Authors: Jimmy Martin
KNUCKLE
When you walk out of a film like “KNUCKLE”, you truly question your masculinity and what you’re willing to risk physically defending you and your family’s reputation. For over ten years, director Ian Palmer has documented an ongoing feud between a handful of traveler families (think Brad Pitt’s character in Guy Ritchie’s “Snatch”) in Ireland. … read more
Tyrannosaur
Within the first five minutes of Paddy Considine’s dramatic thriller, it’s blatantly clear the male lead is one of the most soulless characters to reach the screen in ages. Joseph (Peter Mullan) is an alcoholic with a gambling problem whose temper instigates unbelievably callous acts of violence. … read more
Terri
The idea of an overweight high school student who’s teased by his peers as he swoons over the most popular girl is nothing new, but Azazel Jacobs attempts to change up the clichéd concept by adding a whacky assistant principal who attempts to win students’ affection with mixed results. … read more
Red State
The publicity swirling around Kevin Smith’s religious thriller is nothing short of astonishing. The Sundance alum’s latest creation even ignited a protest from members of the Westboro Baptist Church during his premiere screening. … read more
Hobo With A Shotgun
As soon as the bold vintage yellow font appears on the screen with Darius Holbert and Russ Howard III’s traditional 70s score playing in the background, it’s apparent director Jason Eisener has methodically examined the exploitation genre and adapted to fit today’s appreciation for the over-the-top filmmaking style. … read more
Life In A Day
Executive producers/brothers Ridley and Tony Scott and director Kevin MacDonald invited the world to participate in a global video project that has become a poignant testament to the human condition. Anyone willing to participate was asked to submit a video of whatever was occurring in their life as long as it was captured on July 24th, 2010. … read more
Miss Representation
The debate regarding the objectification of women in the media has been an ongoing issue for decades. In fact, it was the same topic discussed in Jean Kilbourne’s 1979 documentary short, “Killing Us Softly”. In an effort to reexamine and expand the research, director Jennifer Siebel Newsom has reopened the dialogue to investigate how far America has progressed in the past 32 years. Sadly, the result is still disheartening. … read more
Crime After Crime
It’s sickening to think of a world where battered women who fight back against their abusers can be locked up for simply defending themselves. Yes, nowadays victims can seek shelters, but such was not the case in the late 1970s and that fact is exactly why Deborah Peagler was incarcerated and sentenced to 25 years to life for the murder of her boyfriend, Oliver Wilson. … read more
Homework
This may be Gavin Wiesen’s feature debut as a director, but it’s blatantly clear he’s been watching and studying Sundance entries for the past 20 years, because nothing contained in his teenage love drama is remotely innovative. George (Freddie Highmore) is your typical independent film protagonist who attends a private school, is provided with an affluent lifestyle and calls his parents and teachers by their first name (how hip of him). … read more
Hot Coffee
We’ve all heard the tale about the elderly woman, Stella Liebeck, who spilt McDonald’s coffee in her lap while driving and was awarded over $2 million in compensation from the subsequent lawsuit. It was immortalized on “Seinfeld” with the character Kramer enduring a similar accident, which is exactly how “Hot Coffee” opens. … read more
The Woman
When a director stands before an audience and warns them of the forthcoming controversial material and recollects about previous screenings’ walkouts, you know you’re in for a memorable experience one way or another. To their wealthy neighbors and friends, the Cleek family appears to be the stereotypical American family, but the sinister truth behind their lifestyles would make even the toughest a tad squeamish. … read more
SLUG Offers Its Two Tokens at E3
E3 is one of the world’s largest dog-and-pony shows for the video games industry’s finest to showcase their latest and greatest developments. This year, I scheduled a strict agenda that allowed me to test, observe, judge and dismiss more games on the floor than ever before. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the “Good News” and “Bad News” of every game I got my grubby mitts on. … read more
