REVIEW: ‘A Savage Art’ (2025) – The life & cartoons of Pat Oliphant

A Savage Art features the life and work of political cartoonist Patrick Oliphant, whose storied career spanned five decades and ten U.S. Presidents. The film is told in interviews with Pat, his family, friends and colleagues, archival footage and hundreds of his cartoons. It also briefly outlines the history of political cartoons, showing how important and impactful political cartoonists have been throughout the ages, and how in our current climate of political partisanship and corporate control of the media, political cartoonists, like Oliphant, are critical to checking the powers that be. The documentary is directed and produced by Bill Banowsky (Casino Jack and the United States of Money) along with co-producer Paul O’Bryan (Moonfall) and is being released by Magnolia Pictures.

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REVIEW: ‘Uppercut’ 2025

Uppercut is an American remake of the 2021 German film ‘Leberhaken‘.  Writer/director Torsten Ruether and star Luise Großmann (Luiii) return for this American remake joined by new costar Ving Rhames. The film is mostly a two-hander between Großmann and Rhames but the cast also includes Jordan E. Cooper and Joanna Cassidy (this is somewhat expanded from the german original which was purely a two-hander).

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REVIEW: ‘The Vortex’ (2025)

The Vortex is new Las Vegas themed drama from writer/director Richard Zelniker (As Night Comes) and co-writer Steven Barr (Mass Effect). The film stars Billy Gardell (The Electric State), Jaina Lee Ortiz (Rosewood) and Jamie McShane (Wednesday).

In 1980 Las Vegas, a Native Paiute cleaning lady enters a slots room at the MGM Grand Casino, setting off a chain of strange and unexpected events. Meanwhile, the in-house comic plays shrink to a host of colorful misfits while dodging mobsters and “collectors.” Struggling with a gambling addiction, he faces a decision that may determine his ultimate fate.

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REVIEW: ‘The Passengers’ (2025) – time capsule documentary

New York film makers Thomas Mazziotti and Jerome Heaven have made multiple narrative films – both comedies and dramas. They now tackle the ambitious project of creating a documentary from 1992 time capsule footage. Footage initiated by a Village Voice ad asking New Yorkers to tell their stories of love, life and happiness – a year which was marked by event such as John Gotti’s conviction, Arthur Ashe’s AIDS confession and, of course, the Rodney King riots that rocked the country.

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REVIEW: ‘Unbanked’ (2025) – Bitcoin documentary

Unbanked is a new documentary exploring the bitcoin revolution and cryptocurrency in general. The film comes from new film-makers David Kuhn and Lauren Sieckmann.

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REVIEW: The Workout (2025)

‘The Workout’ is a new action thriller from writer/director James Cullen Bressack (‘Murder, Anyone?‘). 

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REVIEW: ‘Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror’ documentary (2025)

 

From humble origins as a London fringe theatre play to its meteoric rise as the biggest cult film of all time, this is the definitive story of the Rocky Horror Show. With intimate access to its creator Richard O’Brien and other major players such as Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon and Lou Adler, the documentary explores what makes the play and film so singular: Its groundbreaking and transgressive themes, iconic performances and epic songs that took over popular culture.

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Review: Séance (2024)

Séance is a new gothic period psychological drama about grief, adultery, and ghosts…from writer/director Vivian Kerr (SCRAP). Kerr also stars in film alongside Scottie Thompson (Bel-Air, MacGyver), Jilon VanOver (Hatfields & McCoys, Better Call Saul) and Connor Paulo (Revenge, Gossip Girl).

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Review: Scrap (2022) indie drama starring Anthony Rapp & Lana Parrilla

Scrap is the the feature writing/directing debut from Vivian Kerr (Séance) who also stars in the film alongside Anthony Rapp (Rent) and Lana Parrilla (Once Upon A Time)

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Review: ‘Chasing Chasing Amy’ documentary (2024)

In CHASING CHASING AMY, filmmaker Sav Rodgers takes a journey of self-discovery while making a documentary about Kevin Smith’s‘ ‘Chasing Amy‘ and its polarising reputation among the LGBTQ+ community. The film explores the transformational impact of a ‘90s rom-com on a 12 year old kid from Kansas, coming of age and contending with queer identity. For young Sav Rodgers , the Kevin Smith cult classic, CHASING AMY, became a life raft. As Rodgers examines the film and its making as a cornerstone of LGBTQ+ cinema, he finds himself at a complicated crossroads.

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