BABY BLUE brings a new kind of Mother Mary
by Liz Wiest, Staff Writer
Baby Blue undoubtedly hits all the marks of a short that was produced like a well-oiled machine
HOLLYSHORTS FESTIVAL closes to rave reception for all things funny, funky and frightful
by Liz Wiest, Staff Writer
My classy remote Bitpix experience provided me with access to five provocative shorts that once again proved to me how dynamic the indie shorts circuit is, even post-strike.
CALL BACK holds a mirror up to the Industry and HollyShorts audiences alike
by Liz Wiest
I found Call Back to be prolific, gorgeously shot, with a biting satirical lens capturing our reality at 110%.
HOLLYSHORTS FESTIVAL celebrates 20 years of indie filmmaking brilliance
by Liz Wiest, Staff Writer
Los Angeles’ fastest-growing Oscar-qualifying shorts festival is back again with a killer lineup for its 20th anniversary.
MARS uses old trick to blast off into new worlds
by Liz Wiest, Staff Writer
Coming in at a crisp eighty-four minutes, Mars knows what it is and accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do.
TRIBECA 2024's chaotically entertaining lineup goes out with a godzilla-sized bang
by Liz Wiest, Staff Writer
The 23rd edition of the Tribeca Film Festival has come to a triumphant close this week after twelve days of magnificent world premieres, delightful events, and cutting edge immersive experiences.
GROUP THERAPY falls flat and leaves much to be desired
by Liz Wiest, Staff Writer
While the direction, editing and score all worked together to compose a final product of fabulous festival bait- the optics only do so much to reign in the rather chaotic moving parts.
Interview: Julia Aks and Steve Pinder, writing/directing duo of Tribeca short JANE AUSTEN'S PERIOD DRAMA
by Liz Wiest, Staff Writer
Film Festivals have always acted as a vehicle for provocative art to force audiences to confront controversy and difficult topics.
TRIBECA 2024 raises the curtain on an Innovative and eclectic lineup
by Liz Wiest, Staff Writer
This year’s lineup features the crème de la crème of film, games, and audio storytelling.
RIDDLE OF FIRE is a neo-fairy tale odyssey sweeter than (blueberry) pie
by Liz Wiest, Staff Writer
While the movie is stylish in the same way that an Urban Outfitters Polaroid is, it simultaneously feels comforting and natural, like watching a VHS from your childhood.
Tod Browning's Vampire Films: The legacy living longer than a single lifetime
by Liz Wiest, Contributor
Last month, as a part of their “Unspeakable: The Films of Tod Browning series,” Film at Lincoln Center unearthed 35mm footage of Dracula (1931) and Mark of the Vampire (1935) from the Library of Congress for a classic and campy double feature experience.
Honor Among Freaks: How Tod Browning’s THE UNHOLY THREE and FREAKS navigate moral relativism
by Liz Wiest, Contributor
These two stories, brought into the world at dramatically different points in the acclaimed director’s life, represent a fascinating depiction of not only a stark shift in Browning’s creative perspective, but also his descent from praise into controversy.
50 Years of Pure Imagination: WILLY WONKA’s Golden Ticket Anniversary
by Liz Wiest, Contributor
A half a century later, audiences of all ages are in for a scrumdidlyumptious treat as Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory gears up for a 4K 50th anniversary re-release.
What to do about WONDER WOMAN?
by Liz Wiest, Contributor
Number 22 in our countdown of the best summer blockbusters of all time.
LOOKING FOR A LADY WITH FANGS AND A MOUSTACHE thinly preaches self-love
by Liz Wiest, Contributor
“If everyone believed they only had seven days to live, the world would be peaceful.”
Read MoreSplit Decision: I always wanted to be a Tenenbaum
In honor of Bottle Rocket’s 25th anniversary, who is your favorite character in any Wes Anderson movie?
MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND at 25: Time to shiver your timbers again
by Liz Wiest, Contributor
Avast Ye! Twenty-five years after its initial release on February 16, 1996, Muppets Treasure Island has set sail onto the streaming waters Disney+.
Split Decision: Charlie Chaplin's Films
Each week, Ryan will pose a question to our staff of knowledgable and passionate film lovers and share the responses! This week’s question: In honor of the recent centennial for The Kid, what is your favorite film directed by Charlie Chaplin?
Read MoreMJ's Top Ten of 2020
by Benjamin Leonard, Best Boy
A couple weeks before the end of the year (and what a year it’s been), I asked everybody to list their top five movies that they’d seen so far. This is always a tough chore because people are trying to cram in the films they’d heard about but missed throughout the year and then there’s the Christmas Day releases that only a few people have seen by that point. This means that people will always look back at their list in a year or two and find things that they wish they would've included, but just hadn’t seen yet. I feel like this year has exacerbated that situation because everyone has had to settle into finding films through different avenues.
Here, I’ve compiled everyone’s rankings and responses to give the MovieJawn Top Ten for 2020.
Read MoreAnimaniacs
13-Episode Series, Presented by Steven Spielberg
by Liz Wiest
Amongst the tumultuous timeline that has been the year 2020, Hulu’s highly-anticipated reboot of the beloved 90s classic Animaniacs, shines as a much-needed silver lining around the ever-expanding “Quarantine Watch List”. Back with their “zany to the max” personas are Yakko, Wakko, the Warner Sister Dot and fan favorites Pinky and the Brain, who are still doing what they have been for the last 22 years- trying to take over the world. The 13 episodes are packed with moments of misadventure and music that everyone of all ages can enjoy and, considering that this is the Netflix competitor’s first major swing at a series geared toward families, it can absolutely be classified as a home run for everyone.
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