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HIT 2 PASS Review

The narrative of Hit 2 Pass, a mostly free form documentary, concerns a father and son who have decided to build a car to race in the latest rendition racing event, which the last competed in during the days of the son’s youth. As they build a car from spare parts for the race, the audience is shown the process, the event, and the people who gather for it. As its scope slowly widens, Hit 2 Pass becomes not only the story of two people reconnecting, but a tale of the memories and experiences of a collective community.

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crimson 7.5

CRIMSON PEAK Review

If nothing else, 2015 should be remembered as the most experimental year in studio filmmaking in years. Between big-budget BDSM romantic comedies, post apocalyptic pictures with guitar-flamethrower-wielding dudes and Michael Mann’s nearly avant-garde techno-thriller, every unconventional choice has been fascinating at least, delightful at best. Time to add Guillermo Del Toro’s latest, Crimson Peak, to that list.

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The Intern 7

THE INTERN Review

Since The Parent Trap in '98, Meyers has found success with audiences (and, to a lesser extent, critics) who have embraced the optimistic nature of her films, despite their rather low-grade aesthetical qualities, and a propensity for happy endings that can border on the absurd. And yet, some of these films have an endearing, infectious quality. The Parent Trap was still, 17 years later the best distillation of Meyers's simplistic but effective formula. With The Intern, Meyers finally recaptures the magic she did in her debut film, and despite some silliness and a couple slight missteps, sidesteps the expected narrative for a film of this kind.

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one-and-two-poster 4

ONE & TWO Review

If the filmmakers who imitated Terence Malick had any understanding of his films, the world would be a better place. One and Two is another in a long line of independent American films to borrow clearly from the acclaimed filmmaker, to somewhat mixed results.

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tom-at-the-farm-poster 8.5

TOM AT THE FARM Review

Few figures in the cinematic world are as immediately polarizing as Xavier Dolan, the twenty-something filmmaker who unabashedly trolls cinephiles through his supposed lack of knowledge of Jean Luc Godard and Ingrid Bergman, his controversial Cannes jury appointment and the occasional vicious outburst at critics.

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GHOUL Review

Few specific genres of cinema allow for the creativity and innumerable unique possibilities in film in the same way as horror. Even fewer have entertained audiences for generations. Tales of fear – that strange, tingling sensation we get from watching the dread unfold and the excitement of watching what is twisted or beyond our perception toy with the human mind – offer the opportunity for something truly transcendent.

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unfinished-business 2

UNFINISHED BUSINESS Review

Countless actors have profited through mean-spirited, ugly comedy. Few have fared as well as Vince Vaughn, whose reign atop the comedy throne has recently begun to falter. Though there is little one can say about his latest film, Unfinished Business, that is positive, at least there’s one sure good thing to come of it: this may be the final nail in the coffin of his current comedic career.

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focus_movie_poster_1 5

FOCUS Review

A glance in the wrong direction, the ground on which one stands - are you above or below the person? How easy is it to steal their wallet? Can you tap into their subconscious, use memories to bring back feelings? If Focus were directed by someone more attuned to how one can manipulate another person by tapping into their psyche and the physical aspects involved, it could have gone well beyond the typical con artist story.

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BLACK OR WHITE Review

It’s nearly impossible to talk about Black or White without causing some heated debate. Writer/director Mike Binder’s movie is, perhaps, the most earnest and repulsive “get off my lawn”  euphemism  directed at people of color in a very long time. Some will claim that Black or White is well intentioned (as so many did after seeing The Blind Side, The Help and so forth), but intentions could not be any clearer: This is a film that attempts to justify white male privilege as a mild character flaw, something that simply cannot be changed and should be accepted as unavoidable. Its heart could not be further from being in the right place.

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