Steve James | Film Festival Today

Jay Berg’s AFI DOCS 2018 Top Five

July 4, 2018

DOC NYC Review: Redemption Is on Offer in Fascinating “2nd Chance”
By Christopher Llewellyn Reed
November 29, 2022
2nd Chance (Ramin Bahrani, 2022) 3 out of 4 stars. America’s obsession with guns is nothing new, dating back to our frontier past and a Bill of Rights Amendment of wildly diverging interpretations. While there are weapons galore out there in the world, however, it is understandable that some folks—in particular, law-enforcement officers—might long for extra protection against the bullets emanating from gun barrels. Enter one Richard Davis, ... >>
DOC NYC Review: “Fragments of Paradise” Comes Close to Cinematic Heaven
By Christopher Llewellyn Reed
November 24, 2022
Fragments of Paradise (KD Davison, 2022) 3½ out of 4 stars. Lithuanian-born Jonas Mekas (1922-2019) came to the United States in 1949. By the mid-1950s, he and his brother Adolfas had firmly established themselves in the American avant-garde film movement, starting Film Culture magazine in 1954. Mekas would go on to develop a well-earned reputation as the “godfather of underground cinema,” influencing the likes of Andy Warhol, John Waters, and ... >>
Interview with “Good Night Oppy” Director Ryan White
By Christopher Llewellyn Reed
November 23, 2022
I reviewed director Ryan White’s newest documentary, Good Night Oppy, out of the 2022 Middleburg Film Festival. It came out in theaters on November 4 and now, today, is available through Amazon Prime. The film tells the tale of the twin Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity (or “Oppy”), which were meant to last 90 days upon landing on the red planet in 2004, yet made it to 2011 and 2018, respectively. White (Ask Dr. Ruth) chronicles the incredible ... >>
DOC NYC Review: Jerry Brown Disrupts in Lively “Jerry Brown: The Disrupter”
By Christopher Llewellyn Reed
November 21, 2022
Jerry Brown: The Disrupter (Marina Zenovich, 2022) 3½ out of 4 stars. Born in 1938, Edmund G. Brown Jr. (aka “Jerry” Brown) would go on to serve as Democratic governor of California in two very different eras, the first time from 1975 to 1983 and the second from 2011 to 2019. Given the sobriquet “Governor Moonbeam” by Chicago columnist Mike Royko, Brown was a leading liberal voice at a time when America was about to move more to the right, ... >>
Series Review: “Rivals: Ohio State vs. Michigan” Breaks Down a Classic Rivalry
By Matt Patti
November 20, 2022
Rivals: Ohio State vs Michigan (Peter Karl, 2022) 3 out of 4 stars. Rivalries are commonplace in almost every aspect of life: Republicans vs. Democrats; Apple vs. Microsoft; McDonald’s vs. Burger King. These bitter rivals work hard to one-up each other and are in constant battle. Perhaps the greatest rivalries in the world, though, are sports rivalries: Yankees vs. Red Sox; Steelers vs. Ravens; Celtics vs. Lakers; Mexican Men’s Soccer vs. U.S. ... >>

Film Review: “Scrooge: A Christmas Carol” May Not Impress, but It Mostly Diverts
In >> Breaking, Christopher Llewellyn Reed, Film Reviews, Spotlight
Film Review: “Violent Night” Is a Holly, Jolly, Bloody Good Time
In >> Breaking, Film Reviews, Matt Patti, Spotlight
Film Review: “The Fabelmans” Is Spielberg’s Love Poem to the Art of Cinema
In >> Breaking, Christopher Llewellyn Reed, Film Reviews, Spotlight
Film Review: “The Menu” Serves Bland Satire and Half-Baked Characters
In >> Breaking, Film Reviews, Hannah Tran, Spotlight

Victoria Reviews “Thor: Love And Thunder”
July 11, 2022
Thor has been emasculated and is a co-star in his movie. It’s rote work for Hewsworth. Thor has ...>>
Victoria Reviews “Elvis”
July 11, 2022
Austin Butler is Baz Luhrmann’s Tulpa. Luhrmann conceived him and drapes him in a halo of ...>>
Victoria Reviews “Morbius”
May 3, 2022
With THE LITTLE THINGS and his sensational, transformation in HOUSE OF GUCCI, Leto is totally ...>>
Victoria Reviews “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent”
May 3, 2022
Nic Cage serves up a terrific movie. Cage sets the career procedural for pariahs Mel and Armie: ...>>