Category: Movies

“There are those who jump, and those who make others jump.” This line from the film is the one line that sums up the entire story and why it’s being told, and it’s a meaningful statement, one that should resonate with every single person no matter where they’re from. Jumpman is a Russian drama about a boy who is born with a rare disease that prevents him from feeling any pain – though everything else functions as usual. It’s the latest film made by Russian filmmaker Ivan I. Tverdovskiy (Corrections Class, Zoology) and it’s an intimate, indie drama made with an intense focus on the main character, a compelling tale of dignity and integrity and humanity. It’s an impressive, captivating film that I really enjoyed, even though it’s cynical and depressing, there’s hope found in the heart of this young boy. The filmmaking pulls us deep into that story. ›››

Continue Reading KVIFF 2018: Tverdovskiy’s ‘Jumpman’ is a Compelling Tale of Dignity

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“Take the shortcut – though the middle of the desert.” Another entertaining new short film to watch. Born Forlorn is a “crossover between a musical, comedic short film, and music video” from filmmaker/musician Aaron Beckum, who has made a few other shorts previously (seen here). This is his latest work and it’s an amusing, kooky, funky little adventure of sorts. Born Forlorn was shot on 35mm and follows a broken-hearted country western singer with sights set on Hollywood. The cast includes Beckum as Dion Horn, plus Michael Wilson as “Friend with Computer” & Chantal Anderson as “Annie on the Answering Machine”. This is a quirky and unusual musical short, worth watching whenever you’re in the mood for something odd. ›››

Continue Reading Watch: Aaron Beckum’s Comedic Short ‘Born Forlorn’ Shot on 35mm

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“I think you’re making a mistake, I think you could be happy…” Freestyle Digital Media has debuted an official trailer for a dark romantic comedy titled Breaking & Exiting, the feature directorial debut of actor Peter Facinelli (who does not have a role in the film). The pitch for this is rather odd – it’s about a thief who breaks in to a woman’s home and discovers her about to kill herself. So, as the logline says, he “decides to save her from herself, sending both of them into a darkly comedic journey of self-discovery and love.” But of course. The cast is lead by Milo Gibson and Jordan Hinson, who also wrote the screenplay; along with Adam Huber, Joaquim de Almeida, Justine Wachsberger, James Kyson, Lily Anne Harrison, and Cecile Cubilo. This doesn’t look so bad, but doesn’t look so good either. If you’re curious, take a look. ›››

Continue Reading New Trailer for Dark Comedy ‘Breaking & Exiting’ with Jordan Hinson

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In a time where journalists are under attack and a free press is becoming more and more important all over the world, this documentary film is a wonderfully uplifting look at the integrity and diligence of journalists who work so hard every single day to report the news. Breaking News, also originally titled Mimořádná zpráva in Czech, is a new documentary from Czechia made by documentary filmmaker Tomáš Bojar. The footage takes us inside the offices of two news organizations in Prague – covering one major political event in 2017. It’s a very simple, straightforward doc film that trains the cameras on the various people working to report the news and lets the viewers bask in their tenacity and commitment to objective reporting. It’s utterly fascinating and inspiring, and the kind of vital film that we should be showing to younger audiences. ›››

Continue Reading KVIFF 2018: Tomáš Bojar’s ‘Breaking News’ Doc is an Ode to Journalists

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War is good for absolutely nothing, right? But what if your significant other is a war correspondent, whose job it is to go to these dangerous places and report the truth? That’s what this film is about – 53 Wars, the feature directorial debut of Polish actress Ewa Bukowska. Bukowska adapts an autobiographical novel by Grażyna Jagielska, telling the story of a Polish woman (played by Magdalena Popławska) whose husband is a war correspondent, spending most of each year away on assignment. The story focuses on Anka, who slowly becomes more and more hysterical and paranoid, experiencing the weight of war herself through her own anxiety and concern over the safety of her husband. This film is a remarkably intense, mature, complex portrait of a woman who goes through hell out of a love for her husband and loses her mind in the process. ›››

Continue Reading KVIFF 2018: Ewa Bukowska’s ’53 Wars’ is Intimate & Intense Hysteria

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“I need you to get up. Keep moving.” Give this short film a look if you’re in the mood for some gritty sci-fi action. Ballistic is the latest short film made by Ryan Connolly, and it’s set in a post-apocalyptic time in the future. There’s not much more of an introduction beyond that, so jump right in and start watching now. Ballistic stars Hannah Ward, Rachel Hendrix, Mark Ashworth, Graham Powell, and Omid Zader. I really like how this short just starts and gets into things fast, without spending too much time trying to explain anything. Just put us right in the middle of it and we can figure it out as it goes along. Watch below. ›››

Continue Reading Watch: Gritty Sci-Fi Action Short Film ‘Ballistic’ Made by Ryan Connolly

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“Scaring the hell out of kids seemed like a good idea…” An official trailer has launched for a documentary titled Wolfman’s Got Nards, a film about the huge cult success of the 1987 monster movie The Monster Squad. The title is an obvious reference to one of the film’s iconic lines, where Horace yells out “Wolfman’s got nards!” When the film was first released, it wasn’t a big box office hit and didn’t get great reviews, but over the last 30 years it has become a hugely popular beloved genre classic. This “heartfelt” documentary explores the power of cult film and the impact this amusing cult classic has had on fans, cast and crew, and the industry. For those who don’t know, The Monster Squad was directed by Fred Dekker and co-written by Shane Black, two key names in the industry who were relatively unknown at the time. I dig the footage of the old Monster Squad VHS going into the tape player in this trailer, and later the DVD, too. Check it out. ›››

Continue Reading First Trailer for ‘Wolfman’s Got Nards’ Doc About ‘The Monster Squad’

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“Get ready to meet some new friends who are out of this world!” Warner Bros UK has debuted an official trailer for an animated kids adventure comedy titled Luis and the Aliens. This is made by two German brothers, Wolfgang Lauenstein & Christoph Lauenstein, who have started directing animated features out of Germany for distribution worldwide – they also made a film titled Marnie’s World which premiered at the Annecy Film Festival this summer. And they won an Oscar for their 1999 animated short Balance. Luis tells the story of an 11-year-old boy who makes friends with three loveable little aliens, who crash their UFO into his house. In return for Luis’ help in finding the home-shopping channel stuff they came for, they will save Luis from the horrors of boarding school. The voice cast includes Joey Guila and Franciska Friede. This looks cute, but it’s not an all-ages super smart animated movie, mainly for kids to enjoy with their parents. ›››

Continue Reading Official UK Trailer for Animated Sci-Fi Kids Movie ‘Luis and the Aliens’

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