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

• Listen: The Cine-Men, Episode 13

  By Douglas Davidson on April 5, 2019 • ( 0 )

  

  Been a while since The Cine-Men were in the booth, but after an extended break, hosts Darryl and Douglas return! They start by digging into the usual new film discussion before they get into the Cine-Men Challenge. This time, Douglas… Read More ›

• “Unicorn Store” ponders the eternal question: does growing old mean growing up?

  By Douglas Davidson on April 4, 2019 • ( 0 )

  

  Was is it about adulthood that makes people seemingly accept growing cynical and world-weary? Who created the rules which say that doing things one way, and only that way, is the right way? That once you reach a certain age,… Read More ›

• Emilo Estevez’s drama “The Public” dives into society under the guise of a light drama.

  By Douglas Davidson on April 3, 2019 • ( 0 )

  

  The Buckeye State is known for many things. Sports fans know Ohio as the home of the Cincinnati Reds and the Bengals. Foodies come for LaRosa’s pizza, Skyline Chili, and Graeter’s Ice Cream. Music lovers jam to the sounds of… Read More ›

• Coming To Theaters: April 2019

  By Douglas Davidson on April 2, 2019 • ( 0 )

  

  April heralds the arrival of flowers and all the nasty pollen that goes with them! Good for Mother Nature, not so good for the rest of us who struggle with allergies. So why not take a break from nature’s natural… Read More ›

• Irish dramedy “Lost & Found” ponders the interconnectedness of our everyday lives.

  By Douglas Davidson on March 29, 2019 • ( 0 )

  

  Writer/director Liam O Mochain’s Lost & Found is an honest labor of love. While filming over five years in Ireland, Mochain drew from stories he either experienced himself, knew others personally experienced, or knew as urban legends to create a… Read More ›

• “Shazam!” – A New Challenger Enters the Ring!

  By Douglas Davidson on March 27, 2019 • ( 1 )

  

  Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman − four names audiences around the globe recognize, not merely because of the recent Zack Snyder-directed films, but because of their lengthy history in the comic industry. Superman first appeared in 1938, Batman in 1939,… Read More ›

• “We Are Boats” explores a metaphysical current that keeps us moving from port to port.

  By Douglas Davidson on March 25, 2019 • ( 1 )

  

  For as long as humans have existed, there’s been a longing to explain that which we don’t comprehend. This longing gave rise to myths and legends born out of trying to rationalize why the sun sets and rises as well… Read More ›

• This is one “Boy Band” that’s not getting a reunion.

  By Douglas Davidson on March 21, 2019 • ( 0 )

  

  There comes a point in every film where the audience is either all in or all out. While not always the case, this usually comes down to the opening. For Boy Band, a coming-of-age comedy centered around four men who… Read More ›

• Documentary exposé “Rocking the Couch” examines a forgotten piece of Hollywood’s history of harassment and assault

  By Douglas Davidson on March 20, 2019 • ( 0 )

  

  The Me Too movement found its beginnings in 2006 when activist Tarana Burke began using the hashtag #metoo as a way to spread awareness of sexual assault. Nearly a decade later, actress/activist Alyssa Milano asked people to respond with that… Read More ›

• Bolstered by strong performances, “The Wedding Guest” transforms a focused narrative into an engaging character piece.

  By Douglas Davidson on March 18, 2019 • ( 0 )

  

  Given his roles in Slumdog Millionaire, Chappie, and HBO’s The Newsroom, the last person audiences would picture as a methodical badass is Dev Patel. That’s bound to change after audiences get a glimpse of him in writer/director Michael Winterbottom’s The… Read More ›

• While a lot of fun, “Captain Marvel” relies too much on the past in establishing its present.

  By Douglas Davidson on March 16, 2019 • ( 2 )

  

  First teased during the post credits sequence of Avengers: Infinity War, the 21st Marvel Cinematic Universe entry Captain Marvel fully introduces audiences to a character MCU producer and mastermind Kevin Feige described as “…the strongest character [the MCU’s] ever had.”… Read More ›

• “Triple Threat” brings the pain you expect and surprises you don’t.

  By Douglas Davidson on March 15, 2019 • ( 1 )

  

  With so many films relying on CGI for action sequences, there’s something really delicious about a fight scene where you can tell the actors are as close to making full contact as they can be without physical injury. Fight scenes… Read More ›

• Regal Expands 4DX into North Carolina

  By Douglas Davidson on March 14, 2019 • ( 5 )

  

  It’s no secret that that the home entertainment boom changed the way the audiences view going to the theater. At home, there’s better control over volume, loud chewers, slurping drinkers, and cell phone users. No matter what you do or… Read More ›

• Horror thriller “Starfish” focuses on personal loss within a global apocalyptic scenario.

  By Douglas Davidson on March 13, 2019 • ( 3 )

  

  The phrase “Based On A True Story” elicits many responses. In some instances, it suggests an attempt to recreate significant events, whereas, in others, it implies not a recreation, but an interpretation of events. It’s Schindler’s List or 127 Hours…. Read More ›

• “Mary Poppins Returns” leans too hard into homage to create a new experience.

  By Douglas Davidson on March 12, 2019 • ( 0 )

  

  The original 1964 Mary Poppins tale is more remembered for its music and charm than its family-centric story. The use of animation mixed with live-action created a cinematic experience filled with incredible wonder, the likes of which were incredibly few…. Read More ›

• Too much comedy overshadows the action in fish-out-of-water thriller “Welcome to Acapulco”.

  By Douglas Davidson on March 11, 2019 • ( 0 )

  

  Some ideas sound great in a treatment but don’t turn out as smoothly in the execution while others sound terrible and turn out amazing. If you were to hear about an animated film in which LEGO figures band together try… Read More ›

• Slow and relentless, “Burning” juxtaposes the mystery of humanity and nature.

  By Douglas Davidson on March 5, 2019 • ( 0 )

  

  Though it didn’t go on to the 91st Academy Awards, director Lee Chang-dong’s adaptation of Haruki Murakami’s short story Barn Burning still had a good year with 30 wins and 104 nominations from various global festivals and events. The opening… Read More ›

• “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” once more captures the imagination in a surprisingly emotional finale.

  By Douglas Davidson on March 3, 2019 • ( 0 )

  

  When audiences attend a children’s film, they don’t expect much: a few laughs, some sort of adventure, and perhaps a moral or two tucked in to give the adults something to discuss with the kids. Generally, expectations are pretty low…. Read More ›

• Coming To Theaters: March 2019

  By Douglas Davidson on February 28, 2019 • ( 0 )

  

  With the end of February comes the close to the 2018 cinematic season, but it also brings many new films to theaters! This March, you can look forward to at least 27 contenders fighting for your hard-earned dollars, so here’s… Read More ›

• Move aside Reeves and Theron, Ngo Thanh Van’s bringing the “Furie”.

  By Douglas Davidson on February 27, 2019 • ( 11 )

  

  Despite being in films such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny, Star Wars: Episode VIII The Last Jedi, and Bright, American audiences still haven’t caught on to the talent that is Ngo Thanh Van, known in the U.S…. Read More ›