Trashwire
Movie reviews, Whatcha Watchin podcast, and more
Tag: indie film
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Phoenix Film Festival wrap-up: The good, the bad, the surprising
The Phoenix Film Festival has become my favorite way to spend three or four days away from home. That even beats out Disneyland, which I went to for the first time this year. This year’s Phoenix Film Festival did it again with a ton of great movies, parties and seminars. There wasn’t enough time for…
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‘Andrew Bird: Fever Year’ a fest favorite
Andrew Bird is described as an American musician, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has a bachelor’s degree in violin performance and has made tons of music in the genres of folk, jazz, swing and blues. He’s been on albums with multiple bands but failed to get viable commercial success. He was later asked to open for…
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Cinqué Lee much more than just Spike Lee’s brother
Cinqué Lee, despite the unique name he has, is probably someone who has a body of work more recognizable to you than his name. Lee, brother of acclaimed director Spike Lee, has worked in the film industry since the late 80’s wearing a wide variety of hats. From director to producer to actor and even…
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‘Window On Your Present’ a cinephile’s dream
Window On Your Present is the new film from writer/director Cinqué Lee. By new I must clarify newly released on DVD by BrinkDVD, as the actual film itself was the first from Lee which he shot in 1988. The fantasy film follows Europa, played by Maria Pineres, as she makes her way through a crumbling…
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Phoenix Film Festival returns to the desert
The Phoenix Film Festival returns to the desert for the 11th straight year from March 31-April 7, 2011 at the Harkins Scottsdale 101 Theatre. The Phoenix Film Festival has rapidly been growing over the past decade, quickly becoming a favorite of many filmmakers. In past years the festival has showcased films from all over the…
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Cedar Rapids keeps it real
Who would have thought there was a seedy underbelly in the world of insurance salesmen? The new comedy Cedar Rapids, starring Ed Helms, John C. Reilly, Anne Heche and Isiah Whitlock Jr., takes a small town guy and throws him into the wild world of an insurance convention in the “big city” of Cedar Rapids,…
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Portman pulls off outstanding performance in The Black Swan
There’s already talk of Natalie Portman getting a Oscar nomination for her performance in Darren Aronofsky’s psychological thriller The Black Swan and with good reason, she’s amazing in it.
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Zach Galifianakis hits dramedy tone in It’s Kind of a Funny Story
Films that deal with mental illness often take one of two paths: they go for light hearted comedy, joking about inappropriate outbursts or hallucinations, or they take the tragic route and focus on the ways mental illness can destroy families or shatter the lives of its victims. It’s Kind of a Funny Story combines these…
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Manda Bala dazzles at DocNight
Last night marked my first trip down to the Starz FilmCenter for DocNight, a monthly documentary series presented by the Denver Film Society. This month’s film was Manda Bala, a truly outstanding documentary that weaves together several story lines to paint a gritty and rich portrait of corruption in Brazil. The film, directed by Jason…
