Short films are a strange art of their own--for them to “work,” they have to be perfectly paced, give just enough exposition to drag us into their world but not so much that it bogs down our interest or drags the story, and most of all, it has to leave a taste in our mouths. Shorts are usually shown in hour and a half blocks at festivals, and when your work is bookended by pieces that may be tonally dissonant, hyper-violent or hyper-sexual, or just off-the-wall bonkers, you have to make sure the audience is going to stumble back out into the sunlight thinking about what you served up. More than most directors who work in the short form, Izzy Lee is able to meet all these challenges.
Read MoreRE: Brightburn (2019)
Every fan of the macabre remembers it: that exact moment they got the call. Maybe it was looking at the posters for the newest slasher and catching yourself daydreaming about all the gruesome delights the movie promised. It could have been that thrill of hearing urban legends about hook-handed psychos or monsters under beds.
Read MoreBrightburn (2019)
We all know the age-old story. Alien-kid falls from the sky. Alien-kid gets discovered by family.
Read MoreThe Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) #RetroReview
The Passion of Joan of Arc is a hard sell. Ninety-percent of its run time is devoted to extreme close ups on star’s Renee Jeanne Falconetti’s tormented face. The other ten percent is almost exclusively reserved for arcane theological battles.
Read MoreSkate Kitchen (2019)
It’s nothing groundbreaking to point out that we’re a more divided world now than ever. While subcultures have traditionally been a safe space for the disenfranchised, scandals like Gamer Gate have shown the underlying hatred and misogyny that can exist even in places where like-minded weirdos are supposed to belong together. The gloriously fun Skate Kitchen, starring members of the real all-girl’s skating collective addresses these feelings of alienation and needing a place to belong.
Read MoreMeow Wolf: Origin Story (2018)
I’m pretty open about my vices. Readers of my reviews have probably collected that I like to drink more than is strictly healthy for a tiny woman with a family history of heart problems. Then there’s horror movies--the viler and meaner the better.
Read MoreDon't Leave Home (2018)
While I was ridiculously satisfied with the Oak Cliff Film Festival’s lineup for 2018, I couldn’t help but feel a little stab of pain from the horror-shaped hole in the soul. So, when I found out I could catch a supernatural horror movie called Don’t Leave Home, I was elated enough to get up early and be among the first in line.
Read MoreSmile (2019)
Based on title alone, Smile might appear to be a goofy comedy or a cloyingly sweet tale of love, but the film expertly explores the complexities that come when life is at a crossroads. That’s where we find Lucas Wilson, who runs into his high school sweetheart at his portrait studio. He learns she’s engaged to an insurance agent, and her revelation serves as a catalyst for Lucas to look back at his past while navigating his future.
Read MoreFeral (2018)
For many of us, it’s easy to forget those who are less fortunate. Our own lives are so enwrapped in a mile a minute lifestyle, that we don’t often acknowledge the suffering in the world. Most of you reading this, like myself, have probably given to a homeless person before, but more often than not, pass them by.
Read MoreUs (2019)
As a lifelong fan of the horror genre, Jordan Peele’s latest film Us offered me many things to love. The performances were phenomenal all around, from Lupita Nyong’o’s dual roles that ranged from horrifying, to sympathetic, to downright eerie, and Evan Alex’s nuanced performance that was more astounding considering the actor’s young age, the film once again proved horror films are not just grounds for scenery chewing dramatics. The references to a multitude of horror films and pop culture events from the ‘80s included a treasure trove of “Easter Eggs.”
Read MoreThe Haunting of Sharon Tate (2019)
At this point, I’ve lost track of how many horror films have been made about Sharon Tate and the damn Manson family. From films like Wolves at the Door to Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, the story has been told so many times, it’s arguably been fetishized. The Haunting of Sharon Tate does, however, take a slightly different look at the story.
Read MoreStarfish (2018)
Think what you will of H.P. Lovecraft as a person, his work has inspired countless filmmakers and storytellers. But as much as I love his writing, the one thing his stories always lack are deeply personal characters. That’s why it’s so refreshing to see films like Starfish taking his themes and doing something unique and beautiful with them.
Read More