News
Entertainment
Science & Technology
Life
Culture & Art
Hobbies
News
Entertainment
Science & Technology
Culture & Art
Hobbies
- home
›- FlixChatter Film Blog Let's Chat Movies!
›- Movies & Series
FlixChatter Film Blog Let's Chat Movies! - Movies & Series
11 | Follower
What I watched in APRIL + MSPIFF 2024 Recap + Movie Of the Month – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
Happy last day of April, everyone! It's an exciting day for me as tomorrow I'll be taking a long-awaited trip to Croatia! May is our anniversary month + my hubby and I will be celebrating 21 years of marriage 💕 That means FlixChatter will be on holiday for about a week or so. I definitely…
MSPIFF 2024 Review: Bonjour Switzerland (Bon Schuur Ticino) – a hilarious political satire that celebrates the country’s linguistic & cultural diversity – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
What if the famously multilingual Switzerland suddenly shifts to having just one official language? That’s what Zurich-born filmmaker Peter Luisi imagines in this political satire Bonjour Switzerland. Its original title Bon Schuur Ticino makes more sense in the context of the film as most of the action takes place in the Italian region of Ticino.…
The Beast (La Bête, 2024) review: Léa Seydoux is undeniably magnetic in this disconcerting genre-bending dystopian film – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
The Beast in the Jungle is Henry James’ novella that has been adapted numerous times. This one marks the sixth cinematic adaptation though it’s very loosely based. In fact, Bertrand Bonello and his co-writers Guillaume Bréaud and Benjamin Charbit take so many creative liberties this one is more ‘inspired by.’ This is my intro to…
MSPIFF 2024 Review: THELMA – nonagenarian June Squibb is in the driver’s seat in this hilarious action comedy – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
Who says women over the age of 80 or even 90 are past their prime? Just ask June Squibb who at the age of 94 stars in her first leading role, in an action movie no less. Squibb plays Thelma, a nonagenarian who lives on her own after her husband died. The film’s cute opening…
MSPIFF 2024 Review: The Movie Teller – the transformative power of film and storytelling set in a volatile Chilean desert – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
Movies that pay homage to cinema are popular it can practically be a genre all its own, and it’s one I am always drawn to. The Movie Teller encompasses the love of movies and the transformative power of motion pictures and storytelling. Set in the mid-1960s in a mining town in Chile’s Atacama Desert, we…
FlixChatter Review: The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024) – the cast is having a blast in Guy Ritchie’s suspense-free action comedy – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
Guy Ritchie loves his blokes. He’s got a show on Netflix called The Gentlemen, which is set in the same world as the 2020 film of the same name, and now, we’ve got gents being um, ungentlemanly in their fight with Nazis. All is fair in love and war, right chaps? The Ministry Of Ungentlemanly…
MSPIFF 2024 Documentary Reviews: ‘Call Me Dancer’ – about Mumbai dancer Manish Chauhan + ‘Broken Eyes’ – an investigation on the risk of LASIK eye surgery – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
I love documentaries about artists as it’s always so inspiring and this one is no different. Seeing it in the morning sends a jolt of energy to my entire day, glad I got to see it on the big screen. The film’s main subject Manish Chauhan has a likable, earnest quality about him that you…
MSPIFF 2024 Reviews: Unbroken documentary + French drama Àma Gloria (both directed by women) – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
It's been a busy but fun weekend at 2024 MSPIFF! I have seen a total of five films so far: three documentaries (Unbroken, Call Me Dancer, and Broken Eyes) and two narratives (The Movie Teller, Àma Gloria), all of them #directedbywomen Woot!! The weather was wonderfully Summer-like with sunny skies and temps in the 70s,…
Monsterverse Fans Rejoice! Apple TV+ renews Monarch: Legacy of Monsters + multiple spinoffs are in the works – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
The enduring appeal of Godzilla is undeniable. 70 years after the first Godzilla movie was released in 1954, people all over the world still can't get enough of these big monsters. With the latest cinematic adaptation of big monsters, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is raking monstrous box office with $367+ million worldwide, Apple…
The 2024 MSP INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL returns this week! Highlighting 15 documentaries from around the world worth checking out – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
The MSP International Film Festival is back!! In case you missed it, here is the post from March where I talked about the awesome lineup, opening + closing night films, and all the international female-directed movies I'm excited about. I've pored over the list of films in the past few weeks and got my tickets…
FlixChatter Review: The Greatest Hits (2024) – this music-themed time travel romance doesn’t quite hit all the right notes – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
Music, romance, and time travel – those genres are popular on their own, but together they make for an interesting premise, at least on paper. The trailer lends a bit of a John Carney vibe as music is integral in the story, and the fact that its lead actress Lucy Boynton was in Sing Street,…
FlixChatter Review: The Listener – Tessa Thompson is magnetic in Steve Buscemi-directed one-woman drama – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
Actors becoming directors are nothing new and there are a slew of films the past couple of years directed by actors with varying degrees of success. One actor I didn’t realize has been directing multiple movies is Steve Buscemi. He made his directorial debut in 1996 with Trees Lounge in which he also starred, and…
FlixChatter Review – ROAD HOUSE (2024) – the original was an entertaining albeit cheesy action flick, and this remake is no different – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
1989’s Road House became a cult hit after its underwhelming box office run. The film starred the late Patrick Swayze which some say it’s his best film. I wouldn’t go that far but it’s an entertaining action thriller that fits the era. It’s full of female nudity and hand-to-hand combats, and when I first saw the film…
Double Reviews: Wicked Little Letters + The Beautiful Game – a pair of crowd-pleaser movies inspired by real events to add to your watch list – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
These two movies have plenty in common, not only are they both set in the UK, but both are directed by an English theatre and film director Thea Sharrock. This is my intro to her film work, though some of you might be familiar with her film Me Before You. Wicked Little Letters has been…
Movies/Series I Watched in March 2024 + Mini Reviews + Movie Of the Month – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
Happy April, everyone! I'm getting a bit of Spring Fever even though we just got a bunch of snow a week ago. Temps are steadily increasing here in my neck of the woods, in the southeast suburbs of Minneapolis. Well, one thing I'm super excited about this month is MSPIFF which arrives on April 11…
Easter Special: Reflecting on the themes of self-sacrifice in The Lord of the Rings trilogy – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
It's Easter Sunday tomorrow (or it is already in the Southern Hemisphere). When I attended a Good Friday service, the church orchestra played an instrumental piece during the reading of Mark 15:21-41 about Lord Jesus Christ's crucifixion. It's a fitting song to reflect on Christ's ultimate sacrifice. The sacrifice was not just when he died…
Documentary Review – Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound (2023) – a must-see for movie lovers everywhere – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
One of my March viewing highlights is this documentary I stumbled upon on Prime Video. The film's tagline is 'sound is 50% of the cinematic experience' which is 100% correct. Making Waves is a comprehensive exploration of the history and emotional power of cinema sound, highlighting one of filmmaking's unsung heroes. Our movie-watching experience wouldn't…
TV Review: THE BEAR (S1) – Finally caught up with HULU’s award-winning series, each episode gives me such an adrenaline rush and I love it! – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
Ok, so I’m nearly 2 years late to the party with this highly acclaimed series. Thankfully there are only two seasons so far, and it’s only about a half-hour per episode so it’s easier to binge on. It took us just over a week to finish the entire season. For those who haven’t seen it,…
2024 MINNEAPOLIS ST. PAUL INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL lineup + events featuring Roger Deakins + MSPIFF43 female-directed films I’m excited about – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
Ok, so after a practically snow-less Winter, Spring in Minnesota arrives with a snowstorm this weekend :D But hey, I refuse to let bad weather dampen my spirits, especially since MSPIFF just announced its lineup, woot!! The festival returns on April 11-25 to The Main Cinema, Minneapolis, and other venues around the Twin Cities. As…
FlixChatter Review – Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) – fun nostalgia dampened by somber tone – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
Hollywood frequently resorts to nostalgia to sell its plethora of sequels and the Ghostbusters franchise relies heavily on it. It’s so entrenched in popular culture that fans of the original will flock to it whenever a new edition is released, there were quite a few Gen-Xers and their kids dressed up in the iconic khaki…
FlixChatter Review: Arthur the King (2024) – a fun albeit forgettable adventure movie where the dog is the real MVP – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
Directed by Simon Cellan Jones Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Simu Liu, Juliet Rylance, Nathalie Emmanuel, Ali Suliman Arthur the King is an adventure racing movie loosely based on the 2016 book “Arthur – The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home” by Swedish athlete Mikael Lindnord. It stars Mark Wahlberg as Michael Light, the…
FlixChatter Review: CABRINI (2024) – a visually stunning biopic where abiding faith and female empowerment meets – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
When I first saw the film’s trailer, the first thing that struck me was, how have I not heard of Mother Cabrini before? Frances Cabrini is the First American Saint of the Catholic Church, and I'm glad that I finally learned about her incredible story. Cabrini is the kind of biopic done right in that…
FlixChatter Review: ONE LIFE (2023) – Anthony Hopkins is heart-wrenching in a stirring tribute to British humanitarian Nicholas Winton – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
Sometimes a sudden change in plan can change one’s life. In the case of Nicholas Winton, a young London-based stockbroker, his plan change from skiing in Switzerland to Prague changed the lives of nearly 700 Jews. The reason for his Prague visit was to assist his friend Martin Blake with welfare work, but seeing the…
FlixChatter Review: Netflix’s DAMSEL – Millie Bobby Brown is a spunky dragon slayer in this revisionist fairy-tale – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
With the success of the Enola Holmes movies, Millie Bobby Brown inked a deal with Netflix to star in and executive produce the fantasy film. This time she plays Elodie, another Netflix character that starts with an ‘E,’ I wonder if that’s in the contract? Just by the name alone it immediately tells us she’s…
TV Series Review: Incompleteness (2023) – an ambitious, compelling psychological dramedy featuring an impressive MN cast – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
Written and Directed by David Ash Incompleteness (Season 1) is an 8-part series of eight 45 min. episodes written and directed by local Twin Cities filmmaker David Ash, whose previous feature was aptly named Twin Cities (2018). Set in MN and filmed pre-Covid and post-lockdown, the season was completed in June of last year with…
Oscars 2024 – Full Winners list + highlights from the 96th Academy Awards – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
Happy Post-Oscars Day, everyone!! Did you watch the ceremony last night? Just like last year, the Oscars happened during the end of daylight savings when we actually lost one hour :( Thankfully they started the ceremony an hour early and relatively speaking it went by pretty fast and was pretty entertaining overall. Now, Jimmy Kimmel…
2024 Oscars Predictions – FlixChatter picks on who will win + who should win – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
Happy Oscars Eve! Time for the obligatory predictions, it's currently about 24 hours away until the 96th Oscar winners are announced. Just like last year, I have actually managed to see nine out of the ten nominees. The one I haven't seen is Killers of the Flower Moon (it's nearly 3.5 hours long!) but hey,…
Happy International Women’s Day 2024 – 10 Female-Ensemble Movies to celebrate powerful #womeninfilm – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
Happy International Women's Day!! I personally think we ought to celebrate women and female filmmakers far more than just one day a year, don't you agree? Well, here on FlixChatter, we're always championing #women in film. One of the ways I do that is by watching as many films #directedbywomen, hence I've been participating in…
FlixChatter Review: Perfect Days (2023) – a soulful Japanese drama about finding joy & beauty in life’s simplest moments – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
There’s beauty in simplicity, as the famous quote says, and German-born writer/director Wim Wenders applies that adage to this Japanese-language drama. Its protagonist Hirayama (Kôji Yakusho) works as a public toilet cleaner in Tokyo and the film chronicles his day-to-day life. There’s something so captivating about Hirayama’s mundane and highly regimented life that begins at…
FlixChatter Review – SILENT NIGHT(2023) – John Woo’s new revenge thriller after a 20-year break from Hollywood – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
Hong Kong director John Woo decided to jump into the Hollywood world back in 1993. His first major Hollywood studio film was Hard Target. He realized right away that Hollywood is way different than Hong Kong. First, he didn’t know about the rating system that we have here, and he had to deal with a…
Movies/Series I Watched in FEBRUARY 2024 + Mini Reviews + Movie Of the Month – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
Happy March! This monthly recap is coming a bit late as I was I had just posted my review of DUNE 2 and wanted to give it some breathing room. I was hoping to post it this morning but the weather was SO NICE I spent time outside all day, even had an outdoor picnic…
FlixChatter Review: DUNE Part Two – Denis Villeneuve’s magnum opus is even more mesmerizing than the first – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
After a three-year wait, the sci-fi cinematic event from Denis Villeneuve is here! I’m a huge fan of Part One, which was my #1 film of 2021, so I couldn’t wait for Part Two. Because this is a continuation of the first, not a sequel per se, I knew I could safely expect the same kind…
TV Series Review: FX’s SHŌGUN – the epic saga set in feudal Japan is masterfully crafted, lavish & immersive – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
Let me begin that this isn’t your dad's (or grandpa’s) Shōgun tale. Most Gen X-ers are likely familiar with or at least have heard of the 1980 miniseries starring Richard Chamberlain as John Blackthorne. I’ve only seen brief clips of that series, which is told mainly from Blackthorne’s POV and reeks of a ‘white savior’…
2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards – PAST LIVES won Best Feature. Congrats to all the winners!! – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
The Film Independent Spirit Awards were given out last night, Sunday, Feb 25, and as a film critic as well as a member of Film Independent, I'm thrilled for the 2024 award winners!! The show took place in Santa Monica, hosted by Aidy Bryant, as the final voting for the Oscars is still happening as…
Documentary Series Spotlight: Turner Classic Movies (TCM)’s THE POWER OF FILM – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
Back in January, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) premiered an all-new original documentary series, The Power of Film, which explores some of the most popular and memorable American films of all time. The six-part series was hosted and curated by renowned UCLA professor emeritus Howard Suber. He's the founding chair of UCLA’s Film and Television Producers…
FlixChatter Review: The Zone of Interest (2023) – Jonathan Glazer crafted a totally visceral experience that’s hard to shake – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
There are a myriad of films/series about the holocaust that have been made in Hollywood, but nothing quite like The Zone of Interest. For one, filmmaker Jonathan Glazer chose to highlight the perpetrator instead of the victim. Though the story is fictional, loosely based on a novel by Martin Amis, the main character Auschwitz commandant…
Netflix Documentary Double Feature: The Greatest Night in Pop (2024) + Quincy (2018) – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
Happy hump day, everyone! The sun is shining and temps are well above average once again in Minnesota! I've got another double-review post today as these two music-themed docs are very much related, I highly recommend these, especially if you grew up in the 80s like me. The Greatest Night in Pop Directed by: Bao…
Guest Post: Rom-com ‘Anyone But You’ Continues to Sell Tickets and Win Hearts – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
Post by Laura Graham In the ever-evolving landscape of cinema, specific genres seem to ebb and flow in popularity, but one genre that continues to captivate audiences worldwide is romantic comedy. Despite the rise of blockbuster franchises and high-concept action films, rom-coms remain a beloved staple of the movie industry, offering audiences a delightful escape…
FlixChatter Review: MARMALADE (2024) – a Minnesota-made, romantic heist flick brimming with manic energy – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
When I first saw the title, I immediately thought of Paddington’s favorite orange jam, but no, this one has nothing to do with the movie about a talking bear. The movie is written and directed by Aussie-American, actor-turned-director Keir O'Donnell (who I remember from The Dry) in his debut feature, and it’s based on his…
Valentine Special: BRIEF ENCOUNTER (1945) – An appreciation for the exquisite romance drama by David Lean – FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG
In years past, I have been posting various lists on Valentine's Day, I'll post them at the bottom of this post in case you've missed them. Well, this year I thought I'd do an appreciation post for this romance classic I saw back in 2018. A year after I made my romance drama short film…