(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.
(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.
(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.
It's ironic that Steven Spielberg's best movie of the 21st century is his adaptation of HG Wells' War of the Worlds. That film takes a dim view of alien visitors that is contradictory to Spielberg's optimism regarding extra-terrestrial life. Elsewhere in the director's body of work, aliens are portrayed as benevolent beings; we are more of a threat to them than they are to us.
New Jersey-based filmmaker, photographer, and visual artist Jay Franklin recently won three awards at the International Movie Awards for his short film Tumbleweave: Best Indie Short, Best Dark Comedy (Jury Award), and Best Actor for lead performer Mike C. Scott. The film, running approximately two minutes and fifty seconds, was selected in the Indie Short (Low Budget) category and represents Franklin's first international festival recognition.
It's ironic that Steven Spielberg's best movie of the 21st century is his adaptation of HG Wells' War of the Worlds. That film takes a dim view of alien visitors that is contradictory to Spielberg's optimism regarding extra-terrestrial life. Elsewhere in the director's body of work, aliens are portrayed as benevolent beings; we are more of a threat to them than they are to us.
Biopics of musicians tend to be more interested in the musician than the music. Two of the best movies about music - Bertrand Tavernier's Round Midnight and Michael Winterbottom's 24 Hour Party People - are ironically less interested in the people who create music and more in those who promote it. Tavernier's film focusses on a jazz-loving Parisian who becomes determined to restore a faded American saxophonist to his former glory. Winterbottom's tells the story of how one man revitalised the city of Manchester by recognising and promoting its wealth of diverse musical talent.
Being a globally famous popstar is a lot like being in a romantic relationship or marriage, but instead of one spouse or partner you have millions of adoring fans. You must consider those fans before making any major decisions, just as you would your husband or wife. Artists often get stuck in a creative rut out of fear of losing their fanbase if they try something different, just as so many people stay in jobs they hate out of fear of upsetting the status quo by making their other half angry. A popstar suddenly deciding they want to make a jazz album is akin to a middle-aged husband ditching his nine to five office job to pursue his dream of opening a record store - such moves aren't likely to go down well with fans and wives.
After gathering a sizeable following on YouTube with a series of short comedy skits, Curry Barker used that platform to self-release his feature film debut, 2024's found footage thriller Milk & Serial. Available to watch for free, that movie has racked up over two million views. It's no surprise then that Hollywood knocked on Barker's door, but what is perhaps surprising is how much the Blumhouse-backed Obsession feels like an indie movie rather than a Hollywood production. With an intimate cast and just a handful of locations, you suspect Barker would have made Obsession himself if the House of Blum hadn't thrown money in his direction. Unlike so many other filmmakers who have been rendered soulless by the studio system, Barker has maintained his vision here, and he even casts Milk & Serial's Cooper Tomlinson in a major supporting role.
Since coming out of his brief self-imposed "retirement" in 2017, Steven Soderbergh has been knocking out films at a rate close to two a year. He's clearly a filmmaker who cares about his legacy, but an artist doesn't get to determine their legacy. That's up to the public. Some will consider Soderbergh an unimpeachable genius. A few will label him a talentless hack. I suspect most will look back on his prolific filmography as a series of hits and misses. The Christophers, which is very much wrestling with the notion of legacy, is one of the hits.
