Critic’s Corner By Richard Stermer, One Battle After Another, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, has emerged as one of the most defining cinematic achievements of the year. The film distinguishes itself with a bold and layered narrative that explores the complexities of conflict, identity, and human resilience. Its ability to balance large-scale storytelling with intimate emotional depth positioned it as a standout among a diverse group of nominees. Leonardo DiCaprio delivere

Critic’s Corner By Richard Stermer, Secret Agent is a stylistically refined and intellectually engaging film. The film distinguished itself by moving beyond genre conventions, focusing on the psychological and emotional complexities of its central character. It delivers a narrative driven by tension, identity, and moral ambiguity. The lead performance by Wagner Moura brings depth and nuance to the role, presenting a protagonist shaped as much by internal conflict as by exter

‘The Righteous Gemstones’ Nail Their Final Season With Holy Chaos, Big Laughs, and a Wild Bradley Cooper Cameo By Gilda Baum Lappe and Sandy Rodriguez Photo Credit: Courtesy Gilda Baum-Lappe The final season of The Righteous Gemstones delivers absurd comedy with a side of redemption. After what seemed like a very long wait, the fourth and last season of the brilliant creation of Danny McBride is available to stream on HBO Max. The show has always been a loud, ridiculous, and

‘The Residence’ on Netflix, a Hilarious Whodunit That’s as Chaotic Off-Screen as On By Gilda Baum-Lappe & Sandy Rodriguez Netflix’s The Residence is not just another murder mystery. It’s a sharp, witty, and delightfully chaotic whodunit set inside the White House, with surprises layered throughout both the story and its production. Created by Paul William Davies and directed (for the first four episodes) by Liza Johnson, the eight-episode series centers on a grand state dinne

What Fans Can Expect from Disney's Live-Action 'Snow White’' By Gilda Baum-Lappe Disney’s 2025 live-action adaptation of Snow White reimagines the classic tale with contemporary nuances and a fresh narrative approach. Directed by Marc Webb, the film stars Rachel Zegler as Snow White, Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen, and Andrew Burnap as Jonathan, a new character who leads a band of thieves. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 15: View of atmosphere at the World Premiere of Disney's

Our Heart Of Hollywood Magazine Critics’ Thoughts on Recent Movies By Gilda Baum-Lappe and Sandy Rodriguez QUEEN OF THE RING This inspirational sports drama that tells the true story of Mildred "Millie" Burke, a pioneering female professional wrestler. Directed and written by Ash Avildsen, the film stars Emily Bett Rickards in a standout performance as Burke. The film also features a strong supporting cast, including Josh Lucas, Tyler Posey, and Walton Goggins. Martin Kove, r

Award-Winning Comedy ‘Hacks’ Highlights Challenges Women Face to Achieve Their Dreams in Showbiz By Gilda Baum-Lappe and Sandy Rodriguez On April 10th, Max will release Season 4 of its hugely successful show Hacks, which has received awards at the Emmys, the Golden Globes, and other major events. It chronicles the adventures of a standup comic hoping to regain popularity in Las Vegas named Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and a younger writer, Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder). Hacks,

Three Notable Female-Directed Films Shining a Light on Desire, Ageism, and Choices Made Photo Credit: Courtesy of Sandy Rodriguez By Gilda Baum-Lappe and Sandy Rodriguez Stories featuring memorable female characters, especially when their narratives are brought to life by women directors, can be especially powerful. In this series of articles, we dive into three such films—The Substance, Babygirl, and The Last Showgirl. Whether through sci-fi, sensuality, or heartfelt emotion

Three Notable Female-Directed Films Shining a Light on Desire, Ageism, and Choices Made By Gilda Baum-Lappe and Sandy Rodriguez Stories featuring memorable female characters, especially when their narratives are brought to life by women directors, can be especially powerful. In this series of articles, we dive into three such films—The Substance, Babygirl, and The Last Showgirl. Whether through sci-fi, sensuality, or heartfelt emotion, these films show how women can command t

What Exactly Is a Romantic Comedy? By Doly Mallet We normally use the term "Romantic Comedy" or "rom-com" to describe every movie that includes love as part of the premise. But is that accurate? Of course not. Romantic Comedy and Romance are two entirely different genres. In fact, Romance is not a genre as such (unless you are referring to those cheap paperbacks you can sometimes buy at airports or checkout lines). There are, however, genres such as Romantic Drama, Romantic T

By Doly Mallet We have learned so many things from movies throughout history, but 2023 was an exceptional year in film. Following the pandemic, people are finally going back to actual theaters. In 2022, this was thanks to Top Gun and Tom Cruise, but now, his airplanes seem small compared to a much bigger toy, Barbie. From 2020 to 2022, we thought that maybe streaming was winning the competition, that TV was reigning, and that people would prefer to stay home than go and enjoy

By Doly Mallet Most popular movies in the eighties were starred by men. It was the reign of Spielberg and Lucas, and the heroes in Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, The Goonies, Stand by Me, Karate Kid, and even The Gremlins were male. You name it, movies for kids were predominantly male-centric, and women were only there as damsels in distress. Even in Smurfs there was only one Smurfette. Toys were also mostly male, and for girls there were only different types o

By Doly Mallet HBO always surprises us by presenting extremely successful, controversial shows with profound messages, extraordinarily human and flawed characters, and suspenseful plots. Succession is not the exception and, as fans, we are sad to see this fourth season is the finale. Even though it is fiction, it is loosely based on the life of Rupert Murdoch, a business magnate, owner of hundreds of national and international media outlets worldwide, including Fox News. He w

By Doly Mallet Yes, we talk a lot about Valentine’s Day and love, but, to be honest, sometimes we are much more intrigued by seduction. Since the time of Giacomo Casanova (1725-1798), many tales have been written about how to be a good seducer. There are also many different versions of Don Juan (such as the play by Zorrilla, or the opera by Mozart). Even existential philosophers, including Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855), who was also a theologist, were intrigued by the topic.

Lindsay Lohan Is at Her Best in a New Holiday-Themed Romcom Falling for Christmas (Netflix, U.S.A., 2022) Director: Janeen Damian At first, it’s weird to see Lindsay Lohan on screen again. Is she really her? Is she okay? She seems to have had too many fillers injected into her lips. Something is a little off when it comes to her face, and her bra is probably two or three sizes larger than it used to be. But when she starts acting, we immediately recognize that charismatic gir

By Nicole Muj The Brilliant Darkness!, the critically acclaimed dark horse of this year’s Vietnam box office, has defied cultural odds when its authentically raw depiction of the systemic problem of domestic abuse in Vietnam took home the highest national cinema honors with five Vietnam Golden Kite Awards, including Best Feature Film, Best Screenplay and Best Actress. Nha Uyen Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/w

The Essex Serpent, Apple TV, 2022 By Doly Mallet Knowing the title and the context of The Serpent of Essex, set in the Victorian era, one can assume that this drama will address topics such as repressed sexuality, sin, and how history has often blamed women. The story evokes tales such as The Scarlet Letter or The Salem Witch Trials. In this case, Claire Danes plays Cora, a widow abused by her husband, who enjoyed both hurting her and giving her expensive jewelry. When she fi