My Favorite Films of Summer 2017

With an end to the 2017 summer movie season, it’s time to round up my favorite films of this summer.  While I was credentialed for both the Chicago Critics Film Festival, the Fantasia International Film Festival, and remotely covered a few films selected for the Flyover Film Festival, I am not including any of those films unless they’ve been released in theaters, video on demand, or Digital HD. I’ll start with the documentaries.  I’ve seen…

"My Favorite Films of Summer 2017"

Summer Loser: The Month of August

The next summer loser was the entire month of August.  In a month packed with so many independent films fighting for an audience, it was the studios that failed to offer a film that could appeal to the entire family or at least a few of the movie-going quadrants. The month started off with the release of The Dark Tower from Sony Pictures and Aviron’s Kidnap starring Halle Berry.  Nevermind the fact that Sony had…

"Summer Loser: The Month of August"

What happened with Indie Films at the Box Office in August?

August has been a down month at the box office even as we head towards a Labor Day weekend that won’t see the studios release a huge film.  But for so many films selected for the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, it’s been an even bigger struggle to make a dent. Throw in the wide releases this past month and the box office is really telling.  Overall weekend grosses have dropped from $122,787,691 at the start…

"What happened with Indie Films at the Box Office in August?"

Good Time: Robert Pattinson makes you forget Twilight

In watching Good Time, you forget that actor Robert Pattinson was ever involved with the Twilight franchise with what is the best performance of his career. Directed by Josh and Benny Safdie from a screenplay written by Josh Safdie and Ronald Bronstein, the crime thriller stars Robert Pattinson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Benny Safdie, Barkhad Abdi, Taliah Webster, Peter Verby, and Buddy Duress. Good Time takes us to the streets of New York and follows the…

"Good Time: Robert Pattinson makes you forget Twilight"