Category Archives: New Releases

Body Cam: Horror with a Conscience

Posted on May 20, 2020 by admin

All horror movies deal with social issues on some level, but few are as obstinate about it as Body Cam. Starring Mary J. Blige and Nat Wolff, the Paramount feature opened on streaming platforms May 19. Zeroing in on police … Continue reading →

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Making the case for The Dalai Lama—Scientist

Posted on May 12, 2020 by admin

Dense with ideas, The Dalai Lama—Scientist wants to show that Buddhism is not just compatible with science, but has actually predicted advances in quantum physics, neurology, and other fields. It also serves as a quick biography of the current Dalai … Continue reading →

Posted in Documentary, New Releases, Nonfiction | Leave a comment

Review: Around the Sun plays with narrative

Posted on April 13, 2020 by admin

Two people who meet outside a Normandy chateau play out several versions of their encounter in this accomplished, involving miniature. Around the Sun unfolds like the answer to an exam question: Make a viable drama with a microbudget, one location … Continue reading →

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Review: Chess as a means of escape in Critical Thinking

Posted on April 13, 2020 by admin

Modest but effective drama with a worthy message from director and actor John Leguizamo. Set in Miami in 1998, Critical Thinking tells the true story of underprivileged high school students who beat the odds to win a national chess tournament. … Continue reading →

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Review: Inflamed passions in Draupadi Unleashed

Posted on April 13, 2020 by admin

An ambitious romance set in the waning years of the British Raj, Draupadi Unleashed screened at the 2019 New York Indian Film Festival before heading to Cannes. Distributor Hello Desi planned to open the film in six cities on March … Continue reading →

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A hit-and-run accident has devastating consequences: Human Capital review

Posted on March 26, 2020 by admin

Bicycling home from work at a fundraising dinner, a waiter (Dominic Colón) is struck by a car on a dark stretch of road. That’s the springboard for an ambitious drama from Marc Meyers, director of This Is Dahmer. Based on … Continue reading →

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Review: Searching for answers in Family Obligations

Posted on February 19, 2020 by admin

A sudden loss forces an outsider to rethink his priorities in Family Obligations, a well-meaning but flawed drama now streaming after festival screenings. Written and directed by Kenneth R. Frank, the movie doesn’t always overcome its bare-bones budget and technical … Continue reading →

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Donnie Yen stars in Enter the Fat Dragon

Posted on February 11, 2020 by admin

Borrowing the title, if little else, from a 1987 Sammo Hung comedy, Enter the Fat Dragon coasts on the charm and skill of action star Donnie Yen. He plays Fallon Zhu, a Hong Kong cop on the outs after a … Continue reading →

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Review: Blake Lively turns assassin in The Rhythm Section

Posted on January 30, 2020 by admin

Star of a series of novels by Mark Burnell, Stephanie Patrick is a drug-addicted prostitute in Britain who transforms herself into an international assassin to avenge her family, victims of a terrorist bomb. In The Rhythm Section, she’s forced to … Continue reading →

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Ashfall review: Disaster in Korea

Posted on January 20, 2020 by admin

While Parasite racks up awards, at the other end of the Korean film industry is Ashfall, a disaster epic filled with stars, action and special effects. Aimed squarely at mainstream viewers, it’s a fun if not completely successful knockoff of … Continue reading →

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