WALTZING WITH BRANDO (2025)

September 18, 2025

Greetings again from the darkness. Marlon Brando was a true Hollywood legend. Renowned for his performances in such movies as A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (1951), ON THE WATERFRONT (1954), and of course, THE GODFATHER (1972). He was nominated for eight Oscars, winning three. Despite his on-screen fame, Brando was an enigma in life. Sexual escapades, a commitment to causes, a neighbor and friend to Jack Nicholson, and his own French Polynesian island contributed to the mystique. It’s that private island which writer-director Bill Fishman (nearly a 40-year career of music videos) focuses on here.

The film is adapted from the 2011 book, “Waltzing with Brando: Planning a Paradise in Tahiti”, written by Bernard Judge, who is not just a big part of the story, it is in fact, his story being told. We first meet Bernard Judge (played by Jon Heder, NAPOLEON DYNAMITE, 2004) as a California-based architect with an interest in ecologically friendly and sustainable construction. It’s this interest that draws the attention of Marlon Brando (Billy Zane, TITANIC 1997; TOMBSTONE 1993, the underrated DEAD CALM 1989), who wants to develop something special on his remote island, Tetioroa. The two men hit it off and Bernard, with input from Brando, develops a comprehensive master plan and design.

Now if all that sounds a bit serious, you should know that director Fishman takes a light-handed, comedic approach to most of it. Zane’s Brando is both charming and manipulative, while Heder’s acting as Bernard is more suited to the man who finally takes to the relaxed Tahiti lifestyle, rather than the starched-shirt architect we first meet. Zane is made to look very much like Brando, yet he doesn’t limit his performance to posing and side-eyes. He even gets to deliver his Brando in “cuts” from THE GODFATHER, LAST TANGO IN PARIS, APOCALYPSE NOW, and SUPERMAN.

We learn developing a private island is not easy, even for Hollywood royalty. It’s also not cheap, and Brando, despite feeling tired of acting, continued taking jobs to pay for his dream … his restructuring of his “Gangster Movie” (THE GODFATHER) ended up costing him millions of dollars. The supporting cast includes Rob Corddry as Brando’s Business Partner, Richard Dreyfuss as the Money Manager, Alaina Huffman as Bernard’s wife, Camille Razat as a special friend. There are also appearances from Tia Carrere, David Guerira (as Francis Ford Coppola), and Heiae Touniou. Thanks to CGI, we see clips of Brando with Dick Cavett and Johnny Carson, and in keeping with the light-handed approach, there is a significant amount of speaking to the camera (breaking the 4th wall).

Billy Zane makes an excellent Brando (with a unique doorstop), while Jon Heder seems a bit miscast (or trying too hard). The story emphasizes Brando’s relaxed island style, purposefully avoiding the dark side. For Bernard Judge, these four or five years were life-altering, and we even see him looking back in 2010 during an interview for the book. Bernard passed away in 2021, so he didn’t get to see the film. It’s not a movie you can’t refuse, but for movie fans, it’s certainly fun to see Billy Zane as the icon.

Only in theaters on September 19, 2025

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Posted by David Ferguson

QUEEN OF MANHATTAN (2025)

September 18, 2025

Greetings again from the darkness. I recently watched NAKED AMBITION, a documentary on Bunny Yeager – a woman who excelled as a pinup in front of the camera as well as a photographer behind it. This film from writer-director Thomas Mignone (best known for his music videos) made for the perfect follow-up. While Bunny Yeager refused to join in to the shift towards more extreme content in the 1970’s and 1980’s, Mignone’s subject, Vanessa del Rio, not only carved out a career, she also became quite famous for her erotic and explicit films of the era.

Vivian Lamolle (“Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies”) portrays Vanessa del Rio and works hard to capture her charm and spirit. Filmmaker Mignone kicks things off by stating it’s 1981 and the film is “based on true events … allegedly”. The director conducted many hours of interviews with the real Ms. Del Rio (now in her 70’s), and much of what’s in the film stems from those conversations. By the time the film begins, Vanessa is well-established and well-known as an adult actress. Two of her film sets are referenced here, DRACULA EROTICA and FOXHOLES, making it clear that Vanessa was fully aware of the expectations and embraced this as career.

Supporting work comes from some familiar faces. Drea de Matteo plays Dominique, the club manager, and David Proval plays club owner Mickey. Both are alums of “The Sopranos”. Esai Morales plays Vanessa’s dad in flashbacks to 1960 Cuba, while Taryn Manning (“Orange is the New Black”) and Jesse Metcalf (“Desperate Housewives”) have key roles.  Dita Von Teese also appears. Vanessa became legendary in an industry most of us can’t really relate to, and as you might guess, the expected timeline of popularity is a bit short for most performers.

The grittiness of the era and of New York City specifically is quite clear, as is the demanding pace of work and unfair distribution of revenue. It’s interesting to note that the film presents adult entertainers as real folks – some struggling to make ends meet, while others become marquee names. This is not a documentary, but does profile Vanessa’s career – including her advocacy for sex workers’ rights. The AIDS epidemic (and the accompanying misinformation) of the 1980’s convinced her to end her film career, yet it’s noted that she made over 200 movies in a twelve-year span.

The film will be released IN SELECT THEATRES on September 19th and On Demand October 14th. 

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Posted by David Ferguson

BANG BANG (2025)

September 11, 2025

Greetings again from the darkness. There is no obvious explanation for my connection to and appreciation of Tim Blake Nelson on the big screen … well … other than his talent. He certainly doesn’t possess the traditional attributes of a movie star, yet that’s exactly what he is. Not only is he one of the most dependable character actors around (see O BROTHER WHERE ART THOU and MINORITY REPORT), but he’s also terrific in lead roles (see OLD HENRY and ASLEEP IN MY PALM). With this latest film, director Vincent Grashaw and screenwriter Will Janowitz (who also has a role in the film) benefit from the actor’s audacious and fearless performance.

Bernard “Bang Bang” Rozyski (Tim Blake Nelson) is a bitter man. He’s also an alcoholic. As a former boxer, he appears to be in a race to the bottom with the area of Detroit in which he lives. Both man and city are crumbling and to add insult, the former boxing rival that Bernard views as the reason for his decline is running for Mayor. Darnell Washington (Glenn Plummer) became rich peddling juicers (not countertop grills) and now holds himself up as a guiding light for a city that needs a reason to exist … not unlike Bernard.

Bernard’s estranged daughter (Nina Arianda) surprises him with a knock on the door and a request to watch her son Justin (Andrew Liner) while she gets settled with a new job in a new city. Justin’s ankle monitor prevents him from going with mom until he fulfills his community service. He also shows little interest in Grandpa’s philosophical meanderings … until he learns boxing can lead to money and girls. Bernard begins training him with the help of an old friend (Kevin Corrigan), and it’s at this point when we wonder if Bernard’s new path is one of redemption or revenge.

While the reasoning may be initially unclear, we have no doubt that Bernard is haunted by the past – and he understands this very well. Fighting, family, and his former house all play a role in his bitterness and frustration. We also understand that things don’t tend to get better for a guy like ‘Bang Bang’. Although the film covers familiar ground with some recognizable tropes, Tim Blake Nelson’s performance and the raw aesthetic of the film keep us fully engaged. His final confrontation with Washington may go a bit over the top, but it reminds us that while a hammer sees everything as a nail, a fighter may very well view everything as a fight … or at least as the only way to resolve conflict.

The film opens in select theaters on September 12, 2025 (NYC, LA, Detroit, with additional markets TBA), following its premiere at the Tribeca Festival.

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Posted by David Ferguson

NAKED AMBITION (2025, doc)

September 11, 2025

Greetings again from the darkness. Most of us scoot through life never being labeled as “the prettiest” anything. That’s fine. We accept it. Still, we apply the label periodically and it was Bunny Yeager who was known as “the world’s prettiest photographer”. Not many would argue with the designation as Ms. Yeager was an incredibly talented photographer, while also being described as a bombshell … a pinup model and actress herself.

Co-directors Dennis Scholl and Kareem Tabsch previously collaborated on THE LAST RESORT (2018), and both are known for their focus on unconventional subjects. Bunny is no exception as she made her name in a male-dominated field after moving behind the camera from in front of it. If you are unfamiliar with Bunny, she was a popular pinup model who became famous for her work as a pinup photographer. You might ask how. Not only did she photograph multiple Playboy magazine centerfolds, her most well-known and popular subject was the very famous and immensely popular Bettie Page. Oh yes, Bunny also appeared in the magazine as a model herself.

Whether you are a connoisseur of Bettie Page’s poses or not, you likely know another of Bunny’s most well-known photographs … that of Ursula Andress emerging from the sea in DR. NO (1962), the first James Bond movie. It’s truly an iconic cinematic shot. In keeping with this particular shot, Bunny is also linked to the increasing popularity of bikinis for women … both in design and in mainstreaming. Bunny became a master of outdoor photography by defeating the confounding issue of natural lighting – giving her photographs a distinct look and feel.

The filmmakers include some archival interviews (including Bunny and Page), and we see commentary from Larry King, Dita Von Teese, Bruce Weber, and even Hugh Hefner. However, what kicks this documentary up a notch (in addition to the dozens of photographs) is the input from Bunny’s two daughters. It’s fascinating to hear the two very different viewpoints from the women who were raised by Bunny. One finds her mother’s work demeaning and exploitive of women, while the other has acted to preserve her mother’s legacy, and is quite proud of mom’s career.

‘Career’ feels like underselling what Bunny accomplished. Sure, she was an in-demand model. Yes, she was a famous photographer. However, she also had an acting career, and authored numerous books that have influenced photographers (including Diane Arbus), even to this day. Bunny Yeager’s ambition and dedication deserve to be celebrated along with her technical proficiency and artistic eye. It should also be noted that as tastes careened towards the extreme in the 1970’s, Bunny refused to transition into the pornography world, despite the promise of big paydays. This was a territory that held no interest to her. Bunny Yeager, the world’s prettiest photographer, deserves to be remembered.

Opens in theaters on September 12, 2025

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Posted by David Ferguson

RIEFENSTAHL (2025, doc)

September 5, 2025

Greetings again from the darkness. Having one’s name or work associated Hitler typically (but somehow not always these days) marks one as a pariah or persona non grata. For artists, the rules can be a bit blurred, and filmmaker Andres Veiel takes on the story of Leni Riefenstahl, in hopes of removing some of the blur.

Leni Riefenstahl was a former actress who became the Reich’s preeminent filmmaker best known as the director of TRIUMPH OF THE WILL (1935), the ultimate propaganda film for the Nazi party, and OLYMPIA (1938), her version of the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Having access to her private family archives, filmmaker Veiel takes the deepest dive yet into her life and approach. He opens with her appearance on a 1978 talk show where she is asked if she now considers her association with Hitler to have been a mistake. She bows her head and the clip is cut before we hear the answer (if there was one), though the remainder of the documentary uses her own words and actions to pretty much answer the question.

There have been other films about Leni. The most well-known is probably Ray Muller’s THE WONDERFUL, HORRIBLE LIFE OF LENI RIEFENSTAHL (1993), which Veiel references here. Still, nothing previous feeds us the wealth of photos and video clips served up by Veiel, offering such a full profile of one of the most controversial people from the WWII era. It should be noted that Leni died in 2003 at age 101, so she lived many decades of facing scrutiny and scorn. During her interviews and appearances on talk shows, very little attention was paid to the innovative filmmaking techniques she used in her work, but rather the attention was on her affiliation with Nazis, especially her ‘friendly’ relationship with Hitler.

Photos of her with Hitler and Goebbels are shown, and the backlash from Goebbels’ diaries are discussed. There is also a segment on Albert Speer, part of Hitler’s inner circle and one of the war criminals sentenced at the Nuremburg trials. What we notice is that Leni was no wallflower. She often spoke her mind, and continued to hang her hat on the “art” label … going so far as to state (in 1980) that ‘art is the opposite of politics.’ This defense likely eased her conscience a bit, but we can’t help but be stunned when she claims “Peace” was the theme of her TRIUMPH OF THE WILL. It’s a word that only she would associate with that film.

In her defense, Leni states that most Germans supported the efforts and that things didn’t end well for dissidents of the Reich. Mostly we find Leni in the George Costanza corner – ‘it’s not a lie if you believe it.’ She was a smart and talented and strong woman who was calculating in everything she did or said. She discusses her long relationship (business and personal) with Horst Kettner, and we see the lovely home they shared. We also learn that it took Leni ten years to write her memoirs, and we are left wondering how much guilt she experienced – despite claiming that she knew nothing of the Holocaust (a topic Veiel  addresses). We have all seen her extraordinary camera work on Jesse Owens at the 1936 Olympics, yet no amount of filmmaking genius or creativity can overshadow her work for Hitler. Was she the first ‘cancelled’ artist? In fact, regardless of the pain, she must be remembered … something this project from Andres Veiel ensures.

IN THEATERS

September 5 – NY (Lincoln Center, Quad Cinema)

September 12 – LA (Laemmle Royal, Laemmle Town Center 5)

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST (2025, doc)

September 5, 2025

Greetings again from the darkness. Ben Masters’ follow-up to his outstanding documentary, DEEP IN THE HEART: A TEXAS WILDLIFE STORY (2022) is even more stunning, more remarkable, and more important. Narrated by environmentalist, model, and actress Quannah Chasinghorse, the breathtaking photography is complemented by a history lesson and cautionary warnings about where things are headed.

The film traces the mighty Colorado River and is highlighted by rare clips of animals in their habitat … scenes we infrequently, if ever, have the opportunity to see.  Some of the videos include bull elk, beaver, fish, the California condor, and the area’s apex predator – the gorgeous jaguar. These videos are spectacular and show the beauty of the animals and the area. There is even a segment featuring desert-adapted rattlesnakes in their den, followed by 13 newborns.

Ben Masters’ documentary is so much more than beautiful images of this stunning setting. It’s also a lesson in cultural history and a reminder of the crucial role the Colorado River plays in modern day society. The river spans nearly 1500 miles in length and 25% of the water goes to California farmland – crops that feed millions of people. It’s described as the blood that pumps life into much of the United States. We see the humble pond which starts the river, as well as the dried-out delta wasteland at the end. In between, we see the mountains, eleven national parks, the Mojave Desert (temperatures as high as 134 degrees), Lake Powell and Lake Mead, and the border wall, the latter which now deters the north-south migration of many species. The river runs through seven states.

The Colorado River is responsible for carving through 277 miles of the Grand Canyon, and now its fragile ecosystem is a call to action for us to save this stunning natural habitat of various animals, as well as the lifeline for so many people. It’s mentioned that the river’s health mirrors that of our own health … in other words, healing is crucial to sustain life. That should be enough to get folks to listen and act.

THE AMERICAN SOUTHWEST is set for a theatrical release on September 5, 2025 across seven states: Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, California, Texas, and Colorado

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Posted by David Ferguson

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