Aug 19, 2022 Movies Niceland by Friðrik Þór Friðriksson (Review) This is a film that so desperately wants you to find it meaningful that it practically begs you.
Aug 19, 2022 Movies Lights in the Dusk by Aki Kaurismaki (Review) Yet another droll, dyer-than-dry account focusing on a down-and-out man on the fringes of society.
Aug 19, 2022 Movies Hula Girls by Lee Sang-il (Review) Of course, the outcome of the film is never really in question. However, the joy is in the way that the film arrives there.
Aug 19, 2022 Movies Rescue Dawn by Werner Herzog (Review) Compared to the rest Herzog’s canon, Rescue Dawn might rank a little lower than others, but overall a very solid, if sometimes safe film.
Aug 19, 2022 Movies Macbeth by Geoffrey Wright (Review) There’s plenty of sound and fury to go around in Macbeth, but really nothing significant.
Aug 19, 2022 Movies Quelques Jours En Septembre by Santiago Amigorena (Review) There’s some espionage, betrayal, and financial hijinks, but to call it “high-voltage” is to dramatically oversell the film.
Aug 19, 2022 Movies Alatriste by Agustín Díaz Yanes (Review) Proof yet again that even the biggest budget can’t save a film if it’s lacking a solid storyline and well-developed characters.
Aug 19, 2022 Movies The Island by Pavel Lungin (Review) Much like Jesus’ parables, Father Anatoly’s unconventional behavior cuts through religious formalism and legalism.
Aug 19, 2022 Movies Times and Winds by Reha Erdem (Review) As a pure mood piece laced through with introspective thoughts concerning the roles of fathers, Times and Winds can be quite powerful and haunting.
Aug 16, 2022 Movies Election 1+2 by Johnnie To (Review) One of the best, most pointed and tragic gangster epics in recent history.
Aug 16, 2022 Movies Invisible Waves by Pen-Ek Ratanaruang (Review) A great disappointment, even with adjusted expectations.
Aug 16, 2022 Movies Hana by Hirokazu Kore-eda (Review) A break from the usual samurai movie tropes, Hana is warm, lively, deeply human, laugh-out-loud hilarious, and intensely enjoyable.
Aug 16, 2022 Anime Death Parade Peers into the Darkness of the Soul (Review) Death Parade ultimately caused me to be thankful for a Savior who knows that I am but dust.
Aug 29, 2021 Movies Night in Paradise by Park Hoon-jung (Review) This ultra-bleak gangster drama from South Korea is enhanced by stunning cinematography and an ominous atmosphere.
May 22, 2020 TV Amazon’s Tales From the Loop Is a Haunting and Melancholy Sci-Fi Anthology (Review) Amazon’s latest sci-fi series is set in a small midwestern town where strange phenomena occurs every day.
Apr 10, 2017 Movies Still Walking by Hirokazu Kore-eda (Review) Still Walking explores family drama with grace, and never once slips into Hollywood melodrama.
Apr 5, 2017 Movies Ping Pong by Fumihiko Sori (Review) Yes, there’s lots of ping pong, but also a surprisingly nuanced exploration of the thin line between friendship and rivalry.
Apr 5, 2017 Movies JCVD by Mabrouk El Mechri (Review) Part semi-autobiography, part self-exorcism, part post-modern narrative, and a career rejuvenation for Van Damme.
Sep 12, 2016 Anime Erased Is a Satisfying Blend of Time Travel, Murder Mystery, and Coming of Age Melodrama (Review) Tomohiko Itō’s latest anime is rooted in tragedy, loss, and a search for restoration and redemption… and time travel.
Jun 26, 2015 Movies Pixar’s ‘Inside Out’ Is Pure, Heartbreaking Cinematic Magic (Review) Pixar’s Inside Out is pure cinematic magic. Also, it reminds me of Mad Max: Fury Road. (No, seriously.)