Peter Simonischek | Film Festival Today

“Toni Erdmann” Plays the Long Game and Wins

February 6, 2017

Film Review: Despite Censorship and Propaganda, Afghan Filmmakers Shine in “What We Left Unfinished”
By Christopher Llewellyn Reed
August 2, 2021
What We Left Unfinished (Mariam Ghani, 2019) 3 out of 4 stars. The opening title cards of director Mariam Ghani’s debut feature-length documentary, What We Left Unfinished, explain how in April, 1978, the Communist Party of Afghanistan seized power in a coup d’état, thereafter nationalizing the film industry and putting filmmakers to work celebrating the new order. We soon learn how quickly that government was itself overthrown, and then how the ... >>
Film Review: The Siren Song of “Lorelei” Mostly Enchants
By Christopher Llewellyn Reed
July 29, 2021
Lorelei (Sabrina Doyle, 2020) 3 out of 4 stars. 15 years ago, Wayland committed armed robbery, and is just now finishing his subsequent sentence. Greeted by his old biker gang as he emerges from prison, he has one fun, drunken night with them before beginning a work residency at the local Lutheran church, where Pastor Gail, kind soul that she is, overlooks his late arrival while also firmly reminding him of his upcoming duties, which include ... >>
Film Review: In Horror Anthology “Lilith,” Looks are Deceiving
By Matt Patti
July 29, 2021
Lilith (Alexander T. Hwang, 2018) 2½ out of 4 stars. Director Alexander T. Hwang’s Lilith is an anthology film that follows the titular demon, an entity that tortures and murders men for their vile actions towards women. The film features four separate stories, all instances of a man mistreating a woman (or partaking in even worse activities) and, in each one, Lilith appears. The film’s concept intrigued me, and I went in expecting a ... >>
Film Review: In Often Gripping “The Evening Hour,” Less Is More, Until It Isn’t
By Christopher Llewellyn Reed
July 29, 2021
The Evening Hour (Braden King, 2020) 2½ out of 4 stars. West Virginia is one of our nation’s current hotspots for opioid addiction, the region’s endemic povertycontributing to a culture of despair that causes some to slide into ever greater misery. Depression is an often inescapable mire, after all. Coal mining is still a major industry, though the riches (as long as they last) don’t seem to trickle down to average folks. Still, everyone has ... >>
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, ... >>

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 ...>>