A Belated Valentine for Nia DaCosta
by Matthew Crump, Staff Writer
Oh DaCosta, DaCosta, wherefore art thou DaCosta? If that name doesn’t strike you as familiar, just wait a year or two.
Split 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?
Split Decision: Date Night
This week’s question: What is a film you love that premiered at any year's Sundance Film Festival?
10 ancient Queer Rom-Coms that probably won’t ruin Valentine’s Day
by Matthew Crump, Staff Writer
I’m here to use my expertise as a rom-com connoisseur to offer a completely objective ranking of 10 queer rom-coms so you and your partner can choose a less heteronormative option for a Valentine’s Day movie night.
Split Decision: Sundance Faves
This week’s question: What is a film you love that premiered at any year's Sundance Film Festival?
Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer
by Matthew Crump, Staff Writer
“We had not seen anything like that in Southern California and the more you thought about it, the more you said, ‘Could I be next?’”
Tommy C. Appreciation Club: Eyes Wide Shut
Written by Stanley Kubrick and Frederic Raphael (screenplay) and Arthur Schnitzler (inspired)
Directed by Stanley Kubrick
Starring Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman and Todd Field
Running time: 2 hours and 39 minutes
MPAA rating: R for language, nudity, some drug related material strong sexual content
by Matthew Crump, Alex Rudolph, Ashley Jane Davis, Audrey Callerstrom and Matthew McCafferty
The Tommy C. Appreciation Club, or TCAC, solemnly swears to watch and appreciate all theatrical performances by Tom Cruise then recap them, round-table style. In this edition, the Moviejawn crew embarks on a bonkers holiday adventure with our pal Tommy in Eyes Wide Shut.
Read MoreTranshood
Directed by Sharon Liese
Featuring Avery Jackson, Jay, Leena and Phoenix
Running time: 1 hour and 36 minutes
by Matthew Crump
“Why are we filming with you?”
“Because I’m transgender… Doop!”
While growing up is a universal process, the life chapter of “childhood” is altogether unique. In considering this contradiction, director Sharon Liese delivers an optimistic documentary that weaves the lives of four distinctive children together under two similarities: they all live in Kansas City, MO and they are all growing up transgender.
Read MoreDeath of Me
Directed by Darren Lynn Bousman
Starring Alex Essoe, Luke Hemsworth and Maggie Q
Running time: 1 hour and 34 minutes
MPAA rating: R for violence, gore, sexual content and language
by Matthew Crump
“This is the part where I tell you not to go in,” is one of the more hokey lines from Death of Me that also conveniently sums up my cautionary review of the film. Don’t get me wrong, this one is definitely scary, but with all of the xenophobia that’s raging throughout 2020, I’m not sure it’s the kind of scary that’s needed in our current moment.
Read MoreThe Shed
Directed by Frank Sabatella
Starring Jay Jay Warren, Cody Kostro and Sofia Happonen
Running time: 1 hour and 38 minutes
OR
Why The Shed Belongs in Horror Movie Jail
by Matthew Crump
Have you ever woken up early on a Saturday morning over a bowl of Cheerios, turned on a TV left on the Syfy channel from the night before, and gotten sucked into a b-horror movie just interesting enough to keep your attention but not bad enough to justify turning it off? That’s the Shudder exclusive movie The Shed.
Read MoreNow Presenting: Moviejawn's Summer 2020 Issue
by Benjamin Leonard, Best Boy
Greetings movie friends! As I’m sure most of you know, in addition to our website which mostly covers new movie reviews, we also make a quarterly print zine. I thought it’d be fun to give everyone a quick glance at all the films that are covered in our most recent issue (which focuses on circuses, carnivals and fairs) and where you can find them. Step right up! to follow the links for the titles and it’ll take you to a listing of where it can be found (mostly powered by JustWatch.com).
Read MoreClementine
Written and directed by Lara Gallagher
Starring Sydney Sweeney, Otmara Marrero and Ramsey
Running time: 1 hour and 30 minutes
by Matthew Crump
Where some films blindly romanticise queer age gap relationships, Clementine dares you to understand the social pressures and dangerous behaviors that lead to them. While it is true that queer people do harm each other, it’s important to acknowlege that this kind of inter-community destruction is learned from heteropatriarchal ideals. Lara Jean Gallagher’s debut feature film is bold and challenging storytelling that, after a bit of squirming, will leave you with a deeper understanding of queer cycles of abuse.
Read MoreTape
Written and directed by Deborah Kampmeier
Starring Isabelle Fuhrman, Isabella Pisacane and Tarek Bishara
Running time: 1 hour and 38 minutes
by Matthew Crump
Tape is a film that needs to be seen so women will finally be believed. With a budget that’s small, and a genre that’s indie, don’t expect a #metoo exposé of Hollywood blockbuster proportions. What you should expect is creative, complex female narratives that make an honest effort to empower women.
Read MoreAnd Then We Danced
Written and directed by Levan Akin
Starring Levan Gelbakhiani, Bachi Valishvili and Ana Javakishvili
Running time: 1 hour and 53 minutes
A Public Declaration of Love for Levan Akin
by Matthew Crump
Movies are life, 3D glasses are red & blue
And Then We Danced is the movie for you
Listen, I know Valentine’s Day is over, but that doesn’t mean we have to board up the loveshack for the rest of the month. If you still are finding yourself hankering for a complex love story, look no further. After watching And Then We Danced, I was so desperate to eat my feelings that I polished off all those second- and third-tier chocolates left over in my heart-shaped candy box. When I finally managed to pull myself together, I had the wonderful opportunity to have a telephone interview with the 2019 film’s dreamy director, Levan Akin.
Read MoreTotally Lesbi-Gay: Let Diablo Cody Reclaim Jennifer’s Body
by Jamie Calabria and Matthew Crump
What do you get when two badass women join forces to tell the story of a thinly-veiled bisexual succubus seeking revenge exclusively on her male abusers? A queer cult classic. Diablo Cody & Karyn Kusama’s horror-comedy Jennifer’s Body was a rare and valiant effort to capture the complexity of female relationships and methods of coping with male abuse within the horror genre at a time well before #MeToo.
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