REVIEW: Fast Five [2011]

“Running ain’t freedom—you should know that” If your city’s government finds a request to hold the twenty-year anniversary for The Fast and the Furious reunion, ask Rio de Janeiro how the tenth turned out. A rogue’s gallery of almost every cast member to get behind a car in the series, Fast Five lays it all out on the line by destroying miles of road, a bank’s lobby, and an entire fleet of cars with policía lettered on their side, all while over-using the Statue of Christ the Redeemer for each…

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REVIEW: Atlas Shrugged: Part I [2011]

“Who is John Galt?” The critical failings of the over fifty years in waiting adaptation of Ayn Rand’s seminal, controversial novel Atlas Shrugged: Part I are more due to the liberal slant of the industry then any shortcomings of the production. Critics across the country snidely remark how we shouldn’t “… hold our breath for parts 2 and 3” (Joe Morgenstern, admitting to not being an admirer of the author), but if you look at the per theatre average take of this independently financed endeavor as well as its unheard…

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BNFF11: The 5th Annual Buffalo Niagara Film Festival Recap

Another year—another Buffalo Niagara Film Festival complete. 2011 was definitely an evolution for Bill Cowell’s brainchild, bringing in the most filmmakers to promote their work I’ve seen, the inclusion of a new venue with Niagara Falls’ Rapids Theatre, and the first ever ‘Star’ on the BNFF Walk of Fame. The ten-day event smartly coincided with the end of the Buffalo Sabres’ hockey season rather than the start of a playoff run like last year; saw some cold days, but no snow; and did whatever it could to increase audience attendance.…

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BNFF11 REVIEW: Der Sandmann [The Sandman] [2011]

“Ears need air at night” What would you do if you woke up one morning to find sand in your bed? You haven’t gone to the beach and you didn’t do anything at night besides dream a very realistic dream with sun and sights. Your boss at a local stamp collecting shop made mention of seeing granules around the front desk—saying he’d like to kick the knee of whomever is bringing in such dirt—your doctor gives you a clean bill of health, and your shrink thinks you’re sharing a nicely…

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The big man with a small voice … Babel’s Chris Abani

Best. Babel. Ever. It’s as simple as that. Of the twelve authors I have seen over the past two years, besides the more superstar names like Michael Ondaatje and Salman Rushdie—easy fodder to gather excitement on my end to read—Chris Abani is the first to invigorate me enough that I literally want to do nothing but finish the book I have been pretending to read the past five months and begin his Graceland. Right from the get-go of his season-ending appearance for Just Buffalo Literary Center’s Babel, I was sold.…

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BNFF11 REVIEW: Uncle Louie [2011]

“I crave something cold and chocolate” When you look at the poster for R. Allen Russell’s Uncle Louie, it’s hard not to imagine an overwrought drama featuring a Godfather-esque mob boss presiding over his subjects. The opening scene plays up the stereotype as Benny (Craig Ferriera) takes a stroll through the California streets of his home, a Chihuahua stuffed inside his jacket front. Italian-isms such as this comedic choice of characterization populate the whole of the film, making it more parody than drama although it’s surprising level of introspection and…

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BNFF11 REVIEW: Hope, Ghana [2011]

“I went to Africa because someone invited me” With everything going on in the world and the 2008 recession in full force, five Seattle-based travelers decided to journey to Ghana, Africa, raising funds to support two schools and build a borehole well in a village with desperate need for clean drinking water. Zheng Wang is not only one of the five, but also the director of a documentary called Hope, Ghana, spanning the experience from preparations in the US to the fruits of their labor. Screening at the Buffalo Niagara…

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BNFF11 REVIEW: The Frost [2009]

“What is your bloody wish!” I am not familiar with Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen or his play “Little Eyolf”, on which writer/director Ferran Audí based his film The Frost. Doing some quick research shows that he was a man who wrote about morality and questions of love and loss, so I can assume Audí instilled his spirit since those aspects play a huge role in the film. Viewing it at the Buffalo Niagara Film Festival, the story actually reminded me a lot of William Shakespeare’s “MacBeth”, feelings of guilt and…

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BNFF11 REVIEW: Nickel City Smiler [2011]

“I am not a Hollywood actor” To a certain extent, I’ve always been of the mind that America needs to start worrying more about its own people before trying to save the world. Our God complex gets the better of us and we bring refugees over by offering empty promises of better lives and safety for their families while our own impoverished population doesn’t even have such security. However, I’m also very much for keeping our word and if we are going to go to a place like Burma to…

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BNFF11 REVIEW: Adventures of an Earthling [2010]

“E.T. came home … to Pine Bush. You can too!” It’s tough to make a documentary about alien encounters because the subject has been done so many times before. With that said, Bill Hussung somehow finds a way. Co-directing with his wife Mishara Canino-Hussung, Adventures of an Earthling, which screened at the Buffalo Niagara Film Festival, finds its voice in the form of a mother’s belief in seeing a football field sized spacecraft when exploring the hotbed of extraterrestrial activity that is Pine Bush—the location of her family’s summer home.…

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BNFF11 REVIEW: Rideshare [2011]

“I gave up Jesus for Lent” After watching a screening of the new film Rideshare at the Buffalo Niagara Film Festival, I had two thoughts. One: the camera on my Blackberry is HORRIBLE in comparison to the amazing clarity of the iPhone HD 4’s this film was shot in its entirety on, even blown up to theatrical screen size; Two: very funny, cute, and improvised comedies can be made on an ultra-low budget of $34,000 when the bloated fiscal behemoths Hollywood churns out have more of a chance at failure…

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