"This is my 19th album, and I'm still writing songs about cars." So says the legendary Bruce Springsteen in the new music documentary/concert film, Western Stars, a performance of his latest album of the same name. Inspired by what he calls "Southern California pop music" infused with heavy country influences and his usual heartfelt empathy for … Continue reading Sit Back and Let The Boss Sing to You – Western Stars
One of the cooler - and in my opinion more essential - features of recent cinema is the fact that Hollywood has put out a slew of great films dealing with music, particularly rock and R&B. They've run a particularly intriguing gambit from bombastic crowd-pleasers like Bohemian Rhapsody to insightful documentaries like Amazing Grace. And there are … Continue reading The Music That Truly Reverberates – Echo in the Canyon
Moorpark, California is located about 50 miles northwest of Los Angeles. It is in this rural community of just over 30,000 that John and Molly Chester established Apricot Lane Farms in 2010, a venture borne out of necessity after the couple was evicted from their Santa Monica apartment due to the noise caused by their … Continue reading We Bought a Farm – The Biggest Little Farm
The last weekend of movie-going I've experienced has been one of running against archetype. First I saw The Intruder, and later I saw another film where the lead is well against the characters they normally play. I'll review that one in a couple of weeks, as I saw an advance screening and am bound by NDA … Continue reading The Devil On Your Shoulder May Be the Better Angel – Hail Satan?
This year the Academy has been all about pleasing the audience, for better or worse. On the plus side, more crowd favorites are up for major awards, including Black Panther and Bohemian Rhapsody, which makes the ceremony more accessible to the audience at large, even if it's something of a stopgap measure to stave off the possibility … Continue reading Oscar Gold 2019 – Documentary Feature
Gonzo documentarian Michael Moore is no stranger to controversy. In fact he openly courts it. This oftentimes enrages his social and political opponents, and brings mixed results when it comes to the quality of his films. He received critical and audience acclaim for Roger & Me. He won an Oscar for Bowling for Columbine, then drew boos … Continue reading Nowhere to Go But Up – Fahrenheit 11/9
My apologies for not updating over the last couple of weeks. I'm in the middle of a new assignment which has required long hours, so not only do I have limited time to write, but there's less and less time to actually see new movies. There are two new reviews coming this week, but in … Continue reading Back Row Thoughts: More Docs in the Stream
Lauren Greenfield is a brilliant and accomplished photographer and documentarian, with great work like THIN and The Queen of Versailles to her name. Her latest effort, Generation Wealth, was one of the opening entries at the Sundance Film Festival this year, and has received decent press. However, I can't entirely get behind it, mostly because I don't care … Continue reading Everyone Has a Price, Including the Director – Generation Wealth
First thing's first, I must apologize for the lateness of this review. I saw this movie last Saturday, and sadly life has gotten in the way in myriad fashions over the last five days. I endeavor to post reviews within 24-48 hours of seeing a film, but I've had to put this off for a … Continue reading This is America, All Shook Up – The King
In 1980, one of the most fantastic, unbelievable stories came to national media attention. Three 19-year-old men in the New York City area discovered each other through pure coincidence, learning that they were identical triplets, separated and adopted shortly after birth. They became briefly famous, viral before viral was even a thing. That story, along … Continue reading From Amigos to Stooges – Three Identical Strangers
I Actually Paid To See This 