Movie review by Greg Carlson The many media attempts at Frank Herbert’s epic space fantasy “Dune” speak to its lasting appeal and its potent impact. David Lynch’s movie, defended by the filmmaker’s most ardent supporters but excoriated by a larger chorus disappointed in the heavy hand applied by House De Laurentiis, marked the end of […]
Golden Arm
Movie review by Greg Carlson Maureen Bharoocha’s “Golden Arm” applies the irresistible combination of long-haul trucking and competitive arm wrestling in the tradition of Menahem Golan’s 1987 Sylvester Stallone cult nugget “Over the Top.” Close friendship replaces father-son bonding as the emotional heartbeat of the story, and Bharoocha, working from a very funny screenplay by […]
Posted by GBC on October 18, 2021
https://southpawfilmworks.net/?p=4800
Collecting Movies with Anthony Strand
Interview by Greg Carlson Before she introduced us, mutual friend Morgan Davy told me that Anthony Strand had the uncanny ability to remember the exact running time of every movie he had seen. And he has seen a lot of movies. Strand was born in 1984, under the sign of “Amadeus,” “This Is Spinal Tap,” […]
Posted by GBC on October 11, 2021
https://southpawfilmworks.net/?p=4786
The Many Saints of Newark
Movie review by Greg Carlson I love “The Sopranos.” I have spent many hours with the show, re-watching favorite episodes, reading popular and academic books and essays deconstructing the series, queuing up clip playlists on YouTube to numb the pain of months in pandemic-imposed isolation. Like many others for whom David Chase’s vivid universe is […]
Posted by GBC on October 3, 2021
https://southpawfilmworks.net/?p=4780
Val
Movie review by Greg Carlson Ting Poo and Leo Scott may be the directors of record, but “Val” unfolds almost purely as the kaleidoscopic personal diary of subject and writer Val Kilmer, the mercurial one-time superstar who has spent more time in recent years dealing with throat cancer than pursuing screen roles. Kilmer’s initial public […]
Posted by GBC on September 27, 2021
https://southpawfilmworks.net/?p=4775
Kid 90
Movie review by Greg Carlson Equally frustrating and fascinating, Soleil Moon Frye’s quasi-confessional nostalgia documentary “Kid 90” will attract pop culture consumers of a certain age lured by the promise of pre-internet home movies and video diaries capturing an astonishing number of young performers before, during, and in some cases at the peaks of their […]
Posted by GBC on September 20, 2021
https://southpawfilmworks.net/?p=4770
Remembering Matt Myers
Reflection by Greg Carlson Matt Myers died unexpectedly on August 20 while exploring Iceland with Dr. Jacqueline Bussie, his partner of 38 years. We are still trying, without success, to make sense of it. His large circle, which touched both coasts and for the last decade met in the middle in Fargo, North Dakota, mourns […]
Posted by GBC on September 13, 2021
https://southpawfilmworks.net/?p=4763
For Madmen Only: The Stories of Del Close
Movie review by Greg Carlson Filmmaker Heather Ross combines a variety of striking visuals — including creative nonfiction reenactments, animated comic book panels and collages, archival stills and film clips, vintage stock footage, and conventional talking heads — to assemble “For Madmen Only: The Stories of Del Close.” Described by Bill Murray and others as […]
Posted by GBC on September 6, 2021
https://southpawfilmworks.net/?p=4758
Plan B
Movie review by Greg Carlson Busy performer Natalie Morales makes her solo feature directorial debut with the winning road trip teen comedy “Plan B.” Equally raucous and heartfelt, the movie follows in the footsteps of Olivia Wilde’s influential “Booksmart” by focusing on the relationship of two close high school friends. And not unlike the frequently-discussed […]
Posted by GBC on August 30, 2021
https://southpawfilmworks.net/?p=4754
Sophie Jones
Movie review by Greg Carlson Cousins and co-writers Jessica Barr (who also plays the lead) and Jessie Barr (who also directs) build a thoughtful and sensitive coming of age drama in “Sophie Jones,” which made its world premiere this past autumn as part of the 2020 Festival du Cinéma Américain de Deauville. The movie is […]
Posted by GBC on August 21, 2021
https://southpawfilmworks.net/?p=4746