A Most Violent Year Review

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Although it fell short of awards season hype, A Most Violent Year can best be viewed as a really solid genre effort.

Black or White Review

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Despite always threatening to go off the rails, the custody drama Black or White stays on assured footing.

Slamdance 2015: Body Review

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The gruesome thriller Body manages to put a slightly different spin on home invasion films. The story revolves around twenty-somethings Holly (Helen Rogers), Cali (Alexandra Turshen) and Melissa (Lauren Molina) who are bored one Friday night and decide to sneak into mansion belonging to a family Cali knows to be on vacation. It’s mostly harmless fun until a groundskeeper checks in on the […]

Slamdance 2015: Sweet Micky For President Review

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It is the humble opinion of this reviewer that first time director Ben Patterson has a big hit on his hands with his documentary Sweet Micky for President. Here’s the story: following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the government was ineffective in its rebuilding of the country, largely due to corruption. With an election approaching, […]

Slamdance 2015: Diamond Tongues Review

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A major step up for Toronto filmmakers Pavan Moondi and Brian Robertson, Diamond Tongues is the rare example of a film set in the entertainment industry that doesn’t use its main character’s profession and location as a crutch. It’s bracing, bold, and far from precious, boasting an outstanding leading performance and razor sharp writing. Edith […]

Slamdance 2015: Darkness on the Edge of Town Review

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Darkness on the Edge of Town is an ugly tale set in the picturesque Irish countryside. The film begins with a brutal knifing in a public bathroom. Though the actual killing is offscreen, we see the murderer clear as day, and soon learn that she is best friends with her victim’s sister, Cleo. While Robin, the killer, […]

Slamdance 2015: I Am Thor Review

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I Am Thor documents the life of self-proclaimed rock god Jon Mikl “Thor”, a Canadian body builder/ musician who feels as though he never received his due recognition. His theatrical rock act which included feats of strength did achieve a moderate level of success in the 70s and 80s, but following a nervous breakdown in 1987, […]

Slamdance 2015: Clinger Review

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When Robert Klingher (Vincent Martella) charms Fern (Jennifer Laporte) into being his first girlfriend, he couldn’t be happier. In typical teenager fashion, he showers her with praise and gifts to a point of disgust. Just when she is about to break up with him, he accidentally beheads himself with an elaborate rig he built to profess his love […]

Slamdance 2015: Wendell and the Lemon Review

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Wendell and the Lemon is like no film you’ve ever seen before. It is about a man obsessed with a lemon he finds. If you were to ascribe a genre to it it would definitely be a comedy, as most of it is hilarious. There are however long stretches in the second half with few laughs. […]

Slamdance 2015: On Her Own Review

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Many documentaries have been made about family farms in hard times, with struggles caused by large scale farming, bad economies, poor weather, etc. At first glance, On Her Own looks like it could just be another in a row of films documenting the plight of the independent farmer, but it’s really more about how Nancy […]