Alex Garland’s directorial debut doesn’t feel at all as though it is set many years into the future. Instead, its story about a fully functioning A.I. being feels like it could take place right now. Ex Machina basically boils down to Oscar Isaac and Domhall Gleeson butting heads for 100 minutes, but it is one of the most…
Everything Ghibli takes the form of a traditional Japanese fairytale in Isao Takahata’s new feature. Dazzling audiences with sumptuous visuals and enchanting fantasy, it’s all Studio Ghibli has owed as its global success to in a nutshell. Viewers of all ages will be drawn in by the stunning animation styles and unique way of storytelling, but as always there’s plenty more under the surface for those more discerning …
Stigma is a fickle beast. It causes us to shut down, to level assumptions instead of searching for knowledge. When you say BDSM it conjures images of ropes, whips, handcuffs, and pain. No matter what your friend’s mom has to say about how much she enjoyed 50 Shades of Grey, my bet…
America is synonymous with free speech or at least that’s the branding it purports. For most of my life, it’s hard for me to recall an amendment more oft cited than the first. Sure, with the ever-present right wing agenda this has lately been shifting to good ole number two, but I think…
Every sane person knows that the Apollo 13 moon landing was faked with the assistance of Stanley Kubrick. Heck, he practically confessed it in The Shining. Validity of such wacky conspiracy theories aside, the scenarios are just begging for a film adaptation. Looking back, it’s surprising how nobody…
The World of Kanako is a cinematic experience unlike any I’ve ever had before. For long periods I wanted to run out. Director Tetsuya Nakashima has committed to film a twisted, ugly, and mean-spirited world. It is populated by the worst people imaginable, yet shown…
Hamid Hamoun, an unsettled member of the Iranian middle-class, works as a salesman by day and an aspiring writer at night. After an alarming and ambiguous dream sequence, Hamoun opens with the title character bunkered up in a barren apartment, clothes, dishes, and his PhD materials strewn about. From the outset, Hamoun is noticeably flustered: he wakes from a dream involving a devilish figure and a ….
Some of the best horror/thriller films start with a plausible premise. When a filmmaker takes an every day situation we can all relate to, that has the workings of a classic that that genre lovers will re-visit many times. The Invitation is set during a lavish dinner party and the hosts dance a fine line between creepy and hospitable.
Documentaries can be a tricky pony to lasso, but the assured vision and riveting filmmaking on display in Barge gives the impression that Ben Powell has spent many years making them when the truth of the matter is he only is credited as directing two other documentary shorts prior to this stellar 75-minute film. Tightly assembled and bursting at the seams with intrigue, Powell’s cameras capture 28 days on …
Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart are giants in the entertainment industry. Both performers have an immeasurable fan base and in their careers have delivered much laughter and happiness. It’s an odd choice that they agreed to work on a project that involves the lowest, most primitive forms of comedy: homophobic jokes and racism. Get Hard is a mixed bag because it does contain sporadic moments of …