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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Go with a smile: “The Happytime Murders”.
If you were asked to name the first Muppet to pop into your head, the answer would inevitably be tied to your introductory experience. If you named Big Bird or Kermit, you likely know how to get to Sesame Street…. Read More ›
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Don’t sign up for this “Boarding School” experience.
The discomfort we find in sleeping in unfamiliar environments is utterly naturalistic. Without familiar smells, shapes, or sounds, the unknown deepens, opening our psyche up to terrors that make our skin crawl as a means of self-preservation. This alone would… Read More ›
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Listen: The Cine-Men, Episode 4
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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“Madeline’s Madeline” can be found at the crossroads of identity and madness.
Reality is a fickle thing. It requires the individual to trust that the world they engage with is the truth. Undeniably, what defines “truth” and “reality” is subjective due to perception. If perception is muddled, warped, or otherwise hindered, then… Read More ›
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“Arizona” takes off those rainbow shades, revealing a mischievous dark comedy underneath.
There are films where you know from the get-go that they are going to shock you and then there are films that come out of nowhere. Arizona, the latest from RLJE Films, unequivocally falls into the category of the later…. Read More ›
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Documentary “A Whale of a Tale” offers an unbiased look at globally scrutinized Japanese village Taiji.
Those that claim art cannot affect change haven’t lived under the scrutiny resulting from a painting, a song, or a story. They are blind to the way a community shifts its stance or approach because of a strongly worded letter…. Read More ›
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Listen: The Cine-Men, Episode 3
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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Six Must-See Films at the 2018 DC Black Film Festival.
The DC Black Film Festival returns on Thursday, August 16, 2018, with a kick-off event at the Capitol Hill Hotel before the film screenings begin at The Miracle Theatre. Over the course of its three-day run, the DC BFF will… Read More ›
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Unfortunately, technical prowess doesn’t outweigh narrative weakness with “Along Came The Devil”.
Horror films involving demonic possession seem to be one of the hottest trends in recent years. From the Conjuring series, the Insidious series, and the upcoming Suspiria remake, horror films about possession utilize supernatural elements recycled time and again in… Read More ›
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Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman” is clarion call that the battles of the past are not over.
Director Spike Lee’s never been known to mince words and his latest project, BlacKkKlansman, will hit you like a sledgehammer in the gut. Lee utilizes the memoir of Ron Stallworth, the first black police officer in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to… Read More ›
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Listen: The Cine-Men, Episode 2
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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Portuguese dark arthouse film “The Forest of the Lost Souls” is worth a jaunt.
Horror fans looking for something more cerebral should check out the Portuguese dark arthouse film The Forest of the Lost Souls (A Floresta das Almas Perdidas) from first-time feature director José Pedro Lopes, dropping into select theaters August 3rd 2018…. Read More ›
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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 ›