Way back when, in the early 2000s, the Duplass brothers, Mark and Jay, were at the forefront of what turned out to be a short-lived, but nevertheless influential film sub-genre is known as mumblecore.

A top-notch scene-stealer since she was a child while appearing in TV commercials and as Opal on “Pee-Wee’s Playhouse,” Natasha Lyonne reached the pinnacle when she hosted “SNL” in May 2022.

When it comes to what the French think is funny, it’s important to remember that they considered Jerry Lewis to be a comic genius.

Who doesn’t love pansexual icon Janelle Monáe? The fiercest of divas (sorry Bey) in the music world, there are few who can compare to her when it comes to the inventiveness of her musical creations. As an actress, known for her layered performances in the Oscar-winning “Moonlight” and the Oscar-nominated “Hidden Figures,” she is truly on a path to cinematic stardom.

“Saturday Night Live” has been a launching pad for some of the best (and a few of the worst) acting careers of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

From the moment Nicole Kidman first appears onscreen as Lucille Ball in “Being the Ricardos” (Amazon Studios), it’s clear that writer/director Aaron Sorkin loves Lucy (although he must not have seen her in the movie version of “Mame”).

Over the course of his lengthy career, Kenneth Branagh has been nominated for five Academy Awards, including once for Best Director for 1990’s “Henry V.”

Gay, British filmmaker Terence Davies has a longstanding fascination with literature.

“Better Nate Than Ever” (Disney), based on the middle-grade novel by gay writer Tim Federle (who also directed and wrote the screenplay), was made before Disney took a stand for LGBT folks after homophobic Florida Governor Ron DeSantis went on his infamous rampage.

The late filmmaker Jean-Marc Vallée, who died unexpectedly at 58 in December 2021, never saw his 2005 movie “C.R.A.Z.Y.” (Samuel Goldwyn Pictures) receive a general theatrical release in the States.

Not exactly a sequel. Not really a remake.

When a film opens with the tagline “Based on true events,” even before the credits roll, it’s an attention-grabbing move.

Chances are that neither the real 17th-century French writer Cyrano de Bergerac nor the “Cyrano de Bergerac” created by 19th-century playwright Edmond Rostand could have imagined the way that movie audiences would embrace the story.

Gay filmmaker David Freyne (“The Cured”) gets personal with his Ireland-set queer rom-com “Dating Amber” (Samuel Goldwyn Films).

One thing you can say about Kenneth Branagh, at the very least he’s consistently inconsistent.

A comic book geek I know (and love) sums up the trouble with MCU in this way, “Marvel tries to sound intelligent and deep but instead, they just sound foolish.”

First, the good news. There are no multiverses in “Downton Abbey: A New Era” (Focus Features).

As non-traditional documentaries go, Amélie van Elmbt and Maya Duverdier’s “Dreaming Walls: Inside the Chelsea Hotel” (Magnolia Pictures) is right up there with Todd Haynes’ “The Velvet Underground.”

When a movie about a pyromaniac sociopath opens with a shot of the burning traffic light she set ablaze and ends with her refilling a gas can at a petrol station, as Pablo Larraín’s “Ema” (Music Box Films) does, you know you are in for a scorching experience.

As movie adaptations of semi-obscure West End musicals (that have yet to run on Broadway) are concerned, you’d be hard-pressed to find one as gay as “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie” (Amazon Studios).

Hey, Marvel and DC, there’s a new multiverse in town, and it’s here to kick both of your tired, sagging asses.

At the time that this review is being written, Russia, its maniacal leader, its unnecessary war on Ukraine, and the potential for greater escalation, are very much on people’s minds.

Based on a Washington Post article by Eli Saslow, inspired by Amanda Wendler and Libby Alexander, “Four Good Days” (Vertical) is a harrowing look at heroin addiction, and by extension the opioid crisis, and the toll it takes on a family.

Can you believe that Michelle Pfeiffer has never won an Academy Award? She’s been nominated three times but has never taken home an Oscar.

Halloween 2020 is behind us. However, for some people, especially LGBT folks, Thanksgiving can be much scarier. 

It’s not like we haven’t lived through some scary times lately, including the four years of 45’s destructive reign, the rise of white nationalism, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Give or Take” (Breaking Glass), the feature-length directorial debut by Paul Riccio (who also co-wrote the screenplay) is not your typical gay movie.

Once again holiday movies will abound on your TV screens for the Christmas season, but this year there's a bit of a queer twist to the festivities.

Now that “Respect,” the Aretha Franklin biopic starring Jennifer Hudson, has been pushed back to early 2021, you may find yourself craving the cinematic story of a pop diva other than Elton John or Freddie Mercury. You are in luck as we now have Unjoo Moon’s “I Am Woman” (Quiver Distribution), the Helen Reddy biopic, available on-demand and in theaters.

One of the queerest summers in recent cinema history gets even gayer with “Joe Bell” (Roadside Attractions) from the Oscar-winning screenwriting team behind “Brokeback Mountain” – Diana Ossana and the late Larry McMurtry.