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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Picture Lock Show, Ep 125
EoM Founder Douglas Davidson had the absolutely pleasure of joining fellow NCFCA member and Picture Lock Radio host Kevin Sampson on his June 28th broadcast to discuss some of their favorite BBQ scenes in cinema ahead of the Fourth of July. May… Read More ›
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Documentary “Nothing Changes: Art for Hank’s Sake” immortalizes the artist, not the art.
Why do we do what we do? What drives us? What inspires us to get out of bed each morning and tackle the day? This is the core question of director Matthew Kaplowitz’s documentary Nothing Changes: Art for Hank’s Sake,… Read More ›
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Let’s talk about sex: dramedy “Making Babies” tackles the stigma of infertility.
More often than not, pregnancy is compared to a “miracle,” as though the act of conception isn’t part of the biological make-up instilled within the human machine. Defining pregnancy and childbirth as a “miracle” creates undue pressure on the women… Read More ›
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IFC Film’s “Ophelia” reimagines Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” and, in doing so, reinvigorates the centuries old play.
There exists a problem in classic literature and it resides in the presentation of women. They are rarely given any agency, any sense of control over their fates, and are, instead, merely fodder for whatever Hero’s Journey the male lead… Read More ›
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Tim Burton’s live-action interpretation of the animated Disney classic “Dumbo” offers a new perspective that may alienate the existing fanbase.
2014’s Maleficent kicked off Disney’s live-action reimaginings of various beloved properties. Soon after followed 2015’s Cinderella, 2016’s The Jungle Book, and 2017’s Beauty and the Beast. For whatever reason, rather than sticking to one new release a year, 2019 will… Read More ›
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The Cine-Men, Episode 16
Episode by episode co-hosts Darryl and Douglas inch ever closer to the 1-year mark for The Cine-Men. Before they hit that milestone, however, they take some time to look back on the films of 1989 that meant something special to… Read More ›
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Blending three genres to create “Use Me”, multihyphenate Julian Shaw crafts a mind-bending feat of cinema.
More often than not, a documentary reveals as much about the person behind the camera as it does about the person in front. Like all things, what we see is a matter of perspective and point of view. The documentarian… Read More ›
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Walt Disney’s latest Signature Collection addition “Cinderella” makes the old feel new again.
There have be many iterations of the Cinderella story told throughout the ages, some even going as far back as 7 BCE, recounting the tale of a woman marrying an Egyptian king. Of course, the most well-known “original” telling of… Read More ›
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Strong performances and a tight script make “Late Night” resonate.
As theaters ramp up for animated animal adventures, alien invasions, and yet another zombie apocalypse, there’s a small work-place comedy executed by an incredible cast of comedic actors offering up something different. Written by Mindy Kaling (The Mindy Project), directed… Read More ›
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In the mood for good, cheeky fun? Look no further than teenage horror-comedy “Slaughterhouse Rulez”.
Chances are, even if you’re reading this, that the film Slaughterhouse Rulez is a bit of an enigma to you. Despite boasting a cast which includes Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz), Nick Frost (At World’s End), Michael Sheen (Tron: Legacy), and… Read More ›
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Feeling nostalgic for the Old West? “The Outsider” may be just the ticket.
In 2018, a wildfire tore through California, burning homes and woodland areas to ash as it raged. Of the many things destroyed, the one most closely linked to cinema history was the Paramount Ranch. Purchased in the 1920s, the Paramount… Read More ›
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Martial arts nostalgia only goes so far in “The Unity of Heroes”.
When it comes to crafting compelling stories, anything can inspire ideas: love won or lost, a desire to return to childhood innocence, moments of great historical significance. All of these and more provide the baseline for audiences to engage emotionally… Read More ›
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You can’t get it at Blockbuster but Marvel Studio’s “Captain Marvel” is available on home video.
Captain Marvel represents several things for Marvel Studios and their audience. For one, it’s the first female-led film in their run of 22-films. Considering the absolute badasses which make up the current MCU – Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Wanda Maximoff/Scarlett Witch,… Read More ›
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Coming To Theaters: June 2019
Summer may not officially kick off until June 21st, but the movies hitting theaters don’t know that. June brings with it films small (actor Seth Green’s directorial feature debut Changeland) and large (Men in Black: International), each competing for your… Read More ›
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Animated tale “Funan” captures the incredible journey of the human spirit and the personal toll it can take.
Animation is an unbelievably versatile medium for storytelling, more so than most audiences give it credit for. At the mere mention of animation, most think of the latest Disney project like Ralph Breaks the Internet, Frozen, or Moana, each strong… Read More ›
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Listen: The Cine-Men, Episode 15
Been a while since co-hosts Darryl Mansel and EoM founder Douglas Davidson recorded a new Cine-Men episode, so they tried to make it extra special. In addition to chatting about their recent watches and general catching up, they also discuss their… Read More ›
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Documentary “Father The Flame” brings the fading art of pipe-making into vibrant focus.
If a viewer were to visit director Chad Terpstra’s Father The Flame website, the About page contains a lovely adaptation of the René Magritte line from “The Treachery of Images” now-reading “Ceci n’est pas un filme de pipe,” or “This is… Read More ›
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Holy 80th Birthday, Batman! In his honor, WB releases a 4K UHD remaster of the “Batman: Motion Picture Anthology”.
After 80 years in print, the DC Comics Dark Knight, the Batman, is still going incredibly strong. Whether you are an avid comic reader or primarily stick to the broadcast iterations, there’s likely a story that immediately endeared the bereft… Read More ›
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“Booksmart” blends the real with the hyper-real to create absolute magic.
Watching Booksmart, the new teen comedy from Annapurna Pictures, you would not know that this is the directorial debut feature film for Olivia Wilde (Life Itself/House, M.D.). Nuts to bolts, Booksmart is a heat-seeking rocket of a film. It’s precise,… Read More ›
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Writer/director Sarah Pirozek’s teenage noir “#Like” pulses with the energy of a ‘70s thriller. [Brooklyn Film Festival]
There’s a constant argument between generations about who had it worse vs. who had it better. The “always on” digital generation may scoff at the concept of their predecessors’ reliance on books for information, while the analog generation derides their… Read More ›