Tag: Film Review

Arts, Movie Review

Dramatic Steps to Tell ‘An American Ballet Story’ No One Knows

An American Ballet Story Rating: 7/10 Director and Writer: Leslie Streit Style: Documentary Time: 94 minutes Trailer: vimeo.com/672952777 Review by Mike Szymanski Even if you are a dance aficionado you may not have heard of Harkness Ballet. Even if you are — or were — a professional dancer (and I know more than just a few) you probably never heard of Rebekah Harkness, who founded that … Continue reading Dramatic Steps to Tell ‘An American Ballet Story’ No One Knows

Mike Szymanski
Arts, Movie Review

‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Flies Higher Than The Original

Top Gun: Maverick Rating: 10/10 Director: Joseph Kosinski Writer: Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie Style: Drama Time: 137 minutes Rated: PG-13 By Mike Szymanski Sequels are usually never better than the first. In fact, most of them pale in comparison to the original film.Some notable exceptions may be the second “Alien” movie (“Aliens”), or “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” and many saythey loved … Continue reading ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Flies Higher Than The Original

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Arts, Movie Review

If You Dream of Getting into The Industry, This is a Must-See: ‘Movie Money CONFIDENTIAL

Movie Money CONFIDENTIAL Rating: 10/10 Director and Writer: Rick Pamplin. Style: Documentary Time: 101 minutes by Mike Szymanski This is a subject I know a lot about. Not only have I taken a lot of classes about the film industry, and have two bookcases full of dusty books about breaking into the business, but I’ve watched the plethora of how-to documentaries that parse out secrets … Continue reading If You Dream of Getting into The Industry, This is a Must-See: ‘Movie Money CONFIDENTIAL

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Arts, Movie Review

We Are All One Step Away from ‘One Road to Quartzsite

One Road to Quartzsite Rating: 7/10 Director and Writer: Ryan Maxey Written by: Ryan Maxey, Josh Polon, Sophie Hardeman Style: Documentary Time: 105 minutes Official Site: https://www.facebook.com/quartzsitefilm By Mike Szymanski I loved the 2021 Best Picture winner “Nomadland” partly because it was a bit frightening. It came out while the world was quarantined and in the middle of the pandemic, and I felt like I … Continue reading We Are All One Step Away from ‘One Road to Quartzsite

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Movie Review

The Heart-Ache in ‘Stay Awake’ Focuses on How Two Brothers Deal with It

Stay Awake Rating: 8/10 Director & Screenwriter: Jamie Sisley Style: Family Drama Time: 94 minutes By Mike Szymanski Although the disease of addiction is rampant throughout small communities throughout America, very few films have truly captured the pain and angst of what it does inside a family than in “Stay Awake.” The frustrations of the two brothers in the movie are issues that anyone can … Continue reading The Heart-Ache in ‘Stay Awake’ Focuses on How Two Brothers Deal with It

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Arts

A True Story About A Mother’s Fight for her Child is Featured in ‘Three Corners of Deception’ (Movie Review)

Three Corners of Deception Director: Meleeka Clary Style: Drama, Docu-Feature Rating: 8/10 By Mike Szymanski This is a most fascinating docu-drama. This movie called “Three Corners of Deception” records the true-life story of Dr. Maleeka Clary who also is the screenwriter, director and actress in the movie. Maleeka got into a nasty marriage and lost custody of her son by what she says is a … Continue reading A True Story About A Mother’s Fight for her Child is Featured in ‘Three Corners of Deception’ (Movie Review)

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Movie Review

Try Harder Film Review

By: Vernon Nickerson At Lowell High School, the top-ranked public high school in San Francisco,the seniors are stressed out and I can can relate. “Try Harder” shows the unbelievable pressure students are under to achieve their dream, but sometimes it’s not their dream but their parents. There is a parallel of what these students went through and what I went through in my earlier academic … Continue reading Try Harder Film Review

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Arts, Movie Review, Social Issues

Review of Days of Rage:Day of Rage: How Trump Supporters Took the U.S. Capitol | Visual Investigations

Rarely does a k-12 Social Studies certificated education professional dual-credentialled ( in-progress) in Special Education have the honor of reviewing  a documentary that has a current mainstream narrative. I am grateful that the stars aligned– Day of Rage: How Trump Supporters Took the U.S. Capitol | Visual Investigations is the documentary; I am the teacher. Based upon a six-month-long investigative process which yielded never-before-seen footage, … Continue reading Review of Days of Rage:Day of Rage: How Trump Supporters Took the U.S. Capitol | Visual Investigations

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Movie Review

A Simple Indie Film Filled with Tears, Drama and Silence in “Lotawana”

By Mike Szymanski Sometimes a true “Film” is about filmmaking, not the dialogue. A lot of silence permeates this moody, picturesque film that’s an impressive first feature by Trevor Hawkins. Every scene, every camera shot, every moment is a piece of art, framed in nature and natural surroundings as we follow this couple who live on a sailboat, and take life where the wind send … Continue reading A Simple Indie Film Filled with Tears, Drama and Silence in “Lotawana”

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Movie Review

Inheritance Italian Style

By Mike Szymanski Think of “Inheritance Italian Style” as like a dark comedy melodrama with wacky characters, over-the-top acting, and unpredictable liaisons all set in a beautiful countryside estate. It’s enjoyable, heart-felt, ridiculous, sad, and funny. Five sisters come together to discuss the dividing up of the family furniture well before their parents are gone in a large villa in Sicily. The countryside and the … Continue reading Inheritance Italian Style

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Arts, Movie Review

“American morning” Speaks To America’s Tragedy

By Monteque Pope-Le Beau The story of “American Morning” takes place in the present as it take us on a on a journey through Connor Mathis (Stephen Dexter) tragic experience. A small-town elementary school music teacher who survived a mass shooting at his elementary school that killed 27 children which happened two years ago. In today’s continuing debate about the gun control of assault rifles … Continue reading “American morning” Speaks To America’s Tragedy

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Arts, Movie Review

At Long Last, STEEL SONG

By Vernon Nickerson Fans of Game of Thrones and or cosplay enthusiasts will be enthralled by the behind-the-scenes documentary “Steel Song” by Director Adrian Cicerone. Be advised, the film resembles a medieval jostling contest where the combatants attemp. It beat the snot out of each other. The objective: to be th. Last person (male or female) standing. To the filmmakers’credit, the story is apologetic an … Continue reading At Long Last, STEEL SONG

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Arts, Movie Review

‘Look Away, Look Away’ Doesn’t Look Away from Both Sides of the Confederate Flag Controversy

By Mike Szymanski It starts off ugly. This documentary starts off with the ugly rantings of a guy who brought a gun in with a Confederate flag and murdered nine innocent people at the Emmanuel AME Church in South Carolina. Then, the filmmaker, writer and director Patrick O’Connor talks about the flag of his home state of Mississippi that has the Confederate flag as a … Continue reading ‘Look Away, Look Away’ Doesn’t Look Away from Both Sides of the Confederate Flag Controversy

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Arts, Movie Review

“Overrun” is Overdone and Underwhelming”

By Mike Szymanski Take every gangland cliche and put them together into one big jumble and that’s what you’ll find with “Overrun.” That includes the exploding briefcase, the Russian bad guys, a pair of inept goofballs, an innocent kidnapped sister, brutal torture, lots of gunfire, and mix in corrupt cops, bounty hunters, car chases, ex-military rogues, martial arts, double-crossing, and painfully on-the-nose dialogue. The saving … Continue reading “Overrun” is Overdone and Underwhelming”

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Movie Review

Bleak “We Had it Coming” Leaves Us in the Dark

By Mike Szymanski This is a dark movie, and I mean literally dark. It’s hard to see anything in many of the scenes, and when a little light is shown, it’s dramatically through the forest, or a flicker here and there. And it’s tough to say whether it’s night or day. The quick scenes show it’s night time, then it’s morning, then it’s night again, … Continue reading Bleak “We Had it Coming” Leaves Us in the Dark

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Healthy Living, Movie Review

The Need to Grow A Life Transforming Film

By Vernon Nickerson Sometimes the best independent films are life-transforming. Other times watching and listening to an exceptionally well-told story makes the heart sing. From the collaborative team of Rob Herring (Writer-Director) and Ryan Wirick (Director), The Need to Grow is that film. The subtitle, “Save the SOIL, Save the WORLD,” summarizes an intimate journey of a mother and Girl Scout Troup leader (Ms. Monica … Continue reading The Need to Grow A Life Transforming Film

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Movie Review

“Mondo Hollywoodland” A Story Of Selfreflection

By Vernon Nickerson “Mondo Hollywoodland” looks and feels vaguely familiar. In fact, it is a story I have lived in the bohemian lives of many artist friends in Los Angeles’ Silverlake Community. The film was directed, produced and co-written by award-winning director, producer, and writer Janek Ambros “Mondo Hollywoodland” also stars Alex Loynaz (PEDRO, 9-1-1), Alyssa Sabo (Totally Rad, Floor is Lava), and Jessica Jade … Continue reading “Mondo Hollywoodland” A Story Of Selfreflection

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Arts, Movie Review

A Review of Jonathan Baker’s Film “Becoming Iconic”

By Vernon Nickerson By his own admission, relatively “new” Director Jonathan Baker wants a career in filmmaking and defines film as propaganda. So, I can only conclude from Jonathan Baker’s “Becoming Iconic” that Baker wants to become an iconic creator director. Jonathan Baker is a writer, producer and director has always been enthralled by smart storytelling and larger than life figures, taking inspiration from greats … Continue reading A Review of Jonathan Baker’s Film “Becoming Iconic”

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Arts

SEE “SUMMER Of SOUL” AS SOON AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE

By Vernon Nickerson Where were you in summer 1969? Can’t remember? Not born yet? That’s okay. I have the perfect film for where you needed to be in 1969 on the day man walked on the moon. GO SEE SUMMER SOUL AS SOON AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE! A Questlove Jam: “Summer of Soul”, Or, when the Revolution Could Not Be Televised, is more than a documentary. … Continue reading SEE “SUMMER Of SOUL” AS SOON AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE

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Arts, Movie Review

’12 Mighty Orphans’ Offers a Story of Hope During Tough Times

By Mike Szymanski Everyone wants a story of hope during tough times, and this is a story inspired by true events during the tough times of the Great Depression. How appropriate then, to bring the story to light today in the middle of some very tough times, too. With a stellar familiar cast and a ripe pack of new talent, “12 Mighty Orphans” reminds me … Continue reading ’12 Mighty Orphans’ Offers a Story of Hope During Tough Times

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