Alex WilliamsAFI Fest 2017: Daniela Vega is Terrific in A FANTASTIC WOMANThe last decade or so has seen a rise in LGBTQ-themed cinema, heralded by Brokeback Mountain’s breakthrough into the public consciousness…Dec 1, 2017Dec 1, 2017
Alex WilliamsAFI FEST 2017: All the Mustachioed Character Actors in the World Can’t Save HOSTILESThe films of writer/director Scott Cooper have a common thread running through them, often exploring a haunted sort of masculinity. Jeff…Nov 22, 2017Nov 22, 2017
Alex WilliamsAFI Fest 2017: I AM NOT A WITCH Falls Short of SpellbindingAFI Fest is traditionally a great place for debut films to reach a Los Angeles audience, and so far, this year is proving to be no…Nov 15, 2017Nov 15, 2017
Alex WilliamsAFI FEST 2017: Westerns Get a Tune-Up With THE BALLAD OF LEFTY BROWNWriter/director Jared Moshe didn’t make much of a splash with his first film, Dead Man’s Burden, which had a short festival run before a…Nov 15, 2017Nov 15, 2017
Alex WilliamsCriterion Review: THE PIANO TEACHER is Haneke at His CruelestTo call the films of Michael Haneke difficult is like calling a Texas summer warm; it’s not wrong, but it doesn’t quite capture the unique…Oct 18, 2017Oct 18, 2017
Alex WilliamsFantastic Fest 2017: SUPER DARK TIMES is a Bleak Addition to the Coming-of-Age GenreComing-of-age films are a reliable programming staple of every film festival, but only the most deranged entries into this genre tend to…Oct 9, 2017Oct 9, 2017
Alex WilliamsFantastic Fest 2017: GERALD’S GAME is Another Top-Notch Stephen King AdaptationThe vast library of Stephen King novels and short stories is being adapted at a greater rate than ever, and the back half of 2017 has…Sep 28, 2017Sep 28, 2017
Alex WilliamsFantastic Fest 2017: REVENGE Confronts a Controversial GenreOne of the chief functions of horror is to test the boundaries of good taste, and the most brazen pusher of envelopes is often the…Sep 28, 2017Sep 28, 2017
Alex WilliamsFantastic Fest 2017: THOROUGHBREDS is a Thoroughly Entertaining Dark ComedyIt’s tough to nail down what makes a good black comedy. Leaning too far into the darkness of it can ruin the comedy, while pulling punches…Sep 26, 2017Sep 26, 2017
Alex WilliamsFantastic Fest 2017: ANNA AND THE APOCALYPSE is a Genre Mash-up with Blood, Guts, and Lots of HeartIt’s all too easy to engage in hyperbole when seeing a good film in a festival environment. When said film has its very first screening at…Sep 23, 2017Sep 23, 2017