Tag: Movie

Interview with the “One Night in Miami” cast and screenwriter

Jeff Mitchell

On Feb. 25, 1964, Cassius Clay (Eli Goree) knocks out Sonny Liston to become the heavyweight champion at age 22.  Afterward, Cassius, Malcolm X (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Jim Brown (Aldis Hodge), and Sam Cooke (Leslie Odom Jr.) get together at the Hampton House Hotel for an evening of conversation.  Believe it or not, these four icons truly did meet that night, and screenwriter Kemp Powers (based on his play) imagines their discourse in a mesmerizing, intricate feature that leaves you hanging on every word.  Most of director Regina King’s film transpires…

‘The Dissident’ sheds light on a pitch-black murder

Jeff Mitchell

“The Dissident” – “The Washington Post” journalist Jamal Khashoggi perished in a Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, and the details of his murder are brutal. Sick. So sick that this critic won’t delve into the ugly specifics.  Well, director Bryan Fogel’s documentary does explain the man’s end in frank, grisly terms, but he thankfully spares his audience from photos or audio recordings.  Fogel makes a similar choice as director Werner Herzog did in “Grizzly Man” (2005), a film about the late Timothy Treadwell and his demise…

Interview with “Sound of Metal” Riz Ahmed and director Darius Marder

Jeff Mitchell

“Sound of Metal”, a film about a heavy metal drummer who loses his hearing, is one of the most affecting movies of 2020, and Riz Ahmed delivers an Oscar-worthy performance.  Well, Riz and director/co-writer Darius Marder graciously hosted a Zoom call, and our critic Jeff Mitchell (ArtHouseFilmWire and Phoenix Film Festival), along with other media outlets, joined them for an engaging, insightful discussion.  These talented men spoke about their experiences with the deaf community, audiences’ positive feedback, the meaning behind the film’s title, and more. “Sound of Metal” – starring…