Featured
INTERVIEW: Mati Diop, director of “Atlantics”
The Arab Spring events of 2011 got filmmaker Mati Diop thinking: What if that search for a better life were told from the viewpoint of a teenage girl in Senegal who stayed behind as her sweetheart crossed the seas in search of new opportunity?
“We could say the film is following the ‘spring’ of a young woman in terms of the season from… dark to light, and it’s like an openness blooming,” said Diop. more >
NEWS
TALKING WITH Victoria Stone and Mark Deeble, co-filmmakers of “The Elephant Queen”
When making a documentary out in nature, sometimes the story will find the filmmakers along the way. Victoria Stone and Mark Deeble spent four years solidly with a small team on ... more >
IN CONVERSATION with THE LAUNDROMAT’S Scott Z. Burns and Jake Bernstein
The scandal surrounding the revelations contained in the Panama Papers is labyrinthine. So complex, in fact, that Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Jake Bernstein ... more >
OPINION – Could “Rambo: Last Blood” be any more tone-deaf ?
John Rambo’s “final” adventure is upon us, and (spoiler alert), he rides off into the sunset—no matter that he’s critically injured. Will he be back? Or has the character finally ... more >
THE WEEK IN REVIEW
INTERVIEW: Mati Diop, director of “Atlantics”
The Arab Spring events of 2011 got filmmaker Mati Diop thinking: What if that search for a better life were told from the viewpoint of a teenage girl in Senegal who stayed behind as her ... more >
Putting music to film and film to music, to great effect, “Western Stars”
Bruce Springsteen and Thom Zimny’s “Western Stars” is more than a concert film. Both structurally and musically, this unique cinema experience is an homage to the life and philosophies of ... more >
SHE’S JUST A SHADOW (Japanese manga meets grindhouse? Yes, please)
“Women. No matter how human they seem... they’re just shadows. But on the other hand, aren’t we all?” From the edges of the bizarre and the extremely weird, “She’s Just A Shadow” is truly ... more >
“Dolemite” is his name. Get used to it.
“Dolemite is My Name”, the new film from the immensely-talented Craig Brewer, is a pleasant surprise and certainly one of the most entertaining and emotionally satisfying films I have seen ... more >
Brad Pitt sets off in search of a father in mesmerizing “Ad Astra”
“Ad astra,” the new film by James Gray, is more meditation than story. The title (one half of the latin phrase “per aspera ad astra” or “through hardships to the stars”) is apt given the ... more >
“The Lighthouse,” a mind-bending, psychologically-intense thriller
A devious and creepy psychological film in the horror/thriller genre has made its way into cinemas in the form of Robert Eggers’s second feature, “The Lighthouse.” His first film “The Witch” ... more >
“FIRST LOVE” (this is why I go to the movies!)
A Takashi Miike film. Don’t be afraid. Jump into his cinematic world. While he isn’t always perfect, good or bad, his films hold unique and fascinating wonders for cinephiles. “First ... more >
“Joker,” a morality-defying, two-hour drop down a man’s impaired psyche
I’m always skeptical when a film receives too much hype. With the on-again, off-again quality of American fare, I try not to set my hopes too high, especially when it comes to a film about ... more >
PEOPLE TO WATCH
Born and raised in North London, Christian Tye has already made his mark on Hollywood by producing a short, entitled “Trip’s Duplage” at 22. There’s already some Cannes buzz about the film, which was produced by Tye with Mosaic Media Group. It stars British actress Stephanie Beacham and Spencer Squire. Tye has starred in stage productions and also had a part in Rupert Everett’s 2018 directorial debut “The Happy Prince,” alongside Everett and Colin Firth. He has various projects lined up for 2019, including roles in two major feature films. Not only does Christian excel at acting but also he is an incredible screenwriter, having written several scripts. more >
