Articles — Original Cin

Since 2017: Career film critics continuing the conversation

Cryptozoo: A Trippy, Hippie Tribute to Fantastic Creatures

Cryptozoo: A Trippy, Hippie Tribute to Fantastic Creatures

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 18, 2021Cryptozoo, Animation, Michael Cera, Lake Bell, Dash Shaw, Louisa Krause, Peter Stormare, Thomas Jay Ryan, Grace Zabriskie, adult themes, 1967Comment

I Carry You With Me: Gentle Mexican Immigrant Love Story Floats Between Fact And Drama

I Carry You With Me: Gentle Mexican Immigrant Love Story Floats Between Fact And Drama

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 18, 2021I Carry You With Me, Mexican film, Spanish language, Semi-autobiographical, Heidi Ewing, Iván García, Gerardo Zabaleta, Armando Espitia, Christian VázquezComment

Original-Cin Interview: Actor Rebecca Hall on the Thrill of Making Thriller The Night House

Original-Cin Interview: Actor Rebecca Hall on the Thrill of Making Thriller The Night House

By Jim Slotek

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 17, 2021The Night House, Rebecca Hall, Sarah Goldberg, Horror, Psychological thriller, David BrucknerComment

Original-Cin Q&A: Paw Patrol Director Cal Brunker Discusses Pups, Pipsqueaks, and Celebs

Original-Cin Q&A: Paw Patrol Director Cal Brunker Discusses Pups, Pipsqueaks, and Celebs

By Bonnie Laufer

InterviewJim SlotekAugust 16, 2021Paw Patrol: The Movie, Children's movies, Cal Brunker, Kim Kardashian, Jimmy Kimmel, Animation Comment

Rare Beasts: Billie Piper’s Anti-Romcom Shows the Beastly Side of Modern Relationships

Rare Beasts: Billie Piper’s Anti-Romcom Shows the Beastly Side of Modern Relationships

By Linda Barnard

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 16, 2021Rare Beasts, Romcom, British comedy, Billie Piper, David Thewlis, love storyComment

10/31 Part 2: An Unfortunate - and Unseasonal - Bottom-Budget Halloween Anthology

10/31 Part 2: An Unfortunate - and Unseasonal - Bottom-Budget Halloween Anthology

By Thom Ernst

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 13, 2021Horror anthology, Halloween-themed movies, 10/31 Part 2, Elvira-like horror host, Jennifer Nangle, Babysitters in jeopardy, Tory van BuskirkComment

Howling Village: Overly Busy Wannabe Horror Aims High, Lands in the Outfield

Howling Village: Overly Busy Wannabe Horror Aims High, Lands in the Outfield

By Thom Ernst

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 12, 2021Howling Village, Horror, Japanese horror, Takashi Shimizu, Masanobu Takashima, Ayaka Miyoshi, Ryôta BandôComment

Respect: Aretha Explained... Just a Little Bit

Respect: Aretha Explained... Just a Little Bit

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 12, 2021Music legend biopics, Respect, Aretha Franklin, Jennifer Hudson, Amazing Grace, Sidney Pollack, Liesl Tommy, Tracey Scott Wilson, Forest WhitakerComment

Free Guy: Ryan Reynolds Comedy Glib Fun But No Game-Changer

Free Guy: Ryan Reynolds Comedy Glib Fun But No Game-Changer

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 11, 2021Free Guy, Ryan Reynolds, Taika Waititi, Video game movies, Shawn Levy, Comedy, Action, Sci-fiComment

Original-Cin Q&A: Co-Star/Writer of the Women's-Lives Anthology Materna Discusses Writing From Grief

Original-Cin Q&A: Co-Star/Writer of the Women's-Lives Anthology Materna Discusses Writing From Grief

By Bonnie Laufer

InterviewJim SlotekAugust 11, 2021Materna, New York anthology films, Women's lives, Assol Abdullina, David Gutnik, Jade Eshete, Tribeca Film FestivalComment

Materna: Four Stories Told Through a Motherhood Lens Feels Compelling but Underdone

Materna: Four Stories Told Through a Motherhood Lens Feels Compelling but Underdone

By Linda Barnard

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 11, 2021Materna, David Gutnik, Sturgill Simpson, Motherhood, Drama, Assol Abdullina, Jade Eshete, Lindsay Burdge, Rory Culkin, Kate Lyn Sheil, Cassandra Freeman, New York anthology films, Tribeca Film FestivalComment

Original-Cin Q&A: Marlee Matlin On Playing the Deaf Mom of a Hearing Teen in the Sundance Winner Coda

Original-Cin Q&A: Marlee Matlin On Playing the Deaf Mom of a Hearing Teen in the Sundance Winner Coda

By Bonnie Laufer

InterviewJim SlotekAugust 10, 2021Movies about deaf families, Coda, La Famille Bélier, Emilia Jones, Marlee Matlin, Sundance FIlm Festival, Sian HederComment

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit: A Touching Child's-Eye Memoir, One Step Ahead of the War

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit: A Touching Child's-Eye Memoir, One Step Ahead of the War

By Jim Slotek

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 9, 2021When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, Jews fleeing German ahead of the War, Judith Kerr, Caroline Link, Riva Krymalowski, Oliver Masucci, Child's-eye views of war Comments

Dream Horse: A Rousing, Galloping Britcom, with Toni Collette in the Lead

Dream Horse: A Rousing, Galloping Britcom, with Toni Collette in the Lead

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 6, 2021Uplifting working class British movies, The Full Monty, Dream Horse, Euros Lyn, Toni Collette, Cefn Fforest, Famous Welsh race horseComment

Rising Wolf: Silly Elevator Death-Trap Thriller (Yes, Really) Definitely Plummets Downward

Rising Wolf: Silly Elevator Death-Trap Thriller (Yes, Really) Definitely Plummets Downward

By Thom Ernst

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 5, 2021Rising Wolf, Antaine Furlong, Thriller, Charlotte Best, Alex Menglet, Jonny Pasvolsky, elevator, Boris Badenov, Imperilled woman Comment

Annette: Adam Driver Shines in Leo Carax’s Arthouse Musical, But Can’t Warm an Emotionally Detached Film

Annette: Adam Driver Shines in Leo Carax’s Arthouse Musical, But Can’t Warm an Emotionally Detached Film

By Karen Gordon

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 5, 2021Leos Carax, Annette, Sparks, Adam Driver, Musicals featuring non-singers, Cannes Film Festival, Simon HelbergComment

The Suicide Squad: James Gunn Recharges the DC Franchise as a Nihilistic Orgy of Brightly Coloured Gore and Violence

The Suicide Squad: James Gunn Recharges the DC Franchise as a Nihilistic Orgy of Brightly Coloured Gore and Violence

By Jim Slotek

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 5, 2021The Suicide Squad, James Gunn, R-rated DC based film, Idris Elba, John Cena, Margot Robbie, Viola DavisComment

12 Mighty Orphans: If Success Has Many Parents, This Film Is the Opposite

12 Mighty Orphans: If Success Has Many Parents, This Film Is the Opposite

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 4, 202112 Mighty Orphans, fact-based drama, Luke Wilson, Martin Sheen, Robert Duvall, Ty Roberts, Texas, Sports movies, Wayne Knight, Depression-era Comments

Vivo: Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Animated Kid-fest is Sparkly, Crafted… But Just Kind of OK

Vivo: Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Animated Kid-fest is Sparkly, Crafted… But Just Kind of OK

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 3, 2021Vivo, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Gloria Estefan, Children's films, Kids, Animation, Netflix, Alex Lacamoire, Cuban, Buena Vista Social Club, DisneyComment

Here Today: Billy Crystal Directs Himself in a Blandly Good-hearted Manifesto About Aging, Dementia and Losing the Funny

Here Today: Billy Crystal Directs Himself in a Blandly Good-hearted Manifesto About Aging, Dementia and Losing the Funny

By Jim Slotek

ReviewJim SlotekAugust 3, 2021Billy Crystal, Films about dementia, Here Today, Alan Zweibel, Films about comedy, Tiffany HaddishComment