Author Archives
Founder: Elements of Madness | Contributing Senior Film Critic: CLTure | Past Bylines at Pretty Vacant One, FilmFed, & Mountain Xpress | 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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Writer/director Nicola Rose’s coming-of-age dramedy “Goodbye, Petrushka” holds a promise for the future.
After spending time on the festival circuit, writer/director Nicola Rose’s feature-length directorial debut, Goodbye, Petrushka, hit VOD and digital in July of 2022. Utilizing mixed media and multiple genres, Rose’s film explores growing up via a romantic lens, both literal… Read More ›
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“Thor: Love and Thunder” Digital Code Giveaway
Thor: Love and Thunder hit shelves on September 27th and, given my preference for physical media, I made sure to snag the Disney Movie Club edition as it includes a DVD. Major bummer it’s the only way to get a… Read More ›
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Seth McTigue’s feature-length directorial debut “Take the Night” is full of potential.
In his directorial debut, writer/actor Seth McTigue decided to tackle the hefty subject of parents and children. In his crime thriller Take the Night, the relationship between a parent and child, in this case primarily fathers and sons, is explored… Read More ›
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“DC League of Super-Pets” Blu-ray Giveaway
While most audiences are familiar with the exploits of Superman and Batman, many may not realize that – canonically – their pets are heroes in their own right. DC League of Super-Pets seeks to fix all of that as Dwayne Johnson… Read More ›
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Sci-fi drama “Vesper” is a richly constructed dystopian fairy tale with a prescient resonance. [Fantastic Fest]
Not all fairy tales begin with “Once upon a time.” Sometimes it’s a date/location with a brief setup and a rewinding of time (Pan’s Labyrinth). Sometimes it’s a voiceover that establishes a premise of wonder and awe (Stardust). In the… Read More ›
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“They Crawl Beneath” Blu-ray Giveaway
Though there are plenty of horror films released throughout the year, there’s something about ones dropping *in* October, something that feels more special, more likely to hit that thriller/chiller spot. Coming from director Dale Fabrigar (D-Railed), and hitting shelves and… Read More ›
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“Spirit Halloween: The Movie” – guaranteed to give you a family-friendly thrill.
Trigger Warning: Spirit Halloween contains several lengthy sequences featuring flashing lights that might impact those with photosensitivity. When it comes to Spooky Season, every family has their traditions. Some abstain entirely, while others go whole hog well before the calendar… Read More ›
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Honor, pain, and cuddles are just the beginning of Alberto Vázquez’s “Unicorn Wars.” [Fantastic Fest]
If you go down in the woods today, you’re sure of a big surprise If you go down in the woods today, you’d better go in disguise For every bear that ever there was Will gather there for certain because… Read More ›
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“The Antares Paradox (La Paradoja de Antares)” is a well-executed single-location story. [Fantastic Fest]
Imagine for a moment that you’ve known what you’ve wanted to do from a young age, that you’ve spent the majority of your life reaching toward a goal despite a lack of familial or even societal support. Now imagine that… Read More ›
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Action drama “Preman: Silent Fury” hits harder with the pathos than violence.
Murder, mayhem, sorrow, grief, pain, redemption: these are universal aspects of storytelling that transcend time and place. For stories that combine these to the point where pulpy isn’t just a way to describe the story but the viscera that remains… Read More ›
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Darius Marder’s award-winning “Sound of Metal” joins the Criterion Collection.
Of the many things that occurred as a result of COVID-19 in 2020, as it related to the film industry, was that movies were either pushed over and over, rescheduled to a later date entirely, or sold to streamers. Films… Read More ›
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Rock out with “Thor: Love and Thunder” anytime on home video and Disney+.
At the time of its release, Thor: Ragnarok (2017) was unlike any other Marvel Studios release to date. It embraced the visual style of writer/artist Jack Kirby, it dared to remove the seriousness of the prior two outings, and it… Read More ›
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You’ll still believe with this solid 4K UHD edition of the Joel Schumacher horror-comedy classic “The Lost Boys.”
There are some films that define the era of the ‘80s in cinema. You’ve got dramedies like The Breakfast Club (1985), aviation action in the form of Top Gun (1986), revealing the lack of safety in dream via A Nightmare… Read More ›
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“Poltergeist” 4K UHD Blu-ray Giveaway
Director Tobe Hooper’s 1982 film Poltergeist is considered one of the great classic horror films of the Eighties. In celebration of its 40th anniversary, Warner Bros. Pictures is releasing the film on 4K UHD Blu-ray for the first-time. Courtesy of… Read More ›
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Buckle up, Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” is the kind of musical biopic ride that doesn’t stop until well after the encore.
If there was ever a life that was deserving of the Baz Luhrmann treatment, it’s the famed singer Elvis Presley’s. Despite only living until 42, Presley’s music remains considered among the greats, his home a place viewed as sacred from… Read More ›
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“Preman: Silent Fury” Blu-ray Giveaway
If someone were to mention Indonesian action cinema, films like The Night Came For Us (2018), The Raid: Redemption (2011) and it’s amazing follow-up The Raid 2: Berandal (2014), as well as Merantu (2009) and newly released Vengeance is Mine, All Others Pay Cash (2021)… Read More ›
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Murder mystery “See How They Run” offers gratifying escape with a dash of style.
“Oh, I like murder.” Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap Act I, Scene 1, Page 11 Murder mysteries are a staple of storytelling. Whether set upon a stage, in print, broadcast on your television, presented on the silver screen, or in your… Read More ›
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“Goodbye, Don Glees!” Hello, innumerable possibilities.
As long as there are children who grow into adulthood via adolescence, there will always be coming-of-age stories. They may not be indicative of your experience, but they will speak to the universal ideas of growing up, shifting from an… Read More ›
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37 years after release, “Real Genius” remains just as hilarious and topical as ever.
As a child of the 1980s, I was witness to all kinds of bullying toward nerds, dorks, and geeks. If it wasn’t happening in front of me (or to me), then it was happening on-screen. You’d think a film like… Read More ›
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With Steve Wang’s sci-fi actioner hitting 4K UHD via 88 Films, all you’ve got to do is “Drive.”
There are movies that grab you because they take big swings, there are movies that grip you because they resonate with some aspect of your being, and there are some movies that simply tickle you for their absolute audacity. Director… Read More ›