Cinema Clash

On this edition of the Cinema Clash: Final thoughts on the Middleburg Film Festival, including a refresher on Taika Waititi’s WWII satire JOJO RABBIT and foreign film favorite PARASITE; plus, the informative documentary MAKING WAVES: THE ART OF CINEMATIC SOUND, and the Netflix biographical dramedy starring Eddie Murphy, DOLEMITE IS MY NAME.

On this very special edition of the Cinema Clash, we’re on location at the Middleburg Film Festival to chat about the festival itself and a slew of films coming your way including PARASITE, MARRIAGE STORY, BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE AERONAUTS, FRANKIE, WAVES, THE REPORT, and JOJO RABBIT.

On this edition of the Cinema Clash: delving deep into the dark with Joaquin Phoenix’s JOKER; plus, three foreign films, an indie, and a pair of docs. WHERE’S MY ROY COHN?, MS. PURPLE, FIRST LOVE, THE CLIMBERS, BRITT-MARIE WAS HERE, and JIM ALLISON: BREAKTHROUGH. And a shot of limoncello.

On this edition of the Cinema Clash: The DOWNTON ABBEY movie will charm its fans and potentially confound everyone else; The Netflix mockumentary BETWEEN TWO FERNS: THE MOVIE delivers some laughs, thanks to a who’s who of celebrity interviewees willing to play along; and Renée Zellweger showcases her versatility with an awards-worthy performance as Judy Garland in the so-so biopic JUDY.

On this edition of the Cinema Clash: JLo flexes her acting chops - and more - in the scintillating stripper crime drama HUSTLERS; the film adaptation of THE GOLDFINCH is one for the birds; RAISE HELL: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MOLLY IVINS celebrates the legacy of a wise and witty maverick in the world of political journalism; LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE celebrates the pioneering path and versatility of a music superstar; and FIDDLER: A MIRACLE OF MIRACLES celebrates the origins and sustainability of an iconic Broadway musical.

On this edition of the Cinema Clash: The Losers reunite to confront Pennywise in the epically creepy IT CHAPTER TWO; a British whistleblower puts her conscience above the law in an effort to stop an unjust war in the biographical drama OFFICIAL SECRETS; and two adult sisters flounder in a sea of family dysfunction in the quirky indie BEFORE YOU KNOW IT.    

On this edition of the Cinema Clash: BRITTANY RUNS A MARATHON inspires despite a few potholes along the way; the documentary LOVE, ANTOSHA proves heartbreaking as it recounts the brief life of a cinematic talent lost too soon; the Netflix rom-com FALLING INN LOVE sparks a lame attempt to defend the INNdefensible; TRAVIS SCOTT: LOOK MOM I CAN FLY sheds light on the mercurial rap star’s ascent in the music world; and the Netflix documentary AMERICAN FACTORY just may top them all.

On this edition of the Cinema Clash: Mike Banning is back – for better or worse – in the action/drama ANGEL HAS FALLEN; a new bride seeks to evade in-laws from hell in the campy horror movie READY OR NOT; and a Danish documentary filmmaker turns a fascinating mystery into a weird ride with COLD CASE HAMMARSKJOLD.

On this edition of the Cinema Clash: Kids say – and do – the darndest things in the LOL funny adult comedy GOOD BOYS; a British teenager of Pakistani descent harnesses the power of Springsteen's music to find his own voice in the feel-good dramedy BLINDED BY THE LIGHT; a young man with Down Syndrome pursues his dream of becoming a pro wrestler in the inspirational buddies-on-the-road indie THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON; and solid casting may not be enough to justify the sudsy American remake of the Danish film AFTER THE WEDDING.

On this edition of the Cinema Clash: THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN aims to unleash a puddle of tears; DORA AND THE LOST CITY OF GOLD is a gas – for kids; THE KITCHEN is no place for three talented women; BRIAN BANKS puts a flawed criminal justice system in the hot seat; and TEL AVIV ON FIRE brings a spark of humor and farce to the Israeli-Palestinian divide.

On this edition of the Cinema Clash: a spin-off embraces its cheesiness and delivers a fun ride, FAST & FURIOUS PRESENTS: HOBBS & SHAW; plus, two intriguing documentaries about icons in their respective fields – MIKE WALLACE IS HERE and DAVID CROSBY: REMEMBER MY NAME.

On this edition of the Cinema Clash: Quentin Tarantino delivers a star-studded, meandering fairy tale that’s playful and grim in ONCE UPON A TIME ... IN HOLLYWOOD; the documentary THE GREAT HACK explores how Cambridge Analytica mined and manipulated the personal data of millions of people around the world; Awkwafina balances comedy and drama in a bittersweet film about life and death, THE FAREWELL; and Charlie continues his 1980's retrospective with the cult classic, THE GOONIES.

On this edition of the Cinema Clash: THE LION KING seeks to reclaim Pride Rock with new animation and a familiar story; the action comedy STUBER could use a serious Lyft; the documentary BETHANY HAMILTON: UNSTOPPABLE struggles to make waves; and MARIANNE & LEONARD: WORDS OF LOVE dives into the connection between a legendary folk singer and his Norwegian muse.

On this special edition of the Cinema Clash: insights and highlights from AFIDOCS 2019, including the new theatrical release MAIDEN, a documentary about an all-female crew that stunned the yacht racing world in 1989.

On this edition of the Cinema Clash: a look at what’s swinging into theaters in time for the long July 4th weekend, including Marvel’s post-Endgame superhero adventure SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME and the Beatle-maniacal romantic dramedy YESTERDAY.

On this edition of the Cinema Clash: the MIB sci-fi action adventure franchise attempts a fresh start with MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL; Mindy Kaling writes and co-stars in the workplace comedy drama LATE NIGHT; a great cast and dark wit bring some life to THE DEAD DON’T DIE zom-com; music, peace, love and logistics propel the documentary WOODSTOCK: THREE DAYS THAT DEFINED A GENERATION; and some early thoughts on TOY STORY 4.

On this edition of the Cinema Clash: the X-Men franchise limps across the finish line with DARK PHOENIX; the documentaries PAVAROTTI and ECHO IN THE CANYON soar highest when the (opera and folk) music plays; and a philosophical courier gets caught in a robbery gone bad in the social satire meets crime drama French-language film, THE FALL OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE.

On this edition of the Cinema Clash: Taron Egerton soars as Elton John in the ‘middle of the (yellow brick) road’ musical fantasy biopic ROCKETMAN; Octavia Spencer commands the screen – and the scream- in the conventional teen horror flick MA; and a Keanu Reeves cameo single-handedly saves the formulaic Netflix RomCom ALWAYS BE MY MAYBE.

On this edition of The Cinema Clash: a major battle over the live-action remake of ALADDIN; a unanimous decision on the high school comedy BOOKSMART; a non-decision on the arty French film NON-FICTION; a partial victory on the Werner Herzog documentary MEETING GORBACHEV; and an amicable draw on the first feature-length documentary about Moe Berg, THE SPY BEHIND HOME PLATE.

On this edition of the Cinema Clash: The wildly entertaining and violent John Wick saga continues with an action-packed CHAPTER 3 – PARABELLUM; Bailey the dog’s ‘purpose’ gets explored again (and again and again) in the sappy sequel A DOG’S JOURNEY; Fate, destiny and immigration all intervene in the YA RomDram THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR; and William Shakespeare discovers it sucks to go home again in the British drama ALL IS TRUE. Plus, a quick preview of next month’s AFIDOCS Festival.