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
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Bold, loud, and making no apologies, “We Are Little Zombies” is a striking feature debut for Makoto Nagahisa.
In spite of its colorful style and quirky video game motif, We Are Little Zombies is a surprisingly somber and thoughtful experience as it explores loneliness, death, and grief amid several ear worms. Written and directed by Makoto Nagahisa, We… Read More ›
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Adaptation of Indonesian comic superhero “Gundala” kicks off the beginning of a grand adventure.
Take the brilliant stunt choreography of Indonesian action film The Night Comes for Us (2018), the intrigue of Indonesian thriller The Raid: Berandal (2014), and mix with superhero elements you know from various Marvel and DC storylines and you’ll get… Read More ›
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Leah McKendrick’s short film “Pamela & Ivy” reenvisions the ecowarrior’s origin.
Comic book stories have been on an upswing since, arguably, 1998’s Blade. There were comic book films before it, but many that came after tried to replicate the style and authenticity of Wesley Snipes’s badass vampire hunter. Even as other… Read More ›
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Come for the story, stay for the music of “Fisherman’s Friends.”
Before the written word, one of the main ways of passing down stories from one generation to another was through song. Considering that music is currently showing no signs of slowing down, it should surprise no one that telling the… Read More ›
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Get your action-adventure fix anytime with the home release of “Scoob!”
If you’re one of those folks who prefers physical media, get excited because one of the first 2020-slated films to hit Premium VOD is finally hitting shelves: WB Pictures’s Scoob!. In this soft-reboot of the beloved series, audiences are invited… Read More ›
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Paramount Presents adds the 30th anniversary edition of “Ghost” to its collection.
Released in 1955, The Righteous Brothers’s classic tune “Unchained Melody” tells the story of one lover’s unending yearning for another. The music is soft, yet insistent, as the lyrics describe the relentless hunger for contact. By the time Jerry Zucker’s… Read More ›
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Keep on rollin’ with your homies in this stylish 25th Anniversary Steelbook release of ‘90s classic “Clueless.”
There are a few films which define a generation. The Wizard of Oz speaks to those born 1922 -1945, a group which survived not just the Great Depression, but also World War II. For the Boomers, those born post-World War… Read More ›
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Criterion brings the ’97 Palme d’Or winner “Taste of Cherry” to your home.
The way an audience perceives art is by framing it within their own experience. This can be taken literally, as in someone considers their lifetime experience against what they are engaging in, or it can be taken more figuratively, as… Read More ›
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The Cine-Men, Episode 35: Foreign Films
The last time the Cine-Men gathered we spoke of revolution! This time around they look specifically at films of the non-English variety and name three of their favorites. If we do our jobs right, you’ll only be able to guess… Read More ›
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Unless you’re in the mood for incredible frustration, stay out of “The Room.”
In film criticism, there’s a guiding light that I try to stand by: review the film in front of you, not the film you wish you’d seen. That doesn’t mean that you can’t, don’t, or shouldn’t discuss a film’s failings…. Read More ›
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Take a step back to the days of Brucesploitation with modern remake “Enter the Fat Dragon.”
Before digging into the ridiculousness that is Enter the Fat Dragon, a remake of a 1978 martial arts comedy, let us take a moment to marvel at the majesty that is Donnie Yen. This actor and highly trained marital artist… Read More ›
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Meet Me at the Movies, Episode 388
It is, without a doubt, an absolute pleasure to join Noel T. Manning on his program Meet Me at the Movies and this latest recording is no exception. To make things more special, Noel invited Darryl Mansel, creating a fun… Read More ›
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Wake up in “Palm Springs,” you may not leave.
There comes a time in just about everyone’s life where suddenly every day feels the same. Wake up, get dressed, eat, work, eat, work, eat, rest, and start it all over again. Maybe you’re lucky and you get to mix… Read More ›
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Front row seats just opened up for “Trolls World Tour” and it’s at your house.
2020’s been one series of surprises after another. You’d run out of fingers trying to list all of the unexpected events and I’m here to present you with another: Trolls World Tour is a near-perfect exploration of cultural appropriation and… Read More ›
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Historical fiction drama “Greyhound” tells a WWII story that’s significant today.
Perseverance is the key to survival. We’re not just talking evolution here, but the willingness to push-back against any obstacles made by man or nature. In the case of the film Greyhound by director Aaron Schneider (Get Low), working from… Read More ›
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Special features in the home release enhance the already uplifting experience of “The High Note.”
Depending on who you talk to, there have either been not enough movies out to see this year or too few. Even without standard theaters being active, there’re still drive-ins, broadcast, and streaming options, many of which the studios have… Read More ›
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Reaction-inducing stunts & kinetic cast chemistry pull up a predictable plot in Netflix’s “The Old Guard.”
The list of films that deserve a theatrical release grows longer the further into 2020 quarantine goes. April brought the kinetic and pulse-pounding Extraction; May offered up the colorful escapism of The High Note and comedic hijinks of The Lovebirds;… Read More ›
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The Cine-Men, Episode 34: Films of Revolution.
When one thinks about Independence Day in the States, absent thoughts of food and fireworks, we think of freedom. Thing is, freedom doesn’t just mean breaking ties with a governing power. Sometimes freedom comes in the form of breaking free… Read More ›
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All your exes may live in Texas, but with the 40th anniversary of “Urban Cowboy,” you can take them anywhere.
Paramount Pictures has been busy these last few months as they’ve dropped new release after new release on their Paramount Presents line. With plenty more of those coming in July and August, Paramount’s taken a break to release a 40th… Read More ›
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Dramedy “Drive Me to the End” asks you to consider how well you listen.
Imagine, for a moment, that you were forced into an extended confinement. Are you lonely or relieved? Now, instead of being on your own, you were given company. Do you feel more comfortable or more anxious? Finally, what if the… Read More ›