Category Archives: Cinequest

Cinequest 2023 – Minnesota Mean

Posted on August 14, 2023 by Debbie Bretschneider

I was excited to see the documentary Minnesota Mean on the Cinequest lineup. I have fond memories of watching roller derby with my Dad in the 60’s, so I was anxious to revisit the sport. And it didn’t let me … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinequest, Entertainment, Film, Media, Movies, Personal, Review | Tagged Cinequest, Cinequest 2023, Film, Movies, Review | Leave a comment

Cinequest 2023 – Star Wars Kid

Posted on August 11, 2023 by ricbret

If you were using the internet in the early 2000’s you probably had a first-hand experience in viewing the “Star Wars Kid.” The video portrayed a young teen boy going through vigorous motions with a rod, reproducing a lightsaber battle. … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinequest, Entertainment, Geeking around, Internet, Media, Movies | Tagged Cinequest, Film, Movies, Review, technology | Leave a comment

Cinequest 2023: Share?

Posted on August 9, 2023 by ricbret

In 1969 Canadian televison produceed a one hour teleplay by Jim Hensen called The Cube. It was only broadcast twice, and although you can find it on YouTube it isn’t terribly well known or noted. The Cube was certainly was … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinequest, Film, Movies, Review, SciFi Fantasy | Tagged Cinequest, Film, Movies, Review | 1 Comment

Cinequest 2023: Tomorrow

Posted on August 8, 2023 by ricbret

If I were to tell you that this movie is about someone who wakes up each morning in a different body, always yearning to go back “home,” you’d probably say “Oh yeah, Quantum Leap! I loved that show!” But this … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinequest, Movies, Review, SciFi Fantasy | Tagged Cinequest, Film, Movies, Review | Leave a comment

Cinequest 2022: The Smoke Master

Posted on August 26, 2022 by ricbret

I’m sure you have wondered, as I have, what would it be like if Cheech and Chong had produced a Drunken Master martial arts action film. No, well, perhaps you should start thinking about it. Continue reading →

Posted in Cinequest, Entertainment, Film, Media, Movies, Review | Tagged Cinequest, Cinequest 2022, Drunken Boxing, Kung Fu, The Smoke Master | Leave a comment

Cinequest 2022: Futra Days

Posted on August 20, 2022 by ricbret

Traveling forward in time isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, as Sean Graves learns the hard way. He’s supposed to spy on his future self to determine if he should pursue a new romantic love interest. Even though he’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinequest, Entertainment, Film, Movies, SciFi Fantasy | Tagged Brandon Sklenar, Cinequest, Cinequest 2022, Independent, Rosanna Arquette, Tania Raymonde, time travel | Leave a comment

Cinequest 2022: Dash

Posted on August 18, 2022 by ricbret

The premise is fairly simple. This is a dashcam video of a night in the life of a LA rideshare driver. The company he works for shares the name of the movie; Dash. And to more than one extent, we see that we’re dashing towards the disastrous culmination a number of bad decisions in this driver’s life. Continue reading →

Posted in Cinequest, Entertainment, Film, Media, Movies | Tagged Alexander Molina, Cinequest, Cinequest 2022, Dash, One Take, Sean Perry | Leave a comment

Cinequest 2022: Fanga

Posted on August 16, 2022 by ricbret

Tale as old as time… we all know the song from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. And we’ve probably have seen a production other than the animated Disney cartoon. But this is a movie truly a “tale as old as time” given its roots in folktales and myth. And with Fanga, writer/director Max Gold is going back to the source material, and added a modern twist. Continue reading →

Posted in Cinequest, Entertainment, Film, Media, Movies, SciFi Fantasy | Tagged Andrea Snaedal, Cinequest, Cinequest 2022, Fanga, Ingi Hrafn Hilmarsson, Max Gold, Review | Leave a comment

Cinequest 2022: The Day I Found a Girl in the Trash

Posted on August 15, 2022 by ricbret

The Day I Found a Girl in the Trash is a near-future science fiction story. Typically near-future SF is anywhere from five to ten years out from “today.” This allows the writer/producer to focus on a smaller aspect of change. Continue reading →

Posted in Cinequest, Film, Health and wellness, Media, Movies, SciFi Fantasy, Thoughts | Tagged Cinequest 2022, Crime, Dagmara Brodziak, Michal Krzywicki, Review, science fiction, The Day I Found a Girl in the Trash | Leave a comment

How To Survive Cinequest 2022

Posted on August 14, 2022 by ricbret

A viewer’s guide to what USA Today readers voted the Best Film Festival. I’m happy, so happy, to update this pre-Covid-shutdown article for use in 2022. This year Cinequest moves back from virtual film festival to one of in-person smiles, … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinequest, Entertainment, Film, Media, Movies, Organizations, SciFi Fantasy | Tagged Carmen, Cinequest, Dash, Fanga, Jim Gaffigan, Linoleum, Survival Guilde | Leave a comment

Cinequest 2018: Little Women

Posted on March 5, 2018 by ricbret

Louisa May Alcott wrote Little Women 150 years ago, and [amazon asin=0147514010&text=the classic novel] has been made into several movies since. This year the newest version is showing at Cinequest! First-time Director Claire Niederpruem retells this ageless story in a modern setting. Continue reading →

Posted in Cinequest, Entertainment, Film, Movies, Personal, Review, Thoughts, Writing | Tagged Adam Johnson, Allie Jennings, Bart Johnson, Cinequest, Cinequest 2018, Clare Niederpruem, Ian Bohen, Kristi Shimek, Lea Thompson, Little Women, Lucas Grabeel, Melanie Stone, Michael Flynn, Sarah Davenport, Stuart Edge, Taylor Murphy | Leave a comment

Cinequest 2018: Peaches

Posted on March 3, 2018 by ricbret

We all know the rules of time travel by now. Never travel to a time and place where you’re sure to meet yourself. Never do it twice at the same time. Three times is a very bad idea. And a dozen or so… well that could be real trouble. Continue reading →

Posted in Cinequest, Entertainment, Film, Media, Movies, Review, SciFi Fantasy, Technology | Tagged Cinequest, Cinequest 2017, comedy, Fanboy Planet, Felipe Jimenez Luna, Hector Valdez, Hugh Sullivan, Joaquin Ferreira, Jose R. Alama, Maria Guinea, Peter Vives, time travel | Leave a comment

Cinequest 2018:
Charlie and Hannah’s Grand Night Out

Posted on March 2, 2018 by ricbret

This is one of those cases where you’re best prepared when you’re unprepared.
Trust me. This film is what film festivals are for. Continue reading →

Posted in Audience, Cinequest, Entertainment, Film, Media, Movies, Review, SciFi Fantasy, Writing | Tagged Absurdist, Bert Scholiers, Cinequest, Cinequest 2018, Clever, comedy, Daphne Wellens, Dialogue, Evelien Bosmans, Frances Lefebure, Patrick Vervueren | Leave a comment

Cinequest 2018: Hunting Lands

Posted on March 1, 2018 by ricbret

The Hunting Lands invites us along for a hunter’s pursuit, stalking a killer of a different kind. Continue reading →

Posted in Audience, Cinequest, Entertainment, Film, Media, Movies, Review, Thoughts, Uncategorized, Writing | Tagged Cinequest, Cinequest 2018, Hunting Lands, movie, Review | Leave a comment

Cinequest 2018: How to Cinequest!

Posted on February 28, 2018 by ricbret

As regular listeners to the Fanboy Planet Podcast know, San Jose’s award-winning Cinequest film festival opened last night. Opening night at Cinequest typically features an independent film that has or is expected to shortly gain general distribution, and last night’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinequest, Entertainment, Film, Games, Geeking around, Media, Movies, Technology, Writing | Tagged Cinequest, Cinequest 2018, Fanboy Planet, Festival, How To, Movies, Review, San Jose | Leave a comment

The Dark Tower – Defending the Rose

Posted on August 6, 2017 by ricbret

The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed.
Probably the best opening line in literature. Yeah, better than Call me Ishmael.
(Seriously Ishmael, I was just asking you for a name to write on your coffee cup!) Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Cinequest, Entertainment, Film, Geeking around, Media, Movies, Personal, Random thoughts, Review, SciFi Fantasy, Thoughts | Tagged Adaptation, Idris Elba, Movies, Stephen King, The Dark Tower | Leave a comment

Cinequest 2017: Two Euro Thrillers – Loop and Pyromaniac

Posted on March 3, 2017 by ricbret

Granted, like any other art, not every film is for everyone. We try to focus on giving you reviews that meet our fannish criteria. And today, on the fourth day of San Jose’s Cinequest we have two thrillers, one with a science fiction bent, that you may want to check out. Continue reading →

Posted in Cinequest, Movies, Review | Tagged Cinequest, Cinequest 2017, loop, norway, pyromaniac, science fiction, thriller, time travel | Leave a comment

Cinequest 2017: The Festival Opens – This is Meg

Posted on February 28, 2017 by ricbret

Opening Night for Cinequest, and a review of “This is Meg” which in a way is representative of much that you will see at the festival. Continue reading →

Posted in Cinequest, Entertainment, Film, Review | Tagged Carlos Alazraqui, Cinequest, comedy, Debra Wilson, Drama, goals, independent film, indy, Jenica Bergere, Jill-Michele Meleán, Joseph Reitman, Krista Allen, meditation, Sex, success | Leave a comment

Cinequest 2016: Encores and Last Chances

Posted on March 12, 2016 by ricbret

We’re down to the wire at Cinequest! Late last night, the Cinequest encores were announced. These make up the bulk of Sunday programming in the festival’s final day. As I predicted, there are still too many great films to see them all. … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinequest, Entertainment, Film, Media, Movies, Review | Tagged Animated Shorts, Bendito Machine V - Pull The Trigger, Carface, Carlo, Cinequest, Cows, Creedmoria, Dependents Day, Fulfilament, Golden Shot, If I Was God, Love is All You Need?, My Heart Attack, Taking Flight, The Empire of Corpses, The Forest Paper, Welcome to My Life, Zombies | Leave a comment

Cinequest 2016: Catch-up Reviews

Posted on March 10, 2016 by ricbret

Reviews from Cinequest 2016: Demimonde, Eye in the Sky, Friends Effing Friends Effing Friends, Lost In Munich, Parabellium, The Phoenix Incident Continue reading →

Posted in Cinequest, Entertainment, Film, Media, Movies, Review | Tagged Demimonde, Eye in the Sky, Friends Effing Friends Effing Friends, Lost In Munich, Parabellium, Reviews from Cinequest 2016, The Phoenix Incident | 1 Comment