Tribeca 2018: Sam Johnson talks Earthy Encounters

Writer-director Sam Johnson spoke to Solzy at the Movies during the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival about his new short film, Earthy Encounters. Thank you for joining Solzy at the Movies today.  How are things treating you? Sam Johnson:  Hi Danielle, I’m great! Thanks so much for the interest in Earthy Encounters – Earthy Encounters has a sense of adventure that tonally matches up with Steven Spielberg’s classic, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.  Sam, how did you come up with the idea for…

"Tribeca 2018: Sam Johnson talks Earthy Encounters"

Tribeca 2018: Fabled

The first episode of a new Refinery29-produced fairy tale anthology series, Fabled, premiered during the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival this past week.  Titled “Anodyne,” the series offers us another take on some of the beloved fairy tale characters of all time. The series, created by Evan Jonigkeit and Girls alumnus Zosia Mamet, imagines a world in which Alice in Wonderland‘s titular Alice (Mamet) meets The Wizard of Oz‘s Dorothy (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) in a mental institution.  With…

"Tribeca 2018: Fabled"

Tribeca 2018: Disobedience: The Epic Orthodox Jewish Lesbian Romance

Based on the novel of the same name, Disobedience is the epic romance film that the Orthodox Jewish LGBTQ community has been waiting for. The film is the second consecutive film from director Sebastián Lelio to hit very close to home for this film critic–being both a transgender woman and a member of the Orthodox Jewish LGBTQ community.  Sebastián Lelio, who also directed A Fantastic Woman starring Daniela Vega, and Rebecca Lenkiewicz adapted Naomi Alderman’s award-winning…

"Tribeca 2018: Disobedience: The Epic Orthodox Jewish Lesbian Romance"

Avengers: Infinity War: The Stakes Are High

The stakes have never been higher with the release of Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Infinity War. Ten years in the making, it all culminates in this epic crossover of a film.  All of our favorite heroes in one film save for Hawkeye and Ant-Man–neither of which were one the poster.  With this large of a cast, it a was a question going into the film of how would they be able to handle the appearances of…

"Avengers: Infinity War: The Stakes Are High"

Tribeca 2018: Zoe

Zoe is a film that mixes science fiction with romance in a way that makes it stand apart from the likes of Her. Relationist Labs’s main goal is to create the perfect lover so to speak.  Among their founders, Cole Ainsley (Ewan McGregor) is an engineer who is heavily focused on designing synthetic robots that make for the perfect romantic lover.  Zoe (Léa Seydoux) is one of his designs but ever since she was turned…

"Tribeca 2018: Zoe"

Tribeca 2018: Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable

Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable shows that there is more to Bethany Hamilton than just being the surfer who was attacked by a shark. Bethany Hamilton lost her arm to a tiger shark while surfing in October 2003.  Most people would give up on their big dreams after such an event but Bethany Hamilton isn’t most people.  The Hawaiian native, a daughter of two surfers, would persevere and compete in the National Amateur Competition a mere nine…

"Tribeca 2018: Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable"

Tribeca 2018: Bobby Kennedy for President

Bobby Kennedy for President is a stark reminder of what the world lost when Senator Robert Kennedy was killed in June 1968. The documentary comes on the heels of the 50th anniversary of Kennedy’s presidential run.  It was a presidential campaign that, while shy of 90 days, would change a nation for better or worse.  With the ongoing Vietnam War, there was a lot of conflict within the Democratic Party.  RFK was running a campaign…

"Tribeca 2018: Bobby Kennedy for President"

Tribeca 2018: Shorts Roundup

There were a few short films screening during the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival that drew my interest.  What follows is a roundup of short narratives and documentaries playing Tribeca that I recommend. Souls of Totality Directed by Richard Raymond, the film stars Tatiana Maslany and Tom Cullen.  The film centers around the Great American Solar Eclipse and examines the sacrifices that one makes during a relationship.  There’s a power of love in this short.  This…

"Tribeca 2018: Shorts Roundup"

Tribeca 2018: Obey

Obey is crafted around the 2011 London Riots in a way that explores the gentrification of London neighborhoods. Leon (Marcus Rutherford) has been in and out of the foster care for a number of years.  For Leon, his entire life seems to revolve around social workers and his drunk mother, Chelsea (T’Nia Miller).  It’s because of his upbringing that he doesn’t get the opportunity to attend college.  Leon’s job prospects look slim as he never went…

"Tribeca 2018: Obey"

Tribeca 2018: 7 Stages to Achieve Eternal Bliss By Passing Through the Gateway Chosen By the Holy Storsh

7 Stages to Achieve Eternal Bliss By Passing Through the Gateway Chosen By the Holy Storsh, or 7 Stages for short, is without a doubt the best comedy–perhaps even the best film–to ever be made about a cult. Claire (Kate Micucci) and Paul (Sam Huntington) move from the comforts of Ohio to Los Angeles.  They found an apartment in the Tabula Building that is surprisingly affordable but it’s only a matter of time before they…

"Tribeca 2018: 7 Stages to Achieve Eternal Bliss By Passing Through the Gateway Chosen By the Holy Storsh"