
intro:
Welcome back to CineVibez Magazine, where every movie has a vibe. I have 22 movies under my belt this year, but I have only seen American Fiction at the theater so far. I’m seeing All of Us Strangers and The Zone of Interest this Thursday and Friday, so that’s exciting. After that, I can officially start Archie’s nominations. Expect them on Sunday under HQ’s Behind the Curtain banner.
And, of course, the start of the award season means the start of the festival season. Sundance is already in full swing. I got the online package again, so I’ll send out another Sundance retrospective soon.
sundance:
My Sundance Film Festival schedule is set. I’m seeing the following films:
A Real Pain: Jesse Eisenberg’s sophomore effort stars the director and Emmy Award winner, Kieran Culkin. However, cinematographer Michael Dymek is why I want to see this movie. His work in Sweat and EO looked great (find both streaming on Mubi).
Between the Temples: A stellar cast includes Jason Schwartzman, Carol Kane, Robert Smigel, and the great Dolly de Leon.
Good One: I don’t know much about this one, but the synopsis reminds me of Aftersun a bit - basically, a daughter’s observations of her dad and his friend on a trip.
Handling the Undead: Fans of The Worst Person in the World will be excited to see Renate Reinsve and Anders Danielsen Lie reunite in this Norwegian take on the zombie genre.
Realm of Satan: I’m excited for this doc. The Church of Satan and the misconceptions surrounding it fascinate me. Acclaimed editor Scott Cummings directs.
Stress Positions: Theda Hammel directs John Early in this film set during quarantine in the thick of the pandemic. There’s a lot of buzz surrounding this one.
Stress Positions Opening at Sundance Lolla - The Story of Lollapalooza: Director Michael John Warren is no stranger to the music industry. He’s filmed numerous concert films, including Oh, Hello! On Broadway (I saw it in Chicago, and omg), Nicki Minaj and Jay-Z. He also did the recent Hillsong Church documentary.
Love Me: Sam and Andy Zuchero direct Kristen Stewart and Emmy winner Steven Yeun in this year’s Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film winner at Sundance. The Alfred P. Sloan selection goes to films that engage our relationships with technology. I’m just excited for K-Stew and Yeun.
I also have tickets to for the US Dramatic Grand Jury Prize Winner, the NEXT Audience Award Winner, the US Dramatic Audience Award Winner, and the US Dramatic Directing Award Winner. Expect my Sundance Special issue to reach your inbox in late January/early February.
what i’m watching:
American Fiction (2023 - Alamo Drafthouse): I really liked Sterling K. Brown’s performance in this movie. His performance brought Cliff to life. I really think he would’ve been a forgettable side character had another actor taken on the role. Unfortunately, this is a tough year at the Oscars.

Anywho, I think American Fiction will do well with broad audiences. It’s a poignant story about being true to yourself. Deep down, I don’t think this movie is really about race as much as it is about the dualism in each of us - whether it be our public versus private persona or something a little more unique like Monk’s situation. It’s also very funny. Expect introspective, warm vibes with a dash of laughter.
Unclenching the Fist (2021-Mubi Paris): Unclenching the Fist is streaming on Mubi. The world Kira Kovalenko shows us almost becomes a second character - I know how that sounds, but this time is for real. This is a hard watch, but you want to learn more about the community and its customs. The familial relationships border on incest, yet you still see Ada’s strong bonds with her brothers, and at times, her father. The film is full of such contradictions, which says more about the characters’ circumstances than the script. Expect uncomfortable, dark, and defeated vibes.
The Elderly (2022 - Shudder): The Elderly is a Spanish film about old people snapping. When we open, a storm moving toward the city brings eerie changes to the elderly with it. Grandmas are jumping out windows. Grandpas are chewing on our heads. Man, there are some wild images in this movie. Check it out on Shudder. And if you do, expect violent, scary vibes.
Wonka (2023 - Alamo Drafthouse): I saw Wonka in mid-December and forgot to include it in Issue No. 3. Wonka is a different vibe from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1971). The menacing undertone in Gene Wilder’s film is nonexistent here. Instead, you get a charming, family-friendly musical. Take the kids. Expect joyful, heartwarming vibes.
Escape from L.A. (1996 - Max): Up next is another tonally different sequel. Escape from L.A. consists of the three “C’s”: camp, cheap, & crap. It feels like Carpenter wanted to remake Escape from New York to parody Hollywood, but he doesn’t quite get there. Tonally, this is more like Carpenter’s Big Trouble in Little China than Escape from New York. If only it was half as good. Expect campy, cheesy vibes.
Evil Dead Trap (1988-Arrow Video): Combine J-Horror with Giallo, and you get Evil Dead Trap, a spooky snuff film mystery. I usually don’t like shiny modern giallo movies like Malignant, but Evil Dead Trap is special. It’s one of those movies that would resolve itself if the lead stopped digging. Expect urban, grimy, dark vibes.
The Royal Hotel (2023 - Amazon): Set in the Australian outback, The Royal Hotel is a fish-out-of-water thriller. However, the stakes are so low that it feels more like a melodrama. Expect rough, gritty vibes.
1990: The Bronx Warriors (1982-Criterion Channel): Wow, what a unique movie. Mark Gregory plays Trash, our protagonist. I’m including 1990: The Bronx Warriors this issue because it makes a great companion piece with Escape from L.A. If you ask me, Escape from LA shares more with 1990: The Bronx Warrior than Escape from New York. Expect campy, melodramatic vibes.
Night Swim (2024-Amazon): I saw Night Swim last night. It’s just a dumbed-down J-Horror film for Americans. Drink every time you hear someone say, “There’s something wrong with the pool.” But seriously, you can skip this movie. If you ignore my advice, expect cheesy, campy vibes.
big vibez: the films of ken russell





I don’t want to make CineVibez a filmography newsletter, but I’m about to talk about one director’s filmography. I recently saw - for the first time - five movies from Ken Russell: The Devils (1971), The Lair of the White Worm (1988), Altered States (1980), Gothic (1986), and Mahler (1974). You can catch each of these films on Criterion Channel right now. And boy, oh boy - you should.
Ken Russell’s films are bold and provocative, sure. But they’re also really funny. Oliver Reed’s Father Grandier has a ton of witty lines in The Devils. You could categorize The Lair of the White Worm as a comedy.
Most focus on the religious blasphemy and negative depictions of Christianity, but people rarely talk about the camp and humor in Russell’s work. In Gothic, we’re basically watching a bunch of famous authors get fucked up on game night. And don’t forget Russell’s Mahler, who is presented as a joke of a human being.
I’m not sure how long Criterion will keep the Ken Russell collection, so watch it now before it’s too late. But watch The Devils here. Criterion doesn’t have the extended cut; nor does it have all those extras. For any Ken Russell movie, expect over-the-top, campy, and provocative vibes with a dash of laughter.
conclusion:
What do you guys think of the lowercase titles? I thought it looked interesting, so I’m keeping it that way.
The 2024 box office looks pretty bleak, but we will have plenty to talk about. You see - I learned a little trick that expanded what’s available to me. There’s a website called What’s on Mubi - it lists Mubi’s current selections in each country. Once you find what you want, simply turn on a VPN and set it for whatever country has the movie you selected. For example, Mubi U.S. doesn’t have Aftersun but Mubi UK sure does. Just set your VPN to London and open the Mubi app. Want to see Monster (2023) from Japan? Just pick Turkey on your VPN. Make matters even easier by adding a VPN to your streaming stick. I use Surfshark on my Google TV Chromecast. I should note that I don’t know if this is necessarily “legal” - whatever that means. Anyway, happy watching!
Until next time,
Murray