By Joe Hammerschmidt As far as political elections go, this year’s midterms may have left a ripple effect that hopefully will send the right message to Washington moving forward. Yet after having been reminded just how chaotic
By Joe Hammerschmidt In the short span of 25 years, British director Steve McQueen has been best regarded for raw, dirt-level gritty, unapologetic character-driven stories that will keep a viewer at the edge of their seats until
By Joe Hammerschmidt How often does a comedy come along that doesn’t give zero yahoos and aims to have a little bit of fun, while telling a uniquely personal story? The answer: not that often, at least
By Joe Hammerschmidt There have been few documentaries that can sit well in the brain as they would in the stomach, not always well but no less considerably essential viewing. Seeing what Matthew Heineman had accomplished with
by Joe Hammerschmidt I was a far more restrained moviegoer at the end of 2011, only just turned 18, a high school senior was not as open-minded with what was worth paying for on the big screen.
by Joe Hammerschmidt It appears to be a common cinematic science, that when a performer takes on mainstream films that appear to have hilarity written on them, but don’t translate fully to a finished film, their stock
by Joe Hammerschmidt Ever since the fabled Mouse House had bravely transitioned their live-action strategy, to works rooted in fantasy, and for some, fan appreciation, there have been consistently mixed and messy results. It’s obviously not the
by Joe Hammerschmidt [NOTE: This film previously reviewed as part of the 2018 Seattle International Film Festival] I probably won’t need too many words to describe what had played out as one of the more unique
By Joe Hammerschmidt 2018 could easily be remembered as another majestic year for foreign-based directors making legitimate, time-tested English-language debuts. Among the masterclass: Sebastian Lelio’s Disobedience, Roar Uthaug’s Tomb Raider, and now Felix van Groeninger’s Beautiful Boy.
By Joe Hammerschmidt The first thing one may notice in all of Damian Chazelle’s films is the penchant for opening with a pure sonic explosion. One that not just introduces the landscape, builds the merit of our
