Eternals - Movie Review

The Movie: Eternals

The Director: Chloé Zhao

The Cast: Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree

Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Barry Keoghan, Don Lee, with Kit Harington, with Salma

Hayek, Angelina Jolie

The Story: When monstrous creatures called the Deviants mysteriously return, the Eternals—a group of heroes from beyond the stars who have protected Earth since the dawn of man—are forced to reunite in order to defend humanity once again.

TwoOhSix Picks - 2021 Hawai International Film Festival, Presented by Halekulani

The 2021 Hawai'i International Film Festival, Presented by Halekulani is here! This is my seventh year covering what has become one of my favorite film festivals of the course of each year. There's always such an amazing lineup of movies from all over the world and it's always nice to see so many different perspectives from all over the place. This year's event is a combination of virtual access and in person screenings with lots of measures and protocols in place to keep everyone safe. See below for my list of TwoOhSix Picks, the movies you definitely want to have on your radar whether you will be attending in person or watching from home.

Snakehead - Movie Review

The Movie: Snakehead

The Director: Evan Jackson Leong

The Cast: Sung Kang, Celia Au, Devon Diep, Shuya Chang, Perry Yung, Jamie Choi, Jade Wu, Amy Tsang, Sandra Eloani, Eric Elizaga

The Story: A Chinese immigrant get caught up in an international crime ring of human smuggling while attempting to make a better life for her family.

Antlers (2021) - Movie Review

The Movie: Antlers

The Director: Scott Cooper

The Cast: Keri Russell, Jesse Plemons, Jeremy T. Thomas, Graham Greene, Scott Haze, Rory Cochrane, Amy Madigan

The Story: In an isolated Oregon town, a middle-school teacher and her sheriff brother become embroiled with her enigmatic student, whose dark secrets lead to terrifying encounters with a legendary ancestral creature who came before them.

Last Night in Soho - Movie Review

The Review: Last Night in Soho

The Director: Edgar Wright

The Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Thomasin McKenzie, Matt Smith, Terence Stamp, Diana Rigg, Rita Tushingham, Michael Ajao, Synnove Karlsen

The Story:  An aspiring fashion designer, is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s where she encounters a dazzling wannabe singer, Sandie. But the glamour is not all it appears to be and the dreams of the past start to crack and splinter into something far darker.

Becoming Cousteau - Documentary Review

The Documentary: Becoming Cousteau

The Director: Liz Garbus

The Story: A look at the life, passions, achievements and tragedies surrounding the famous explorer and environmentalist Jacques Cousteau, featuring an archive of his newly restored footage.

The Electrical Life of Louis Wain - Movie Review

The Movie: The Electrical Life of Louis Wain

The Director: Will Sharpe

The Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Claire Foy, Andrea Riseborough, Toby Jones, Sharon Rooney, Aimee Lou Wood, Taika Waititi, Olivia Colman 

The Story: The extraordinary true story of eccentric British artist Louis Wain (Benedict Cumberbatch), whose playful, sometimes even psychedelic pictures helped to transform the public's perception of cats forever.

Dune (2021) - Movie Review

The Movie: Dune (2021)

The Director: Denis Villeneuve

The Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, Chang Chen, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem

The Story: Feature adaptation of Frank Herbert's science fiction novel, about the son of a noble family entrusted with the protection of the most valuable asset and most vital element in the galaxy.

The Harder They Fall (2021) - Movie Review

The Movie: The Harder They Fall

The Director: Jeymes Samuel

The Cast: Jonathan Majors, Zazie Beetz, Delroy Lindo, LaKeith Stanfield, Danielle Deadwyler,

Edi Gathegi, RJ Cyler, Damon Wayans Jr., Deon Cole, Regina King, Idris Elba

The Story: In this Western, outlaw Nat Love discovers that his enemy, Rufus Buck, is being released from prison, so he reunites his gang to track Rufus down and seek revenge.

The French Dispatch - Movie Review

The Movie: The French Dispatch

The Director: Wes Anderson

The Cast: Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Léa Seydoux, Frances McDormand, Timothée Chalamet, Lyna Khoudri, Jeffrey Wright, Mathieu Amalric, Stephen Park, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson

The Story: A love letter to journalists set in an outpost of an American newspaper in a fictional twentieth century French city that brings to life a collection of stories published in "The French Dispatch Magazine".

Found - Documentary Review

The Documentary: Found

The Director: Amanda Lipitz

The Story: Three adopted American teenage girls discover that they are blood-related cousins. Their online meeting inspires the young women to confront complicated and emotional questions, and embark on a once in a lifetime journey to China together in search of answers, connections, and their lost history.

When I Consume You - 2021 BHFF Movie Review

The Movie: When I Consume You

The Director: Perry Blackshear

The Cast: Libby Ewing, Evan Dumouchel, MacLeod Andrews, Margaret Ying Drake

The Story: A woman and her brother seek revenge against a mysterious stalker.

Knocking - Movie Review

The Movie: Knocking

The Director: Frida Kempff

The Cast: Çecilia Milocco, Albin Grenholm, Alexander Salzberger, Krister Kern, Ville Virtanen, Charlotta Åkerblom, and Naida Ragimova

The Story: After suffering a traumatic incident, Molly moves into a new apartment to begin her path to recovery, but it’s not long after her arrival that a series of persistent knocks and screams begin to wake her up at night.

Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy / 偶然と想像 - Movie Review

The Movie: Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy / 偶然と想像

The Director: Ryûsuke Hamaguchi

The Cast: Kotone Furukawa, Ayumu Nakajima, Hyunri, Kiyohiko Shibukawa, Katsuki Mori, Shouma Kai, Fusako Urabe, Aoba Kawai

The Story: An unexpected love triangle, a failed seduction trap, and an encounter that results from a misunderstanding, told in three movements to depict three female characters and trace the trajectories between their choices and regrets.

Halloween Kills - Movie Review

The Movie: Halloween Kills

The Director: David Gordon Green

The Cast: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Will Patton, Thomas Mann, Anthony Michael Hall 

The Story: The saga of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode continues in the next thrilling chapter of the Halloween series.

The Blazing World - Movie Review

The Movie: The Blazing World

The Director: Carlson Young

The Cast: Udo Kier, Dermot Mulroney, Vinessa Shaw, Soko, John Karna, Carlson Young

The Story: Decades after the accidental drowning of her twin sister, a self-destructive young woman returns to her family home, finding herself drawn to an alternate dimension where her sister may still be alive.

Hard Luck Love Song - Movie Review

The Movie: Hard Luck Love Song

The Director: Justin Corsbie

The Cast: Michael Dorman, Sophia Bush, Dermot Mulroney, RZA, Brian Sacca, Eric Roberts, Melora Walters, Max Arciniega, Randal Reeder, Taylor Gray, Geri Courtney-Austein, Toni Robison-May, Zac Badasci

The Story: A gritty love story about a charismatic but down-on-his-luck troubadour living out of cheap motels and making bad decisions.

TwoOhSix Picks - 2021 Brooklyn Horror Film Festival

After taking 2020 off due to the pandemic, the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival has returned! I have been super excited to see this year's lineup and the festival programmers did not disappoint in any way. If you are a fan of horror movies, you definitely want to check this festival out. Keep in mind, this is an in person festival only with no virtual screenings or events so if you're not in New York, you're out of luck. See below for my six TwoOhSix Picks movies that you do not want to miss!

The Medium / ร่างทรง - Movie Review

The Movie: The Medium / ร่างทรง

The Director: Banjong Pisanthanakun

The Cast: Sawanee Utoomma, Narilya Gulmongkolpech, Sirani Yankittikan, Yasaka Chaisorn

The Story: A horrifying story of a shaman's inheritance in the Isan region of Thailand. What could be possessing a family member might not be the Goddess they make it out to be.

Poser - 2021 Nightstream Movie Review

The Movie: Poser

The Directors: Ori Segev and Noah Dixon

The Cast: Sylvie Mix, Bobbi Kitten, Rachel Keefe, Abdul Seidu, Nick Samson, Aujolie Baker, Amber Falter, Angela Jernigan

The Story: As Lennon fuels her desire for entry into a podcast featuring live music and conversations with the artists she so fervently admires, Lennon finds inspiration for her own musical ambitions...and a growing sense of misdirected identity.

Alien on Stage - 2021 Nightstream Documentary Review

The Documentary: Alien on Stage

The Directors: Lucy Harvey and Danielle Kummer

The Story: Tired of performing pantomime productions for their annual charity show in Dorset, the amateur company sets their sights on a most ambitious adaptation of Ridley Scott's 1979 sci-fi horror classic Alien.

Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes - 2021 Nightstream Movie Review

The Movie: Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes

The Director: Junta Yamaguchi

The Cast: Kazunori Tosa, Aki Asakura, Gota Ishida, Riko Fujitan, Masashi Suwa, Yoshifumi Sakai, Haruki Nakagawa, Takashi Sumita, Munenori Nagano, Chikara Honda

The Story: A cafe owner discovers that the TV in his cafe suddenly shows images from the future, but only two minutes into the future.

Mass - Movie Review

The Movie: Mass

The Director: Fran Kranz

The Cast: Reed Birney, Ann Dowd, Jason Isaacs, Martha Plimpton, Breeda Wool, Michelle N. Carter

The Story: Aftermath of a violent tragedy that affects the lives of two couples in different ways.

El Planeta - Movie Review

The Movie: El Planeta

The Director: Amalia Ulman

The Cast: Amalia Ulman, Ale Ulman, Nacho Vigalondo, Zhou Chen

The Story: Amidst the devastation of post-crisis Spain, mother and daughter bluff and grift to keep up the lifestyle they think they deserve, bonding over common tragedy and an impending eviction.

Lamb - Movie Review

The Movie: Lamb

The Director: Valdimar Jóhannsson

The Cast: Noomi Rapace, Hilmir Snær Guðnason, Björn Hlynur Haraldsson

The Story: A childless couple in rural Iceland make an alarming discovery one day in their sheep barn. They soon face the consequences of defying the will of nature, in this dark and atmospheric folktale.

TwoOhSix Picks - 2021 Nightstream Film Festival

The Nightstream Film Festival returns for another year of genre programming including horror films, fantasy films, and lots of other fun, off the beaten path type movies. Even as some festivals return to at least partial in person screenings, I was happy to see the Nightstream organizers continue this all virtual festival as a way to celebrate these types of movies. Read below for the ten feature films I am most excited to watch during this year's event.

V/H/S/94 - Movie Review

The Movie: V/H/S/94

The Directors:

Simon Barrett - The Empty Wake

Chloe Okuno - Storm Drain

Ryan Prows - Terror

Jennifer Reeder - Holy Hell

Timo Tjahjanto - The Subject

The Story: After the discovery of a mysterious VHS tape, a brutish police swat team launch a high intensity raid on a remote warehouse, only to discover a sinister cult compound whose collection of pre-recorded material uncovers a nightmarish conspiracy.

The Rescue (2021) - 2021 LAAPFF Documentary Review

The Documentary: The Rescue

The Directors: E. Chai Vasarhelyi & Jimmy Chin

The Story: Chronicles the story of the Wild Boars youth soccer team who got trapped and their dramatic 2018 rescue.

No Time to Die - Movie Review

The Movie: No Time to Die

The Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga

The Cast: Daniel Craig, Rami Malek, Léa Seydoux, Lashana Lynch, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Christoph Waltz, Ralph Fiennes

The Story: James Bond has left active service. His peace is short-lived when Felix Leiter, an old friend from the CIA, turns up asking for help, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.

Ascension - 2021 LAAPFF Domumentary Review

The Documentary: Ascension

The Director: Jessica Kingdon

The Story: This observational documentary presents a contemporary vision of China that prioritizes productivity and innovation above all.

Aimee Long Interview for A Shot Through the Wall at #LAAPFF2021

Aimee Long joins the TwoOhSix Podcast during the 2021 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival to talk about her movie A Shot Through the Wall. We talk about releasing a movie that dives right into the heart of some of the more culturally relevant topics of our time, putting together an amazing cast, and the difference between virtual and in person film festivals.

Patricio Ginelsa interview for Lumpia with a Vengeance at #LAAPFF2021

Patricio Ginelsa joins the TwoOhSix Podcast during the 2021 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival to talk about his movie Lumpia with a Vengeance. We talk about how the film was crowd funded and wouldn't have been possible without community support, making a movie focused on Filipino culture, and growing up with comic books and super heroes.

Haven Everly Interview for The Girl Who Left Home at #LAAPFF2021

Haven Everly joins the TwoOhSix Podcast during the 2021 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival to talk about her movie The Girl Who Left Home. We talk about how she got the role, making a movie focused on Filipino culture, and Haven even graced the podcast with her amazing singing voice.

TwoOhSix Podcast Interviews for #LAAPFF: Aimee Long, Haven Everly, and Patricio Ginelsa

One of my favorite parts of covering films festivals is having the opportunity to speak with filmmakers from all over the world. The conversations are always entertaining and I have learned so much from speaking with directors, producers, and actors who are so passionate and knowledgeable about their craft. The 2021 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival was no exception as I was able to set up interviews with three amazing individuals and now here are the results of those conversations.