Black Zombie (2026) Fantasia 2026

This is a documentary on zombies, both the real ones and the ones from the movies.

This is a heady film in all the right ways. Seeking to restore reality to the out of control purely fictional notion of what zombies are BLACK ZOMBIE gives us a compelling history lesson of what the real "undead" are, while at the same time recontextualizing the zombies of popular culture.

I'm going to be honest and say I walked into this film blnd. Until I saw that this was a film for the Documentary Channel I didn't know what the film was, I simply  saw the title and decided to cover it.

Expertly done this film, this film will make you rethink the zombie on screen as well as freak out about the ones that inspired the movie monsters. The entire notion of being reduced to mindlesscreatures is frightening.

I need to see this film a couple more times, partly because it is so damn good, but more because there is som much here I have to see what I miss as well as connect up all the varios pieces

One of the great film finds at Fantasia and of 2026

Best Pizza in LA (2026)

 This is going to be short and sweet because there isn’t much to say.

THE BEST PIZZA IN LA is like a trial episode for a Food Network show where the filmmakers goes to pizza places in LA with famous people and talks to the owners.

The film is enjoyable, but its kind of disposable since there isn’t much here beyond some off the cuff conversations told in a TV style. I don’t need to see this again because it doesn’t have anything worthy of repeat viewing.

On the other hand if you want to make someone want pizza show them this film,

Where We Played: Voices From the Fire (2026) Heartland FIlm Festival 2026

 

Children who survived the Los Angeles wildfires talk about their experiences.

This is a very good, very emotional look at how the fires affected the kids who were in the path of the fires. It a film that starts out similar to several other similar short films about the effects of the fires and then the film charts its own course.

Personally, while I think the film is very good, I kind of wish this film ran longer than 9 minutes. Don’t get me wrong, but there is so much that was left unsaid and uncovered. I say this because I had seen some other films on the wildfires and they covered other aspects that relate to this (truthfully, they should all be cut together). This film would be incredible if it could be expanded.

However, as it is it is moving and as such it is recommended.

Origin of Ultraman (2026) Fantasia 2026

I have been an Ultraman fan since it first played NYC in the 60’s. I had to sit in my grandmother’s living room during Saturday night dinner while it was on or I would throw a hissy fit. I have a warm spot in my heart for it, even if time has kept me from knowing everything about every series.

There are however people who love the series and many are famous. ORIGIN OF ULTRAMAN lets them talk about their love for the series, what it means to them, the cultural history and all of that while talking to the people who have made the show. It’s a grand old time.

Beginning with Guillermo Del Toro talking to Hirokazu Kore-eda about their shared love while showing us their childhood drawing and pictures. (How big a fan is Kore-eda? He flew in just to have the talk.) The film spins out to be loving look at everything Ultraman. How that works for you will depend on if you know what the series is, and how much you like it. Fans are going to be in heaven, everyone else will be all over the place.

As a fan, but not a FAN, I liked the film. It was everything that I wanted and didn’t want to know neatly packaged. What delighted me was the famous faces. I love the passion the show inspired, and you realize that the world of entertainment was made better by the series.

This is recommended.

The Seoul Guardians (2026) Fantasia 2026

On on the ground report of what happened when President Yoon of South Korea decided to declare Martial Law in order to squash his political opponents and the people and the law makers stepped up.

This film is magnificent. Its a you are there portrait of the people of a nation standing up and trying to tell their leader to go to hell. This is a film that filled me with hope.

What I love about this film is that it it isn't just a portrait of the events on the night of the declaration of Martial Law. I love that the film not only explains, but makes us feel why the Korean people stood up.  They were terrified of what happened 45 years earlier when Martial Law resulted in the too many deaths. The film perfectly weaves the present and past and as such we are invested.

This is one of the absolute best films at Fantasia and probably 2026 as well. That Fantasia decided to go off the board and show this film that doesn't seem to fit with their programming.... until you remember that their ultimate programming rule isw to show the best films possible.

See this film.

40 WATTS FROM NOWHERE opens July 17

Sue Carpenter started a pirate radio station in her living room in the late 1990's and changed the lives of everyone who heard it. 

This is the rise and fall of a two pirate radio stations KPBJ and KBLT which ran out of Carpenter's living room. The station had DJs who were members of various well known groups and it played the music that they wanted to hear. The station eventually ran afoul of the FCC but for a few years it made music and delighted fans.

This is a pure nostalgia trip. Exploring not just the life of the station, the film delves into the why and hows that successful radio stations exist. Why do some stations have rabid fans and others don't? 

As a radio guy I found this film fascinating. I discovered so much I never knew and finally understood why certain things clicked with me. It made me realize that given the opportunity I and my friends might have stormed the airwaves ourselves. 

What an absolute delight.

Highly recommended.

Brief thoughts on Mockbuster (2026)

This is the story of Anthony Frith, who talks his way into directing features for Asylum Films despite not having any past in making features. 

For those who don't know Asylum is studio that makes homage (aka ripoff films) that piggy back blockbusters (New Toy Story, Alien Disclosure Day, Master of the Universe, Immortal Combat). They partly assume that the films people will pick their film by mistake, but mostly they know that their fanbase will try to watch the films because they will go witth the fun and perhaps so bqad its fun element and enjoy the movie. 

This is a wonderful look at Frith's journey to make his film and the story of the studio. Its a film about people who are in love with the art form and the art they make. (yes Asylum's films are art-they are so much fun). Its a film that makes us smile  because everyone is having a good time doing what they are doing.

This film is an absolute delight.

High recommended.

MOCKBUSTER is currently in select theaters and is on VOD.

Coroner of theStars (2025) Opens July 14

This is a portrait of Thomas Noguchi the medical examiner and coroner who maybe best known for having dealt with numerous high profile cases (hence the title)  but who also broke through racial barriers.

This is a very good look at a man whose name most people know. Noguchi, was for his tenure as Los Angeles medical examiner, seemingly always around. If anyone died in LA he was on TV talking about it. The thing is, there was way more to the man then just press conferences and this film lets us know about that.

Covering all of Noguchi's 98 years the film tells the story from birth to now. It shows him growing up in Japan, coming to America, meeting his wife, getting a job in the LA coroners office and rising through the ranks. It shows how he his pursuit for the truth got him his job and ultimately got him in trouble (he didn't sugar coat findings when talking to the press.). It also shows how his breaking of the racial barrier (he was the first Asian in the office)  allowed him to break other barriers.

I really liked this film a great deal. It's a well told tale of a man who is part of entertainment history. While it doesn't break any new ground it entertains and informs, which is enough.

Recommended.

Woody Guthrie and the Ghost of Tom Joad Today (2026)

Greg Mitchell’s newest film is currently playing on PBS On-Line (the film can be found here)

The film is the dual story of Woodie Guthrie and John Steinbeck who in their early days of their careers encountered the displaced farmers and families sent looking for hope and a home after the Depression hit and the Dust Bowl destroyed the farms of many farmers. The film charts how being on the ground, Guthrie traveling and performing and Steinbeck writing and reporting on the situation made them allies in trying to help their fellow Americans. The film explores how a need to say something and desire to make changes resulted in not only changes that helped rebuild America but also resulted in great art.  Greg being Greg he doesn’t just leave it there. The film not only tells the story of the two legends but also takes things to today and connects everything up to the Bruce Springstein song that gives the film part of its title.

I like this film a great deal. Watching it on the day before July 4th, I was moved by how I was reminded that the was once time when America was functioning and wasn’t completely broken. This isn’t to say that there weren’t problems, rather its to be reminded that there was still hope in Americans, that there not only was a better place, but also that if we worked together and actually tried to fix a problem things could turn out okay (or reasonably so). The film also makes clear that things haven’t changed  and that we still need to work to make things better.

As with all of Greg’s films the past is never gone and it is always present. Greg’s sense of this is not then but now is why his films are so powerful. History is not dead but living in our living rooms. If you need proof all you need do is watch the final sequences where things are brought up to date and Springsteen’s words married to Greg’s choice of images, make it clear for many it might as well be 1936.

This film is awesome. It will move you, if not emotionally, then to think about the place we are right now.

THE SINKING OF THE LISBON MARU (2024) hits VOD 6/30

In October 1942, an unmarked Japanese ship was targeted and torpedoed by an American submarine who didn't know that the ship was transporting British POWs. What followed was fight for survival as the men in the sinking ship tried to escape, the Japanese tried to keep them in and the Chinese fisherman on the nearby Donji Island tried to save as many people as possible even though it could cost them their lives.

The story of the sinking & rescue was told last year in a film called THE DONJI RESCUE which was changed to THE RESCUE AT DONJI for VOD release in the US. The earlier film haunted me so much that when this film crossed my inbox I had to see it.

Not to put dance around the matter Fang Li's film is a masterpiece. Its a film that crosses time and moves us with the story of what happened back in 1942, while making us misty with the realization that effects of war bleed off the battlefield and down generations.

What I love about the film is that Li manages to juggle multiple story lines and never lose them. We have Li's quest to find out what really happened in 1942 as well as his effort to find the wreck of the ship. We have the events of the sinking. Most importantly we have the stories of the families of them men on the ship and of the fishermen who stepped up to do the right thing. Some of the men didn't survive and some did, but their experiences effected the lives of their children and grandchildren. I was moved multiple times over.

In all my years of watching war related documentaries I've never seen a film that covered so much and did so so perfectly. Truthfully this is the first time where you realize that war doesn't just effect the lives of the people involved in the conflict, but everyone that comes after. It was a point that really hit home when the film ended and everyone was saying their goodbyes.

I can not really explain how good this film is. I might be able to do that down the road, once I've seen it a few more times.

Until then do yourself a favor and see this film when it hits VOD on June 30.

Georgia O'Keeffe: The Brightness of Light

This is  a look at the life and art of artist Georgia O'Keeffe.

I'm torn about this film. I like the film, but I am very frustrated by it.

This is a film that has huge amount of information on O'Keeffe. In it's way it is everything you could ever hop to know about her. The trouble is that the film doesn't give us everything we need to know. What it does is that it will mention something like O'Keeffe giving a donations so that Black Americans could see art, but it doesn't explain what that did. Another time the film talks about how O'Keeffe broke with a friend of 50 years because she wrote a biography of the artist. O'Keeffe turned had worked on the book and then simply broke. Why? We don't know. There are other examples, which makes this film really good but not wholly successful.

It's not a bad, it frustrated. I kept wanting to stop the film and email the filmmakers.

If you love the artist, try the film.

JACKASS BEST AND LAST (2026)

 Johnnie Knoxville and his friends return to the Jackass franchise for one final go round.

And I really think this is the final go round since the film leans into the guys being too old for that crap with colonoscopy based stunts and lots of references that show how broken the stunts have left them. (Knoxville is knocked out at one point and everyone is largely freaked out by that fact)

This collection of old and new and never allowed to be shown before made me laugh so hard a couple of times I hurt myself.

Is this high art?

Not even remotely.

I think it maybe the best of the films because there are no dead spots, it just goes.

A word of warning if you don’t want to see bodily fluids or male private parts stay away…I mean like go two counties over. There is so much questionable stuff here that a few years ago this would have been NC17

Recommended to those who know what they are getting into. All others stay away.

Ariela Rubin on The A-Word: The Future of Aging(2026) Tribeca 2026

This documentary follows George, an 87 year old recent widower, and his dog, Monica, who has become his best friend. Monica gives his life routine and meaning while also giving him daily exercise. However, Monica is an elderly dog battling kidney disease—so if you avoid movies where the dog dies, consider this your warning. It had me sobbing in my seat. 

George lives in a unique neighborhood where a community of elderly people all seem to live independently, yet right on the same street. I loved the parts of the documentary focusing on these neighbors (as a side note, I found it remarkable that none of them used canes or walkers!)

The film also has a lot of focus on several scientists working in longevity research. One researcher in particular is developing the first longevity drugs specifically for dogs. She notes the medication would only extend a dog's life by about a year, but given how relatively short a dog's lifespan is, I am sure many dog owners would be happy for even one extra year. The documentary spends a lot of time focusing on her efforts to get FDA approval for the drug, with the ultimate hope that this drug can someday be applied to humans.

While the scientific side took up the majority of the film and was interesting, I definitely preferred hearing the individual perspectives of the elderly people featured. Would they even want a medication like this? Surprisingly, that question was never asked. When you really think about it, aging is inevitable. Is it truly worth taking a drug just to prolong life by a year or two?

This documentary definitely makes you think, and I am curious to see what continues of this research. 

Animals in War (2025) opens Friday

ANIMALS IN WAR is a multi-part film made up of short films focusing on animals in the Ukraine Russia war. All are nominally based on true stories. Each story is made my a different filmmaker.

This is an uneven affair. Some of these stories are better than others, with the film's desire to have each film make a point not always working, the opening film with Sean Penn mixing the sound on footage of an eagle when war breaks out is the most pointed and is there to simply provoke a reaction. Others, like the story of a cow wandering in the landscape, or another about a rabbit that gets lost  work better.

The animals represented in the film are an eagle, a cow, a rabbit,a dog (this is heart breaking tale), fish, a goat and cats.

While I don't think any of the pieces are bad (which is a rare thing in anthology films) I don't think the films being togethe  help them all to shine. There is an expectation that their being together represents and I'm not sure that that all work together as well as they would seperately. I don't mean that as a knock, but more that their being together doesn't let each tale breath the way it should.

Worth a look for those who are interested.

Fabric (2026) Raindance 2026

This is behind the scenes look at Espero Atelier, a Paris-based company that trains refugees in tailoringa.nd other paths in fashion as well as helping the people find employment.

This film is an unexpected delight. This is a joyous look at how one company is helping people find a better life while making some great looking clothes. 

Packing a great deal in a little bit of time, this is a great film that gives us real information and emotion and isn't like many other recent fashion docs which are little more than puff pieces

This is possibly the best fashion doc I've seen this year. See it

Brief thoughts on How To Feed a Dictator (2026) Tribeca 2026

This was (rightly) one of the most talked about film at the Tribeca Festival by the writers I encountered. This was the one film everyone insisted I needed to  see. They were right.  

The film is a look at the lives and the menus of the chefs of various dictators. 

One of the most compelling films I saw at the festival, I knew early on that this was going to be a film I watched over and over again. Part of the reason is that it is a great film and part of it is that there is so much here That I know I missed a great deal.

Destined to be on many people's end of year lists and possibly in the running for numerous award HOW TO FEED A DICTATOR is a must see.

A placeholder for Mon Taxi (2026) Tribeca 2026

 

A woman living in New York calls her father whenever she is traveling from place to place. Then he died. She called him anyway.

This is a truly lovely little film. I delayed writing it up because I was overwhelmed by the crush of other festival films. Watching the film I was both moved by the film and aware that I need to revisit it to truly give it its due.

This is a special film and needs to be seen on its own terms for maximum effect, as such I will revisit the film down the road. Until then buy a ticket and take a ride.

Whipple's World (2026) Tribeca 2026

This is a look at George Whipple who became famous a reporter on NY1 cable channel and then moved on to E! and other entertainment news stations and sites.

I never knew much about Whipple because I never really encountered him. Known for the big eyebrows he was never someone I paid attention to. He just was sort of there.

Now that I've seen the movie, I know a bit more about him, but I'm not moved to be a fan. He's just this guy, you know.

The film is amusing but like the man himself, something of an enjoyable footnote.

Fumbling to try and explain why I love Mumford and Sons: House Band (2026) Tribeca 2026

This film is pure cinematic joy.

The film is a record of the brief train tour that Mumford and Sons took across America with their friends. Supplementing the band are people Nathaniel Raitliff, Chris Thiele, Ketch Secor, Noah Kahan, Darius Rucker, and Maggie Rogers. Its a film that charts their rehearsals and performances and the pure joy you get from playing with friends.

I freaking love this film. I love it so much that I saw the film multiple times. I needed to hear the songs and feel the magic that bleeds off the screen and swirls in the audience.

I loved this film that I reached out to the PR people and asked them if they are going to release the audio from the shows, and perhaps more video. They said they would find out. This is important to me because I need to listen to the music away from the film - I need to feel the joy.

I can't recommend this film enough. 

One of the best of Tribeca and 2026

Jail TIme Records (2026) Tribeca 2026

Portrait of the recording studio in New Bell Prison in Cameroon, the first prison recording studion in Africa. The film looks at it through the lives of several prisoners.

This is one of the big award winners at Tribeca and I can understand why. This film is a blast of sound and image and sense of place  that is unlike any other film you'll see all year. Its a film that will make you wide eyed and wonder about not only the studio and the men who record their but life in the prison itself. I want a doc on how this film was made. When the film works it will blow you mind....

... and when it stumbles you'll wonder what it is getting at. I say that because there are a couiple of moments where you'll wonder why we are seeing some of it. Its nothing bad, and in a lesser documentary you probably wouldn't notice, but this film has moments that soar high that anything less is a disappointment.

This is a stunning achievement.

See this film- and stay through the credits