— by WILLIAM STERR — Osgood Perkins strikes horror gold again with this horror/comedic take on Stephen King’s short story “The Monkey.” King’s story follows Hal Shelburn. Hal’s son, Petey, discovers a windup monkey in a box while exploring the attic of his father’s childhood home. It turns out Hal had in turn found the […][...]
Review: Sarogeto
— by BEV QUESTAD — There are two things about this gorgeously filmed and acted film that wrench your gut. There are also two things that make you exclaim … “But wait!” “Sarogeto” opens with expressive scenes, from the lone figure on a wide expanse of gray beach to a vision of peaked red lips. […][...]
Review: The Electric State
— by WILLIAM STERR — Imagine if, during the Clinton Administration (1993-2001), the biggest event was not Monica Lewinsky, but rather the revolt of robots, many of which represented cartoon characters or corporate mascots. That is the story given to us by the Russo Brothers (“Avengers: Endgame”). When the robots revolt against the constraints placed […][...]
Review: Any Day Now
— by WILLIAM STERR — Boston. That historic city on the Charles River. Home of Back Bay and the Brahmins thereof. They are the folks that created and filled the Gardner Museum of Art. But then there are the gritty folks of South Boston. They keep the museum clean and serve as security guards. If […][...]
Review: The Fishing Place
— by BEV QUESTAD — Oh Norway! Your movies are so challenging to understand. Why not send us a sweet rom/com or a rich documentary? Why another angst-driven drama with themes of guilt and moral conflict? And another thing, why get so creative with your presentations, like breaking into a frenzied song and dance in […][...]
Review: Unspeakable: Beyond the Wall of Sleep
— by WILLIAM STERR — H.P. Lovecraft died in 1937. At the time, he was an impoverished, barely known writer of fantastic fiction. Since then, his works, all in the public domain, have been the inspiration for hundreds of writers and scores of film-makers. Many of those writers have contributed significant works of fiction, and […][...]
Review: The Rule of Jenny Pen
— by WILLIAM STERR — Geoffrey Rush and John Lithgow. Two elder luminaries of the cinema world. Lithgow turned in a fine performance as a conniving American cardinal in 2024’s “Conclave,” nd Best Actor Oscar-winner Rush, long a stage actor in Australia, is best known in film for “Shine” and “Quills.” Stefan Mortenson (Rush) is […][...]
Review: Immaculate
— by WILLIAM STERR — When do miracles cross the line into mad science? As a young girl, Cecilia (Sydney Sweeney – “Madame Web”) suffered a near death experience. It changed her life, and she decided to devote that life to God. When still a novitiate, her local US convent closed. But then she was […][...]
Review: Anora
— by WILLIAM STERR — “Anora”: Winner of the 2025 Academy Awards for Best Direction, Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing (all by Sean Baker), Best Actress (Mikey Madison) and Best Picture. This is a complicated film. It begins with a somewhat silly, extremely graphic sexual relationship between a wealthy Russian boy, Vanya (Mark Eydelshteyn – […][...]
Review: I’m Still Here
— by BEV QUESTAD — Jolting. I thought I would just watch the first five or 10 minutes and finish the rest the next day. I quickly forgot about that as I was gripped by the series of true events that could so possibly happen in America. But jolting was also the decision on March […][...]