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Written and directed by Charles Barker (His second time in the big chair and his first feature length film.) The Call Up stars a number of relatively unknown Brit actors and a plot that is three parts CoD and one part Existenz.
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True Memoirs of an International Assassin feels just a tad like Romancing the Stone, without Joan Wilder and the romance. Both films take place mainly in South America and involve an author who uses research to come out on top.
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Co-written and directed by Christopher Guest (Jim Piddock was the other half of the writing team) Mascots is the last mockumentary from the man who wrote Best in Show and co-wrote This is Spinal Tap. However, delightful those two films were, this may well be a case of Guest going to the well once too often.
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Written and directed by Rufus Chaffee (The Muse, Divine Intervention) The Trouble With Uncle Max is the darkest of black comedies. The short film deals with family problems, greed and unreal expectations. It is noteworthy that Chaffee has managed to cram so much into a 20 minute film.
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It is the mark of any good animated feature that the viewer forgets they are watching a “cartoon.” Pixar does this with amazing regularity, as does Studio Ghibli. However, Walt Disney Studios got there first, with Uncle Walt churning out animated films that tugged the heartstrings and featured stunning stories.
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One can only surmise that 2016 has been a rough year for Mark Strong and Penélope Cruz The proof in the pudding is their participation in this debacle masquerading as a comedy film. The Brothers Grimsby, aka Grimsby is complete and utter rubbish from start to finish. The fact that the only real laugh comes at the very end of the film speaks volumes for this complete waste of celluloid.
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Co-written and directed by Yam Laranas (who also worked as DP) Abomination holds the viewer’s interest from start to finish. Classed as a mystery thriller this latest offering from the man who gave us The Echo is the cinematic version of a “page turner.”
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Written and co-directed by Ryan Lacen – Anthony Baldino was Ryan’s co-director – The Dust Storm is, primarily, a romance with musical overtones. The film also has its fair share of drama thrown in for the two likable protagonists who rekindle an old love affair in Nashville, the “country music capital of the world.”
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Written by Elizabeth Lam and directed by David Tyson Lam, Viral Beauty stars Casey Killoran as Marsha Day, Mark Junek as Will Durham and features Perez Hilton and a slew of YouTube/social media personalities.
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Written by Mark Renshaw and directed by Christopher Carson Emmons, Surrender can be seen as an allegorical allusion to alcoholism. Sort of a short homage to The Lost Weekend with Aram Hekinian, as Dave, who steps into Ray Milland’s shoes without the DT’s.
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I am well known for getting tearful at any well done heart tugging scene in a film, or even television. It is not often, however, that I break out in tears while watching a documentary. Yet this is precisely what I did while sitting alone in the back booth of my local diner.
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On December 20, the star of Viral Beauty; Casey Killoran took time out of her busy day to have a chat with Mike’s Film Talk about the film. We talked about altering your appearance for a role and the challenges of wearing two hats on a project; executive producer and actor.
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Written by Mark Bianculli and Jeff Richard and directed by Kasra Farahani, The Good Neighbor is a decent thriller with a twist. The film stars 76 year old Oscar nominee James Caan as Harold Grainey. As the next door neighbor of Ethan (Logan Miller) the old man gets some unwanted attention from the teen who, along with his best mate Sean (Keir Gilchrist) sets up an elaborate prank.
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While this is not a complaint, it is more an observation, Spectral is, in essence, a video game movie. Taking bits from classic survival horror game Fatal Frame, aka Project Zero and the horror shoot ’em up F.E.A.R.: First Encounter Assault Recon this Netflix offering, produced initially by Universal and then thrown in the bin, is entertaining.
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I.T. can be seen as a modern cautionary tale, but less so about who we allow into our world or house and more about the dangers of “Smart” houses. Co-written by Dan Kay and William Wisher Jr., directed by John Moore (A Good Day to Die Hard, Max Payne) this American thriller was shot in Ireland and features an “international” cast.
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Written and directed by Skip Shea (his first feature length film) Trinity is a movie about sexual abuse by a member of the clergy and its aftereffects. Michael (Sean Carmichael) is an artist who does portraits of the dead using their ashes. He bumps into his abuser; Father Tom, (David Graziano) at a local coffee shop. This prompts the remainder of the film which is a surreal trip of vivid and haunting imagery.
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Written and directed by J. Antonio, Night Club is an ambitious first effort by the new “auteur.” Taking the 1984 Whodini song “The Freaks Come Out at Night” as his template, Antonio tells the story of James (Jason Torres) a neophyte night doorman in New York.
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Several things stand out in The Witch. Right off the bat, there is that heavy Yorkshire accent combined with the “Olde English” phraseology. Granted there is not one “Eee by gum” to be heard but writer director Robert Eggers’ decision to have his protagonists come from “God’s Country” was a sly bit of irony considering the circumstances of the plot and the players in it.
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Co-written and directed by Yorgos Lanthimos (Efthymis Filippou was the other scribe on the film) The Lobster is a futuristic black comedy served up with a huge dose of surrealism. The film feels quite literally like the love child of Terry Gilliam and Wes Anderson while any other members of the Monty Python gang could be the godparents.
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Written and directed by Mike Mills (Beginners, Thumbsucker) and starring Annette Bening, Elle Fanning, Greta Gerwig, Brian Cruddup and Lucas Jade Zumann, 20th Century Women tells of the birth of a new world. This new beginning is seen through the eyes of Jamie, Dorothea’s 15 year old son.
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Music, the old saying goes, hath charms that sooth the savage breast. It is also, according to Morgan Neville and Caitrin Rogers’ documentary, an international language that knows few limits. Their documentary “The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma & The Silk Road Ensemble” follows the start of the ensemble and its continuing life.
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Based on Tarell Alvin McCraney‘s semi-autobiographical story (a drama school project) and adapted by Barry Jenkins, who also directed, Moonlight is a thing of beauty. From the very first frame each and every shot is a luxurious feast of colour and this sumptuous offering fills each frame with a vivid slice of life in Miami.
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Kinnari: An ancient Indian stringed instrument, Southeast Asian mythology, Kinnaris, the female counterpart of Kinnaras, are depicted as half-bird, half-woman creatures. Alt: Someone who exhibits random outbursts of weirdness.
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Every once in a great while someone will create something that is sheer perfection. An effort that marries concise storytelling with an unsurpassed beauty that speaks to the romantic heart beating in our chests. The Story of 90 Coins, helmed by first time director Michael Wong and starring a cast of relative unknowns is nigh on perfect.
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It may sound a bit dismissive to label Attack on Titan (part one and two) as “Battle Royale” meets giants” but it is not intended to be a slur on the manga based film.
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Mel Gibson may well have clawed his way out of the Hollywood “doghouse” with Hacksaw Ridge. Directed by Mel and based on a screenplay co-written by Robert Schenkkan and Andrew Knight the film tells the “true” story of Desmond T. Doss.
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Any long term fan of Stephen King will view this 2017 offering of “IT” as a mixed bag. Some things are spot on while others are so far off the mark that they come close to the unpalatable. It really is a case of “six of one, half a dozen of another” in terms of an enjoyment factor.