Anatomy of a Fall

Over the decades, legal dramas have been well assayed by myriad filmmakers. The attraction to the genre is understandable. Writers and directors are fascinated by the generally tight ... Continue Reading →

Dance with Films in Los Angeles this June

Time was, people wondered why Los Angeles, the movie capital of the world, didn’t have a flagship film festival. Some argued it had many. In other years, there has been a Los ... Continue Reading →

Land – Robin Wright Goes it Almost Alone

Robin Wright very astutely and adroitly negotiated a position behind the camera as “House of Cards” became successful. Scrutiny of the credits on other shows reveals similar strategies. For ... Continue Reading →

Chained For Life

Film history is replete with movies like Freaks and The Elephant Man which attempt to get inside the heads of deformed characters. Chained For Life similarly works that territory, ... Continue Reading →

Before You Know It

Two sisters discover their long lost mother in this pleasant family comedy. Many of the usual tropes are layered into the plot: the daughters are rather off-kilter, opposites and co-dependent, ... Continue Reading →

Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes – Film Review

The film successfully builds a bridge. With reflections from jazz lions like Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock, the foundation of the crucial jazz label is built. Musicians signed more ... Continue Reading →

Film Review – Show Me The Picture: The Story of Jim Marshall

We are in a golden age of music documentaries, quite possibly the platinum age. For the fan, this plethora of offerings is almost an embarrassment of riches. Alfred George Bailey’s ... Continue Reading →

Best of 2012 Palm Springs Short Film Festival

The 18th annual Palm Springs International Short Film Festival and Film Market, the largest festival of its kind in this country, completed its run June 19-25 and this writer’s ... Continue Reading →