Guest post by Jon Vickers. My love affair with the sublime films of Japanese master filmmaker Koreeda Hirokazu (Hirokazu Kore-eda) began more than 25 years ago on March 7, 1997, in the small town of Three Oaks, Michigan. Maborosi had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September of 1995 (where it was… Read more »
Tag: drama films
Dementia and Creating Purpose
Guest post by Dayna Thompson. In the film Robot & Frank, the titular character, who is living with dementia, is forced to take in a “caregiving robot” his children purchase for him. He isn’t happy about it. Frank doesn’t see himself as needing this type of help. He doesn’t want to sit around and be… Read more »
New Americas Cinema presents: Dos Estaciones (2022)
The 2022 winner of the Sundance Film Festival’s special jury award, Dos Estaciones follows 50-year-old businesswoman María García (a magnetic Teresa Sánchez) as she struggles to keep alive her family’s once-thriving tequila factory. An intimate portrait of the emotional and physical toll a person can experience as they strive to hang onto their business and… Read more »
“Ancient Grudge to New Mutiny”: How Romeo and Juliet (1968) and Romeo + Juliet (1996) Create Cinematic Adaptations of a Classic Text
One of the many things that is fascinating to me about cinema is what happens when artists tell the same story in different ways. I love how they make bold choices when adapting a work of art which causes it to feel original and fresh, while at the same time honoring the qualities which made… Read more »
New Americas Cinema presents: Tahara (2020)
At the funeral of a classmate who committed suicide, two best friends share an innocent kiss that quickly spirals into questioning identities, sexual awakenings, awkward encounters, and so much more. In the words of The Killers, “It started out with a kiss, how did it end up like this?” Featuring rising star Rachel Sennott (Shiva… Read more »
Physical Media Isn’t Dead, It Just Smells Funny: Peekarama, Kino Lorber, Vinegar Syndrome, and Fun City Editions Blu-ray Reviews for August 2022
Full transparency: all Blu-rays reviewed were provided by Peekarama, Vinegar Syndrome, Fun City Editions, and Kino Lorber. We have what I would call a pandering line-up of titles for this half of the month’s Blu-ray reviews. Who’s it pandering to? WHY, ME, OF COURSE. What I mean is that all four films I will… Read more »