★★★★ Who doesn’t love a good road trip movie? Going Places, the new action/comedy from writer/director Max Chernov, throws three teens together on a high school victory lap that goes terribly awry. For best friends Otis (Ethan Cutkosky, Shameless, 2009's The Unborn), Jaden (Spence Moore II, All American, Creed III), and Cora (Chloe East, HBO … Continue reading Cinequest 2023: Going Places
Genres
Popcorn Frights 2023: Founder’s Day
★★★ Any upcoming slasher movie is always cause for excitement, let alone one led by filmmaking brothers the Bloomquists (Night at the Eagle Inn). I was excited to see what they would bring to the table with politically-charged Founder’s Day. The concept and aesthetic should be an instant home run—who doesn’t want to see a … Continue reading Popcorn Frights 2023: Founder’s Day
Film Review: Landscape with Invisible Hand
★★★ As of late, many films focused on or around aliens and the extraterrestrial seem to fail or underuse these otherworldly creatures. Most recently, Asteroid City had a hilarious alien orbiting around its oddball characters, yet was featured for under five minutes total. Landscape with Invisible Hand does not make this mistake, involving the creatures … Continue reading Film Review: Landscape with Invisible Hand
Popcorn Frights 2023: Don’t Look Away
★★★★ From the opening scene of Popcorn Frights selection Don’t Look Away, a mounting sense of creeping dread seeps into the film’s DNA. Being relentlessly pursued by either the unknown or the strange and unusual have been a tale as old as time in the horror genre—co-writer/director Michael Bafaro continues this tradition, albeit with a … Continue reading Popcorn Frights 2023: Don’t Look Away
Theater Review: The Shark is Broken
Now considered one of the greatest movies of all time, Steven Spielberg’s Jaws also famously had an incredibly tumultuous production. For a strictly limited engagement, theatre audiences can now be treated to London import The Shark is Broken—a dark comedy that explores the fiasco of making the definitive aquatic horror movie. A trio of engaging … Continue reading Theater Review: The Shark is Broken
Film Review: Puppy Love
★★★★ Do you love rom-coms? How about aggressively adorable animals? Puppy Love not only checks both of these boxes, but also brings together the charisma of Grant Gustin and the sass of Lucy Hale into a rousing one-two punch of mismatched romantic interests and doe-eyed doggies. Is it really any surprise that their chemistry, both … Continue reading Film Review: Puppy Love
Popcorn Frights 2023: Santastein
★★★ Don’t forget to leave out the milk and cookies for Santastein this Christmas season! The latest in a long line of Christmastime slashers, this movie should give exactly what that zany title promises. Most recently, director Joe Bezos delivered a crowd-pleasing Santa gorefest in the form of Christmas Bloody Christmas. While Santastein doesn’t quite … Continue reading Popcorn Frights 2023: Santastein
Film Review: Red, White & Royal Blue
★★★★★ The cutest movie of the year has officially arrived! Highly anticipated gay rom-com Red, White & Royal Blue, based upon the bestselling book from Casey McQuiston, happens to also mark the filmmaking debut of Broadway’s The Inheritance wunderkind Matthew Lopez. Two undeniably attractive leads in Nicholas Galitzine and Taylor Zakhar Perez supercharge the duo’s … Continue reading Film Review: Red, White & Royal Blue
Fantasia 2023 Wrap-Up
As per usual, 2023's Fantasia International Film Festival brings quirky delights and strange phenomena to center stage. Indies and more mainstream fare alike comingle for one of the most unique festivals of its kind. After the jump, don't miss our full coverage of this year's iteration! Films #MANHOLE Full review at the link. APORIA Full … Continue reading Fantasia 2023 Wrap-Up
Fantasia 2023: It Lives Inside
★★ Every year, dozens of new horror hopefuls flood the market hoping to hook the next genre classic. It Lives Inside, the debut feature from director/co-writer Bishal Dutta, aims to put a new spin on religion-based terror by honing in on Hindi mythology in a major way. Unfortunately, absolutely nothing here can distinguish the film … Continue reading Fantasia 2023: It Lives Inside