Gareth’s Picks   Submarine (2010) One of my favorite comedians is Richard Ayoade and here is his directorial debut.  Definitely inspired by The Graduate and a fair amount of Wes Anderson, this coming of age/love story, it also has his dark sense of humor.  Craig Roberts plays the young man, but his parents played by Sally Hawkins and Paddy Considine give this film the extra level of emotion. Available on TUBI Wicker […]

Gareth’s Picks The Enzo Castellari Science Fiction trilogy 1990: The Bronx Warriors (1982)               Escape from the Bronx (1983)                 The New Barbarians ((1983) If you want to explore the bizzaro b-film world of Italian Post-Apocalypse science fiction, there is no better place to start than this trilogy of movies.  The first two are cheap knock offs […]

Gareth’s Picks Invaders from Mars (1986) Severely underrated Tobe Hooper re-invention of the 1953 classic.  In this case, the McCarthyism theme is replaced by the 80's Reagan era and it is just as, if not more terrifying.  Imagine your parents and everyone else around you is slowly being controlled by aliens.  Maybe this needs to be remade now. Terrified me as a kid and just as scary now. Throw in excellent […]

Gareth’s Picks God's Own Country (2017)  This is a very well made film that shows the intersection of immigration and queer love.  Josh O'Connor early in his career plays a sheep herder in Yorkshire that hides his true identity from his overbearing father, masterfully played by the always brilliant Ian Hart.  This changes when a Romanian immigrant worker shows up and they start an affair.  Directed and written with precision and […]

Gareth’s Picks Greed (1924) Erich Von Stroheim's 4 hour silent masterpiece is available on TUBI.  Curl up for one full viewing or break it up into chunks but this 100 year old film still holds up as it examines the human susceptibility to the greed and downfall of humankind.  Perfect summer viewing.       The Return of Martin Guerre (1982) Before he was the Harvey Weinsten of France,Gerard Depardieu was considered one of […]

Gareth’s Picks Four Lions (2010) Before Riz Ahmed and Kayvan Novak were who they are today, they starred in this satire about wannabe terrorists in England.  It takes a deeply disturbing world and somehow finds humor.  The acting is top-notch and the dark humor will make you laugh-cry. Actor/Director/Writer Christopher Morris does a great job balancing this topic.     Bug (2006) Directed by the one and only William Friedkin (RIP) […]

Gareth’s Picks The Pervert's Guide to Cinema (2006) Sorry, no pornography here. Join the always entertaining Slovanian philosopher Slovoj Zizek as he walks us through his psychoanalysis of film history in this documentary series. His take on films is always sure to be different and may even change your own understanding of a film or two. Available on Kanopy     While We Are Young (2014) Noah Baumbach's take on […]

Gareth’s Picks The Gangster, the Cop, and the Devil (2019) Epic South Korean action film starring the always entertaining Ma Dong-seok, most famous for his role in Train to Busan. Here he is the gangster who teams up with a police officer to catch a serial killer. South Korean serial killer films are always worth a viewing. Available on TUBI   A Royal Affair (2012) Danish historical drama starring the GOAT […]

Gareth’s Picks The Fog of War (2003) Errol Morris's searing documentary about Robert McNamara and the Vietnam War.  Miraculously, Mcnamara was more than willing to sit down and be interviewed for the film and it gives you a front row seat in the thinking around the war.  It is just as important now as it was in 2003. Available to stream for free on TUBI     Lake Mungo (2008) Terrifying found […]