‘Heavy Trip’ review — Ridiculous and lively heavy metal comedy
Heavy Trip is a joyous and affectionate love letter to the outcast that is almost impossible to resist. Heavy Trip—also known as A Band Called Impaled Rektum—is billed as a heavy metal comedy. And it completely is. Told with the same off-beat humor as Taika Waititi's best—Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Thor: Ragnarok—Heavy Trip follows wannabe Finnish heavy metal band…
‘First Man’ review — Claire Foy steals this Neil Armstrong biopic
First Man is a de-glamourized version of Neil Armstrong's reluctant journey to becoming the first man on the moon. What's remarkable about Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling) is how unremarkable he is. He's quiet. Almost shy. Sometimes he'll crack a joke or offer a closed mouth smile, but he internalizes most of his emotions. There are a…
‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ review — Rami Malek is electric as Freddie Mercury
Bohemian Rhapsody doesn't do much to break the mold of the typical biopic, but it boasts a breathtaking performance from Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury. Bohemian Rhapsody isn’t about the creation of Freddie Mercury. Yes, the movie starts with Mercury as a baggage handler before joining a band that would ultimately become Queen. However, the movie…
‘Bodied’ review — Woke culture put on blast through battle rap
Bodied is a sharp and hilarious satire that tackles the complexities of woke culture by exploring the world of battle rap. bod·ied /ˈbädēd/ verb 1. to destroy or kill Used in a sentence: "The movie Bodied bodied toxic liberalism, performative progressiveness, and woke culture." Music video director Joseph Kahn’s third feature pulls no punches as…
‘The Cakemaker’ review — Israel’s Oscar entry is a sweet drama
The Cakemaker, Israel's 2019 Oscar entry, is a quiet and sweet drama with a great lead performance by Tim Kalkhof. The Cakemaker is about a relationship, but not a romantic one as the setup suggests. Instead, it’s a quiet and sensitively told story about grief and how different people process it. However, there’s so much more…
‘Wildlife’ review — Paul Dano’s directoral debut is a career high for Carey Mulligan
Paul Dano's directorial debut Wildlife is a quiet but powerful tale of self-destruction with a masterful performance by Carey Mulligan. Wildlife has all the workings of a classic kitchen sink drama. However, instead of the poor industrial towns of England, actor Paul Dano's directorial debut moves the setting to 1960s Montana and follows a working-class family as they…
‘Science Fair’ review — A moving and funny doc about the love of science
Science Fair documents the profound and entertaining journey of nine students competing against 1,700 of the world's brightest young minds This is not your typical science fair. Directors Cristina Costantini and Darren Foster's film about the classic school tradition have young high school students with foam poster board talking about their projects. But instead of papier-mâché volcano's and…
‘Free Solo’ review — Rock climbing and relationships without a rope
Free Solo follows climber Alex Honnold as he prepares mentally and physically to climb a 3,000-foot rock wall... without a rope. Free Solo is about obsession. The subject at the center of the film, Alex Honnold, is obsessed with free soloing, a sport where a climber traverses a mountain without any ropes or harnesses. Just their…
The Beguiled review — A darkly funny southern gothic tale
The 1971 southern gothic tale The Beguiled has been reimagined with a sharp, witty tone that delivers some darkly funny laughs. Some of the greatest facets of a southern gothic tale — equivocal gender roles, a decaying setting, social alienation — all appear in both adaptations of Thomas P. Cullinan’s novel A Painted Devil, renamed The Beguiled.…
Golden Globe Predictions 2017 – Film
The Golden Globes are the first major stop on the way to the Oscars. While the winner here aren't exactly predictive, many consider speeches their Oscar auditions. Here are our predictions for the 2017 Golden Globes! Check out our 2017 Oscar Predictions! Best Motion Picture, Drama Nominees: Hacksaw Ridge Hell or High Water Lion Manchester…