★★★★ Brittany Snow’s feature directorial debut arrives at the Woodstock Film Festival, in the form of captivating drama, Parachute. For anyone who has ever suffered from body image issues or the horrors of eating disorders, Parachute may be particularly triggering. Its lead character frustrates almost as frequently as she garners empathy. Parachute is so much … Continue reading Woodstock 2023: Parachute
Fantastic Fest 2023: Totally Killer
★★★★★ For my final film of 2023’s Fantastic Fest, retro slasher horror/comedy Totally Killer closes out the festival with a bloody bang! In the vein of camp-tastic slashers The Final Girls, Freaky, and Happy Death Day, this Blumhouse/Amazon Studios production appears destined for yearly Halloween-season viewing. New blood in the genre sometimes reaps the best … Continue reading Fantastic Fest 2023: Totally Killer
Woodstock 2023: Irena’s Vow
(Written by Allison Brown) ★★★★ National Geographic’s incredible show, A Small Light, set the standard for quality Holocaust material early in the year at SXSW, but as a late arrival at TIFF and now Woodstock, Irena’s Vow puts up a fair fight in comparison. I was not previously familiar with Irene Gut Opdyke’s story, but … Continue reading Woodstock 2023: Irena’s Vow
Woodstock 2023: Slide
★★★★ Legendary animator Bill Plympton brings to life his first film since 2016’s Revengeance: the vibrant, outrageous, and endlessly entertaining musical/comedy/western, Slide. Named after its completely mute lead character and his “slide guitar,” this surreal movie overflows with ideas and mesmerizing imagery. Plympton individually animates every frame of his films himself, via his own Plymptoons … Continue reading Woodstock 2023: Slide
Woodstock 2023: The Kill Room
★★★★ The logline of The Kill Room sounds like the start of some bad joke. A hitman, his boss, an art dealer, and a money-laundering scheme—what could possibly go wrong? This dark comedy crime/thriller is far more entertaining than I had ever expected. Setting aside the obvious draw of a Pulp Fiction reunion with the … Continue reading Woodstock 2023: The Kill Room
Woodstock 2023: Fair Play
★★★ Alden Ehrenreich is perhaps one of the most underrated actors working today. First discovered by Steven Spielberg at a bar mitzvah, Ehrenreich has been consistently churning out intriguing fare, and discovering his niche as a character actor for years. From Beautiful Creatures to Stoker to Solo: A Star Wars Story and everything in between, … Continue reading Woodstock 2023: Fair Play
Film Review: The Re-Education of Molly Singer
★★★★ Fall is in the air, so what better time to immerse yourself in the warm blanket of a raunchy R-rated comedy? Genre director Andy Palmer tries his hand at comedy instead, and the results are quite hilarious. The ensemble cast first caught my attention—namely, Britt Robertson (The First Time, I Still Believe), Ty Simpkins … Continue reading Film Review: The Re-Education of Molly Singer
TV Review: Gen V – Season 1
Welcome freshman class to year one at Godolkin University, where the best and brightest superheroes have trained since 1965! In this spin-off of Prime Video’s chaotic gem The Boys, the catty, often sociopathic world of teenagers mixes its dose of potency with the same dark humor and ultra-gory mayhem we have come to love from … Continue reading TV Review: Gen V – Season 1
Film Review: Nightmare
★★ Just when it seems every imaginable iteration of Rosemary’s Baby has been birthed into our collective subconscious, along comes Norwegian import Nightmare to suggest yet another take. This time around, not only does Nightmare emulate that overrated timeless classic—it also has echoes of much-maligned sequel Exorcist II: The Heretic, and short story “The Yellow … Continue reading Film Review: Nightmare
Fantastic Fest 2023: Pet Sematary: Bloodlines
★★★ Sometimes, dead is better. At least, that is what Jud Crandall would say. The iconic character—originated in Stephen King’s seminary Pet Sematary novel before being depicted onscreen by Fred Gwynne and John Lithgow—finally has his origin story explored at great depth in co-writer/director Lindsey Anderson Beer’s directorial debut, Pet Sematary: Bloodlines. I used to … Continue reading Fantastic Fest 2023: Pet Sematary: Bloodlines