Author: Take2IndieReview: Mark Lakatos
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PERENNIAL LIGHT
The avant-garde or experimental approach to filmmaking has always carried a somewhat dubious reputation. How much can one truly challenge conventions without sacrificing the story at the heart of it all? Too often, the indie scene finds itself overstuffed with a plethora of charmless, uninspired pieces that hide their shortcomings behind the experimental genre’s proverbial…
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HAROLD & MARY
In exploring the enormity of life and its many possibilities, filmmakers often choose to focus on the younger generation. The brash, the brilliant, and those who haven’t quite figured out how they can situate themselves. However, the choice to feature the older generation in such stories has yielded some rather touching results over the past…
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TUTU GRANDE
Something sinister is brewing in a backwoods homestead, as the isolated residence is set to host a rather unpleasant event. Perhaps unpleasant is an understatement, given how Tutu Grande goes about dishing out its own brand of justice. Helplessly restrained in a dimly lit room surrounded by various nefarious devices, Jared (Nathan Woodworth) is forced…
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EXTERIORS
Three stories, three different coincidences, starring men in a complicated web of love and lust. Indie filmmaker Mark Schwab challenges himself in his feature film Exteriors while once again inviting his audience to experience a decidedly LGBT-centric romp. Told through three separate, yet interconnected chapters titled Wyatt, Jason, and Dr. Lesh, respectively, Exteriors explores a…
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MAIN CHARACTER ENERGY
Nailing an acting audition of any kind is tough. How about one where not even the organizers are sure about the film’s potential? Details are bound to be missed, and director Sohale Dezfoli molds this concept into something that’s both current and hilarious in Main Character Energy. Brian Scott (Mark Prendergast) is an actor who,…
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MODERN ARCANA
If there was ever a time to inject a psychedelic explosion of color into an afterlife-themed film, Modern Arcana calls its shot and dives headfirst into the zany and romantic side of life beyond death. Multiple lives even. Thomas Wingerd’s fantastical tale about love is bursting at the seams with creativity, even if the end…
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SIRENA’S GALLERY
Sirena’s Gallery is the brainchild of filmmaker Christine Stoddard. Set during the COVID-19 pandemic, the plot follows Sirena, a Salvadoran-American woman. Recently widowed, she struggles to keep her art gallery up and running while also processing her recent personal tragedy. Presented with the healing stages of grief in mind, the film is leisurely with its…
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STALKING THE BOGEYMAN
Stalking The Bogeyman asks for nine minutes of your time and faces you with a difficult conundrum. This ‘what would you do?’ scenario isn’t just tense to experience but also infuriating to witness, as its main character is forced to relive all that has haunted him throughout the years and make a decision that could…
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UROBOROS
Set against the turbulent backdrop of mid-20th century Ireland, Uroboros seduces you with its gorgeous scenery from the opening frame, then inserts hell into the fringes of every image until there’s absolutely no mistaking it. Young Moira (Emma Dargan-Reid) is on the cusp of leaving the nation with her loving partner Eamonn (Liam Bixby) when…