‘Champions of the Golden Valley’ at M.V. Film Festival
Shot in moody black-and-white, we see the silhouette of a man with his back to us, gazing out a window, snow swirling in a cold, wintry cityscape. He says, “It’s not there anymore. It...
Grammar guru in ‘Rebel with a Clause’
Do you ever get confused between “lie” and “lay,” particularly in the past tense? How about the proper time to use “who” and “whom”? Does trying to explain past participles make your brain cells...
Cat Film Festival comes to M.V. Film Center
The seventh annual 2025 NY Cat Film Festival, taking place at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center starting March 15, is a delight for all feline aficionados. Tracie Hotchner, a nationally acclaimed pet wellness advocate...
Lights up on film noir
Noir Nights returns to the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center this month. Paul Karasik will again host this popular annual late winter film series, introducing each film and doing a brief Q and A after...
‘The Legend of Ochi’ at the M.V. Film Festival
“The Legend of Ochi” by Isaiah Saxon is a fantasy adventure that will transport you to a rugged land far away. This family-friendly film, suitable for adults without kids, will be part of Circuit...
Meaning repeats in ‘A Traveler’s Needs’
Isabelle Huppert reunites with Hong Sang-soo for their third collaboration in the 2024 South Korean drama “A Traveler’s Needs,” playing at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center on Friday, March 7. The enigmatic film centers...
‘Seed of the Sacred Fig’ plays at the Film Center
Before “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” begins, a message appears onscreen that it was filmed secretly, alerting us that we are likely in for something intense. The next sentences only increase our certainty:...
Islanders score a reprise of ‘Eyes on the Prize’
Three Islanders had a hand in a six-part documentary series called “Eyes on the Prize III: We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest 1977-2015,” premiering Feb. 25 on HBO during the last week of...
Vineyard documentary: ‘One Bad Crab’
Our Vineyard waters are known for their delectable shellfish. They are vital to the Island’s economy, culture, and environment. But commercial and recreational shellfishermen have a problem — a big one. The invasive European...
Documentary shorts at M.V. Film Center
The short-form documentaries at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center during the week of Feb. 21 carry an enormous impact. Three are intense, dealing with violent crimes, and skillfully draw us into the complexity of...
Oscar-nominated short films
The 20th annual “Oscar-Nominated Short Films” theatrical release, presented by Shorts, starts at the M.V. Film Center on Feb. 14. The international films are divided into three categories: live-action and animation, which are reviewed...
‘I’m Still Here’ screens at the Film Center
How do you keep going in the face of the unimaginable pulses that run through Walter Salles’ film, “I’m Still Here”? The film is playing at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center, starting Feb. 7....
A sentient perspective in ‘Nickel Boys’
“Nickel Boys,” playing at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center starting Jan. 31, is not an easy film. Based on the Pulitzer-prizewinning novel by Colson Whitehead, the tale is raw. The film’s title refers to...
‘The Brutalist,’ a film by Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold
Director Brady Corbet’s “The Brutalist” is both intimate and epic. It is an intense exploration of one man’s complicated life during post–World War II in America. Corbet and his co-writer, Mona Fastvold, created the...
Shakespeare escapes in ‘Sing Sing’
The raw reality of prison life pushes up against the power of art in Greg Kwedar’s “Sing Sing,” screening at the M.V. Film Center on Friday, Jan. 17. The film opens with a long...
John Lennon and Yoko Ono in ‘Daytime Revolution’
Erik Nelson’s documentary “Daytime Revolution,” at the M.V. Film Center on Jan. 10, offers a compelling microcosm of the U.S. in 1972. It looks at an extraordinary week in which John Lennon and Yoko...
‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ returns
The stirring adaptation of the famous French historical adventure novel, “The Count of Monte Cristo,” by Alexandre Dumas and his collaborator Auguste Maquet, has the same swashbuckling force as Dumas’ popular work “The Three...
‘Ask Me to Dance’ has twists and turns
Mishaps and near misses abound in “Ask Me to Dance,” which is playing for free at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center at 4 pm on New Year’s Eve. The theme is “a perfect fit,”...
‘Maria’ envisions Callas in her final days
Beautifully shot, the film “Maria” explores the great Greek American soprano Maria Callas during her final days in 1970s Paris, as she tries to come to terms with her life and fame. It is a psychological...
A new take on Noah in ‘Flow’
“Flow,” playing at the M.V. Film Center starting Dec. 15, is a mysterious, profoundly moving, and sometimes nerve-wracking journey of a black cat with immensely endearing yellow eyes and an expressive face. The film...