brief thoughts on Rescued (2026) Dances with Films

This is a film about a homeless man (played by writer/director DJ Hale)  as he hooks up with a doberman and and finds a to get off the street.

This is a solid and well acted film. While it doesn't have any new bells or whistles it has a great cast which sell the story and make us want to take this trip.

If the film has any real issues it's that the film runs over two hours which is probably a bit too long for this. Still I stayed engaged, and I was given access to an alternate cut of the film with a different ending, which I watched. That says a great deal about the film since I watched it twice back to back. (I have no idea which is the better ending) 

Worth a look

Souvenir (2026) Dances With Films 2026

Two friends who are meeting for the first time in years have a rough reunion. However before they can part, they find a lost wallet and make an effort to find the person.

I love most of this film. The central thread of of the two friends talking is spectacular. I know there have been a number of these films recently, some better than others. This is, for the most part one of the best. Its worth your time to search this out.

Just be aware that the filmmakers didn't fully trust the story and the characters and they added some flourishes that didn't need to be there.

Forgive the distractions and just see this film.

Dave vs. Hollywood (2026) Dances With Films 2026

An eternally hopeful actor with limited ability tries to hit it big in Hollywood.

Wickedly funny and often uncomfortable look at what it takes to get a head in Tinsel Town. This is a brutal no holds bar look at the whys and hows things get done in Hollywood and an explanation as to why people keep plugging along despit having no real hance in hell to make it big.

I laughed and I winced. Having friends who have tried the Hollywood game I got a sense of how on the nose some of this is.

I laughed. I want to see it again because I saw this in the wind down from Tribeca so I know I didn't give it my full attention. I also want to see it again because its funny.

Recommended

Brief thoughts on Tales From the Crypto (2026) Dances With Films 2026

A young man turns to crypto  in order to make money after the economy goes weird during covid.

This is a mannered comedy that very much tries to be funny and be be topical. It doesn't always manage to be either. 

Don't get me wrong with what is here, there are laughs. The problem is it just doesn't rise above being just okay. If I was watching this on cable I'd be bouncing in and out, maybe I jut might have surfed away and never went back.

A pointer This Little Piggy Market (2026) Dances With Films 2026

A woman who shows her feet on Only Fans finds her life and interaction with the guys who love her feet.

This is an amusing little comedy. If it sounds interesting give it a shot.

I'm not going to say more because I don't want to pick on the film for something that bothers me, which is I am so done with foot fetish jokes and turns. I understand that the use of people's love of feet is the joke of the moment but it's wildly over used. Everyone makes the joke and I'm tired.

If you're not sick of foot fetish references give the film a shot

Solidarity (2026) Dances With Films 2026

A woman working in a sweatshop is told she can not go to her child's wedding or she will be fired. A butcher has to deal with the aftermath of an accident.

One of the best films I've seen for Dances With Films this year is a quiet gem. This dual narrative look at the immigrant way of life is going to kick you in the ass. Its a film that feels lived in and is coming from life. I was moved. While the sweatshop narrative the heavier of the two, the butcher's tale is more compelling.

I really liked this film a great deal. 

This is exactly the small gem that I set up Unseen Films to highlight.

Recommended. 

A pointer to Breakfast at Berghain (2026) Dances With Films 2026

 

A put upon young woman learns of a club in Germany and decides to go.

I can't fairly review this film. This is a mannered comedy that requires you click with its style. If you don't click its a tough slog. I found it a slog. I didn't like the humor or the casual cruelty.

If you don't mind mannered humor with a side of cruelty give it a shot.

A brief pointer towardCaptain Milo (2026) Dances With Films 2026

A young boy left alone in a hotel room dreams of being a superhero.

I'm backing off reviewing this film. The film is well made and I know after multiple viewings that there is something there, but the truth is the film didn't work for me. Something is off and I haven't been able to pinpoint it. 

If you want to see a a good film, that I can't get a handle on, give CAPTAIN MILO a try.

JANE'S NOT HERE (2026) Dances With Films 2026

After an accident a woman wakes up looking for her son and husband. The problem is she is told she doesn't have a son or husband.

This is being sold as a thriller, but it isn't while there is suspense and a puzzle that has to be solved, this isn't a thriller in the classic sense. Yes it's thrilling but it isn't a thriller. This is simply the story of qa woman trying to figure out what is going on in her life. 

Because we are taking the ride, I'm not going to say anything about what happens. I got to walk into the film blind and I think that helped me really fall into the film, so I'm not going to say anything. I loved that I had no clues and no expectations.

This is a great film. 

The film works because the well written script is being performed by the cast. Everyone inhabits the real world tale that is happening on screen. If the film doesn't feel real its simply the framing of the tale for a movie.

Pu this film on your list and track it down.

Holy Ghetto (2026) play June 21 at Dances With Films

Life in the fringes of society in Tel Aviv, in particular the ghetto and red-light district of the city.

This is a film that is going to open your eyes to a part of Israel you probably haven’t considered, those of the poor and the fringe. Centered around the Door of Hope Shelter, run by a man named Dave wo is trying to do the right thing. In and around the shelter come Ohad, a man trying to make good on his misdeeds, Olga who was forced into prostitution, Yanna who is just trying to survive the storm of her life as well as others. It is a bumpy ride that doesn’t go as planned and doesn’t feel as though director Ilan  Azoulai stage managed anything. This is life as lived which makes things rocky… which is fine because the lives of the people on screen are not smooth.

I was moved. I was delighted because this is a film that isn’t your typical cinematic portrait polished and clean and perfectly told. If cinema should reflect life as lived then this film does that better than almost any film you’ll see.

Highly recommended.

Cabali and the Tiki Mug Obsession (2025)Dances With Films 2026

This a dual portrait- one part is the history of tiki bars, the mugs they spawned and the people who love them, and the other part is the story of Fini, who took his love of tiki and his collection of mugs and decided to create a tki bar of his own.  The result is everything you wanted to know about tiki and hundred times more.

This is a solid little film about a niche way of life that I am kind of attached to, I am after all Parrothead and visited many a tiki bar chasing Jimmy Buffett. This film goes into great detail about everything tiki with a large portion of the film focusing on the mugs. What was once a disposable item is now worth thousands depending on who the artist was (a severed head one is the holy grail one). It’s wild.

Honestly this is a near perfect documentary whose only flaw is that it is over whelming. .  When I say that the film is a hundred times more than you’ll want to know I’m not kidding. This film will tell you pretty much everything, including going into great detail about the creation of the mugs. Yes the mugs are amazing, but there was a point where I just wanted to raise my hand and tap out. It doesn’t mean the film is bad, but it’s more along the line of needing a break to step outside and get a breath of fresh air.

Overwhelming nature of the film or no, I liked it. I had good time watching it. It’s the sort of film that I want to revisit when I can see it without expectations (I kept waiting for more things to click with my tiki experiences and waiting for certain tiki songs I know and love)

Highly recommended, especially if you can’t take a trip to the islands.