FlixFling contributor, Alexandra Gibson reviews Adopt A Sailor Sailors file off of a naval ship. Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra singing “...the Bronx is up and the Battery’s down...” pops into my head. Later, On the Town is criticized horridly, which irks me, since I love that movie and most stupid musicals like it. But that’s off topic. I’m talking about Adopt A Sailor, a 2008 film about a bourgeoisie New Read More
FlixFling contributor, Alexandra Gibson reviews Submarine Submarine is the directorial debut of Richard Ayoade, who the geekier of readers will remember from “The IT Crowd” and “Darkplace.” It is an autobiographical coming-of-age set in Wales, and follows Oliver Tate as he learns about love and loss. Oliver Tate is, as are many of his indie-protagonist peers, an overly articulate, utterly unique young man in a community so backwards, its members have ostracized Read More
FlixFling contributor, Alexandra Gibson reviews Rainbow Valley In college, I took this class that was, in part, about the evolution of the American West. In the class, we discussed the era of the cowboy and the bandit and how it was romantic, but clashed quite clamorously with progress. If you want to get serious about it, Rainbow Valley is about the death of the Wild West due to progress. If you Read More
FlixFling contributor, Alexandra Gibson reviews The Lady Vanishes And yet again, the film directed by Hitchcock is the best one I’ve seen in quite some time. The Lady Vanishes surpasses even the half dozen other early Hitchcock’s I’ve watched on FlixFling. This film was simply wonderful. The bulk of the action takes place on a train speeding through Europe. Before the train leaves, we meet a cast of characters whose humor Read More
FlixFling contributor, Alexandra Gibson reviews Sword Of Lancelot Sword of Lancelot is a retelling of the classic Arthurian story of Guinevere and Lancelot's torrid affair. Personally, I have always loved Arthurian stories -- the magic, the chivalry, the gratuitous violence. This particular version, however, I did not love. It would make a stupendous drinking game; it does not make a good movie. The thing that is wrong with this movie, the thing Read More
FlixFling contributor, Alexandra Gibson reviews Beat the Devil When I read the description for Beat the Devil, I could hardly believe it. The film stars Humphrey Bogart and Peter Lorre and was directed by John Huston. The last time I saw these three names together, I was watching The Maltese Falcon and it was awesome. Twelve years after making the noir classic, they reunited for Beat the Devil, a noir satire Read More
FlixFling contributor, Alexandra Gibson reviews Abbott & Costello's Jack and the Beanstalk What an education in classic comedy I’m getting! Last week, I watched my first Laurel and Hardy and now onto Abbott and Costello! Jack and the Beanstalk is a retelling of the classic tale with the humorous styling of Abbott and Costello. The film begins with Abbott and Costello acting as babysitters for a precocious little boy. Costello sits down Read More
FlixFling contributor, Alexandra Gibson reviews The Skin Game While The Skin Game sounds like a film that I shouldn’t admit to have watched in polite company, it is actually the exact opposite. The phrase “the skin game” refers to dirty antics that can take place during a hardened feud or disagreement between two parties. The movie The Skin Game is a 1931 Hitchcock film about industrial progress, social change, and deep Read More
FlixFling contributor, Alexandra Gibson reviews A Star Is Born When you think A Star is Born, you may think of the film starring Judy Garland, or the later Barbara Streisand movie. Indeed, Judy and Babs pop into my mind when I think about A Star is Born, but you mustn’t neglect the original 1937 version starring Janet Gaynor and Fredric March. A Star is Born is another story of the Hollywood game Read More
FlixFling contributor, Alexandra Gibson reviews The Painted Desert The Painted Desert starts, as so many Westerns do, with two cowboys riding through the desert. They come across a ransacked carriage, its inhabitants, dead or alive, are nowhere in sight. Along with some pots and pans, the only thing left behind is a baby boy. The cowboys, Cameron and Holbrook, take the baby in as their own. Later that day, after arguing Read More
FlixFling contributor, Matt Bussy reviews Them! Them! (and yes, it needs to always have an exclamation point when it’s being referenced) is a classic black and white B-movie about giant killer ants. When the giant, very fake-looking ants are onscreen the movie is entertaining. When they’re off-screen, it’s quite dull. We’ve seen movies about giant spiders but ants? Are they really that scary? I was a crazy nature child and would Read More
FlixFling contributor, Matt Bussy review Creature From The Black Lagoon In the olden days Universal Studios was renowned for making monster movies. The Wolf Man, Dracula, Frankenstein, The Phantom of the Opera. The list goes on and on. The four I just mentioned are perhaps the most famous but a fifth one, Creature from the Black Lagoon, is usually mentioned a lot when film historians/professors discuss the history of the Hollywood Read More
FlixFling contributor, Alexandra Gibson reviews Nosferatu Nosferatu is the original cinematic representation of a vampire. It is the tomb from which crawled Buffy, Angel, Twilight, and the Vampire Diaries, though it may be difficult to see the resemblance. Nosferatu is the 1922 adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, which entangled the stories of Jonathan and Mina (here changed to Nina) Harker, Van Helsing, bug-eating minions, and the legendary vampire himself. Upon hearing that Read More
FlixFling contributor, Alexandra Gibson reviews The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet was a long-running TV show starring “America’s Favorite Family,” The Nelsons. From 1952 to 1966, The Nelsons, the archetypal American nuclear unit graced TV screens across the country. The adventures that Ozzie and Harriet have take place in the home or very close to it. They consist mainly of teenage shenanigans between brothers/best friends Read More
FlixFling contributor, Alexandra Gibson reviews A Farewell To Arms If A Farewell to Arms were about 45 minutes longer, it would be termed an epic love story. As it is, it leaves me wanting more, wishing that intimate parts of the couple’s relationship were given more space. Nonetheless, it is a beautiful story of timeless love with great performances, especially from male lead Gary Cooper. This film takes place during World War Read More
FlixFling contributor, Alexandra Gibson reviews Of Human Bondage In most cases, when characters seem confused about the direction their lives are headed, they drop what they are doing, quit the jobs their parents wanted them to get, and go on journeys of self-discovery, often moving to Europe or becoming artists. In Of Human Bondage, the main character does exactly the opposite. Played by the sometimes dashing, sometimes whiney Leslie Howard. When Read More
FlixFling contributor, Jordana Lipsitz reviews In The Land Of Milk And Money There is a pretty real truth in this world that most people ignore and that is that milk is really, really disgusting. On the Richter Gross Scale it’s a level 7.8. That’s a thing. Look it up. So it stands to reason that In the Land of Milk and Money (2004) would also be a strangely gross flick. And Read More
FlixFling contributor, Matt Bussy reviews House On Haunted Hill Take my word for it: House on Haunted Hill won’t scare you. It should certainly entertain you though, that is, if you’re a big fan of utterly campy, old black and white horror films. You might be thinking of the silly 1999 remake with Geoffrey Rush, Taye Diggs, and Ali Larter. This is the original one starring Vincent Price, the famous horror Read More
FlixFling contributor, Matt Bussy reviews Night Of The Living Dead Night of the Living Dead is a classic for two reasons: it’s the first real zombie horror movie and the first successful low-budget horror movie. It cost $114,000 to make, featured unknown actors, and was filmed not in a big Hollywood studio but the small town of Evans City, Pennsylvania. It’s also been remade two times (one of which was in Read More
FlixFling contributor, Matt Bussy reviews Ghost Adventures Just to be clear, you can’t watch any episodes of the Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures on FlixFling. Before the series debuted in 2008, the ghost hunters/stars of the paranormal show, Zak Bagans, Nick Groff, and Aaron Goodwin, made an hour and a half long documentary film. It was finished in 2004 and won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the 2006 NYIIFVF Read More
FlixFling contributor, Matt Bussy reviews His Name Was Jason: 30 Years Of Friday The 13th Jason Voorhees has had a pretty rough life. He’s appeared onscreen over twelve times. He’s been killed and then brought back to life in every way UNhumanly possible. He’s been sent to outer space. He’s battled Freddy Krueger. And obviously, he’s killed A LOT of people in every way possible. In addition many of the women Read More
FlixFling contributor, Alexandra Gibson reviews My Favorite Brunette In the beginning of My Favorite Brunette, we find Bob Hope in an unlikely place – prison, awaiting execution on death row. Immediately, my interest was piqued. When reporters arrive to hear his story, Hope’s Ronnie Jackson tells us the whirlwind tale of how he wound up on the chopping block. It’s filled with lust, deception, intrigue, and more than a few pitfalls Read More
FlixFling contributor, Alexandra Gibson reviews The Dick Van Dyke Show As I watched The Dick Van Dyke Show, I could not help but think of AMC’s Mad Men. Rob Petrie and Don Draper, both dapper men in the media business, are products of the urban work life/suburban home life split of the 1960s. Both have pristine wives and adorable children at home. Perhaps Mad Men depicts what that lifestyle was really Read More
FlixFling contributor, Jordana Lipsitz reviews Film Geek Film Geek (2005) was actually a pretty good watch. It is the story of Scotty Pelk, an incredibly dorky movie-obsessed young lad who makes people so uncomfortable he is fired from his job at a video store. He has a little bit of trouble adjusting until he befriends Niko (Tyler Gannon), gets really drunk with some guys, and starts getting more hits on his Read More
FlixFling contributor, Jordana Lipsitz reviews American Graffiti I have a problem with coming of age stories. More specifically, coming of age stories that involve the last night of high school and the crazy characters involved. Knowing that American Graffiti was the mother of all coming of age stories, I was not very excited to watch it and was expecting to hate it immediately. But, I was wrong. I didn’t hate Read More
FlixFling contributor, Jordana Lipsitz reviews Across The Bridge Across the Bridge (2005) has the steadfast quality of a student film though it is instead a foreign film by an adult director, Denis Cviticanin. Trying to be socially conscious, as most student films are, it looked at the strife in Belgrade and the emotional sorrow it caused. Meanwhile the sound quality was horrible and the score sounded like something from an Read More
FlixFling contributor, Alexandra Gibson reviews The Little Rascals Like many from my generation I’m sure, I associate “The Little Rascals” with the founders of the “He Man Woman Haters Club” from the 1994 movie version. I never had the opportunity to watch the original Our Gang until now. If you’re like me and you find the 1994 version fun and charming, you will enjoy the original exponentially more. The collection of The Read More
FlixFling contributor, Alexandra Gibson reviews Number 17 My admiration for Alfred Hitchcock grows each time I see one of his early films. Made in the 1930s in England, they all seem to have small budgets and very limited equipment lists. And yet, because of his direction, they are still wonderful. Take for instance, Number 17. Number 17 is essentially about a group of crooks search for a stolen diamond necklace. Of course, Read More
FlixFling contributor, Yohsuke Araki reviews The Philadelphia Story "You, all of you, with your sophisticated ideas!" "(sarcastically)…ain't it awful?" George Cukor's The Philadelphia Story is chalk full of philosophical phenomena surrounding the virtues of relationships on both the personal level and of the societal spectrum. Surrounding these themes of the importance and trivialities of love, ties, and friendship are the broader themes of their connections and reflections of class distinctions. It's truly a sophisticated story Read More
FlixFling contributor, Matt Bussy reviews I Spit On Your Grave I Spit on Your Grave just wants to be hated. It’s like The Human Centipede. Who wants to watch three people cry and scream for a whole movie because they’ve just been sewn anus to mouth? In this case it’s: who wants to watch an innocent woman get assaulted and gang raped by a bunch of sadists and then watch her Read More
FlixFling contributor, Matt Bussy reviews Grace Grace is a movie that made me feel so proud to be a man and not have to worry about breast-feeding. Just wait till you hear its story. Madeline (Jordan Ladd) is boringly married to Michael (Stephen Park). The two have been trying to have a baby but Madeline’s last two pregnancies were unsuccessful. She finally does, and the two decide to meet with a Read More
FlixFling contributor, Alexandra Gibson reviews The Little Princess Other than The Bachelor and the Bobby-soxer, this was only second Shirley Temple movie I’ve seen. Despite my lack of due diligence, I classify The Little Princess as a must-see. It is about Sara Crewe, a pampered but jovial nine-year-old in Victorian England. She is placed in a boarding school when her father, Captain Crewe, is deployed to Africa. At the school, Sarah Read More
FlixFling contributor, Jordana Lipsitz reviews Li'l Abner I’m going to come out and say it. The best part of Li’l Abner was the theme song. I was not incredibly into the whole podunk thing that was going on with the movie for the most part. However, it worked in the song. I know that the film was based on a beloved comic book but I could not get into the process Read More
FlixFling contributor, Jordana Lipsitz reviews Charade Audrey Hepburn was a classy lady of the highest caliber. However, in Charade she also managed to be funny. Though this is a review of Charade, it may turn into a love letter to Audrey Hepburn. I can’t help it. She’s awesome. Charade is awesome for its hitchcock-esque structure but mostly I focused on Audrey’s wide-eyed shock face. Though I really enjoyed Cary Grant’s also-fantastic Read More
FlixFling contributor, Matt Bussy reviews Dead Alive Before Peter Jackson made big Hollywood epics The Lord of the Rings and King Kong, he made cult classics. Dead Alive, Heavenly Creatures, and The Frighteners were his first movies, and combined they didn’t make more than one billion dollars total. The Frighteners is a strange horror/comedy about a medium (Michael J. Fox) who uses his talent of seeing ghosts to try and stop Read More
FlixFling contributor, Matt Bussy reviews Scream 4 Scream 4 is epic! That is, if you’re as big a fan of the series as I am. I’ll get the obvious recommendation out of the way and say that if you want to watch Scream 4 then it’s pretty important that you watch the first three movies beforehand. Trust me, it will be a big help! The Scream movies are just plain fun. Read More
FlixFling contributor, Yohsuke Araki reviews Punk In England Punk In England doesn't explain much but instead harps on the visceral experience of the live shows rather than feeding us information about the scene. We go through the classic punks to the progressive styles of new-mod and ska. 90 percent of the film is strictly live performances from notable bands like The Clash and others that haven't withstood the test of time Read More
FlixFling contributor, Yohsuke Araki reviews Alice Sweet Alice Alice Sweet Alice works like any other 3 act structured film, but I like to think of it in two parts. The first half feels much like a typical slasher film. There's that b-movie slasher quirkiness around it, because the killer is a twelve-year-old girl. However, it is the second half of the film that proves Alfred Sole and Rosemary Rivto to be Read More
FlixFling contributor, Alexandra Gibson reviews His Girl Friday In His Girl Friday, Cary Grant stars as Walter Burns, an ardent newspaperman who is fighting and scheming to get his lead reporter to stay with the paper. Of course, his motivation is not strictly professional, since his lead reporter and the personification of chutzpah, Hildy Johnson, is also his ex-wife. Played by Rosalind Russell, Hildy is trying to leave her newsprint roots Read More
FlixFling contributor, Alexandra Gibson reviews Borderline To be honest, the only thing I know Fred MacMurray from is Double Indemnity, and for that reason, I always associate him with gritty film noir. So when I saw the description for Borderline, I was expecting murder, inner monologues, and a femme fatale. I was quite surprised when I ended up watching a light crime/comedy/romance. Borderline is about a Los Angeles police officer, Haley (Claire Read More
FlixFling contributor, Jordana Lipsitz reviews 1st Bite When I saw the title, First Bite, I immediately thought the film was a vampire movie. I soon realized it was not, but was not entirely sure what I was looking at. I’m not sure I ever really did figure it out. There were mermaids, and talking womanstones, and curses all set either in Thailand, Montserrant, or Montreal (or at least with a background Read More
FlixFling contributor, Matt Bussy reviews Hatchet Before I talk about Hatchet let me talk about the Final Destination film series. The reason there have been five movies is because audiences get a kick out of watching people die in creative ways. Death by burning to death in a tanning bed. Death by roller coaster. Death by laser eye surgery and gymnastics and decapitation and strangling in a bathtub and getting hit Read More
FlixFling contributor, Matt Bussy reviews Apollo 18 In the late 60s NASA cancelled the Apollo 18 mission to land on the Moon. Was it because they found out that there were evil aliens living on the planet? I doubt it. I’m pretty sure it was cancelled because of money issues. In Apollo 18, a found footage horror movie that came out in September of last year, a group of male astronauts Read More
FlixFling contributor, Yohsuke Araki reviews Born to Win Ivan Passer, a Czech native director, makes an arrestingly free and honest film in Born To Win. It's a junkie film that plays by all the normal rules of it's genre but because this film was made in a time when a great number of films happened to have the luminescence of the golden age that was 1970's New York City slum life, Read More
FlixFling contributor, Yohsuke Araki reviews Brian Eno-The Man Who Fell to Earth Brian Eno's story is truly remarkable. Within the music world he is a singularity who's journey began with one of the most seminal rock bands of his era, Roxy Music, only to leave and begin an unforeseen career as a true artist in his own right. It's no wonder this documentary, which dives into nearly each musical project of Read More
FlixFling contributor, Alexandra Gibson reviews Royal Wedding Royal Wedding was a delightful surprise. In it, Fred Astaire and Jane Powell play Tom and Ellen Bowen, a brother and sister dancing duo who sell out shows across the country. After their show in New York ends, the two are booked to perform in London during the month leading up to the Royal Wedding. Naturally, by the end of film, the royals are Read More
FlixFling contributor, Matt Bussy reviews Phantasm Phantasm (1979) has a few creepy shots and a scary villain, but it’s nowhere near as memorable as some other old horror classics. Every Halloween season the Bravo channel has a special called 100 Scariest Movie Moments, which first aired in 2004. It’s an excellent documentary miniseries that counts down all the horror classics, English and foreign, to number one. Phantasm is number twenty-five on Read More
FlixFling contributor, Matt Bussy reviews The Evil Dead The Evil Dead (1981) is on crack. There’s a scene in this movie where a young woman is raped by trees that come alive. Trees?! TREES?! This is a horror movie that was banned in many countries when it came out in 1981 and even received an NC-17 rating when it was rereleased in 1994. It’s pretty violent and gory; some of the Read More
FlixFling contributor, Jordana Lipsitz reviews One Week Many people argue that comedy is not a real art form and it does not take the mind of a great artist to write in a comedic sense. Buster Keaton’s work consistently proves that this is simply not true. One Week (1920) specifically aids in showing the talent of artists like Buster Keaton. Both the creative storyline and the slapstick are beautiful aspects of Read More
FlixFling Contributor, Jordana Lipsitz reviews Assault of the Party Nerds When it came to choosing my next movie to review, it was almost love at first sight. I saw Assault of the Party Nerds (1989) as a title on the list of movies and my mind was automatically made. It was sunshine and butterflies and romance. Who doesn’t love movies with college parties and ridiculous nerd vs. jock antics? Not a Read More
FlixFling contributor, Alexandra Gibson reviews The Pajama Game The Pajama Game takes us into the whimsical and musical world of PJ manufacturing at the Sleeptite Pajama Factory. The film, starring Doris Day and John Raitt, starts as many Doris Day films do -- as a battle of the sexes, in this case, between the steadfast leader of the factory’s grievance committee ‘Babe’ Williams (Day) and the new superintendent Sid Sorokin (Raitt). However, The Read More
FlixFling Contributor, Yohsuke Araki reviews Ace High The second of the Cat Stevens/Hutch Bessy trilogy, Colizzi's Ace High is an exciting and fun ride. Like a Leone spaghetti western, this one by Colizzi works in a wonderfully crafted and lit cinematography. It compliments the typical cool of the quiet loner, Cat Stevens (not to be mistaken for the musician) played by Terence Hill, and along with the cool comes a good Read More
FlixFling contributor, Yohsuke Araki reviews Cul-De-Sac Consisting of quality visuals and a thoughtful pace along with quirky complexities of dysfunctional relationships, Roman Polanski's Cul-De-Sac manages to serve as a bridge between two very different filmic worlds without compromising any amount of cinematic quality from itself. Themes of isolation are mixed with lighter and more upbeat notions of getting by within these thoughtfully caricatured subjects. None are very likable but all Read More
FlixFling contributor, Matt Bussy reviews Halloween I think if you were born in the 21st century and you watch John Carpenter’s Halloween (1978) then you’ll think it’s stupid and unoriginal. You’ll only think it’s stupid, however, because you weren’t aware that it’s considered to be the first slasher pic in the history of Hollywood cinema. Just think about it, all these hugely popular slasher movies like Friday the 13th, A Nightmare Read More
FlixFling contributor, Matt Bussy reviews An American Werewolf In London John Landis’s An American Werewolf in London (1981) is a strange, strange horror movie. I’m always entertained by it and I think anybody looking for a gory werewolf movie will be too, but I’ve always felt a disappointment for the film. I’m saying it’s strange because it was directed by Landis, who at the time of the movie’s release had become Read More
FlixFling contributor, Jordana Lipsitz reviews His Girl Friday His Girl Friday (1940) is one of those movies that make me wish I had been born in the 30s and been able to watch all those sort of screwball comedies with fast-paced talking, beautiful (but not too skinny) actors, and just a touch of the ridiculous right when they came out. Then I remember the rampant sexism and racism of those times Read More
FlixFling contributor, Jordana Lipsitz reviews Hebrew Hammer Stereotype jokes have always been one of the things on my top ten list along with a good foot rub and long walks on the beach. Luckily for me, The Hebrew Hammer, a 2003 Jewish Blaxploitation film was chock full of every stereotype I could dream of (though no foot rubs or long walks on the beach). Every single joke is just full of Read More
FlixFling contributor, Alexandra Gibson reviews The Man Who Knew Too Much In 1934, Alfred Hitchcock made The Man Who Knew Too Much. In 1956, he remade it, though I have no idea why, as the original is thoroughly captivating. The film begins at Winter Olympic-type games where an unsuspecting couple is forced into the middle of an assassination plot. After their friend is suddenly murdered, the Lawrences try to find their Read More
At FlixFling, we value the feedback we get from our users and that's why we give you many ways to tell us what you think. Here's some of the many ways you can let us know how we're doing: Right here, on our Blog. We read every comment we receive and will respond. Feel free to leave comments on any of our posts or messages. The "Contact Us" section of FlixFling.com. In Read More
FlixFling contributor Rebecca Raymer reviews the Academy Award nominated foreign film, Zus & Zo: Zus & Zo, produced by Filmprodukties de Luwte, is a 2001 romantic comedy set in the Netherlands and Portugal. It was written and directed by Paula van der Oest, and stars Sylvia Poorta, Anneke Blok, and Monic Hendrickx as three sisters bent on foiling their gay brother’s straight marriage. It is primarily in Dutch, but also features Read More
FlixFling contributor, Rebecca Raymer reviews Little Big Soldier Jackie Chan created, produced, and starred in this "action-adventure-comedy." Little Big Soldier lives up to its designated genre: it has a lot of action, it involves an adventure, and it's funny. Ding Sheng directs the film, originally titled Da Bing Xiao Jiang, and it is primarily Mandarin spoken language with English subtitles that are comprehensive and easy to understand. What was not easy to Read More
FlixFling contributor Rebecca Raymer reviews Secret Societies. There have been countless documentaries concerning the subject of secret societies, and this documentary is not particularly distinguishable among them. Written and directed by Philip Gardiner, this film deciphers seemingly everyday symbols, and seeks to explain the origins and purposes of secret societies. The film is primarily narration over still images. The sound track could have been integrated more smoothly through editing. The images are Read More
FlixFling contributing reviewer, Rebecca Raymer critiques Ip Man. A combination of stereotypical Kung Fu films and the grace and beauty of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," (Sony Pictures Classics, 2000), "Ip Man" is a unique film. Directed by Wilson Yip and starring Donnie Yen, "Ip Man" is a biopic of the man who was to become Bruce Lee's martial arts instructor. Although the connection with Bruce Lee may be the cause of Ip's Read More
FlixFling contributor Rebecca Raymer reviews Brother's Justice "Brother's Justice" is a 2011 Jeung Guns LLC mocumentary featuring a budding star (Dax Shepard) attempting to successfully pitch a bad movie idea to industry executives and producers. His friend, Nate Tuck, is always by his side, continuously jeopardizing his own interests to support Dax. Shepard also directed the film, along with David Palmer, and Nate Tuck was a producer. In "Brother's Justice," Dax Shepard Read More
FlixFling contributor Rebecca Raymer reviews Guns 'N Roses: Sex "N Drugs 'N Rock'N'Roll: Unauthorized Chrome Dreams Video brings a hindsight view of the band, "Guns 'n Roses," in this 2003 documentary. While focusing on the history of the individual band members and the formation of the band itself, Sex n' Drugs…Unauthorized" also integrates the history of a huge musical movement, described as "metal revival," in Los Angeles, California. Springing forth from an Read More
FlixFling contributor Rebecca Raymer reviews The Untold Christmas Story, a documentary retrospective on the holiday favorite, A Christmas Story There are few suburbanites in the United States who cannot, in some way, associate A Christmas Story (1983, Warner Home Video) with their own experiences during the holiday season. Twenty five years after the movie was originally released, director William Szorka brings this follow-up documentary to demonstrate why this holiday classic is Read More
FlixFling guest reviewer, Rebecca Raymer critiques the 2008 documentary, Kid Rock: Insomnia Unauthorized Kid Rock (also known as Bob Ritchie) has a reputation for using his money and power to demoralize women and romanticize the culture of "white trash." This 2008 documentary (from Chrome Dreams) does absolutely nothing to alter that reputation. Starting with a three-minute intro of hot girls in bikinis may not sound so terrible to a lot of people, Read More
FlixFling contributor Rebecca Raymer critiques the documentary Dearly Departed: "A Morbid Pursuit of Hollywood Trivia" Scott Michaels is a walking machine of facts, dates, names, and circumstances. In Dearly Departed: Vol. I, Michaels leads documentarian Michael Dorsey around Los Angeles to capture on film the physical locations of famous peoples' last days and breaths. Although this film is a bit morbidly-geared, it has an overriding sense of fun as the predominantly candid shots Read More
FlixFling contributor Rebecca Raymer reviews We Fun: Atlanta, GA Inside Out We Fun: Atlanta, GA Inside Out is a 2009 documentary directed by Matthew Robison about the emerging punk music scene in Atlanta, Georgia. In a state dominated by Athens-bred superstars (REM, B-52s, etc.), this film lets the big city assert its place in the industry. As one musician states, Atlanta is "like Athens without the bullshit." Atlanta is growing rapidly as Read More
FlixFling featured contributor Rebecca Raymer reviews the documentary The Jena 6 Filmed, directed, and produced by Kourass Esmaeli, Richard Rowley, and Jacqueline Soohen, The Jena 6 is a documentary of the circumstances centered in the city of Jena, Louisiana - and in the 21st century - that reminded everyone in America that racism continues to live and breathe comfortably in many areas of this great nation. Mumia Abu Jamal narrates this concise Read More
FlixFling contributing reviewer Rebecca Raymer critiques Marilyn Manson - Fear of a Satanic Planet Unauthorized In the past decade, the name "Marilyn Manson" has become familiarly associated with evil, Satan, debauchery, and perverted indulgence. Marilyn Manson - Fear of a Satanic Planet Unauthorized is a 2005 documentary directed by Tom Barber that gives credence to a lot of those associations. Physically, Marilyn Manson is difficult to look at while simultaneously being a Read More
FlixFling contributor Rebecca Raymer reviews Lies and Deception: UFOs and The Secret Agenda - What They Don't Want You to Know A production of Edge Media, this film features two wizened experts on the phenomena of aliens from outer space and UFOs in general: Nick Pope and Timothy Good. Both of these men are certainly knowledgeable about the thousands of documented, reported, and unexplained accounts of suspected extra-terrestrial activity. They both also Read More
FlixFling contributing reviewer Rebecca Raymer reviews the documentary Leonard Cohen - Under Review: 1934-1977 This documentary featuring the enigmatic Canadian writer, philosopher, and performer, Leonard Cohen, is not a nail-biting journey through exciting-land, but neither is Leonard Cohen. The art and beauty and criticisms of Cohen and his work are revealed here in a straightforward and honest manner through interviews with people very familiar with his work. There seems to be no Read More
Recommendations are important. Especially when it comes to discovering new movies and shows. As part of the FlixFling community, you play a vital part in helping your fellow FlixFling fans find new stuff to watch! That's why we've built in to each movie page an easy way to rate and review titles. On each movie page, you'll find three options on the right: "Synopsis", "Review" and "My Review." "Synopsis" is the default Read More
FlixFling Team Member David reviews Ticked-off Trannies with Knives: In the sprit of full disclosure, I didn’t go into this review empty handed—I had a case of beer. I also recruited my buddy John to join me. I would recommend any potential viewers of Israel Luna’s “Ticked-off Trannies with Knives” enter this movie watching experience similarly armed. This is not a film to watch alone and sober. “Trannies” tells the story of Read More
FlixFling contributor Rebecca Raymer reviews the "delightful" The West Wittering Affair : The West Wittering Affair is a 2006 comedy directed by David Scheinmann, who is also the writer and one of the primary stars. Sarah Sutcliffe is also a writer and one of the primary stars, and Rebecca Cardinale and David Annen complete the main cast. A fateful weekend in the country dramatically changes the lives of four friends, and this Read More
FlixFling contributor Rebecca Raymer reviews Hussy: Hussy is a 1980 drama directed and written by Matthew Chapman, and starring Helen Miren and John Shea. It is quite a sad story. Miren is amazing as the main character, Beatty, and plays her role as a badly damaged prostitute with raw and painful inflections of detached emotion. Emory (Shea), her primary love interest, comes across as naïve but passionate, determined to take her and Read More
FlixFling contributor Rebecca Raymer reviews American Vigin: "More nipples than you can shake a stick at" This 2009 coming-of-age film is an adorable depiction of how ridiculous a vow of chastity is in American society. Written by Jeff Seeman, directed by Clare Kilner, and starring Jenna Dewan, Brianne Davis, and Rob Schneider, American Virgin brings purity and crudity crashing together. Patricia White (Dewan) commits herself to sexual abstinence in a "purity ceremony," then Read More
FlixFling contributing reviewer Rebecca Raymer reviews 2Pac - Final 24: His Final Hours: After the initial adjustment to hearing phrases like "gangster rapper" and "thug life" in a clipped, British accent, this recently-released Rockumentary (directed by PJ Naworynski) offers an effective and concise look at the late Tupac Shakur and the events leading up to, and following, his murder. Using live footage, photographs, personal interviews, and dramatic re-enactments, Naworynski has composed Read More
FlixFling contributor Rebecca Raymer reviews Time (Shi gan): "Mind-bending Beauty" Time (originally Shi gan) is a 2006 film written and directed by Kim Ki-duk. The premise of the film - a woman surgically altering her entire face for the man she loves - is simple. However, the methods employed in bringing the characters and story to life are intricate and breathtaking. Although the film did feature a lot of very graphic footage of Read More
FlixFling reviewer Rebecca Raymer critiques Catch Your Mind: “Suburban Teen Angst” Catch your Mind is a 2008 film written and directed by Swamy Kandan, and starring Patrick Welsh (Bruce) and Megan Beale (Monica). It takes place in an upper to middle class suburb, and features an almost completely white cast of beautiful, fledgling and/or mediocre actors. This film could easily be written off as pretentious. The story of a white upper class kid Read More
FlixFling guest reviewer Rebecca Raymer proves that everybody hurts (even comedians) in her review of Jamie Kennedy's Heckler: Comedian Jamie Kennedy went on a mission to confront hecklers and critics, and asks them on camera why they are so gratuitously mean to performers. Heckler (2007) documents his journey in an eye-opening and insightful composition of stars revealing their vulnerability as human beings with feelings. Developing the status of a successful comedian in Read More
FlixFling contributor Rebecca Raymer reviews Charles Manson: Superstar - a documentary featuring a rare interview with Manson from San Quentin Prison: This 1989 sycophantic portrayal of Charles Manson (written, directed, and narrated by Nikolas Schreck ) attempts to "deprogram" the American people of its media-fed beliefs that Charles Manson is an evil lunatic. It does not succeed. Endless in-person ramblings of Manson from his home at San Quentin Prison are interspersed with obnoxiously Read More
FlixFling contributing reviewer Rebecca Raymer covers As Far As My Feet Will Carry Me - the true story of a German soldier's dramatic escape from a Siberian labor camp after World War II: 'The Power of Hope" As Far As My Feet Will Carry Me (2001, starring Bernhard Bettermann and directed by Hardy Martins) is a saga based on an incredible true story. This intensely brutal and striking film carries the viewer Read More
FlixFling contributor Rebecca Raymer reviews In Memory of My Father: In Memory of My Father is a captivating film released in 2005, and directed and written by Christopher Jaymes, who also stars in the movie. Judy Greer, Jeremy Sisto, Matt Keeslar, and Nicholle Tom are only a few of the extremely gifted stars of this film - each actor brings impressive depth and passion to their role. The brightest star of this Read More
FlixFling contributor Rebecca Raymer reviews Film Geek: Film Geek (2005) is a movie written and directed by James Westby, and starring Melik Malkasian. Scotty Pelk (Malkasian) is a socially inhibited walking encyclopedia of all things film. His inability to read and interpret social cues combined with his compulsive chatter about films makes it difficult for him to get along in the typical world. However, his inherent decency and savant-like ability to Read More
FlixFling contributor Rebecca Raymer reviews the documentary Fidel: Estela Bravo directs this 2001 documentary of Fidel Castro's life and politics. The film is comprised largely of footage of Castro himself, as well as the opinions and impressions of a variety of noted individuals, such as Harry Belafonte, Alice Walker, and Muhammad Ali. Contrary to the American-held view of Castro as a despotic madman, Fidel frames him as a humanistic intellectual driven to Read More
Rebecca Raymer, FlixFling contributing reviewer, speaks her mind about The Stay At Home Dad - Afraid of the Prostate: This short is one of a series of episodes showcased on www.stayathomedad.tv. It is directed by Adam Jones, and stars Brandon Williams as the dad who stays at home. I don't get it. I am a woman and a mom and a wife, so it is entirely possible that - for me - there Read More
FlixFling contributor Rebecca Raymer reviews The Symmetry of Love: The Symmetry of Love (2010, written and directed by Aitor Gaizka, and starring Giles Alderson, Catherine Kenyon, Jemma Powell, Matthew Butler, Alix Wilton Regan and Luke de Lacey) is a sweetly complicated montage of love stories. Very much in the tradition of Love Actually (2003, Universal), Symmetry intertwines the lives of six British singles looking for someone special to settle down with. The Read More
FlixFling contributing reviewer Rebecca Raymer makes her case for AKA Tommy Chong: AKA Tommy Chong (2006, directed by Josh Gilbert, starring Tommy Chong, Cheech Marin, Selby Chong, Lou Adler, and Paris Chong) documents the federal prosecution of Tommy Chong by the United States government. Following 9/11, the U.S. attorney's office identified organizations in which drug paraphernalia is produced and sold, and determined them to be enemies of peace and freedom. Tommy Read More
FlixFling contributor Rebecca Raymer reviews Mugabe and the White African: Mugabe and the White African is a David-verses-Goliath themed documentary released in 2009 (directed by Lucy Bailey and Andrew Thompson) chronicling the final stages of a decade-long battle between a white landowner and the Zimbabwean government of Robert Mugabe. Farmer Mike Campbell, supported heartily by his son-in-law, Ben Freeth, challenges Mugabe's land redistricting program, rife with racism and abuses of human Read More
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