★★★★ The found footage subgenre, popularized by such milestone horror films as The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity, finally gets a much-needed expansive documentary! The Found Footage Phenomenon charts the origins of this increasingly popular subgenre of horror. Talking head interviews with plentiful horror directors (including Rob Savage, Oren Peli, and more), surprising trends, … Continue reading Fantastic Fest 2021: The Found Footage Phenomenon
TIFF 2021: Flee
★★★★★ Emotionally compelling, satisfying, and incredibly raw—Flee is all three of these things, which surprised me even more being that its very concept is unconventional and risky. Flee blends the worlds of animation and documentary into a film unlike any I have ever seen before. Amin’s story being told in this fashion makes for some … Continue reading TIFF 2021: Flee
TIFF 2021: Music Box: Jagged
★★★★ As a music documentary, I think it is already obvious if one will find enjoyment in this new feature on iconic songwriter, Alanis Morissette. Like all of the best docs, we chart Morissette’s comprehensive rise from a faux-pop singer to an influential girl-power songwriter. The documentary gives one a glimpse into the headspace of … Continue reading TIFF 2021: Music Box: Jagged
Bentonville Film Festival 2021 Wrap-Up
This year's Bentonville Film Festival brings with it a variety of riveting indie filmmaking, largely from female creators and primarily specializing in dramas and rom-coms. Below, I have rounded up the films I saw at this festival, including links for their roster I have previously viewed. Films 7 DAYS Full review at the link. AMERICANISH … Continue reading Bentonville Film Festival 2021 Wrap-Up
Bentonville 2021: Workhorse Queen
★★★★ Mrs. Kasha Davis first came onto my radar similarly to the way many others discovered her: through season 7 of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Her signature line, “there’s always time for a cocktail," thrust her into the limelight. This catch phrase marked her as a memorable and quotable queen, despite being the fifth one sent … Continue reading Bentonville 2021: Workhorse Queen
Film Review: The Sleepless Unrest: The Real Conjuring Home
★ I am a huge fan of WB’s The Conjuring Universe, so a creepy documentary set at the real-life house from the original movie sounded like it would be right up my alley. An unintentionally funny opening crawl, with a creepy robotic voice setting up the events, was the first warning sign of things to … Continue reading Film Review: The Sleepless Unrest: The Real Conjuring Home
Tribeca/Provincetown 2021: Being Bebe
★★★★ As a longtime fan of RuPaul’s Drag Race, I was looking forward to Being Bebe from the second I saw it announced as part of the 2021 Tribeca lineup. Bebe Zahara-Benet has the distinction of being the first ever queen to ever win the title. Though season 2 of Drag Race was the first … Continue reading Tribeca/Provincetown 2021: Being Bebe
Tribeca 2021: Pray Away
★★★★ For those unfamiliar with conversion therapy, Netflix documentary Pray Away, executive produced by Ryan Murphy and Jason Blum, wastes no time filling you in. The opening text describes it as “the attempt to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity” via religious leader, licensed counselor, or peer support group. It is a practice … Continue reading Tribeca 2021: Pray Away
Tribeca 2021: A-Ha: The Movie
★★★★ A-Ha’s absolutely magical “Take on Me” and its stunning art-inspired music video ranks among my favorite songs of all time. I didn’t realize just how little I knew about the first Norweigan band to make it big worldwide, or how little of their catalogue I had explored ahead of time. The fact that I … Continue reading Tribeca 2021: A-Ha: The Movie
Film Review: Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street
★★★ Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street is a rather straightforward documentary—it’s completely comprehensive to the first part of the Sesame Street legacy. The origins in trying to reach inner city kids, and helping prepare young children for school, was something I had never thought of before watching. It touches on surprising things like … Continue reading Film Review: Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street