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West Side Story Banned in Parts of Middle East Over Trans Character

West Side Story won’t be making it to the Middle East, due to strict censorship protocols that frown on sexual immodesty, especially in a same-sex context. Because of the presence of a cast member played by a non-binary actor, the Disney/20th Century film, which opens elsewhere in the world this week, will be off limits…

Film Review- “The Night House,” When Thematic Dichotomy Takes the Reigns

Truly great films have the best of both worlds. On one end, they’re well crafted visual delights that entertain and engage an audience. At the other end, they are carried by strong themes that philosophize and explore the deeper mysteries of the world. Most of the time these two entities share a common space. They…

Ron Perlman Voicing Optimus Primal in ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’

Less than a week after Paramount Pictures revealed the title of the latest Transformers movie, new information is available about the voice cast. During the production kick-off event, it was confirmed that Peter Cullen, the actor who since the original animated series in the 1980s has voiced Optimus Prime, would be returning, and now we…

Spirit Untamed Addresses Ecofeminist Themes

Almost two decades after the first film, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, and the Netflix series Spirit Riding Free, that is heading to its ninth season, the free-spirited Mustang returned on the silver screen with the feature Spirit Untamed. If Jonathan Swift celebrated the equine species through Gulliver’s visit to the Land of the Houyhnhnms…

Should Film Festivals Stay Virtual After the Pandemic?

As more and more of the American population gets vaccinated, restrictions are being rolled back and a return to normal life finally seems on the horizon. This includes the reopening of many shuttered movie theaters and an anticipated removal of capacity limits on attendance. The Tribeca Film Festival has confirmed that it plans to host…

Hope, A Cinematic “Uff da” For Maria Sødahl’s Cancer Survival Story  – Film Review 

Hope is the latest cinematic endeavour by Norwegian film director and screenwriter Maria Sødahl. The film was chosen as Norway’s Official Selection and Shortlisted Entry for Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards. From the very beginning, the film plunges us into the strife of Anja, her partner Tomas, and their six children,…

House of Gucci Revives Milan’s Cinematic Tradition, That Began In 1896

It is no longer a secret that Ridley Scott, Lady Gaga and Adam Driver are filming in Milan the movie House of Gucci, that will chronicle the murder of Maurizio Gucci. Lady Gaga will star as Patrizia Reggiani, charged for proxy murder of her husband Maurizio Gucci, played by Adam Driver. The film will also…