Articles — Original Cin

Since 2017: Career film critics continuing the conversation

The Desperate Hour: Naomi Watts and Her iPhone Jog Through a School Shooting Drama

The Desperate Hour: Naomi Watts and Her iPhone Jog Through a School Shooting Drama

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 25, 2022The Desperate Hour, Drama, Phillip Noyce, Chris Sparling, Naomi Watts, School shootings, AustraliaComment

Cyrano: Stirring Adaptation of Classic Love Triangle Sings Its Heart Out

Cyrano: Stirring Adaptation of Classic Love Triangle Sings Its Heart Out

By Kim Hughes

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 24, 2022Cyrano, Adaptation, Love triangle, Joe Wright, Drama, Erica Schmidt, Peter Dinklage, Haley Bennett, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Ben Mendelsohn, Stage adaptation Comment

Studio 666: Campy Foo Fighters Horror Stumbles (but Still Beats Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park)

Studio 666: Campy Foo Fighters Horror Stumbles (but Still Beats Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park)

By Thom Ernst

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 24, 2022Foo Fighters, Horror, Mockumentary, Studio 666, BJ McDonnell, Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Chris Shiflett, Nate Mendel, Rami Jaffee, Whitney Cummings, Will Forte, Jeff GarlinComment

Gasoline Alley: Yippee-Ki-Yech, the Bruce Willis Cash Drive Continues

Gasoline Alley: Yippee-Ki-Yech, the Bruce Willis Cash Drive Continues

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 24, 2022Bruce Willis, Stars in minor movies, Golden Raspberry Awards, Gasoline Alley, Writer-director Edward Drake, Devon Sawa, Luke Wilson, American SiegeComment

Big Gold Brick: Not Even Ace Actors Can Rescue This Lame Duck Comedy

Big Gold Brick: Not Even Ace Actors Can Rescue This Lame Duck Comedy

By Karen Gordon

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 23, 2022Big Gold Brick, Andy Garcia, Oscar Isaac, Meghan Fox, Lucy Hale, Brian Petsos, Comedy, Films shot in Toronto Comment

Original-Cin Q&A: Cyrano's Roxanne, Haley Bennett, on Peter Dinklage and Her Partner Joe Wright

Original-Cin Q&A: Cyrano's Roxanne, Haley Bennett, on Peter Dinklage and Her Partner Joe Wright

By Bonnie Laufer

InterviewJim SlotekFebruary 22, 2022Period piece films, Classic lit turned into musicals, Cyrano, Joe Wright, Peter Dinklage, Haley Bennett, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Movies shot during the pandemicComment

Severance: When Work-Life Balance Gets Drilled Into Your Head

Severance: When Work-Life Balance Gets Drilled Into Your Head

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 18, 2022Severance, Apple TV+, Dan Erickson, Ben Stiller, Aoife McArdle, Adam Scott, Zach Cherry, Britt Lower, Christopher Walken, Patricia Arquette, John Turturro, Tramell TillmanComment

Dog: Two War Vets Hit the Road on Six Legs in Channing Tatum’s Heal-Good Directing Debut

Dog: Two War Vets Hit the Road on Six Legs in Channing Tatum’s Heal-Good Directing Debut

By Jennie Punter

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 18, 2022Actors' directing debuts, Channing Tatum, Dog, War Dog: A Soldier’s Best Friend, Reid CarolinComment

Uncharted: Gleaming Hollywood Star Power Can’t Save this Silly Actioner

Uncharted: Gleaming Hollywood Star Power Can’t Save this Silly Actioner

By Thom Ernst

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 17, 2022Uncharted, Actioner, based on a video game, Mark Wahlberg, Tom Holland, Antonio Banderas, Reuben FleischerComment

Original-Cin Interview: Nadine Pequeneza on Last of the Right Whales and Filming Death in the Water

Original-Cin Interview: Nadine Pequeneza on Last of the Right Whales and Filming Death in the Water

By Jim Slotek

InterviewJim SlotekFebruary 17, 2022Comment

The Cursed: Gothic Werewolf Period Piece Delivers Atmosphere With Fright

The Cursed: Gothic Werewolf Period Piece Delivers Atmosphere With Fright

By Thom Ernst

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 17, 2022Comment

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: The Mid-Century-Modern Standup Heroine Returns, Reasonably Marvelously

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: The Mid-Century-Modern Standup Heroine Returns, Reasonably Marvelously

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 17, 2022The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Amy Sherman-Palladino, Daniel Palladino, Rachel Brosnahan, Shows on hiatus during COVID, Alex Borstein, Golden age standup comedyComment

A Banquet: Psychological Horror Uses Food as Metaphor for Possession

A Banquet: Psychological Horror Uses Food as Metaphor for Possession

By Thom Ernst

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 16, 2022Horror, TIFF 2021, British, A Banquet, Ruth Paxton, Sienna Guillory, Jessica Alexander, Kaine Zajaz, Lindsay Duncan, Ruby StokesComment

Original-Cin Q&A: District 9's Sharlto Copley Gets Into the Unabomber’s Head in Ted K

Original-Cin Q&A: District 9's Sharlto Copley Gets Into the Unabomber’s Head in Ted K

By Bonnie Laufer

InterviewJim SlotekFebruary 15, 2022Ted K, Ted Kaczynski, a.k.a. the Unabomber, Tony Stone, Sharlto Copley, District 9, Anti-tech manifesto, mailbombsComment

Timely Tales of Paranoia: Soderbergh’s Deft Thriller, Kimi, Neeson’s Doleful Blacklight

Timely Tales of Paranoia: Soderbergh’s Deft Thriller, Kimi, Neeson’s Doleful Blacklight

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 11, 2022espionage, Liam Neeson, Aidan Quinn, Steven Soderbergh, Zoe Kravitz, Robin Givens, Spies, ThrillerComment

Parallel Mothers: Pedro Almodóvar’s Latest Exalts Penélope Cruz, Ponders Post-Franco Spain

Parallel Mothers: Pedro Almodóvar’s Latest Exalts Penélope Cruz, Ponders Post-Franco Spain

By Karen Gordon

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 11, 2022Parallel Mothers, Pedro Almodóvar, Penélope Cruz, Milena Smit, Israel Elejalde, Spain, Drama, Motherhood, DRama Comment

Death on the Nile: Branagh's Reverence to Agatha Christie is Like Well Played Parlour Music

Death on the Nile: Branagh's Reverence to Agatha Christie is Like Well Played Parlour Music

By Thom Ernst

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 10, 2022Agatha Christie, Death on the Nile, Kenneth Branagh, Hercule Poirot, Armie Hammer, Gal GadotComment

I Want You Back: A Bent, Funny Valentine with Charlie Day and Jenny Slate

I Want You Back: A Bent, Funny Valentine with Charlie Day and Jenny Slate

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 10, 2022Valentine's Day romcoms, I Want You Back, Jenny Slate, Charlie Day, Scott Eastwood, Clark Backo, Gina Rodriguez, Manny JacintoComment

Compartment No. 6: Strangers Become Friends on A Train Ride To The Russian Arctic

Compartment No. 6: Strangers Become Friends on A Train Ride To The Russian Arctic

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 9, 2022Compartment No. 6, Finland, Russia, Juho Kuosmanen, Seidi Haarla, Yuriy Borisov, Dinara Drukarova, Lidia Kostina, Tomi AlataloComment

The Worst Person in the World: Oscar Nom a Sparkling Study of an Impulsive Woman... Romantic and Otherwise

The Worst Person in the World: Oscar Nom a Sparkling Study of an Impulsive Woman... Romantic and Otherwise

By Karen Gordon

ReviewJim SlotekFebruary 9, 2022The Worst Person in the World, International Oscar nominees, Joachim Trier, Renate Reinsve, Anders Danielsen Lie, Herbert Nordrum, Female characters searching for meaningComment