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Archives for : IFC Films

Movie Review: “Dangerous Animals”

Posted by :Susan Kamyab On : June 4, 2025
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Category: Movie Reviews

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Shark movies have become a staple for this time of year, there’s something about watching “Jaws”, “Deep Blue Sea”, “The Shallows”, and many more during the outdoor swimming months that really gets us in the summer spirit. And now, audiences can add a refreshing twist to that list with “Dangerous Animals”.

Director Sean Bryne and writer Nick Lepard bring us the unexpected serial killer/shark combo horror fans will be chomping at the bit to see. Read full review here.

Rating: A-

“Dangerous Animals” opens in theaters June 6, 2025.

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Movie Review: “Spin Me Round” is Wonderfully Weird

Posted by :Susan Kamyab On : August 19, 2022
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Category: Movie Reviews

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If there’s any takeaway from Jeff Baena’s new comedy, “Spin Me Round”, it’s that Allison Brie and Aubrey Plaza need to be in more films together. But they aren’t the only shining stars in this movie.

Alison Brie plays Amber, a manager of an Italian chain restaurant (similar to Olive Garden) that gets selected to go on an all-expense paid trip to the company’s training program in Italy. Amber is not only thrilled at the chance to further her career, but she’s excited at the opportunity to fall in love. Once she arrives at the “institute”, she soon gets wrapped up in a different kind of “romance”.

Amber is not alone in this experience. The other managers in the program are Deb (Molly Shannon), Jen (Ayden Mayeri), Susie (Debby Ryan), Dana (Zach Woods), and Fran (Tim Heidecker), who are a little quirky. But they are the least of Amber’s worries. The group is not staying at a villa, but a rundown hotel. Their guide Craig (Ben Sinclair) is a mono-toned weirdo. And they can’t leave the compound. But, when Amber meets the restaurant’s handsome founder, Nick Martucci (Alessandro Nivola), his assistant, Kat (Aubrey Plaza) sneaks Amber away so that her and Nick can “get to know each other”. This eventually leads to one crazy adventure.

I’m not sure how many people will enjoy this film. There will be a lot of confusion, and some will wonder if there was a purpose for the movie. Well, the purpose is fun. Not every film is going to have a deep underlining meaning. “Spin Me Round” does touch on inappropriate power dynamics and manipulation tactics used in seduction, but that’s hardly the point. Director and co-writer, Jeff Baena (alongside co-writer Alison Brie), succeeds in making a hilarious, oddball comedy that is elevated by his excellent cast.

No surprise, Brie and Plaza are fantastic. They have great chemistry and engaging banter. While they may be the backbone of this wacky story, the ENTIRE comedic cast serve up plenty of laughs. Shannon might one of the best characters with her hot & cold, “mentally off” behavior. Mayeri plays a delightfully ditzy, overly positive manager. And Woods is the most endearing of the bunch, as he plays the awkward, number one fan of the chain.

The only negative is a certain character being removed from the film far too early and in a manner that felt unintentional, but the rest of the strong supporting cast makes up for this random disappearance.

If you allow yourself to be immersed in this weirdly entertaining story, then you’re in for a really great time. Believe it or not, I didn’t want it end. All these characters were so intriguing, I was craving an extended trip.

Rating: B

“Spin Me Round opens in theaters and available to rent August 19, 2022.

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Fifth Annual Critics Choice Documentary Award Winners

Posted by :Susan Kamyab On : November 17, 2020
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Category: Movie Reviews, Special Events, Special Features

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(Los Angeles, CA  – November 16, 2020) – The Critics Choice Association (CCA) has unveiled  the winners of the fifth annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards, which recognize the year’s finest achievements in documentaries released in theaters, on TV and on major digital platforms, as determined by the voting of qualified CCA members. 

Dick Johnson is Dead takes home the most prestigious award for Best Documentary Feature as well as Best Director for Kirsten Johnson.  

My Octopus Teacher wins the awards for Best Cinematography and Best Science/Nature Documentary.

“We couldn’t be more excited about being able to celebrate such a diverse group of films and filmmakers and subjects this year of all years, on the fifth occasion of the CCDAs, and with 2020 being what it is,” said Christopher Campbell, President of the Critics Choice Association Documentary Branch. “The world needs this variety of storytelling now more than ever, and all of these documentaries moved us in unique ways. We are proud that we could still support these films and share the best of the best with nonfiction fans. Our only regret is that we couldn’t do so while also honoring the talented artists and their incredible work in person.”

Though this year’s gala event was not held in person due to the ongoing pandemic, special acceptance videos from each of the winners can be found by clicking their links below. 

To view ALL of the acceptance videos, please click HERE.

To learn more about the Critics Choice Documentary Awards, see the full list of nominees, and all of the winner acceptance speeches, visit the Critics Choice Association website.


The winners of the fifth annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards are:


BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Dick Johnson is Dead (Netflix)

BEST DIRECTOR
Kirsten Johnson, Dick Johnson is Dead (Netflix)

BEST FIRST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Melissa Haizlip, Mr. SOUL! (Shoes in the Bed Productions)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Roger Horrocks, My Octopus Teacher (Netflix)

BEST EDITING
Lindy Jankura, Alexis Johnson and Alex Keipper, Totally Under Control (Neon)

BEST SCORE
Marco Beltrami, Brandon Roberts and Buck Sanders, The Way I See It (Focus Features)

BEST NARRATION
David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet (Netflix)
   David Attenborough, Narrator
   David Attenborough, Writer

BEST ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTARY
MLK/FBI (Field of Vision/IFC Films)

BEST HISTORICAL/BIOGRAPHICAL DOCUMENTARY 
John Lewis: Good Trouble (Magnolia Pictures/Participant)

BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY (TIE)
Beastie Boys Story (Apple)
The Go-Go’s (Showtime)

BEST POLITICAL DOCUMENTARY
Boys State (Apple)

BEST SCIENCE/NATURE DOCUMENTARY
My Octopus Teacher (Netflix)

BEST SPORTS DOCUMENTARY (TIE)
Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes (HBO)
Athlete A (Netflix)

BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY 
St. Louis Superman (MTV Documentary Films)
(Directors and Producers: Sami Khan and Smriti Mundhra. Producer: Poh Si Teng)

MOST COMPELLING LIVING SUBJECTS OF A DOCUMENTARY (HONOR)
Dr. Rick Bright – Totally Under Control (Neon)
Steven Garza – Boys State (Apple)
The Go-Go’s – The Go-Go’s (Showtime)
Judith Heumann – Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Netflix)
Dick Johnson – Dick Johnson is Dead (Netflix)
Maggie Nichols, Rachael Denhollander, Jamie Dantzscher – Athlete A (Netflix)
Fox Rich – Time (Amazon)
Pete Souza – The Way I See It (Focus Features)
Taylor Swift – Miss Americana (Netflix)
Greta Thunberg – I Am Greta (Hulu)

About CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS

The Critics Choice Documentary Awards are an off-shoot of The Critics Choice Awards, which are bestowed annually by the CCA to honor the finest in cinematic and televised/streaming achievement. Historically, the Critics Choice Awards are the most-accurate predictor of the Academy Award nominations.

The 26th annual Critics Choice Awards will air LIVE on The CW Network on Sunday, March 7, 2021, with acclaimed film, television, and stage star Taye Diggs returning to host for his third consecutive time.  The show will continue its combined Film and Television awards format, honoring the finest in both cinematic and televised/streaming achievement.


About CRITICS CHOICE ASSOCIATION (CCA)

The Critics Choice Association is the largest critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 400 television, radio and online critics and entertainment reporters. It was organized last year with the formal merger of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association, recognizing the blurring of the distinctions between film, television, and streaming content. For more information, visit: www.CriticsChoice.com.