We’ve only just got Easter out of the way, and here comes the most immersive Christmas movie of the year, an abstract but very much controlled study based in and around a festive party thrown by a very large family from Long Island, New York. Despite the specificity of the setting, however, Tyler Taormina’s third feature film is a surprisingly relatable experience, part anthropological study, part nostalgia kick, lit up (literally) like a Christmas tree in a yuletide riot of red, white and green.
It begins in a car ferrying members of the Balsano family — mother and father, brother and sister — to the home of the family’s matriarch, where four generations of Balsanos have gathered for their annual get-together. This is about as much of a set-up as you’re going to get,...
It begins in a car ferrying members of the Balsano family — mother and father, brother and sister — to the home of the family’s matriarch, where four generations of Balsanos have gathered for their annual get-together. This is about as much of a set-up as you’re going to get,...
- 5/17/2024
- by Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
“Gotta get up, gotta get out…”
Those are the first words that greet Nadia Vulvokov (Natasha Lyonne) every single time she dies and “respawns” at her 36th birthday party in Russian Doll season 1. They come from Harry Nilsson’s song “Gotta Get Up” and with an accompanying piano riff they prove to be a constant artistic companion through Nadia’s very strange experience. The song is an appropriate guide for the audience as well. There is no better way to ground a disorienting supernatural experience than with the familiar soothing sounds of a pop song. Russian Doll understands this well and it’s a lesson that carries over in the show’s excellent second season.
Russian Doll season 2 doesn’t have a “theme song” like “Gotta Get Up” per se, but that doesn’t mean its soundtrack isn’t full of absolute bangers. This batch of seven episodes finds Nadia...
Those are the first words that greet Nadia Vulvokov (Natasha Lyonne) every single time she dies and “respawns” at her 36th birthday party in Russian Doll season 1. They come from Harry Nilsson’s song “Gotta Get Up” and with an accompanying piano riff they prove to be a constant artistic companion through Nadia’s very strange experience. The song is an appropriate guide for the audience as well. There is no better way to ground a disorienting supernatural experience than with the familiar soothing sounds of a pop song. Russian Doll understands this well and it’s a lesson that carries over in the show’s excellent second season.
Russian Doll season 2 doesn’t have a “theme song” like “Gotta Get Up” per se, but that doesn’t mean its soundtrack isn’t full of absolute bangers. This batch of seven episodes finds Nadia...
- 4/20/2022
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Older Millennials are typically hesitant to claim the much-maligned label, but slap some “Sister Act” on the TV and you’ll soon see who was born after 1982. One look at Whoopi Goldberg in that nun’s habit, and they won’t be able to stop from singing, “Oh Happy Day.” It’s been 25 years since the comedy first debuted, and Goldberg used her post on “The View” to reunite members of the original cast for a rousing version of “I Will Follow Him.”
Goldberg was joined by supporting players Kathy Najimy and Wendy Makkena, as well as Sheri Izzard, Darlene Koldenhoven, Beth Fowler (of “Orange is The New Black” renown), Andrea Robinson, and Prudence Holmes. The cast was backed up by a few extra choir members to round out the harmonies, which might not have been a bad idea judging from how some of their voices have aged. One thing...
Goldberg was joined by supporting players Kathy Najimy and Wendy Makkena, as well as Sheri Izzard, Darlene Koldenhoven, Beth Fowler (of “Orange is The New Black” renown), Andrea Robinson, and Prudence Holmes. The cast was backed up by a few extra choir members to round out the harmonies, which might not have been a bad idea judging from how some of their voices have aged. One thing...
- 9/15/2017
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
SXSW starts tomorrow, and one of the best parts of the festival is the shorts program, a perennial favorite. I've pre-screened a number of this year's excellent entries, and here is part one of my pre-fest short film coverage.
Tumbleweed! (Texas Shorts)
Wow! Offbeat, whimsical, and completely delightful. Tumbleweed! is an inspirational story of a tumbleweed that refuses to tumble. This seven-minute short is the kind of little nugget that makes the shorts program a must-see. Very loosely set in Texas.
Heimkommen (Narrative Shorts)
A poignant and touching look at sibling tensions in the wake of a tragic accident, Heimkommen (Come Home) tells a story that is simple yet deep. Director Micah Magee is a San Antonio native and Ut Austin grad, and she's also a former Cinematexas co-director.
In the Pines (Narrative Shorts)
In nine minutes, In the Pines managed to re-create the mood I felt after two hours watching Tree of Life.
Tumbleweed! (Texas Shorts)
Wow! Offbeat, whimsical, and completely delightful. Tumbleweed! is an inspirational story of a tumbleweed that refuses to tumble. This seven-minute short is the kind of little nugget that makes the shorts program a must-see. Very loosely set in Texas.
Heimkommen (Narrative Shorts)
A poignant and touching look at sibling tensions in the wake of a tragic accident, Heimkommen (Come Home) tells a story that is simple yet deep. Director Micah Magee is a San Antonio native and Ut Austin grad, and she's also a former Cinematexas co-director.
In the Pines (Narrative Shorts)
In nine minutes, In the Pines managed to re-create the mood I felt after two hours watching Tree of Life.
- 3/8/2012
- by Mike Saulters
- Slackerwood
Welcome back, The Vampire Diaries! We've missed you! Last night's “mid-season premiere” or whatever term The CW's come up with for “back after two damn months off the air” opens an indeterminate time after the last episode with Bonnie walking through the woods to the burned out witch house. It's obviously a dream sequence, so, moving on...
Elena's out for a morning jog and spots some random behind her. She bolts and seemingly gives him the slip, only to have another random predictably show up directly behind her. Or maybe it's the same random. It's hard to tell. Anyway. Later at the Mystic Grill she worries at Bonnie that she's completely paranoid. Bonnie empathizes then complains about her recurring dream sequence, the plot-significant bits being four coffins, one of which contains Klaus holding Elena's necklace. Elena suggests it's a “witch dream” and gee, ya think? Bonnie demurs that it's just...
Elena's out for a morning jog and spots some random behind her. She bolts and seemingly gives him the slip, only to have another random predictably show up directly behind her. Or maybe it's the same random. It's hard to tell. Anyway. Later at the Mystic Grill she worries at Bonnie that she's completely paranoid. Bonnie empathizes then complains about her recurring dream sequence, the plot-significant bits being four coffins, one of which contains Klaus holding Elena's necklace. Elena suggests it's a “witch dream” and gee, ya think? Bonnie demurs that it's just...
- 1/6/2012
- by fakename
- The Backlot
The 2008 Winterfest Boat Parade is a great time to enjoy the lights, big boats and pleasant South Florida weather -- and get in the holiday spirit at the same time. This year's boat parade will take place in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, on Saturday, December 13.
Celebrity News Service has enjoyed the boat parade for years and is especially eager this year to view the Sun Dream yacht called the "Caprice." Aboard the yacht, that will meander down the Intracoastal Waterway in front of thousands of spectators, will be members of the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, NBA great Alonzo Mourning and Coast Guard heroes Obrien Hollow and Abram Helle, plus special guests Peggy March and Grammy-nominated singer Dion.
Hollow and Helle will receive Medals on the boat for their heroic work.
The Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival is claiming that their holiday party will be "part" of the parade, as the...
Celebrity News Service has enjoyed the boat parade for years and is especially eager this year to view the Sun Dream yacht called the "Caprice." Aboard the yacht, that will meander down the Intracoastal Waterway in front of thousands of spectators, will be members of the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, NBA great Alonzo Mourning and Coast Guard heroes Obrien Hollow and Abram Helle, plus special guests Peggy March and Grammy-nominated singer Dion.
Hollow and Helle will receive Medals on the boat for their heroic work.
The Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival is claiming that their holiday party will be "part" of the parade, as the...
- 12/12/2008
- icelebz.com
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