Articles — Original Cin

Since 2017: Career film critics continuing the conversation

PODCAST! Ep. 32: Intense agreement about Tarantino's latest, Cats nightmares and TIFF talk

By Jim Slotek, Bonnie Laufer, Karen Gordon and Liam Lacey

Astronaut: Too slow for lift-off, but a touching character piece about the undying dream to soar

By Jim Slotek

ReviewJim SlotekJuly 25, 2019Astronaut, Space tourism, Richard Dreyfuss, Shelagh McLeod, Graham Greene, Canadian movies, Lyriq Bent, Colm Feore, Art Hindle, Colin Mochrie, Mimi Kuzyk, Seniors relationshipsComment

Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood: Tarantino's audacious pop-cultural gift basket has a warm core

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekJuly 25, 2019Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Manson Murders, '60s Hollywood, Margot Robbie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Kurt Russell, Julia Butters, Damian Lewis, Steve McQueen, Margaret Qualley, Pop culture references, '60s soundtracksComment

Your Weekend Preview: What To See (And What To Skip) In The Theatres This Week

By Original-Cin Staff

Review, Preview, ViewsJuly 19, 2019The Farewell, The Lion King, The Art of Self-Defense, Push, Weekly Roundup, Liam Lacey, Karen GordonComment

The Farewell: Tender Drama Spotlights the Quirks (And Perks) of Families

By Karen Gordon

ReviewJuly 19, 2019The Farewell, Lulu Wang, Akwafina, Diana Lin, Tzi Ma, Family comedies, Family drama, Asian Americans, Female filmmakers Comments

The Art of Self-Defense: Strange Dramedy Connects Dots between Bros and Blows

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJuly 19, 2019The Art of Self-Defense, Riley Stearns, Jesse Eisenberg, Alessandro Nivola, Imogen Poots, Toxic Masculinity, Comedy, Drama, Dramedy, Cult FilmComment

The Lion King: Latest Disney CGI Makeover of Classic Title Lacks Emotional Heft

By Karen Gordon

ReviewJuly 17, 2019The Lion King, Disney, Jon Favreau, Beyonce, John Oliver, Donald Glover, James Earl Jones, Seth Rogen, Realist Disney remakes, Live-action, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Billy Eichner, The Jungle BookComment

Push: Timely Doc Probes Why Housing Across the Globe Is So Damn Expensive

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJuly 17, 2019Push, documentary, Hot Docs 2019, Leilani Farha, Fredrik Gertten, Saskia Sassen, Joseph Stiglitz, Robert Saviano, Housing, IssueComment

Your Weekend Preview: What To See (And What To Skip) In The Theatres This Week

By Original-Cin Staff

Views, Preview, PodcastJuly 12, 2019The Lion King, Stuber, Melody Makers Should've Been There, Marianne Ihlen, Maiden, Unplanned, Weekly RoundupComment

PODCAST! Ep. 31: Some free speech about 'free speech,' Cineplex, the anti-abortion film Unplanned, The Lion King and more

Jim SlotekJuly 12, 2019Movie podcasts, Unplanned, Anti-abortion films, Cineplex, The Lion King, Stuber, Michael Dowse, Kumail Nanjiani, Liam Lacey, Karen Gordon, Miranda McCabeComment

Stuber: Middling (But Not Stupid) Buddy Comedy Mines Male/Female Turf Briskly

By Liam Lacey

July 11, 2019Kumail Nanjiani, Stuber, Dave Bautista, Mira Sorvino, Betty Gilpin, comedy, buddy action movies, Natalie Morales, Karen Gillan, Jimmy Tatro, Iko UwaisComment

Melody Makers: Should've Been There Captures Rock’s Glory Years… Like an Old, Rambling Uncle

By Kim Hughes

ReviewJuly 10, 2019Melody Makers Should've Been There, Barrie Wentzell, Music documentaries, Eric Burdon, David Bowie, Yes, 1960s, 1970s, Melody Maker, NME, Rolling Stone, print publicationsComment

Marianne and Leonard: Words of Love Explores Golden Moment between Poet and His Muse

By Jim Slotek

ReviewJuly 10, 2019Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love, Judy Collins, Marianne Ihlen, Leonard Cohen, documentary, Music documentaries, Nick Broomfield, Kurt CobainComment

Maiden: Thrilling Doc on All-Female Yachting Feat an Eerie Look Back at Sexism Run Amok

By Jim Slotek

ReviewJuly 10, 2019documentaries, Alex Holmes, Tracy Edwards, Sports films, TIFF 2018, King Hussein of Jordan, Sports documentaries, Sailing, YachtingComment

Original-Cin Q&A: The Lion King's new Timon, Billy Eichner, talks Nathan Lane, leaving a legacy and the great Meryl Streep 'street' dream

Original-Cin Q&A: The Lion King's new Timon, Billy Eichner, talks Nathan Lane, leaving a legacy and the great Meryl Streep 'street' dream

By Bonnie Laufer

Your weekend preview: What to see (and what to skip) in the theatres this week

PODCAST! Ep. 30: How Mad affected movie criticism, the half-year's best, The Last Black Man in San Francisco and more

By Jim Slotek, Bonnie Laufer, Liam Lacey and Thom Ernst

PodcastJim SlotekJuly 5, 2019Movie podcasts, Mad magazine, Mad movie spoofs, Maiden, Apollo 11, Level 16, The Last Black Man in San Francisco, San Francisco gentrification, The half-year's best movies, Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am, JIm Slotek, Liam Lacey, Bonnie Laufer, Thom ErnstComment

Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am Is Tender, Insightful Doc… But Not Quite Satisfying

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJuly 4, 2019Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, documentary, Toni Morrison, Oprah Winfrey, Angela Davis, Black experienceComment

The Last Black Man in San Francisco: The scorched aftershock of gentrification played out as serio-comedy

By Liam Lacey

Midsommar: Indulgent psychodrama from the director of Hereditary drags, wobbles amid brightness and beauty

By Karen Gordon

ReviewJim SlotekJuly 1, 2019Ari Aster, Hereditary, Toni Collette, Midsommar, Rosemary's Baby, Florence Pugh, The Wicker Man, Children of the Corn, Jack Reynor, Vilhelm Blomgren, William Jackson Harper, Will Poulter, Pagan ritual horror movies, Isabelle Grill, Fighting with My FamilyComment