In Review Online

DOC NYC 2021 — Dispatch 2: Listening to Kenny G, Ascension, Attica

Listening to Kenny G Saxophonist Kenneth Bruce Gorelick aka Kenny G was, at one time, possibly the most well-known jazz musician in the world (he was Bill Clinton’s fav) and still remains the best-selling instrumentalist of all time — two embarrassing factoids that seem impossible to reconcile — partly because his music has become so ingrained within popular culture. His playing style and signature sound, which long-time hater Paul Metheny once christened as “lame-ass, jive, pseudo bluesy, out-of-tune, noodling”, has…

Credit: A24
by M.G. Mailloux Film Horizon Line
Red Rocket | Sean Baker
Red Rocket is an intentionally bad vibes experience, and while the film’s messaging is resolutely simplistic, it’s all kept afloat by Simon Rex’s year’s-best performance. It’s been far too long since we’ve been graced with…
Credit: Agnes of God, LLC
by Matt Lynch Film Genre Views
Agnes | Mickey Reece
Mickey Reece makes idiosyncratic, uncategorizable films, chamber horror Agnes is his best film to date. Prolific Oklahoma underground filmmaker Mickey Reece is out there blowing up everyone’s spot again with another affecting and deeply idiosyncratic work…
Credit: Netflix
by Matthew Lucas Film Streaming Scene
Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas | Steve Cox
The Flight Before Christmas is another inventive, droll effort from the Aardman team, imbuing their familiar stylings with a little misty-eyed holiday cheer. One might be forgiven for assuming that Netflix’s Shaun the Sheep: The…
Credit: Mubi
by Paul Attard Film Streaming Scene
Project Space 13 | Michael M. Bilandic
The latest entry into the “quarantine art” canon, Project Space 13 is just another empty film with nothing substantive to say about our present moment. To say that the last two years of human…
Credit: Focus Features
by Morris Yang Film Horizon Line
Wolf | Nathalie Biancheri
More poodle than Wolf, Biancheri’s film is a frustratingly tame and conservative treatment of potentially fascinating material. Ten years ago, a film like Wolf would have made headlines for its transgressive premise alone — never…
Credit: A24
by Luke Gorham Film Horizon Line
The Humans | Stephen Karam
The Humans isn’t a subtle film, but mostly impresses thanks to surprising formal chops from playwright-turned-director Stephen Karam. In a millennium relatively lacking in original movie ideas, and one in which stage work has seen…
Credit: Shout! Studios
by Matt Lynch Film Genre Views
Castle Falls | Dolph Lundgren
Castle Falls isn’t the DTV flick of the year that it’s inspired pairing teases, but its a solid little actioner that doesn’t overstay its welcome. DTV action cinema’s greatest star Scott Adkins teams up with…
Credit: Philippe Bosse/Netflix
by Steven Warner Film Streaming Scene
Single All the Way | Michael Mayer
Single All the Way is as delightful and infectious as Hallmark-styled holiday films should be, and marks Netflix’s first such success in his arena. Netflix’s new holiday-themed gay romance Single All the Way — how…
Credit: Shudder
by Steven Warner Film Streaming Scene
The Advent Calendar | Patrick Ridremont
As far as holiday traditions go, advent calendar are pretty lame; The Advent Calendar is lamer. Break out your horror premise Bingo cards, because if you marked “evil Christmas trinket,” you just hit paydirt. Belgium import…
Credit: NBC/NBCU Photo Bank
Album Roundup by InRO Staff Music
Album Roundup — October 2021 | Part 3: Lana Del Rey, Brandi Carlile, Limp Bizkit
Lana Del Rey As much as there’s an aesthetic and thematic throughline to Lana Del Rey’s discography, it’s also true that each new Lana album tends to do a different thing — which is…