COOP COOPER is an independently syndicated film critic with a split personality. His “Southern Side” prints mainstream reviews that appear in various print publications across the mid-south. His “Dark Side” from Los Angeles befouls the site with reviews of horror and grindhouse flicks. Welcome to the site where COOP’s two halves (and his contributors) review and debate the latest film/DVD releases…

The 7^th year of the annual Oxford Film Festival in Oxford, Mississippi kicked off the night of Thursday the 4^th by taking over half of the Malco Oxford Studio Cinema and roping an area off for the media, filmmakers and other assorted guests. While I had attended screenings at large festivals during my tenure in Los Angeles, I was only moderately enthused about covering a local one. I figured I’d see a few underwhelming indie flicks and slink on back home to Clarksdale for some light writing and shut-eye. Boy was I ever wrong.

WARNING: Shameless self promotion ahead…

The Oxford Film Fest – which takes place in the friendly town of Oxford, Mississippi – begins tonight (2/4/10) and yours truly will be hosting the Q & A for the Mike McCarthy cult hit Cigarette Girl at 10pm tonight and 9:45pm Friday night.

You might remember me reviewing Cigarette Girl at it’s Memphis premiere where I heralded its importance as a symbol of modern cinema born from the ashes of the Memphis urban landscape. Its stylistically gorgeous production design and its bold originality made it one of my favorite cinematic experiences of 2009.

Whew, back from a relaxing vacation to bring you an indie film that needs more exposure.

Set in the future where fears of terrorism have made travel across the border between America and Mexico nearly impossible, native Mexicans find a new, high-tech method of illegal immigration. Luis Fernando Pena plays Memo, a young man who reads “Hacking for Beginners” books and tinkers with his own surveillance equipment at his father’s struggling farm in Mexico. The U.S. Government has…

No, not that lame, heavy-handed racial character study starring Sandra Bullock and Don Cheadle. This one won a Cannes Special Jury Prize for “Daring, Audacity and Originality.” It premiered with a limited run in America with an NC-17 rating. It stars James Spader, Holly Hunter, Deborah Unger, Rosanna Arquette and Elias Koteas. Its experimental nature inspired me to do some experimenting of my own. Instead of a run-of-the-mill plot description how about one in haiku form?…

Here’s what you need to know: It stars Sam Rockwell as a guy alone on a moon base without a soul on the rock to talk to except for his trusty, super-intelligent computer voiced by Kevin Spacey. He’s lost communication with Earth, but his 3 year tour is almost up and he’s preparing to go [...]

The South by Southwest film festival (SXSW) in Austin, TX is what many consider to be a recent highlight of the American festival circuit. Thanks to the miracle of the webs, the festival brings to you a few movies you can download (streaming) and watch at home.
For a limited time you can watch the films [...]