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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Teemu Nikki’s dramatic thriller “The Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic” is storytelling on an elevated level. [SXSW Film Festival]
Art being subjective, the likelihood that each film released is going to be the latest masterpiece is small. Individuals may certainly feel that way, but, objectively, it’s far less likely. Odds are always on the side of familiar stories being… Read More ›
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Sports drama “National Champions” offers precious few special features in its home release amid a highly rewatchable film.
In an equitable world, there’s balance and fair play. There’s a general sense that a deal made between parties will be advantageous to both, making their lives enriched in some fashion. But when it comes to collegiate sports, the deals… Read More ›
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Go on a wibbly wobbly timey wimey action adventure in new Shawn Levy film “The Adam Project.”
It all starts with the rhythmic strumming of a guitar plucking the notes off a string before cymbals, drums, and piano join in. As then-18-year-old Steve Winwood’s voice kicks in with “Well, my temperature’s rising, and my feet on the… Read More ›
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Meet Me at the Movies: Episode 453
Been awhile since I joined Noel T. Manning and Thomas Manning for an episode of Meet Me at the Movies, so the release of Matt Reeves’s The Batman seemed like a great reason to return. They offered me space to discuss… Read More ›
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Exploring emotions and interpersonal relationships, Domee Shi’s “Turning Red” adds another top release to Pixar’s catalogue.
In front of Pixar’s Incredibles 2 (2018) was writer/director Domee Shi’s directorial debut Bao, a bittersweet story of parenthood and letting go. It’s not too surprising that Shi’s feature-length debut, Turning Red, follows a similar trajectory, just from a different… Read More ›
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The answers offered within the bonus features for Camille Griffin’s “Silent Night” home release create more questions.
According to the 2021 TIFF Q&A with Silent Night writer/director Camille Griffin and cast members Keira Knightly (Atonement), Matthew Goode (The King’s Man), and Roman Griffin Davis (Jojo Rabbit), their film was one of the last to wrap production in… Read More ›
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The Cine-Men, Episode 62: Most Anticipated Films of 2022.
After a January hiatus to recover from the usual FYC hullabaloo, The Cine-Men co-hosts Darryl Mansel and I return to talk what’s coming to theaters in 2022. More specifically, we talk about the films we’re most excited to see. With… Read More ›
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“Scream” Digital Code Giveaway
Since 1996, if you wanted to make someone’s blood run cold, all you had to do is grab a voice changer and ask “Do you like scary movies?.” Horror master director Wes Craven and writer Kevin Williamson’s long-running series welcomed… Read More ›
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Iuli Gerbase’s “The Pink Cloud” utilizes a fictional global crisis as a means of exploring gender roles in a microcosm.
“Written in 2017, shot in 2019, Official Selection Sundance 2021” — these words find themselves repeated often when promoting writer/director Iuli Gerbase’s feature-length directorial debut, the science fiction drama A Nuvem Rose, now more widely known as The Pink Cloud…. Read More ›
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“John and the Hole” Blu-ray Giveaway
After having its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, Pascual Sisto’s directorial debut was released in select theaters and on VOD in August 2021. Whether you missed this tense thriller or want to revisit it any time you… Read More ›
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If you dig the cast chemistry of “The 355,” the home release bonus features will only make you appreciate it more.
January has a bad wrap when it comes to movie releases, considered by most to be a dumping ground for films that studios or distributors don’t think have a chance. January gave us BELLE (2022), PG: Psycho Goreman (2021), Derek… Read More ›
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“Silent Night” Blu-ray Giveaway
At the end of 2020, director Camille Griffin’s directorial debut, Silent Night, inspired audiences to consider the end of it all. Her dark comedy brought together a host of incredible talent to explore what the end of the world might be… Read More ›
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Deceptively simple sci-fi dramatic thriller “Bor Mi Vanh Chark (The Long Walk)” will terrify you while drawing you in.
Since its initial release in September 2019, director Mattie Do’s (Dearest Sister) dramatic sci-fi thriller Bor Mi Vanh Chark (The Long Walk) has seen either additional festival screenings or limited releases across the globe. Now, with distribution from Yellow Veil… Read More ›
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Matthew Vaughn’s lengthy spy drama “The King’s Man” brings with it equally lengthy bonus features on its home release.
Writer/director Matthew Vaughn is a name synonymous with hyper-violence and comedy thanks to projects like Kick-Ass (2010) and The Kingsman series, but he’s also responsible for writing/directing Stardust (2007) and X-Men: First Class (2011), as well as the script for… Read More ›
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If you’ve been itching to “Escape from L.A.,” wait a little longer before jumping on this 4K release.
How we come to something often defines how we receive it. It’s why a piece of art may hit you differently at alternate points in your life, whether due to your emotional mindset, a shift in perspective, or even the… Read More ›
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“Studio 666” is an old school slasher set to a modern riff.
When it comes to band movies, documentaries (The Sparks Brothers (2021); a-ha: The Movie (2021)), and biopics (Straight Outta Compton (2015); Walk The Line (2005)) offer opportunities for audiences to get to know the music and members that they perhaps… Read More ›