Author Archives
Founder: Elements of Madness | Past Bylines at CLTure, Pretty Vacant One, FilmFed, & Mountain Xpress | NC Film Critics Association, Southeastern Film Critics Association, & Critics Choice Association member | Rotten Tomatoes approved individual critic
-
Steven Spielberg’s “Disclosure Day” doesn’t answer all of its questions, but the bonus features on the home edition just may enlighten you on some.
“Don’t be afraid of what you don’t know.” – Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt) in Disclosure Day For much of his career, filmmaker Steven Spielberg has examined the tensions that exist within humanity, whether it’s the desire to uplift capitalism over… Read More ›
-
With GKIDS Films’s brand-new 4K UHD remaster of Makoto Shinkai’s “Your Name.,” one is quite inclined to stay a little longer.
“Ah, if only our voices speak at night Could ever reach the very edge of this world and the time … “ – Dream Lantern by RADWIMPS 2016 was a strong year for animated films. While there was Academy Award… Read More ›
-
Ichikawa and Wada’s dark comedy “Ten Women in Black” joins Radiance Films’s collection with a 4K HD restoration.
When it comes to cheating and cheaters, there’s often more than one side to the story. Someone wasn’t getting what they needed from one partner, so they sought it elsewhere. This, of course, doesn’t make the act of cheating correct… Read More ›
-
Off its recent theatrical remaster re-release, Michael Arias’s 2006 animated adventure “Tekkonkinkreet” arrives at home with a first-time 4K UHD edition via GKIDS Films.
“At least believe in love, Kimura. Love is all you need.” – Suzuki in Tekkonkinkreet The bonds we make in life have a tendency to follow us everywhere. We don’t always know what they mean to us, either, until we’ve… Read More ›
-
“The Specials” mashes up all the genres with their fancy footwork. [Fantasia]
Mixing genres is a frequent and sometimes dangerous proposition. We’re not talking about mixing romance with comedy or horror with thriller elements (though there is a science to this, as well), but films which incorporate seemingly desperate genres like yakuza… Read More ›
-
Art and commerce collide in Amanbek Azhymat’s chaotic crime comedy “Backstage Madness.” [Fantasia]
What is “happiness”? Is it freedom; the ability to be your own boss? Is it creativity; the ability to pursue your vision at all times? Is it divine; to either consume whatever prey you like or see your enemies crushed… Read More ›
-
“The Sheep Detectives” Blu-ray Giveaway
Before you say baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa for having missed director Kyle Balda’s The Sheep Detectives in theaters, it’s now out on home video to stream on Prime Video or own on physical formats. Courtesy of Alliance Entertainment, EoM is offering one lucky individual… Read More ›
-
“Tunnels: Sun in the Dark” captures the human toll on conscripted people during the Vietnam War. [Fantasia]
Trigger Warning: As a war film, there are obviously going to be presentations of conflict that involve physical violence. There is also a minor, yet significant storyline involving sexual assault that may be difficult for sensitive viewers. Under the guise… Read More ›
-
Return to where The Fast Saga began with the 25th anniversary 4K UHD edition of Rob Cohen’s “The Fast and the Furious.”
“Ask any racer. Any real racer. It don’t matter if you win by an inch or a mile. Winning’s winning.” – Dominic Toretto, The Fast and the Furious Before they went to space, before they were international spies, before they… Read More ›
-
The Val Kilmer-led romantic crime thriller “The Saint” receives a first-time 4K UHD limited edition steelbook via Paramount Pictures.
There’s this strange belief that movies today are little more than remakes or IP extensions. Not only is this incorrect (there are plenty of original stories being released in theaters and online every week), but it’s almost entirely positioned as… Read More ›
-
No, sir, no, sir, family-friendly murder mystery “The Sheep Detectives” comes available on physical formats with no bags of special features.
Everyone always remembers their first murder. Presuming we remove The Terminator (1984) from the equation to account for the specific murder mystery genre, mine’s Mr. Body (Lee Ving). With its ridiculous characters, whimsical approach to solving the crime, and endless… Read More ›
-
A lean, mean, violence machine, “Mutiny” is a quintessential Jason Statham-led action thriller.
Even in our very divisive times, there are a few things folks can agree on: human traffickers deserve violent comeuppance and if Jason Statham (Wrath of Man; Fast & Furious 7) is in a film, someone’s getting hurt. Luckily for… Read More ›
-
Historical World War II thriller “Pressure” barely musters a light breeze of tension and is now available on home video.
“For want of a nail.” This proverb speaks to how the absence of even the smallest thing can have a massive ripple effect. Folks tend not to think about the wider implications, especially when looking back on history, questioning or… Read More ›
-
“The End of Oak Street” takes ‘80s familial strife to the prehistoric past in David Robert Mitchell’s new sci-fi thriller.
Photosensitivity Warning: The primary event occurs during a thunder storm and the end credits feature sporadic white light flashes, each of which may be triggering for photosensitive individuals. “Love songs fill the night But they don’t tell it all Not… Read More ›
-
Ryuya Syzuki’s contemplative existential drama “Jinsei” arrives on home video with few supplemental materials.
How does one measure a life? Through the seasons of change? Through their age? Through their responsibility? In the scope of all things, how does one determine how well or poorly someone lived their life? You could live for a… Read More ›
-
Heading to Sweethaven worked out well for Popeye in Robert Altman’s live-action adaptation, but what about for you in 4K UHD?
Just because a film doesn’t succeed at the box office, doesn’t mean it fails to resonate with audiences. Despite making millions of dollars, 2026 titles like Supergirl and Masters of the Universe are being labeled as failures for not meeting… Read More ›
-
Kentaro Hagiwara’s manga adaptation “Wind Breaker” transforms shōnen entertainment into a theatrical Blue Sky experience. [Fantasia]
What does it mean to be strong? What does it mean to hold power? Is it the means to defeat a thousand foes and to draw fear from opposition *or* is it to be able to protect all who matter… Read More ›
-
Chinese legend is adapted into a modern bombastic action adventure with heart in Mu Zhengyang’s directorial debut “All Wishes Come True!”
Over the last seven years, Chinese studios have tapped the 16th century Chinese novel Fengshen Yanyi (Investiture of the Gods) to craft stories in live-action (Creation of the Gods trilogy) and animated (Legend of the White Snake; New Gods: Yang Jian; Ne Zha)…. Read More ›
-
In the case of “Coyote vs. ACME,” we find them toony, looney, and hilariously on-point with their social satire. Case Dismissed.
In 1949, history was made with the debut of Wile E. Coyote and his enteral pursuant Road Runner in the Chuck Jones-directed (Hair-Raising Hare), Michael Maltese-written (Duck Amuck) Fast and Furry-ous. For seven minutes, audiences came to know the hilarity… Read More ›
-
Filmmaker Vincent Grashaw’s true crime prison dramedy “Bruton” is a lesson in what we should leave behind to reach what matters. [Locarno Film Festival]
There’s a saying that “truth is stranger than fiction” and that’s because reality has no editor or studio rep calling something too unbelievable to remain in the script. Right now, what’s happening in the world, specifically within the United States,… Read More ›