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Open Roads: ‘The Beautiful Summer,’ Pavese Is Deftly Revived

Cesare Pavese was one of Italy’s most influential writers of the 20th century. One of his short stories La bella estate, published in 1949, was part of a book of novellas that won the author the Strega Prize, the most prestigious Italian literary award, in 1950. Decades later the Italian screenwriter-director Laura Luchetti adapted this…

The Cannes Film Festival : The Substance Review by Luis Pedron

Check out more of our video interviews on our YouTube channel. 𝐋𝐮𝐢𝐬 𝐏𝐞𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐧 is a Director, Actor, Founder and Film Festival Director of the International Film Festival Manhattan, New York, now in its 13th edition, proudly promoting Filipino, Asian, Scandinavian and European films and presenting them in New York. 👉https://iffmusa.com/ A winner of numerous awards…

Jim Henson Idea Man, on Disney+

©Courtesy of Disney+ Jim Henson must be the most recognizable puppeteer in American pop culture history. Of course, his Muppets are even more famous. Initially, he wanted to work in the new medium of television and puppetry turned out to be a convenient entry point. As fans know, he would eventually create original creatures for…

The Cannes Film Festival : Bona / Video Review by Luis Pedron

Screened at the Directors’ Fortnight at the Festival de Cannes in 1981, and showcased now for the first time this year in a restored version, Bona by Lino Brocka sees the Cannes Classics comeback of a film that had been left to languish from the moment it was released. The Filipino filmmaker was up for two Palme d’ors in the…

Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle : A Really Good Volleyball Match and a Highly Entertaining Film 

©Courtesy of Toho, and Crunchyroll.  You really ought to give manga and anime credit for the way they teach teamwork and good sportsmanship. For instance, the recent anime film The First Slam Dunk and its source manga followed the ups and downs of a dysfunctional high school basketball team that somehow found a way to…

‘IMPACT-Dick Gregory’ Glorifies The Activist’s Persiflage

The comedian’s analytical wit gets sealed on reel, through a perspicacious documentary directed by Jordan Stone. IMPACT-Dick Gregory  shares with the world the acute mind of a man who began as an entertainer and, through his words, managed to analyse society in a humorous and discerning manner. He was a human and modern Pasquino —…

The Cannes Film Festival : The Shrouds : Video Review by Serena Davanzo

Check out more of our video interviews on our YouTube channel. Serena Davanzo : Serena Davanzo, a Pennsylvania native, graduated from The Pennsylvania State University with a BA in Journalism and a BA in Theatre in December 2022. She currently works full time as a weekend anchor/producer and MMJ’s weekdays. She aspires to be an…

“Robot Dreams’ Review: A Moving Ballad About What Life Is

@Courtesy of NEON After receiving a prestigious (and unexpected) nomination as Best Animated Feature Film at the 2023 Academy Awards, Robot Dreams by the Spanish director Pablo Berger arrives in American theaters demonstrating once again a basic lesson: less is more. Achieving such complexity, depth, and emotional precision through a story developed with extreme simplicity…

The Cannes Film Festival : Marcello Mio / Video Review by Serena Davanzo

  Check out more of our video interviews on our YouTube channel. Serena Davanzo, a Pennsylvania native, graduated from The Pennsylvania State University with a BA in Journalism and a BA in Theatre in December 2022. She currently works full time as a weekend anchor/producer and MMJ’s weekdays. She aspires to be an entertainment based…

The Cannes Film Festival : Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 / Video Review by Serena Davanzo

Check out more of our video interviews on our YouTube channel. Serena Davanzo, a Pennsylvania native, graduated from The Pennsylvania State University with a BA in Journalism and a BA in Theatre in December 2022. She currently works full time as a weekend anchor/producer and MMJ’s weekdays. She aspires to be an entertainment based journalist…

Furiosa : A Mad Max Saga Video Review / Above the Line vs Below the Line Episode 41

Film Critic : Edward Douglas Ed Douglas has been writing about movies for over 20 years. 13 of those years was at ComingSoon.net, followed by writing for outlets such as Film Journal, Den of Geek, The New York Daily News, Gold Derby, Below the Line, and many more. Film Critic : Matthew Schuchman In the…