Emancipation Tells The Story Of Whipped Peter

Emancipation is based on the true story of Whipped Peter, a Louisiana slave who escaped to his freedom and enlisted in the Union Army. In a perfect world, we would be having a conversation about Will Smith’s performance and Emancipation’s recreation of the 1860s. Whether we like it or not, the slap will forever be apart of the conversation. I cannot deny the fact that Will Smith delivers another Oscar-worthy performance. Do we need another…

"Emancipation Tells The Story Of Whipped Peter"

3:10 to Yuma Arrives on 4K Ultra HD

James Mangold’s Oscar-nominated 3:10 to Yuma makes its arrival on a 4K Ultra HD SteelBook available exclusively at Best Buy. 3:10 to Yuma‘s new 4K UHD release comes one day before the film’s 15th anniversary. For some reason, I had thought that the film had premiered during the Toronto International Film Festival. Instead, the film’s release came just before TIFF and was ineligible as a result. This came about because of Lionsgate’s strategy to avoid…

"3:10 to Yuma Arrives on 4K Ultra HD"

Hustle: A Love Letter To The NBA

Hustle isn’t only a love letter to the NBA and Philadelphia but one of Adam Sandler’s top tier performances since going into motion pictures. It turns out that the secret to making a good movie starring Adam Sandler is to have an auteur director at the helm. The other thing is to take him as far away from his standard comedy comfort zone. We saw this most recently with The Meyerwitz Stories, Uncut Gems, and…

"Hustle: A Love Letter To The NBA"

The Survivor – Toronto 2021

Ben Foster turns in a career-defining performance in Barry Levinson’s new film, The Survivor, based on the life of Harry Haft. While many perished at Auschwitz, Harry Haft (Ben Foster) found the will to survive. Not so much because of boxing for the Nazis’ amusement–including Nazi camp commander Dietrich Schneider (Billy Magnussen)–but because he wanted to reunite with his girlfriend, Leah (Dar Zuzovsky). If not for boxing, it’s doubtful Harry would have lived. But this…

"The Survivor – Toronto 2021"

Barry Levinson, Ben Foster, Vicky Krieps talk The Survivor

Barry Levinson, Ben Foster, and Vicky Krieps spoke about their new Holocaust drama, The Survivor, premiering tonight in Toronto. Levinson previously won an Oscar for Rain Man and the filmmaker could very well find himself in the race once again. Foster is Oscar-worthy in delivering a career-defining performance as Holocaust survivor and boxer Harry Haft. Krieps joins him in the cast as Haft’s wife, Miriam Wofsoniker, although she initially is the woman helping him search…

"Barry Levinson, Ben Foster, Vicky Krieps talk The Survivor"

Leave No Trace: An Emotionally Powerful Film

Debra Granik’s third narrative feature, Leave No Trace, is a emotionally powerful film with a breakout performance from actress Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie. We first meet Will (Ben Foster) and his teenage daughter, Tom (Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie) in their fourth year of living in Forest Park on the outskirts of Portland, Oregon.  It’s illegal to live in public land but the two of them have gotten away with living in the woods for so long.  It’s not…

"Leave No Trace: An Emotionally Powerful Film"

CCFF 2018: Leave No Trace

Debra Granik’s third narrative feature, Leave No Trace, is a emotionally powerful film to say the least. We first meet Will (Ben Foster) and his teenage daughter, Tom (Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie) in their fourth year of living in Forest Park.  It’s illegal to live in public land but the two of them have gotten away with living on the outskirts of Portland for so long.  After Tom gets noticed by someone walking in the woods, it…

"CCFF 2018: Leave No Trace"