Camelot the musical has been around for quite some time, with the original Broadway production opening in December of 1960. In 1967, a film adaptation was made, starring Richard Harris and Vanessa Redgrave in the lead roles. Now, playwright Aaron Sorkin has arrived to inject playful zippiness into the dialogue. Updating a classic is always … Continue reading Theater Review: Camelot
TV Review: Up Here
Being a major sucker for a good musical, I will watch literally any one of them that comes my way. In terms of the television format, an absolute obsession over Glee, Smash, and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend was kind of a no-brainer. Along comes Hulu’s Up Here which, to my surprise, could easily join the pantheon of … Continue reading TV Review: Up Here
Theater Review: Lea Michele in Funny Girl
In what may be perhaps one of the most meta Broadway turns of all time, Lea Michele’s masterful debut as Fanny Brice has finally come to fruition. Michele’s Glee character Rachel Berry would eventually squander her golden opportunity by leaving Broadway in pursuit of a television pilot that flopped hard; luckily, Michele does not appear … Continue reading Theater Review: Lea Michele in Funny Girl
Film Review: Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
★★★★★ Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio has been in the works for so long that I can barely fathom its release is finally imminent. Containing all the stunning beauty that only stop-motion animation can bring, this version of Pinocchio is dark, disturbing, and deeply moving. I have not felt this strongly amount a stop-motion movie since … Continue reading Film Review: Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
NewFest 2022: Please Baby Please
★★★ I cannot stress enough how much I was really not a fan of director Amanda Kramer’s last film, Give Me Pity!, and its oddball mock-style television format. Color me surprised then that Kramer’s second movie, the fantastically bizarre Please Baby Please, is such an intriguing treat. With lead performances from Andrea Riseborough (2020’s The … Continue reading NewFest 2022: Please Baby Please
TIFF 2022: Will-o’-the-Wisp
★★★★ As unique and singular as it is explosively sexual yet weirdly heartwarming and playful, co-writer/director João Pedro Rodrigues’s Will-o’-the-Wisp is truly a delight. Having no familiarity with the works of Portuguese filmmaker Rodrigues, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. Would this be one of those films that only mildly explores its queer content, … Continue reading TIFF 2022: Will-o’-the-Wisp
Film Review: 13: The Musical
★ I should have seen the writing on the wall with Netflix’s new musical, the aptly titled 13: The Musical. For one thing, the review embargo is the actual release date and time it drops; while not an infallible measure of quality, this is often a sign that films are not up to par. Secondly, … Continue reading Film Review: 13: The Musical
Tribeca 2022: My Love Affair With Marriage
★★★★★ Going into 2022’s iteration of the Tribeca Film Festival, I would never have guessed that an indie animated film would make its way into not only one of my favorites from the fest, but also become one of the best movies of the year. Seven years in the making, Signe Baumane’s sophomore effort, My … Continue reading Tribeca 2022: My Love Affair With Marriage
TV Review: Spring Awakening: Those You’ve Known
Back in the summer of 2008 just before graduating high school, one of my closest friends suggested we go to an amazing Broadway show together from which she had heard rave reviews. Knowing little about said show before actually taking our seats at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre, Spring Awakening completely blew me away (and I … Continue reading TV Review: Spring Awakening: Those You’ve Known
Film Review: Cyrano
★★ Reprising their roles from the stage musical production, Cyrano unites leads Haley Bennett and Peter Dinklage, respectively, to retell an age-old Shakespeare story. Similar material has been adapted countless times—despite this, Cyrano is actually my first-ever exposure to the tale of unrequited love between Cyrano de Bergerac and his devoted, beautiful friend Roxanne. As … Continue reading Film Review: Cyrano