Category Archives: Reviews

Some people compare it to being on an island among foreigners. Others say it’s similar to sticking your head in a goldfish bowl. But the reality of what I can and cannot hear is a lot more complicated than anyone … Continue reading →

I had the privilege of attending the New York Kurdish Film Festival this month for the New York City premiere of Kurdish-Swiss director Mano Khalil’s 2021 film, Neighbours. As I walked into the Angelika Film Center in the East Village, … Continue reading →

Blockbuster films, such as the Harry Potter (2001-2011) franchise, The Iron Giant (1999), and The Shawshank Redemption (1994), have left an indelible mark on society, with their distinct storytelling and memorable characters becoming household, if not global, cultural references. Though … Continue reading →

When director Brian De Palma is brought up in film discussions, much is made of his work prior to 2000, and anything past that year is completely ignored, if not disparaged. Indeed, many seem to believe that De Palma lost … Continue reading →

A traveling salesman, a hitchhiker, a cheating wife, a murder. Did the salesman kill his wife or not? These tropes are ingrained in the film noir genre. Much like Walter Neff giving his confession of insurance claim fraud and murder … Continue reading →

A young boy is waiting with his mother in a hospital room as muffled noises overshadow the doctor’s examination. The audience is deprived of any sense of sound or space. Only once the two leave the hospital do we hear … Continue reading →

One evening after a full day of work, with four tables pushed together at a café in 2013, I first heard of the Stephen King Dollar Babies program during a precursory meeting which would lead to a film festival that … Continue reading →

It would be an understatement to call Michael Bay a punching bag for film critics around the world. Mention of his name has become code, even among the casual moviegoing public, for “bad movie.” This reputation, however, is unfounded. In … Continue reading →

Smihi’s short film, Si Moh, pas de chance (1971), depicts a Moroccan immigrant in France. The film follows the path of the main character as he navigates the French ghettos in search of work. The short film can be looked … Continue reading →

In Great Depression-era West Virginia, Ben Harper (Peter Graves) kills two men while robbing a store. Hiding the money in his daughter’s doll, Ben swears his two children to secrecy, intent that the stolen sum will be their inheritance. That … Continue reading →