Easy guide to production
Film critic Kimberly Gadette, born and raised in movie-centric L.A., believes celluloid may very well be a part of her DNA. Having received her BA and MFA from UCLA's School of Theater, Film & Television, she spent many of her formative years as an actress (film, tv, commercials, stage) before she literally changed perspective, finding a whole new POV from the other side of the camera. You can find her last 450+ reviews on Rotten Tomatoes (www.rottentomatoes.com/critic/kimberly-gadette/). Other than taking the occasional side trip to Cannes or Sundance, you can find her at the movies ... sitting in the dark as usual.
Can this film be considered a road movie of a whole other kind? By Kimberly Gadette (doddleNEWS) Having premiered at Sundance Film Festival to critical acclaim, The Royal Road is at once a static, yet highly moving film. Filmmaker Jenni Olson's 16mm cinematographic meditation leans more … [Read more...]
The film's title, In Order of Disappearance, may seem odd. Yet it ultimately reflects a perfect symbiosis of plot and tone. By Kimberly Gadette (doddleNEWS) Think a Martin McDonagh sensibility (In Bruges, Seven Psychopaths) snowed in by a Quentin Tarantino, The Hateful Eight winter. And add … [Read more...]
By Kimberly Gadette (doddleNEWS) Like the medal-laden Olympian Michael Phelps, Disney's Finding Dory took the gold in this summer's race to #1, accruing $478.5 million in the domestic box office. However, 2016's summer (summer being defined as the first Friday in May through the Labor Day weekend), … [Read more...]
With Suicide Squad, it's the audience that may die ... of boredom. By Kimberly Gadette (doddleNEWS) Super villains blessed with dazzling superhuman talents? Nope. Super cool, super lethal gizmos guaranteed to take down the opposition? Nah. Super suspense in a fresh, fun-packed comic book … [Read more...]
On its face, fashion is a serious business ... yet look who's laughing now. By Kimberly Gadette (doddleNEWS) It's not just that the ninetysomething Iris Apfel is visually outrageous, charismatic and shrewdly funny – it's that her rags-to-famous-rags story is a documentarian's dream. … [Read more...]
Nerve's online game is like Pokémon Go, but with more risk. Think: Pokémon Go Play in Traffic; or Pokémon Go Set Yourself on Fire; or Pokémon Go Ahead and Try Not to Die ... By Kimberly Gadette (doddleNEWS) Ever since gladiators were pitted against lions in the Roman coliseum in 80 A.D., … [Read more...]
Me Tarzan. You Jane. Movie dull. By Kimberly Gadette (doddleNEWS) Per Duke Ellington's jazz standard, "It don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing." But sometimes, even if it does have that swing ... it still don't mean a thing. Having more in common with Doctor Doolittle than The … [Read more...]
Joshua Oppenheimer's companion piece to The Act of Killing, debuting on POV PBS on June 27, is similarly riveting. And following in the footsteps of its forerunner, The Look of Silence also received an Oscar nomination for Best Documentary. By Kimberly Gadette (doddleNEWS) Adi Rukun is an … [Read more...]
Dwayne Johnson takes on the role of a funnyman. Is it a laughing matter? By Kimberly Gadette (doddleNEWS) If the right players are matched up for a tall man/small man comedy, then the two halves can make a marvelous whole. Such is the case with the unorthodox teaming of a frenetic Kevin Hart … [Read more...]
Will The Conjuring 2 scare up as much popular appeal as its 2013 predecessor? By Kimberly Gadette (doddleNEWS) Prepare to tiptoe down another spooky lane with the paranormal team of Ed and Lorraine Warren. As in 2013's The Conjuring, this sequel dips into the Warrens' case files once again. … [Read more...]
What does a) The Sixth Sense, b) The X-Files and c) Downton Abbey all have to do with the triad of cable crime/drama series described below? By Kimberly Gadette (doddleNEWS) Not to keep any viewers in unnecessary suspense, the answers to the above are: a) the hero "sees dead people" in River; … [Read more...]
By Kimberly Gadette (doddleNEWS) For the 69 years of the Cannes Film Festival, it's always a toss-up as to where the most engaging drama will occur. Will it be on-screen? Or off? Between anti-terrorist military actions, controversy, critical reactions, incendiary films and head-shaking awards, … [Read more...]
By Kimberly Gadette (doddleNEWS) Cannes 2016 - Scaling Mt. Everest. Earning a spot on the NFL draft. Scoring a 3-picture deal at Warner Bros. Close to impossible, yes? And yet, achieving any of the above is a snap compared to getting into competition at the Cannes Film Festival. Sure, it's a … [Read more...]
Even if you don't have an affinity for the feline, Keanu is one cool cat. By Kimberly Gadette (doddleNEWS) When Comedy Central's TV series Key & Peele ended its fifth and final season in 2015, fans mourned. It's understandable: While film and TV is rife with such brilliant duos as Abbot … [Read more...]
In the often mundane world of sequels, prequels and reboots, what's the read on London Has Fallen? By Kimberly Gadette (doddleNEWS) First came March 2013's uninspired Olympus Has Fallen. Now, in March 2016, we get the wan sequel London Has Fallen. Maybe things will look up with a final … [Read more...]
When studying prior Best Picture winners, statistics tell all. Or do they? By Kimberly Gadette (doddleNEWS) Mad Max: Fury Road is indeed mad. And growing far more furious. Why, oh why, didn't filmmaker George Miller hold out for a fall release date? Forget the lack of gasoline and water, the … [Read more...]
