Author Archives
Founder: Elements of Madness | Contributing Senior Film Critic: CLTure | Past Bylines at Pretty Vacant One and FilmFed | The Cine-Men podcast co-host | NC Film Critics Association, Southeastern Film Critics Association, & Critics Choice Association member | Rotten Tomatoes approved individual critic
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“National Champions” may focus on football, but this is no typical sports film.
What would you call it if someone made money off your hard work? I’m not talking about a manager at your local Mom & Pop Shop running their business with a few hired hands, I’m talking about someone making millions… Read More ›
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Just because you “Don’t Look Up,” doesn’t mean it’s not happening.
Don’t Look Up is, by far, the strongest, most searing piece of cinema writer/director Adam McKay (The Big Short; Vice) has put before us. Unlike his last two films which presented real-world events through a comedic lens, Don’t Look Up… Read More ›
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“South of Heaven” DVD Giveaway
Earlier this year director Aharon Keshales released his crime drama South of Heaven into theaters, as well as on VOD and digital. EoM contributor Thomas Manning called South of Heaven an “audacious thriller” in its initial release and, now, the crime drama… Read More ›
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The fantastic spectacle of animated adventure “The Monkey King: Reborn” almost makes up for the thin script.
Cultural legends and myths have been fodder for storytelling (books, music, video games, movies) since the birth of each of them. Why not take something that audiences are already familiar with and either retell or reform it in a way… Read More ›
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Philip Barantini’s “Boiling Point” mixes technical prowess with dramatic tension for an all-too realistic look at the service industry.
There is nothing worse than dealing with hungry people. Except, maybe, perhaps, dealing with hungry people during a major holiday. I’m not talking about family gatherings around the home and hearth, I’m talking about going out to eat. You want… Read More ›
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Wanna get weird? Take a trip to “Mondo Hollywoodland,” but make sure to book a return ticket.
One of the best things about exploring the arts is the ability to learn something new, often in unexpected ways. Sometimes it’s the little details in a film which, under examination, divulge some aspect or secret about the filmmaking process… Read More ›
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“The Monkey King: Reborn” Blu-ray Giveaway
There have been many adaptations of the mythical figure Sun Wukong, more commonly known as The Monkey King. He’s been depicted by Jet Li in The Forbidden Kingdom, Donnie Yen in The Monkey King, Stephen Chow in A Chinese Odyssey, and… Read More ›
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Writer/director Camille Griffin’s directorial debut “Silent Night” is a hilariously dark and downright torturous microcosmic exploration of living on Earth.
The holidays are always rife with possibilities. They are an opportunity to gather together, to rekindle connections or foster already burgeoning affections. They are also an opportunity to air grievances, the energy of renewal spurning some to unleash that which’s… Read More ›
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“Saint Maud” Blu-ray Giveaway
From A24 and acclaimed director Rose Glass, Saint Maud is the boldly original movie that Esquire calls ‘a mesmerizing horror masterpiece’. Thanks to the generous folks at A24, we have five (5) Blu-ray copies of Saint Maud looking for a place to… Read More ›
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Arrow Video offers a duel restoration of director Shinji Sômai’s 1981 cult hit “Sailor Suit & Machine Gun.”
Sailor Suit and Machine Gun is a film built on dichotomy. The lead character, Izumi (Hiroko Yakushimaru), is a high school teen, suggesting innocence or, at the least, a touch of naiveté. She’s not old enough to have been touched… Read More ›
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The Cine-Men, Episode 58: Not-Quite Top Ten of 2021
Every year attention is paid to the top films of the year from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences all the way to the average cinema goer. Before The Cine-Men get into their favorite films of the year,… Read More ›
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Bring the Ten Rings home as “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” is available now.
While there’s a vocal contingent online citing MCU fatigue, I’m getting excited after the last two films — Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Eternals — as things feel like they’re starting anew. We don’t know if… Read More ›
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Celebrate director Barry Sonnenfeld’s “The Addams Family” 30th anniversary with a brand-new 4K UHD edition.
Artist Charles Addams is most widely known for his cartoon series “The Addams Family” which ran in The New Yorker, which then became the even more popular ABC television program which ran for two seasons between 1964 and 1966. While… Read More ›
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“The Emperor’s Sword” seeks to immortalize the legends of Chinese lore, but fails on just about every level in its attempts to do so.
Ideas are often one thing, whereas execution is entirely another. There are plenty of films which sound incredible, but the finished product seems entirely devoid of the potential. This is the best way to describe the frustration that comes from… Read More ›
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“Raging Fire” Blu-ray Giveaway
If you any kind of action film fan, a new Donnie Yen film is a must-see. But then you make it the final Benny Chan-directed film and the stakes to check it out amplifies that need exponentially. Chan’s Raging Fire… Read More ›
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The Cine-Men, Episode 57 – Favorite Cliffhangers.
In our last Cine-Men episode, Darryl and I discussed our favorite cinematic endings. We decided to take it a step further by discussing our favorite cliffhangers. You know the ones: the endings that leave us with our jaws on the… Read More ›
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Enjoy all the horror and humor of “Black Friday” without setting your alarm for 3am.
The moment the clock hit 12:01am, most of my social media had flipped from Halloween content to Christmas. Out with the spooky and in with the jolly! Skipping over the fact that Hanukkah starts sundown November 28th this year (slow… Read More ›
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Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “tick, tick…BOOM!” adaptation is a love-letter to both a lost artist and the medium he so loved.
Your musical theater tastes are all but defined by when you were first introduced. It doesn’t mean that you can’t shift or grow in tastes, but there certainly comes a heavy influence or leaning based upon your start. While I,… Read More ›
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Halle Berry’s directorial debut is “Bruised” but not broken.
It’s perfectly natural to want to find ways to grow in your craft. Someone who starts as an intern likely has their eyes on a manager’s seat, wanting to absorb as much as possible in order to get there faster…. Read More ›
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You don’t need to say his name to bring him home. Nia DaCosta’s “Candyman” is available on home video now.
In horror, there are far more stories of unrelenting evil than there are tales of vengeance. Look at the pantheon of horror elite and you’ve got Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger, Leatherface, and Pennywise. There are plenty more, for sure, but… Read More ›