Ben Umstead
East Coast Editor; Los Angeles, California

Born in New England, bred around the Capital Beltway, and schooled in the heart of Hollywood, Ben joined Team Twitch in the summer of 2009 when he moved to NYC. He can once again be found wandering the streets of Los Angeles.

TV Review: COMMUNITY S4E05, Cooperative Escapism In Familal Relations (Or, The Challenges That Come With Expectations And Closure)
Jeff's challenges around the absence of his father most of his life have played an important role in Community since the early days of the study group. There have been key moments in each season that have touched upon his... More »
  

Experience The Dark Side Of Dubstep In The Teaser For SXSW Title SNAP *Video Now Embedded*
You know about those young whippersnappers out there dancing and grinding and convulsing to a new brand of electronic music that they've titled dubstep, right? Well, who would have thought that anybody would ever make a dark, psychological drama with... More »
  

Tribeca 2013: Spotlight And Midnight Sections Announced, RABIES Directors' Next BIG BAD WOLVES Set To Premiere

Yesterday we brought you word of the 12th Annual Tribeca Film Festival's World Narrative and World Documentary Competition films, plus the always intriguing Viewpoints section. Today we've got wind of their crackling Midnight lineup, Spotlight films, the Special Screenings, and... More »
  

Sarah Polley Digs Into The Strange Practice Of Storytelling In The Trailer For STORIES WE TELL
Getting solid buzz on the festival circuit last year, Stories We Tell has actor and director Sarah Polley turning the focus right onto her own family roots and the strange stories, both helpful and harmful, that can be told amongst... More »
  

Greta Gerwig Dances Her Sorrows Away In The Trailer For Noah Baumbach's FRANCES HA
When it played at TIFF last fall, our own Ryland Aldrich had this to say about Noah Baumbach's latest film Frances Ha, starring his newest muse and once Mumblecore stalwart Greta Gerwig:  ...this is a very strong character comedy from... More »
  

Tribeca 2013 Looks Into The Future, Unveils Their World Narrative And Doc Lineups

Yes, Sundance, Slamdance and Berlin are barely behind us, and SXSW hasn't even started yet, but here we are, friends: the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival is looming ever near... near being April. April 17th - 28th to be exact. In... More »
  

Watch The Hilariously Absurd, Yet Genuinely Bittersweet Short Film TURTLE
One sure-footed thing about going to a festival like Slamdance is, ironically enough, the mini-surprises that can come in the form of short film programming. Playing in front of the Grand Jury prize winning feature The Dirties this past January,... More »
  

THE RAMBLER Is Coming To Boston! BUFF Announces Their Second Wave Of Titles
If you find yourself east of the Mississippi this March, unable to attend Calvin Reeder's The Rambler at SXSW then you may be in luck... that is if you're in New England, and more specifically the Boston area, as the... More »
  

Bradley Cooper Gets Intense In A New Clip From THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES

One thing is clear about Blue Valentine director Derek Cianfrance, the man does not like smiles. Case in point: Bradley Cooper confronting Eva Mendes in a tense little scene from his third feature outing, the crime-drama The Place Beyond The... More »
  

Interview: Park Chan-Wook Talks STOKER
Park Chan-wook needs no introduction to any longtime Twitch reader or fan of 21st century Korean cinema. With Stoker, his first English-language film, it is very likely that his star will shine even brighter and higher for even more of... More »
  

TV Review: COMMUNITY S4E04 Alternative History Of The German Invasion (Or, It's Nice To See Greendale Again)
One thing that has clearly been lacking thus far in this season of Community is quality time spent on the campus of Greendale Community College. In many ways the study room is just as central to this show as the... More »
  

Chris Cooper Is Norman Osborn In THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2
Say what you will about Marc Webb's retooled Spider-Man effort from last summer, the movie was cast extremely well with stars Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone giving some genuine spark to the muddy origin redo. Now the sequel ain't no... More »
  

Boston Underground Film Fest Announces Their First Batch Of Titles
Boston area readers, make major note: the mid-week/weekend which consists of March 27th-31st is gonna be crazy. Crazy good for film viewing that is as the 15th annual Boston Underground Film Festival kicks off. Take extra special note because they've... More »
  

NYC Happenings: Japan Society's Got Girls, Guns & Ghosts
If you're a Twitch reader and a fan of Japanese films, then you have probably seen a flick or two from the legendary studio Shintoho -- yes, the studio that was formed by striking Toho workers, this was real grass... More »
  

ARGO Wins Best Picture, Men With Long Hair Also Win Big At The Oscars

I must have been a mile and a half away from the Dolby Theater in Hollywood (just a little further than the remote orchestra that played many a selection of John Williams tunes tonight) for the 85th Annual Academy Awards,... More »
  

TV Review: COMMUNITY S4E03, Conventions Of Space And Time (Or, When Fan Service Doesn't Work)
Since most of tonight's episode takes place in and around the Inspector Spacetime "InspectiCon", I guess now is as good a time as any to talk a bit about fandom, Community and my credentials for reviewing the show.Community fans may... More »
  

Megan Fox Is This Generation's April O'Neil

The Michael Bay produced, Jonathan Liebsman directed version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is still happening. Dear God, it is still happening...The proof that all our nightmares are in fact coming very, very true is that casting is now underway...... More »
  

NYC Happenings: Film Comment Selects Starts Tonight
...And it runs through the 28th. An eclectic selection from old guard masters and young upstarts the world over, with a few little seen oldies in the mix, the 2013 edition of Film Comment Selects at The Film Society of... More »
  

TV Review: COMMUNITY S4E02, Paranormal Parentage (Or, A Visit To Pierce's Mansion On Halloween Proves Hollow)
Bad Analogy time: The second episode of this season's Community is like wearing a new pair of jeans for the second time... once they've been washed. They are now not as stiff, a bit more comfortable, but you're not 100%... More »
  

Peter Dinklage Joins X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST
Director Bryan Singer took to Twitter earlier this evening to announce the latest cast member for his third X-Men outing (and the franchise's sixth film). Straight from the horse's mouth: Officially like to welcome #PeterDinklage from #GameOfThrones to #XMEN #DaysofFuturePast... More »
  
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More Is Not Always Better. Extended EMPIRES OF THE DEEP Trailer Every Bit As Laughable As The First.
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Twitchvision: Talking STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS, MUD and THE ICEMAN
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Watch The International Trailer For Mark Hartley's PATRICK
Featured Articles

Twitchvision: Talking STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS, MUD and THE ICEMAN

Another Twitchvision chat with Scott Laurie, this time me gushing about J.J.'s latest Star Trek film, which I unabashedly loved.Also talked about he fabbo Mud, and the less fabbo The Iceman, both with Michael Shannon doing his thing.Video embedded below.... More »

Learning from the Masters of Cinema: Henri-Georges Clouzot's THE MURDERER LIVES AT 21

While Henri-Georges Clouzot is best remembered for many of his later films, including The Wages of Fear and Diabolique, the French filmmaker's 1942 debut has gone largely unseen by Western audiences until now. The Murderer Lives at 21 (L'Assassin Habite au 21), based on the novel by Belgian author Stanislas-Andre... More »

China Beat: What did China See in IRON MAN 3?

Much has already been written, both on these pages and many others, about the landmark Hollywood-China co-production that is Marvel and DMG Entertainment's Iron Man 3. The film, directed by Shane Black, is the third solo outing for Robert Downey Jr's Tony Stark, and has proved a phenomenal success around... More »

FEAR & LOATHING AT CANNES, PART 2: I'M IN LOVE WITH EVERYBODY'S GIRL

CHAPTER 4: THE PHILOSOPHY OF ANNA KARINA AND BUTT PLUGSI'm sitting outside at a small Café that my editor told me to meet him at. I'm a 10 minute walk from the Marche Du Film convention hall and I'm still waiting for my editor to arrive so he take guide... More »

CINEMA HOLOCAUST ON THE FRENCH RIVIERA, PART 1: THOSE GOD DAMN FILM BLOGGERS

MIKE'S JOURNAL. MAY 13. MORNINGI wake up sometime around five AM. My flight to France doesn't leave until five PM. I should be there for security check in sometime around 3PM. There is no reason for me to be up this early but I'm feeling anxious. I have an itch... More »
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