“Mr. SOUL!” chronicles the life of Ellis Haizlip — producer and host of the groundbreaking public broadcasting show “SOUL!”, which ran from 1968-’73. Based in NYC, the program showcased African American singers, dancers, poets and political figures — breaking both barriers and rules along the way. As director, Ellis’s niece, Melissa Haizlip, beautifully presents all […]
One of my top memories from attending the 2016 Critics Choice Awards was a conversation with comic actress Gillian Jacobs. She was there representing her movie, “Don’t Think Twice”, which was nominated for Best Comedy. We chatted for awhile, and then Jacobs asked how long I was staying in Los Angeles. I told her I […]
“Marona’s Fantastic Tale” was actually one of the 32 eligible contenders for a 2019 Best Animated Feature Academy Award nomination. But last year was very competitive and “Marona” was overlooked. The GKIDS release comes out digitally/online on June 12. That’s when this creatively elaborate, innovative and deeply moving film will finally get its day. Romanian […]
Just when you thought “Rocky” was out of the cinematic ring for good… he’s back. And he proves he has one more great round in him. “40 Years of Rocky: The Birth of a Classic” is a documentary short, narrated by — who else? — Sylvester Stallone. Writer, director, producer and editor Derek Wayne Johnson […]
“Driveways” was filmed a few years ago near my neck of the woods in rural Upstate New York. Hong Chau (who deserved an Oscar nomination for her performance in 2017’s “Downsizing”) stars as single-mom Kathy. She’s studying to be a nurse (doing medical transcriptions to make money) while raising 8-year-old Cody (Lucas Jaye from “Fuller […]
Actor Angus Macfadyen has done something rare in movie history. 25-years ago, Macfadyen played historical Scottish figure Robert the Bruce in Mel Gibson’s 1995 epic “Braveheart”. Now — a quarter-century later — Macfadyen has reprised that same role in a new film he also produced and co-wrote. So in a sense, “Robert the Bruce” (available […]
The trolley car continues to move along the track with “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood”. This is not a standard biopic on Fred Rogers. Nor is it an overview of his life (as with last year’s Focus Features and PBS documentaries). Instead, this is an “inspired by actual events” story of a relationship between […]
“Doctor Sleep” is based on the 2013 Stephen King sequel to his iconic novel, “The Shining”. Thankfully, I watched the 1980 Stanley Kubrick film, starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall, shortly before screening “DS”, to learn the backstory and appreciate all the connections and references. If you haven’t seen “The Shining” in a long time […]
“I Lost My Body” is the year’s most abstract animated feature. And at just 80 minutes, it packs-in as much as depth and emotion as the longer, much more commercial “Toy Story 4”. This story, based on a 2006 book by Guillaume Laurant, is told from the POV of a human hand that’s been separated […]
Get used to hearing the name Kelvin Harrison, Jr. He stars alongside Naomi Watts, Tim Roth and Octavia Spencer in the new NEON drama “Luce”. Harrison, Jr. had roles in 2017’s “Mudbound” and “It Comes At Night”, but his performance as the title character in “Luce” will skyrocket him to stardom. Luce is a black, […]