September 20th: A strong finish to a solid festival. By the nature of their genre, the films in the Fantasy Shorts block did not dwell on AI. It was a nice break, though I appreciated the way that Metropolis brought everything thematically full circle. Fantasy Short Film Block Stuck 2gether (2026)Las Hadas de la Sombra…
September 19th: AI remained the topic du jour in discussions and sci-fi shorts, a stark contrast to the wit and warmth of The Princess Bride. But hey, if true love can conquer the Fire Swamp, perhaps so too can the spirit of human creativity endure these tech-addled times. This post ended up being longer than…
September 18th: This pre-apocalyptic action oddity was a canny choice to open a festival so concerned with the dangers and temptations of artificial intelligence. The topic surfaced in short films and feature-length films, in moderated Q&A sessions, and in cocktail reception chatter. And why wouldn’t it? Read the news, catch a commercial, check your work…
I caught festival fever this summer at MIFF (read all about it here). Now I’m back at it with the SciFi Schenectady Film Festival, held from 9/18-9/20 in Schenectady’s historic Proctors Theater. This year’s lineup includes a promisingly eclectic mix of new and old, science fiction and fantasy, and features and short films. Keep an…
Practical Magic 2 (2026): Director: Susanne BierScreenwriter: Akiva Goldsman, Georgia Pritchett, and Kelly MarcelStarring: Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, Joey King, Maisie Williams, Lee Pace, Dianne Wiest, Stockard Channing The Plot: The Owens women come from a long line of witches, all cursed so that the men they love are doomed to die. After suffering another…
Onslaught (2026): Director: Adam WingardScreenwriter: Simon Barrett & Adam WingardStarring: Adria Arjona, Blake Kennedy, Reginald VelJohnson, Drew Starkey, Dan Stevens The Plot: Three genetically engineered super soldiers escape from a secret government facility in the desert. Their programming tells them to kill anything in their path, which in this case includes the residents of Windy…
The Whisper Man (2026): Director: James AshcroftScreenwriters: Ben Jacoby and Chase Palmer, based on the novel by Alex NorthStarring: Adam Scott, Robert DeNiro, Michelle Monaghan, Acston Luca Porto The Plot: Grieving widower Tom (Adam Scott) moves to the small New Jersey town of Garretton with his imaginative young son Jake (Acston Luca Porto) just as…
It’s shocking to me that this is only the fifth Jason Statham movie to appear on this site. What have I been doing with my life? Mutiny (2026): Director: Jean-François RichetScreenwriter: Lindsay Michel and J.P. DavisStarring: Jason Statham, Annabelle Wallis, Rolan Møller, Ramon Tikaram The Plot: After being framed for the assassination of wealthy but…
Here at Rooster Illusion, we’re nothing if not timely. Relevance, that’s our watchword. The Odyssey (2026): Director: Christopher NolanScreenwriter: Christopher NolanStarring: Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Himesh Patel The Plot: After spending ten years fighting in the Trojan war, Odysseus’ (Matt Damon) return journey to Ithaca is beset by calamity. While Odysseus…
July 18th: My last day at MIFF, and a big day for documentaries from and about Maine. Featuring seven documentary short films from local filmmakers and a feature-length love letter to a hardcore music venue that doubled as a refuge for outcast teens. A long day, but a high note on which to end. Maine…
July 17th: The penultimate day of my time at the festival, and the last day for fiction. Featuring a clever comedy about romance and ghosts, seven narrative short films from Maine artists, and a gross yet lovable film about a prostitute trying to free herself from a curse. Mallory’s Ghost (2026) Director: Arabella OzScreenwriter: Arabella…
July 16th: Featuring three very different films directed by women. We’ve got a directionless bartender taking a life changing modeling job, a teen coming to terms with her sexuality and her father’s addiction, and a jilted middle school theater teacher enacting an increasingly dark and absurd revenge plot. In Transit (2025): Director: Jaclyn BethanyScreenwriter: Alex…
