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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“Gatlopp: Hell of a Game” is best played with parties of two or more.
When you get together with old friends, one of two things can happen: you realize that you’ve grown apart or you click together like no time passed. Both are beautiful and tragic in their own way, but it seems safer… Read More ›
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Dramedy “Pink Moon” may not grip you, but it’ll worm its way into your ear like a tune you can’t quite identify. [Tribeca Film Festival]
Astronomically speaking, a “Pink Moon” is the full moon of spring, appearing in April. The moon itself doesn’t change in color, but it gets its name from blooming phlox, a pinkish flower. Because of the period in which the Pink… Read More ›
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“Ip Man: The Awakening” accomplishes anything but that for its audience.
There have been several actors who’ve personified the Wing Chun master Ip Man on the big screen. Ip Chun, Man’s son, portrayed Man as Bruce Lee’s mentor in the 1976 film Bruce Lee: The Man, The Myth. Wang Luoyong (Rollerball)… Read More ›
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No need to pull a heist, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is sending the “The Bad Guys” to your home.
Mr. Wolf, Mr. Snake, Mr. Shark, Mr. Piranha, and Ms. Tarantula. Without hesitation, any cinephile will think you’re talking about Quentin Tarantino characters whose origins either come from Reservoir Dogs (1993) or Pulp Fiction (1994). In reality, these are the… Read More ›
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Fantastical drama “Blaze” is the burning fire that rages at the audacity of humankind to take what isn’t theirs. [Tribeca Film Festival]
Trigger Warning: S/A is a central feature of the film, along with the trial and survival process. Additionally, those with photosensitivities should be aware of scenes with strobing. Every day, being a woman gets harder and harder. If their rights… Read More ›
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“The Cellar” Blu-ray Giveaway
Thrills and chills come from all kinds of places. In the case of Brendan Muldowney’s The Cellar, he drew inspiration from the supernatural, the scientific, and the downright human to develop his story that debuted at SXSW 2022 before it was… Read More ›
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“Ip Man: The Awakening” Blu-ray Giveaway
Wing Chun Master Ip Man has been the source of many films and television programs over the years with notable performances from Donnie Yen and Tony Leung among them. Now taking on the mantle is My Father is a Hero actor… Read More ›
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Jennifer Lopez-focused documentary “Halftime” offers a surprising chastisement for the entertainment industry which devours celebrity. [Tribeca Film Festival]
To most folks, Super Bowl LIV, the San Francisco 49ers vs. the Kansas City Chiefs, was a game like any other, an opportunity to cheer on their favorite team, to denounce their enemy, or gather together with friends and eat… Read More ›
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Director Laura Checkoway’s “The Cave of Adullam” highlights the power of emotional regulation to break generational trauma. [Tribeca Film Festival]
Transformation of any kind requires not confidence, but commitment. Anyone who’s observed small children as their minds develop will tell you that it’s a miracle that the majority of us survive into adulthood given the commitment to explore one’s surroundings…. Read More ›
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Before there could be “Toy Story,” there was “Lightyear.”
In 1995, Pixar’s first film, Toy Story, tapped into the imaginations of filmgoers young and old through an adventurous animated story of friendship told from the perspective of toys, specifically, a group of toys owned by a young boy, Andy… Read More ›
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Any time is morbin’ time with “Morbius” on home video.
Created by writer Roy Thomas and penciler Gil Kane, the vampiric villain Dr. Michael Morbius was debuted by Marvel Comics as an adversary to Spider-Man in 1971. Since then, Morbius has shifted from enemy of Spider-Man and vampire hunter Blade… Read More ›
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When one realizes that there’s always a “Next Exit,” life becomes an unending journey, not a quest with a hard stop. [Tribeca Film Festival]
**Trigger Warning: Next Exit explores concepts of life and death, which involves discussion/examination of self-harm, suicidal ideation, and euthanasia.** “On this bridge,” Lorca warns, “life is not a dream. Beware. And beware. And beware.” And so many think because Then… Read More ›
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“Hostile Territory” Blu-ray Giveaway
Earlier this spring, actor/writer/director Brian Presley’s Hostile Territory landed in select theaters. Now, through Well Go USA, Presley’s tale of hope and reclamation is coming available on physical formats. If you’d like to check out the film, Well Go USA has… Read More ›
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Celebrate 60 years of Sir David Lean’s epic drama “Lawrence of Arabia” with a limited edition steelbook 4K UHD release from Sony Pictures.
“Whoever destroys a soul, it is considered as if he destroyed an entire world. And whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world.” ― Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:9; Yerushalmi Talmud, Tractate Sanhedrin 37a. To celebrate… Read More ›
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Documentary “The Janes” chronicles the unlawful acts of a few who provided a medical necessity to the many.
Before the passing of Roe v. Wade in January 1973 made the process of abortion in the first trimester of pregnancy legal in 46 states where it was previously illegal, abortions happened. They happened in backrooms, hotels, apartments, and anywhere… Read More ›
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“Unhuman” Digital Code Giveaway
Who says that horror has a season? Certainly not Blumhouse Television and Epix who are releasing Marcus Dunstan’s new flick Unhuman on digital June 3rd via Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment. Courtesy of Blumhouse Television, Epix, and Paramount Pictures, EoM is giving… Read More ›
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The Cine-Men, Episode 67: Favorite Tom Cruise Films.
With the release of Top Gun: Maverick ahead of Memorial Day Weekend, we felt it was best to discuss our favorite Tom Cruise films. With such a strong catalogue of films, narrowing it down to three can be a difficult task,… Read More ›
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Russian horror-thriller “Row 19” is a bumpy, albeit clever, ride.
More than any other form of storytelling, horror provides an opportunity of self-discovery through exploration of the darkest parts of ourselves. Sometimes this takes the form of a wordless, unstoppable shape, sometimes a clown with an acidic tongue, and other… Read More ›
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Learn all about the Chicago Way in first-new 4K UHD clarity in the Paramount Pictures 35th anniversary edition of “The Untouchables.”
Looking back on history, we have a way of making the average person appear exceptional. This isn’t to suggest that there are no remarkable people, but that humans have a way of memorializing things so that good guys become famous… Read More ›
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For joy, for the love of music, for the Foo Fighters: “We Are The Thousand.”
July 30th, 2015: With little more than hope and a prayer, Fabio Zaffagnini uploaded a 7:28 minute video he and his friends had made to YouTube in hopes of getting the attention of rock band Foo Fighters. What did he… Read More ›