On its official website, Mother of All Shows is described as a Mother / Daughter Traumedy, and that’s a wonderful description for Melissa D’Agostino’s first feature.

For those of us navigating the fraught waters of how to deal with narcissistic parents or negative body image, not only will this resonate, but there’s healing and redemption in there, too.  Mother of All Shows was written by Melissa D’Agostino and David James Brock and directed by Melissa D’Agostino and Matthew Campagna.

Liza’s (Melissa D’Agostino) mother, Rosa (Wendie Malick) is dying – and the only way that Liza has to deal with that impending fact is to take solace in her mind – where it’s all a 1970’s variety show that is hosted by her mother.  People from her past and present – including her supportive and doting boyfriend Alan (Darryl Hinds), her father (Michael A. Miranda), her cousin (Tarah Consoli), and her high school boyfriend (Phil Luzi) – are all paraded through the segments in her mind, complete with period-appropriate commercials for products like “Shame Flakes.” 

The film tells the story of their complicated relationship through the medium of the variety show, and the sparkling costumes and poppy scenery belie the emotional traumas Liza is working through. In one ‘Mating Game’ segment, Rosa castigates Liza for choosing Alan. In another cooking segment, Rosa mocks Liza’s appearance – from her choice of dress to her weight, even as Liza literally asks her for body kindness.

This funny musical brings some big feelings with it – people who have had to go no contact with narcissistic family members will find Liza’s conversation with her cousin during a ‘Christmas Shopping’ sketch all-too-familiar.  Those who have had to deal with difficult parental relationships will be moved by an animated sketch.

But what is really happening is that Liza is trying to decide if she should reach out to her mother in the long-term care home where she resides, or if she can see her mother without losing herself in the process.  Alan, her supportive and loving boyfriend, affirms that when Liza did interact with Rosa, it caused deep depressions that were painful to witness.

I really enjoyed this movie, and was moved to tears by a couple of sections because of how much Liza’s story (and her emotional growth) moved me.  Everyone seemed to remind me of someone I knew, and the situations very much resonated with me because of my own history with a narcissistic parent. But the beauty of Mother of All Shows is that though the film deals with heavy topics, it does so in such a light fashion it’s never weighed down. Part of this has to do with Melissa D’Agostino’s performance – Liza is witty and strong, and though she deals with self-doubt, it’s obvious that she has been working through the issues that we bear witness to throughout the film.  She conveys the dichotomy of Liza’s growing confidence and her insecurities – all while tap dancing and singing.

Wendie Malick as Rosa is engaging, funny, cruel, and oh-so recognizable as a talented but  narcissistic mother who can’t understand why her daughter won’t just do the things she wants. Her performance is both counterweight and foil to Liza, yet Malik brings sensitivity and depth to Rosa, and as she talks about the impact of generational trauma, we’re able to glimpse a bit of Rosa behind her barbed exterior.

Darryl Hinds is amazing as Liza’s supportive boyfriend, Alan, and as a member of #TeamLiza I’m very happy that she has someone like him at her side.  Tarah Consoli creates the right mix of funny and abrasive as Liza’s cousin, Lisa, who has remained close to Rosa and feels slighted by Liza’s boundary-setting.  Their relationship brings more heart-breaking context to the choice that Liza had to make to set boundaries and go no-contact with her mother. Michael A. Miranda’s performance as Liza’s dad helps us understand just how things got to this point. 

Mother of All Shows is surreal, laugh-out-loud funny, emotional, complex, and bold. Its premise is clever and gives a catharsis to Liza and us as an audience, even when life doesn’t always give easy answers.  If you enjoy comedies that speak to our deeper emotional experiences, have ever watched and enjoyed 1970’s variety shows, or enjoy heartfelt stories told in innovative ways – this is well worth your time. 

Mother of All Shows will be screening as the opening night film at the Art of Brooklyn Film Festival, and you can follow here for more information on where to see it next!

The Laemmle family has been in film since the beginning, and ‘Only in Theaters’ chronicles this iconic family’s impact on cinema, in particular the impact of the chain of theaters in Southern California bearing their name and run by CEO Greg Laemmle. Opening at the Laemmle family’s Shabbat table, the documentary weaves images and film from their family archives, interviews with influential figures in film, and family celebrations and reminisces with footage that director Raphael Sbarge captured during 24 extraordinarily turbulent months for the revered theater chain.

It’s a wise thing to focus on the theater chain, because the scope of the documentary would be too large should it try to encompass the impact of the Laemmle family – which can’t be overstated. Not only did Carl Laemmle save the lives of 300 German Jews, but he also began an unforgettable legacy of uplifting independent voices in Hollywood.

Carl Laemmle, A German immigrant who came to the United states in 1884, may have started working in retail and dry goods, but it all changed when he first glimpsed a nickelodeon. Laemmle would stand against Edison’s Motion Picture Patents Company. Laemmle’s successful challenge broke Edison’s monopoly of moving pictures.

Laemmle would go on to form Universal Studios, but without his innovations in marketing (for individual actors) and location (moving west) the history of motion pictures would be entirely different.

While telling some of the storied history of the Laemmle family is important to “Only in Theaters,” the focus is on the 84-year-old Southern California theater chain. Initially intended by the director as a more brief project that would encompass the challenges faced by the arthouse change in the face of waning ticket sales due to streaming technology, and the contemplation of a buyout, the documentary also encompasses the challenges faced by the family-owned chain during the COVID-19 pandemic.

‘Only in Theaters’ is engaging with the way it explores the history and challenges faced by the Laemmle family and its business, but what stuck with me more was the movie’s celebration of theater-going itself. It includes many stories of movie-going experiences: first dates, inspirational, life-altering experiences, and important premieres that happened at Laemmle theaters. As the documentary demonstrates, there’s something magical that happens in a movie theater, and central to the documentary is that movie theaters are storytelling spaces of vital importance: and this is true of Laemmle theaters in particular.

I think anyone who has seen a movie in a theater agrees. There’s something special about it: from the beautiful, large spaces to the collective energy of the crowd giving itself over to the fictional dream.

In an interview for the Jewish Journal, Greg Laemmle shared his observations made as he toured with ‘Only in Theaters.’ “As much as films are struggling right now, event cinema screenings are doing very well,” he said. “We make every screening a little special. It’s much more important now to appear at the screenings and talk to audiences afterwards.” I’ve certainly been to such an event screening recently to see Tommy Wiseau’s Big Shark (and Tommy Wiseau has a history of screening ‘The Room’ at … you guessed it, Laemmle theaters. Such event cinema screenings offer a lifeline to small theaters seeking to find their audience in the post-pandemic, post-streaming world.

‘Only in Theaters’ isn’t just about 24 months in the history of Laemmle Theaters – that would have been compelling enough, though! It’s also a celebration of independent cinema in general. It honors the cultural legacy of these spaces dedicated to collective experience, elevating them as sacred. After watching it, my first impulse was to go out to see a movie.

Obviously, I’d say the best way to see this engaging, vibrant, and interesting documentary is to head to a Laemmle theater – or your local independent theater. There’s a schedule of events for it here. But if you can’t make it to one of those, ‘Only in Theaters’ will be streaming on Amazon starting May 2nd.

‘Bristol Fashion’ is a sweet, moving slice of life movie that follows a young transgender woman, Christina (Lea Nayeli) as she navigates the fraught waters of her life. ‘Bristol Fashion’ is an intimate look at her life in these moments, and it escapes stereotypes and cliches. We are offered a window into this turbulent time in her life — her purchase of a boat, the bigotry she faces in her day to day life, the awkwardness around identification cards and deadnames, the delicacy of relationships between transgender women and straight cis men, and the intricacies and difficulties of living an authentic life.

Christina is bold and strong even when at her most vulnerable. She pulls no punches – nor does this movie.

I don’t want to give away too much in this review because I really would love for you to watch it! If you do, you’ll be treated to a fearless look at a woman’s life and experiences as she tries to find her way in the world – by way of an old boatyard.

‘Bristol Fashion’ is directed by Pierre Guillet – a tugboat captain who grew up at the boatyard in which much of the movie takes place. Guillet, Timothy John Foster, and Lea Nayeli share writing credit.

The characters of Christina, Steve / Esteban, and Cadillac / Gerald are well-acted and all of them bring a relatability and likability to their roles. It’s a treat to see their performances as their characters change through the course of the movie.

Lea Nayeli is enchanting in the role of Christina. Beautiful, kind, strong, vulnerable, fierce, and everything else demanded of her in any given situation – Christina is a smart, straight-speaking woman. She’s confident in her gender identity and what she is fighting for, while being scared and vulnerable about her situation. She’s determined to have her plan happen just so – which makes her journey seeking peace from her traumatic past happen on her terms. While Christina’s habit of calling people by their given name instead of their chosen is an odd one, it’s tempered by Lea Nayeli’s warmth and kindness in her delivery of them, which lead me to believe this quirk speaks to Christina’s turmoil in relating to her world after a horribly traumatic experience. It’s obvious that her experiences have left her keeping people at a distance while being as bluntly truthful as possible. She’s not one to lead people on – she just says it like it is, and Lea Nayeli expertly navigates the performance. Christina has confidence without egotism and a vulnerability devoid of weakness.

Raul Perez’s performance is a sweet one, and his Esteban undergoes a lot of changes through the story. His reactions to Christina, protectiveness towards her, and affection are all easy to see, and as we get to know his character it’s easy to understand why. Even when his character stumbles with intolerance, Perez makes his journey back to kindness and groundedness believable. I was grateful to learn more about him.

Richard DiFrisco’s performance is magnetic — it’s easy to be curious about the semi-enigmatic Cadillac and his acting aspirations, but DiFrisco brings a sly playfulness that was fun to watch. I found myself wondering what part he got, and how his performance turns out.

What I particularly liked about the characters is that they are flawed human beings that we get to see grow and change through the film. Other than the extremely bigoted, there are no caricatures here. There’s no flinching from the hard truths about these lives and their world and how sometimes the cards we are dealt suck.

As for the setting, this is a New York I’ve never seen. I’m going out on a limb that many haven’t seen these views – and these new images of its waterways give the city an entirely different, exotic character. Symbolically, the boatyard also adds to our sense of tension as we watch Christina navigate this traditionally male space.

The music by Sami El-Enany enhances the scenes without being overwhelming. The cinematography, camera work, and color palate all bring a warmth and intimacy to the overall feel of the film. There are some beautiful moments of lighting and framing that add texture. One particularly beautiful scene comes when Christina is exploring her new home by lamplight.

I really enjoyed ‘Bristol Fashion,’ and was grateful to see an affirming story about the power of tolerance and acceptance. The story’s emotional range and depth is accompanied by wry humor and meditative visuals that make sure that the weighty material isn’t too overwhelming. It was refreshing to see a film that actually explored the experiences of a transgender woman beyond just the surface. ‘Bristol Fashion’ is a beautiful contemplative examination of the sort of life often relegated to the margins, but so deserving of our time.

‘Bristol Fashion’ will be screened as part of the Indie Discovery LA Film Series later this year!

It Is One of My Top Movie-Going Experiences Ever.

You’re either going to understand what that means, and you’ll continue (or perhaps you’ll stop reading right there), or you’ll think, ‘huh?’

Allow me to present the trailer, and you can decide if you want to stick around. I’ll be as spoiler-free as the trailer is. This is actually a hilarious joke because not much from the trailer was in the pre-premiere we saw.

I love an earnest movie. There’s magic in seeing a film that someone poured their heart and soul into. I’m very prone to loving movies with their hearts on their sleeve. Or, apparently, a shark on their streets. Thus, to celebrate our wedding anniversary,

Darren and I drove up to Portland to see the pre-premiere of Tommy Wiseau’s ‘Big Shark.’

The Theater

‘The Room,’ Wiseau’s most famous work (so far), played on March 31st and April 1st, and Big Shark had showings on April 1st and April 2nd at Cinema21 in Portland, Oregon.

Cinema 21, located on NW 21st Avenue in Portland, has been a cinema since 1926. It’s a locally owned business that is a staple of Portland’s cinema community. Through the years it has had many different names, such as ‘The State’ or ‘The Vista.’ It’s played host to a number of premieres through its time, including ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,’ ‘Slackers,’ and ‘Pan’s Labyrinth.’

It’s also got a gorgeous marquee.

I’m a sucker for the sorts of films they show, too. Their coming lineup includes ‘A Face in the Crowd’ (amazing movie starring Andy Griffith and Walter Matthau). Anyway, it was a great little place to catch some interesting movies. They have a history of hosting Wiseau — here’s some footage of one of his Q&A’s from 2017.

The Movie

I wasn’t sure what to expect, and honestly ‘Big Shark’ beat any expectations I had anyway.

First of all, one of my concerns with ‘The Room’ is there was this feeling / worry I had was about the exploitation of Tommy Wiseau and specifically his feelings. It’s complicated, so let me try and unpack it for a second. Remember how I’m a sucker for an earnest movie? Well, The Room is certainly earnest. So earnest, that I could feel he was really pouring his heart into it. This is a man whose favorite movies are ‘Citizen Kane’ and ‘Giant’ and I can definitely see that, and that was his influence.

I worried that audiences were laughing at a creation that represented a lot of his genuine feelings and that probably stung. I’ve been the person who people made fun of for things I made and it’s never been fun for me. My experiences made me worry that sometimes, the laughter might take a toll on Wiseau’s artistic vision.

I am very happy to say that after viewing ‘Big Shark’ (and its intro and Q&A by none other than the auteur himself), that not only is Wiseau in on the joke now — he’s funnier at telling that joke than any one of us could have hoped. He seemed to really be enjoying himself with the audience, and it really helped make some magic.

How did he do it again?

This was a pre-premier of ‘Big Shark,’ and the audience mainly consisted of people who loved Tommy Wiseau, so we were an audience primed to enjoy fun times with a big shark terrorizing the streets of New Orleans. The plot is straightforward ‘firefighters and best friends attempt to save New Orleans from big shark.’ It was the getting there that neared the sublime in cult movie viewing.

None of us had seen this movie before, and still Wiseau managed to tap into the meta experience of a cult film viewing better than a lot of people aiming straight for it. We whooped at a movie theater that looked vaguely like the one we were in. The audience enthusiastically catcalled Tommy’s character as he stripped off a layer of clothing for a fishing trip. We sang with the characters (‘Cowboys never cry!’), cheered when the shark came on screen, and chanted ‘sports’, ‘pump’, and sometimes ‘vroom’ when it seemed right to do so.

I got to experience a cult film wrap its audience in a loving embrace in real-time.

Somehow, Tommy Wiseau managed to make an audience-participation-driven experience that felt organic, and I can’t think of many other directors that can pull that off. Masterful.

The entire experience made all the more special by knowing that Tommy was there, watching with us. We got to share our joy in his creation with him.

The Event

The event’s doors opened at 4, but Tommy Wiseau made sure to spend time with everyone in the merch line before the show got started. Then he made his intro, during which he encouraged us all to have a good time and have fun.

I think it would be a very hard time not to have fun in the crowd.

By the time that the movie ended, we were on our feet and hooping and hollering. This was billed as a pre-premiere, and Wiseau pointed out to begin his Q&A that there were going to be some edits. He awarded a poster to ‘Zero’ (the person who correctly answered the number of sets in the film was nicknamed zero) along with a host of people that he brought down from the balcony. He encouraged those seeking advice that his advice would be ‘keep going.’

It was also great to have his long-time friend Greg Sestero come out to field the question of whether or not they are still friends (‘We’ve done three films about best friends, and I’m here 25 years later!’), along with a few of the other questions. Raul Phoenix was also there, and it was cool to hear him talking about his character (whose animal would be a panther). I hope that Isiah LaBorde made it out of the airport OK (he was supposed to be there as another surprise guest but got stuck!). It was during the Q&A we got to learn that Tommy will be back in May, with ‘props’ from the movie (that were all real!).

I made the subtitle of this piece pretty much say everything I feel about this event. It’s going to be one of my favorite movie-going experiences ever for a long, long time: it’d be hard to beat. Everything conspired to make it so. Cinema 21 is an exquisite venue and created the perfect atmosphere for a movie experience. The event was well-organized and well-staffed by the theater. It’s obvious why it’s such a long-lived, storied place.

The movie was so much fun, and it was all the more so knowing that Wiseau was laughing with us. I will wait until after the movie shows in its final form to talk about what I thought about plot, acting, etc. overall, but after some thought, I do have some questions about some of the influences (I’m really hoping ‘Big Trouble In Little China’ is one of them).

Ultimately, my experiences and love of Tommy Wiseau’s work comes down to the fact it’s inspiring and inspired. Especially after hearing his Q&A, in which he came off as genuine and downright loving towards those in attendance.

Tommy Wiseau’s ‘Big Shark’ gets a perfect seven out of five sharks because I’m a biased reviewer. If you’re the sort of person that loves these sorts of movies — you’ll love this one, and there’s no better way than to see it with an audience. If you’re anywhere close to Portland, you’ve already got my recommendation as to where to go. Don’t be fooled — the balcony has some of the best seats!