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Gretel and Hansel (2020) Review
Gretel & Hansel (2020) Director: Oz Perkins Screenwriter: Rob Hayes, Oz Perkins Starring: Sophia Lillis, Sam Leakey, Alice Krige Gretel & Hansel is a modern retelling of the classic folk story of an almost identical name. In case you don’t remember, the original tale follows a brother and sister who are abandoned by their parents.…
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The Host (2006) Review
This article was originally published to SSP Thinks Film by Sam Sewell-Peterson. The Host (2006) Director: Bong Joon-ho Screenwriters: Bong Joon-ho, Ha Won-jun, Baek Chul-hyun Starring: Song Kang-ho, Byun Hee-bong, Park Hae-il, Bae Doona, Ko Ah-sung To shamelessly appropriate and warp the catchphrase of a beloved cartoon character, The Host is smarter than the average monster movie. I…
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Birds of Prey (2020) Review
Birds of Prey: And The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn (2020) Director: Cathy Yan Screenwriter: Christina Hodson Starring: Margot Robbie, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Rosie Perez, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ella Jay Basco, Ewan McGregor Just like the tune that Black Canary (aka. Dinah Lance, played by Jurnee Smollett-Bell) sings in the opening act of Birds of Prey,…
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Billy Madison (1995) Retrospective Review
Billy Madison (1995) Director: Tamra Davis Screenwriters: Adam Sandler, Tim Herlihys Starring: Adam Sandler, Bradley Whitford, Bridgette Wilson, Josh Mostel I loved Billy Madison when I was a kid. My friend and I would quote it incessantly because it’s an irresistible cornucopia of school humor. After a few reenactments of “t-t-t-today, Junior,” teachers lose the…
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Kitbull – Oscar Nominated Animated Short Review
Kitbull (2019/2020) Director: Rosana Sullivan Screenwriter: Rosana Sullivan Disney Pixar’s 2020 Oscars Animated Short nominee is Rosana Sullivan’s emotive Kitbull, a film about a cat and a dog who discover one another, overcome boundaries (some obvious and some less obvious) and inevitably become friends, in another of the studio’s terrifically moving short films. A malnourished kitten…
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Walk, Run, Cha-Cha – Oscar Nominated Documentary Short Review
Walk, Run, Cha-Cha (2019/2020) Director: Laura Nix “Before I learned dancing, I could only use my body to walk, to swim, to run. Today I can use my body to reach another level of freedom.” 2020 Oscar-nominated documentary short subject Walk, Run Cha-Cha is a personal and personable film that feels as much as if it is…
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In the Absence – Oscar Nominated Documentary Short Review
In the Absence (2018/2020) Director: Yi Seung-Jun 2020 Oscar-nominated documentary short In the Absence, from South Korean director Yi Seung-Jun, is a moving portrait of the human condition amidst one of the most devastating human tragedies outside of wartime in recent years. Documenting the sinking of the MV Sewol ferry between Incheon and Jeju in South…
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Hair Love – Oscar Nominated Animated Short Review
Hair Love (2019/2020) Directors: Matthew A. Cherry, Everett Downing Jr., Bruce W. Smith Screenwriter: Matthew A. Cherry Starring: Issa Rae If you’ve ever wondered how much love can be contained within any 7 minutes of cinema, then you need look no further than Hair Love, 2020’s warmest short film nominee. From Sony Pictures Animation, the…
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The Personal History of David Copperfield (2020) Review
The Personal History of David Copperfield (2020) Director: Armando Ianucci Screenwriters: Simon Blackwell, Armando Ianucci Starring: Dev Patel, Hugh Laurie, Tilda Swinton, Peter Capaldi, Ben Whishaw, Ranveer Jaiswal, Daisy May Cooper, Darren Boyd, Gwendoline Christie The idea of the departed looking down upon the world of the living with confusion and exasperation has been a…
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The Turning (2020) Review
The Turning (2020) Director: Floria Sigismondi Screenwriter: Carey W. Hayes, Chad Hayes Starring: Mackenzie Davis, Finn Wolfhard, Brooklyn Prince In 2017, The Snowman was unleashed upon audiences. What looked like an intriguing serial killer story with gorgeous photography failed to reach its full potential. A lot of the strands in the film failed to come…