First Glance: “Crawl”

First Glance: “Crawl”

Storms are bad. Don’t believe me, just look to Hollywood who over the past couple of years has given us such storm-related terrors as “Geostorm” and “Hurricane Heist”. And one thing these two films proved is that storm-centered movies can be bad for both the characters and the audiences. Well now there’s a new storm … Continue reading →

REVIEW: “300: Rise of an Empire”

REVIEW: “300: Rise of an Empire”

I still remember the buzz surrounding Zack Snyder’s “300” when it hit theaters in 2007. The hyper-stylized comic book adaptation gained an enthusiastic following to the tune of almost $500 million at the box office. Seven years later a sequel came along but minus Gerard Butler, Michael Fassbender, and director Zack Snyder. Snyder did stay … Continue reading →

First Glance: “The Farewell”

First Glance: “The Farewell”

Personally speaking, everything about the new trailer for “The Farewell” screams must-see. The film is written and directed by Lulu Wang and is based on a deeply personal story about her grandmother’s illness. The movie showed at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and the buzz that followed has me pretty exciting. The film stars Awkwafina … Continue reading →

First Glance: “Ophelia”

First Glance: “Ophelia”

“Vengeance, madness, a kingdom lost”. There is certainly enough there to make for a solid Shakespearean period drama. But the question is can Australian director Claire McCarthy deliver in a satisfying way? I’m anxious to give her new film “Ophelia” a shot. For me the cast is the main attraction. Daisy Ridley steps away from … Continue reading →

REVIEW: “Green Room”

REVIEW: “Green Room”

Jeremy Saulnier’s mesmerizing 2013 film “Blue Ruin” was (as MTV.com’s Kevin Sullivan astutely put it) a prime example of “what Kickstarter is really capable of when it comes to movies”. Saulnier’s crowdfunded American thriller not only managed to get made, but it was one of the best film’s of that year. His follow-up came with … Continue reading →