— by BEV QUESTAD — Mariam Shaar was born imprisoned in the narrow corridors of a labyrinth of narrow passages with dangling lethal electrical wires and men slumped in the shadows on plastic chairs. Like her mother and other refugee women, she was trapped in a No Exit scenario. But unlike the women before her, […][...]
41st Portland International Film Festival
— by BEV QUESTAD — Each February, Portland, Oregon, sparkles up with PIFF, the Portland International Film Festival. This year’s opening night gala – abounding with Pinot Noir, grilled vegetables, quinoa and baklava – was a maximum capacity event. The movie of the night was “The Death of Stalin” from Armando Iannucci, which will be […][...]
Previewing the 90th Academy Awards
The 90th Academy Awards ceremony is growing agonisingly close and the film industry is on tenterhooks to see who will seize glory. Jimmy Kimmel is returning to host Hollywood’s most celebrated event of the year at the Dolby Theatre in LA on March 4 and speculation is raging among fans over who will win coveted […][...]
Horror movies offer safe adrenalin rush
Horror movies are one of the fastest growing trends in the world. A very large proportion of the world population loves these movies. And some of the top horror-themed flicks are now earning just as much as the top blockbusters in all other genres. The World Gone Crazy The thrills offered by horror movies have […][...]
The Top 5 books becoming films in 2018
— by CRAIG SMITH — You may wish to begin your reading list for this year with these five books before they get adapted for the big screen in 2018. The new year may just have begun, but there are already a number of exciting films to look out for, especially those that started life […][...]
Two movies take Sundance by storm
— by CRAIG SMITH — As the film buffs among us are no doubt aware, this year’s 2018 Sundance Film Festival took place in Park City, in Utah, from Jan. 21 through Jan. 28. More than 100 independent films were showcased this year, with entries from a total of 29 different countries being included, spanning […][...]
Steven Soderbergh goes mobile with Unsane
— by CRAIG SMITH — Steven Soderbergh is no stranger to the Oscars thanks to his slick Hollywood fare, as fans of “Ocean’s Eleven” and “Erin Brockovich” will be quick to tell you. But his latest movie, the horror thriller “Unsane,” was shot entirely on iPhones. What’s more, the first official trailer for the movie […][...]
Films that merited Best Picture nominations
— by CRAIG SMITH — The following films have managed to receive not only critical praise but acclaim with audiences as well, and more than qualified for a nomination for Best Picture at this year’s Oscars. Blade Runner 2049 The original “Blade Runner,” made back in 1982, turned out to be one of the most […][...]
Review: The Post
— by RON WILKINSON — Director Steven Spielberg missed the boat with “The Post,” a mundane re-enactment of the Washington Post’s history-making role in the Pentagon Papers. Part of the problem is the work of first-time feature screenwriter Liz Hannah and emerging co-writer Josh Singer. The dialogue rings of the glib exchanges that made Singer’s […][...]
Amobee reveals 2018’s most anticipated films
— by CRAIG SMITH — Given how superheroes are currently dominating the marketplace, and that these types of films get an almost endless amount of publicity and hype that can start even years in advance, it should come as no surprise that, for the second year in a row, they are prevailing in terms of […][...]