Hector Gonzalez, Author at Minorities Report

20 Mar

Sissy Review | SXSW2022

Hector Gonzalez0 CommentsSXSW2022Film Festivals, Film Review, Sissy, SXSW, SXSW2022

Acquired recently by Shudder, even before the festival started, Sissy is following the lengthy and rocky trend of social media horror films, which I haven’t been the biggest fan of. Having said that, I was still excited to see how it was going to tackle the themes of trauma, pressure, and loneliness (which seem to be the main topics in these types of horror pictures). It begins with bright colors and a score that feels like it came out from a Disney Channel film. The sing-songy music cue makes you think that this was a farce on social media, which…

20 Mar

Anonymous Club Review | SXSW2022

Hector Gonzalez0 CommentsSXSW2022Anonymous Club, Courtney Barnett, Danny Cohen, Film Review, SXSW2022

A few indie artists can express themselves freely in their music like Courtney Barnett. Of course, many artists put their soul into the music they make, but there’s something unique about how Barnett conveys her touching yet arcane lyrics. You may have heard of the Australian singer-songwriter thanks to her hit song “Avant Gardener” from her debut, The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas. The track has a slick indie vibe, which may feel uplifting in the instrumental, but hard-hitting in the lyrics as it explores the difficulty of escaping her discomfort. There are many other examples of this…

20 Mar

Really Good Rejects Review | SXSW2022

Hector Gonzalez0 CommentsSXSW2022Alice Gu, Documentary, Really Good Rejects, Reuben Cox, Review, SXSW2022

Austin, TX has a well renowned and fantastic music scene. At SXSW, not only is it shown in their music section of the festival (with artists like SASAMI, Ringo Deathstarr, Wet Leg, Japanese Breakfast, and Linqua Franqa playing), but also on the 24 Beats Per Second documentaries in their film festival. One of the most interesting ones playing this year is Alice Gu’s Really Good Rejects. The doc covers the life of Reuben Cox, a modern-day luthier. Although you may not have heard of him (to be frank, I didn’t either), it’s fascinating to see and hear his process of…

19 Mar

To Leslie Review | SXSW2022

Hector Gonzalez0 CommentsSXSW2022Andrea Riseborough, Michael Morris, SXSW, SXSW2022, To Leslie

The troubles that lurk at the bottom of a bottle. The struggles of maintaining yourself after losing it all. The search for guidance amidst rebuilding your life. Alcoholism and addiction have been displayed on the cinematic landscape on many occasions and in different styles. Classic examples like Leaving Las Vegas, La Cienaga, Days of Wine and Roses, and Under the Volcano have demonstrated the different sides of drinking and addiction problems. Now director Michael Morris tells his version of the tale with the wonderful Andrea Riseborough in the lead role. With Riseborough’s name alone, I’m all eyes and ears, as…

19 Mar

Spin Me Round Review | SXSW2022

Hector Gonzalez0 CommentsSXSW2022Allison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, Ben Sinclair, Jeff Baena, Lil Rel Howery, Molly Shannon, SXSW, SXSW2022, Zach Woods

Jeff Baena is known for his “uproarious” comedies that center around bizarre or irregular situations. His movies' circumstances bring a sensation of on-purpose awkwardness. It may have its audience, but I haven’t been able to enjoy any of them. The one thing that I like about his pictures is the likable cast, which includes Allison Brie and Aubrey Plaza, who everybody loves dearly. Spin Me Round (possibly named after Flo Rida’s 2009 bop), has Baena reuniting with an all-star comedy cast consisting of Brie, Plaza, Molly Shannon, Lil Rel Howery, Zach Woods, Ben Sinclair, and Fred Armisen. It centers around…

19 Mar

The Cellar | SXSW2022

Hector Gonzalez0 CommentsSXSW2022Abby Fitz, Brendan Muldowney, Elisha Cuthbert, SXSW, SXSW2022

Keira Woods (Elisha Cuthbert) and her family have moved into a new house in the country. In complete possessed-house fashion, it contains a cellar that includes several secrets. Then, one day, out of the blue, Woods’ daughter (Abby Fitz) disappears in the cellar after being locked in it. She must act quickly to find a way to get her daughter’s soul back as she discovers that there is an ancient and powerful entity controlling their home. Now, Brendan Muldowney’s The Cellar might have a pretty simple premise at the start of things. Still, there is much to uncover, especially in…

18 Mar

X Review | An Ode to Grindhouse Cinema- SXSW 2022

Hector Gonzalez0 CommentsSXSW2022Brittany Snow, Chelsea Wolfe, Jenna Ortega, Kid Cudi, Malgosia Turzanska, Mia Goth, SXSW, SXSW2022, Thomas S. Hammock, Ti West, Tyler Bates, X

I’m a big fan of grindhouse and exploitation cinema. There’s something really fascinating about watching a sleazy horror or an excessively violent action movie. From Lucio Fulci’s The Beyond to Ferrara’s Ms. 45, grindhouse cinema covers many circuits of the low-budget genre including slashers, sexploitation, nudies, mondo, & more. Many of these movies were banned and left to rot due to the reactions when they first released, but as the years pass, they are being restored for the new generation to experience their delights. Many directors have been inspired by the works of this kind like Eli Roth, Quentin Tarantino,…

17 Mar

Jethica Review | SXSW 2022

Hector Gonzalez0 CommentsSXSW2022Ashley Denise Robinson, Callie Hernandez, Jethica, Pete Ohs, SXSW, SXSW2022

What happens after we are gone? What is life without human connection? Is there something waiting for us in the end? These questions rattle in our heads time and time again, echoing stronger throughout the years. In a different variation of a ghost story, Pete Ohs’ Jethica explores those thoughts and uncertainties in a comedic fashion. The film follows Jessica and Elena, who reconnect in a New Mexico gas station after a long time. Jessica has been living in fear because a man named Kevin is stalking her. However, Elena has also been having some troubles as she hides in…

17 Mar

Pirates Review | SXSW

Hector Gonzalez0 CommentsSXSW2022Elliot Edusah, Jordan Peters, Pirates, Reda Elazouar, Reggie Yates, Review, SXSW2022

It’s 1999, and three friends, Cappo (Elliot Edusah), Two Tonne (Jordan Peters), and Kidda (Reda Elazouar), are trying to get their music careers up and running through pirate radio. However, their focus on New Year’s Eve is to drive through London in search of tickets to the best party of the millennium. Remember, Y2K is supposed to happen, and many believed there would be a technological apocalypse, so if there was going to be a party, it would be a big one. En voyage, they get in trouble with exes, confront past incidents, and gear up for the event. Overall,…

14 Mar

It Is In Us All Review | SXSW2022

Hector Gonzalez0 CommentsSXSW2022Antonia Campbell-Hughes, It Is In Us All, Review, SXSW, SXSW2022

It is In Us All by Antonia Campbell-Hughes tells the story of Londoner Hamish Considine, who is the victim of a shocking car crash because he felt the spirit of his long-deceased mother while driving back to his hometown. The collision rips him apart, slowly draining him emotionally and physically. Hamish is a broken and wounded beast lost in his ancestral homeland of Donegal, in west Ireland. Amidst the troubling reverberations of the crash, he is drawn by a young teen named Evan, who was also involved in the accident. This develops an unlikely relationship between the two, as both…