fureysm Reviews

No Right Way (2023)

Powerful and brutally honest

[9/10 · 4 November 2023]

My wife and I had the chance to see this at the Lone Star Film Festival and we were both just floored. The story itself is incredible, but it's in the acting where the film just soars. Director Chelsea Bo set her lightning-in-a-bottle cast free and the result is a realistic, tender, and honest portrayal of the human condition set against a background that is both beautiful and ugly at the same time. This is one of those movies that sticks with you long after the credits have rolled. I remember thinking that I wanted to see more, and could have watched the onscreen chemistry all day.

This was the festival standout to me, and I'm so glad we had the opportunity to see it.

Jimmy Buffett: Live by the Bay (1986 Video)

Back home in South Florida...

[10/10 · 9 June 2022]

This 90-minute concert at the Miami Marine Stadium is a fascinating time capsule, displaying not only the craziness of Buffett's heyday, but the vibe in 1986 Miami as well. Buffett is even introduced by the other then-king of Miami, Don Johnson.

As for the show itself, Buffett and his Coral Reefers were on fire. The set list is amazing, full of (now) classics and great deeper cuts, and everyone sounds phenomenal. The show is intercut a few times throughout with quick interview snippets with Buffett.

If you get a chance, check out this show. It's on regular rotation in my office, and oftentimes I just let it play on loop. Fins up!

Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking (2021)

A brief but insightful look into a pioneer of black filmmaking

[8/10 · 24 February 2022]

This 80-minute documentary shines the spotlight on one of the single most important creators in the history of Black cinema. Hardly anybody my age (or any age for that matter) knows of Oscar Micheaux, or the obstacles he overcame to make the films he did.

This documentary uses film footage, animation, interviews, and on-location footage to retrace the steps of the well-traveled Micheaux and the result is an exemplary introduction to the filmmaker and the insane world he captured through his lens.

Oscar Micheaux left a tangible impact on the world of filmmaking, and I have no doubt his influence and legacy will only strengthen as more of his work is discovered and shown to a world that desperately needs his insight. This documentary is an excellent start.