Ron Wilkinson It is entirely possible that writer/directors Manu Luksch, Martin Reinhart and Thomas Tode (Martin Reinhart also credited as writer) did not know what they were getting into when they embarked upon this archival journey into the technical advances that have become life. This collection of hundreds, if not thousands, of film clips from Germany, America,
A deceptively simple stop-action movie that packs a fantastic punch. Although the medium will surprise many viewers, its use, combined with the presence of only three voices, focuses the viewer on the message. The exaggerated mechanical motion of the stop action accentuates the stultified gear train that Stone goes through during most of the twenty
Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones, The Tudors TV series) does most of the heavy lifting as Sara. In the opening scenes Sara’s sister Jess is having a tough time in a remote area of Japan’s forest at the base of Mt. Fuji. This is not hard to believe since the forest has been nicknamed the
Baron Munchausen meets Liver Eating Johnson in this silly but entertaining sage of survival and revenge. Following up his Oscar powerhouse “Birdman” with this rough and ready thriller seems like a non sequitur for director Alejandro Iñárritu. The film has been in the works for about fifteen years and the project had already burned through
A poignant story of a traditional, peaceful and productive way of live ripped apart by drugs and politicians. Directors Bill and Turner Ross take us into hearts and minds of the people of Eagle Pass, Texas and Piedras Negras, Mexico. Celebrating centuries of living together, dealing with each other, loving and aggravating each other, the
No wonder Mom never spoke with her parents. Night Shyamalan unleashes another one on a gleeful public with this psycho-horror movie about a suitably dysfunctional family. Becca and Tyler (Olivia DeJonge and Ed Oxenbould) traipse off into rural Pennsylvania to visit Nana and Pop Pop (Deanna Dunagan and Peter McRobbie) on their farm. The grandparents
When thing go wrong at home, they really go wrong. Co-writers/directors Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala put together a traditional but high quality horror flick in this tale of lethal mother-son conflict. A mostly silent soundtrack lets the great acting and screenplay tell the story. This puts pressure on the actors, especially the young ones,
An expose’ that rises above finger pointing to create a masterpiece of tension and suspense. A multiple prize-winner at the 2014 Locarno Film Festival, Yury Bykov’s movie is a profound tragedy. Opening with a no holds barred look inside a dilapidated Russian state-owned apartment building that houses the poor, the desperate and the despaired in
A light duty and passably entertaining exposition by Ben Kingsley and Patricia Clarkson. Director Isabel Coixet’s meet cute vehicle for Ben Kingsley and Patricia Clarkson turns out to be a compact instead of a full sized car. The screenplay by Sarah Kernochan and Katha Pollitt walks rather than runs through the whirlwind behind the wheel
Although there is not time to tell the whole story, this is a powerful film with a lot of lessons, none of them easy. Directed, written and produced by Stanley Nelson, this riveting documentary takes the viewer inside the closed doors of the Panthers as well as the FBI and local law enforcement agencies. This