I appreciate what director Arlene Torres was going for with “El Halcón,” but her short drama is something I just couldn’t click in to. While there’s a lot of interesting potential in stories revolving around Latinos in lower class Los Angeles, “El Halcón” is tough to watch mainly because it’s so centered on trite story beats and over schmaltzy melodrama. I could never really empathize with or connect with any of the characters, as everything in “El Halcón” felt so disingenuous and forced. Everyone feels over rehearsed or struggling to build this friction that could enhance the narrative’s whole sense of tragedy.
Tag Archives: Drama
The Bounty Hunter Trilogy (1969, 1969, 1972) [RADIANCE FILMS LIMITED EDITION]
Available on Blu-ray from Radiance Films on 03/26/2024
In this trilogy of films, a spy with samurai skills and an affinity for medicine finds himself in situations where he must prevent the firearm sale to a local shogun, protect a village against an evil Lord trying to displace them, and retrieve gold that belongs to the government and could lead to major issues in a village.
The Princess Warrior (aka Princess Khutulun) (2021)
On VOD and digital March 8th 2024 from Omnibus Entertainment
Based on the life of Princess Khutulun of Mongolia, this film follows her life from when she is to be given in marriage and up into her adventures saving her people and her land.
The Last Butterflies (2023)
Set in the near future, a mother and her young child must find their way to a place where they can survive following environmental events that have led to a near apocalypse.
Knight of Fortune (2023)
Lasse Lyskjær Noer’s directing and writing debut is also a masterpiece drama comedy about the concept of death and grief. The now Oscar Nominated short is a wonderful meditation on processing the death of a loved one as Lyskjær Noer observes how we all go through different rituals in order to process death and protect ourselves from pain. “Sometimes people cry, sometimes people even laugh,” a mortician explains as he’s escorting Karl to see his wife Karen in her final resting place.
Allonsanfan (1974) [RADIANCE FILMS LIMITED EDITION]
Available on Blu-ray from Radiance Films
Fluvio has led a group of anarchists for a while and is having a hard time leaving them for a different life. Every time he leaves, either something or someone pulls him back in.
The Moon (2023)
Coming on Blu-ray and DVD from Well Go USA on February 27th, 2024
Following an accident, an astronaut is left alone in space without knowledge of how or if he will get home. On Earth, a man is scrambling to find a solution to bring him home.