Tag: U.S. Indie Film
Small Apartments | Review
Neighboring Groans: Akerland’s Tone Deaf Latest Cranks Manic Quirk
Swedish filmmaker Jonas Akerlund returns with his third feature, Small Apartments, based on a novel by...
Almost In Love | Review
Almost Interesting: Sam Neave’s Latest Technically Impressive, Dramatically Impotent
Coasting along on a matter of style over substance is Sam Neave’s latest film, Almost In...
The Power of Few | Review
Meaningless Affect: Marucci’s Interactive Film Project a Dreadful Observation of Social Awareness
Moments into Leone Marucci’s incomprehensibly obnoxious new film, The Power of Few should...
Keep the Lights On | Blu-ray Review
With his latest, director Ira Sachs provides further proof of his narrative proficiency while delving into the most personal aspects of his previous long...
The Playroom | Review
Played Out: Dyer’s Sophomore Feature Overly Familiar and Underwhelming
Director Julia Dyer, again teaming with screenwriter sister Gretchen, mount their first project since their successfully...
A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III | Review
Relapse/Recovery: Sheen’s Demure Turn Wallows In Coppola’s Schizophrenic Film Gesture
Fans of Joseph Losey’s 1966 failed experiment, Modesty Blaise, (of which there are quite a...
Upstream Color | Sundance 2013 Review
Carruth's Vexing Symphony of Imposted Phantom Memories
It's been a long eight year's since the superb time traveling Pandora's box that was Primer took home...
2013 Slamdance: Between Us | Review
Bring Me the Head of Virginia Wolff: Mirvish Scores With Acidic Marital Strifer
Director Dan Mirvish, co-founder of the Slamdance Film Festival (and perhaps more...
LUV | Review
LUV is the Drug: Candis' Debut an Ensemble to "Like"
When one thinks of representations of Baltimore in cinema, it’s easy to default to John...
Exclusive Clip: Opening Minutes to Destin Cretton’s I Am Not A Hipster
Destin Cretton's wonderful fictional feature debut, I Am Not A Hipster, just got released across multiple platforms, from several different VOD services to Blu-ray...
I Am Not A Hipster | Blu-ray Review
Following up his award winning short, Short Term 12, writer/director Destin Daniel Cretton returned to Sundance the following year with another personal reflection, this...
Compliance | DVD Review
Inciting both outrage from audience members and an outpouring of critical praise at Sundance last year, Craig Zobel's Compliance is an audacious and shocking...
Criterion Collection: Following | DVD Review
Over the last decade, Christopher Nolan has established himself as one of the most noteworthy mainstream directors working in the industry, mostly due to...
Liberal Arts | Blu-ray Review
In Josh Radnor's charming sophomore feature, Liberal Arts, the actor/director/writer recognizes that many adult males in their mid-thirties glide through their lives half awake,...
Sleepwalk With Me | Blu-ray Review
Marking a potentially monumental pivot point in his already eclectic career, stand-up comedian turned actor/director/producer/screenwriter Mike Birbiglia has taken his personal tale of failed...
V/H/S | DVD Review
Brad Miska, who runs bloody-disgusting.com, sees his fair share of horror successes and failures. It's pretty safe to say that he knows what works...
Interview: Victoria Mahoney & Zoe Kravitz (Yelling to the Sky)
‘I think a lot of people miss that life is crazy and rugged and messy,’ writer/director Victoria Mahoney said when talking about her new...
Yelling to the Sky | Review
Shout It Out: Mahoney’s Debut an Uneasy Mix of Style Over Substance
It’s not quite accurate to call Victoria Mahoney’s directorial and screenwriting debut, Yelling...
Searching for Grace: Tribeca Film & Focus World Pact on ‘Greetings from Tim Buckley’
Blame a 2012 Toronto Int. Film Fest edition that was simply too stuffed to the gills to present the film at a better venue...
In Our Nature | Review
Forces of Nurture: Savelson’s Debut an Understated Ensemble of Well Tread Angst
For his feature film debut, Brian Savelson has acquired an impressive four person...
California Solo | Review
California Dreamin’: Lewy Taps Carlyle for Understated Character Study
For his sophomore feature, director Marshall Lewy brings Robert Carlyle back to the big screen for...
Hitchcock | Review
Hitch Hunch: Gervasi’s Superficial Biopic a Wan Trifle
Auteur theory is at last informing the very subject matter of our cinema, it seems, with Sacha...
Price Check | Review
Not the Bargain It Appears To Be
Price Check, director Michael Walker’s sophomore feature, coming twelve years after his 2000 debut, Chasing Sleep is a...
In the Family | Review
Ties That Bind: Wang’s Debut a Cinematic Knockout
Every so often, unpredictably, a film comes out of nowhere, with no pomp or circumstance, heralding a...
Natural Selection | Blu-ray Review
Natural Selection, Robbie Pickering's raw exploration of bible belt secrecy, proves to be an impressive debut for the Texas born director. Taking home a...
The International Sign For Choking | AFI Fest 2012 Review
Heimlech Gesture: Weintraub’s Noxious Nostalgia an Exercise in Distraction
Angst and privilege intersect in The International Sign For Choking, a tale of aimless abandon directed...
Electrick Children | AFI Fest 2012 Review
Turn Me On With Your Electric Feel: Thomas’ Debut Not So Immaculate
For her film debut, Rebecca Thomas exploits the mostly socially sanctioned and acceptable...
Savoca Becomes a Disciple on “Secret Magdalene”
AFM 2012: Not quite Darren Aronofsky's Noah in scope, but after mounting a career comeback with the TIFF preemed, critically appreciated Union Square, THR...
Festival of Lights | Review
Lights Out: Prasad’s Feature Debut a Messy, Stagnant Immigration Drama
Previously working as a documentary filmmaker, director Shundell Prasad makes her fiction feature debut with...
The Bay | Review
Bay Day: Levinson Mines Horror Genre to Surprising Effect
In what may be one of the year’s most curious entries in the horror genre, The...
Vamps | Review
Girls Just Wanna Have Blood: Heckerling’s Vampire Comedy a Light Bite
Director Amy Heckerling reunites with her Clueless (1995) star for a female vampire buddy...
The Loneliest Planet | Review
Two lovers hiking -- Oh damn did that just happen? -- We'll call it 'Event'
In 1960, Psycho invented the phenomenon of 'hyped secrecy,' which...
Pusher | Review
Push It Real Good: Prieto’s Glossy Facelift of Refn’s Cult Classic an Empty-headed Bauble
Spanish filmmaker Luis Prieto makes his English language debut with a...
The First Time | Review
Feels Like Rehearsed Time: Kasdan Explores First Love For Second Film
Jonathan Kasdan, also a director like brother Jake and father Lawrence, attempts to give...
Poland’s American Film Fest’s US in Progress Wrocław to Showcase Latest from Matt Porterfield and Lance Edmands
Formerly going by the workshop title of Gotham in Progress, Poland's third American Film Festival's US in Progress Wrocław (2 day event) will see...
Seven Psychopaths | Review
Usual Suspects: McDonagh Gives Us a Light Killer Comedy With Latest
Written before his hit film In Bruges (2008), Martin McDonagh has landed with another...
Gayby | Review
A Love By Any Other Name: Lisecki’s Debut a Modest Comedic Gem
Based on his short film of the same name, director Jonathan Lisecki expands...
Middle of Nowhere | Review
The Trap of Love: DuVernay's Follows Up Impressive Debut, with Solid Sophomore Effort
Director Ava DuVernay returns with her sophomore feature, Middle of Nowhere, less...
Interview: Ava DuVernay, David Oyelowo, Emayatzy Corinealdi and Omari Hardwick (Middle of Nowhere)
We sat down with director Ava DuVernay and three of the cast members (David Oyelowo, Emayatzy Corinealdi and Omari Hardwick) from her new film,...
Not Fade Away | Review
Sopranos creator Chase stumbles with 60s coming-of-age rock-n-roll tale
Trading off coming-of-age clichés with band-on-the-rise clichés, ‘Sopranos’ creator David Chase’s 60s-set Not Fade Away follows...
3,2,1…Frankie Goes Boom | Review
Sex, Lies, and Youtube: Roberts’ Sophomore Effort a Sometimes Entertaining Slapstickery
To live, die, and make viral videos in L.A. seems to be the overriding...
Butter | Review
Micallef's Blacklist Script Becomes An Over-churned Satire
A sublime example of uneven tone, characterization, and sensibility, the sophomore feature from Jim Field Smith, Butter, frustratingly...
V/H/S | Review
A Worthwhile Horror Anthology For the Found Footage Generation
We all know it goes without saying that the problem with the anthology or omnibus film...
Janeane from Des Moines | Review
Looking the Part: Faux Docu Addresses Tea Party Politics with Everyday Issues
When it comes to the world of U.S politics, more specifically Republican Party...
To the Wonder | TIFF 2012 Review
Wonder Dunder: Malick’s Visual Poem Prayer a Taxing Free Verse
If you’ve happened to read anything about Terrence Malick’s latest film, To the Wonder, chances...
Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best | Review
Battle of the Blah: O’Nan’s Debut Stale Quirk
Actor Ryan O’Nan makes his screenwriting and feature directorial debut with Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best, which,...
House at the End of the Street | Review
First House on the Right: Tonderai’s B Flick a Better Than Average Throwback
The biggest surprise you’ll have in store for you watching Mark Tonderai’s...
10 Years | Review
Can’t Hardly Wait: An Ensemble of Pretty People All Attend Their High School Reunion in Linden’s Debut
Besides births, weddings, funerals and birthday parties, one...
Hello I Must Be Going | Review
Do You Know Where You’re Going To?: Louiso’s Latest Outing an Engrossing Gem
After his 2009 sophomore feature, The Marc Pease Experience was bamboozled out...
Arbitrage | Review
Margin Kill: This JareckI Went to Wall Street for an Uneven Debut
Arbitrage is defined as “the simultaneous purchase and sale of the same securities,...
