Push: Comes to Shove, Then Takes a Long Pregnant Pause
ReviewJim SlotekPush, David Charbonier, Justin Douglas Powell, Raul Castillo, Alicia Sanz, Thriller, Horror, Haunted houses, Haunted Mansion, Shudder, Streaming
40 Acres: A Gripping Apocalyptic Thriller of Resilience and Survival
Sorry, Baby: Terrific Sad-Funny Debut About Trauma Heralds Major Incoming Talent
ReviewJim SlotekSorry, Baby, Eva Victor, Naomi Ackie, Lucas Hedges, Kelly McCormack, Louis Cancelmi, Feature debut, Drama, Comedy
The Sandman, Season 2: When Its Creator is the Series' Own Worst Nightmare
ReviewJim SlotekCelebrity authors' sexual scandals, Cancel culture, Neil Gaiman, The Sandman, Season Two, Dream of the Endless, Tom Sturridge, Netflix, Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer, Jenna Coleman, Showrunners Allan Heinberg and Jamie Childs, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Stephen Fry, Patton Oswalt, Jack Gleeson
M3GAN 2.0: Has More Chuckles Than 'Chucky,' But I Didn't Come to Laugh
ReviewJim SlotekM3GAN 2.0, Murderous AI dolls, Director Gerard Johnstone, Screenwriters Akela Cooper and James Wan, Jenna Davis, Amie Donald, Jemaine Clement, Violet McGraw, Allison Williams, Jen Van Epps), Brian Jordan Alvarez, Androids fighting
Last Take Rust and The Story of Halyna: Cult of Celebrity Complicates Tragic Film-Set Shooting
ReviewJim SlotekLast Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna, Documentary, Rachel Mason, Halyna Hutchins, Disney+, Lane Luper, Josh Hopkins, Frances Fisher, Dave Halls, Alec Baldwin, Guns, Gun violence
F1 The Movie: Thrilling, Sexy… and Approved by the Sport’s Governing Body
Ironheart: Walking Tony Stark’s Footsteps in Beat-Up Shoes
ReviewJim SlotekStreamed Marvel series, Series derived from comic books, Ironheart, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Dominique Thorne, Anthony Ramos, Executive producer Ryan Coogler, Comedian Jim Rash, Lyric Ross, Alden Ehrenreich, Cree Summer
28 Years Later: Everything's Changed, Mostly for the Worse, In Terrific, Heady Sequel
ReviewJim Slotek28 Years Later, 28 Days Later, Generational sequel, Danny Boyle, Alex Garland, Rage virus, Evolved Ragers, Survivors on a Scottish island, Alfie Williams, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes, Movies set in Scotland
Bride Hard: It's No Die Hard, But It Tries Hard
ReviewJim SlotekSpoof of Die Hard, Bride Hard, Wedding comedies, Terrorists, Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp, Director Simon West, Anna Chlumsky, Da’Vine Joy Randolh, Stephen Dorff, Sherry Cola
Elio: Life Lessons for Kids and Grownups Propel the Latest Delight from Pixar
By Karen Gordon
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ReviewJim SlotekElio, Pixar, Pixar films, Children's movies, Animation, Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina, Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldaña, Brendan Hunt, Atsuko Okatsjka, Remy Edgerly, Jameela Jamil, Brad Garrett
His Father’s Son: An Iranian Canadian Clan Awkwardly Deals with Fine Dining and Troubled Masculinity
ReviewJim SlotekIranian Canadian diaspora, Iranian Canadian directors, His Father’s Son, Writer/director Meelad Moaphi, Director’s Guild of Canada prize, Reel Asian Film Festival, Competitive masculinity, Fine dining, Gus Tayari, Mitra Lohrasb, Alireza Shojaei, Parham Rownaghi, Women as cultural property
Materialists: Past Lives Director Delivers Sparkle in a Star-Studded Rom-Com
By Karen Gordon
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Endless Cookie: Whimsy and Reality Mix in a Near-Hallucinatory Animated Story of an Indigenous Storyteller
ReviewJim SlotekAnimated documentary, Indigenous storytelling, Endless Cookie, Mixed race half brothers, Seth and Peter Scriver, First Nations Reserve in Shamattawa, Manitoba, Fly-in reserves, Kids and dogs, Residential Schools, RCMP's relationship with Natives, Surreal animation
Blue Mountain Film Fest Wrap: Sports-Com Racewalkers Saunters to the Top Prize
ReviewJim SlotekBlue Mountain Film + Media Festival, Resort film festivals, Racewalkers, Kevin Claydon and Phil Moniz, Canadian producer Daniel Bekerman, Louise Courvoisier’s Holy Cow, Ian Cheney’s Shelf Life, The Friend, Naomi Watts and Bill Murray, Guan Hu’s Black Dog
How to Train Your Dragon: Live Action Reignites a Series That Was Starting to Drag(on)
ReviewJim SlotekAnimated films remade with live action, How to Train Your Dragon, Vikings, Dragontrainer Hiccup, Mason Thames, Gerard Butler, Nick Frost, Julian Dennison, Bronwyn James, Harry Trevaldwyn, Nico Parker, Canadian writer/director Dean DeBlois
The Life of Chuck: A Stephen King Story Skillfully Turned into a Literal Life Lesson
By Karen Gordon
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ReviewJim SlotekStephen King adaptations, The Life of Chuck, Writer/director Mike Flanagan, Doctor Sleep, A life depicted by multiple actors, Apocalyptic themes, Tom Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mark Hamill, Mia Sara, Jacob Tremblay
Party Pirate: Good Intentions Aside, It's Avast Disappointment
The Phoenician Scheme: Wes Anderson Does Wes Anderson With Andersonian Results
By Karen Gordon
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ReviewJim SlotekThe Phoenician Scheme, Wes Anderson, Roman Coppola, Benicio Del Toro, Mia Threapleton, Benedict Cumberbatch, Scarlett Johansson, Michael Cera, Comedy, Drama, Dramedy
The Ritual: The Devil’s in the Details, But Not Much Else
ReviewJim SlotekThe Ritual, horror, Exorcism movies, David Midell, Al Pacino, Dan Stevens, Patricia Heaton, Abigail Cowen, Ashley Greene, Patrick Fabian
