Ever get the feeling that the movie you’re watching is sentient, ill-tempered, and perfectly happy to kick your legs out from underneath you at the worst possible moment for maximum cruelty? That’s “Bushwick,” a slick, swaggering gallimaufry of alt-history war-cum-propaganda movie a’la “Red Dawn,” oriented on a sudden and violent invasion of New York (yes, that Bushwick) by unknown, ad libbed, but altogether well-organized military force.

Continue reading ‘Bushwick’ Is Pure, Overwhelmingly Grim Provocation [Review] at The Playlist.

You might not expect a film starring Dave Bautista to play both the Sundance Film Festival and Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, but that’s what happened with “Bushwick.” The no-nonsense action thriller seems to have enough pedigree for high profile festival berths, even if it does look a bit ridiculous, at least as far as the premise is concerned.

Co-starring Brittany Snow, and directed by Cary Murnion and Jonathan Milott (“Cooties“), the story reimagines the titular, hip Brooklyn neighborhood as ground zero by an invasion of Texan militants.

Continue reading Dave Bautista Fights Texan Separatists In New Trailer For ‘Bushwick’ at The Playlist.

The Sundance Film Festival isn’t just the biggest celebration of independent film in the U.S. these days — it’s now a global operation. About five years ago, for the first time, the Park City festival upped sticks across the Atlantic for Sundance London, and the festival’s still going strong in 2017, revealing a killer line-up this morning.

READ MORE: The 30 Breakout Performers & Filmmakers Of The 2017 Sundance Film Festival

There are no brand-new premieres at the festival, but a number of highlights from the January Park City line-up are getting their international premieres, including opener “Beatriz At Dinner” from Miguel Arteta and starring Salma Hayek, and hotly tipped comedy “The Big Sick,” while Michael Almereyda’s sci-fi “Marjorie Prime,” Cannes-bound Dave Bautista-starring politically topical one-take actioner “Bushwick” and, most excitingly, David Lowery’s much-raved-about “A Ghost Story” with Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara (which will close the festival) are receiving their UK premieres.

Continue reading ‘A Ghost Story,’ ‘The Big Sick,’ ‘Beatriz At Dinner’ Lead 2017 Sundance London Line-Up at The Playlist.

Savvy Cannes-goers know that while the Official Selection has some of the biggest hitters (and certainly has them this year) on the Croisette, the Directors’ Fortnight sidebar is often the home of some of the most daring and exciting cinema that any festival has to offer. Focused a little more on newer filmmakers (but not exclusively), recent years have seen the bow of excellent movies like “Divines,” “My Life As A Zucchini,” “Neruda,” “Green Room,” “Embrace Of The Serpent,” “Mustang,” “Arabian Nights,” “Girlhood” and “Whiplash” within the parallel selection.

Continue reading Cannes Directors’ Fortnight 2017 Line-Up Led By Claire Denis, Abel Ferrera, Sean Baker… And Dave Bautista at The Playlist.