By: Trevor Chartrand In the delightfully surreal Death of a Ladies’ Man, director Matt Bissonette addresses some hard-hitting subjects in a mature (yet somehow silly) way. This darkly funny film was heavily influenced and inspired by the work of Leonard Cohen, and the late artist’s presence in the film will not go unnoticed. The film explores themes and ideas present in Cohen’s music, and features a soundtrack that includes plenty of Cohen songs.
Showing different perspectives from the streets of Istanbul, filmmaker Elizabeth Lo explores the day-to-day lifestyle of stray dog Zeytin in Stray. There are brief transitions to other viewpoints provided by fellow pooches or human beings, but Zeytin is certainly the star of the show.
Over the course of its direct-to-video sequels, the Wrong Turn franchise has built an impressive cult following; starting with the fun 2003 original that gave viewers a surprising amount of thrills and kills. But, it also fell back on a genre stereotype that even Wrong Turn fans have deemed rote – mangy country folk will always be portrayed as villains. With 2021’s Wrong Turn, in an attempt to breathe life intro this outdated trope, director Mike…
A Glitch in the Matrix is a documentary about the expressive and opinionated reactions to simulation theory, and the suggestion that our existence may be so trivial compared to a grand existential scheme we happen to be pawns or avatars in. The film is directed by Rodney Ascher, the creative mind behind other out-there docs Room 237 and The Nightmare, and while I wanted to get wrapped up in this interesting subject matter, I was constantly…
Bring Me a Dream annoys me from all angles, but I’m also frustrated because I’m not qualified to criticize its lack of originality. The horror-thriller reminded me that I have never seen a Nightmare on Elm Street movie (aside from Freddy vs. Jason which is more of a collaboration than a standalone film). However, I’m familiar enough with the Freddy Krueger character to see similarities between Krueger and Bring Me a Dream’s derivative boogeyman the Sandman….
Other than his physical appearance, my knowledge on the life and career of Frank Zappa was nil; which is why I was anticipating the documentary Zappa. Because if a filmmaker is going to educate me on the legacy of a prolific musician, it’s documentarian Alex Winter. Recently known for his return as Bill S. Preston Esq. in Bill & Ted Face The Music, music aficionado Winter is also one of the best documentarians currently working…
I Propose We Never See Each Other Again After Tonight has an ungainly title but, luckily, the film’s memorable efforts are more than distracting.
By: Trevor Chartrand Based on a short film of the same name, The Climb was written and performed by Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin. Covino also directed the film, which chronicles the life and times of a dysfunctional friendship over the course of many years. In the film, Kyle (Marvin) and Mike (Covino) are long-time best friends who slowly drift apart – and then back together again – after Mike admits to sleeping with…
By: Trevor Chartrand Director Nathan Grossman takes an observational, fly-on-the wall approach with I Am Greta, a documentary that follows climate-change obsessed Swedish teen Greta Thunberg on her quest to raise awareness for the climate justice cause. However, much like the politicians who aren’t listening to Greta, the hands-off, reserved filmmaking style fails to become involved enough in the issues to inspire a call to action of any kind.
