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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The bonus features for crime comedy “London Calling” are about as deep as the film itself.
Crime and comedy often go hand-in-hand due to the ridiculousness of a given situation. Watching two high-octane cars pull a massive safe through the streets of Rio? Hilarious. Betting as to whether Yen (Qin Shaobo) shorts it? Gold. Declaring that… Read More ›
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Documentary “Sell Your House” captures the real costs, literally and figuratively, of independent film making in today’s systems. [SBIFF]
At Fantastic Fest 2023, writer/director Francis Galluppi made his feature-length directorial debut with The Last Stop in Yuma County, a tense thriller involving bad timing, worse luck, and oh so much greed. By May of 2024, it was released in… Read More ›
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True crime thriller “All the President’s Men” gets a 4K UHD release from Warner Bros. Pictures in honor of its 50th anniversary.
While it’s safe to presume that political ideologies have often led to disagreements and hard lines between classmates, colleagues, and family members to the point that countless stories will feature “black sheep” liberal relatives in conservative families or conservative characters… Read More ›
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Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s dramatic thriller “Cloud” gets a slim-but-deep home edition as part of the sublabel of Criterion Premieres.
It feels safe to say that capitalism had a solid run, but needs to step down. At this point, there’s nothing in this world that doesn’t feel commodified to the point that ethical consumption, let alone ethical existence, is an… Read More ›
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HIKARI’s heartfelt dramedy “Rental Family” arrives to own via home video.
“… make you feel like family is who we include, rather than we were assigned to.” – Actor Brendan Fraser discussing Rental Family. The world can feel like a cruel and unforgiving place that isolates you at every opportunity. That… Read More ›
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13 Slamdance Film Festival 2026 films to prioritize.
After missing the 2025 edition, EoM returns to cover the Slamdance Film Festival in 2026! The festivals not long, but there are some extraordinary titles taking part. In an effort to narrow our own plans, here’s a short-list of 12… Read More ›
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Generational trauma, cultural horror, and the persistence of healing converge within James Takata’s “California Scenario.” [SBIFF]
Trigger Warning: California Scenario includes depictions of self-harm and sexual material that may be difficult for sensitive viewers. “Art is our weapon. Culture is a form of resistance” – Shirin Neshat, Iranian photographer and visual artist Regardless of the generation… Read More ›
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Filmmaker Dan Trachtenberg’s third “Predator” adventure, “Badlands,” lands on home video packed with in-depth bonus materials.
Writer/director Dan Trachtenberg’s feature film debut, 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016), not only helped reenergize the Cloverfield franchise, it established the filmmaker as one to watch. He’s since been handed the reigns to three different Predator-related projects and each one, unique… Read More ›
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“All of the Above” demonstrates the significance of embracing curiosity while creating space for multiple answers. [SBIFF]
“When the student is ready, the teacher appears.” – Tao Te Ching The concept of religion never quite seemed like a casual topic of conversation, but it has grown to be quite the sticky wicket. It often seems that around… Read More ›
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Filmmaker Mamoru Hosoda’s “Scarlet” riffs on Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” in a time-bending animated adventure that challenges the validity of revenge.
Photosensitivity Warning: Several scenes in Scarlet may prove triggering for photosensitive viewers through the use of stylized lightning. It occurs a handful of times in the film and can often be predicted, enabling a viewer to shield oneself, but it’s… Read More ›
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12 films of 2025 that stuck with me.
Before I fully look toward 2026, it’s time for the Tenth Annual Sticky List! If you’re unfamiliar with the Sticky List, these are the films which made me want to watch, rewatch, discuss, and share. While several films on my… Read More ›
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Documentarian Rustin Thompson’s “The Last Picture Shows” explores what’s lost when local picturehouses disappear from communities. [SBIFF]
Photosensitivity Warning: In one of the later segments of archival photos, they are stylized like old film footage with light blips and visible scratches which may prove triggering for photosensitive individuals. The evolution of the movie-watching experience is fairly straight-forward…. Read More ›
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Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” comes available on home video without an ounce of bonus materials and not a single small beer.
After working on the script for roughly 20 years, filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson (Punch-Drunk Love; Boogie Nights) finally cracked his vision to adapt author Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel Vineland and, if one’s been following the awards circuit, the resultant film,… Read More ›
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Jonny Campbell’s sci-fi comedic thriller “Cold Storage” is a hilarious midnight creature feature for any time of day.
Photosensitivity Warning: The film takes place primarily in a storage facility which uses sensors to turn on lights, resulting in several moments of unexpected light activation that may prove triggering for photosensitive viewers. Stop me if you’ve heard this one:… Read More ›
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In times of frustration, sometimes you just need to laugh and say, “Fackham Hall.”
The world is on fire. We’ve put out most of the literal ones, but there remain several metaphorical ones which have made those of us aware clench our sphincters quite tightly as we watch for outcomes. In times like these,… Read More ›
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Documentary “Mockbuster” or how the process of making a low-budget feature made me enjoy what I love without guilt. [SBIFF]
Of all the terms to be used to describe media consumption, “guilty pleasure” should be stricken from the record. The phrase implies that, regardless of perceived quality, the thing itself is not good in some way and that the enjoyment… Read More ›
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“Hamnet” Digital Code Giveaway
Hamnet, the new feature and novel adaptation from Oscar-winning filmmaker Chloé Zhao (Nomadland), is coming available on home video in both digital and physical formats. Starring Jessie Buckley (Women Talking) and Paul Mescal (Aftersun) as Agnes and William Shakespeare, respectively,… Read More ›
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“The Morrigan” Digital Code Giveaway
Anytime is a good time to get your scare on. Out now is writer/director Colum Eastwood’s sophomore feature, the horror tale The Morrigan, on digital and VOD via Cineverse. In support of the release, Cineverse has given EoM one (1) digital… Read More ›
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13 Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2026 films I’d like to cover.
After taking a year off, EoM returns to cover Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2026 edition! This festival features a number of world and U.S. premieres, several of whom have ended up on my year-end favorites list. Time will tell… Read More ›
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“Misdirection” Digital Code Giveaway
Action thriller Misdirection, directed by Willy’s Wonderland (2021) and Pig Hill (2025) director Kevin Lewis and starring Frank Grillo (Superman) and Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace), comes available on digital February 10th. Courtesy of Cineverse, EoM is giving away one (1) Apple… Read More ›