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SXSW2016, Part 3 (Wednesday-Thursday, March 16-17)
And so the week at SXSW has continued. Since the last post, I have had only two more pieces published on Hammer to Nail – an interview with the director and producer of The Dwarvenaut and a review of...
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SXSW2016, Part 4 (Friday, March 18 and beyond)
If you missed it earlier in the week, here is the list of the SXSW2016 Jury Awards. And here are the Audience Awards, announced yesterday. The last day of the festival, for me, was Friday, March 18 (we...
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SXSW2016, Part 5: More Pieces on “Hammer to Nail”…
So SXSW might be over for the year, but my reviews and interviews from the 2016 festival still keep coming. Here are five more pieces: The Bandit interview The Slippers review The Slippers interview...
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“Baskin,” an Uneven (and Disgusting) Horror Film, Still Offers a Few Welcome...
Baskin (Can Evrenol, 2015) So I may have not yet had a chance to see (the, by all accounts, overwrought and dreary) Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (it opened last night) – a “problem” that I may or...
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If “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” Is a Dreary Slog, At Least We’ve...
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (Zack Snyder, 2016) In the end, it all comes down to good old Mom. With the fate of the world in the balance, with the forces of good and evil arrayed on either side...
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SXSW2016, Part 6: The Penultimate Post (with Still More “Hammer to Nail”...
Just when you thought we were done with my reviews and interviews from the 2016 SXSW Festival, I have still more Hammer to Nail pieces to share. Six more, to be exact (and there will be one final post...
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“Hardcore Henry” Is a Bloody Mess
Hardcore Henry (Ilya Naishuller, 2015) I saw Hardcore Henry at the recent 2016 SXSW Festival, and my initial reaction to the film has not mellowed in the weeks since. If you like first-person...
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In “Demolition,” Gyllenhaal & Company Shine Through a Strained Metaphor
Demolition (Jean-Marc Vallée, 2016) The last few years have been good to Canadian director Jean-Marc Vallée, with Dallas Buyers Club, in 2013 (nominated for 6 Oscars and winner of 3), and Wild, in 2014...
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SXSW2016, Part 7: The Final Post (Last Few “Hammer to Nail” Reviews and...
Here are my final reviews and interviews from the 2016 SXSW Festival, published on Hammer to Nail: Gleason review In Pursuit of Silence interview Operator interview The Seer review Be sure to read my...
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Disney’s New and Improved “The Jungle Book” Serves up a Zesty, if Recycled,...
The Jungle Book (Jon Favreau, 2016) Here’s a question for you: would you be as excited – if excited you are – for the new live-action (so called) version of Disney’s 1967 animated classic, The Jungle...
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“City of Gold” Cultivates an Appreciation for the Extraordinary Ordinary Art...
City of Gold (Laura Gabbert, 2015) Jonathan Gold prowls the streets of Los Angeles and environs in search of culinary delights, leaving a trail of well-chewed crumbs in his wake. As the food critic for...
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“Elvis & Nixon” Is As Mixed a Mashup of Genres As Its Premise Suggests, but...
Elvis & Nixon (Liza Johnson, 2016) Michael Shannon, like him or not, is an actor who brings an almost violent intensity to every performance. Roiling emotions vibrate from within, his large frame...
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“Miles Ahead” Reveals the Artist That Is Cheadle
I saw this film at the 2016 SXSW Film Festival. The review, below, is an amalgam and expansion of two separate capsule reviews I have previously published: one on my blog, and one for Bmoreart. Miles...
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“Hammer to Nail”&“Bmoreart” Reviews of Last Week: “Everybody Wants...
In the last week, I had three reviews published on the two usual other sites where I post: Bmoreart and Hammer to Nail. Those reviews were of Everybody Wants Some!!, Searchdog and Wedding Doll. Check...
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Gory “Green Room” Is At Least No Bore
Green Room (Jeremy Saulnier, 2015) If you like horror films that embrace their gore with viscous close-ups, yet also long for the blood to flow from a well-scripted set-up where consequences follow...
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In “Sing Street,” the Harmonies Resonate Until They Don’t
Sing Street (John Carney, 2016) Even though Sing Street – the latest musical confection from John Carney (Once, Begin Again) – may not ultimately be a particularly good movie, for a while it is quite...
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In “Keanu,” Key & Peele Are Mostly Goody for a Few Laughs
Keanu (Peter Atencio, 2016) Who doesn’t love the sketch-comedy duo Key & Peele (that’s Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele), hosts of a now-retired Comedy Central show of the same name? Witty,...
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“Roughly Speaking” on “Green Room,”“Keanu” and “The Jungle Book”
On yesterday’s edition of Dan Rodricks’ Roughly Speaking podcast for The Baltimore Sun, we discussed three films currently out in cinemas: Green Room, The Jungle Book and Keanu. Here is the link. I...
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Get Ready for Five Days of “Film for Everyone.” The Maryland Film Festival...
The 2016 Maryland Film Festival is upon us. It features over 40 features and over 80 short films, from all over the world. Check out my preview of this year’s festival on Bmoreart for more info, and...
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“Captain America: Civil War” Pits Brawn Against Brawn, Yet Again, Only This...
Captain America: Civil War (Anthony Russo/Joe Russo, 2016) My favorite superhero film in the current age of the ever-expanding Marvelverse – other than the delightfully irreverent variants like...
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