Review by Sean Boelman Many industries were shaken by the COVID-19 pandemic, but few were entirely dragged to a halt as much as showbusiness. The new documentary Broadway Rising follows a group of talented, courageous, and passionate people both in front of and behind the scenes as they face their biggest challenge yet. The film tells the story of the artisans, craftspeople, performers, and workers who banded together to reopen Broadway after a lengthy closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The movie opens by mentioning the only other time Broadway closed — the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks — immediately emphasizing how bizarre and dire this situation is. First and foremost, the film is an ode to perseverance and the creative spirit. As the adage says, “The show must go on,” and this has never been more the case than it is with the industry still struggling to recover from an 18-month shutdown — the longest in the storied history of Broadway. The movie does a good job of showing us a range of who was affected by the Broadway shutdown, from the Broadway stars to the ushers and backstage workers who lost their livelihoods due to the pandemic. However, the film does — perhaps questionably — nearly glorify the questionable behavior of these individuals who prioritized work over safety without critiquing the system that caused them to reach such desperation. Given that the movie deals with such a large group of subjects, there is plenty of story to be told. As a result, there’s not any dead time, making the film almost feel rushed. There is enough material here that a solid docuseries could have been made about the revival of Broadway from the pandemic.
One of the biggest missed opportunities of the movie is that it does not contain enough footage of the actual work that has been done to bring Broadway back to “normal.” Of course, much of this can be chalked up to licensing issues, as use of performance or even rehearsal footage could cost a hefty fee — but the absence is notable nonetheless. Instead, director Amy Rice uses a lot of talking head interviews to a point where the film almost becomes overly reliant on them. Although it’s certainly inspiring to see all of these people with their optimism that their beloved stage can return to the way it was before, it begins to grow old after a bit. Broadway Rising is a pleasant watch, largely thanks to how heartwarming it is to see everyone involved come together to support an institution they — and we — love so dearly. It’s a bit conventional in its presentation and limited by its budget, but it does the most it can with what it has. Broadway Rising screens in theaters for one night only on December 5. Rating: 3/5
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Review by Sean Boelman Sam Pollard is one of the most acclaimed historical documentarians working today, so any film he makes is going to be among the year’s hottest nonfiction titles. Co-directed by Geeta Gandbhir, Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power is an interesting look at a portion of history after that which we already know. The film tells the story of how the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) fought for Black power in Lowndes County, Alabama after the passage of civil rights legislation was largely ignored by residents and politicians in the state. It’s an important, largely unknown story in history that more people should hear about. In the film, Gandbhir and Pollard certainly present an interesting — and valid — thesis about how the road to civil rights for people of color in America did not stop with the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Many history books and documentaries get so caught up in the (still important) fight to pass that act that they ignore the hard work that had to be put in after that act passed. However, despite the fact that the film explores a topic that could be described as no less than essential, it really fails to communicate just how important this was. These people were not just another group of protestors fighting the good fight — they advocated for their community in a way that no one ever had before, and really never have since, at least in as meaningful of a way. As is the case with many of the other documentaries co-directed by Pollard, the biggest strength of this film is certainly the use of archival footage. He and Gandbhir weave together this footage of the past in a way that is both harrowing and affecting. For a film about the historical violence experienced by Black people in America, this is integral for its success.
Still, even though Pollard and Gandbhir are able to make a very compelling film out of archive materials, it can’t escape the feeling of being designed to lecture rather than inform. As the viewer, you will feel like you are being taught to, not so much that information is being conveyed to you for One of the more frustrating mistakes the film makes is not spending more time with the people involved in the events of the film — whether via interview or archive footage. Although we do get a few talking heads with some members of SNCC, much of the film’s runtime is made up of commentary from historians. Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power might be one of the lesser films co-directed by Sam Pollard, but there’s still plenty here worth recommending. The story it tells is so strong and powerful that it largely speaks for itself. Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power is now available on VOD. Rating: 3.5/5 Review by Joseph Fayed 2022 has really been the year for actors in A24 films to take on dual roles. There was X and Everything Everywhere All at Once earlier this year, and now The Eternal Daughter which is a paranormal family drama starring Tilda Swinton and Tilda Swinton. Tilda is no stranger to play more than one character in a film, in her latest effort to do so it proves she has what it takes to pull double duty on screen. The story follows mother and daughter Julie and Rosalind who check into a Welsh hotel. The hotel is quite remote and it seems the two are the only guests there. In the meantime, Julie begins working on a film about her relationship with her mother in light of her father's death just a few years prior. While there, Julie begins to hear strange noises and she and her mother begin to unravel a bit when the hotel brings back memories for them both. While there are familiar tropes from other paranormal films such as strange noises being heard and figures appearing in windows, the film avoids playing upon common fears, instead relying on the emptiness that the hotel has to offer. Perhaps the most eerie thing the film has to offer is the memories the hotel brings back that are gradually revealed by Rosalind. As the film goes on and their stay at the hotel continues, Julie and Rosalind's buried feelings about each other reach its surface. There is no intense argument between the two of them, yet director Joanna Hogg really captures a different take on grief compared to other paranormal films. Isolation is another theme that I think was captured beautifully by Hogg here. The quietness that the dialogue is spoken in followed by the decision to have both of Tilda's characters rarely share the screen together, although this could be attributed to the film's budget, allow this slow paced drama to be exactly that. Julie and Rosalind are not total opposites and neither of them try to spite each other so seeing the mother and daughter carry such guilt and remorse is what makes this film stand out in the horror genre.
The Eternal Daughter is not for one looking for jump scares or a jaw dropping twist in its final act, but there is still a sense of unease at how we are supposed to approach repressed memories. There is no definitive answer for that, but Joanna Hogg and Tilda Swinton do a good job at making you feel spooked by one thing, mother/daughter getaways. The Eternal Daughter is now in theaters and on VOD. Rating: 4/5 DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: RODRICK RULES -- Another Passable and Mindless Adaptation of the Book Series12/2/2022 Review by Camden Ferrell Diary of a Wimpy Kid is one of the most successful children’s book franchises of this generation, and it shows no sign of slowing down any time soon. After a series of live-action movies, the books have now started to be adapted into animated films on Disney+. The first book in the series was adapted last year, and the second book is now being adapted into an animated movie, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules. This movie is everything you’d expect it to be and will probably only really appeal to fans of the series and not much else. In this movie, Greg continues to live his life as the titular wimpy kid, but this school year, he is intent on becoming closer with his brother, Rodrick. But as viewers know, things never go well for Greg, and we must witness him navigate life and all of its misfortunes, embarrassments, and conflicts. The premise is simple and stays fairly truthful to the book and spirit of the franchise as a whole. The entire voice cast returns for this one, and like last time, it’s nothing impressive. Everyone is perfectly adequate and nothing more. It does feature a small part from the late Ed Asner, but even that performance isn’t quite as memorable as any of their live-action counterparts. One thing about these animated movies is that they are quite short. This newest one clocks in at only 74 minutes which means everything feels quite rushed and underdeveloped. The pacing is so erratic in order to fit every plot point, that it doesn’t play out as well as it could have. It could have benefitted from either a longer run time or the omission of certain elements, but that would come at the cost of dissatisfied fans of the series.
The writing is on par with the first movie, and it will be best enjoyed by fans of the series and younger audiences. There aren’t any laugh out loud moments, but it’s occasionally enjoyable, and it does what it’s supposed to do. The animation quality still isn’t great, but it’s harmless enough to watch quickly. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules maintains the quality of the first animated movie, and this will either be good or bad depending on personal taste. It’s rushed and doesn’t really have anything especially commendable, but it’s good enough for a casual quick viewing. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules is streaming on Disney+ December 2. Rating: 3/5 Review by Sean Boelman It’s December, and that means Christmas movies are a dime a dozen. Christmas With the Campbells promises to be something different — a raunchy holiday comedy that still feels entirely wholesome and not too mean-spirited — but, unfortunately, it lacks the writing or direction to make it work. The film follows a woman who, having recently broken up with her longtime boyfriend, decides to nonetheless spend the Christmas holiday with his family, creating an awkward situation for all of them. It’s a premise that naturally sets itself up for wacky hijinks, but the suspension of disbelief it takes to believe anyone would actually do this in real life is off-putting. There is a ton of raunchy, R-rated humor throughout the movie, and this is the only thing that sets it apart from your average Christmas rom-com. With Vince Vaughn producing and co-writing the film, one would think that this could have been hilarious, but the jokes are so juvenile that it comes across as idiotic. In a way, the movie could have been better had it went all-out with the satire. It’s clear there is a bit of a tongue-in-cheek tone here — it’s meant to be a raunchier version of a Hallmark movie — but it’s not forceful enough with it to be an all-out satire. We’re left with a film that almost takes itself too seriously for its own good. It definitely would have helped had the characters not all been insufferable assholes for most of the runtime. We definitely feel bad for the protagonist because of the situation she’s in, but the premise is so far-fetched that it’s near impossible to get invested in the story. The entirety of the supporting cast tends to be selfish, even the ones that are meant to be charming.
Brittany Snow is trying her darndest to do an impersonation of a Hallmark movie star in this movie, and while she fits the bill — an actress who, while still young, is still riding the high of her popular role from her youth (in this case, Pitch Perfect). Alex Moffatt of SNL fame plays her jerk ex, and is just as annoying as you’d expect. Then there is Justin Long, who plays the protagonist’s new love interest, and it’s casting that is… interesting, to say the least. While he’s certainly charming enough to pull the role off, the script apparently calls for him to do some sort of inexplicable hybrid of a midwestern and southern accent, and it’s rather embarrassing. Christmas With the Campbells is a simply unpleasant film, from its premise to its largely unfunny humor. While it had the potential to be a fun, R-rated satire of a generally wholesome genre, it doesn’t deliver much in terms of laughs or heart. Christmas With the Campbells hits theaters and AMC+ on December 2. Rating: 1.5/5 Review by Adam Donato While the horror season may have passed, the Christmas season needs counterprogramming for those who want to be scared year round. Shudder is a pillar of the horror community. A streaming service dedicated to horror round the clock, the service’s latest feature is A Wounded Fawn, a story about a woman trying to put herself back out there after her abusive past left her defensive and a man whose haunted psyche causes him to carry out unspeakable acts. Can this woman overcome her trauma and can the monster be kept at bay? Co-written and directed by Travis Stevens, A Wounded Fawn is not unlike many horror features during today’s day and age. For the most part, it was reminiscent of Fresh, the Hulu original with Sebastian Stan and Daisy Edgar Jones. Both follow an innocent young woman who has been done wrong in the past and thinks she has found a guy that is truly different from the rest. Little did she know, he really is different from the rest. While the plot does feel derivative of other things as of late, where it separates itself is in the performances and the entity that’s causing the man to do such terrible things. While it’s not revolutionary in any way, these stand out parts go a long way to keeping this movie’s head above water. Speaking of the performances, Sarah Lind and Josh Ruben both pull off pretty solid performances. Some may remember Ruben from his College Humor days, but he has had more recent experience in the horror genre. This is not Lind’s first attempt at the horror genre and she has even starred in some Hallmark-type Christmas movies and starred opposite Nicolas Cage in The Humanity Bureau. The two have very palpable chemistry until they suddenly don’t, which makes sense with the story. Since the plot is confined to mostly one location, there is a lot riding on these two’s shoulders and they carry the load well.
There’s a good deal of practical effects and scares in A Wounded Fawn. Specifically, the evil entity that haunts Ruben’s character is a threatening presence throughout. There’s also a lot of psychological scares that take place. This movie attempts similar themes to many female-led horror movies as of late. Horror movies reflect the real life things that are scary and creepy, dangerous men are towards the top of the list. This theme isn’t handled with the utmost grace, but it’s there despite its clunkiness. A Wounded Fawn is a constant downward spiral for our main characters. Good performances and solid style keep this movie from falling into cliche territory. All horror fans should be sure to check this one out on the Shudder streaming service. A Wounded Fawn is now streaming on Shudder. Rating: 3/5 |
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