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FILM ARTICLES

Showing film results: From 4 to 14



 

Film Review - "Blue Heron"

by Eric Hillis, TheMovieWaffler.com
published 2026-06-27

Do you remember your childhood? I mean really remember it? Some people are able to recall every last detail of the past, but most of us merely retain memories of a few standout moments. They could be moments of joy, or of trauma, but often they're completely random. When I try to conjure memories of my childhood I tend not to think of specific incidents but rather senses: the smell of my dad's aftershave, my mother's perfume, or the sweaty socks I pulled off after a summer's day of play. I can't recall the faces of any of my childhood friends or my teachers, but I could probably tell you what my favourite song was in any given month of the '80s. My childhood exists now as an aural and sensual collage rather than a reliable recollection of key events.



45th Bi-Annual New Jersey Film Festival will Take Place September 4th through October 4th

(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- The 45th Bi-Annual New Jersey Film Festival will be taking place between September 4 - October 4, 2026. As they have been doing the last few years, the festival will be presented as a hybrid with select in-person screenings at Rutgers University and most of the films available virtually via Video on Demand for 24 hours on their show date. The festival also be offering an Audio-Visual Concert featuring the bands Lawns and Hanging Coats as well as two FREE Filmmaking Workshops.



Film Review - "Carolina Caroline"

by Eric Hillis, TheMovieWaffler.com
published 2026-06-25

With his 2021 film Dinner in America, director Adam Carter Rehmeier revived the career of actor Kyle Gallner, who has since caught the eye of cinemagoers with his roles in the Smile series and Strange Darling. Rehmeier and Gallner reunite for Carolina Caroline, and once again the latter plays a charming sociopath who sweeps a restless young woman off her feet. The tone is less comic this time, and Carolina Caroline is a lot more maudlin than the post-Tarantino vibes of its trailer might suggest.



The 2026 Golden Door International Film Festival takes place this Weekend in Jersey City

(JERSEY CITY, NJ) -- The 2026 Golden Door International Film Festival takes place June 25-27 at Arthouse Productions and Nimbus Arts Center.








Anchor Rock Club to premiere "Still Life" on June 30th

(ATLANTIC CITY, NJ) -- It will be a special night for filmmaker Kollisa Pimentel will who makes her directorial debut with the short film, "Still Life," premiering at Anchor Rock Club on Tuesday, June 30, 2026 at 8:00pm.



Film Review - "The Voices Of Our Mother"

by Eric Hillis, TheMovieWaffler.com
published 2026-06-20

Horror movies centred on demonic possession and exorcisms generally feature a possessed young woman and a male religious figure battling a crisis of faith as they attempt to save the possessed victim. The Voices of Our Mother, actor Mark O'Brien's second feature as writer/director, strays from convention in this regard. Here the possession victim is an elderly woman, while her potential saviour is a young nun.



52nd Newark Black Film Festival to Take Place July 8th through August 5th at Newark Museum of Art

(NEWARK, NJ) -- The 52nd Newark Black Film Festival takes place Wednesday from July 8 through August 5, 2026 at The Newark Museum of Art. There is a mix of films for adults and films for the entire family. Admission to the screenings is free, but reservations are required.



"An Evening With Dan and Laura" - A Behind the Scenes Look at Vivid Stage's First Feature Film

(SUMMIT, NJ) -- Vivid Stage, in residence at the Oakes Center, will host "An Evening with Dan and Laura" on Saturday, July 18, 2026 at 8:00pm. The evening will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of Vivid's feature film: A Relative Comedy. Director Laura Ekstrand and Composer Dan Crisci will talk about what went into making the company's first feature.



State Theatre New Jersey presents 2026 Free Summer Movie Series

(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- State Theatre New Jersey is proud to announce the return of the Free Summer Movie Series starting on Tuesday, July 7, 2026. Tickets are FREE, but registration is required at STNJ.org.







 

EVENT PREVIEWS

MPAC

MPAC Announces Free Summer Concert Lineup for 2026

(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- Mayo Performing Arts Center's Arts in the Community free summer concert schedule for 2026 has been announced. MPAC will present six free concerts between June and August. The lineup includes the return of three of their most popular events – Bollywood Dance Party, Country Line Dancing and Salsa at Sunset, as well as singer-songwriters, and more.



Classic

Classic American Tales' presents Tales at the Dormer House every Thursday

(CAPE MAY, NJ) -- From June 4 through October 15, 2026 (except for July 2), Classic American Tales (CAT) once more presents Tales at the Dormer House in which guests are treated to lemonade and tasty treats while listening to stories written by noteworthy authors, read by a variety of performers. The schedule is 4:00pm every Thursday at the historic Dormer House Bed and Breakfast (800 Columbia Avenue) in Cape May, NJ. Performances are on the front porch, weather permitting.



Princeton

Princeton Summer Theater presents "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown"

(PRINCETON, NJ) -- Princeton Summer Theater's 2026 Children's Show is You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, which runs weekends from June 20 to August 1, 2026. A beloved musical since its premiere in 1967, Clark Gesner brings Charles M. Schulz's "PEANUTS" characters to the stage. The musical ventures through the highs and lows of young life, from baseball and homework to young love and friendship. With an empathetic and whimsical eye, You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown reminds us of the importance of connection and joy.



2026-27

2026-27 Season Preview: Split Level Concerts at Jersey Shore Arts Center

(OCEAN GROVE, NJ) -- Split Level Concerts at the Jersey Shore Arts Center (JSAC) in Ocean Grove has announced the full concert lineup for its third season. All shows will take place beginning at 8:00pm in JSAC's Palaia Theater. The season lineup includes Willie Nile, John Gorka, Dan Bern, Catie Curtis and Band, Stephen Kellogg, Abbie Gardner, Heather Maloney and Band, and Kim Richey. As they have done in prior years, artists from the Asbury Park music scene will open many of the shows.



MPAC's

MPAC's Summer 2026 Preview

(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- From the versatility of Tony winner Darren Criss, the comedy of Abbott Elementary's Janelle James and the nostalgic hits of the Grateful Dead, ABBA and more, Mayo Performing Arts Center's summer lineup features a diverse set of performances and events.












LATEST COLUMNS


Makin Waves Song of the Week: "Spiral Will" by Solace

The Makin Waves Song of the Week is "Spiral Will," a single and video from "Fading Falling Ruin," the latest album from doomy Jersey Shore dirt metal greats Solace.




Rock On! This Week's Sound Bites... 07/23/2026

"Correct! I actually performed on The Totally Tubular Festival two years ago. I was playing solo that night and they asked me to come back, so I thought I'd do something a bit different and so I decided to reform my backing band from 1988, The Lost Toy People. The last show we played together was with Depeche Mode and OMD at the Rose Bowl for the legendary 101 Concert and the other night in Phoenix was our first show in 38 years; how about that?"




Wesley Pierre: "Catharsis"

Even those who don't know very much about visual art are familiar with the Cubist approach to the human body. Pablo Picasso liked to present a person from many angles at once, and compress three-dimensional form into a two-dimensional frame. No matter what step she's on, that nude descending a staircase comes at us all at once. We know we're looking at an individual person, even if it's never clear which of those fields of color represent the present moment and which are afterimages, projections, and vapor trails. Representing human beings like this guarantees that there’ll be distortions: facial features in strange places, unexpected angles, duplicates and odd subtractions, clashes between heads, necks, and torsos, the shuffling of expressions, and the surprise and disquiet that comes when an obviously human figure doesn't look much like a human at all.








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