By: Addison Wylie You’ve got to hand it to Josh Lawson. He quickly informs movie goers of his invisible boundaries in his dark comedy The Little Death. There’s no second guessing. The problem is he sets the tone with a sour scene starring a belle, her beau, and her rape fantasy proposal. The Little Death prominently displays sexual fetishes – some you’ve heard of, some you haven’t heard of, some you wish you never heard of…
By: Addison Wylie I didn’t think it was possible for a film to be spoofed, and then be turned back into the po-faced material the parody was making fun of – then, I saw Fifty Shades of Grey. The movie feels like someone picking up the pieces to a dated romance, and trying to glue them back together to make something even more manipulative. Sam Taylor-Johnson’s film is so misinformed and shallow, you would think the filmmaker was making…
By: Addison Wylie A familiar rule of thumb states that one should stick to what they know. Comedian Adam Carolla has used that guidance to establish his filmmaking career. It’s how he created some big laughs with his cathartic comedy Road Hard, a film featuring Carolla playing a cranky stand-up comic. Fans of the Aceman know that Carolla is also quite knowledgable about cars, racing, and the days of classic Hollywood. It makes complete and…
By: Addison Wylie There have been so many recent films catered to the foodie crowd, you expect Erik Greenberg Anjou’s Deli Man to do the same. Luckily for audiences wanting something new, this love letter to Jewish delicatessen is more focused on the history behind the food. The film coheres to the logic of its main subject Ziggy Gruber (owner of Houston, Texas’ hot spot Kenny and Ziggy’s), and agrees there’s more to a delicious…
By: Addison Wylie Porch Stories has a good eye and ear for the city; most notably Toronto, Ontario. After a parade disperses, the sidewalks are lined with kids hanging out with friends and families enjoying the nice weather. In the distance, we can almost make out whirring white noise of busy cars and streetlights. Sarah Goodman’s film is black-and-white, and I’m unsure why she signed off on this artistic decision. On the one hand, she…
By: Addison Wylie Wrong Cops is from the mind of writer/director Quentin Dupieux, who found love from Midnight Madness audiences with his films Rubber and Wrong. That same crowd may find themselves straining through forced smiles when they set eyes on Wrong Cops. Wrong Cops is the type of film you shoot during breaks on the sets of music videos. I guess instead of taking advantage of his per diem and down time, Dupieux rounded…
By: Addison Wylie It goes without saying that Christian Dior makes deluxe products for an elite clientile, and it doesn’t take a genius to see their elegance at first glance. I suppose this is why some were struck with bewildered awe when minimalist designer Raf Simons was asked to take the role as artistic director for Dior’s Haute Couture collection. Simons, a proper and modest visionary according to Frédéric Tcheng’s documenatry, never takes the opportunity for granted, and is able…
By: Addison Wylie If Hot Tub Time Machine caught lightning in a bottle, Hot Tub Time Machine 2 begs the sky for another bolt. Steve Pink’s predecessor doesn’t nearly get enough credit. Hot Tub Time Machine has a niche, but rarely does it receive the recognition it deserves for going beyond the call of duty. The film could’ve been just another R-rated comedy filled with perverse shock, but Pink’s production decided to reach higher and use…
By: Trevor Jeffery In Some Kind of Love, the filmmaker makes a sloppy observation that his family is emotionally distant from each other, and he presumes that this is interesting and unique enough for an audience. Filmmaker Thomas Burstyn travels to London to document his aunt Yolanda Sonnabend, a 77-year-old hoarding, shut-in painter. When he arrives, he finds his uncle (renowned AIDS researcher Dr. Joseph Sonnabend) living with her and caring for her. Burstyn turns the…
By: Shannon Page Hunting Elephants certainly won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. There are a few laughs sprinkled throughout, but don’t go into this film expecting a passive movie going experience. The film boasts an impressive international cast that includes Iraqi-born actor Sasson Gabai (who audiences may recognize, or not, from his role in 1988’s Rambo III), Moni Moshonov of Israel, as well as the incomparable Patrick Stewart as a struggling English actor looking for…