Director Patcharaphon Napapornpipat’s short film about a disabled young girl finding her voice is a sweet if short slice of life that really lends credence to the idea of music changing the way we live and interact. Lalita Srisuka plays a disabled young girl whose life is filled with stares and ostracizing from people around her, including her own classmates. The only time she’s capable of escaping is when she retreats to her music, which allows her to block out reality and lose herself in the world she creates.
Category Archives: Movie Reviews
Water Dogs (2014)
Director Matthew Slamowitz’s short film “Water Dogs” isn’t so much about the beauty of New York, but about good luck and learning to pay that luck forward. “Water Dogs” is a compelling and very entertaining short dramedy about a homeless man who gets the chance to make a life for himself when events occur that drops everything in to place before his eyes. The trick behind this odd good luck is how he’s going to choose to use it in the long run.
Strongest of Lotus (2014)
Director Patcharaphon Napapornpipat’s short film about a disabled young girl finding her voice is a sweet if short slice of life that really lends credence to the idea of music changing the way we live and interact. Lalita Srisuka plays a disabled young girl whose life is filled with stares and ostracizing from people around her, including her own classmates. The only time she’s capable of escaping is when she retreats to her music, which allows her to block out reality and lose herself in the world she creates.
Rocks in My Pockets (2014)
Director Signe Baumane’s animated film about her family history and mental illness exemplifies how difficult it is to fight what’s been so sewn in to a family bloodline. While inherent traits and gifts can be passed down genetically, mental illness can also carry with it a vicious legacy that can be carried in to every generation. Baumane’s “Rocks in my Pockets” confronts a topic all too familiar, in which she tries to piece together the history of the women in her family, and how mental illness affected them, since she feels the pressing weight of the illness on her shoulders. “Rocks in my Pockets” feels more like a power point presentation more than a film.
The T.A.M.I. Show: Collector’s Edition (DVD)
Getting 1964’s “The T.A.M.I. Show” finally on a Collector’s Edition DVD fully restored for the rock fans is a special occasion. If only because “The T.A.M.I. Show” has long been a concert film that has been seen mainly through bootlegs and was sabotaged for a long time. Even film buff Quentin Tarantino never had a complete bootleg, and finally the entirety of “The T.A.M.I. Show” is on DVD from Shout! with nary a single dull moment to be had. What’s so fun about “The T.A.M.I. Show” is that it’s just an unabashed celebration of diversity in rock and roll, and how various artists have shaped it in to something incredible.
Pumpkinhead (1988)
“Pumpkinhead” is one of the many horror movies from the eighties that is unparalleled. It’s a movie series that opens with a bang and continues on with many inferior sequels. Alas, “Pumpkinhead” remains a single entry horror revenge thriller, depending on how you prefer to look at the storyline. That said, “Pumpkinhead” is a fine and atmospheric yet flawed revenge thriller that features some pretty incredible special effects by the late great Stan Winston, who also directs. And how can you not like Lance Henriksen?
Forrest Gump (1994)
I’ve always been a fan of “Forrest Gump” since its release in 1994, mainly because I admire the character of Gump so much. Gump really is the American dream through and through, and Tom Hanks’ turn as Gump outweighs any flaws in Robert Zemeckis’ ode to the perception of America and the American Dream. “Forrest Gump” explores how Gump pretty much shifts through amazing experiences and seems to soak them in more than anyone else around him. His spirit and good nature is very infectious and influences others much in the vein of “Being There.”