All posts by Dash Finley
-
Interview: Life Itself Director Dan Fogelman Defends His Uplifting Vision
“It’s the word ‘interconnection’”, states noted writer-director Dan Fogelman, an electric glint in his eye. “What I’m interested in right now is the things that...
-
Review: Dog Days Beats the Heat With Canine Comedy
Once an anti-comedy rabble rouser for MTV’s forward thinking sketch show “The State”, actor-turned-director Ken Marino has, as the adage goes, “learned new tricks” in...
-
Review: Duck Butter Gets Right Down to the Marrow of Romance
Known for emotionally resonant and grounded dramedies such as Chuck and Buck and Youth In Revolt, director Miguel Arteta now teams with former Arrested Development...
-
Interview: Garden Party Co-Directors Discuss Going from French Film Students to Academy Award Nominees
Among all the high-stakes drama as the 90th annual Academy Awards unfurls this evening, some of the most fraught competition may come in the unlikely...
-
Review: Early Man is a Lovely Throwback to the Best of Early Animation
For the better part of three decades, Nick Park has inspired and delighted audiences of all ages with his utterly charming stop motion creations. Titles...
-
Review: La Boda de Valentina is Charming, Yet a Bit Thin
Hailing from Pantelion Films is La Boda de Valentina, the second fluffy rom-com from helmer Marco Polo Constandse (Cásese Quien Pueda). When taken on its...
-
Review: The Oscar Nominated Shorts 2018 Are Moving and Masterful
As awards season rears its glistening, golden head once again, we film journalists rally around the cause of our favorite feature film in the best...
-
“Small Mouth Sounds” Speaks the Truth Through Silence
Equal parts delightful and insightful, Bess Wohl’s stunningly meditative new play “Small Mouth Sounds” took Santa Monica by (silent) storm last week when it premiered...
-
Review: Den of Thieves Excels In Entertainment
Sometimes, when looking at a film, one must consider two things side-by-side: one being what the film itself wants to be, and the other what...
-
Gordon Thomson Finds His Spark in the Darkness of “Bloodbound”
Gordon Thomson knew it was time for a change. The once-prolific Canadian actor of screen and stage, who thrilled television audiences worldwide with his turn...
-
Review: The Commuter Stays on the Right Track
Following the success of last winter’s lavish Murder on the Orient Express remake, the arrival of Jaume Collet-Serra’s The Commuter marks what appears to be...
-
Review: Person to Person Is Mild But Beguiling
A gently appealing slice of Gotham life, Person to Person has a number of advantages over its countless Woody Allen-inspired brethren, starting with its ability...
-
Review: War for the Planet of the Apes Is a Satisfying End to an impressive Trilogy
Back in 2011, this reviewer had weighty doubts that Fox’s nascent prequel to the Planet of the Apes series would ever take off at the...
-
Review: Lady Macbeth Is All Attitude, No Atmosphere
At once a gothic chiller without the chills and windswept melodrama without the drama, the turgid new bodice-shredder Lady Macbeth fails on an elemental level...
-
Review: Transformers: The Last Knight is Bloated, Dumb, Derivative – and Somehow Still Fun
“Overindulgent” is a complaint often levied at the films of the widely loathed yet equally successful action auteur Michael Bay— and with good reason. But...
-
The Recall Is an Occasionally Enjoyable Retread for Wesley Snipes
It’s now been four years since the iconic Wesley Snipes returned to Hollywood a free man. Since then, he’s appeared in a few Expendables sequels...
-
Review: Power Rangers Entertains But Doesn’t Step Out of the Box
Full disclosure: As a child of the ‘90s, I was far more partial to the madcap absurdity of the WB Cartoon lineup (“Animaniacs,” “Freakazoid,” etc.)...
-
Review: Logan Slashes to the Top of All Superhero Movies
In the days following my viewing of Logan, news hit the Internet that there would be a post-credits scene after the end of the film....
-
Compadres Brings America and Mexico Together with a Bang
Mile-high explosions, pulse-pounding car chases, slow motion shootouts – these are all familiar staples of the big-budget action movie, a genre thought to be as...
-
Review: Paolo Sorrentino Successfully Ages into Youth
When noted Italian auteur Paolo Sorrentino (Il Divo) made his English-language debut with 2011’s This Must Be the Place starring Sean Penn, the critical reception...
-
Gregg Turkington and Rick Alverson Take on Comedy, Political Correctness and the Nature of Revulsion in Entertainment
In their respective fields, Rick Alverson and Gregg Turkington have established and self-propagated reputations as iconoclastic troublemakers; the former as the agit-auteur director of 2012’s...
-
Review: Missing Child Distinguishes Itself with Powerhouse Performances and Deft Writing
Marking an impressive feature debut by actor/director/co-writer Luke Sabis, Missing Child touches on the weighty topics of childhood sexual abuse, kidnapping and prostitution with an...
-
Off the Hook Santa Monica Seafood Festival: A Treat for the Tastebuds and Senses
This Saturday, the beachside hamlet of sunny Santa Monica found itself invaded by creatures from the deep. But don’t fear, Godzilla hasn’t migrated from Japan...
-
Review: Experimenter Features a Fine, Cerebral Performance from Peter Sarsgaard
Earlier this year, a film entitled The Stanford Prison Experiment saw limited release here in the U.S. and abroad. The picture, which was received well...
-
Five Reasons to See Room
Room is already making quite the buzz. Rather than giving you a generic rundown, below are five reasons why you should see Room. It’s got...
-
Get Your Fill of Ocean Delectables at Off the Hook: Santa Monica Seafood Festival
While the majority of western L.A. County struggles to beat the arid desert heat during this uncharacteristically muggy fall season, the beachfront enclave of Santa...
-
Review: Nuanced Performances Under the Sure Hand of Director Colette Bothof Make Summer Shine
Proposing a riveting context framework of ambiguous spirituality and nascent digitalization, noted Dutch auteur Colette Bothof’s second feature, Summer, earmarks charming character dramedy with wide-arching...
Video Slider
Win a Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy of Instant Family
-
Advertisement
-
Advertisement
-
Advertisement
-
Advertisement
-
Advertisement
-
Advertisement
