Shannon Page
Wylie Writes’ 2021 Mid-Year Report
As we slowly, yet optimistically, rise up through the COVID-19 pandemic and take each day as they come, it’s hard not to suppress our anticipation for theatre re-openings and the current drive-in season. While movie releases seem like small potatoes when compared to the overall economy, it’s been really interesting watching the film industry rearrange titles to gauge at-home audiences, while also preparing for a gradual, blossoming theatrical experience.
Drifting Snow
Written and directed by Ryan Noth (No Heart Feelings), Drifting Snow depicts a rural Ontario winter in all its frozen glory. But, tangled timelines and poor pacing hinder what could otherwise be a compelling drama.
Eat Wheaties!
For the sake of transparency, I want to start by making it clear that I am not the ideal audience for this film. While Eat Wheaties! may aspire to being a humorous commentary on popular culture and the cult of celebrity, I found the social critique rather thin. In the end, Eat Wheaties! came a bit too close to making light of stalking and harassment for my taste. There are plenty of people out there who…
Tiny Tim: King for a Day
Directed by Johan von Sydow, Tiny Tim: King for a Day is the story of Herbert Khaury. A social outcast from childhood, Khaury grows up to become Tiny Tim, one of the most unexpected and unusual pop stars of the 1960s. With long hair, a falsetto voice, and a ukulele, Tiny Tim was seen by many as a freak for defying social norms. Tiny Tim: King for a Day argues that Tiny Tim’s insistence on…
The Violent Heart
Strong performances and intimate cinematography elevate an otherwise so-so drama in writer/director Kerem Sanga’s The Violent Heart.
Know Fear
Like many horror films, Know Fear begins with a house – a house with a dark past. Shortly after Wendy (Amy Carlson) and Donald (David Alan Basche) move into the house, Wendy begins experiencing strange sensations that overwhelm her. The family learns that Wendy has been possessed by a demon, and the only way to save her is to use a book to enact a ritual that will allow different members of the family to…
Jump, Darling
At a time when drag has made its way into mainstream media (thanks, in no small part, to the Emmy winning reality television show Ru Paul’s Drag Race), Jump, Darling stands as a much-needed antidote to the commodification of an art form that was created by and for queer and trans people. It isn’t a bad thing that straight folks these days know what a death drop is, but at times it does feel as…
Above Suspicion
Directed by Phillip Noyce (Patriot Games, The Bone Collector, Rabbit-Proof Fence), Above Suspicion is a fast-paced thriller based on the true story of a young Kentucky woman, Susan Smith (Emilia Clark), who becomes an up-and-coming FBI agent’s star informant.