A Queer Review of the Austin Film Festival (2023)
Highlighting the many ways in which AFF 2023 illustrated that the queer experience is not a monolithic one.

Katagiri, a highly ambitious young detective, teams up with older detective Takiguchi, who is about to retire, to investigate a murder that took place by Sumida River. Katagiri is annoyed by Takiguchi's pushiness, but is surprised to hear that the victim was a suspect in the 300 million yen robbery.
Highlighting the many ways in which AFF 2023 illustrated that the queer experience is not a monolithic one.
Him is visually stunning—all concrete cathedrals and bone-rattling impact shots that look like a nightmare highlight reel. Marlon Wayans is magnetic as this legendary quarterback who's basically selling salvation with a smile that never quite reaches his eyes. But the story keeps running in circles: more tests, more cryptic pep talks, more ritualistic drills. The sports-as-religion metaphor beats you over the head when subtlety would've been more effective. The middle drags, and that finale chooses spectacle over substance. It's undeniably stylish, but left me cold. Also worth noting: despite the Monkeypaw connection, this isn't actually a Jordan Peele film—he didn't write or direct.
Making Apes begins by looking back at the history of makeup effects in Hollywood, which was revolutionized by Jack Pierce, the person behind Frankenstein (1931) and The Wolf Man (1941)
The June episode of the Incluvie Movie Highlights provides 3 new and buzzworthy films presenting different types of love: Good Luck to You, Leo Grande with intimacy, Father of the Bride with familial love, and this month's feature - Fire Island, with intimate and romantic love. Movie Critic Melanie Ojwang joins us to discuss Emergency.
The Loud House movie follows Lincoln Loud and his 10 sisters taking a family vacation to see their ancestors in Scotland.