Author Archives
Founder: Elements of Madness | Contributing Senior Film Critic: CLTure | Freelance Film Critic: Mountain XPress | 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
-
Enjoy the delightful “Roman Holiday” for the first time on blu-ray thanks to the Paramount Presents label.
Three-time Oscar winning film Roman Holiday is the latest Paramount catalogue title to join the Paramount Presents label and fans of the 1953 comedic romance have a lot to be excited about. It’s not just that Paramount has gathered previous… Read More ›
-
Documentary “All In: The Fight for Democracy” is a compelling proclamation that our democratic republic cannot function when we devalue the voting process.
Let me ask you something: What is the responsibility of the legislative branch of the United States government? Where does the Constitution of the United States place the final authority on decisions in our country? Which officer presides over an… Read More ›
-
“Last Call” is a bold experiment that will leave you in tatters by the end.
Since the kinetoscope, artists have been devising new and creative ways to push the boundaries of motion picture storytelling. Audiences have seen gimmicks as simple as smell-o-vision and 3D or as technically complex as 4DX and ScreenX enter their local… Read More ›
-
“Invincible Dragon” Blu-ray Giveaway
Elements of Madness is excited to announce we’ve partnered with Well Go USA on the upcoming home release of Invincible Dragon. In anticipation of the Blu-ray, DVD, and digital release on October 6th, we are giving away two (2) Blu-rays… Read More ›
-
“Pretending I’m a Superman: The Tony Hawk Video Game Story” is perfectly aimed at fans of the legacy franchise, not at a casual audience.
Fingerflip. Varial. Kickflip. 360 Shove It. 900. If these words mean anything at all to you, chances are you’re either a skater or a Tony Hawk Pro Skater. The game itself released in September 1999, long after the skateboarding boom… Read More ›
-
Observe the birth of the modern police procedural in Jules Dassin’s “The Naked City,” restored via the Criterion Collection.
From modern programs like Lucifer, The Flash, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Blue Bloods to more classic ones like Law and Order, The Mod Squad, and Hill Street Blues, each of these procedural variants owe their existence in large part to the… Read More ›
-
Nancy Springer’s “Enola Holmes Mysteries” is given the YA “Fleabag” treatment in Netflix’s playful “Enola Holmes.”
Since the first Sherlock Holmes story from author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was published in 1891, there have been countless iterations of the consulting detective in print, stage, and screen. Thanks to modern performances from Robert Downey Jr. (Sherlock Holmes),… Read More ›
-
Now available via the Criterion Collection, director Jules Dassin’s “Brute Force” remains as explosive an indictment of prison reform today as in 1947.
Released June 30th, 1947, Jules Dassin’s (Rififi) Brute Force opened and took audiences and critics by storm. The film, a prison break picture, would startle and terrify as it depicted life inside prisons as one of moral decay, not because… Read More ›
-
“The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum” explores the price of turning a blind eye to yellow journalism and government surveillance
How often do you read or see something that excites you, titillates you, and perhaps even angers you? As we grow ever closer to a presidential election, it seems almost daily that such an occurrence happens. Articles, photos, and videos… Read More ›
-
True story “Critical Thinking” is a gripping drama powered by strong performances and fantastic direction.
May 8th – 10th of 1998 marked the 30th anniversary of the U.S. Chess Federation’s National High School Championship. With 230 schools from 32 states, the Wyndham Hotel at Los Angeles Airport was filled with some of the brightest minds… Read More ›
-
WB Home Entertainment releases four adventurous catalogue titles in 4K UHD for the first time.
It’s showtime! Warner Brothers Home Entertainment is dropping not one, not two, but four new 4K UHD editions from their vast catalogue: Richard Donner’s The Goonies (1985), Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice (1988), and Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes (2009) and Sherlock Holmes:… Read More ›
-
Explore the depths of the oceans in director Ayumu Watanabe’s manga adaptation “Children of the Sea.”
One of the things I love about GKids Films, a distributor of Asian animated films, is the absolute variety and high quality of each production they release in the U.S. The films they release range from stop-motion (My Life as… Read More ›
-
Arrow Video’s restoration of classic horror camp “Elvira: Mistress of the Dark” is worth the price of admission.
As a kid with a profoundly accelerated imagination, there was no way I would ever watch something horror-related even though I frequently wanted to. Scoping out the VHS cover art while waiting in line at Kroger’s or hitting my local… Read More ›
-
“Bill & Ted Face The Music” is a most triumphant end for the time-traveling duo.
Imagine, if you will, that you’re a teenager sitting at your local hangout, a Circle K, perhaps, when someone drops out of the sky and tells you they are from the future and that you’re destined to be the foundation… Read More ›
-
The Cine-Men, Episode 38: Release The Snyder Cut.
The latest episode of The Cine-Men is a special one and marks a change in how we’ve produced episodes. For the first time, we’re dedicating the entire show to one topic and we’re joined by a very special guest to… Read More ›
-
Character drama “The King of Staten Island” comes home with plenty of in-depth bonus features.
Inspired in-part by his own real-life trauma, comedian Pete Davidson (Saturday Night Live) crafted a story in partnership with director Judd Apatow (This is 40) and writer/producer Dave Sirus that presents a fictional tale of heartache, profound pain, and, ultimately,… Read More ›
-
Explore the legend of pre-Civil War hero Shields Green via new home release “Emperor.”
The truth is often less exciting, less inspirational than fiction. My presumption for this is not because the truth lacks power, but that our individual imaginations build up ideas until they are larger than any one person or concept. It’s… Read More ›
-
A mash-up of styles and approaches, Michael Almereyda’s “Telsa” attempts to capture the eccentric spirit of the brilliant inventor.
After premiering at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, director Michael Almereyda’s (Marjorie Prime) experimental biopic Tesla is coming available to audiences. Much like the titular man, Almereyda’s film possesses idiosyncrasies as it mashes together a steam punk vibe, chronological anomalies,… Read More ›
-
The Cine-Men, Episode 37: School Days
August is about when most folks return to school and Fall 2020 is shaping up to be a humdinger of a return to school season as students and parents alike grapple with virtual education vs. in-person options. In our attempt… Read More ›
-
“Words on Bathroom Walls” offers an astonishingly frank presentation of schizophrenia within a YA package.
Author Julia Walton’s 2017 young adult novel Words on Bathroom Walls centers on Adam Petrazelli, a high school senior whose dreams of culinary school seem destined for tragedy soon after he’s diagnosed with schizophrenia. Adapted for the big screen by… Read More ›