Jay Cheel | Film Festival Today

Interview with “Great White” Director Martin Wilson
By Adam Vaughn
July 22, 2021
I had the opportunity to speak with director Martin White on his latest film, Great White, which centers around a group of tourists who find themselves stranded at sea amidst the company of hungry, vicious sharks, paying homage to the classic creature-feature genre. Wilson discussed his inspiration for the movie, developing the story and characters, and the production process behind filming a feature-length project shot almost entirely at sea, ... >>
Film Review: “Last Call: The Shutdown of NYC Bars” Succeeds with an Intimate, Brief Look at Its Conflict
By Adam Vaughn
July 12, 2021
Last Call: The Shutdown of NYC Bars (Johnny Sweet, 2021) 3 out of 4 stars. As both narratives and documentaries, alike, pour in on the theme of Covid-19, in comes director Johnny Sweet (Quiet Storm: The Ron Artest Story), whose newest documentary focuses on one part of the country affected heavily by the coronavirus and its fallout. Last Call: The Shutdown of NYC Bars shows how devastating the pandemic was to New York City (specifically in ... >>
Film Review: “Scales” Conceives a Fresh and Sinister Take on Mermaids
By Robin C. Farrell
July 9, 2021
Scales (Shahad Ameen, 2019) 3 out of 4 stars. Very rarely does one come across a truly unique interpretation of the mermaid mythos. They usually fall into a trope of one sort: the sweet, feminine ideal; the monstrous siren; or some unsettling mix of the two. However, in Scales, Saudi Arabian writer/director Shahad Ameen explores the mermaid concept in a fascinating new way. Here is a depiction of mermaids as nightmares and deep-seated beliefs ... >>
AFI DOCS Review: “Pray Away” Examines the Dangerous Consequences of Conversion Therapy
By Christopher Llewellyn Reed
July 7, 2021
Pray Away (Kristine Stolakis, 2020) 3½ out of 4 stars. “If your religion tells you it is OK to discriminate against anyone because of their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual expression, sexual identity, different religion, or any other manner of difference from you, maybe reconsider the values it is teaching you.” – this film critic ... >>
AFI DOCS Review: “Courtroom 3H” Shows What Compassionate Legal Professionals Can Do
By Christopher Llewellyn Reed
July 5, 2021
Courtroom 3H (Antonio Méndez Esparza, 2020) 4 out of 4 stars. For most people outside the judicial system, the courthouse is no doubt low on their list of pleasant places to visit. Dependency Court, which handles matters pertaining to the abuse, neglect and/or abandonment of children, offers an especially bleak array of cases. If one is among those whose children have been taken away (for good reason, it often seems), then the choice, however ... >>

Victoria Reviews “F9: The Fast Saga”
July 3, 2021
It held my attention until Roman and Tej went Beyond Jupiter and met Dave Bowman. These guys are ...>>
Victoria Reviews “In the Heights”
June 8, 2021
Broadway behemoth Hamilton must have been a fluke. This is a musical without songs. And the ...>>
Film Review: “Those Who Wish Me Dead”
May 22, 2021
It’s best seen at a movie theater. It’s Angelina Jolie’s return to films, though she has not been ...>>
Film Review: “Spiral, from the Book of Saw”
May 18, 2021
Chris Rock has reached the apex of Hollywood stardom. He has a sure hit franchise. In a wacky Good ...>>

Series Review: More Cursed Films (Episodes 4 and 5) Equal Greater Cinematic Delights

Interview with “Cursed Films” Showrunner Jay Cheel

Series Review: “Cursed Films” Offers Blessings of Cinema