In the war zone that is the fall TV season, it’s important to pick out the gems hidden in the media mesh. Each week, A&E columnist Sebastian Torrelio will profile one new show and one returning show that share a connection, detailing how they may make those after-school hours more meaningful. It’s fascinating to watch […]
Author Archives: Sebastian Torrelio
AFI Fest Final Day: Festival collects ideas, incongruities from around the world
As this year’s AFI Fest comes to a close, the time has come to reflect on the final day of feature films and shorts. All of Thursday’s showings, down to the closing-night gala, are meant to be interest-pieces at heart. Take “James White” for example. First-time director Josh Mond throws the viewer into a thrilling […]
AFI Fest Day Seven: Past careers return to celebrate, haunt and enhance
AFI Fest is just as much about movies as it is about people. The yearly celebration devotes a lot of time to highlighting people – not just those acting or working behind the scenes, but everyday individuals whose stories are reflected and justified in films. This year’s AFI Fest tribute event was dedicated to Charlotte […]
AFI Fest Day Six: Harrowing tales of personal struggle come alive on screen
“Son of Saul” may be the most courageous project of this year’s AFI Fest from a production perspective. László Nemes, a first-time director, tackles a story set during the Holocaust, with a maddeningly encroaching camera and a deeply dark script. There’s a reason that “Son of Saul” was chosen as Hungary’s entry for this year’s […]
AFI Fest Day Five: Climaxes of ‘Carol,’ ‘A War’ deliver well, while ‘The 33’ falls flat
The climax in movies is a beautiful thing. If a film can funnel the intricacies of its plot into one moment of breathtaking resolution, it makes the viewer’s experience more rewarding. This year, AFI Fest has had an abundance of movies that build up to one significant scene which have, for the most part, worked […]
To View or Not to View: ‘Master of None’ and ‘Louie’
In the war zone that is the fall TV season, it’s important to pick out the gems hidden in the media mesh. Each week, A&E columnist Sebastian Torrelio will profile one new show and one returning show that share a connection, detailing how they may make those after-school hours more meaningful. The present day’s “Golden […]
AFI Fest Day Four: Social issues not foreign to international films
One of the most fascinating things about the American Film Institute Festival is the crowd of foreign filmmakers on show. With a host of international selections comes a host of international viewpoints. Many of the films at this year’s festival portray the realities of social issues from the standpoint of other nations – some of […]