Viral: Antisemitism in Four Mutations is a necessary film and ought to be a conversation starter on a subject that is plaguing our world. In Viral, filmmaker Andrew Goldberg takes a look at four particular instances of antisemitism over the years. The first is the Tree of Life shooting and the subject of the far right. The second chapter takes a look at Blaming the Jews. Specifically, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s vendetta against George…
"Viral: Antisemitism in Four Mutations"Category: Movie Reviews
Emma is the fourth different feature film adaptation of Jane Austen’s 1815 novel to come to the big screen since Clueless was released in 1995. Anya Taylor-Joy delivers a strong turn as the title character with as much screen time as the film allows her. Much like Regina in Mean Girls, Emma Woodhouse (Anya Taylor-Joy) is the “queen bee.” She has no rivals. Well, this seems like the case until she brings Miss Harriet Smith…
"Emma Falls Short Of Standards Held By Clueless"
Perhaps what’s so surprising about 1997’s Wag the Dog is how the political satire feels so realistic over twenty years following its theatrical release. It’s two weeks before Election Day and the president is caught making an advance on a Firefly Girl. Enter Conrad Brean (Robert De Niro) and presidential aide Winifred Ames (Anne Heche). Their sole duty over the next two weeks is to keep the public distracted by any means necessary. If it…
"Wag The Dog: This Film Feels Very Realistic"
Buck will steal your heart as Jack London’s 1903 short novel, The Call of the Wild, comes to the big screen this weekend. Where prior adaptations have been from the human POV, this is very much Buck’s film. The St. Bernard/Farm Collie mix, digitally created for the film by way of a St. Bernard/Shepherd mix named Buckley, steals the show regardless of the fact that he’s CGI. This film takes us on his journey and…
"The Call of the Wild: Buck Will Steal Your Heart"
WALL-E, a spiritual cousin of Idiocracy, was one of the best films of 2008 and feels more current some twelve years after its theatrical release. At a time when Disney Animation was still getting back in order, Pixar was churning out some of the best animated films ever. This film is certainly no exception. While WALL-E managed to take home an Oscar for Best Animated Feature, it could certainly have crossed over into Best Picture…
"WALL-E: A Spiritual Cousin of Idiocracy"
Animation Outlaws is a documentary that manages to revisit the touring film festival that is Spike and Mike’s Festival of Animation. If you aren’t familiar with Spike Decker or Mike Gribble, you’re in for a treat. Many now-famous animators got their start thanks to Spike and Mike’s Festival of Animation. The original touring festival–started in 1977–would soon gave way to the Sick & Twisted Festival of Animation later on. The promotion techniques they used would get…
"Slamdance 2020: Animation Outlaws"
Ordinary Love is about a couple dealing with a cancer diagnosis years into their marriage and the tensions that come with it. Cancer is something that hits close to home for many families. If your own immediate family hasn’t faced the challenge, there’s a high chance that it’s been faced by a cousin, aunt, or uncle. Maybe even a grandparent. The BRCA gene is one that runs high in the Jewish community. It’s one of…
"Ordinary Love Is A Tough Watch"
Tahara focuses on pair of young Jewish women who are grieving the loss of their Hebrew school classmate following a suicide. Carrie Lowstein (Madeline Grey DeFreece) and Hannah Rosen (Rachel Sennott) are best friends. When we first meet them in Tahara, they are Hebrew school classmate Samantha Goldstein’s funeral. Following this, they attend a session run by Moreh Klein (Bernadette Quigley) allowing for them to learn the Judaic teachings on grief. It’s a film that…
"Slamdance 2020: Tahara"
Viggo Mortensen’s feature directorial debut, Falling, benefits from having a superb performance from actor Lance Henriksen. When we first meet Willis (Lance Henriksen), we can immediately tell that he’s a character from a different era. The more that we learn about him, the more we truly begin to know why: he has dementia. One moment, Willis can be living in the present. The next minute, he’ll be shouting for a wife who is no longer…
"Sundance 2020: Falling"
Shirley sees filmmaker Josephine Decker returning to Sundance with a period drama that features strong performances from its acting ensemble. Fred (Logan Lerman) and Rose (Odessa Young) are moving to a small college town in Vermont as Fred hopes to land a job at the local college. Before they know it, professor Stanley Hyman (Michael Stuhlbarg) offers them free room and board. It comes with something of a catch because it means Rose must clean…
"Sundance 2020: Shirley"