Brigsby Bear deals with themes of family, friendship, the loss of innocence, love, the indelible impact of pop culture, nostalgia, and the power of movies to heal and transform. This inventive and quirky independent film comes from debut feature filmmaker Dave McCary (better known as a writer on SNL), James (Kyle Mooney) has led a…
Ber Carroll explores contemporary issues such as relationship breakdowns, child custody, belonging, identity and abandonment in her latest novel, Once Lost. It’s the first time I’ve read one of Carroll’s books, and I was impressed by her ability to give authentic voice to the everyday conflicts women face in modern life. Once Lost is a…
Occasionally there are times when we get two films released dealing with similar themes or plot lines – we’ve had two “Die Hard in the White House” clones with Olympus Has Fallen and White House Down, two volcano films with Dante’s Peak and Volcano and two giant asteroids heading for Earth with Mimi Leder’s Deep…
If you think Thelma & Louise and step it up several notches, you may get to Love Lies Bleeding. This is a seriously wild and dangerous ride. It’s 1989 and Lou (Kristen Stewart) is a surly gym manager in New Mexico who’s trying to quit smoking. Into her facility walks bi body builder Jackie (Katy…
Renny Harlin was one of the great action directors of the late 80s and early 90s, with films like Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger and The Long Kiss Goodnight to his credit. But lately he seems reduced to directing second-rate formulaic action films like The Misfits and episodes of various TV series. And now he’s helming…
The multitalented PJ Lane takes us on a most entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable walk down memory lane, as he pays tribute to his famous father. With special guests Patti Newton and Rhonda Burchmore, PJ Lane sings, dances and delves into the life and times of fellow entertainer, Don. Complete with a striking 12-piece band and…
The worldwide hit Paddington became the most successful non-US studio family film of all time. The sequel (predictably, Paddington 2) continues the story of the young Peruvian bear who came to London in search of a home. Having found that home with the Browns in Windsor Gardens, life is set for Paddington. While searching for the…
From South African filmmaker John Trengrove comes the controversial film, The Wound. It’s about a group of teenage boys of Xhosa background. They’re are taken to a remote bushland for their manhood initiation ceremony of ulwaluko – a circumcision. Mentors, who have previously undergone the secret ritual, are on hand to help the boys through…
Nearly two decades ago, an incident shattered a family and now the patriarch – a feted, but ailing author – is intent on making good before he drops off the mortal coil. Forever sickly, stumbling about, popping pills and turning to the bottle, his name is Andrew Dyer (Bill Nighy). He lives a reclusive life…
Greg McLean’s (Wolf Creek) latest film, Jungle, is based on the international best-selling memoir by Yossi Ghinsberg. This is a true story of survival against all odds. The year is 1981. Twenty-two year-old Ghinsberg (Daniel Radcliffe) has finished his mandatory Israeli military service. He’s working odd jobs and selling his worldly possessions to fund the adventure…
