amazon prime – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

LONDON KILLS – Review by Diane Carson

August 14, 2023August 19, 2023 Diane Carson amazon prime, Bailey Patrick, Hugo Speer, London Kills, Paul Marquess, police procedural, series

London Kills relies on a tried and true pattern. Some Londoner discovers a body in the opening scene, detectives show up, gather evidence, and proceed to interrogate those close to the victim. Those nearest usually include the murderer, though the police must navigate multiple lies before uncovering the truth. Each murder is usually solved within a self-contained episode. Created by Paul Marquess, the police procedural has a documentary feel with occasionally improvised dialogue.

Movie of the Week

MOVIE OF THE WEEK April 21, 2023: JUDY BLUME FOREVER

April 15, 2023April 16, 2023 Jennifer Merin amazon prime, betsy bozdech, care marquis, Davina Pardo, documentaries, jennifer merin, Judy Blume Forever, Leah Wolchok, lena dunham, leslie combemale, loren king, Molly Ringwald, nell minow, nikki fowler, Pam Grady, samantha bee, sandie angulo chen, sherin nicole, sundance film festival

In a time when right-wing politicians’ and parents’ efforts to ban kids from reading “controversial” books are leading to terrified teachers and empty school library shelves, Judy Blume’s story couldn’t be more timely or relevant. Blume shares her experiences as a frequently challenged – but even more frequently celebrated — children’s author in Davina Pardo and Leah Wolchuk’s engrossing documentary Judy Blume Forever, which sheds light on both Blume’s career and her personal life.

Interviews

Alice Birch and Rachel Weisz on DEAD RINGERS and the Female Flip – Beth Accomando interviews

April 13, 2023 Beth Accomando Alice Birsh, amazon prime, David Cronenberg, Dead Ringers, rachel weisz

The new Dead Ringers series was created, written, and executive produced by Alice Birch who credits actress Rachel Weisz for getting the ball rolling on this reimagining of David Cronenberg’s film. Weisz, a fan of Cronenberg’s classic, looked at the material – a story of twin brother obstetricians – and thought it was ripe for a gender flip. And it was that delicious challenge that attracted the actress.– and the producer. They discuss the evolution of the project with Beth Accommando.

Reviews

JUDY BLUME FOREVER – Review by Loren King

April 10, 2023April 15, 2023 Loren King amazon prime, Davina Pardo, documentaries, Judy Blume Forever, Leah Wolchok, lena dunham, Molly Ringwald, samantha bee, sundance film festival

Even if you’ve never cracked open one of Judy Blume’s dozens of novels, this candid, engaging look at the author’s life and work is an enjoyable and enlightening way to spend 90 minutes. Blume — forthright, gracious, down to earth — is great company over the course of the film. She recounts how she willed her transformation from 1960s housewife to the defining author of YA fiction in the ‘70s and ‘80s. She made the transition to adult fiction and survived the first wave of right wing censorship in the 1980s when the Moral Majority found an ally in President Ronald Reagan.

Reviews

JUDY BLUME FOREVER – Review by Nikki Fowler

April 10, 2023April 15, 2023 Nikki Fowler amazon prime, Davina Pardo, documentaries, Judy Blume Forever, Leah Wolchok, lena dunham, Molly Ringwald, samantha bee, sundance film festival

Filmmakers Davina Pardo and Leah Wolchok bring the absolute magic of the real-life journey of influential author Judy Blume to life in an intimate look at how she brought pure love, joy, and inspiration to readers worldwide. The biodoc shares details on how Blume got her start in writing. She was a young college graduate, newly married to her already established lawyer husband at the time, with him stating that he didn’t mind her hobby “as long as it didn’t interfere with raising their kids.”

News

WEEK IN WOMEN: JUDY BLUME FOREVER is coming to Prime Video – Brandy McDonnell reports

April 10, 2023April 13, 2023 Brandy McDonnell amazon prime, Davina Pardo, documentaries, Judy Blume Forever, Leah Wolchok, lena dunham, Molly Ringwald, samantha bee, sundance film festival

Directed by Davina Pardo and Leah Wolchok, Judy Blume Forever chronicles the life and legacy of trailblazing author Judy Blume, the literary giant known for her novels for children, young adults and adults, including the beloved books Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. Known for her radical honesty, Blume, who turned 85 in February, revolutionized the way millions of readers understood themselves, their adolescence and their sexuality through her books. Her fearless mission to openly discuss taboo subjects paved the way to real debate and conversation around book banning, censorship and teen sexual discovery.

SPOTLIGHT

SPOTLIGHT April 2023: Deirdra Elizabeth Govan, Costume Designer, IATSE Activist

April 1, 2023April 4, 2023 Leslie Combemale #nakedwithoutus, amazon prime, boots riley, Deirdra Elizabeth Govan, Devotion, Happiness for Beginners, harlem, I’m a Virgo, iatse, Rob Peace, sorry to bother you, spotloight

Costume and production designer and activist Deirdra Elizabeth Govan, has brilliantly crafted her career out of her passions for storytelling, history, strategic design, and social justice. Her eclectic accomplishments show that there are as many ways to build a career as there are people who want to make film and TV their life’s work, and that curiosity and passion elevate a person’s artistry. As Vice President of IATSE, she’s campaigning for equity, diversity and inclusion in the film industry. If we really want Hollywood to not only reflect society but to contribute to making the world better, we need passionate professionals who are not only talented and driven, but who collaborate and consider the collective in all they do. That’s Deirdra Elizabeth Govan.

Reviews

THE OLD WAYS – Review by Susan Granger

March 20, 2023March 20, 2023 Susan Granger amazon prime, Brett Donowho, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, Kerry Knuppe, Nicolas Cage, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, The Old Way

Until recently, Nicolas Cage had never made a Western. Now he’s made two. Butcher’s Crossing – about an frontiersman searching for a hidden valley of buffalo he can slaughter – was the first, now there’s The Old Way. All-too-reminiscent of Unforgiven and True Grit, there’s little originality in Carl W. Lucas’s contrived, utterly predictable screenplay, blandly directed by Brett Donowho (Acts of Violence).

Reviews

ARGENTINA, 1985 – Review by Jennifer Green

December 7, 2022December 11, 2022 Jennifer Green Alejandra Flechner, amazon prime, argentinian films, Julio César Strassera, Luis Moreno Ocampo, Mariano Llinás, oscars, Peter Lanzani, Ricardo Darín, Santiago Mitre, truth-based

Argentina’s nominee to this year’s International Feature Film Oscar, currently streaming on Amazon Prime, is an emotional tour-de-force, a film based on historical events whose dramatic tale is punctuated by both moments of humor and details of horrific human rights abuses that took place under that country’s military dictatorship and so-called “Dirty War,” between 1976 and 1983. The film is about the landmark trial that prosecuted the former president and military leaders for those abuses, ensuring democracy in Argentina

Interviews

HANNAH MARKS on Shooting DON’T MAKE ME GO in New Zealand – Nell Minow interviews

July 19, 2022July 20, 2022 Nell Minow amazon prime, Don't Make Me Go, hannah marks, Jen Van Epps, John Cho, Mia Isaac, vera herbert

It is too late to call Hannah Marks a “promising” young director. She has more than delivered on the promise and quality of her first two films, After Everything and Banana Split with Don’t Make Me Go, starring Mia Isaac and John Cho as a teenage daughter and father on a car trip. Marks again demonstrates her exceptional skill in working with actors and in cinematic storytelling. In an interview, she talked about making New Zealand stand in for Southwestern USA, why road trip stories are an enduring theme, and telling a story about characters who are not talking to each other about what concerns them most.

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