Year: 2022 Runtime: 120 minutes Writer/Director: Marie Clements Actors: Grace Dove, Philip Lewitski, Remy Girard, Alyssa Wapanatahk, Gail Maurice, Jonathan Whitesell, Cara Gee By Joan Amenn That the Native people of the United States and Canada have suffered horrific treatment at the hands of the respective governments of each country is well known. What is not acknowledged until recently is that innocent children by the … Continue reading Bones Of Crows: TIFF Review
Jane Campion is an extraordinary filmmaker. In fact, she’s the second woman to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director and the first female filmmaker to receive the Palme d’Or; both of these achievements came for “The Piano” (1993). Campion’s films often feature strong female lead characters who rebel against the strict constraints of the society that they inhabit. She has an unique storytelling technique, often using all of aspects of the mise-en-scene to capture the world that her characters exist in, and plays around with non-linear editing in order to draw the audience in. She’s well overdue a place in our Hall of Fame, so we have decided to dedicate our next slot to her. Continue reading In Their Own League Hall of Fame: Jane Campion
This very intimate and bold documentary from Waad-al-Kateab gives us a unique insight into the female experience of war. Continue reading For Sama Review
Barbra Streisand was born April 24, 1942 in Brooklyn, New York to Jewish parents, Diana and Emanuel Streisand. Her father died when she was young and she grew up in a middle class family. Streisand did well in school, attending Jewish School as a child, then moving to public school, and finally Erasmus Hall High School. She discovered her love of singing and being on stage early, and took any chance she could to perform. She knew she wanted to get out of Brooklyn and become an actress and at 16 she graduated from high school and moved out of her mother’s house to try and make it on her own. Continue reading Happy Birthday Barbra Streisand!
For this Women’s History Month, I have decided to focus on creating some top ten lists which discuss films, biopics and documentaries about women in history that will hopefully inspire and inform readers about the accomplishments of women throughout history. For this piece I am focusing on ten women who deserve their own biopics and will be discussing who I think should star in the film, who could possibly direct the film and why their stories deserve to be seen on the big screen. Continue reading Women’s History Month- 10 Inspiring Women Who Deserve Their Own Biopic
First off, it’s damn near impossible to pick just ten women who have inspired me over the years. I have heard and read so many stories of hell blazing women who have stood up against discrimination in the film industry throughout the years, whether it’s the brave women who spoke up against Harvey Weinstein and shared their #MeToo stories, or women like Frances McDormand, who have actively campaigned for the Inclusion Rider in filmmakers’ and actors’ contracts in order provide a certain level of diversity in the casting and production process. Continue reading Women’s History Month: 10 Women Who Have Inspired Me
The thing about good horror movies that makes them stand out of the proverbial landfill of mediocrity is that the filmmakers know that the stories need more than just gore and jump scares to satiate audiences. Filmmakers know that you need a striking premise and solid ideas behind the tropes of horror in order to make a standout film; ideas that are reflective of factors of life that audiences are either familiar with or have a chance to be illuminated by something they are unfamiliar with. Continue reading Review: SLAXX
This poignant and touching film will speak to many people on different levels and is a triumph for both Andrea Edwards’s acting and Heather Young’s directing. Continue reading GFF2021 Review: Murmur
Year: 2021Runtime: 100 minutesWriter/Director: Karen CinorreStars: Grace Van Patten, Mia Goth, Soko, Havana Rose Líu, Theodore Pellerin, Juliette Lewis By Morgan Roberts When we are at a crossroads in life, how do we ever truly escape to be able to examine where we want to go? In “Mayday“ (2021), Ana (Grace Van Patten) is transported to another world where women rule the island and men … Continue reading Sundance Review: “Mayday”
Year: 2020 Runtime: 74 minutes Director: Lynne Sachs Writer: Lynne Sachs By Joan Amenn Part of the lineup of documentaries having to do with family histories at Sundance and also shown at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York City in an exhibition of her work, Lynne Sachs’ “Film About a Father Who” (2020) is an enigma wrapped in a mystery. Like looking … Continue reading Sundance Review: “Film About a Father Who”
In Their Own League 