![]() ![]() Written by newcomers James Montague and Craig W. The Vast of Night, a low-budget film self-funded by first-time director Andrew Patterson, is the best sci-fi gem you’ve never heard of. Housed under producer Jason Blum’s “Welcome to the Blumhouse” umbrella of Amazon original features, Black Box is a riveting medley of sci-fi and horror that provides plenty of twists, turns, and rock-solid performances. Brooks’ (Phylicia Rashad) “black box” begins to introduce unimaginable horrors to Nolan’s psyche, he must choose between a life hindered by a loss of short-term memory and motor functions or one affected by medically-induced monsters. ![]() Initial proceedings go pretty smoothly, but as the influence of neurologist Dr. Left to raise their 10-year-old daughter Ava (Amanda Christine), Nolan’s failing faculties convince him to take part in an experimental neurological procedure that could reconnect the ailing father with his memories and identity. I still don’t know how casting James Franco to play poet Allen Ginsberg worked, but it does in this unorthodox drama that mixes scenes of Ginsberg reading his seminal beat poem in a club with dramatized scenes of the obscenity trial that “Howl” sparked.The feature debut of co-writer/director Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour Jr., Black Box stars Mamoudou Athie as Nolan Wright, a widowed father who tragically gained amnesia from the same car accident that took his spouse’s life. ![]() While the film is quite sad at times, it’s never maudlin, and the humanity and even humor of the characters wins out. Oren Moverman’s 2010 drama ( here’s my interview with him) takes a different look at the Iraq War, following two soldiers (an excellent Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster) who are tasked with informing families that their loved ones have been killed overseas. “ The Messenger“: My full review is here. The film gains its suspense from watching the trio patiently go about their preparations, with a minimum of fuss, and then deal with the consequences afterward. Reichardt’s latest movie also played with genre, a 2014 thriller about three environmentalists who plot to blow up a hydroelectric dam. When they capture an Indian who has been tracking them, the film becomes a somber meditation on paranoia and faith, and perhaps a sly allegory to “War on Terror” politics. “Old Joy” director Kelly Reichardt approach to the Western genre is like “Waiting for Sheriff Godot,” as a starving wagon train of pioneers (including Michelle Williams and Paul Dano) are lost in the prairie, their only hope an untrustworthy guide (Bruce Greenwood). “ Meek’s Cutoff“: My full review is here. Suffice to say that if you’re into either “The Twilight Zone” or quantum physics, you’ll have a good time. A yuppie dinner party is interrupted by a power outage, and when the friends go to a neighboring house to investigate, they find. ![]() I’m a sucker for indie sci-fi that prizes ideas over effects, so the low-budget mindbender “Coherence” is right in my wheelhouse. Pick of the week: “ Coherence“: My full review is here. A whole bunch of excellent films from Oscilloscope and elsewhere just went up exclusively on Amazon Prime in the last couple of weeks, so this week’s column will focus on those. But with Netflix in a bit of a late-December funk (“I, Frankenstein,” anyone?), I thought I would turn my attention to Amazon Prime Instant Video.Īmazon Prime has been busy making exclusive streaming deals with independent film distributors like A24 (“The Bling Ring”) and, in October, Oscilloscope Laboratories. Usually this weekly streaming column is either partially or entirely devoted to new titles on Netflix Instant. ![]()
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