Dave Franco’s directorial debut “The Rental” revolves around a simple set-up. Two couples, Charlie (Dan Stevens) and Michelle (Alison Brie) and Mina (Sheila Vand) and Josh (Jeremy Allen White), have the idea to rent a beautiful Oceanside rental house where they can do some hiking, relax some, and enjoy each others company, well sort of. Continue reading Review: “The Rental”
Fresh off the giddiness of the superhero film “Gundala” (2019), Indonesian writer/director Joko Anwar strikes again with another genre entry “Impetigore” (2020); where he goes back to his horror roots after “Satan’s Slaves” (2017). When it premiered at Sundance earlier this year, it had received a positive reception and this reviewer hopes it will live up to the stellar standards of his filmography. Continue reading Review: Impetigore
Whether you have gotten into the “Blue is the Warmest Color” discourse waving a flag of strong opinion, or fallen head over heels for Céline Sciamma’s sweeping lesbian romance “Portrait of a Lady on Fire”, it’s clear that French cinema is back on the upswing after years out of the spotlight in cinephile circles. With “Mustang” as the nation’s sole Oscar success in nearly a decade, it’s clear that France’s future of filmmaking is not with the old tradition, but with the new wave of younger female filmmakers on the rise, often blowing critics away on debut films. Continue reading In the Wake of 50/50: 10 Underseen French Films from Female Directors
We now live in a time where it seems like every major studio has its own streaming service. This can be great for those who like to pick and choose specifically what they want to watch, but if you want to have it all, it can cost you a pretty penny. Over the past couple of years I’ve become
a strong proponent of ad-based streaming services. The one I champion the most is a service called Tubi TV. They started out as a company based out of San Francisco and were recently purchased by the Fox Corporation, (I hope that didn’t scare you away). Continue reading 25 Films Directed By Women That You Can Watch For Free
Charlize Theron is the somewhat kinder-hearted real-life Vinnelle for us in films. She gazes down the lens; controlling every angle of power in “Hancock” (2008), “Atomic Blonde” (2017) and now “The Old Guard”(2020). Directed by a notable filmmaker – creator of “Love and Basketball” (2000) and “The Secret Life of Bees” (2008) – Gina Prince-Bythewood opens up Gregory Rucka’s comic book and spray paints her brilliance across the epic myth. Continue reading Review: The Old Guard
It’s no surprise that an Andy Samberg comedy is relentlessly funny here with “Palm Springs” –but what was pleasantly unexpected was a deep examination of humanity in general. The film is a really funny, heartfelt romantic comedy that drew me in right from the start. Continue reading Review: “Palm Springs” (2020) HULU
I have spent 5 years listening to the soundtrack, and unconsciously assumed the musical is named after, for and all directed to Alexander Hamilton (Lin Manuel Miranda); after all, the title of the first song is named ‘Alexander Hamilton.’ But I was stumped after I watched the filmed version for the first time to see the emotion Phillipa Soo put into her character of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton, and the final moment as she stares back into the audience, gasping. Continue reading “Hamilton” is Eliza’s Musical Review: Hamilton
Found this gem almost by accident on HBO and immediately fell head over heels for it. “We’re Here” is about real-life stories with 3 drag queens – Eureka (David Huggard), Shangela (D.J. Pierce) and Bob the Drag Queen (Caldwell Tidicue) who traverse small-town America where they have residents from each town participate in a one night only drag show. Continue reading Review: We’re Here -Taking Pride Down The Drag Road
HBO Max launched at the end of May, and while some aspects of the new streaming service may have been too ambitious, the anchoring series, “Love Life” was perfectly timed.
Sam Boyd’s “Love Life” centers on Darby (Anna Kendrick) as she finds and loses love over the course of a decade of her life. We see her fall in love with future Bernie Bro Augie (Jin Ha), have brief encounters with the likes of Danny Two Phones (Gus Halper), and date an older man Bradley (Scoot McNairy). Continue reading Review: “Love Life” and the Human Connection
With some excellently timed lewd humor that’s elevated through great performances and wonderful characters as well as a great use of its era, “Year of the Rabbit” is the Victorian detective series I didn’t know I needed.
The six-episode miniseries follows Detective Inspector Rabbit (Matt Berry) – a dedicated, lewd, and crude Victorian London copper who’s often inebriated and brash mentality make him one of the most highly regarded officers on the force. After a bad incident, Rabbit reluctantly gets assigned an eager, but clumsy rookie named Strauss (Freddie Fox) and ends up working with a resilient and resourceful female cop hopeful named Mabel (Susan Wokoma). Together, these three must work together to stop murder plots, local gangs, suspicious snipers, and even a developing underground revolt to keep the streets of London safe. Continue reading Review: Year of the Rabbit
In Their Own League 