High and Outside: A Baseball Noir isn’t the run-of-the-mill baseball movie but a gripping drama depicting the relationship between father and son. Directed by Evald Johnson from a script written by Dan O’Dair, the film also serves as the final role for the late character actor Geoffrey Lewis. The son of baseball great Len Harding (Geoffrey Lewis in his final role), Phil Harding (Phil Donlon) is stll trying to make it to the Majors Leagues. …
"Cinequest 2018: High and Outside: A Baseball Noir"Category: Movie Reviews
Mr. Fish: Cartooning From The Deep End takes a look at the life of a political cartoonist who lives on the edge at a time when it’s so hard to be a political cartoonist. Directed by Pablo Bryant, who also doubles as the documentary’s cinematographer, this film takes a look at a satirical cartoonist known professionally as Mr. Fish, whose work is losing value from a commercial perspective. It’s not so much the fact that…
"Cinequest: Mr. Fish: Cartooning From The Deep End (Slamdance 2018)"
Taking place over the course of one day during the War of 1812, Mohawk is a thriller that reminds us of the costs of war. Director Ted Geoghegan, who co-wrote the film with Grady Hendrix, takes us back to the Niagara Frontier towards the end of the War of 1812. For the U.S. history buffs out there, there were indeed battles that were located in the Niagara Frontier during the War of 1812. Historically speaking, for what…
"Mohawk: A Very Personal Thriller"
The 1955 animated classic, Lady and the Tramp, has become only the sixth film to join the Walt Disney Signature Collection. There were only a handful of animated classics to be released by Walt Disney in the 1950s but Lady and the Tramp is, without a doubt, the best love story released by Disney in the 1950s. First released in June 1955, the film would later be released in 1962, 1972, 1980, and 1986. Based on Happy…
"Lady and the Tramp: Walt Disney Signature Collection"
Despite the amazing visuals, Annihilation might be a trippy ride but it’s a ride that needs to be experienced for oneself. Given that he was the mind behind Ex Machina, it’s no surprise that Alex Garland was chosen to adapt Annihilation for the big screen. Despite the fascinating sci-fi ideas behind the first novel in Jeff VanderMeer’s Southern Reach trilogy, the film is not without some controversy. Lena (Natalie Portman) left the Army in order…
"Annihilation: A Trippy Ride"
The Chamber is a conventional deep sea horror thriller that offers more than enough thrills in a wild ride. In his feature directorial debut, Ben Parker offers up a thrill ride that can also be categorized as a horror film because there’s no guarantee that that the four people in the submarine will survive the mission. The B-movie thriller shows a promising future for the filmmaker. Following a brief prologue that sets up the film,…
"The Chamber: A Deep Sea Horror Thriller"
Timed to 170th anniversary of The Communist Manifesto, The Young Karl Marx is a biopic that does justice to the man whose story is being told. Following a brief prologue that sets up the film, Karl Marx (August Diehl) is living in Cologne in April 1843 and writing for the Rheinische Zeitung newspaper. After the paper published an article that the government was unhappy with, Marx was arrested. Marx and his wife, Jenny (Vicky Krieps), end…
"The Young Karl Marx"
Taking advantage of blind casting, Rogers Park is a family affair that puts the spotlight on the Chicago neighborhood of the same name. Directed by Kyle Henry from a screenplay written by Carlos Treviño, the Chicago-set film stars Antoine McKay, Sara Sevigny, Jonny Mars, and Christine Horn. All four of the leading characters have their own issues in the film. Zeke (McKay) is dealing with financial issues of his own and doesn’t want to let his wife,…
"Rogers Park: A Family Affair on the North Side"
Being a Kentucky native, NEAT: The Story of Bourbon is a film that’s after my own heart. Narrated and directed by documentary filmmaker David Altrogge, the intriguing documentary does exactly what it promises by giving us the story of bourbon. Among the many people interviewed include Steve Zahn, an actor who also doubles as a bourbon distiller. The film also features the first female master distiller since prohibition, Marianne Barnes. A Kentucky native, she is…
"NEAT: The Story of Bourbon – A Film After My Own Heart"
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"