The review was originally published as part of my coverage of Fantasia 2022 A time traveller from the future tries to make the world a better place in Relax, I’m From the Future. Casper (Rhys Darby) is a man from an unspecified time in the future who arrives in the present day and sets forth…
A New Yorker sneaks into the Vietnam War to deliver beers to his friends in The Greatest Beer Run Ever. John “Chickie” Donohue (Zac Efron) is a Marine Corps veteran and merchant seaman in 1967 Inwood, New York. While Chickie’s out drinking with friends, barkeep The Colonel (Bill Murray) expresses disgust at anti-Vietnam demonstrations in…
Two lifelong friends inexplicably begin feuding in The Banshees of Inisherin. In 1923, on the island of Inisherin, just off Ireland’s west coast, Pádraic (Collin Farrell) visits the home of his best friend Colm (Brendan Gleeson) for their daily trip to the pub. However, Pádraic is shocked to find Colm ignoring him and is later…
Full Disclosure: I’m friends with director Ry Levey and contributed to this film’s crowdfunding campaign The history of LGBTQIA+ representation in pro wrestling is explored in Out in the Ring. It can be argued that there has always been a homoerotic element to the world of professional wrestling. However, queer representation in sports entertainment has…
Lin-Manuel Miranda directs this film adaptation of the autobiographical musical by Jonathan Larson with tick, tick…BOOM! Jonathan Larson (Andrew Garfield) is a struggling musical theatre writer on the cusp on his 30th birthday, who has been developing the dystopian sci-fi rock musical Superbia for the past eight years. Jon has finally been given the chance…
A woman begins living out of her van after the loss of her job and husband in Nomadland. Following the 2011 closure of the US Gypsum plant in Empire, Nevada, along with the death of her husband, Fern (Frances McDormand) decides to adopt the nomad lifestyle, which includes living out of her van and driving cross-country…
A couple’s romantic getaway is disrupted the arrival of an older couple in The Beach House. Randal (Noah Le Gros) arrives with his girlfriend Emily (Liana Liberato) at his family’s beachfront property to reconnect with each other. However, it isn’t long until they discover that the house is also being occupied by Mitch (Jake Weber)…
This month I delve into the Canadian tax shelter era with the 1977 wilderness survival/horror film Rituals. Harry (Hal Holbrook), Mitzi (Lawrence Dane), Martin (Robin Gammell), Abel (Ken James), and D.J. (Gary Reineke) are five doctor friends, who go for a camping trip in an isolated stretch of wilderness. After the first night, the the men’s…
A 90 year old atheist navy veteran contemplates his mortality in Lucky. Living in a small town in the California desert, Lucky (Harry Dean Stanton) has a very specific daily routine, which includes doing the crossword at the local diner run or conversing with his friends at the bar. However, one day Lucky’s routine is…
This review was originally published as part of my coverage of Fantasia Fest 2015 A young women undergoes a horrifying transformation in the body horror film Bite. Shortly before her wedding to her fiance Jared (Jordan Gray), Casey (Elma Begovic) goes on a bachelorette holiday to Costa Rica with her friends Jill (Annette Wozniak) and Kirsten (Denise Yuen)….
