June 12th, 1981, one of the most revered franchises in all of cinema history begins with the release of the Lawrence Kasdan-written (The Empire Strikes Back), Steven Spielberg-directed Raiders of the Lost Ark, later retitled to include the Indiana Jones… Read More ›
In 2020, documentarian Dawn Porter explored two very different political figures via her films John Lewis: Good Trouble and The Way I See It. The first followed Congressman and activist John Lewis, who passed away in 2020, while the second… Read More ›
Around Elements of Madness, story is everything. We’re not looking for giant budgets, major studios, or the biggest names; we’re looking for an interesting idea or an engaging twist on something old. Enter the Scott Thomas Reynolds-written (2nd Chance for… Read More ›
In the blue corner, at a height of 394 feet, is the force of nature himself, Godzilla! In the red corner, at a height of 335 feet, is the one and only King, Kong! As all of humanity waits with… Read More ›
When I left the Patrick Hughes-directed The Hitman’s Bodyguard (2017), the first thought I had was “Looney Tunes.” The way in which the narrative exploits the chemistry between its leads, Ryan Reynolds (Waiting…) and Samuel L. Jackson (Formula 51), the… Read More ›
It all begins with a story. A young man (Will Cassayd-Smith) is sharing a smoke with his Russian neighbor, Roman, who unexpectedly asks if Will could watch a package for him for about two weeks while he leaves town. The… Read More ›
50. 50 episodes. After three years of recording, we’ve hit a benchmark I suspect both Darryl and I are shocked to have gotten to. We honor our fiftieth by spending a little time talking about the journey that got us… Read More ›
In 2009, author D. Eric Maikranz self-published his book, The Reincarnationist Papers, with a message inside, a “request for help,” offering an agent’s commission (roughly $10K) if someone in his readerships could help get the book noticed by a Hollywood… Read More ›
The kind folks at Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment sent us a review copy of the newly released Indiana Jones 4-Movie Collection and it contained within it an unexpected surprise: an extra set of digital download codes. Delighted as we are to… Read More ›
The “cinematic baggage,” as it is known, that we bring with us into each film-viewing experience always has an effect on our perception of movies, even if this sensation is unconscious. We may love a film with a greater zeal,… Read More ›
Over the last few years in America there’s been a surge of “gun fu” films: The Matrix (1999), Equilibrium (2002), all the way up to the recent John Wick series. It’s not that the combination of martial arts and weaponry… Read More ›
One of the many adjustments from the COVID-19 shutdowns is that several theatrical releases from major studios were sold/moved to streamers. NEON’s Palm Springs went to Hulu, Paramount’s Coming 2 America went to Amazon, Sony’s An American Pickle went to… Read More ›
After a theatrical and VOD release in March/April, the Bob Odenkirk-led Ilya Naishuller-directed Nobody comes home permanently with a cornucopia of bonus materials. Coming in three iterations, you can snag the digital edition on June 8th or wait for the… Read More ›
When you have done great work in life, your work will speak for your legacy long after you are gone. If you’re George A. Romero, you know how to do that while also staying on-brand and releasing a new film… Read More ›
Shot over 20 days with the intent to premiere at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival, writer/director BenDavid Grabinski’s genre-hybrid Happily eventually hit select theaters on March 19th, 2021, along with a simultaneous VOD and digital release. The film is difficult… Read More ›
Its 1996 and British gaming company Core Design has released action-adventure game Tomb Raider for PC, PlayStation, and Sega Saturn consoles. Centered around archeologist/adventurer Lara Croft, the title challenged gamers to solve puzzles and confront strange enemies in pursuit of… Read More ›
Welcome to Fistful of Features, a celebration of film preservation through physical media and the discussion of cinematic treasures to maintain their relevance in the cultural lexicon. Today we’ll be focusing on the directorial debut of BenDavid Grabinski, a morality… Read More ›
When you’re a teenager, every little upset feels like the end of the world. Failing a test, losing the big game, watching your crush take someone else to prom, or even finding out that your favorite band broke up can… Read More ›
First performed in October 1787, Wolfgang Mozart’s Il dissoluto punito; ossia, il Don Giovanni (The Libertine Punished; or, Don Giovanni) has since been performed countless times around the globe. Like other pieces of art, it’s been recreated and recontextualized to… Read More ›
December 16th, 2016 saw the release of the eighth Star Wars film, the one-off prequel story Rogue One. It tells the story of Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) and a hodgepodge of individuals who band together to steal the Death Star plans to… Read More ›