It’s fairly safe to say, that few filmmakers would attempt to shoot a found footage movie like Bobcat Goldthwait’s “Willow Creek.” There aren’t many writer/directors who could make an absurd combination mockumentary/horror flick even remotely watchable. That’s why Goldthwait is one of the bravest, most uncompromising voices in independent film right now. When he decides to experiment with a specific type of story, he’s dedicated to seeing the project through, no matter how strange the idea is. He gracefully accepts that not everyone loves what he’s doing, and focuses on creating fresh pictu...

When the creators of last year’s wicked horror anthology “V/H/S” sat down to make a sequel, it seems like they were reading from an audience suggestion box. That’s because “V/H/S/2” addresses many of the major complaints people had with its predecessor. And although the movie still isn’t perfect, it vastly improves upon the formula established by the first film, to tell more engaging stories.

For those who missed “V/H/S,” here’s the setup: People break into a house and stumble upon piles of mysterious VHS tapes. In this particular case they’re a couple of private investigators checking on ...

Shakespeare has never been as accessible on the big screen as he is in Joss Whedon’s “Much Ado About Nothing.” Sure, there have been plenty of modern Shakespearean film adaptations, but they often rely on well-known actors or massive stylistic updates to connect with audiences. Whedon’s version bridges that gap because it features his stable of performers and includes modern technology, while maintaining the essence of The Bard’s work.  

Just because Whedon changes some aspects of the tale to suit our time however, doesn’t mean that he throws tradition completely out the window. If you’re ...

The British can make almost anything funny with their dry, cheeky sense of humor, including murder. Sounds messed up, right? You might be wondering, “How could murder ever be humorous?” Well, it can be hilarious, if it’s for all the wrong, outrageous reasons in Ben Wheatley’s dark road-comedy “Sightseers.”

All of the violence and chaos in the film seems logical and amusing, because you find out quickly, that the main characters each have a screw loose. First there’s Carol (Eileen Davis), an overbearing, melodramatic, mother who can’t stand the thought of her 34-year-old daughter Tina (Alic...

If Nat Faxon and Jim Rash’s directorial debut “The Way, Way Back” had a theme song, it would be Bonnie Tyler’s “I Need a Hero.” Why a tune from the ‘80s film “Footloose?” A couple of reasons.

First, when facing a ridiculous dilemma in the movie, the character Owen (Sam Rockwell) looks out into a crowd, and jokingly asks for assistance by quoting it. The amusing kicker is that no one gets the reference, even after he tries to mention the recent “Footloose” remake. The gag and the impending laughs from its failure are indicative of this picture’s delightful retro style.

Second, and more imp...

Independent Film Festival Boston opened Wednesday night with a screening of “The Spectacular Now,” which I was lucky enough to attend.

James Ponsoldt’s film “The Spectacular Now,” draws inspiration from John Hughes and Cameron Crowe ‘80s teen flicks, to tell an unabashedly earnest tale of young love. In fact, Ponsoldt’s movie is so unapologetically honest, that his lead actors don’t even wear make-up. This decision keeps the picture grounded and relatable though, because when you see their imperfections up close, you actually feel like you’re watching real kids in high school.

One of thos...

Independent Film Fest Boston starts tonight, so I thought I’d kick off my coverage with an early review of “Lonely Boy,” a film playing at the festival that I think is definitely worth checking out.

If you think "Silver Linings Playbook" takes an overly cutesy, unrealistic approach to mental illness, you’ll probably appreciate Dale Fabrigar’s indie drama "Lonely Boy." In this movie, there’s nothing humorous or endearing about mental disease, for the person who’s sick or the people who care about him.

"Lonely Boy" follows Franky (Alev Aydin) a schizophrenic young man stuck in a downward sp...

Bipolar, six months pregnant and attempting to get off of her medicine. This is the struggle that plagues Bianca Wood (Rebecca Da Costa), a woman who fears her unborn child’s life is in danger by a supernatural entity, in Breaking at the Edge.

“It was a very hard role and I had no idea how hard it would be until I got there,” Da Costa explained of her lead role. “She [Bianca] stops taking her medication and she has a bipolar crisis and becomes a little schizophrenic. It was very, very tough and energy draining.”

Breaking at the Edge, directed by Predrag Antonijevic and written by Jake Ken...

I just found out some very cool news about Independent Film Festival Boston, the awesome Boston film festival that I cover each year. IFFBoston has recently announced that actor Casey Affleck has been named Creative Advisor to the festival.

According to IFFBoston's recent press release, Affleck will have a multifaceted role, which will include outreach to studios, filmmakers, and talent on behalf of the festival, offering programming input, connecting the festival with local charities, and advising on festival growth. He'll also make an annual appearance there, something I'm looking forwar...

If films like Darren Aronofsky’s “Black Swan” and Terrence Malick’s “Tree of Life” are too strange for you, then for the love of God, stay far away from Guy Maddin’s “Keyhole.” I enjoy the occasional weird flick from time to time, but Maddin’s picture is easily the most bizarre thing I’ve watched in the last few years. And it’s not one of those scenarios where the movie so odd that it’s good. Watching “Keyhole” is like being on drugs. Which specific drugs? Well, all of them.

Trying to summarize exactly what happens in “Keyhole” using my own words is pretty difficult, so I’m going to par...