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
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Explore the various realms free from kombat with “Mortal Kombat II” on home video.
The Mortal Kombat series created by Ed Boon and John Tobias managed to survive parental outrage over the violence, the destruction of arcades during the rise of at-home gaming, and even, remarkably, Annihilation (1997). Yet, even with its expansion of… Read More ›
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Open up wide and let “Corpus” in. [Fantasia]
“And I need you now tonight And I need you more than ever And if you only hold me tight We’ll be holding on forever And we’ll only be making it right ‘Cause we’ll never be wrong Together, we can… Read More ›
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The only thing stopping Springtime for Hitler is “The Last Temptation of Becky.” [Fantasia]
“You probably heard we ain’t in the prisoner-takin’ business; we in the killin’ Nazi business. And cousin, business is a-boomin’.” – Lt. Aldo Raine in Inglourious Basterds (2009) There are a few things in cinema that most audiences agree on:… Read More ›
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Filmmaker Kenichi Kutsuna’s animated video game adaptation “Sekiro: No Defeat” beautifully captures its jidaigeki roots through classic animation and action. [Fantasia]
What does it mean to live an honorable life? Is it honoring yourself? Honoring your community? Existing by a code? These may sound like old-fashioned queries, the sort of things that warriors or soldiers asked themselves when written by poets,… Read More ›
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“Due West” Digital Code Giveaway
After a stint on the festival circuit, director Evan Miller’s drama Due West starring Adrianne Palicki (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) and Henry Thomas (Doctor Sleep) is set to come available for home viewing. Courtesy of Cineverse, EoM is giving away… Read More ›
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Nick Taylor’s doc “RUBBERHEAD: The Life & Monsters of Steve Johnson” successfully unveils the magic of making movies but not of the subject himself. [Fantasia]
Movies are a place for escape, but also for self-discovery. They take us to unseen lands, places of pure imagination, situations in which the amazing and the horrible occur in equal measure, containing the ability to excite us in ways… Read More ›
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Characters are in this year via David Frankel’s “The Devil Wears Prada 2” and you can bring them home.
Photosensitivity Warning: As much of the film deals with fashion, there are press in attendance at various points of the film which results in quite a few flashing cameras. Scenes like these are also used in the supplemental materials of… Read More ›
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“The Arrival” 4K UHD Blu-ray Giveaway
While physical media production of films seems to be waning, there still remain those who champion cinema by re-releasing titles on brand-new formats with new art and features. In June, Lionsgate Limited did exactly this with their 4K UHD edition… Read More ›
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Halfway Through 2026: The 23 Best Films So Far.
It’s July and that means it’s time to quickly rundown the titles that made the biggest impact in 2026. This short list of 23 films represents the titles that made the biggest impression on me between January and June 2026… Read More ›
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The Criterion Collection re-commissions David Lynch’s “The Elephant Man” via a brand-new 4K UHD restoration.
As preservation dwindles, those who continue to offer physical editions of films are going to be hailed as heroes. It’s not just that a movie in the digital era can get lost amid the various digital streamers, it’s that, sometimes,… Read More ›
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Flameo, Hotman! “Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender” satisfies like a fresh cup of tea from the Jasmine Dragon.
“No one wins a fight.” – Dalton in Road House. When Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino premiered their Nickelodeon program Avatar: The Last Airbender in 2005, there was likely little sense of what the response would be. On paper,… Read More ›
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Director Bob Colaers’s “Attack on Paradise” attempts a fresh perspective on well-worn tropes with mixed results. [Fantasia]
When stories aren’t being told the way you want to see them, sometimes you have no choice but to make them yourself. Based on an artist’s statement, that’s the idea behind the creation of Attack on Paradise (formerly Paradise) by… Read More ›
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“You Are the Film” continues the trend of fantastical whimsy as writer Makoto Ueda shifts his talents to include the director’s chair. [Fantasia]
All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts – From the “All the World’s a Stage” speech within William… Read More ›
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Wanna be in the room where it happens? Save your cash and don’t opt for the 4K UHD edition.
“Legacy. What is a legacy? It’s planting seeds in a garden you never get to see.” – From “The World Was Wide Enough” from Hamilton At this point, just about everyone knows the story. While on vacation, recouping from In… Read More ›
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Writer/director J Pinder’s “Cotton Candy Bubble Gum” maintains its flavor within its “one crazy day” antics.
Trigger Warning: While no depiction is provided, a school shooting is a key character element within the film. A lot can happen in a day. Regardless of time and place, you can find the entire trajectory of your existence shifted,… Read More ›
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When communication breaks down and anger seethes, “Evil Dead Burn.”
Trigger Warning: There’s a brief club sequence early in the film that features flashing lights that may be disturbing for photosensitive viewers. Additionally, the subject of familial abuse courses throughout. Be sure to take precautions before watching. Sheila: You found… Read More ›
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Yeon Sang-ho’s “Colony” sees individuality and community collide in the filmmaker’s latest horror thriller.
Despite the well-worn nature of certain subgenres, there can be a magical configuration of approaches that result in a sensation of something new and special. This is the case with Yeon Sang-ho’s Train to Busan (2016), an action horror thriller… Read More ›
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“Pitfall” Digital Code Giveaway
After a run in theaters in May, director James Kondelik’s horror thriller Pitfall is now available on VOD and digital to experience at home. Courtesy of Cineverse, EoM is giving away one (1) Apple TV digital code for one lucky individual…. Read More ›
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Rom-com “You, Me & Tuscany,” now on home video, delivers a commonplace experience despite its remarkable setting.
Romantic comedies come in all shapes and sizes, from a teacher and a night club singer falling in love at first sight (Vivacious Lady) to a billionaire falling for the escort he hired to pretend to be his girlfriend (Pretty… Read More ›
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38 films from the 30th edition of Fantasia International Film Festival to explode your senses.
Elements of Madness returns for the seventh time to cover Fantasia International Film Festival and it’s their 30th anniversary! Coverage is being handled by EoM Founder Douglas Davidson and EoM Contributor Justin Waldman on this special occasion and we have… Read More ›