magical realism

216 | Eve's Bayou

  • Written & Directed by Kasi Lemmons

  • Stars Samuel L. Jackson, Jurnee Smollett, Meagan Good, Lynn Whitfield

  • Rated R

  • Runtime: 1hr 55mins (Director’s Cut)

  • Premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival September 7, 1997

  • Released November 7, 1997

  • RT: 84% critics, 89% audience

    Synopsis 

“The summer I killed my father I was 10 years old.” So begins the story of Eve and her powerful family in 1962 Louisiana. Through Eve’s eyes we meet her gorgeous, long-suffering mother, philandering doctor father, and eccentric Aunt Mozelle, who is a fortune teller. When Aunt Mozelle has a premonition of tragedy befalling the family, Eve and her siblings are confined to the safety of their stately home. But keeping them locked up isn’t going to keep the family safe from tragedy.


Out of theaters and into your streaming boxes, The Menu is next up for us. This film had a pretty good theatrical run, but now it’s available to watch from the comfort of our respective homes. So join us next time as we serve up the first entree of the new year.


Theme music: "Secret of Tiki Island" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

135 | Tigers are Not Afraid

tigers post.jpg

Director/Writer: Issa López

Stars: Paola Lara, Juan Ramón López, Hanssel Casillas

Rated: NR; Runtime: 1hr 23min

Released September 13, 2019; Available on Shudder

Synopsis: The film takes place in a Mexican city ravaged by warring drug cartels. When 10yr old Estrella’s mother disappears, she makes a wish to get her back. Her wish comes true, but not in the way she meant it to. Forced to flee in terror, Estrella joins a group of orphans who steal & scavenge to survive. When the children run afoul of Caco, the well-connected local sociopath, it’s clear that Estrella will need her other two wishes to survive. If only the wishes wouldn’t backfire in strange ways.


Next up, we’ll be checking out the Netflix original, In the Tall Grass. That’s right, the Summer of Stevie rolls on. Meet us back here in two weeks to discuss.

Theme music: "Secret of Tiki Island" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/