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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A heavy-handed atmosphere hampers “The Long Night.”
For many, the search for self is the hardest journey one can engage in. Maybe you don’t feel like you belong with your blood relations, maybe you don’t feel like you belong among the general public, heck, maybe you don’t… Read More ›
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“Death on the Nile” and in your home, thanks to the home release.
Continuing their reimaging of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot detective stories, Oscar-winning actor/director Kenneth Branagh (Belfast) and screenwriter Michael Green (Murder on the Orient Express) re-team for Death on the Nile. This star-studded crime drama not only offers thrills, chills, and… Read More ›
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Return to Woodsboro in the latest entry of the beloved “Scream” franchise, now on home video.
Legacy — those who create it rarely live to see it last. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton has a line in which legacy is described as “planting seeds in a garden you never get to see grow.” In 1996, master filmmaker Wes… Read More ›
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Nadine Crocker’s drama “Cont;nue” explores venturing on when all seems lost.
**Trigger Warning: The film involves self-harm and suicidal ideation.** There are two phrases that repeat often in my head. The first is an old one, “depression lies.” Not sure where it came from — a meme, a research article, a… Read More ›
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The Cine-Men, Episode 63: Favorite Best Picture Winners.
SXSW 2022 is over (you can find the EoM’s coverage here), as is the 2021 Awards Season with the conclusion of the 94th Academy Awards. With assistance from special guests Lindsey Dunn and Joel Winstead, The Cine-Men co-host Darryl Mansel… Read More ›
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Director Sam Jones’s Tony Hawk documentary “Until the Wheels Fall Off” can be shortened to three words: ‘Ride or Die.’
Born May 12th, 1968, to Nancy and Frank Hawk, Tony Hawk is the youngest of four kids, a difference of more than a decade between himself and the next youngest, older brother Steve. At the age of 12, he was… Read More ›
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Minimalism speaks volumes in Bishrel Mashbat’s dramatic romance “Beloved.”
אֲנִי לְדוֹדִי וְדוֹדִי לִי (I am my beloved’s, my beloved is mine). – Song of Songs 6:3 These are the words inscribed upon the wedding bands my wife and I share, the phrase split between the bands. I forget how… Read More ›
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Mary Wall’s documentary “The Fan Connection” will have even those disinterested in sports cheering ‘Let’s Go, Buffalo!’
Almost every town in the world has something that they pride themselves on, something that they can hang their hat on that no one else can. For my hometown, Roanoke, Virginia, it’s being called the Star City of the South,… Read More ›
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Korean thriller “Midnight” weaponizes perception, creating a deceptively devious night of horror.
There are some films that come along and you think to yourself “I need to see this.” It’s how I felt with the announcement of Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022), but… Read More ›
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The Cine-Men Awards Chat: Best Director and Best Picture.
The 94th Academy Awards are nearly upon us which means it’s time for the annual Awards Chat episodes of The Cine-Men! On these final two episodes, co-hosts Darryl Mansel and myself dig into the Best Director and Best Picture categories…. Read More ›
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The Cine-Men Awards Chat: Lead Performance Categories with special guests Lindsey Dunn and Joel Winstead.
The 94th Academy Awards are nearly upon us which means it’s time for the annual Awards Chat episodes of The Cine-Men! This time around, co-hosts Darryl Mansel and myself are joined by fellow NCFCA members Lindsey Dunn and Joel Winstead… Read More ›
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“Spiritwalker” Blu-ray Giveaway
As much fun as it is streaming entertainment, there’s something about being able to hold the film in your hand. To know that it doesn’t matter if your Internet is on the fritz or if your streaming device can handle… Read More ›
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The Cine-Men Awards Chat: Supporting Categories with special guests Lindsey Dunn and Joel Winstead.
The 94th Academy Awards are nearly upon us which means it’s time for the annual Awards Chat episodes of The Cine-Men! This time around, co-hosts Darryl Mansel and myself are joined by NCFCA members Lindsey Dunn and Joel Winstead to… Read More ›
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“6:45” plays with time to generate horror, but actually just creates tedium and celebrates misogyny.
I love a film that plays with conventions. It can be a rom-com that positions itself as a traditional romance involving the ability to time travel but it’s really a story of fathers, sons, and family (About Time). It can… Read More ›
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The final piece of director King Hu’s Inn Trilogy is available for purchase thanks to Arrow Video’s physical release of “Come Drink with Me.”
In 1966, director King Hu (Dragon Inn) released Da zui xia, also known as The Great Drunken Hero and Come Drink with Me, a martial arts tale that’s equal parts swordplay and drama. The film starred Cheng Pei-pei (Crouching Tiger,… Read More ›
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Shout! Factory and Eleven Arts present a limited-edition steelbook of Satoshi Kon’s “Millennium Actress.”
Generally speaking, each of director Satoshi Kon’s films are beloved by critical and general audiences. Each one is revered for its ability to entertain whether evoking thrills, drama, or laughter; each one considered for more mature audiences, despite being constructed… Read More ›
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Sam Green’s experimental documentary “32 Sounds” is something you listen with, not to. [SXSW Film Festival]
What does it mean to sit in a moment? For some, it means to be present, to actively engage in the “now.” It implies an action, a movement made in order to seize what’s before you. It’s the difference between… Read More ›
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30 Helens agree: “Kids in the Hall: Comedy Punks” is a hilarious and heartfelt tribute to comedy legends who’re still at it. [SXSW Film Festival]
You can get a sense of a person by the comedy they ingest or reference. Often, their humor is shaped by those they enjoy or admire, so you can tell what they find sacred or profane. It’s the same thing… Read More ›
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Lovecraftian “The Cellar” wastes an interesting concept on a poorly constructed foundation. [SXSW Film Festival]
At some point in your life you’ve had the hair on your neck stand on end with the feeling of not being alone. It could be in the comfort of your living room, full lights on, or on a midnight… Read More ›
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Writer/director Reggie Yates’s “Pirates” is a jam and a half, filled with youthful energy, positivity, and hope for the future. [SXSW Film Festival]
In my lifetime, no New Year’s Eve has felt more enormous, more life-changing, more open to possibilities than NYE 1999. Take out the fact that it was a tumultuous time for me personally, the whole world was unsure if all… Read More ›