Publish or Perish

Little known fact to those outside academia circles, the title, "Publish or perish" is not a clever alliteration created by the director, but actually an age old aphorism describing the pressure to publish academic work in order to succeed in an academic career, first used in 1928. This institutional pressure can feel life or death for many young professors seeking tenure, which is the only academic appointment that protects them from being let go without cause.

As for the actual film? So much lost potential. There were moments of real laughter and pockets of suspense, but overall the acting was appalling. And I saw the stupid "trust" ending coming a mile away.

Could have been so, so, so, so much better. The academia humor was spot on, but unfortunately they let it go to waste with this film.

Dark humor? More like a B horror film. But not a good one.

This review isn't very polished. I'm also not going into very much depth in an attempt to match the review quality to the film quality?

TLDR: Many laughs for those in academia, but not really worth enduring the entire film. Anyone else, no reason to even try watching.

With so many formulaic films, it's rare to find one that can surprise me. Publish or Perish is a breath of fresh air. Superbly acted by Timothy McCracken, deftly directed by David Liban and intricately edited by Justin Lewis. Cast and crew from Colorado, creates a celebration of local artists and dark comedy at its best! My husband and teenage son and I enjoyed seeing this on the big screen at the Denver film festival. Looking forward to sharing it with friends and family and watching it again where it's streaming on Apple TV. Do yourselves a favor and check it out. I imagine teachers and professors will find this especially satisfying and cathartic!

Easily one of the top 5 films I've seen in 2023... A filmmaker with a real vision.

The dialogue, characters, story, and overall polish make this a must watch! In fact immediately after watching it I was ready for another viewing. The twists, turns, shocking events, suspense, comedy, and character all work so so so well together.

What David has done hear is make something greater than the sum of it's parts. A strong script, strong performances, an intriguing premise, and pacing all come together in this one.

It's getting in to film festivals across the county and with good reason. This is a MASTERPIECE.

I had the pleasure to see "Publish or Perish" theatrically for the first time at the Oceanside Intenational Film Festival.

What you notice is that the film is complelling from the very beginning to the last scene. Seeing it with a live audience has an impact as they react to some of the most shocking events that unfold is dark suspense comedy. If you like the Coen Brothers style and substance then David Liban's feature will entertain and draw you deep into the main characters dilemma.

This is a polished gem, in which every character has a reason to antagonize our hero in his quest for the academic gold ring of tenure at any cost.

If I could give 100 stars to this movie I would. The story is so unique. Not very often you see a movie about the protocols in academia. Even through some audiences won't know about the specifics because they haven't lived it, it still relatable to everyone. The movie is funny in the way things are spoken about and how the storytelling develops. The directing is magnificent. The cinematography, editing and actors work is exceptional. I recommend it to people who enjoy dark comedies that are well structured. I fully connected with the story and the characters in a very special way. And believe me when I say I am very critical of movies. This film is one of a kind! Well done to the production team!