Reagan is such a conservatively-made movie that it would almost be pointless to go after the film for its politics. Revered to most as the first conservative president of the United States of America, Ronald Reagan’s presidency was a touchstone of the 80’s and there’s no denying how deep his political influence ran afterwards.
While Sudbury, ON may primarily be known for its mining industry, an arts community is aching to break out. This seems to be common with Canadian working class cities. Perhaps to counter their blue collar reputations, or because there’s a determination to find an outlet for creative voices and stories.
My Penguin Friend hearkens back to animal movies of the 90s – wholesome and cleaned up family flicks where an animal trainer was, off-screen, using all sorts of tricks to make a cuddly pet shake hands with a precocious child actor. My Penguin Friend is wise to use this nostalgia to remind viewers of how likeable and crowd-pleasing these films are; the reminiscing distracts audiences away from the lean film’s shaggier qualities (such as briefly…
Right up until practically the end of the film, Strange Darling features two mysterious characters who are trying to measure each other up.
Close to You is stark with vulnerability, living within the vacuum of anxiety from the personal perspective of a trans man.
Already an established painter whose work had been previously featured as album covers for Genesis, British artist Paul Whitehead decided to expand his portfolio by exploring his own personality. Whitehead’s personal journey led him towards drag, and resulting in the artist developing a transfluid alter ego, Tricia Van Cleef.
The Fabulous Four is a photocopy of a photocopy. If you think I’ve used that criticism before, it’s because I have. However, the filmmakers behind this contrived Floridian comedy had no problem recycling other material, including their own stuff. So, you know what they say – “when in Key West…”
Oddity is a decent horror endeavour where the scares are more memorable than the film itself. This ghost story, about a clairvoyant’s mission to find out the truth behind the death of her sister, is a haunting slow burn that loves to steep itself in atmospheric chills. But also, the production can’t help itself when given the opportunity for shriek-worthy jump scares. Writer/director Damian McCarthy (Caveat) shows plenty of skillful competence for building tension. Even…
Levan Akin’s Crossing doesn’t take long to get going, but it takes a while for it to truly set in. Akin’s film, which he wrote and directed as well as co-edited, is about personal connections. As vague as that sounds, the concept explains itself as more characters intersect with each other.
