5
SXSW 2022: SERIOUSLY RED Review
leaves Seriously Red toothless for a film patterning itself after a woman known for her indomitable gumption.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
5
SXSW 2022: SOFT & QUIET Review
In a secluded room above a church, a group of posh and affluent white women sip tea and eat dessert while making polite conversation. Then, like a switch being flipped, casting all their pleasantries into a new light, school teacher Emily (Stefanie
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
7.5
SXSW 2022: UNDER THE INFLUENCE Review
The still relatively new phenomenon of YouTube fame has brought about a new breed of celebrity with the platform’s ascension to the upper echelons of popular media and, with it, new inquiry into the accountability of the YouTuber star. While it might
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
7
SXSW 2022: DEADSTREAM Review
The slapstick, heavy-found-footage horror Deadstream works much better as a sendup of exploitative YouTuber culture than as a Raimi-esque horror comedy.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
7.5
SXSW 2022: SKATE DREAMS Review
The world of professional skateboarding during its ascendance into mainstream popularity inarguably has the aura of an insulated “boys club,” born out of and maintained within California. For those not entrenched in the skating community, the likelihood of their familiarity with any
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
6.5
A BANQUET Review
The horror genre has always wrung tension and thrived around the plausibility of the supernatural and stringing the audience along over whether what they think is happening is actually happening. As of late, this quality has been invoked by what was once
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
Chris Luciantonio’s Top 10 Films of 2021
Rounding out our 2021 top 10s is Chris! Be sure to check out all of our previously published lists and give our podcast a listen to hear us discuss what was another tumultuous year.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
7.5
THE GIG IS UP Review
Taking a human-centric look at platform capitalism, The Gig is Up is an informative and succinct approach to the nuances and trappings of the gig economy.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
9
Fantasia 2021: IT’S A SUMMER FILM! Review
It’s a Summer Film! is a loving testament to the indomitable spirit of young cinephiles that overwhelms with charm.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
7.5
Fantasia 2021: OFFICE ROYALE Review
Office Royale is a delightful sendup of manga tropes that delivers on its promise of absurd clerical action.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
5
Fantasia 2021: YOU CAN’T KILL MEME Review
You Can’t Kill Meme is an enigmatic look into the insidious ways meme culture developed after the 2016 election which proves too arbitrary in its focus.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
8.5
Fantasia 2021: #BLUE_WHALE Review
#Blue_Whale is a refreshingly grounded approach to the screenlife film that terrifies due to its credible inventiveness.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
7
Fantasia 2021: WONDERFUL PARADISE Review
Wonderful Paradise throws everything at the wall, and even what doesn’t stick is still bizarrely fascinating.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
9
Fantasia 2021: JUNK HEAD Review
Junk Head is a momentous labor of love and a meticulously designed vision of a post-apocalyptic future.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
5.5
Fantasia 2021: THE 12 DAY TALE OF THE MONSTER THAT DIED IN 8
Shunji Iwai’s pseudo-kaiju film proves we still have yet to crack the enigma and nuances of pandemic filmmaking.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
7.5
Fantasia 2021: SATOSHI KON: THE ILLUSIONIST Review
Satoshi Kon: The Illusionist offers an informed and affectionate tribute to one of anime’s overlooked masters.
Posted by: Chris Luciantonio
