Scary Slumming in the Philippines (REVIEW)
Tirador (“Slingshot”)
Film Review by Kam Williams
If you’d like to get a load of what life is like in the slums of the Philippines, then you ought to check out Slingshot, as raw and realistic an offering as you’re apt to find onscreen this year. This relentlessly-grim cinematic mosaic was painted by the brilliant Brillante Mendoza [...]
Reverential Bio-Pic Successfully Recasts Smut Peddler as Humanitarian
“Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist, Rebel”
Film Review by Kam Williams
Before seeing this film, I only thought of Hugh Hefner as a purveyor of smut who built an empire on the backs, or should I say breasts, of females by reducing them to sex objects whose sole purpose was to fuel the testosterone-fueled fantasies of teenage boys. [...]
Hudson, Alba and Affleck Co-Star in Remake of 1976 Crime Thriller
Hollywood has a knack for quickly cranking out knockoffs of Academy Award-winning movies which is why I’m wondering what took somebody this long to make a flick similar to No Country for Old Men.
High Seas Saga Sends Slacker from Brooklyn to Jamaica
Can a broke, white city boy from New York survive by his wits in the slums of Jamaica? That is question raised by this cross-cultural dramedy which does a decent job of offsetting the sheer panic of Max’s harrowing ordeal with some authentic flava’ of the Caribbean that tourists normally never get to see.
Bio-Pic Paints Empathetic Portrait of Legendary Comedienne
A sobering deconstruction of an enduring showbiz career by an introspective icon whose been at it non-stop since ’66.
Dr. Burzynski: Total Quack or Medical Pioneer?
A bio-pic of Biblical proportions featuring a showdown of Dr. David versus a government Goliath!
Aspiring Filmmaker Tries Porn Industry in Steamy Sitcom
A steamy sitcom which could have benefited immeasurably from less carnality in favor of character development.
Arab Suicide Bomber Falls for Jew on Way to Detonation
A melodramatic morality play which sends the sobering message that suicide bombing does not pay, especially when you could just as easily seduce as splatter the sexy object of your detonation.
Medieval Reenactment Serves as Backdrop for Romance Drama
A psychological thriller highlighting how hell hath no fury like a frustrated knight in shining armor, even if he only has a plastic sword at his disposal!
Black and White Coeds Lock Lacrosse Sticks in Cross-Cultural Drama
Hell hath no fury like a sister scorned, especially for a wannabe.
Hitchcock Mockumentary Mixes Suspense with Cold War Paranoia
Film Review: “Double Take”
by Kam Williams
Sir Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980) set a stratospheric bar still rarely reached when it comes to the suspense genre. Now, the legendary director gets a chance to star in a psychological thriller, albeit posthumously, courtesy of archival footage interwoven with [...]
DVD Features Romance Drama Set on Streets of Saigon
Directed by Stephane Gauger, Owl and the Sparrow is an enchanting fairytale which delights to no end en route to its syrupy sweet resolution.
Documentary Deconstructs the Turbulent Friendship of Godard and Truffaut
A fascinating and informative, must-see documentary for any serious cinephile
Grieving Widow Reluctantly Dates Ardent Admirer in Cross-Cultural Romance Drama
Guaranteed to keep you guessing up to the whopper of a revelation at the conclusion of this endlessly-intriguing whodunit.
Misogynists Meet Their Matches in Cape Cod Costume Dramedy
A pleasant, if predictable, period piece to be savored as much for the breathtaking seascapes as for the deliberately-paced romantic roundelays.
Thrill-Seeking Graffiti Artist Seeks Redemption in Brash Bio-Pic
An alternately frightening and exhilarating, guerilla-style documentary showcasing the downs and ups of an amoral thrill-seeker lucky enough to bottom out and find redemption before it was too late to be given a last shot at rehabilitation.
Writer Falls for His Worst Critic in Bittersweet Romance Drama
A sentimental sitdram which seeks to answer whether a long-distance liaison between an artist and his worst critic has a fighting chance of blossoming into love.
Damning DVD Recalls Rise and Fall of Legendary GOP Hatchet Man
A fascinating, warts-and-all documentary about one of the most notorious and influential figures in 20th Century politics.
Bio-Pic Chronicling Career of Celebrated Civil Rights Lawyer Comes to DVD
William Kunstler (1919-1995) was one of the most reviled figures of the 20th Century. For he was an attorney who not only represented controversial causes and unpopular people, but his approach in the courtroom involved exposing the racism and classicism permeating the legal justice system.
Disappointing District B13 Sequel Fails to Measure up to Original
Is District 13 II a bomb? Not by a long shot. Just disappointing, if you’re expecting this adventure to measure up to the mesmerizing first installment.
“Revealing” Documentary Revisits Golden Age of Burlesque
A fun-filled tribute which elevates the Golden Age of Burlesque to its rightful place in history while belatedly restoring a little dignity to its under-appreciated, socially-ostracized performers.
“Uncertainty” DVD Features Alternative Takes of Same Tale
A brilliantly-conceived, well-executed, micro-budgeted, action-packed thriller which gives a whole new meaning to 4th of July fireworks.
