THIS WEEK’S LINEUP
Dying Laughing (Lloyd Stanton / Paul Toogood) / The Last Laugh (Ferne Pearlstein)
Catfight (Onur Turkel) / Fist Fight (Richie Keen)
The Girl with All the Gifts (Colm McCarthy)
I Am Michael (Justin Kelly)
The Last Word (Mark Pellington)
My Scientology Movie (John Dower)
Song to Song (Terrence Malick)
Wolves (Bart Freundlich)

DYING LAUGHING: A WIDE range of comedians talking ALL things stand-up–what’s not to like?

— Steven Strauss (@aintnohero) March 22, 2017

it doesn’t need any cheap storytelling voiceover; comics’ words exclusively leading the way (w/0 much archival footage) is a tad more novel

— Steven Strauss (@aintnohero) March 22, 2017

TLL ingeniously questions this anti-taboo notion mostly by historically examining the relationship between Jews, humor, and Holocaust jokes

— Steven Strauss (@aintnohero) March 22, 2017

Another reminder that Mel Brooks = 1 of the greatest comedic minds in the history of…everything? 1 of the most unheralded: Larry Charles

— Steven Strauss (@aintnohero) March 22, 2017

CATFIGHT (Onur Tukel): A amateurish student film, glorified by a woefully under-matched cast. WHERE HAS SANDRA OH BEEN–I’ve missed her…so

— Steven Strauss (@aintnohero) March 22, 2017

Both boast comically violent, promising premises populated by perennially under-utilized performers hamstrung by tone-challenged execution

— Steven Strauss (@aintnohero) March 22, 2017

THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS (Colm McCarthy): Spices up the zombie formula with healthy doses of fresh elements, but takes its sweet ass time

— Steven Strauss (@aintnohero) March 3, 2017

2017 has already spoiled us with TWO wildly differentiated yet equally effortless Glenn Close performances (this + SUNSET BOULEVARD on Bway)

— Steven Strauss (@aintnohero) March 3, 2017

I AM MICHAEL (Justin Kelly): Understands the most compelling approach to this true-life story does not revolve around straight/gay question

— Steven Strauss (@aintnohero) March 22, 2017

but acting, imagery, and writing (despite sparse yet still potently character-informative dialogue) can often be too showy in its telling.

— Steven Strauss (@aintnohero) March 22, 2017

THE LAST WORD (Mark Pellington): Aims too low in all regards, still doesn’t come anywhere close to hitting its targets

— Steven Strauss (@aintnohero) March 22, 2017

MY SCIENTOLOGY MOVIE (John Dower): Refreshingly replaces documentaries’ traditional reliance on “real” footage (tho I kinda wanted a bit 1/3

— Steven Strauss (@aintnohero) March 22, 2017

Scientology AND scripted (doc, w/ a nod to the title) filmmaking, thereby insightfully commenting on both in relation to each other 3/3.

— Steven Strauss (@aintnohero) March 22, 2017

SONG TO SONG (Terrence Malick): An Ivo van Hove production of Harold Pinter’s BETRAYAL, AKA this will end up as one of my fav movies of 2017

— Steven Strauss (@aintnohero) March 22, 2017

intention (purposefully so vaguely communicated that it can’t be discerned) pales in importance to audience’s subjective interpretations,

— Steven Strauss (@aintnohero) March 22, 2017

Ivo is equally paradoxical: his productions inspire understanding old plays in new ways, yet they depend on familiarity with the originals

— Steven Strauss (@aintnohero) March 22, 2017

To those who’d cite the “happy” ending to refute this claim, I think you were intentionally duped; society forcing people to

— Steven Strauss (@aintnohero) March 22, 2017

Oh, and to all casting agents out there: MORE JOHN DOUGLAS THOMPSON PLEASE AND THANK YOU

— Steven Strauss (@aintnohero) March 22, 2017