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: Clay Liford
Cinematography By: Ellie Ann Fenton
Editor: David Fabelo & Bryan Poyser
Cast: Michael Johnston, Hannah Marks, Michael Ian Black, Missi Pyle, Sarah Ramos, Angela Kinsey, Sam Eidson
Freshman Neil’s Vanguard stories are all he cares about…until he meets the older Julia, who pushes him to put his own fan fic online. When the website’s moderator takes a special interest in Neil’s work, it opens up a whole new universe.
Written & Directed: Joel Schumacher
Cinematography By: Declan Quinn
Editor: Mark Stevens
Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robert DeNiro, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Barry Miller, Chris Bauer, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Rory Cochrane, Vincent Laresca, Katrina Arroyave, Skip Sudduth, Scott Allen Coopper, Mark Margolis, Wanda De Jesus, John Enos III, Winter Ave Zoli, Joey Arias, Jackie Beat
Walt Koontz, a homophobic guy, ends up with paralyzed vocal cords because of an unfortunate stroke. His therapy includes receiving singing lessons from a neighbor who is not only openly flamboyant but also a pre-op transgenderist. Both of them are equally prejudiced; Koontz against homosexuals and the neighbor against close-minded straight people.
Directed By: Darren Stein
Written By: George Northy
Cinematography By: Jonathan Hall
Editor: Philip J. Hartwell
Cast: Michael J. Willett, Paul Iacono, Sasha Pieterse, Xosha Roquemore, Molly Tarlov, Evanna Lynch, Joanna “Jojo” Levesque, Derek Mio, Mia Rose Frampton, Andrea Bowen, Rebecca Gayheart, Jonathan Silverman, Natasha Lyonne, Megan Mullally, Horatio Sanz
Social warfare erupts when three high school clique queens battle for supremacy: drama diva Caprice, Mormon princess ‘Shley and blonde fashionista Fawcett. When unassuming Tanner is outted, he finds himself cast as the hottest new teen-girl accessory: The Gay Best Friend. The clique queens immediately pounce and makeover Tanner into their ideal arm candy, forcing him to choose between popularity and the true friends – including his own B.F.F. Brent – that he’s leaving behind. –Now while this film is totally predictable. It is a fun film that is rarely boring. That tackles a serious subject somewhat with tons of humor and with class. Other then a few objectionable words ln a few scenes. The movie is pretty much clean. It’s pretty much soft seeing it’s subject and inoffensive. While dismantling a bunch of stereotypes and reveling in others.
Written & Directed By: Christopher Landon
Based on characters created by: Scott Lobdell
Cinematography: Toby Oliver
Editor: Ben Baudhuin
Cast: Jessica Rothe, Israel Broussard, Phi Vu, Ruby Modine, Steve Zissis, Rachel Matthews, Sarah Yarkin, Suraj Sharma, Charles Aitken, Laura Clifton, Missy Yager, Jason Mayle, Rob Mello
Having survived the farcical but utterly life-threatening events in the first film, the feisty sorority sister, Tree Gelbman, finds herself in the same college dorm, thankful to be alive. However, this time, it’s Carter’s roommate, Ryan, who claims that he is reliving the same paradoxical day over and over again, as a mysterious paranoid killer in a single-toothed baby-faced mask with a big kitchen knife has made a habit of murdering him. Under those circumstances, a valiant but vain attempt to face the challenge, once more, will send Tree back to square one, trapped in an all too familiar and blood-drenched time loop. How many deaths separate Tree from a truly happy birthday?
Directed By: F. Gary Grey
Written By: Peter Steinfeld
Based on the novel by: Elmore Leonard
Cinematography By: Jeffrey L. Kimball
Editor: Sheldon Kahn
Cast: John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Harvey Kietel, Christina Milian, Kimberly J. Brown, James Woods, Cedric The Entertainer, Andre Benjamin, Vince Vaughn, Steven Tyler, Danny DeVito, Robert Pastorelli, Dwayne Johnson, Arielle Kebbel, Scott Adsit, Gregory Alan Williams, Paul Adelstein, Debi Mazar
Streetwise mobster-turned-movie producer Chili Palmer is back, but this time Chili has abandoned the fickle movie industry and veered into the music business, tangling with Russian mobsters and gangsta rappers and taking a talented, feisty young singer named Linda Moon under his wing. From the recording studio to an Aerosmith concert to the MTV Music Awards, he manipulates events to watch them play out the Chili way, using his signature blend of wiseguy skills and negotiation tactics. It’s a dangerous business, and everyone’s looking for their next big hit.
Written, Edited & Directed By: Kevin Smith
Cinematography By: David Klein
Cast: Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, Craig Robinson, Jason Mewes, Traci Lords, Katie Morgan, Jeff Anderson, Tisha Campbell-Martin, Justin Long, Brandon Routh, Kenny Hotz, Tom Savini, Gerry Bednob, Jim Norton, Lauren Miller, Tyler Labine
Lifelong platonic friends Zack and Miri look to solve their respective cash-flow problems by making an adult film together. As the cameras roll, however, the duo begin to sense that they may have more feelings for each other than they previously thought.
Written & Directed By: Woody Allen
Cinematography By: Darius Khondji
Editor: Alisa Lepselter
Cast: Colin Firth, Emma Stone, Marcia Gay Harden, Jacki Weaver, Simon McBurney, Eileen Atkins, Catherine McCormick, Erica Leerhsen Hamish Linklater, Ute Lemper
Stanley is a magician who has dedicated his life to revealing fraudulent spiritualists. He plans to quickly uncover the truth behind celebrated spiritualist Sophie and her scheming mother. However, the more time he spends with her, he starts thinking that she might actually be able to communicate with the other world, but even worse, he might be falling in love with her.
Written & Directed By: Jennifer Kaytin Johnson
Cinematography: Autumn Eakin
Editor: Mollie Goldstein & Jeffrey Wolf
Cast: Gina Rodriguez, Brittany Snow, DeWanda Wise, Lakeith Stansfield, Michelle Buteau, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Rupaul, Rosario Dawson, Jaboukie Young-White, Questlove, Jesse Reyez
After a devastating break up on the eve of her cross-country move, Jenny enjoys one last NYC adventure with her two best pals. Someone Great is a romantic comedy about love, loss, growth and the everlasting bond of female friendship.
Directed By: Chris Nelson
Written By: Alan Yang
Cinematography: David Robert James
Editor: Akkiko Iwakawa-Grieve & Tia Nolan
Cast: Nicholas Braun, Hunter Cope, Zach Cregger, Dakota Johnson, Ray Santiago, Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman, Larry Wilmore, Gary Cole, Sarah Hyland, Dustin Ybarra, Rob Huebel, Aziz Ansari, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Brian Geraghaty
High school seniors Michael and Matty make a pact to help each other lose their virginity before their high school prom. Their plan hits a snag when Matty tells his best friend that he’s gay. Michael’s supportive but awkward attempts to help Matty fit in put a strain on their decade-long friendship. Their friendship is further tested when Michael falls for Matty’s former girlfriend and Matty falls for a guy whom Michael wouldn’t approve of. Prom looms and Michael and Matty have to repair their friendship and then figure out their love lives.
Directed By: Reginald Hudlin
Written By: Ron Shelton & Tony Hendra
Cinematography By: Ron Garcia
Editor: Earl Watson
Cast: Samuel L. Jackson, Jeff Goldblum, Peter Berg, Damon Wayans, Jamie Foxx, Salli Richardson, Jon Lovitz, Cheech Marin, Michael Jace, Corbin Bernsen, John Rhys-Davies, Rocky Carroll, A.J. Johnson, Reno Wilson, Art Evans
When the champ’s promoter, Rev. Sultan, decides something new is needed to boost the marketability of the boxing matches, he searches and finds the only man to ever beat the champ. The problem is that he isn’t a boxer anymore and he’s white. However, once Rev. Sultan convinces him to fight, he goes into heavy training while the confident champ takes it easy and falls out of shape
