Author Archives
My escape has been a movie theatre for as long as I can quite frankly remember. My dad swears by the fact that I saw Aladdin in theatres (despite it being in theatres 13 months before I was born, but hey movie magic I guess?). Growing up I was incredibly fortunate to have a projector room in my childhood home with surround sound where I would spend my formative years, watching absolutely anything I could get my eyes on. There was never a movie that I didn't at least try to watch, as being young only certain things captured my attention. I would get lost in that room for hours, sometimes even days. As well I lived down the street from my local multiplex so anytime a new movie would come out whether it be the newest superhero movie, James Bond movie, Scary Movie or anything that captured my interest I was there Friday at 5pm seeing the newest thing and if it was good, most likely revisiting with friends that weekend. I grew up in front of the silver screen, graduated University from the film studies program, and have been writing for numerous publications for the past decade. I look forward to continuing to write, explore new films, and indulge in all the offerings the movies have to bring to us. As Vin Diesel said in the welcome back advertisement, "For more than a hundred years there's one place where we all came together to be entertained, to escape, to escape, to go somewhere new -- the movies"
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“In a Violent Nature” delivers on its name.
When you see a movie is a sponsorship of IFC Midnight and Shudder, there is a certain expectation for the film, an expectation that it is going to be something uneasy, disturbing, f-ked up, and downright gross. Now, with all… Read More ›
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Don’t put this steelbook in the science oven! “American Hustle” is out now in 4K UHD.
The year was 2013, and David O. Russell continued to prove that he was the director that was going to change things. No matter what one thought of his films, there was no denying they had something special about them…. Read More ›
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“Narc” keeps its noir essence in high definition thanks to Arrow Video.
When reviewing a label release for something I have never seen, it is always interesting to see how the movie looks and what the restoration does to it as there are no nostalgia/rose-colored glasses towards the project itself. The only… Read More ›
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“Mean Girls” on 4K UHD is so fetch.
It is hard to believe that it has been 20 years (what???) since we learned about the daughter of the inventor of Toaster Strudel, and, more importantly, about how learning to not be a mean girl/queen B or you’ll get… Read More ›
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With an amazing transfer and a ton of extra features, Arrow’s 4K UHD restoration of “Basket Case” is a must-own for horror fans.
Having only seen one Frank Henenlotter film, Brain Damage, prior, there was some idea of what to possibly expect from his directorial debut, Basket Case. However, even having seen Brain Damage, I don’t think anything could have properly prepared me… Read More ›
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“The Scarface Mob” never had better looking mugshots than in Arrow’s Blu-ray release.
For a “movie” that is 65 years old and was originally a two-part series premiere pilot, never in my wildest dreams would I have thought this would look as clean and crisp as it possibly does. It is truly so… Read More ›
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Creature feature “Arcadian” has a fever and the only prescription is more Cage. [The Overlook Film Festival]
In the most Abed Nadir voice possible — “Nicolas Cage maaaaaaaaan” — and that alone should either have an audience immediately ready to dive into what absolute madness whether good, bad, or Cage, they’re about to get into. While the… Read More ›
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Aquatic possession film “Night Swim” arrives on land via home video.
When movies come out in January, there is an inherent idea about the quality of the movie, unless it’s a late release of an Oscar title. These are sometimes unfair assumptions, especially when it comes to horror movies — horror… Read More ›
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“Red Rooms” takes audiences on a frightfully intense rollercoaster of court proceedings. [The Overlook Film Festival]
There are movies that focus on courtroom procedurals and the drama that comes from the hearing itself that either are so effective they’re traumatizing or so dull they entirely lose the audience. Pascal Plante’s Red Rooms (Les chambres rouges) thankfully… Read More ›
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“Infested” grants audiences a parting gift of a life-long phobia. [The Overlook Film Festival]
Horror movies usually tend to fixate on fears to engage their audience or do something truly horrifying and disturbing. The latter are typically easier to digest since they’re easier to shake off as they’re not exploiting something the audience may… Read More ›
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Filmmakers Clark and Weir show potential in their debut film “Birdeater.” [The Overlook Film Festival]
There are so many ways that a film can get under an audience’s skin, whether that be intentional or not, but beating the proverbial dead horse with a children’s bat is certainly not the way to get things going in… Read More ›
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Fresh out of the oven, “Riddle of Fire” serves up a unique, grand adventure.
There is something inherently special about writing and directing your first feature film, I would have to assume. Having never crossed that bridge myself, but consuming a plethora of films throughout my life, there is always something special, at least… Read More ›
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Arrow Video releases Japanese horror “Dark Water” in 4K with special features.
Sometimes there are movies that just entirely escape your radar. Then you realize a boutique label is giving the film the treatment it arguably deserves and you decide to take the plunge and watch it for the first time. Before… Read More ›
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Chill out with some of your Saturday morning favs in 1080p with “Hanna-Barbera’s Superstar 10 Collection” from Warner Archive.
When collections get released, the age-old question for collectors comes down to whether you get the box set or go for singular individual releases? This beautiful collection from Warner Archive brings forth some of the best of the best from… Read More ›
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Illumination film “Migration” continues to deliver on an all-ages experience with numerous bonus features.
Making a movie that is geared to children but still appeases the parents and the adults who are curious about the film is always a dangerous balance to achieve with the high risk of becoming too adult that it’s no… Read More ›
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“Ordinary Angels” embodies a heartfelt story through powerful performances and a nuanced script.
The purpose of a movie trailer is to get an audience intrigued in seeing the movie, however, when the trailer paints the movie as something it absolutely is not, it does a disservice to the movie itself and sets up… Read More ›
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“Conan the Destroyer” battles on in glorious 4K UHD via Arrow Video.
Two years after Conan the Barbarian was released on the world, there was a change in guard on the creative side and director Richard Fleischer (Soylent Green) took over the director’s chair, returning with lead actor Arnold Schwarzenegger (The Terminator;… Read More ›
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What is best in life is the 4K UHD edition of “Conan the Barbarian” from Arrow Video.
The year is 1982 and the most impressively-formed human being finally gets his big Hollywood break — Arnold Schwarzenegger in John Milius’s Conan the Barbarian. While watching the movie today in 2024, it is evident that Conan is certainly a… Read More ›
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“Wanted Man” delivers on B-movie action.
If you were from the ‘80s, a big bulking dude who made a career of questionable quality action films, and then decided to write and direct equally questionable content, then audiences should know exactly what they’re getting themselves in to…. Read More ›
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“Which Brings Me to You” breathes some fresh air into rom-coms.
There are so many romantic comedies that come out every year, and so many of them follow the same formula that they become exhaustingly repetitive, just uninspired, and, regardless from how attractive the leads, nothing can save these movies from… Read More ›