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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Light the fuse on “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” and get ready for the ride of the summer.
There are few cinematic franchises as consistent in delivering action and thrills as the Mission: Impossible franchise. While not as institutionalized as the James Bond: 007 series nor as gratuitous as the Fast & Furious franchise, the Mission: Impossible films… Read More ›
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Lauren Miller Rogen’s “Like Father” grounds an alt-romantic comedy with real emotion.
Netflix’s latest original film, Like Father, marks the feature directorial debut of Lauren Miller Rogen. It’s a dramedy addressing the detrimental impact of a life dissociated from others. A concept like this requires a balancing act of writing, acting, and… Read More ›
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Coming To Theaters: August 2018
With one more month before the close of Summer, the typical thinking is that the trashiest of trash films get dumped into theaters about now. This short-list of 18 films – running the gamut of genres – begs to differ. These films… Read More ›
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Modern adaptation “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” beautifully captures the inherent chaotic spirit of love.
The beauty of William Shakespeare’s plays is their malleability to interpretation. Even the highest of the literati recognize that Shakespeare wrote for the multitudes, not just high class or lower born. As such, his plays contain a timeliness, enabling them… Read More ›
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“Rock Rubber 45s” is the autobiographical story of prolific cultural phenom Bobbito García.
Blacktop ball, pro ball, trick ball. A&R rep, radio host, world-renowned DJ. Freelance sneakerhead, sneaker designer, founder of a cultural movement. Businessman, author, filmmaker. Entrepreneur, activist, globalist. These disparate concepts are connected by one legendary man whose influence stretches through… Read More ›
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Introspection and patience reward when “The Night Eats The World”.
The wealth of film hitting theaters and VOD services is enough to overwhelm even the most discerning cinephile, which is why it matters to remain open to films beyond your borders both physical and metaphysical. Locking ourselves into genres, into… Read More ›
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“Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation” offers an entertainment break from the summertime heat.
Summertime brings with it the usual bevy of tent pole blockbusters and indie darlings, each scrapping for audience’s hard-earned dollars each and every Friday. Many of these films offer a chance at delicious distraction from the world at large, but… Read More ›
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Documentary “The King” parallels the King of Rock n’ Roll with the King of Democracy.
The statement most citizens of America think of when considering the exceptionalism inherent in their way of life is Thomas Jefferson’s inclusion within the Declaration of Independence that all of America’s citizens are entitled to “life, liberty, and the pursuit… Read More ›
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Surreal & darkly satirical, “Sorry To Bother You” is an explosive feature debut from director Boots Riley.
Nothing can prepare you for the feature debut of Boots Riley’s Sorry To Bother You – a darkly hilarious, richly layered, head trip of a social-economic satire that will lure audiences in with its clever jokes and fine cast before… Read More ›
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Small stakes don’t stop ‘Ant-Man and The Wasp’ from being big fun.
2015’s Ant-Man provided audiences a lighter mood in the Peyton Reed-directed heist film which helped to soften the blow of the largely serious Age of Ultron. It also acted as a backdoor introduction to Captain America: Civil War, a film… Read More ›
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Listen: The Cine-Men, Episode 1
The latest podcast to enter the Poprika Podcast Network is The Cine-Men, hosted by Poprika founder Seed and EoM founder Douglas Davidson. The aim of the show is to discuss the films we’ve seen and those we haven’t in all the… Read More ›
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Coming To Theaters: July 2018
Summer’s here and while the living ain’t easy, there’s plenty of entertainment to keep you out of the heat. To help navigate the excess of options that come from streaming, VOD, and theaters everywhere, here’s a short list of sixteen films… Read More ›
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Noir and comedy intertwine for Jack Eve’s “Bees Make Honey”.
There’s no denying that writer/director Jack Eve’s got ambition. Watching a single frame of genre mash-up Bees Make Honey makes that abundantly clear. With bold strokes, Jack sets about combining aspects of straight period pieces and film noir mysteries, with… Read More ›
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Do your soul some good and let your “Hearts Beat Loud”.
Contained within director Brett Haley’s little indie darling, Hearts Beat Loud, resides an indomitable, overflowing joy. It’s unexpected, wondrous, and bound to fill your soul up until it, too, overflows. Sweet without being saccharine, loving without being profane, pure without… Read More ›
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Punk-Rock gets the rom-com it didn’t know it wanted in ‘Izzy Gets the F*ck Across Town’.
Feature debuts are a chance for any filmmaker to make an impression and to present audiences with a viewpoint perhaps unseen before. Folks, Christian Papierniak’s rock-infused dramedy Izzy Gets the F*ck Across Town does all that and a little more…. Read More ›
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Simply put, “Incredibles 2” is worth the wait.
It’s been 14 years since Brad Bird’s now-classic The Incredibles hit theaters and, for many, the wait’s been excruciating. Gratefully, not only are the Parrs returning, but they’re returning with a story that’s a sequel in the purest form –… Read More ›
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Documentary “Pressing On” leaves its imprint on audiences in an infectious, rock n’ roll ride.
Of the things we take for granted, the written word is possibly the highest on the list. Before Johannes Gutenberg devised the printing press in 1440, there was little focus on or desire for the common person to read, which… Read More ›
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In need of a date night? Don’t wait, “Set It Up”.
Netflix’s latest original feature isn’t going to blow the doors off your house, but that’s not what it’s geared for. Instead, Set It Up is a silly, light-hearted, rom-com that’ll take you on an amusing ride all the way to… Read More ›
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Family affair ‘The Year of Spectacular Men’ is a strong prologue of potential.
Coming-of-age tales are typically restricted to the teen crowd. Stories of a lost innocence or new-found acceptance that empowers the central character in a way which emboldens them to tackle the world around them. Though it’s not atypical for stories… Read More ›
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Documentary ‘Mountain’ will leave you as breathless as the views.
Many documentaries seek to enrich the lives of an audience through an exploration of a time, an area, or even an individual. These are the expectations set up by traditional documentaries seen the world over and these are the expectations… Read More ›