Film

LOTS O’ LOVERBOYS Eight – count ‘em – eight short films are grouped together for If You Wanna Be My Loverboy, one of several packages in the NewFest offerings of themed sets. Each set will be screened only once, with virtual showings through October 21. This collection, at NYC’s School for Visual Arts on October…

AN “OUT OF THIS WORLD” ADVENTURE IN THE CARTOONIVERSE Some time ago, in a galaxy far, far away (one that’s pointedly pronounced GAY-laxy in this case), there lived a lesbian princess prone to crying floods of tears and full of fears. It didn’t help her low self-esteem that her girlfriend, Kiki, suddenly broke up with…

SHORT, NOT ALWAYS SWEET: SOMETHING FOR ALMOST EVERYONE Two Black Boys in Paradise starts with its titular twosome in a boat, going gently down the stream, merrily. They’re naked; it’s full-frontal nudity for these thin fellows and later in the film there is a sweet, discreet but definite moment when they get into positions for…

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CARL BEAN Directors Daniel Junge and Sam Pollard have given the world a much needed uplift in the guise of their fascinating new documentary on the life of Archbishop Carl Bean named, I Was Born This Way. But why is the title reminiscent of Lady Gaga’s mega-hit, “Born This Way?” Because…

Adolescence and added adversity, with heart in the hardships As a film title, a quote from a poem, a line of dialogue, a life philosophy, or even a song lyric, If You Are Afraid You Put Your Heart in Your Mouth and Smile is quite a mouthful. And it’s actually ALL the aforementioned things. Working…

THE BUTLER DOES IT How would you describe the qualities of an ideal butler? He is discreet, dedicated, calm, controlled, self-effacing, efficient — someone who’s ready, willing, and able to humbly respond to the employer’s every need, from serving tea to maybe serving as a confidant. In the charming film Mr. Blake at Your Service…

AN OPERA HAUNTED BY THE PRESENT I’m not here to teach a music history class, but a little background goes a long way when it comes to Ai Weiwei’s Turandot, especially if opera isn’t your thing or if you are new to the work of artist and activist Ai Weiwei (pronounced “eye way-way”). That said,…

Amidst the terror of the Holocaust, could Bau: Artist at War actually be the feel-good movie of the year? I attended the world-premiere screening of Bau: Artist at War on Sunday—and I feel compelled to share it with you. Directed by Sean McNamara and written by Deborah Smerecnik, Ron Bass, and Sonia Kifferstein (with Joseph…

HIGH SCHOOL HIGHS, AND LOWS AND WOES If you didn’t already learn or experience that the social elements of going to high school can be hell – with the insecurity of trying for maturity, the cliques of cool kids, the miseries of misfits, being bullied, and purposefully pursuing popularity –  the movies are here to…

ORANGE SKIES, BRIGHT HEARTS: AN ANTHOLOGY OF SUMMER, STRUGGLE, AND JOY ON GREEN LAKE I have found the antidote to the world as it exists right now. It’s director/writer Sierra Falconer’s debut film, Sunfish (and Other Stories on Green Lake), a beautiful, gentle, slice-of-life collection of four stories, connected only by the Northern Michigan lake…

THE DEPORTATION SITUATION Perhaps more timely than ever, considering the daily reports of ICE agents removing the undocumented people among us, and attacks on them of the verbal variety, The Compatriots is an independent film that puts one specific human face on their plight. In writer/director/co-producer Spencer Cohen’s first full-length feature, the fear factor and…

SHEDDING LIGHT ON A SAVIOR AND HUMAN BEHAVIOR It’s coming to digital platforms on September 15, but the 2023 film Brave the Dark is not recommended…unless you’re willing to be inspired, to have your faith in humanity restored, and to give up your membership in the J.P.S. (Jaded Pessimists Society) when faced with the evidence…

A POST-COVID AMERICAN FABLE Children run through darkness with their arms spread wide, security cameras recording their strange exodus from suburban bedrooms. They move with purpose toward something unseen, almost like a game of make-believe that’s gotten out of hand. By morning, an entire classroom has vanished, leaving behind parents who scream at anyone within…