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
-
Wuershan’s “Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms” is a relentless and epic kick-off appropriate for a legendary tale.
In just about every culture on Earth there is a story involving the creation of existence. There are stories of emergence, of coming out of nothingness, of being born from chaos, and more. In each culture, these stories serve as… Read More ›
-
From flirt to finish, enjoy Adele Lim’s directorial debut “Joy Ride” anytime via home video.
With writing credits like Crazy Rich Asians (2018) and Raya and the Last Dragon (2021), one shouldn’t be surprised that Adele Lim’s first foray into directing, Joy Ride, would be both distinctly through the lens of Asian culture and absolutely… Read More ›
-
Kensuke Sonomura’s crime drama “Bad City” comes available to own on home video.
At the 2022 Fantastic Fest, actor/stunt choreographer/director Kensuke Sonomura unveiled his second feature film Bad City, the follow-up to the 2019 release HYDRA. His sophomore crime drama packed in as much intrigue and even more blood-letting, all aided by stellar… Read More ›
-
Inconceivable! Criterion adds a new 4K UHD edition of “The Princess Bride” to the collection.
“There’s a shortage of perfect movies in this world. It would be a pity to damage this one.” Actor Cary Elwes on Twitter in response to the news of a potential remake of The Princess Bride (1987). There are few… Read More ›
-
Leap further into the complex strands of “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” via home video.
“Don’t watch the mouth; watch the hands.” – Peter B. Parker (voiced by Jake Johnson) in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse In 2018, a brand-new Spider-Man story hit theaters and audiences would not be the same. That’s an enormous statement and,… Read More ›
-
The Cine-Men, Episode 91: Dramas
On this new episode of The Cine-Men, your often theatrical hosts get dramatic for a change, exploring a few of their favorite drama cinematic releases. Additionally, we also discuss the new Wes Anderson film on home video and Peacock, Asteroid… Read More ›
-
“A Million Miles Away” is a biopic that struggles to decide which version of itself it wants to be.
Dr. José Hernández, born in August 1962 in French Camp, California, is not the first Hispanic astronaut (that title belongs to Chang Diaz with mission STS-61C), but he is the first astronaut whose origins begin with migrant farming, both for… Read More ›
-
“Jack Armstrong” Blu-ray Giveaway
In February 1947, Columbia Pictures began releasing the film serial Jack Armstrong, a series of films detailing the adventures of one Jack Armstrong, played by actor John Hart and directed by Wallace Fox. Now, thanks to VCI Entertainment, you can watch… Read More ›
-
“The Inventor,” much like its subject, utilizes various media types to explore the legacy of one Leonardo Da Vinci.
Leonardo Da Vinci is considered one of the world’s most brilliant minds. He was an artist, an engineer, a painter, and more. His work has been the catalyst for novels (Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code), cinematic comedies (Michael Lehmann’s… Read More ›
-
Explore the surprising depths of Peter Sohn’s “Elemental” via its home release materials.
Whether we’re willing to admit it or not, the majority of us in the United States are immigrants. Unless we can track our lineage to the Indigenous peoples of the land, we come from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Scotland, China,… Read More ›
-
The Kevin Conroy-led “Batman: Mask of the Phantasm” receives a first-time 4K UHD remaster that fans shouldn’t miss.
Inevitably, whenever a new Batman-related project is announced, conversation swirls as to which of the prior actors to portray DC’s Dark Knight, a.k.a. The World’s Greatest Detective, is the best. Due to biases known and unknown, this so often turns… Read More ›
-
Bring home the little bitty pretty “Matilda” in a 4K UHD restoration with limited-edition steelbook packaging.
Adapting stories from one medium to another is difficult, a task made exorbitantly more difficult when based on a book by a beloved children’s author (notwithstanding controversies). Yet, here stands director Danny DeVito’s 1996 fantastical dramedy Matilda, a film which… Read More ›
-
“Bad City” Blu-ray Giveaway
It’s been nearly a year since its screening at Fantastic Fest 2022 and Kensuke Sonomura’s bloody crime drama Bad City is finally releasing on physical formats in the United States in September 2023 after a brief digital-only period which started… Read More ›
-
Explore writer/director Michel Hazanavicius’s wonderful satirization of cinematic remakes via horror/comedy “Final Cut” via home video.
Of the complaints from audiences swirling around regarding Hollywood, the big ones usually refer to the lack of original ideas and the reliance on remakes, reboots, and sequels. Yes, movie-making is a business, so studios look for reliable intellectual property… Read More ›
-
Kick off spooky season with “A Haunting in Venice,” Kenneth Branagh’s latest Hercule Poirot murder mystery adaptation.
Actor/writer/director Kenneth Branagh is no stranger to adaptations, having made a series of remarkable William Shakespeare films (as well-known as Henry V (1989) to a lesser-known Love’s Labour’s Lost (2000)). In recent years, Branagh has turned to renowned mystery writer… Read More ›
-
John Barker’s follow-up track, “The Umbrella Men: Escape from Robben Island,” captures the magic of the first and pushes it further. [Toronto International Film Festival]
At the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), writer/director John Barker unveiled his third feature film, the comedic caper The Umbrella Men. Filled with the sights, sounds, and life of Cape Town, Barker invited audiences to see a few good… Read More ›
-
“Toll (Pedágio)” explores the cost of individual actions and societal pressures. [Toronto International Film Festival]
Life has grown far more absurd in reality than any other satire could possibly conceive. We have states where the governor actively lobbies for (and signed into law) a reduction in the age to work so that adolescents and teenagers… Read More ›
-
Explore under the sea and out of the water in the home release edition of Rob Marshall’s live-action adaptation of “The Little Mermaid.”
Over the last several years, Walt Disney Studios has made a point to adapt one of their well-regarded animated films into live action. Appreciation for each one ultimately comes down to two things: what relationship the audience has to the… Read More ›
-
Jared Moshe’s time travel drama “Aporia” is available to watch from all of your home video timelines.
Grief and regret are often places where time travel films either begin or end. They certainly utilize these emotions because if one were healthy and happy, there’d be no desire to change the outcome. When Aporia first hit my radar,… Read More ›
-
“Aporia” Blu-ray Giveaway
In July 2023, writer/director Jared Moshé’s science fiction drama Aporia premiered at the Fantasia International Film Festival 2023 and I have been captivated by it ever since. It’s not the performances by the central cast but the way in which the… Read More ›