Peter Farrelly’s period road movie about a black piano player and his Italian driver in Jim Crow America doesn’t dig deep into American racism, but charms and moves nonetheless. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood The discussion of racism in America is a Pandora’s box for Hollywood. On one hand, it’s a vastly important ... Green Book Review: Playing the Same Old Song About Jim Crow Racism
The Coen brothers return to the Old West for a darkly comic anthology of six stories of doomed men and women out on the frontier. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Watching a Western movie means feeling a strange surge of patriotism, of pride and awe for the American men and women who made ... The Ballad of Buster Scruggs Review: The Coen Brothers Spin Six Tales of Old West Tragicomedy
We talk to star/writer McKenzie Chinn, director Gregory Dixon, and actor Charles Andrew Gardner about their vibrant, Chicago-set indie about a young woman navigating her thirties. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood As we continue to wrap up our coverage of the Chicago International Film Festival, it’s important to take a look at some ... Olympia’s Cast and Crew on Capturing Millennial Malaise in Chicago (Interview)
David McKenzie reunites with Chris Pine for a Braveheart-esque historical epic that plays out more like a filler episode of Game of Thrones. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Before you read any further, know this: yes, Chris Pine does hang dong in Outlaw King. For a certain subset of the population, this may ... Outlaw King Review: Chris Pine Frees Scotland in Tepid Historical Drama
The first-time filmmaker and the veteran actor sit down to talk about Chomko’s experiences with Alzheimer’s in her own family, the switch from studio to auteur filmmaking, and more. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood While dysfunctional family dramas are arguably a dime a dozen, Elizabeth Chomko’s Chicago-centric debut What They Had stands out substantially ... What They Had: Elizabeth Chomko and Robert Forster on Crafting Sensitive Family Drama (Interview)
While Theresa Rebeck’s low-budgeted rural hangout comedy sports a fine cast, they can’t quite elevate the proceedings beyond the occasional modest laugh. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Movies that are remembered are generally on a spectrum of cinematic triumph to shoddy exercise for an inexperienced rube’s hubris. Then there are the films that ... Trouble Review: A Modest Small-Town Dramedy With an Overqualified Cast
This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Novelist, screenwriter and Pulitzer-nominated playwright Theresa Rebeck is a woman of many hats – the latest of which is the director of the independent ensemble comedy Trouble. A film with modest ambitions but no small amount of charm, its tale of a small-town sibling rivalry is bolstered by tremendous ... Trouble: Writer/Director Theresa Rebeck on Wrangling Low Budgets and Big Stars (Interview)
Sporting a brilliant ensemble cast, Drew Goddard’s throwback to the neo-noir crime films of Tarantino and Rodriguez is that rare example that actually works. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood It’s the sort of plot that’s been around for so long, Hollywood was essentially built on it: a bunch of ne’er do well strangers ... Bad Times at the El Royale Review: Good Times With Drew Goddard’s Gritty Ensemble
Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut features strong performances and some catchy tunes, but he’s just the opening act for Lady Gaga’s revelatory breakout performance. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood When that first teaser for Bradley Cooper’s version of A Star Is Born dropped in early June, jaws were justifiably dropped. The skepticism around the ... A Star Is Born (2018) Review: Lady Gaga Soars In Sumptuous, if Shallow, Remake
Joaquin Phoenix and John C. Reilly are a pair of offbeat gunslingers in Jacques Audiard’s unconventional, gorgeously energetic Western. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood The American Western has been told in every conceivable fashion, but they often feature the same sort of lead – a man who, when faced with great adversity, buries ... The Sisters Brothers Review: Joaquin Phoenix and John C. Reilly Upend the Western
In total, the fifth season of Netflix’s animated series juggles as many dark laughs out of the difficulty of breaking out of toxic behaviors, cementing its place as one of the most emotionally complicated shows on television. Minor spoilers ahead for the rest of season 5; check out our season 5 preview here. This piece ... BoJack Horseman Season 5 Review: Forgiveness, Change, and Free Churros
Netflix’s bittersweet tale of talking animals and the vagaries of celebrity returns for a thoughtful fifth season filled with even more emotional depth and acerbic wit. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Television’s best series about depression returns for a fifth season, and with some stark reminders about how doing the right thing and ... BoJack Horseman Season 5 TV Review: As Devastating and Bleakly Funny As Ever
Gaspar Noe’s kaleidoscopic Cannes favorite gets a new trailer and poster promising all the Satanic dance mayhem the French provocateur can muster. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Gaspar Noé is no stranger to deeply weird, bold, provocative films – Enter the Void and Irreversible are practically the poster children for confrontational, arguably sexist European New Vulgar cinema. His ... The Trailer for Gaspar Noé’s ‘Climax’ Does the Danse Macabre: Watch
Crystal Moselle’s narrative debut brings her documentary sensibilities to a fun, heartfelt story featuring the real members of Long Island’s most badass boarders. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Skate Kitchen offers something that’s been sorely missing from the world of coming-of-age films: a story that tells self-discovery not as a hero’s tale with ... Skate Kitchen Is a Sun-Baked Celebration of Realistic Adolescence
Susanna Nicchiarelli’s biopic of the German singer and artist is as impermeable as it is impermanent – those seeking a window into the artist’s life should look elsewhere. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Some may applaud Nico, 1988 for being a film with zero fucks to give. Much like its central subject, and ... Ponderous and Disconnected, Nico, 1988 Will Not Let You Be its Mirror
This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood If you want festivals full of soulful contemplation of the human condition, and solemn documentaries about Serious Issues, Cannes and Sundance have you covered. Want to see blood, gore, sleaze, and Nicolas Cage getting in a chainsaw fight? You go to Fantasia. Fantasia is a genre film festival ... Four Crazy Horror Flicks We Want to See at Fantasia
Boots Riley’s wild feature film debut throws racial politics, consumerism, and magical realism in a blender, making for a comedy that’s as unpredictable as it is hilarious. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Capitalism is a hell of a drug – it lulls you in with the promise of wealth and success, and all ... Sorry to Bother You Review: Boots Riley Takes On Consumerism, Race in Scorchingly Funny Debut
Bruce LaBruce’s reputation as a bad-taste provocateur gleefully continues with this campy exercise in sex, sleaze, and political satire. This piece was originally published on Alcohollywood A transgressive artist’s main job should be to make people uncomfortable, and director Bruce LaBruce does his job very well. For over thirty years, LaBruce has been mixing art ... The Misandrists Review: Bawdy, Transgressive Satire from Bruce LaBruce
Marvel’s first placeholder till the next Infinity War is a more assured caper comedy than the first Ant-Man, but it’s almost too lightweight to make a real impression. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood When the credits rolled for Avengers: Infinity War, we all walked out of the theater thinking the same thing: We ... Ant-Man and the Wasp Review: Marvel’s Latest Shrinks the Stakes
Director X’s slick, hip-hop fueled remake of the blaxploitation classic trades in 70s crime for music video slickness, and is none the better for it. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Beyond its artistic and entertainment value, a film is also a snapshot of the era in which it was made. In film, we ... SuperFly Review: A Gritty Remake That’s Far From Groovy
Drew Pearce’s pulpy near-future potboiler about a futuristic hotel/hospital for bad guys lets its stacked cast have fun amongst some shaky plotting. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Grungy, retro sci-fi seems to be making a comeback the last few years – cyberpunk potboilers whose scripts wouldn’t be out of place in a direct-to-video ... Hotel Artemis Review: A Grungy Sci-Fi Shoot-’em-Up With a Five-Star Staff