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True/False Film Festival 2017 Day 2
It’s hard to tie a day of True/False to one central theme. This year’s official festival theme is Out of the Ether because the lineup is dominated by films taking audiences out of their traditional surroundings, be they geographic or artistic. But the 4 films I viewed – I ended up skipping one because of technical delays…
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True/False Film Festival 2017 Day 1
Unfortunately, my first day of True/False 2017 wasn’t as long as I’d have hoped. In past years, I was a student at the University of Missouri, and the only boundaries between the delights of True/False and I were classes and homework. They could always be pushed to the side for my favorite weekend of the…
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True/False Film Festival 2017 Preview
If you’ve never had the pleasure of attending the annual True/False Film Festival in Columbia, Mo., I truly feel for you. Film festivals can assume an almost mythical air to movie lovers: we all dream of attending Sundance, TIFF or Cannes. But in the past decade, True/False has clawed its way into the collective conscious…
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Split
Ever since Newsweek dubbed him “The Next Spielberg” in July 2002, M. Night Shyamalan has had a rough go in Hollywood. That’s not to say he’s hurting for monetary success: An IMDB list in 2014 — following his critically maligned After Earth — listed Shyamalan as one of 30 most profitable filmmakers currently alive, above…
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Moana
Let’s make no mistake: Walt Disney studios isn’t hurting for recognition. Not only does it have arguably the most history of any Hollywood corporation, but it’s also now home to three of Hollywood’s most reputable and financially viable universes: Star Wars, Marvel, and Disney Pixar. And yet, Disney still finds itself lacking in one key…
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Passengers
One of the dangers of writing about film is the ever-present danger of groupthink. We cinephiles love to consume movie culture which includes films themselves as well as criticism. In fact, criticism can be just as beloved as the art it criticizes. A Roger Ebert review is just as much a work of art as…
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Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
While it can’t be denied that fatigue exists in this new world of movie universes — Marvel, DC, Middle Earth, Star Wars, Star Trek, etc. — there’s also something to be said for familiarity. For every let down like The Hobbit, there’s a welcome return like The Force Awakens. And that makes sense: People like…
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Hacksaw Ridge
Sometimes it’s easy to wonder if Mel Gibson wants to find redemption in his work as a filmmaker. Gibson’s shortcomings are clearly documented: some will tell you he’s a drunk, an anti-Semite and a clinically insane person. Others will tell you he’s a broken man seeking to honor God in his craft. And I think…
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Doctor Strange
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Life, Animated
Almost everyone has a history with Disney animated movies, especially those of us who profess to be film junkies. We weren’t taking the likes of Stanley Kubrick and Martin Scorcese as children. Instead, we were covering our faces with blankets as Bambi and his mother ran from hunters or when Scar pushed Mufasa into a…
