Year: 2022

“Nothing Compares” (2022). Cast: Audio Interviews: Sinéad O’Connor, Kathleen Hanna, Chuck D, Peaches, John Reynolds, John Maybury, Elaine Schock, Róisín Ingle, Clodagh Latimer, Jeannette Byrne. Archive Footage: Kris Kristofferson, Charlie Rose, Joe Pesci, Phil Hartman, Jan Hooks, Tim Robbins, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, Haile Selassie, Gay Byrne. Director: Kathryn Ferguson. Screenplay: Eleanor Emptage, Kathryn Ferguson and Michael Mallie. Web site. Trailer. Being ahead of one’s time can be a dual-edged sword. On the plus side, it can get one noticed when breaking new ground in a particular milieu. On the downside, however, it can get one scorned if these new ideas run counter to prevailing opinion. And, ironically, sometimes it can be both, creating a firestorm of controversy from which it may be difficult to emerge without some wounds while on the way to achieving success. Such was the experience of a shy, unlikely Irish pop star who exploded on the music scene as a global sensation, and then disappeared from it almost as quickly, as chronicled in the insightful new Showtime documentary, “Nothing Compares.” In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Sinéad O’Connor emerged seemingly out of nowhere as one of the biggest names in the music business. She ...

Join yours truly and show host Frankie Picasso for six new film reviews on the next movie edition of The Good Media Network’s Frankiesense & More video podcast! The show, to begin airing on Thursday October 27 at 1 pm ET, will also feature recaps of two recent film festivals, the 40th annual Reeling LGBTQ+ International Film Festival and the 58th annual Chicago International Film Festival. Tune in on Facebook or YouTube for all the fun and lively discussion! ...

Reviews of “Bros,” “Moonage Daydream” and “Murina,” as well as a podcast preview and two film festival recaps, are all in the latest Movies with Meaning post on the web site of The Good Media Network, available by clicking here ...

“Murina” (“Moray Eel”) (2021 production, 2022 release). Cast: Gracija Filipović, Danica Čurčić, Leon Lučev, Cliff Curtis, Jonas Smulders, Niksa Butijer, Milan Strljic, Marina Redzepovic, Klara Mucci, Mislav Cavajda. Director: Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović. Screenplay: Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović and Frank Graziano. Story: Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović. Web site. Trailer. There comes a time in life when we all believe we need to strike out on our own. It can be a challenging enough prospect in itself, but it can be far worse when our efforts are hampered by those unduly seeking to hold us back. Independence and personal power may become seemingly unattainable under those circumstances. But is that reason enough to give up? That’s the question put to a young woman seeking to become herself in the new character study, “Murina” (“Moray Eel”). Life in the coastal community of a small Croatian island is frustrating for an ambitious 17-year-old like Julija (Gracija Filipović). Not only are there few opportunities for a meaningful social life or the ability to assert her budding sense of independence, but there’s also the expectation of obediently living under the thumb of the region’s pervasive patriarchal culture. In this case, that’s epitomized by the demands placed on Julija ...

Tune in for the latest Cinema Scribe segment on Bring Me 2 Life Radio, beginning Tuesday October 25, available by clicking here. You can also catch it later on demand on Spreaker, Spotify, Apple, iHeartRadio, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Deezer, Podchaser and Jiosaavn ...

If I had to sum up this year’s Chicago International Film Festival with one word, it would definitely be “underwhelming.” This year’s programming left much to be desired, especially in its virtual programming, which was scaled back considerably from previous years. This, in my opinion, is decidedly a step backwards. While I understand the logic behind screening many of the festival’s offerings (particularly its best selections) in theaters as a means to encourage audiences to return to moviehouses, this doesn’t seem to put much stock in the fact that viewers’ movie-watching habits have fundamentally changed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many cinephiles are still reluctant to leave home to watch movies, and offering them virtually has been a brilliant solution to offset this hesitancy. Imagine that – this practice made some exceedingly tasty lemonade from a huge pile of big sour lemons. Streaming festival offerings also created new audiences and afforded new viewing opportunities for these pictures. Viewers were no longer locked into set presentation times, and, in many cases, they didn’t even have to be in the same geographic locale where the festival was taking place. It also made it possible to watch more festival offerings given ...