Peculiar Reviewer

After premiering at Sundance Film Festival in January to critical praise, Camp X-Ray , the directorial debut from writer/director Peter Sattler which stars Kristen Stewart and Peyman Moaadi was picked up by IFC Films and released OnDemand, on iTunes, and Amazon Oct. 17. Sattler opens the film with a shot of the Twin Towers up in smoke, which is then revealed to be current news on the television at Ali Amir's residence, played by Peyman Maadi ( A Separation ). Privately praying in his humble apartment, Ali suddenly has his head enveloped by a black bag and is whisked off on a boat, along with other visibly-and-audibly shielded men across the ocean. Sattler cuts to eight years later, where we follow Kristen Stewart 's Army private first class Amy Cole who has just arrived to Camp Delta located at Guantanamo Bay, and stationed to guard the detainees. Informed by her superior that this is a war zone, the guards are put on suicide watch every 3 minutes. While she's just be...

The best show on TV is not on TV - it's on Amazon. In fact, the place you can find groundbreaking shows now are on streaming giants like Amazon and Netflix. Working outside of the confines of censorship provides a sense of flexibility without a network. If creators are freer to express their vision - they don't need a television. They can bring us characters who need to be seen, because those characters represent real people who should be acknowledged in creative media, and often aren't. The actors who are given these career-defining roles can educate the masses through their major screen presence, thus cutting through stereotypes with each episode that passes.  When the pilot for the new dark comedy-drama Transparent was released on Amazon this past August in hopes of being picked up for a full first season, after watching it, I knew it had nothing to worry about - because a show that good will find its audience. I "signed on" to Transparent initially beca...

Giving blood transfusions to the masses is no longer (sort of) the motive of the makers of True Blood . When the eternal storylines had become outlandish since Season 4 with the addition of about 96 new characters per season, the show forced their audience to no longer be unable to focus on the main characters - we had lost our True faith. So it's refreshing that they've put the gear in neutral and calmed the bleep down in this final Season 7, given that ratings have gone down since Season 5. SPOILERS below (if you aren't caught up) In the latest episode "Fire in the Hole," we discover that Sarah Newlin is alive-and-kickin' and still into faux guru s, a weeping Pam finds Eric Northman who has been infected with the Hepatitis V virus, and Eric's hair was out of control in 1986 Paris. Alcide is now doing half-nude New Balance ads in the forest ? True has incorporated a classic horror theme of the townspeople turning on "the hero" (Sam Merl...

"If you ride like lightning, you're gonna crash like thunder." Director Derek Cianfrance and Ryan Gosling team up again after 2010's Blue Valentine for the crime drama focusing on fathers and sons,  The Place Beyond the Pines . Gosling plays Luke Glanton, a motorcycle stunt man for a traveling circus. While Luke is passing through Schenectady, New York, with his carnival, he runs into an old flame Romina ( Eva Mendes ). Driven by the new found knowledge that he had become a father during his absence from Romina's life, Luke's ambitions have moved from entertaining audiences to providing for his son Jason. After being spotted riding like lightning through the pines, Luke lands a job working in a repair shop. Frustrated with his lack of finances, he is persuaded by his manager to apply his talents as a stunt man and getaway robbing a bank. I drew from Gosling's Luke undeniable similarities to his character in...

Stevie Nicks premiered her intimate new documentary Stevie Nicks: In Your Dreams   last night at the Landmark Theater about the making of her 2011 album 'In Your Dreams.' The Sorceress made an appearance after the screening to do a Q&A with her adoring fans, myself included. It was an enchanting evening to say the least, being in the presence of a true rock goddess and the inspiration to so many flailing hopefuls. A shy 11-year old girl is brought to tears when she gets the chance to ask her idol what she should do as a young singer. This documentary bleeds through the screen Stevie's dedication, perfection, and humor! Much like a journey, as many of her records are, in the film each song tells a story behind it. Nicks is true and unaware of the camera that is recording history being made of her first album release in a decade. In Your Dreams  reveals Stevie's most joyful experience making a record, cementing it in time, sharing it with those who need the...

Every so often, there is an American picture that rattles your bones, checks your pulse, and reminds you of the real reason why you still buy a movie ticket - to feel. Writer/Director David O. Russell ( The Fighter , Flirting with Disaster ) brings us a new film that is beautifully fucked up, with a touch of old school romance. In Silver Linings Playbook , Bradley Cooper plays a former teacher who moves back in with his parents ( Robert De Niro and  Jacki Weaver ) after being discharged from a mental institution, in hopes to reconcile with his ex-wife. Cooper's character suffers from bipolar disorder with mood swings, which makes it difficult for other people to understand his choice of words. David O. Russell's camera techniques provide a portal into the character's mind, allowing the audience to feel the swings along with him. Silver Linings Playbook is raw, in-your-face drama, and gut-busting comedy. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence p...