Articles — Original Cin

Since 2017: Career film critics continuing the conversation

Irena’s Vow: A Glimpse of Heroic Holocaust History Even as History Repeats Itself

Irena’s Vow: A Glimpse of Heroic Holocaust History Even as History Repeats Itself

By Liz Braun

ReviewJim SlotekApril 18, 2024Irena’s Vow, TIFF 23, WWII, Nazis, Nazi era Poland, Louise Archambault, Dan Gordon, Sophie Nélisse, Dougray Scott, Maciej NawrockiComment

Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World: Seriously Funny, Timely Romanian Journey into Night

Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World: Seriously Funny, Timely Romanian Journey into Night

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekApril 18, 2024Romanian films, Do No Expect Too Much From the End of the World, Radu Jude, Social comedy and comment, Uber driver, Movies interacting with other movies, Black and white filming, Ilinca Manolache, Uwe Boll, 1981 film Angela Moves On, Lucian Bratu, Nina Hoss, Films about exploitative film productionComment

The Beast: Brainy French Sci-Fi Romance Juggles Themes - Part Period Piece, Part Future Shock

The Beast: Brainy French Sci-Fi Romance Juggles Themes - Part Period Piece, Part Future Shock

By Karen Gordon

ReviewJim SlotekApril 18, 2024Era-spanning sci-fi, French films, The Beast (La Béte), Bertrand Bonello, Past lives, Artificial intelligence, Léa Seydoux, George MacKay, Xavier DolanComment

Before I Change My Mind: A Non-Binary 80s High School Musical

Before I Change My Mind: A Non-Binary 80s High School Musical

By Liam Lacey

ReviewJim SlotekApril 18, 2024Canadian feature debut, Canadian drama, Before I Change My Mind, Trevor Anderson, Fish Griwkowsky, Vaughn Murrae, Dominic Lippa, Lacey Oake, Matthew Rankin, Kirstin Johnston, Shannon Blanchet, coming of age, 1980s, Non-binary, Teenagers, ComedyComment

Food, Inc. 2: You Are What You Eat (Gulp) in This Must-See Sequel

Food, Inc. 2: You Are What You Eat (Gulp) in This Must-See Sequel

By Liz Braun

ReviewJim SlotekApril 17, 2024Food, Inc. 2, Documentary, Food films, Robert Kenner, Melissa Robledo, Michael Pollan, Eric Schlosser, Senator Jon Tester, Senator Cory Booker, Animals, Animal agriculture, Agricultute, FarmingComment

Our Living World: A Peek at a Magnificent Planet Humans Don’t Really Deserve

Our Living World: A Peek at a Magnificent Planet Humans Don’t Really Deserve

By Liz Braun

ReviewJim SlotekApril 16, 2024Our Living World, Docuementary, Cate Blachett, Netflix series, Climate change, Animals, Animal welfare, Environmental messages, Environmental issuesComment

National Canadian Film Day: The Movie Moose is Loose!

National Canadian Film Day: The Movie Moose is Loose!

By Jim Slotek and Liam Lacey

Interview, PreviewJim SlotekApril 16, 2024National Canadian Film Day, Reel Canada, Coast-to-coast Canadian movie screenings, Alanis Obomsawin, Sharon Corder, Jack Blum, Atom Egoyan, Ru., I Used To Be Funny, Caitlin Cronenberg’s Humane, Charles Officer, Norman Jewison, Don Shebib, RoadkillComment

Sting: Space Spiders Give Australian B-Movies an Upgrade

Sting: Space Spiders Give Australian B-Movies an Upgrade

By Thom Ernst

ReviewJim SlotekApril 15, 2024Sting, Horror, Spiders, Spiders from space, Australian, Kiah Roache-Turner, Ryan Corr, Alyla Browne, Noni Hazelhurst, Penelope Mitchell, Robyn Nevin, Jermaine Fowler, Danny Kim, Silvia Colloca, New York setting, Sci fiComment

Original-Cin Q&A: Zack Snyder on Digging Deeper into Rebel Moon

Original-Cin Q&A: Zack Snyder on Digging Deeper into Rebel Moon

By Bonnie Laufer

InterviewJim SlotekApril 15, 2024Rebel Moon, Rebel Moon-Part Two: The Scargiver, Zack Snyder, Space warriors return home, Djimon Hounsou, Sofia Boutella, Staz Nair, Second director Eli SnyderComment

All You Need is Death: An Untraditional Horror Film About Traditional Music

All You Need is Death: An Untraditional Horror Film About Traditional Music

By Thom Ernst

ReviewJim SlotekApril 12, 2024Horror based on traditional music, All You Need is Death, Paul Duane, The Wicker Man, Musicology, While You Live, Shine, Simone Collins, Charlie MaherComment

With Love and a Major Organ: A Gently Dystopian Dramedy with Abundant Heart

With Love and a Major Organ: A Gently Dystopian Dramedy with Abundant Heart

By Chris Knight

ReviewJim SlotekApril 12, 2024With Love and a Major Organ, Canadian, Dystopian stories, Kim Albright, Anna Maguire, Hamza Haq, Donna BenedictoComment

Civil War: Alex Garland’s Dystopian Tale of a Besieged America Both Thrilling and Terrifying

Civil War: Alex Garland’s Dystopian Tale of a Besieged America Both Thrilling and Terrifying

By Chris Knight

ReviewJim SlotekApril 11, 2024Civil War, Alex Garland, Kirsten Dunst, Cailee Spaeny, Wagner Moura, Jesse Plemons, Dystopian fiction, Action, Drama, Stephen McKinley HendersonComment

Fallout: A Game-Based, Alternate History Apocalypse Your Grandparents Might Have Envisioned

Fallout: A Game-Based, Alternate History Apocalypse Your Grandparents Might Have Envisioned

By John Kirk

ReviewJim SlotekApril 10, 2024Video game based series, Fallout, Post-apocalyptic series, ‘50’s alternate history, Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, Walton Goggins, Matt Berry, Prime Video Comment

Lost Angel: The Genius of Judee Sill Celebrates Songwriter Whose Legacy Was (Almost) Vanished

Lost Angel: The Genius of Judee Sill Celebrates Songwriter Whose Legacy Was (Almost) Vanished

By Kim Hughes

ReviewJim SlotekApril 10, 2024Lost Angel: The Genius of Judee Sill, Documentary, Music documentary, Judee Sill, Andy Brown, Brian Lindstrom, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, David Crosby, Fleet Foxes, Graham Nash, JD Souther, Maya Hawke, Cheryl Strayed Comment

Original-Cin Q&A: Director Tim Van Patten on Michael Douglas's Turn as Ben Franklin

Original-Cin Q&A: Director Tim Van Patten on Michael Douglas's Turn as Ben Franklin

By Bonnie Laufer

InterviewJim SlotekApril 8, 2024Benjamin Franklin, Apple TV+ series Franklin, Franco-American alliance of 1778, Michael Douglas, Noah Jupe, First time playing a historical figure, Director Tim Van PattenComment

The First Omen: Satan Shows Signs of Aging in Uninspired Omen Franchise Entry

The First Omen: Satan Shows Signs of Aging in Uninspired Omen Franchise Entry

By Thom Ernst

ReviewJim SlotekApril 5, 2024Horror prequels, The First Omen, Nunsploitation, Director Arkasha Stevenson, Nell Tiger Free, Bill Nighy, Tawfeek Barhom, Sonia Braga Comment

Monkey Man: Dev Patel's Director/Star Action Turn Succeeds Despite John Wick on its Back

Monkey Man: Dev Patel's Director/Star Action Turn Succeeds Despite John Wick on its Back

By Chris Knight

ReviewJim SlotekApril 5, 2024Actors directing themselves, Indian action film, Monkey Man, Dev Patel, John Wick comparisons, Sharlto Copley, Ashwini Kalsekar, Pitobash, Bollywood goes HollywoodComment

Wicked Little Letters: Sharp Period Piece Carries Timeless Feminist Message

Wicked Little Letters: Sharp Period Piece Carries Timeless Feminist Message

By Liz Braun

ReviewJim SlotekApril 4, 2024Wicked Little Letters, Thea Sharrock, Jessie Buckley, Olivia Colman, Timothy Spall, TIFF 23, Period piece, British film, Drama, Black comedy, Feminist feature, Gemma Jones, Anjana VasanComment

Ripley: Patricia Highsmith's Sociopathic Social Climber Gets a Noir Netflix Upgrade

Ripley: Patricia Highsmith's Sociopathic Social Climber Gets a Noir Netflix Upgrade

By Karen Gordon

ReviewJim SlotekApril 4, 2024Patricia Highsmith, Tom Ripley, Netflix's Ripley, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Andrew Scott, Sociopathic social climber, Johnny Flynn, Dakota FanningComment

DogMan: Luc Besson’s Movie Should Stop Trying to Make Fetch Happen

DogMan: Luc Besson’s Movie Should Stop Trying to Make Fetch Happen

By Liz Braun

ReviewJim SlotekApril 4, 2024DogMan, Luc Besson, Caleb Landry Jones, Jojo T. Gibbs, Grace Palma, Christopher Denham, Drama, Absurdist drama, Films with dogsComment