Title: Red Hook Summer Director: Spike Lee Cast: Clarke Peters, Jules Brown, Toni Lysaith, Nate Parker, James Ransone and Thomas Jefferson Byrd This is filmmaker Spike Lee’s first feature since his 2008 release of “Miracle At St. Anna.” Since 2008, Spike Lee has been spending most of his time making documentaries, directing TV shows or putting on his annual tribute to the life of Michael Jackson, “Brooklyn Loves Michael Jackson,” a summer block party in Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn, New York. Spike Lee’s new film “Red Hook Summer” feels like an amalgam of all three of these projects in one not-so-digestible fevered dream of religion, youth and gentrification during…

Title: Teddy Bear Director: Mads Matthiesen Cast: Kim Kold, David Winters, Elsebeth Steentoft and Lamaiporn Hougaard Just saying the word “teddy bear” invokes ideas of something huggable, soft and snuggly (yes, I said “snuggly”). It’s hard to imagine this word when it is placed against a giant muscle bound bodybuilder, but after watching Mads Matthiesen’s “Teddy Bear,” it’s an apt comparison that not only pertains to the protagonist of this film but also the film itself. It also serves as a reminder not to judge a book by its cover. “Teddy Bear” follows the story of Dennis, a 38 year old bodybuilder from Denmark, who longs for love while his…

Title: Cars 2 Reviewed by: JM Willis Directed by: Brad Lewis Starring: Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy and Michael Caine Running time: 106 minutes, Rated G, Available on standard DVD Lightning McQueen and his best bud Mader are back in the sequel to the Pixar blockbuster Cars. McQueen takes his friends from Radiator Springs with him to the World Grand Prix to determine the world’s fastest car and try out a new earth friendly fuel called Allinol. Mader however gets mistaken for a spy, and unwittingly becomes involved in international espionage. Personally, I didn’t see the need to make a sequel to Cars, since I didn’t think the original…

Title: Beasts of The Southern Wild Director: Benh Zeitlin Cast: Quvenzhane Wallis and Dwight Henry Creating a world is not an easy feat. And to do so in a low budget way, which can be believable adds to the level of skill in creating that world. It’s extraordinary to think that “Beasts of The Southern Wild” is the first feature from Benh Zeitlin, it has a certain maturity of world view that most filmmaker’s obtain in a lifetime. “Beast of The Southern Wild” is a wonderful movie but the filmmaking can use more worldliness. Benh Zeitlin’s “Beasts of The Southern Wild” follows the story of father and daughter, Wink (Dwight…

Title: Lovers and Other Problems Directors: Hannah Davis and David Conolly (‘Mothers and Daughters,’ ‘The Understudy’) Starring: Joanna Pecover, Miranda Hart, Hannah Davis, David Conolly and Simone Bowkett Independent films can sometimes be the most memorable, as the directors encourage more realistic, emotional performances to make up for the lack of budget and stunts. Unfortunately, the new British comedy ‘Lovers and Other Problems,’ which was co-directed by David Conolly and Hannah Davis, failed to believably showcase the difficulties many people are facing today. The ensemble cast features too many characters and conflicts that provide no interest or emotional connections to the viewers, despite Conolly and Davis’ best efforts. ‘Lovers and…

Title: Chico & Rita Reviewed by: Harvey Karten Director: Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal & Tono Errando Screenwriter: Fernando Trueba & Ignacio Martinez de Pison Cast: Voices of Limara Meneses, Eman Xor Oña, Mario Guerra, Jon Adams, Renny Arozaréna Screened at: Soho House, NYC, 1/26/12 Opens: February 10, 2012 Chico & Rita is a delightful and electric animated love story, which opens in Havana, Cuba in 1948. This little gem, was nominated for Best Animated Feature for the 2012 Oscars, which it deserves. The title characters, Chico (Emar Xor Oña), and Rita (Limara Meneses), are a piano player and a singer that “meet cute” and fall in love in 1948 Havana…

Title: Chronicle Directed By: Josh Trank Starring: Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, Michael B. Jordan, Michael Kelly, Bo Petersen, Ashley Hinshaw If you got superpowers, what would you do with them? Seriously? I’d like to bet most wouldn’t suit up like Spider-Man and clean the streets of crime. Well, not initially at least. High school-aged or not, most of us would probably partake in the shenanigans the leading trio of Chronicle enjoy. But that’s not to say this novel superhero flick is all fun and games. In fact, it boasts a great deal of depth, intertwining the out-of-this-world action with some very real troubling issues. Andrew (Dane DeHaan) is a bit…

DVD: Seven Days in Utopia Directed by: Matt Russell Starring: Robert Duvall, Jerry Ferrera, Lucas Black, Melissa Leo, Deborah Ann Woll, Brian Geraghty, Joseph Lyle Taylor, Dora Madison Burge and Kathy Baker. Running time: 99 minutes, Rated G Based on the best selling novel by David L. Cook is the story of young golfer Luke Chisolm who recently had a public embarrassing game while attempting to make it on the pro tour. He tries to escape his life and becomes stranded in the small town of Utopia Texas. He accepts the help of an eccentric rancher named Johnny Crawford who insists he can change his outlook on life and improve…

Title: Room 237 Director: Rodney Ascher Reviewed by @Rudie_Obias Stanley Kubrick is known as, arguably, the greatest filmmaker of all-time. Each one of his films is so rich that it feels like 10 films from any other filmmaker. His most ambiguous film is his 1980 release of “The Shining.” The adaptation of Stephen King’s widely-popular novel was critically and commercially disappointing. It was even nominated for a few Razzie Awards including worst movie and worst director of 1980. How could, arguably, the greatest filmmaker of all-time have such a magnificent failure in his body of work? The new documentary from Rodney Ascher explores many conspiracy theories behind “The Shining’s” content…

Title: Fading of the Cries Directed by: Brian A. Metcalf Starring: Brad Dourif, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Makenzie Rossman, Hallee Hirsh,  Jessica Morris, Julia Whelan, Jordan Matthews and Elaine Hendrix. Running time: 93 minutes, Rated R, Available on Blu-ray Michael, (Thomas Ian Nicholas) a widower writer suffering from depression finds solace in practicing necromancy. His niece Sarah (Hallee Hirsh) finds an old amulet he had given her years ago, and as soon as she puts it on, her world is ambushed by hollow eyed zombies and supernatural demons led by a necromancer named Mathias (Brad Dourif). A lone samurai sword wielding teen named Jacob (Jordan Matthews) appears out of nowhere, and…