Movie review by Greg Carlson There are so many memorable moments in the short life of musician Jeff Buckley that filmmaker Amy J. Berg could easily have gotten lost in an endless highlight reel. The veteran documentarian, whose feature debut “Deliver Us From Evil” (2006) received an Oscar nomination, focuses instead on the core relationships […]
It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley
https://southpawfilmworks.net/?p=5811
East of Wall
Movie review by Greg Carlson Shortly following its world premiere in January, first-time feature filmmaker Kate Beecroft’s “East of Wall” won the NEXT section’s audience award at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. A persuasive blend of nonfiction and fiction elements, the movie’s stunning South Dakota setting serves as an additional character in the ensemble. Populated […]
https://southpawfilmworks.net/?p=5807
Weapons
Movie review by Greg Carlson The wildly talented and ambitious Zach Cregger drags us back to the basement in “Weapons,” one of the year’s most satisfying and enjoyable films of any genre. While fans of “Barbarian” know to expect the unexpected when it comes to the filmmaker’s investment in horror and comedy, Cregger’s latest feature […]
https://southpawfilmworks.net/?p=5801
Oh, Hi!
Movie review by Greg Carlson When I first heard the premise for “Oh, Hi!” – which has been described as a “romantic comedy,” if you imagine a twisted sense of the term – visions of two Stephen King novels popped into my head. In “Misery,” a writer is held captive by an obsessed fan. And […]
https://southpawfilmworks.net/?p=5798
My Mom Jayne
Movie review by Greg Carlson Cinephiles and fans of classic midcentury Hollywood biography will find much to appreciate in Mariska Hargitay’s insightful documentary “My Mom Jayne.” As protagonist Olivia Benson on NBC’s “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” Hargitay holds the record for playing the longest-running primetime character on network television. Many also know her […]
https://southpawfilmworks.net/?p=5794
Eddington
Movie review by Greg Carlson Ari Aster’s political satire “Eddington” premiered in competition for the Palme d’Or at Cannes in May, where Jafar Panahi’s “It Was Just an Accident” received the prize. A frequently laborious mash-up of genres including flashes of the filmmaker’s horror comfort zone (“Hereditary” and “Midsommar” remain the best films he has […]
https://southpawfilmworks.net/?p=5790
Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything
Movie review by Greg Carlson With “Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything,” director Jackie Jesko takes on the legacy and legend of the late journalist extraordinaire. One of the year’s many solid, feature-length biographical documentaries, Jesko’s movie premiered at the Tribeca Festival in June before making its way to Hulu. The director highlights career accomplishments and […]
https://southpawfilmworks.net/?p=5786
Pee-wee as Himself
Movie review by Greg Carlson Filmmaker Matt Wolf, whose lovely “Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell” suggests he would be the perfect director to construct the definitive biographical account of the wholly original Paul Reubens, mostly makes good on that promise with the two-part “Pee-wee as Himself.” The story, now on HBO following a […]
https://southpawfilmworks.net/?p=5781
Sally
Movie review by Greg Carlson As we continue to deal with the ongoing horrorshow of racism, misogyny and transphobia embraced by the current administration, films like “Sally” can serve as an important reminder that love triumphs over hate time and again. News broke just this month that the Pentagon had officially renamed the John Lewis-class […]
https://southpawfilmworks.net/?p=5777
Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)
Movie review by Greg Carlson The June 9 death of musician Sylvester Stewart, known much better by stage name Sly Stone, saw an outpouring of tributes, memorials, and appreciations from some who knew him personally and many who never made his acquaintance. The groundbreaking visionary and multi-instrumentalist launched hit after hit into the cosmos, defining […]
https://southpawfilmworks.net/?p=5772