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Confusing tone keeps ‘Summer Camp’ from being fun

Growing up, I went to sleep-away camp every summer. The last week in July, I would pack my suitcase too full and head to an old barn for a week of music, swimming, weird awards and surprisingly good food. We would stay up too late talking and then wake up too early so we could try to get a warm shower. It was exhausting and dirty and one of my favorite parts of every summer. I hoped that sense of wonder would be recaptured in Castille Landon’s film “Summer Camp.”  Ginny (Kathy Bates), Nora (Diane Keating), and Mary (Alfre Woodard) met at a summer camp when they were kids. ...

Young director channels older women in latest film

It may seem odd for 32-year-old Castille Landon to write and direct a movie about women in their 70s as she did with her newest film, “Summer Camp,” but Landon doesn’t think so at all.  “I think I relate quite a bit to older people,” Landon told The Dominion Post. “I’ve always had older friends. And I’m very close to my mom and to my grandma. So I drew a lot from just imagining myself going through their circumstances. I spent a weird amount of time thinking about if I were trying to be on dating apps when I’m in my 60s or 70s, what does that look ...

‘Am I OK?’ is full of good stuff

The idea of “finding yourself” has a long history of being the purview of the young, generally those just entering adulthood. Moving from adolescence into the next phase of your life triggers some introspection. But sometimes, our upbringing or  fears about what might be discovered if we dig too deep can cause us to avoid that self-searching until later in life.   That is the theme of the film “Am I OK?” from co-directors Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne, airing June 6 on Max.  Lucy (Dakota Johnson) and her best friend, Jane (Sonoya Mizuno), have their very ...

‘Furiosa’ is fine, but lacks power of its predecessor

“Mad Max: Fury Road” has been one of my favorite action movies of all time. The incredible visuals, the spectacular performances, the sheer scale — everything works together to make it one of the must-watch films of the past decade. Because of my admiration for the first film, George Miller’s “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” has been among my most anticipated films of 2024. And while “Furiosa” delivers on so many fronts, I still left feeling underwhelmed. The film opens on Young Furiosa (Alyla Browne) as she is gathering fruit in her bucolic homeland, The Green Place. When ...

‘Pandemonium’ is a mostly tight take on ‘Paradise Lost’

Adaptations in film are ubiquitous, but what is less common is a film built on a piece of classical literature. One of the most famous films in that genre is “O Brother Where Art Thou,” which borrowed heavily from Homer’s “The Odyssey.” And now, coming to Arrow streaming service next week, Quarxx will give us his take on John Milton’s “Paradise Lost” with the new French horror film “Pandemonium.”   The film opens with Nathan (Hugo Dillon) and Daniel (Arben Bajarktaraj) standing at the side of a brutal car accident. As the moments tick by, we understand ...

‘IF’ is a wild card that plays well

I have always been the serious one. I gravitate toward people who love play, but my natural tendencies lean toward cynicism and somberness. Imaginative play has never been something that I excel at, so I have a slightly complicated relationship with media that puts that at the center. I want to love it, but it’s not always easy for me to get on board. So I had some trepidation about John Krasinski’s newest film, “IF.”  Bea (Cailey Fleming) loses her mother at a young age, forcing her to grow up too fast. When her Dad (John Krasinski) returns to the same hospital for ...