Month: January 2013
Sundance Film Review: Dirty Wars
Director Richard Rowley shadows investigative reporter Jeremy Scahill into the secretive world of covert military operations in the Middle East as the United States attempts to win the war on terror no matter the means or consequences. It is a documentary about “the seen and the unseen” according to Scahill’s monotone and dreary narration. … read more
Sundance Film Review: Fallen City
In May of 2008, the Sichuan earthquake completely demolished the small mountain town of Beichuan, China, killing 20,000 of its citizens. Director Qi Zhao puts a magnifying glass on the lives of three Chinese families affected by loss after the earthquake in her directorial debut, Fallen City. … read more
Sundance Film Review: Halley
Beto (Alberto Trujillo) is a security guard for a gym in Mexico who has an unusual health condition that forces him to resign from his post, even at the discretion of his flirtatious employer (Luly Trueba). Unbeknownst to her, Beto’s illness causes his skin and physical abilities to deteriorate to a gruesome degree unless he injects himself with an embalming fluid concoction. … read more
Slamdance Film Review: Bible Quiz
Filmed in a typical documentary fashion, with intimate interviews making up about half of the film, we get a glimpse into the life of Mikayla. She’s a seventeen year old who doesn’t even seem particularly obsessed with memorizing scriptures, but more interested her Bible quiz teammate JP.
Slamdance Film Review: Battery Man
Biba Struja is a 54-year-old Serbian with a special talent, which nobody really knows how to explain. With nothing more than a determined look on his face and pair of metal rods, Struja is able to cook a hot dog, boil water, and even ignite a piece of cloth drenched with lighter fluid. He is “Battery Man.”
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Slamdance Film Review: Diamond On Vinyl
Diamond On Vinyl explores social media in a way that is both interesting and a little bit creepy. The film revolves around a man named Henry (Brian McGuire), who is secretly recording parts of his everyday life, including sex with his fiancé, in an attempt to learn how to have the perfect conversation.
Slamdance Film Review: Josephine and the Roach
The title pretty much sums up the basic storyline of this short: a love story between a woman and a cockroach. Sounds kind of weird, right?
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Slamdance Film Review: The Bitter Buddha
Although he has been doing stand-up comedy for 30 years, Eddie Pepitone is still largely unknown to the general public. But to fellow comedians, he is regarded as one of the best in the business.
Slamdance Film Review: Caterwaul
As with a lot of short films, you are fed bizarre stories with even stranger characters. Caterwaul is no exception. It is the story of an old man who fishes for lobsters off the coast of Massachusetts, but that’s where things get weird.
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Slamdance Film Review: To The Bone
In yet another Slamdance World Premiere, To The Bone brings a glimpse into the difficult lives of migrant farmworkers. Eleven-year-old Valencia (Naomie Feliu), her father (Jaime Alvarez) and her eight-year-old little brother, Marcos (Carlos C. Torres), work long, hard days for next to no pay—just to give their family a chance at a better life—while all Valencia wants is to go home. But will her attempt to do so have unforseen aftereffects that cause more harm than good? … read more