Jordan M. Smith

"A film about a group of bawdy broads making a life in a decadent whorehouse could make for tasteless rubbish, but House of Pleasures is a masterful film that takes it's sex laden subject, and shapes it into an unsettling tragedy that examines the companionship of the women, and the messy entrapment of a profession they've committed to."

Anyone who loves classic hand drawn animation surely is familiar with the Japanese giant, Studio Ghibli, and the fat and fluffy Totoro creature that accompanies the title. Hell, at the very least, most Americans have been introduced to Totoro from his cameo appearance in the latest iteration of Toy Story.

"Nourizadeh's debut is an over the top film full of 'HOLY SHIT' moments that don't elevate the material, but makes for an entertaining ride nonetheless. Despite its ridiculousness, it continuously surprises while telling a story of three friends' rise in popularity over the course of a single weekend through the destruction of one boy's neighborhood."

The Party Don't Stop 'Til We Burn This Mutha Down

"The conundrum of not wanting to die while desperately wanting the pain to be over is a hard idea to wrestle with, but thanks to the unimaginable courage of Cody and many others, this contemplation is thoroughly explored with a lucid perspective and a humane handle on what it means to deal with a terminal illness with the option to opt out."