amy Poehler … Continue reading
One of the more intriguing ‘horror’ films in this year’s Sundance program comes from Danish filmmaker Christian Tafdrup. It’s “Speak No Evil”, a smart but unsettling chiller but not in the traditional sense. In fact, the film didn’t start out as a horror movie. It was originally conceived as a psychological drama centered around a … Continue reading
Grief is such a popular subject in movies and for a number of reasons. It’s a subject that strikes a chord in some way with most every viewer. There are many facets of it that can be explored through cinema. And when done well, its depiction in movies can be a cathartic release both for … Continue reading
(CLICK HERE for my review in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette) One of my favorite directorial debuts in recent years came from the South Korean-born American filmmaker Kogonada. His artful and quietly stirring “Columbus” from 2017 really left its mark on me. It was a movie full of longing and soul-searching. It also showed off Kogonada’s moving … Continue reading
