Directorial Debut: Jerusha Hess' AUSTENLAND

Welcome to a new installment of DIRECTORIAL DEBUT, where we take a look at some of the most interesting and iconic directors and the films that started their careers. This week, I'll be reviewing Jerusha Hess's AUSTENLAND from 2013

Directorial Debut: Danny Devito's THROW MOMMA FROM THE TRAIN

Welcome to a new installment of DIRECTORIAL DEBUT, where we look at some of the best, most interesting, and iconic directors and the films that started their careers. This week we take a peek at Danny Devito's feature film directorial debut, THROW MOMMA FROM THE TRAIN from 1987.

Directorial Debut: A FISTFUL OF FINGERS

Welcome to a new installment of DIRECTORIAL DEBUTS, where we look at some of the best, most interesting, and iconic directors and the films that started their careers. Just ahead of the release of Baby Driver, we’re going to take a look at the directorial debut of acclaimed director Edgar Wright…A FISTFUL OF FINGERS!

Directorial Debut: Zack Snyder's DAWN OF THE DEAD (2004)

Welcome to a new installment of DIRECTORIAL DEBUTS, where we look at some of the best, most interesting, and iconic directors and the films that started their careers. This week we take a look at the debut of the very divisive filmmaker Zack Snyder with this review of . . . DAWN OF THE DEAD (2004)!

Directorial Debut: ALIEN³

Welcome to a new installment of DIRECTORIAL DEBUTS, where we look at some of the best, most interesting, and iconic directors and the films that started their careers. This week we take a look at the debut of acclaimed director David Fincher….ALIEN³!

Directorial Debut: Patty Jenkins' MONSTER

Welcome to another installment of DIRECTORIAL DEBUT, where we look at some of the best, most interesting and iconic directors and the films that started their careers. This week we take a look at Patty Jenkins' brilliant and intriguing bio pic, MONSTER.

Directorial Debut: Harold Ramis' CADDYSHACK

Welcome to another installment of DIRECTORIAL DEBUT, where we look at some of the best, most interesting and iconic directors and the films that started their careers. This week we will be reviewing Harold Ramis's hysterical comedy...CADDYSHACK.

Short Film Spotlight: DEAD RIGHT

Welcome back to another installment of SHORT FILM SPOTLIGHT, where we highlight some of the best short films out there.  This week, we take a look at the very first film of popular director Edgar Wright…DEAD RIGHT!

Directorial Debut: Jason Reitman's THANK YOU FOR SMOKING

Welcome to a new installment of DIRECTORIAL DEBUT, where we look at some of the best, most interesting, and iconic directors and the films that started their careers. This week we take a look at the film that started Jason Reitman's career, THANK YOU FOR SMOKING.

Directorial Debut: Richard Curtis' LOVE ACTUALLY

Welcome to a new installment of DIRECTORIAL DEBUT, where we look at some of the best, most interesting, and iconic directors and the films that started their careers. This week we take a look at the great holiday romantic comedy by Richard Curtis, LOVE ACTUALLY.

Directorial Debut: Ben Stiller's REALITY BITES

Welcome to another installment of DIRECTORIAL DEBUT, where we look at some of the best, most interesting and iconic directors and the films that started their careers. This week we take a look at the 1994 debut of Ben Stiller...REALTY BITES. 

Directorial Debut: Orson Welles' CITIZEN KANE

Welcome to another installment of DIRECTORIAL DEBUT, where we look at some of the best, most interesting, and iconic directors and the films that launched their careers. This week I'll be reviewing CITIZEN KANE, which Orson Welles's co-wrote, directed and starred in.

Citizen Kane tells the story of publishing tycoon Charles Foster Kane's last word, Rosebud, and the investigation into finding out what it truly meant. The character of Charles Foster Kane is reportedly loosely based off of newspaper magnate, William Randolph Hearst. Hearst was adamant that he didn't want any mention of the film in his newspapers. Welles never actually confirmed a source for the character of Charles Foster Kane, so I guess that will remain a mystery to film fanatics.

Directorial Debut: Brad Bird's THE IRON GIANT

Welcome to a new installment of DIRECTORIAL DEBUT, where we look at some of the best, most interesting, and iconic directors and the films that started their careers. This week we look at the debut of Brad Bird...THE IRON GIANT.

The Iron Giant tells the story of a kid named Hogarth who finds a giant robot in the middle of the forest. He quickly becomes friends with it and helps it stay away from the government officer who is trying to capture it.

Directorial Debut: Nat Faxon & Jim Rash's THE WAY WAY BACK

Welcome to a new installment of DIRECTORIAL DEBUTS, where we look at some of the best, most interesting, and iconic directors and the films that started their careers. This week The Merc reviews the fantastic coming-of-age film by Nat Faxon and Jim Rush, THE WAY WAY BACK.

I recently rewatched this film (for the third time) and i have to say, I enjoyed it even more than the first and second times around, which I didn't think was possible.  An instant hit at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, The Way Way Back is a nice mixture of a coming-of-age comedy and a dysfunctional family drama.  Filled with smart writing and a great cast, this film was definitely a hidden gem of that summer movie season.

Directorial Debut: David Lynch's ERASERHEAD

Welcome to a new installment of DIRECTORIAL DEBUTS, where we look at some of the best, most interesting, and iconic directors and the films that started their careers. This week we take a look at the surreal masterpiece that is David Lynch's ERASERHEAD!

Eraserhead is a complex film filled with symbolism and some convoluted hidden messages. Surrounding a man named Henry Spencer, and what you could call his mid-life crisis, Henry goes through a series of difficult trials and tribulations of sorts. He deals with his difficult industrial job, his difficult girlfriend and the deformity that is his child. Like most of Lynch's films the plot becomes lost in the visuals and symbolisms.

Directorial Debut: Vin Diesel's STRAYS

Welcome to a new installment of DIRECTORIAL DEBUTS, where we look at some of the best, most interesting, and iconic directors and the films that started their careers. This week we look at Vin Diesel's first, and so far only, feature directorial effort, STRAYS.

Directorial Debut: Amy Heckerling's FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH

Welcome to another installment of DIRECTORIAL DEBUT, where we take a look at some of the best, most interesting, and iconic directors and the films that started their careers. This week we take  a look at Amy Heckerling's hilarious debut, FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH.

Directorial Debut: Cameron Crowe's SAY ANYTHING

Hello Film Fanatics, Lisa here!!! Hope you are all getting ready for the holidays. As you all know, I am an 80s movie fan. This week I'm doing our weekly installment of DIRECTORIAL DEBUT, where we look at some of the best, most interesting, and iconic directors and the films that started their careers. The director I'm reviewing is none other than the fantastic Cameron Crowe. SAY ANYTHING, a great coming of age story starring Ione Skye and John Cusack, was his, you guessed it, directorial debut. A little known fact about Crowe is that he wrote the book that inspired the film Fast Times at Ridgemont High. I just thought that was so cool and showed Crowe's potential early on. Say Anything was just the start of greater things to come for this up and coming director and writer.

Directorial Debut: John Hughes' SIXTEEN CANDLES

Welcome to another installment of DIRECTORIAL DEBUT, where we look at some of the best, most interesting, and iconic directors and the films that started their careers. This week we take a look at John Hughes's teen classic, SIXTEEN CANDLES.

Movie Review: 32 AOUT SUR TERRE (AUGUST 32nd ON EARTH)

Welcome to this mini-series of reviews of the feature films* of revered filmmaker Denis Villeneuve in the lead-up to his latest film Arrival. This first review in the series is for Villeneuve’s debut feature film Un 32 août sur terre (August 32^nd on Earth).