Obsessed with Independent Film Since 1976
Latest Highlights
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“Nirvanna: The Band – the Show – the Movie” the Review
The film is a celebration of a style that has largely disappeared from mainstream media. The comedy relies almost entirely on pop culture references and situational humor. It is a return to a simpler style of comedy, similar to that made by early YouTubers who had little but their friends and a webcam. While it still has that “early internet” feeling, Johnson and McCarroll find a way to make it relevant. Meta 4th-wall breaking and seamless restitching of never before seen archival footage are used tastefully rather than shoved in the viewer’s face. The movie is almost entirely set in real Toronto locations, harkening back to the 2000s style of mockumentary filmmaking popularised by projects like “The Office” and “Borat.”
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In ‘We Had a World,’ monotony is a theatrical device
In “We Had a World,” now having its New England premiere at The Huntington, playwright Joshua Harmon does the opposite. True, the one-act play is filled with explosive family arguments and petty vendettas, but is equalized so much by its genuine writing that the tender and sweet moments, though buried underneath the drama, are just as potent.
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‘Stardew Valley’: The Quintessential Indie Game
The indie charm of “Stardew Valley” shines through in this extreme, video-gamey design that prioritizes player freedom and connection with the world.
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Rendez-Vous With French Cinema – March 5-15
Unifrance serves up a delicious new edition of art cinema to Film at Lincoln Center patrons Surprises galore pop up…
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The Wrong Kind of American: On ESPN’s “The Brittney Griner Story”
When WNBA star Brittney Griner was detained at a Russian airport in February 2022, after she was accused of traveling with vape cartridges containing cannabis oil, her wife, Cherelle Griner, became her unwavering lifeline. For 294 days, while Brittney was kept in a Russian prison, Cherelle and Brittney’s agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, fought tirelessly — galvanizing public attention, refusing to let Brittney’s story fade and ultimately turning a wrongfully detained athlete into a national priority. ESPN’s documentary “The Brittney Griner Story,” directed by Alex Stapleton, which premiered at Sundance this year, follows both the public campaign for Brittney’s release and what she endured to survive it.
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Guam’s Sainas talk cultural dance in “Something to Call Our Own”
Project Inspire and PBS Guam’s enculturating dance documentary, “Something to Call Our Own,” distinguishes itself as a canonizing force for…
Editors’ Picks
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Staff Picks: The Stories of Immigrants
Following recent disturbing events in which American Immigration and Customs Enforcement continue to violently target peaceful immigrants and U.S. citizens…
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The New York Jewish Film Festival Jan. 14-28
An uptown museum and Lincoln Center fest offer unbending Jewish support in a time fraught with peril in the worldwide…
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DOC NYC Nov.12-30
Shining the spotlight on a few faces and places you can’t take your eyes off of The key changes in…
