— by SEAN GERSKI — In the day of the DVR, no television shows are more valuable than those that require appointment viewing. Shows that need to be watched not only that same night, but must be viewed live, are few and far between now. Sports, and a few key reality shows, will always merit […][...]
Review: A Beautiful Now
— by BEV QUESTAD — Daniela Amavia, the writer/director/producer of this haunting psychological study, is a stunning Greek model for Chanel and Dior who became an actress, director and producer. Shot in 18 days, “A Beautiful Now” is an insightful study not only into Amavia’s own life, but possibly into the lives of a confused […][...]
Review: Complete Unknown
— by RON WILKINSON — Writer/director Joshua Marston won the Silver Bear at Berlin in 2011 for Best Screenplay for “The Forgiveness of Blood” (shared with Andamion Murataj). You would never know it from “Complete Unknown,” a self-absorbed essay on the foibles of New York’s advantaged class. Co-written with debut screenwriter Julian Sheppard, the screenplay […][...]
Review: Morgan
— by RON WILKINSON — Not just another android gone bad, Luke Scott’s neo-Frankenstein soft peddles the techno-babble and gets right to the point. Artificial human female Morgan is acting up and something must be done. “Risk Management” specialist Lee Weathers (Kate Mara) is dispatched to the research site to get a first-hand look at […][...]
Review: Don’t Breathe
— by RON WILKINSON — Breakout writer/director Fede Alvarez unleashes a corker of a teen caper horror flick with “Don’t Breathe.” The movie starts out slow with the usual semi-lame dialogue and pretzel logic, but things pick up quite nicely right to the end. The screenplay, co-written with Rodo Sayagues, features three marginalized teenagers in […][...]
Review: Lo and Behold
— by RON WILKINSON — Werner Herzog has made some great documentaries in his time. This is not one of them. A confused hodge-podge of social criticism, sci-fi prognostics and impending internet doom, the film unfolds like a bad dream. Aimless interviews with academics that are either blithering mad or talking so far over the […][...]
Review: Don’t Think Twice
— by RON WILKINSON — The great thing about Mike Birbiglia’s tale of six comics is that although set in New York City, it manages to be about the people and not the place. The city certainly has its part, contributing the crushing poverty, the insane stress and the daily humiliation that makes up the […][...]
Review: My King (Mon Roi)
— by BEV QUESTAD — The guy is neither all that good looking nor professionally stable. But he’s got a swagger, a self-confidence bound in self-indulgence, and he lives for the now without reflection. He is what my mother would call a rake, a man without morals or empathy. This film is about a good […][...]
Review: Anthropoid
— by RON WILKINSON — Cillian Murphy plays mission leader Josef Gabcík and Jamie Dornan plays his conflicted second in command, Jan Kubis, in “Anthropoid,” a wartime thriller about the assassination of Nazi chief Reinhard Heydrich. The commander was considered the third most powerful of the Nazi elite, the brutal executive of the critical production […][...]