Short Term 12 Is Still A Masterpiece

Short Term 12 remains one of the best films of 2013 and it was wrongfully snubbed of Oscar nominations, especially Brie Larson’s performance. I was late to watching Short Term 12 because the indie film was too small to open in my hometown. Despite winning major audience and jury awards at SXSW in 2013, it didn’t do much business at the box office. The film opened with a platform release, expanding to 75 theaters at…

"Short Term 12 Is Still A Masterpiece"

Bucky F*cking Dent – Tribeca 2023

David Duchovny writes, directs, and stars in the adaptation of his novel, Bucky F*cking Dent, about a father dying of cancer in 1978. The film is more of a baseball-adjacent movie than being an outright baseball movie. It’s probably unlikely to become one of the films airing on MLB Network’s regular rotation. That’s not to say anything about the quality of the film but again, it’s more baseball-adjacent in its storytelling. There’s enough heart at…

"Bucky F*cking Dent – Tribeca 2023"

Encanto Arrives Friday On Digital and Disney+

Encanto has the honor of being the 60th movie from Walt Disney Animation Studios and arrives on Disney+ and Digital this week. In the Heights. Vivo. tick, tick…BOOM! Encanto. What do all four of these films have in common? They all feature Lin-Manuel Miranda is some sort of capacity. The Oscar still eludes the PEGT winner so we’ll see if this upcoming Oscars is the year. However, there’s certainly some tough competition for Best Original…

"Encanto Arrives Friday On Digital and Disney+"

Brooklyn Nine-Nine Finds Place In A Changed World

The final season of Brooklyn Nine-Nine came with intense pressure to deliver humor while also reflecting the changed world it inhabits. That Brooklyn Nine-Nine succeeded is a credit to its showrunners and writing staff. Sitcoms and dramas had one of two choices as a result of the pandemic. They could live in a world where the pandemic doesn’t exist or they could incorporate it into their series. Wisely, they did the latter. Cop drama and…

"Brooklyn Nine-Nine Finds Place In A Changed World"

In the Heights Soars Onto 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD

In the Heights, the phenomenal film and Broadway adaptation, soars onto 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray for audiences to take in from home. Neither Jon M. Chu or Lin-Manuel Miranda are strangers to diverse productions. Chu hit it big with Crazy Rich Asians a few years ago. Miranda, meanwhile, has had no shortage of hits come from his visionary mind. Both In the Heights and Hamilton were hits on the stage. In a perfect world,…

"In the Heights Soars Onto 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD"

In the Heights Is A Phenomenal Musical

In the Heights is a phenomenal film and the big screen Broadway adaptation is well on its way to joining the great screen classic musicals. Neither Jon M. Chu or Lin-Manuel Miranda are strangers to diverse productions. Chu hit it big with Crazy Rich Asians a few years ago. Miranda, meanwhile, has had no shortage of hits come from his visionary mind. Both In the Heights and Hamilton were hits on the stage. In a…

"In the Heights Is A Phenomenal Musical"

The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part

Everything is still awesome as The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part takes to the big screen nearly five years to the date following its predecessor. A quick prologue catches us up to speed about what has taken place during the last five years.  The city of Bricksburg is no more.  It’s been replaced by the doomsday-esque Apocalypseburg following the city’s tragic demise.  No matter what decisions that the master builders make, they are no…

"The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part"

Half Magic: A Very Feminist Comedy About Sex

To put it in simple terms, Half Magic is a very feminist comedy about sex. Written and directed by Heather Graham, the film stars Graham, Angela Kinsey, Stephanie Beatriz, Thomas Lennon, Luke Arnold, Jason Lewis, Alex Beh, Michael Aronov, Molly Shannon, Rhea Perlman, and Chris D’Elia. Honey (Graham) is an aspiring writer and she’s at a complete standstill in both her personal and provate lives.  Tormented since she was ten years old by the words preached by Father…

"Half Magic: A Very Feminist Comedy About Sex"

Stephanie Beatriz talks The Light of the Moon, Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Actress Stephanie Beatriz took some time out of her schedule recently to talk to The Young Folks about indie film The Light of the Moon, sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and how terrifying it can be to come out. The following interview was originally published at The Young Folks and with the site shutting down at the end of 2022, I am republishing on my site. Thanks for joining The Young Folks today. How are things treating…

"Stephanie Beatriz talks The Light of the Moon, Brooklyn Nine-Nine"

The Light of the Moon: A Timely Film about Surviving

With a story about surviving sexual assault, The Light of the Moon may perhaps be one of the most timeliest films of the year. The long awaited directorial debut from writer/director Jessica M. Thompson is a very important film with a cast includes Stephanie Beatriz, Michael Stahl-David, Conrad Ricamora, and Catherine Curtin. The Light of the Moon takes place over the span of six weeks after Latina architect Bonnie (Beatriz) makes her way back home after…

"The Light of the Moon: A Timely Film about Surviving"