There are few greater joys as a film critic than having the chance to share a few cinematic favorites that others may not have heard about or may have forgotten. But what makes that even better is doing it with… Read More ›
Month: August 2024
29 films I’m excited to cover during Toronto International Film Festival 2024.
For the very first time, Elements of Madness has boots on the ground for Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) with me, EoM Contributor Justin Waldman, handling coverage. As such, I’ve been asked to share the list of films I’m either… Read More ›
Batter up! “You Gotta Believe” adapts a true story of one little league team’s glory days amid heartache.
There are two hard lessons to learn when it comes to parenting: you only get one chance to take care of someone’s childhood and what’s a random day to you contains a critical memory for a child. Becoming a parent… Read More ›
“1992” is less wrong-place/wrong-time crime thriller and more examination of social imbalance and unconscious bias.
“When people show you who they are, believe them.” – Oprah, quoting Maya Angelou April 29th, 1992: After a seven-day deliberation, a jury acquitted the four police officers involved in the recorded beating of Rodney King, with three out of… Read More ›
Where other mafia films keep their women in silence, filmmaker Jennifer Esposito’s “Fresh Kills” screams to devastating effect.
In the cinematic world of mob films, the go-to filmmaker for U.S. audiences is likely Martin Scorsese (Goodfellas; Casino). With tales exciting and dramatic, he’s told stories that unengaged audiences will see as uplifting the morally grey areas of the… Read More ›
“Ride” Blu-ray Giveaway
June 2024. Well Go USA released actor/writer Jake Allyn’s directorial debut, Ride, into theaters. Now, the family drama is set to release on shelves for audiences to pick up, explore, and enjoy in the comfort of their homes. Thanks to Well… Read More ›
Explore the “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” via the minimal but rich bonus features included on select home editions.
1968: director Franklin J. Schaffner releases his feature-length cinematic adaptation of author Pierre Boulle’s short story, Planet of the Apes. Since then, it’s spawned five canonical films, a television show, and a Tim Burton-directed remake — not to mention countless… Read More ›
Claude Schmitz’s “The Other Laurens (L’autre Laurens)” offers a stunning visual genre mashup, but sacrifices plot for tone and style.
The Other Laurens is a movie that’s all dressed up with everywhere to go. But after it gets one foot out the door, it can’t seem to go any further. With a nostalgic neo-noir/grunge visual style that’s sprinkled with touches… Read More ›
The new 4K UHD release of the comedic thriller “Game Night” is worth adding to your tabletop game collection.
Before co-directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein had us roll for initiative (Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves), they showed us that there’s another way to interpret the call for somewhat structured social play in the comedic thriller Game… Read More ›
Open Dialogue with “Skincare” director Austin Peters and actor Luis Gerardo Méndez.
In this edition of Meet Me at the Movies: Open Dialogue, Thomas Manning sits down with some of the cast and crew of the new IFC Films production Skincare. Director Austin Peters and actor Luis Gerardo Méndez talk about making… Read More ›
Technically impressive, “100 Yards” pull audiences in with its thrilling conceit, but loses them with underdeveloped character investment. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
Within the world of filmmakers Xu Haofeng (The Final Master) and first-time co-director Xu Junfeng’s new project, 100 Yards (门前宝地), there are many rules its characters must follow, but one acts as a guiding principle: no violence within 100 yards… Read More ›
“The Umbrella Fairy” utilizes fantastical elements to explore real-world struggles of personal agency. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
“Forty-two,” said Deep Thought, with infinite majesty and calm.” ― Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Of all the questions humanity has ever asked it, of all the philosophies and faiths, there’s been a guiding question behind it… Read More ›
“Sting” Blu-ray Giveaway
Wyrmwood series director Kiah Roache-Turner brought a different kind of horror show to theaters in April 2024 with the creature feature Sting, an arachnophobic’s absolute nightmare. At the end of July, Well Go USA released Roache-Turner’s mystery thriller on physical formats… Read More ›
When the last eagle flies over the last crumbling mountain, the 4K UHD remaster of “The Last Unicorn” from Shout! Studios will have you believing.
Originally published in 1968, author Peter S. Beagle’s adventure fantasy The Last Unicorn would be tapped by The Hobbit (1977) co-directors Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin, Jr. for adaptation. Their theatrical release of the same name, The Last Unicorn (1982),… Read More ›
“The United States of Leland” will waste your time and money.
Sometimes a film ends up at a boutique Blu-ray distributor because the conditions of its theatrical run rendered it forgotten and misunderstood. Other times, it’s because the film is an odious facsimile of a good film, and it tricks a… Read More ›
Join the tornado wranglers from the safety of your own space with the “Twisters” digital release.
The world of Twisters swept up cineplexes barely one month ago. The latest disaster epic tells the story of Kate Carter (Daisy Edgar-Jones), now working as a meteorologist, when a friend from her storm-chasing past named Javi (Anthony Ramos) comes… Read More ›
Eureka Entertainment brings home the messy but entertaining “The Miracle Fighters,” an ‘80s mashup of kung fu, fantasy, and comedy.
Those not used to extreme tonal shifts, a mixture of martial arts, comedy, and fantasy in one may be in for a shock watching Yuen Woo-ping’s cult hit The Miracle Fighters (1982). Within the first 10 minutes, we witness a… Read More ›
“A Quiet Place: Day One” Digital Code Giveaway
In 2018, actor/writer/director John Krasinski introduced audiences to a world gone quiet as it continues to try to survive against alien invaders who hunt by sound in A Quiet Place. This year, writer/director Michael Sarnoski (Pig) took audiences to when… Read More ›
Crime drama “The Bikeriders” pulls up with a worthy home release.
The phrase “style over substance” is a common complaint regarding certain films. In these instances, some films can be so aesthetically pleasing that they lose sight of the story. Such films can craft well-drawn characters and a richly detailed sense… Read More ›
All the leverage in action comedy “Kidnapping Inc.” is in the performances of the cast. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
I am not one for political movies as I don’t follow political landscapes in any way shape or form. I follow enough to understand North American landscapes, but anything past that and I am a deer in headlights when it… Read More ›