Among the odder films I’ve seen recently is this comedic dramatic teen horror opus which explores the bizarre phenomenon known as “spontaneous combustion.” Turns out that spontaneous combustion is an ingenious framework for a horror film because that unexplained and […]
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Grizzly II: Revenge (1983) ☆
If you were asked which movie featuring three current and future Oscar winners is among the worst ever made, Grizzly II: Revenge would be a great response. Why is a 1983 movie here among Recent Releases? The project was abandoned post-production […]
Continue reading »2020 Oscars “In Memoriam” Segment
I will, in the near future, discuss my reaction to the 2021 Oscar telecast (for the 2020 awards), which was a decidedly hit-and-miss affair, to my eyes, and which, in microcosm, is reflected through one of its segments, the “In […]
Continue reading »2020 Oscars Predictions
The time has come, finally. The 2020 Oscars are here, tonight, and it is time to make my annual predictions. Readers who have followed me for these many years know that I am not particularly good at these predictions; if […]
Continue reading »The Father (2020) ☆ ☆ ☆
Another type of film that is tough to watch is the psychological drama such as The Father, where things simply are not what they seem. Part of the fun of such a film is trying to deduce what is real and […]
Continue reading »Before the Fire (2020) ☆ ☆
There are bound to be a host of cinematic explorations of our Covid year (hey, “Our Covid Year” is a promising title!), and, in fact, some have already appeared. I think the early ones, like this film and Songbird, for instance, […]
Continue reading »The Jesus Rolls (2019) ☆ ☆
Faithful readers, you are in for a rare spectacle. This is going to be a double review, and I may very well go off the rails delivering it. Every once in a while I become provoked, and I must respond. […]
Continue reading »Chaos Walking (2021) ☆ ☆ 1/2
My first theatrical 2021 release is a science-fiction film featuring the stars of other sci-fi and fantasy films. I love science-fiction more than just about any other genre, so I am perhaps overly critical when projects don’t deliver what I […]
Continue reading »The Broken Hearts Gallery (2020) ☆ ☆ ☆
Another recent independent feature that I like is the (un)romantic comedy The Broken Hearts Gallery. It is another New York story with young people looking for, and largely failing to find, romantic happiness in the Big Apple. We’ve all seen this […]
Continue reading »Still Here (2020) ☆ ☆ ☆
I’m not a huge fan of independent movies but when they are done well they are as good or better than most Hollywood product. Still Here is a strong example of that; it tackles a difficult, harrowing subject with honesty […]
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