Bokeh: Characters You Won’t Care About
The concept behind Bokeh is interesting enough. A young couple sets out to see the world and heads to Iceland to take in its beauty. Something happens (Northern Lights go bonkers?) and…
Author Derek Deskins
Derek Deskins
Derek was the only engineer at Northeastern University taking a class on German film and turning a sociology research paper into an examination of Scorsese’s work. Now in Austin, TX, he blatantly abuses his Netflix account on the reg, although his List mocks him as it proudly sits healthily above 200. He continues to fight the stigma that being good at math means you are not any no good at writing. I good write, very much.
SXSW: DRIB: Part Fact, Part Fiction, All Meh
When DRIB first gets going, it is a fairly standard documentary. There is the talking head interview, a knowing narration, and a smattering of news clips. It fits its mold well, offering little in the way of surprises and that seems to be director…
SXSW: Free Fire: All Guns and No Brain
Walking in to see Free Fire, all signs pointed to this being a movie that I could really sink my teeth into. It features a loaded cast, a 70s setting, the promise of copious amounts of gunplay, and the mind of Ben Wheatley. Say what you will about…
SXSW: Atomic Blonde: Mood, Mystery, & Exhilarating Action
It took about five minutes after the release of the first Atomic Blonde trailer for the John Wick comparisons to start. Sure, it makes complete sense, David Leitch was one half of the John Wick directorial team and the trailer featured…
SXSW: Small Town Crime: Tight, Wry Punch to the Face
John Hawkes is one of those familiar faces, so often popping up in a supporting role, like in Winter’s Bone or Martha Marcy May Marlene, and regardless of the amount of screen time he is granted, absolutely slays. He’s the kind of actor that…
SXSW: The Honor Farm: Familiar and Immature
We, the audience, have an agreement in place with filmmakers when it comes to thrillers, horrors, and the like: we’ll take your build up, if you deliver a payoff. We are content to sit in mystery, to have plot points and little beats piled on top of us, because deep down…
SXSW: Song to Song: Beautifully Masturbatory
When it comes to Terrence Malick there are those that love his work and then there are those that don’t really get it. Admittedly, I firmly fall into the latter camp. For those people that seek out Malick’s work, that gobble up his special brand…
SXSW: Prevenge: Revenge Served with a Dark Wit
Most of the time when you say “pregnancy” and “horror” in the same sentence, you’re usually talking about something either pre-pregnancy or post-pregnancy. We’ve had plenty of films featuring demonic children or satanic conception, placing the impetus of the fear…
Headshot: All Blood and No Plot
It took me about 40 minutes to give up on Headshot being anything approaching what you could call a “complete film.” That isn’t to say that it isn’t enjoyable. For those looking for violence, decently executed fights in the hands of skilled fighters, and orifices from which to bleed…
SXSW: I Am the Blues: More Time Capsule Than Film
At one point in Daniel Cross’ I Am the Blues one of the many musicians is casually reminiscing on what music has meant to him. Just as he wraps up his tale, he looks up at the camera and casually mumbles, “There’s always a story behind the song.” That one quote is probably the best summary of the entire…