— by WILLIAM STERR — This history of the Barbie Doll opens with a scene from a Barbie convention. An elaborate Barbie Doll in a custom dress is being auctioned off. It goes for $4,250 and the buyer, in her own Barbie inspired clothing, is ecstatic. From there a montage continues from Barbie being discussed […][...]
Review: Elemental: Reimagine Wildfire
— by BEV QUESTAD — With 413 active spring fires raging in cool springtime Canada, of all places, and cutting visibility and breathable air in a good chunk of northeastern America, something has got to be done about the growing fire epidemic. What was once thought an isolated plague in California has been gradually extending […][...]
Review: The Stroll
— by WILLIAM STERR — This is the story of the trans women sex workers who spent parts of their lives working the streets of New York City’s meatpacking district – an area informally know as “The Stroll.” These women, from a variety of backgrounds and of different races, each found that, as they transitioned […][...]
Review: Renfield
— by WILLIAM STERR — Nicolas Cage: Oscar winner, Golden Globe winner, SAG winner, all time Blockbuster Entertainment (yeah, the video store people) award winner, and frequent Razzie nominee. You never know who you’re going to get with a Nick Cage movie – in fact, in “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” you got Nick […][...]
Review: Users
— by BEV QUESTAD — I’m a documentary fan. I love learning and, as long as it is well-substantiated, I love viewing an in-depth, non-fiction perspective on something. However, there are several types of docs and, in my opinion, they are not equally entertaining or informative. So, I don’t know why I chose to watch […][...]
Review: Mad Heidi
— by WILLIAM STERR — In my avocation as a movie reviewer, I often – too often – screen films that, for lack of a better word, are pretty “cheesy.” Outrageous dialogue, over the top acting, fantastic settings, impossible premises, outlandish costumes, and so on. This one takes the cake – make that the cheesecake […][...]
Review: Scarlet
— by WILLIAM STERR — What will eventually be known as World War I is finally over. Columns of exhausted, ragged French soldiers straggle along the horizon. One man separates himself from the others and carries on alone. He is Raphael (Raphael Thiery – “L’homme d’argile”), and he is returning to the farm where he […][...]
Review: Peppergrass
— by WILLIAM STERR — Rough times. The corona virus is raging in Canada and businesses are shut down. Eula Baek’s (Chantelle Han – “Circle of Steel”) grandfather has died, and the restaurant he owned is going under. She needs cash from somewhere, and boyfriend Morris Weiss (Charles Boyland – “Becky”) has an idea. The […][...]
Review: Afghan Dreamers
— by BEV QUESTAD — On Fridays, when the men aren’t around, Lida’s father takes her to the mechanic shop to work on cars. She demonstrates her skill at changing a tire, spinning the socket wrench like a pro. Rare for women in her country, she also drives. But her primary focus is working with […][...]
Review: The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster
— by WILLIAM STERR — We are all familiar with the story of Frankenstein. Many of us are familiar with the fact that Mary Shelley wrote it as a moralistic tale, not just a horror story. That important aspect is too often lost in the film translations, with “Man was never meant to play God” […][...]