Film

KAELSTROM Now available on Film Movement Plus is a documentary that is as deliciously entertaining as the subject: Pauline Kael, mid-century  film critic for The New Yorker magazine (1968-91) and author of 13 books. Using film clips from dozens and dozens of well-known movies to emphasize her points, we hear the words of Kael herself (voiced…

NATIONTIME IS, INDEED, NOW It’s revolutionary, dynamic, riveting, and jaw-droppingly relevant. But this documentary — more like an extended news reel — takes place in 1972 at the National Black Political Convention, in which Black leaders, politicians, activists and artists came together to voice a Black agenda, now that this neglected community has been abandoned…

THE DOCTOR IS IN I suppose it doesn’t sound quite stimulating for a documentary. The subject is a scientific historian and neurologist who made a career of observing people and nature writing about them. He became quite famous later in life, especially when he published, in 1985, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a…

CHERRY TREES AREN’T THE ONLY THING BLOSSOMING IN JAPAN We’ve come a long way since the days when being queer — in the eyes of the media — meant being child molesters, victims of violence, or self-hating drag queens. In the 1970s and 80s, gay people became activists, which eventually brought that community into a…

DEEP IN VOGUE NOW PLAYING…AND DANCING Deep in Vogue celebrates the colorful, queer, emotional and political stories of Northern Vogue in Manchester, UK and the black, gay ballrooms of 1980s New York City. The documentary had its UK premiere at BFI Flare and its US premiere at NewFest NYC. Over the course of a year,…

HITTING THE RIGHT NOTES In 30 of the United States, LGBTQ people risk losing employment simply because of who they are. In Mississippi and North Carolina, laws have been passed to strip them of basic human rights. In this seriously divided nation, hatred is endorsed by the present administration. Far from encouraging love of one’s…

PERSUADED JUST ENOUGH Especially in a year like 2020, we can always use Jane Austen to lighten our mood. Now, a modern film re-telling of her Persuasion, starring Alicia Witt, has been picked up by Samuel Goldwyn Films. After so much negativity this year, I was far more capable of handling this low-budget cream puff…

UPCOMING DRAMA MOVIES, 2021 2021 is a big year for film – with huge new titles making their debut, as well as some classic film series adding another gem to their collection, there’s a lot to be excited for. So, get comfy, get your snacks, and get ready to hear the films you should be…

NEW DOCUMENTARY OBAMA DREAM NOW AVAILABLE AT AMAZON PRIME A road trip through the United States that voted the first African-American President into the White House In 2008, Francesco Paravati, a freelance journalist from Italy, followed Barack Obama during his historic and victorious presidential campaign in the United States. The journey starts in Denver and…

HOLLYWOOD HOME MOVIES FROM THE ACADEMY NOW AVAILABLE! Hoo-boy, is this ever fun! Unique home movies from the 30s through the 60s of not just stars but the famous folks behind the camera. This annual event is streaming online for the first time. Whether black and white or in color, these pristine moving pictures curated…

FUNNY IS AS FUNNY DOES The feature-length biography Adam Sandler: Funny Guy is now available on Amazon Prime.Critics may not always love Sandler, but fans sure do. The boy from Brooklyn did not need showbiz connections to become a global superstar. Sandler has left his comedic mark on three decades of stage, screen, and song….

GREAT RONNIE SCOTT Ronnie Scott (1927-96) was the top British tenor-saxophonist of the late 1940s/early ‘50s before Tubby Hayes emerged on the scene, and he was one of the first British beboppers. His big tone and swinging style (influenced a little by Lester Young and Stan Getz) was featured on many fine recordings during the…

CRYPTO IS A DECENT ATTEMPT AT INCLUDING CRYPTOCURRENCIES IN MOVIES One way to gauge the popularity of any new fad, invention or development that has been around for a while is to see how quickly it is picked up by popular culture. Movies and TV shows using them as plot devices are a sure sign…

A MOLE IN ONE Sure to be the sentimental favorite at DOC NYC and regions beyond, The Mole Agent is a bittersweet, comical documentary that, as with any great spy story, has a terrific twist. Director Maite Alberdi puts a cute spin on from the start, where slanted blinds make a noirish presence in the…

RISE OF THE RESISTANCE I relate to the howling anger of performance- and guerilla street- artist David Wojnarowitcz (pronounced voy-nah-ROH-vitch), who died of AIDS on July 22, 1992 at 37. It’s fascinating to notice how pissed off Americans are now, but this new collage-like documentary (opening March 19, 2021 on Kino Marquee) shows how the…

RECON NEEDS A REDO There was something strange about Recon even before I saw it. Why is a film that clearly looks like a studio-budget WWII drama showing up on Fathom Events, the distributor that usually veers far from the world of heroic blockbusters, relying on cable, broadcast and Broadway for most of their showings,…

SAMUEL GOLDWYN FILMS TO RELEASE ROMANTIC COMEDY MODERN PERSUASION ON DECEMBER 18, 2020 Especially in a year like 2020, we can always use Jane Austen to lighten our mood. Now, a modern film re-telling of her Persuasion, starring Alicia Witt, has been picked up by Samuel Goldwyn Films. Wren Cosgrove is a happy, single, and…