2019 Knoxville Horror Film Festival

November 4, 2019

Festival Coverage by Andrew Swafford

For eleven years running, the Knoxville Horror Film Fest has consistently shared a diverse array of horror films: new indies and old favorites, short films both local and international, atmospheric mood pieces and splatter-heavy exploitation pictures. This year was no exception, and actually offered a stronger selection than last year’s 10th anniversary extravaganza. Over the course of five days, I was able to catch four regional premieres, four remastered cult classics, and a whole lot of shorts – including one I helped get made!

Gemini Man (2019) by Ang Lee

October 28, 2019

Review by Reid Ramsey

As do many other action movies derided for their nonsensical plots, Gemini Man primarily succeeds through its impressive action and emotional clarity. Only the second feature film shot at 120-frames-per-second, the action scenes possess an unmatched real-world verisimilitude. The image clarity is that of a high-def sports game, and while it may not be a good match for many movies, Lee’s movie was a perfect fit for the form.

2019 Nashville Film Festival

October 23, 2019

Festival Coverage by Andrew Swafford and Dylan Moore

For ten days in October, the Nashville Film Festival screened over 100 feature films from around the world. Established in 1969 and celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, it is the longest running film festival in the state. Andrew and Dylan were able to catch six features and ten short films across several days of the festival.

Renee Zellweger stars as the legendary Judy Garland in director Rupert Goold’s Judy — Renee Zellweger stars as the legendary Judy Garland in director Rupert Goold’s *Judy*

Judy (2019) by Rupert Goold

October 21, 2019

Review by Miranda Barnewall

To know Judy is to seek out her films, her recordings, and read biographies on her. It’s an active search, and while there were no doubt tragic elements of her life, that’s not why her fans stick around. It’s in those where you find aspects about her that you love and begin to know her, not just the dolled up tragic melodramatic bits cut together in a feature length film.

Tom Hanks stars as the beloved Mr. Rogers in director Marielle Heller’s A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood — Tom Hanks stars as the beloved Mr. Rogers in director Marielle Heller’s *A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood*

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019) by Marielle Heller

October 14, 2019

Review by Nick Armstrong

The film both indulges in and disproves the idea that Mr. Rogers is a saint, an otherworldly figure whose kindness knows no bounds.

2019 Toronto International Film Festival

October 7, 2019

Festival Coverage by Zach Dennis, Andrew Swafford, and Jessica Carr

For eleven days in September, the Toronto International Film Festival screened over 240 feature films from around the world. Established in 1976, it has been described as the “most important film festival in the world.” Zach, Andrew and Jessica were able to attend the festival for several days and, during that span, caught 28 features from 14 different countries – 14 of those films being world premieres and 7 being North American premieres.

Joker (2019) by Todd Phillips

September 29, 2019

Review by Zach Dennis

At its core, Joker would love to be a movie about the mental health system and the lack of attention or funding to actually help those who desperately need it. But that’s all bullshit. The movie just needed something to make it seem much more nuanced so that it could validate its lust for violence and exhalation of the misunderstood misfit.

Constance Wu and Jennifer Lopez star in director Lorence Scafaria’s Hustlers — Constance Wu and Jennifer Lopez star in director Lorence Scafaria’s *Hustlers*

Hustlers (2019) by Lorene Scafaria

September 25, 2019

Review by Miranda Barnewall

What does money buy for these women? It does buy the things you might expect, but it also buys security, comfort, and opportunity. It ultimately buys power over your own life.

Brad Pitt stars in director James Gray’s long-awaited Ad Astra — Brad Pitt stars in director James Gray’s long-awaited *Ad Astra*

Ad Astra (2019) by James Gray

September 23, 2019

Review / Personal Essay by Logan Kenny

There’s a comfort in knowing that there have been people like me before, in fiction and in reality, desperate for something to cling onto as everything glides through the stars. James Gray’s work behind the camera and the emotional depth he gives his characters has always been remarkable, but the confidence and patience he has here is transcendent.

It Chapter Two (2019) by Andy Muschietti

September 18, 2019

Review by Courtney Anderson

It Chapter Two ultimately feels like a repeat of the first chapter. Only this time, it’s less fun.

Mikey and Nicky (1976) by Elaine May

September 16, 2019

Retro Review by Zach Dennis

There isn’t much profound about the men of Elaine May movies – they’re all dullards. For the most part though, she has empathy for their sadness.

Gerard Butler stars in the third film in the Fallen trilogy — Gerard Butler stars in the third film in the *Fallen* trilogy

Angel Has Fallen (2019) by Ric Roman Waugh

September 11, 2019

Review by Logan Kenny

For something that easily could have been exploited as basic propaganda, it’s fascinating that Angel Has Fallen does the most it can within its platform to actually have an ideology.

The cast of Bong Joon-ho’s Palme d’Or winning Parasite — The cast of Bong Joon-ho’s Palme d’Or winning *Parasite*

Parasite (2019) by Bong Joon-ho

September 9, 2019

Review by Lucy Palmer

Parasite is a film that plays with genre like no other and somehow remains decisively coherent from beginning to end.

Former teen-hearthrob Zac Efron stars as Ted Bundy in director Joe Berlinger’s Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile — Former teen-hearthrob Zac Efron stars as Ted Bundy in director Joe Berlinger’s *Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile*

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019) by Joe Berlinger

August 29, 2019

Review by Nicholas Armstrong

The premise of casting Efron as Bundy allows him to incorporate the charms and tics that we have come to know him for, making them hypervisible and ultimately forcing us to question why we are drawn to those tics in the first place.

Samara Weaving stars in Ready or Not by directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillet — *Samara Weaving stars in* Ready or Not by directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillet

Ready or Not (2019) by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett

August 26, 2019

Review by Andrew Swafford

Ready or Not functions well as agitprop for working-class folks who harbor resentment for the ultra-wealthy already, but it rarely points the finger at what exactly the rich get up to that is violent in nature.

Sosie Bacon and Hannah Murray star in director Mary Harron’s Charlie Says — Sosie Bacon and Hannah Murray star in director Mary Harron’s *Charlie Says*

Charlie Says (2019) by Mary Harron

August 22, 2019

Review by Logan Kenny

Charlie Says never takes the easiest route of satisfaction through violence; there is no solace for anyone in this picture.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019) by André Øvredal

August 19, 2019

Review by Lydia Creech

There’s a lot of fucked-upness in the world right now, as is, and putting the film safely 50 years in the past robs the scare power these stories could have communicated.

Starring Alice Englert, Kaitlyn Dever, Olivia Coleman, Jim Gaffigan, Walton Goggins, and Thomas Mann

Them That Follow (2019) by Britt Poulton and Daniel Savage

August 12, 2019

A conversation between Andrew Swafford and Reid Ramsey

Them That Follow is a film about an Appalachian snake-handling church, which makes it a pretty interesting topic of conversation for us here at Cinematary – our podcast crew is primarily made up of southerners, and we recently completed a months-long podcast series about southern culture on film. Among the films in that series were Marjoe and Wise Blood, which both presented extreme forms of religious performance and asceticism – and we also watched hillbilly, which studies the on-screen representation of Appalachian people specifically. To me, these ideas intersect in the subject of snake-handling churches, which are dangerous and controversial but also loom large in the cultural imagination as a source of extreme southern backwardness.

Dwayne Johnson stars alongside Jason Statham in director David Leitch’s Hobbs and Shaw — Dwayne Johnson stars alongside Jason Statham in director David Leitch’s *Hobbs and Shaw*

Hobbs and Shaw (2019) by David Leitch

August 7, 2019

Review by Logan Kenny

The idea and presence of family is the constant in this franchise, and no matter how far it drifts from the original racers and the old unit, there is always that beating heart of love and admiration and the importance of having people that love you.

Along with Tye Sheridan and Denis Lavant, Jeff Goldblum stars in director Rick Alverson’s The Mountain — Along with Tye Sheridan and Denis Lavant, Jeff Goldblum stars in director Rick Alverson’s *The Mountain*

The Mountain (2019) by Rick Alverson

August 5, 2019

Review by Andrew Swafford

The easiest thing to say definitively about Rick Alverson’s The Mountain is that it’s a film about lobotomies that makes you feel as though you’ve been lobotomized yourself.