Carlito’s Way – We Need to Find a “Way” to Make Films Like This Again

This movie could have just ended after Al Pacino’s monologue in the courtroom opening, and it would have been perfect. Incredibly, it kept going for another 2 hours, and added even more filmmaking mastery with each passing minute. I do not recall ever seeing a film make such consistent, immaculate use of extended, uncut tracking […]

Writer/director Jason Cabell draws from personal experience to create crime thriller “Running with the Devil”.

The crime thriller genre has been explored thousands of times, with many different approaches, throughout the history of cinema. Some of the best directors in this category, such as Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Brian de Palma, and Michael Mann, have continued to develop methods of cultivating fresh and original crime features, while still maintaining […]

“The Fall of the American Empire” – Quirky Social Commentary with a Tarantino-esque Edge

Oscar-winning director Denys Arcand offers The Fall of the American Empire, an eclectic genre mash-up combining crime drama, a thrilling heist adventure, and a social commentary. This French-Canadian film spoken almost entirely in the beautiful language of French (and subtitled in English) is sure to entertain and amuse audience members, while simultaneously challenging and […]

The Refuge – An Impressive Production Effort that Cannot Overcome its Flaws

Examining the credits of this film, Keith Sutliff’s impressive effort becomes apparent as he worked as the writer, director, producer, production designer, art director, and lead actor. Undertaking all of these responsibilities to bring together a vision for this project took incredible dedication, commitment, and patience. Sutliff undoubtedly poured his heart and soul into this […]