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

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

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