Aarcflick

In my role as Jury Director for the Regina International Film Festival, I write notes on the films in competition. This expands upon my jury notes. The jury, composed of 15 established and talented filmmakers and artists, unanimously declared this an extraordinary film, with several using the word "masterpiece." I would like to see a statue of Captain Stavros Salomon erected on the southern coast of Lesbos, facing southeast, toward Izmir and beyond, toward Syria. Although he is merely a fictional character born from the mind of Brandt Andersen, Constantine Markoulakis's interpretation transcends reality to become the raw material of mythology. Director: Brandt Andersen Writer: Brandt Andersen Stars: Yasmine Al Massri, Yahya Mahayni, Omar Sy  I have never seen a better or more moving performance, brimming with heroism and altruism. It is a benchmark performance, like Buster Keaton's in The General, Robert De Niro's in Taxi Driver, or Meryl Streep's in Sophie...

Happy and You Know It focuses on four children's music creators, considering the industry and cultural climate in which they work. When preschool teacher Laurie Berkner realized she couldn't reach her young students, she began writing and performing original songs, often about dinosaurs, from their perspective.  Chris Ballew enjoyed success with his 90s alternative band, The Presidents of the United States of America, but after burnout in the music industry, he released numerous albums as Caspar Babypants.  Director: Penny Lane Stars: Chris Ballew,Laurie Berkner, Anthony Field Musician Divinity Roxx, Beyoncé's former touring bassist, fused hip-hop with positivity in her own foray into children's music. And for children's artist Johnny Only, releasing his version of the old summer camp theme "Baby Shark" in 2011 became a legally firm signpost on the path that South Korean company Pinkfong took to unleash its own version of "Shark" into the global ...

The premiere of Spring Fever sets the stage for a romance shrouded in mystery and small-town whispers. Instead of rushing headlong into charm, the episode leans into hidden truths, awkward encounters, and carefully planted intrigue. It's a slow, slightly heavy-handed start that invites viewers to linger, anticipating the promise of what's yet to unfold. Spring Fever Episode 1 runs approximately 75 minutes. Stars: Ahn Bo-hyun, Lee Joo-bin, Cha Seo-won The first episode of Spring Fever opens with a strange, recurring dream. A woman confidently writes on a classroom blackboard, only to be interrupted by another woman who suddenly slaps her. This unsettling image jolts Yoon Bom out of a dream she's been having for months. Formerly a passionate teacher in Seoul, famous for her nickname "Story Hunter," Bom's life has taken a dramatic turn. Now she lives in the small town of Sinsu, teaching ethics at a local school, dressed in black from head to toe and deliberately ...

 Park Chan-wook is widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers working today. A versatile multi-talented director, he has ventured into diverse genres, leaving his unmistakable mark on each. From the operatic revenge of "Oldboy" and the rest of the so-called Vengeance Trilogy, to the melancholic machinations of "The Decision to Leave," and even the eccentric eroticism of "Thirst," his films are united by an enduring fascination with obsession, violence, and moral corruption. "No Other Choice" is another powerful installment in Park's ongoing exploration of human darkness. Based on Donald E. Westlake's 1997 novel, "The Axe," the film follows Man-Su, a paper company manager whose comfortable life is abruptly cut short by unexpected unemployment. As the months pass and job prospects dwindle, desperation morphs into a grim logic, leading him to conclude that eliminating his rivals might be the only way to regain stability. Ther...

Let's be honest: I don't really know the difference between monkeys, chimpanzees, apes, and whatever else. It's probably a flaw in my upbringing at some point: they've all been mixed together in some kind of animal kingdom (a Planet of the Apes, so to speak). But what I do know is that they scare me, man. They're too smart. They're too strong. Their eyes look too much like ours. And Primate definitely amplified that fear. Primate, which had its world premiere as the opening film of this year's Fantastic Fest, is about a chimpanzee (not a monkey) named Ben.  Director: Johannes Roberts Writers: Ernest Riera, Johannes Roberts Stars: Johnny Sequoyah, Troy Kotsur, Jess Alexander Ben is sweet, loves teddy bears, wears a red shirt and no pants, and is pretty much the chimpanzee version of Winnie the Pooh... until Ben contracts rabies. And, unfortunately for the family and friends gathered in a beautiful glass house on the edge of a stunning, secluded cliff, they fi...

Earlier this year, I remember watching Lacey Chabert and Ian Harding together, and we were all wondering what the movie was about. A plane crash, stranded on a deserted island; definitely not what I had in mind. But hey, Hallmark Channel is like Target: they don't ask you what you want, they tell you, and you don't question it. Lost in Paradise is a perfect example of that. On Hallmark Channel, Lacey Chabert is a staple. She's always challenging herself, taking on different and enjoyable roles. Chabert is one of those actresses you might have grown up watching, and you think you know what kind of roles she'll play. Director: Dustin Rikert Writers: Stephanie Jackson, Zach Lewis Stars: Lacey Chabert, Ian Harding, James Trevena But she'll always surprise you. As much as I hate Harding, I always see him as the teacher from Pretty Little Liars. It's not fair; it's just one of those things that happens. That said, I enjoy the other roles he plays. Sophia (Chabert)...

 The adventures of the curious meerkat Tafiti, created by the bestselling children's author Julia Boehme ("My Girlfriend Conni"), have long been a staple of German children's literature.  For over ten years, these carefully designed books, combining narrative text with watercolor illustrations, have been published by Löwe Verlag and are aimed at children aged five and up. Tafiti and his faithful friend, a brush-eared pig, experience numerous adventures in the Namibian savanna. With "Tafiti: Across the Desert," directed by Nina Wels ("Latte's Hedgehog and the Magic Water Stone"), the beloved characters make their big-screen debut. The animated film is not based on the original books but uses a computer-animated style of varying quality. The story unfolds episodically, lacking real character development and dramatic depth. Despite its themes of friendship, tolerance, and teamwork, Tafiti's feature film debut remains a conventional adventure f...

The series follows two women recently released from prison who start a pest control business and find themselves caught in a web of danger and moral uncertainty. When I started watching Time of the Flies on Netflix, I was expecting a fairly standard crime drama with a redemption arc and a few tense twists. What I found was something more measured and quietly confident: a character-driven series that uses crime as context rather than spectacle, and friendship as its true narrative engine. Stars: Carla Peterson, Nancy Dupláa, Valeria Lois  The series is less concerned with shock value than with consequences, and that decision defines both its strengths and its occasional frustrations. At its most basic level, the story revolves around Inés and Manca, two women who meet in prison and reconnect on the outside with a modest plan in mind. They start a pest control business, traveling from job to job, fumigating kitchens, warehouses, and semi-abandoned buildings with insecticides.  I...

 If you watch roughly 100 TV shows a year for about a decade, you'll reach the same conclusion I did: there really aren't any new stories to tell. I mean, there are plenty of untold stories, but they're too controversial, too political, or too complex to fit into a series meant for a streaming platform that has to attract advertisers with its own convoluted policies and arbitrary rules.  These constraints lead to the establishment of a formula approved by producers, artists, and, most importantly, the streaming platform; the audience remains a risky bet. Now, if this formula is in the hands of a skilled storyteller, you'll be so overwhelmed by the emotions, themes, and performances that you won't care if things end up being predictable. I think Task is a great example of this.  However, if that same formula is used by a competent but unimaginative storyteller, you'll be struck by the feeling that you've seen some version of this narrative before. And I think...