HELL HOLE is a praise-worthy riff on THE THING
by Laurence Boag-Matthews, Staff Writer
If you’re looking for a The Thing or Alien style flick, the Adams Family pull off a laudable low-budget homage to the genre in Hell Hole.
THE SECRET ART OF HUMAN FLIGHT never quite takes off
by Tessa Swehla, Associate Editor
The grief that comes from the loss of a partner is especially difficult, and that is the kind of grief that is at the center of The Secret Art of Human Flight.
HOSTILE DIMENSIONS is a creepypasta flick for doomscrollers everywhere
by Cleo Tunningley, Staff Writer
Hostile Dimensions works best when it forgets the story it’s trying to tell and instead operates on the nightmare logic of a web-addicted middle schooler.
OL' DIRTY BASTARD: A TALE OF TWO DIRTYS offers a candid portrait of an icon
by Jenika McCrayer, Contributor
Instead of delving into his unique flow, lyrical prowess, or erratic creative process that most of us have encountered, it focuses more on who he was as a man and the roles he filled as ODB, Ason Unique, and Russell Jones.
SMOKING TIGERS is a reflective portrait of Southern Californian coming of age
by Shayna Davis, Staff Writer
People are not always as they seem, never let a cute boy give you a stick-and-poke, and parents are just people trying their best.
MOUNTAINS reveals the tidal forces of capitalism and gentrification
by Heidi Krull, Staff Writer
In America, trying your best to support yourself is not always enough to beat out capitalism.
THE BECOMERS points a finger at the world around us but reminds us to hope
by Sasha Ravitch, Staff Writer
Zach Clark’s The Becomers is an occasionally overwhelming but always enchanting exploration of love which spans galaxies and transcends bodies.
Disc Dispatch: THE ROSE TATTOO
by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport and Editor in Chief
Amazing films such as The Rose Tattoo, could easily be forgotten or lost which truly shows the importance of physical media.
ART OF A HIT mixes horror, rock and roll, and 2000s nostalgia
by Jill Vranken, Staff Writer
What Art of a Hit does do well is give us an insight into the struggles of trying to make it in a cutthroat business, and what happens when the music stops.
BLACK DOG gets in the way of its own story
by Jon Jansen, Staff Writer
Despite its heavy-handed approach, Black Dog still finds enough in one of its characters to bring some intrigue to this standard coming-of-age story.
MAKE ME FAMOUS offers an intimate look into the life of a true starving artist
by Heidi Krull, Staff Writer
In Make Me Famous, director Brian Vincent explores the life of Edward Brezinski, a quirky painter from the East Village desperate to get his name in the conversation
HOLLYSHORTS FESTIVAL closes to rave reception for all things funny, funky and frightful
by Liz Wiest, Staff Writer
My classy remote Bitpix experience provided me with access to five provocative shorts that once again proved to me how dynamic the indie shorts circuit is, even post-strike.
SING SING is a moving performance showcase
by Darian Davis, Staff Writer
Sing Sing offers an escape from personal tragedy and from the walls of Sing Sing, even if it’s only a jailbreak of the mind.
MY PENGUIN FRIEND offers little other than adorable penguins, but is that enough?
by Kevin Murphy, Staff Writer
My Penguin Friend is a low-stakes adventure that offers charming scenes but no real tension or development.
THE GOOD HALF never finds anything meaningful to say about grief
by Megan Robinson, Staff Writer
The Good Half, directed by Robert Schwartzman, certainly means well as a piece of art about loss, but the execution is completely dull, making it devoid of any emotion.
RED ISLAND explores the effect of colonialism on childhood innocence
by Andrea Schmidt, Staff Writer
Though not a perfect film, Campillo’s Red Island remains a stirring evocation of childhood and the memory of colonial rot.
CONSUMED is a monster movie with not quite enough bite
by Rachel Shatto, Staff Writer
Consumed interrogates the fragility of the human body when facing down attacks coming from both external (a skin-stealing monster) and internal (corruption of body through disease).
ALIEN: ROMULUS feels like ALIEN: THE RIDE
by Ryan Silberstein, Managing Editor, Red Herring
Alien: Romulus feels like it was engineered in a lab from the parts of the previous Alien films, but it is a relentless thrill machine.
When a new aesthetician rises, the old one fades away in SKINCARE
by Chelsea Alexandra, Staff Writer
The cut-throat world of cosmetic beauty set the scene for the film to tap into interesting themes.
CLOSE TO YOU is reserved, but still provides a window into a transmasc experience
by Melissa Strong, Staff Writer
Viewers willing to look past Close to You’s imperfections will be rewarded with a moving take on an experience rarely explored in feature films.