Author Archives: admin

Sound of Hope review: Choosing to make a difference

Posted on July 13, 2024 by admin

Set in East Texas in 1999, Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot shows how spiritual values helped persuade the people in a rural community to adopt 77 children languishing in the state foster system. Based on a true … Continue reading →

Posted in Drama | Leave a comment

Tribeca documentary Made in Ethiopia: exposing capitalism

Posted on June 10, 2024 by admin

Shot over a four-year span, Made in Ethiopia uses a Chinese-backed industrial park in Ethiopia as a way to examine how economic policy operates at ground level. The film opens with a wedding ceremony between a Chinese worker and his … Continue reading →

Posted in Documentary, Film Festivals | Leave a comment

Dancing Village: The Curse Begins—Horror from Indonesia

Posted on April 26, 2024 by admin

Unfolding like a folk tale that’s only dimly remembered, Dancing Village: The Curse Begins is a prequel to KKN Di Desa Penari, an Indonesian blockbuster released in 2022. This slow-burn thriller sends cousins and friends to a remote jungle village … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian, Horror | Leave a comment

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare: dull WWII spy romp

Posted on April 18, 2024 by admin

Every now and then Guy Ritchie makes a film in a crisp, focused style that can be utterly beguiling. The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is not one of them. Filled with snark, bombast, and empty violence, this WWII actioner is … Continue reading →

Posted in Action | Leave a comment

Life under a microscope: A Brief History of a Family

Posted on March 27, 2024 by admin

Classmates, one rich, one poor, are thrown together by accident. The poor one worms his way into the wealthy family, winning over the parents through deceit and subterfuge. An event changes the lives of all involved. No, it’s not Saltburn, … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian, Film Festivals | Leave a comment

The plight of test pilots in Born to Run

Posted on March 24, 2024 by admin

Released theatrically last year, Born to Fly follows pilots undergoing rigorous training in order to test mainland China’s experimental stealth fighter jet. Deeply patriotic and extremely silly, it’s propaganda devoid of suspense, humor, and credible characterizations. The screenplay by Gui … Continue reading →

Posted in Action, Asian | Leave a comment

Cabrini review: a reverent look at an irreverent saint

Posted on March 23, 2024 by admin

An ambitious day of biking will take me up the spine of Manhattan, from 6th Avenue past Central Park and up St. Nicholas to Edgecombe Avenue. At the Highbridge swimming pool I head west to Fort Washington Avenue, climbing that … Continue reading →

Posted in Biopic | Leave a comment

Berlinale Panorama review: Betânia

Posted on March 21, 2024 by admin

Shot largely in Brazil’s Lençóis Maranhenses park, Betânia follows a widow as she returns after many years to her ancestral home. The debut feature for writer and director Marcelo Botta, it screened in this year’s Panorama section of the Berlin … Continue reading →

Posted in Drama, Film Festivals | Leave a comment

Tak Sakaguchi is the One-Percenter

Posted on March 19, 2024 by admin

For several years Well Go USA has been one of the best distributors of genre films in the country. But the company finds itself in a bind with One-Percent Warrior (aka One-Percenter), a martial arts adventure starring Tak Sakaguchi. Sakaguchi … Continue reading →