Tag: Independent Film

Classic, Movie Review

A Fitting Tribute to a Legend in the documentary “Burt Reynolds: The Last Interview”

Burt Reynolds: The Last Interview Rating: 9/10 Director and Writer: Rick Pamplin Style: Documentary Time: 103 minutes Trailer: www.imdb.com/video/vi4087333913 Review by Mike Szymanski The first time I was lucky enough to meet Burt Reynolds and interview him as an entertainment journalist, he sized me up and guessed my age and said, “You probably made out during ‘Smokey and the Bandit.’ “ I blushed and recalled my … Continue reading A Fitting Tribute to a Legend in the documentary “Burt Reynolds: The Last Interview”

Mike SzymanskiLeave a comment
Comedy, Social Issues

A Dark Comedy with Irrepressible Kids is Family Fun in ‘Daddy’s Divas’

Daddy’s Divas Rating: 7/10 Directors: David Tittone Writers: David Torre and David Tittone Style: Comedy Time: 20 minutes Trailer: youtube.com/watch?v=xHo2XOQ2zlA Review by Mike Szymanski This series of short, clever and funny stories about a widower and his three girls are about 20 minutes long each, and they are cute and enjoyable for the entire family. It’s hard to find edgy family comedy like this today. … Continue reading A Dark Comedy with Irrepressible Kids is Family Fun in ‘Daddy’s Divas’

Mike Szymanski
Movie Review

If You Love B Horror Flicks You’ll Get Sucked Into ‘Mind Leech’

Mind Leech Rating: 8/10 Directors: Chris Cheeseman and Paul Krysinski Style: Horror/Comedy Time: 61 minutes Website: https://www.mindleech.com Review by Mike Szymanski If you love kitschy B-horror movies that are almost as funny as they are scary, you will easily get sucked into “Mind Leech.” I am one of those critics who loves to watch the B-horror Roger Corman-ish films over and over again, and I love … Continue reading If You Love B Horror Flicks You’ll Get Sucked Into ‘Mind Leech’

Mike Szymanski
Movie Review

Some Powerful Film Finds at Slamdance 2023

By Mike Szymanski Don’t think of Slam Dance as an also-ran to Sundance! It is established by a wild bunch of filmmakers who wanted to showcase the unfiltered voice of independent artists, Slamdance is an ongoing experiment that has proven, year after year, when it comes to recognizing talent and launching careers, the independent and grassroots film communities can do it themselves. This year, Slamdance happened from … Continue reading Some Powerful Film Finds at Slamdance 2023

Mike Szymanski
Movie Review

Sweet Romantic Connections Weave through ‘The Seasons — Four Love Stories’

The Seasons — Four Love Stories Rating: 8/10 Director and Writer: Paul Schwartz Style: Romance Time: 82 minutes Trailer: https://www.vimeo.com/745909945 Website: https://www.paulschwartz.com/new-page-1 Romantic films are tough sells these days, because they tend to sway toward the schmaltzy, ridiculous and painfully obvious. Not so here. This series of beautiful and simple love stories not only give us hope for the future, but hope for romantic movies. And it’s … Continue reading Sweet Romantic Connections Weave through ‘The Seasons — Four Love Stories’

Mike Szymanski
Cultural Arts, Cultural issues, Healthy Living, Movie Review

Take a Big Bite Out of ‘Love Charlie, The Rise and Fall of Chef Charlie Trotter’

Love Charlie, The Rise and Fall of Chef Charlie Trotter Rating: 6/10 Director and Writer: Rebecca Halpern Style: Documentary Time: 96 minutes Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2gVkngEg2M You may never have ever heard of Charlie Trotter (I know I didn’t) but that doesn’t mean he isn’t a fascinating documentary subject. He created a great deal of masterful culinary pieces of art that other great chefs rave about, but he … Continue reading Take a Big Bite Out of ‘Love Charlie, The Rise and Fall of Chef Charlie Trotter’

Mike Szymanski
Movie Review

A Bit of Gender Trickery in a Youth Classic Come to Film through the ‘Rickshaw Girl’

Rickshaw Girl Rating: 7/10 Director: Amitabh Reza Chowdhury Writer: Shabari Z. Ahmed Style: Adventure, Family Drama Time: 101 minutes Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2gVkngEg2M Review by Mike Szymanski The vibrant colors in this movie about the slums of Bangladesh make the bleakness of the story so much more palatable. There is beauty, color, vibrance. There are original native costumes in every scene, naturalistic paintings on every wall and beauty … Continue reading A Bit of Gender Trickery in a Youth Classic Come to Film through the ‘Rickshaw Girl’

Mike Szymanski
Arts

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and Sundance Institute Award Recipients for Science in Film Initiative

Feature Film Prize Goes to The Pod Generation, Grantees Honored at Reception during the 2023 Sundance Film Festival at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, the Sundance Institute Science-in-Film initiative with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation celebrated this year’s Feature Film Prize winner The Pod Generation directed by Sophie Barthes and the recipients of three artist grants for three projects in development at a reception following the Appetite for Construction panel at Filmmaker Lodge. The … Continue reading Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and Sundance Institute Award Recipients for Science in Film Initiative

Dreamweaverarts
Cultural issues, History, Movie Review, Social Issues

‘Raymond Lewis: L.A. Legend’ is the Greatest Basketball Player You’ve Never Seen 

Raymond Lewis: L.A. Legend Rating: 7/10 Directors and Writers: Ryan Polomski and Dean Prator Style: Documentary Time: 82 minutes Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NzNpikx070 Review by Mike Szymanski Los Angeles is definitely a city of secrets and after more than three decades here, I’m constantly finding out more about the people and potential stars that came from the city, but never made it as a household name. For example, … Continue reading ‘Raymond Lewis: L.A. Legend’ is the Greatest Basketball Player You’ve Never Seen 

Mike Szymanski
Arts

2023 Sundance Film Festival To Go “Beyond Film”Lineup of Conversations Announced

Additional Institute and Partner Programming to Round Out Public Offerings at Festival The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced the lineup for the 2023 Sundance Film Festival Beyond Film conversations, all of which are open to the public. Made up of three series called Power of Story, Cinema Café, and The Big Conversation, Beyond Film rounds out the Festival experience, providing a place for the community to engage through artist … Continue reading 2023 Sundance Film Festival To Go “Beyond Film”Lineup of Conversations Announced

Dreamweaverarts
Arts, Movie Review

‘Razzennest’ Is the Funniest, Scariest Movie You’ll Ever Listen To

Razzennest Rating: 7/10 Director: Johannes Grenzfurthner Writer: Johannes Grenzfurthner Style: Comedy/Horror/Satire Time: 81 minutes Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIuF40DRsXI Review by Mike Szymanski Just when you think all the innovative stuff was done involving found-footage films, or all-devices movies, there comes something truly unique and innovative that will bite you in the fettasna and tickle your roligben. That’s this movie “Razzennest” which is German for “rat’s nest” but it also incorporates Swedish … Continue reading ‘Razzennest’ Is the Funniest, Scariest Movie You’ll Ever Listen To

Mike Szymanski
Arts, Movie Review

Capping Off Bruce Willis’s Action Career with Satisfying ‘Independence’

Detective Knight: Independence Rating: 9/10 Director: Edward John Drake Writer: Edward John Drake Style: Action/Crime Thriller Time: 90 minutes Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt-hyQE-sIA Rated: R Review by Mike Szymanski This crime thriller trilogy of the Detective Knight series is a fitting finale to Bruce Willis’s action movie career. Of course, everyone hopes and expects Willis to conquer his aphasia, which is a language disorder that affects a person’s … Continue reading Capping Off Bruce Willis’s Action Career with Satisfying ‘Independence’

Mike Szymanski
Action and Adventure, Movie Review

Bruce Willis Gets Redeemed in One of his Final Films: ‘Detective Knight: Redemption’

Detective Knight: Redemption Rating: 8/10 Director: Edward John Drake Writers: Edward John Drake and Corey Large Style: Action/Crime Thriller Time: 93 minutes Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXMbkKzvpHY Rated: R Review by Mike Szymanski This second in the Detective Knight trilogy, perhaps Bruce Willis’s last film role, is called “Redemption.” In the first part, “Rogue,” the celebrated Willis’s character Detective Knight is in prison for murdering the bad guys, Winna … Continue reading Bruce Willis Gets Redeemed in One of his Final Films: ‘Detective Knight: Redemption’

Mike Szymanski
Arts

Feature Lineup for Slamdance 2023

The lineup for Narrative Features Competition, Documentary Features Competition, Breakouts, and Unstoppable features for the 29th Slamdance Film Festival. With titles hailing from all over the globe and jam-packed with premieres, the 2023 festival continues the legacy of discovering fresh and influential new voices. NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION: The Girl Who Was Cursed – (The Netherlands) North American PremiereDirector: Zara Dwinger; Screenwriter: Zara Dwinger; Producers: Layla Meijman & … Continue reading Feature Lineup for Slamdance 2023

Dreamweaverarts
Arts

Indigo Girls to Perform at Sundance Institute’sOpening Night: A Taste of Sundance Presented by IMDbPro

Evening To Celebrate Independent Storytelling and Raise Funds for the Institute’s Year-Round Work; Tickets On Sale Now The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced the Grammy Award-winning folk rock duo Indigo Girls will perform at Opening Night: A Taste of Sundance presented by IMDbPro on January 19 in Park City. The band will also premiere their new documentary, It’s Only Life After All at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Opening Night: A Taste of Sundance … Continue reading Indigo Girls to Perform at Sundance Institute’sOpening Night: A Taste of Sundance Presented by IMDbPro

Dreamweaverarts
Arts, Movie Review

My Sister Liv: Exactly What We Need More of In Film

Very few movies cut you open so finely so soon just by knowing the downward drop of the third act. This is one of them. And what’s for better and for worse is that it’s a documentary. The real evidence of a young life, crashing into the colorless void, not because it was time but because the passing of time was too much. By Austin … Continue reading My Sister Liv: Exactly What We Need More of In Film

AustinCharacter
Arts

2023 Sundance Film Festival Lineup of 99 Feature Films

The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced the comprehensive slate of independent films selected across the feature film categories for the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. The 2023 Festival will take place January 19–29, 2023, in person in Park City, Salt Lake City, and the Sundance Resort, along with a selection of films available online across the country January 24–29, 2023. Festivalgoers will once again return to theaters … Continue reading 2023 Sundance Film Festival Lineup of 99 Feature Films

Dreamweaverarts
Arts

2023 Sundance Film Festival Announces Short Film and Indie Episodic Program Lineup

64 Short Films and 4 Indie Episodic Projects to Debut at the FestivalSchedule of In-Person and Online Screenings Now Live! the nonprofit Sundance Institute announced the Short Films and Indie Episodic projects selected for the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. For in-person attendees, Indie Episodic works will have individual premieres and Shorts will screen in curated programs. Beginning January 24, all Indie Episodic projects and selected Shorts … Continue reading 2023 Sundance Film Festival Announces Short Film and Indie Episodic Program Lineup

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