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Tag: Magnolia Pictures

‘Little Richard: I Am Everything’ Traces the Roots of a Rock & Roll Innovator (Review)
Features, Film, Reviews

‘Little Richard: I Am Everything’ Traces the Roots of a Rock & Roll Innovator (Review)

You can say a lot of things about Little Richard, but you can't ever say that he was shy. He spent decades telling anyone who would listen that he was the architect of rock and roll. And, of course, he truly was a pioneer but the extreme racism of the American South meant that his singles became even bigger hits when watered down by white artists like Pat Boone and Elvis. Little Richard (Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures) In her fantastic documentary, filmmaker Lisa Cortés attempts to correct the record. An opening night selection at this year's Sundance, 'Little Richard: I Am Everything' is an origin story with extreme admiration. It also illustrates just how far ahead of his time that Little Richard was. He broke stereotypes, gender norms, and the lines of segregation. ...
New Documentary Takes Us Inside New York’s Legendary Chelsea Hotel (Review)
Features, Film, Reviews

New Documentary Takes Us Inside New York’s Legendary Chelsea Hotel (Review)

The Chelsea Hotel is one of the most iconic buildings in the history of New York City. It has famously housed poets, rock stars, and artists and has been a designated landmark in the city since 1966. As times have changed, so has the building. For decades, many lived within rent-stabilized units within the building. Most of the long-term tenants were bought out and paid to move after plans were made to renovate the building into a luxury hotel. Some Residents Refuse To Leave With 'Dreaming Walls: Inside the Chelsea Hotel,' directors Maya Duverdier and Amélie van Elmbt have chosen a "fly-on-the-wall" approach to document the building's residents who have refused to leave. We meet some of the more eccentric tenants from what is about 40 apartments left in the building during 1...
Udo Kier Gives An Unforgettable Performance in “Swan Song” (Review)
Film, Reviews

Udo Kier Gives An Unforgettable Performance in “Swan Song” (Review)

Todd Stephens wrote, produced, and directed this new drama starring legendary German actor Udo Kier that had its world premiere earlier this year at the virtual edition of the SXSW festival. Older members of the LGBTQ+ community are not often given a chance to tell their stories or see themselves represented in popular culture, so it's a real treat to see Kier absolutely eat up every inch of the screen as Pat Pitsenbarger, an aging gay man who is miserably spending his final days trapped in a nursing home facility in Sandusky, Ohio. In a tale that is thankfully not as common now, we learn that Pat's long term partner David had passed away in the 90s due to complications from AIDS. At that time, before queer people could get married, many couples did not have legal protections. He l...