GRANTED
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  Year Released: 2012 MPAA Rating: Unrated Running Time: 88 minutes |
Anthony Vescio’s “Granted” is a technically proficient feature film with engaging performances. The premise is an interesting one, and the exploration of grief and loss a universal subject we can all relate to at some point or another…
Posted on December 30, 2012 by Mark Bell
UNDOCUMENTED EXECUTIVE
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Year Released: 2013 MPAA Rating: Unrated Running Time: 90 minutes |
Is there a message in there about immigration reform or big businesses screwing people over? In the sense that elements exist within the framework of the film, sure, but it isn’t a particularly politicized film. It’s just a comedy about mistaken identity that hits all the notes it’s supposed to hit…
Posted on December 29, 2012 by Mark Bell
LOVE AT A CERTAIN AGE
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  Year Released: 2012 MPAA Rating: Unrated Running Time: 92 minutes |
I for one never imagined that dancing would be such an important aspect of senior life, and now when I see folks at senior centers cutting a rug, my mind is going to wander to whether or not there is some elderly pick-up artist working his or her magic on the dance floor in front of me…
Posted on December 26, 2012 by Mark Bell
HOUSE OF CARDS
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  Year Released: 2012 MPAA Rating: Unrated Running Time: 115 minutes |
Since the film involves quite a bit of fighting, it’s worth noting that the onscreen battles range from incredible to surprisingly weak. Some of the hand-to-hand combat is handled with wonderful fight choreography, but then you’ll run into a sequence where everything looks a little off…
Posted on December 26, 2012 by Mark Bell
WEST OF MEMPHIS
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  Year Released: 2011 MPAA Rating: Unrated Running Time: 150 minutes |
IN LIMITED RELEASE! I can’t pretend to be some impartial reviewer capable of objective thought about all of this. I’ve followed the West Memphis Three story, and felt strongly of their innocence, for a while…
Posted on December 25, 2012 by Mark Bell
DJANGO UNCHAINED
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  Year Released: 2012 MPAA Rating: R Running Time: 165 minutes |
“Django Unchained” is an epic film with a simple and straightforward story that is as entertaining as they come; for all the hyper-explosive and bloody bullet hits, the film shines in its more quieter moments, where an actor like Christoph Waltz can excel in his charm or Samuel L. Jackson can ooze with ill-intent…
Posted on December 25, 2012 by Mark Bell
HANDSOME POLICE: EPISODE 1
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  Year Released: 2012 MPAA Rating: Unrated Running Time: 3 minutes |
“Handsome Police: Episode 1″ is three minutes of funny, perfectly spoofing that “cop tests the drugs to make sure they’re authentic” moment that always seems so odd for something that has become so stereotypical…
Posted on December 24, 2012 by Mark Bell
MADISON HARRIS
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Year Released: 2012 MPAA Rating: Unrated Running Time: 10 minutes |
The film is shot predominantly with the compositional viewpoint of the children, so we never really see a grown-up’s head; this is a kid’s world, and everything that happens is seen through that filter. It’s a nice aesthetic choice that the filmmakers commit to, and it helps to give the piece a little extra charm…
Posted on December 23, 2012 by Mark Bell
THE ROAD TO THE END
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  Year Released: 2012 MPAA Rating: Unrated Running Time: 15 minutes |
The edit is extremely well-done; if it feels long, it’s not the pacing so much as it is the story. Additionally, despite the limited resources concerning the camera utilized, it is shot with a brilliant eye for composition…
Posted on December 22, 2012 by Mark Bell
2013 PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES GALAS, PREMIERES AND NEW VOICES/NEW VISIONS SELECTIONS
Running from January 3-14, 2013, in Palm Springs, California, the 24th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival has announced its Galas, Premieres and New Voices/New Visions selections…
Posted on December 20, 2012 by Mark Bell
SO THIS IS MIAMI: ADVENTURES AT BORSCHT 8
Borscht is unlike any other film festival I’ve attended. Which is to say that it is like Miami exposure therapy, part filmmaker summit, part film festival and all fun. In other words, Borscht is just that, a cinematic soup made up of all types of nonsense, with Miami as the main component…
Posted on December 19, 2012 by Mark Bell
LET FURY HAVE THE HOUR
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Year Released: 2012 MPAA Rating: Unrated Running Time: 87 minutes |
IN LIMITED RELEASE! What results is an extremely good-looking documentary filled with these rebellious personalities mostly placing their fury aside to have intelligent conversation about where they came from and where we’re all going; or perhaps should be going…
Posted on December 18, 2012 by Mark Bell
BENNY LOVES KILLING
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Year Released: 2012 MPAA Rating: Unrated Running Time: 100 minutes |
While on the surface the film could be just another tale of a starving artist walking the path to self-destruction, the truth is that it is not only not that cut-and-dry, it may not even be an accurate assessment. There’s much more going on here than outward appearances…
Posted on December 18, 2012 by Mark Bell
MADE OUT ALIVE
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Year Released: 2012 MPAA Rating: Unrated Running Time: 80 minutes |
The matter-of-fact nature of the sudden onset of zombies adds a bit of energy and strength in its immediacy. That, coupled with a visual style that is ugly, lo-fi altered for a sometime sepia, sometimes faded look, makes the overall experience that much more visceral…
Posted on December 17, 2012 by Mark Bell
JACKED
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Year Released: 2012 MPAA Rating: Unrated Running Time: 10 minutes |
Aaron Kheifits’ short film “Jacked” is a darkly funny romantic comedy about a sad sack and the woman who can’t wait to take advantage of him…
Posted on December 16, 2012 by Mark Bell