Focus on Film & Television Reviews and writings about these subjects. As well as Pop Culture at times. With a bit of an edge and some color
Written & Directed By: Pedro Almodovar
Based on the Short Story “The Long Leave” by: Dorothy Parker
Cinematography By: Alfonso Beato
Editor: Jose Salcedo
Cast: Marisa Parades, Rossy De Palma, Manulea Vragas
Leo Macias writes sentimental novels with great success but hidden under a pseudonym, Amanda Gris. She is unhappy with her professional life and with her husband, a soldier working in Brussels and Bosnia that is never at home. She will try anything to change her life.
Written & Directed By: Faith Akin
Based on the Novel By: Heniz Struck
Cinematography: Rainer Klaussmann
Editor: Andrew Bird & Franziska Schmidt-Karner
Cast: Jonas Dassler, Margarete Tiesel, Adam Bousdoukos, Katja Studt, Marc Bosemann
A serial killer strikes fear in the hearts of residents of Hamburg during the early 1970s.
Directed By: Jeff Baena
Written By: Jeff Baena & Alison Brie
Cinematography: Sean McElwee
Editor: Ryan Brown
Cast: Alison Brie, Molly Shannon, John Ortiz, Debby Ryan, Toby Huss, Angela Trimbur, Paul Reiser, Aaron Stanford, Robin Tunney, Matthew Gray Gubler, Dylan Gelula, John Reynolds, David Paymer, Jay Duplass
Sarah, a socially isolated arts and crafts store employee, finds herself more content in the company of horses and supernatural crime shows than people. But when a series of strangely surreal dreams upend the simplicity of her waking life, Sarah struggles to distinguish her visions from reality. A darkly humorous psychological thriller about a woman’s search for the truth, however abstract it may be.
Directed By: Robert San Sebastian
Written By: Guillermo Guerrero
Cinematography: Adrian Hernandez
Editor: Ibon Belandia
Cast: Javier Bodalo, Miriam Martin, Victor Amilibia
In this horror-comedy, at a New Year’s Eve party, Nico, a naive twenty year old, sets out ready to lose his virginity at all costs that same night. In the middle of the party, his gaze crosses Medea, a cunning and attractive mature woman.
Directed By: Joachim Ronning & Espen Sandberg
Written By: Luc Besson & Robert Mark Kamen
Cinematography By: Thierry Arbogast
Editor: Frederic Thoraval
Cast: Penelope Cruz, Salma Hayek, Steve Zahn, Dwight Yoakam, Sam Shepard, Denis Arndt
In 1848, a New York bank wants to put a railroad across Mexico, so it buys up small banks around Santa Rita, Durango, and evicts farmers on the proposed rail line who owe money. The bank’s henchman is the murderous Jackson. He runs afoul of two women, María, the tough but uneducated daughter of a farmer, and Sara, the European-educated daughter of the owner of one of these banks. To feed the now landless people and to seek revenge, María and Sara become bank robbers, veritable Robin Hoods. But Jackson and his hired guns are after them. What are the women’s options?
Written & Directed By: Sofia Coppola
Cinematography By: Harris Savides
Editor: Sarah Flack
Cast: Stephen Dorff, Elle Fanning, Chris Pontius, Michelle Monaghan, Elle Kemper, Angela Lindvall, Kristina Shannon, Karissa Shannon
Hollywood actor Johnny Marco, nested in his luxury hotel of choice, is a stimulated man. Drinking, parties and women keep a creeping boredom under wraps in between jobs. He is the occasional father of a bright girl, Cleo, who may be spoiled but doesn’t act it. When Cleo’s mother drops her off and leaves town, Johnny brings her along for the ride, but can he fit an 11-year-old girl into his privileged lifestyle?
Written, Edited & Directed By: Kevin Smith
Cinematography by: David Klein
Cast: Michael Parks, Melissa Leo, Stephen Root, John Goodman, Nicholas Braun, Michael Angarano, Marc Blucas, Damian Young, Kevin Alejandro, Ralph Garman, Kevin Pollack, Anna Gunn, Matt L. Jones, Kerry Bishe, James Parks
Set in Middle America, a group of teens receive an online invitation for sex, though they soon encounter fundamentalists with a much more sinister agenda.
Written & Directed by: Harmony Korine
Cinematography: Jean-Yves Escoffier
Editor: Christopher Tellefsen
Cast: Chloe Sevingy, Max Perlich, Linda Manz, Jacob Sewell, Harmony Korine, Nick Sutton, Jacob Reynolds, Carisa Glucksman
Lonely residents of a tornado-stricken Ohio town wander the deserted landscape trying to fulfill their boring, nihilistic lives.
Written, Edited & Directed By: Steven Soderbergh
Cinematography: Walt Lloyd
Music By: Cliff Martinez
Cast: James Spader, Peter Gallagher, Laura San Giacomo, Andie McDowell
Ann is married to John, who is having an affair with her sister Cynthia. Ann’s a quiet type and unwilling to let herself go. When John’s old friend, Graham, shows up, all their lives change. Graham likes to videotape interviews with women.
Directed By: Mabrouk El Merchi
Written By: Mabrouk El Merchi, Frederic Benudis & Christophe Turpin
Story By: Frederic Taddei & Vincent Ravalec
Cinematography By: Pierre Yves-Bastard
Editor: Kako Kelber
Cast: Jean Claude Van-Damme, Valerie Bodson, Herve Sogne, Rock Chen
Jean-Claude Van Damme gets involved in a bank robbery with hostages situation and reflects about his life during it.
Cut To The Chase 