Set in 1995, Dating Amber tells the story of Eddie (Fionn O?Shea), a young Irish teen who is struggling to come to grips with his closeted sexuality. Growing up in a home with a military father, expectations are high that Eddie will follow in his dad?s footsteps and join the military. However, Eddie?s life changes when he…
Brandon Cronenberg is no stranger to a bloody mess. As the director of?Antiviral?and son of one of the pioneers of body horror films, Cronenberg is more than comfortable wading through rivers of blood in order to investigate deeper ideas about the human experience. As visceral as it is mesmerizing, Cronenberg’s latest film,?Possessor, is another violent…
What goes into a bottle of Champagne? Easy answer: grapes. But how do they get there? Laura Naylor?s documentary Vas-y Coupe! (English title: Wine Crush) is a very pleasant atmospheric look at the harvest at one of Champagne?s premier vineyards. The film really isn?t so much about wine or agriculture. It is about people. Much…
“Pull me out.” Such is the plea of Tasya Vos (Andrea Riseborough), a corporate assassin who allows her consciousness downloaded into the minds of others so that can commit murders for the benefit of the company. As the focus of Brandon Cronenberg?s latest sci-fi horror Possessor, Vasya has a special gift for her craft. However, with…
A gifted educator can often make an important difference in the lives of students. My Name Is Pedro, from documentarian Lillian LaSalle, is the story of a charismatic school administrator who managed to turn around struggling schools through his belief in and interaction with students and teachers. Pedro Santiago grew up in the Bronx. He…
?You look like a fella who might be interested in scary stories.? Mary Shelley?s Gothic/proto-SciFi novel Frankenstein grew out of a contest between her, her future husband Percy Bysshe Shelley and their friend Lord Byron. The competition was to see who could write the best horror story. (I wonder if there is any record of…
The Turkish horror film The Antenna, directed by Or?un Behram, is more about creepiness that fright. It is also about a world that is trending toward the insidious control of day to day life. The film is set in a mildly dystopic Turkey. Mehmet works as the intendant of an apartment building in a remote…
Based on a true story, The Keeper, from director Marcus H Rosenm?ller, is the story of a German POW who in the post-war years becomes one of the most famous football (soccer to Americans) players in England. Along the way the story looks the difficulty of forgiving both our enemies and ourselves. And there?s a…
Yes, Ma?mouna Doucour??s Cuties (Mignonnes) has created a great deal of controversy. I wouldn?t categorize that controversy as a tempest in a teapot, because the film does revolve around the sexualization of young women, but in a reflective and critical manner, not in an exploitive or abusive manner. In fact, the film suggests an outrage…
Currently airing on Quibi,?Benedict Men?is a documentary that delves into the lives of the students at St. Benedict?s Preparatory School in Newark, New Jersey. Led by Father Ed Leahy, St. Benedict?s is structured around its foundational belief in community and mutual accountability. As the school?s basketball team drives toward its latest championship, the youth are…
