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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Documentary “The Elephant Queen” is an incredible tale of coexistence, love, and loss.
Recommended for ages 8 and up. As this is a nature documentary, be advised that aspects of the life cycle are prominently featured. Across four years of filming, directors Mark Deeble and Victoria Stone tracked the activities of a herd… Read More ›
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Presenting people instead of caricatures elevates “Miss Virginia” to a film with a high emotional payoff.
No matter the time, no matter the place, the defining trait in every civilization is its educated populace. The choices each individual member makes are based upon the information they have or the information they lack. In modern politics, education… Read More ›
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Rich, bold, and frequently hilarious, Alexis Michalik’s directorial feature debut “Cyrano, My Love” beautifully honors the play and the players of “Cyrano de Bergerac”.
For many, there is a piece of art which, from the moment you come into contact with it, changes everything about the way you engage with the world. It could be a song, a painting, a sculpture, a photo, or… Read More ›
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Andrew de Burgh’s “The Bestowal” is a journey of self–reflection through the examination of humanity.
When most films are focused on action, there’s something to be said for a film more interested in dialogue over everything else. A stripped down, bare bones, minimalistic tale where the audience sits and listens as ideas are presented and… Read More ›
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Patreon Special Episode: Douglas Davidson vs. Adam Portrais.
As one half of The Cine-Men, you’ve likely heard of, if not listened to, The Cine-Men which posts here on EoM. What you may not be aware of is that The Cine-Men is not the only show to air on the Poprika Podcast Network…. Read More ›
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Feeling brave? You can welcome “Annabelle Comes Home” into your own now.
When you hit the seventh installment of a series, you’re either scraping the bottom of the barrel or hitting your stride. What began with co-writers Chad Hayes and Carey W. Hayes and director James Wan in 2013’s The Conjuring is… Read More ›
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“Joker” is an absolute mind-screw in the best and worst ways.
Since director Todd Phillips’s Joker premiered at the 76th Venice Film Festival in August 2019, it’s been mired in controversy. Some hailed the film as an absolute masterpiece of filming, evoking elements of director Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver. Others called… Read More ›
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Coming To Theaters: October 2019
October is upon us, which is usually when everyone’s spine-tingling favorites come out to play. You know the ones – Hocus Pocus, Friday the 13th, Halloween, and all the other fan-favorites. While it’s great to curl up on the couch to enjoy cinematic… Read More ›
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The Cine-Men, Episode 20
After the online dust-up around the potential The Princess Bride remake, Darryl and I decided to dive into our favorite remakes films. If you need the reminder, this show’s challenges are: J.A. Bayona’s A Monster Calls and Alex Lehmann’s Paddelton. Per usual, Douglas gets… Read More ›
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Can you solve the Faun’s three challenges? With the new 4K UHD home release of “Pan’s Labyrinth” you can.
Though Oscar-winning writer/director Guillermo del Toro’s been working since the mid-’80s, the majority of audiences know him as the director of either Hellboy (2004), Pacific Rim (2013), and The Shape of Water (2017). In cinema-focused circles, however, del Toro’s more… Read More ›
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Remember the three rules when you pick up the new “Gremlins” home release, now in 4K UHD.
Before The Nightmare Before Christmas started the argument over whether it was a Halloween or Christmas movie, there was Gremlins. Considered a classic ‘80s film, the Joe Dante-directed (Innerspace), Chris Columbus-written (The Goonies) holiday nightmare is celebrating its 35th anniversary… Read More ›
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Charming, beautiful, and absolutely magical, “Abominable” is fun for the entire family.
DreamWorks Animation is no stranger to crafting stories while pushing reality and tickling the imagination. Thanks to this studio, audiences around the world know how to move it move it, train a whole host of dragons, and that plans can… Read More ›
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The special features make “Shaft” (2019) worth picking up on home video.
A social and cultural shift took place shortly after Shaft hit theaters in 1971. Inspired by Ernest Tidyman’s novel and with influence from director Gordon Parks and actor Richard Roundtree as the titular character, Shaft became more than a household… Read More ›
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Writer/director Aaron Schimberg’s “Chained for Life” successful satirizes the cinematic tropes of the disabled with charm, grace, and humanity.
There’s much about writer/director Aaron Schimberg’s (Go Down Death) Chained for Life that is striking. It’s the languid storytelling; the direction which shifts between extended still long takes and listless, flowing movements; and the endless sensation of a persistent dream-like… Read More ›
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Meet Me at the Movies, Show 355
EoM founder Douglas Davidson once more joins the incredible Meet Me at the Movies crew of Noel T. Manning, Greg Tillman, and Tim Foster to talk one new release and one slightly new release hitting theaters limited and wide. In addition to… Read More ›
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Large in style, but small in scope, “Ad Astra” is a visually stunning journey through the solar system within an existential drama.
Some look at the stars and see infinity swirling before them. A smaller portion look upon existence stretching out before them in a sea of black littered with bright specks and feel a pull, a pull to explore, to quest,… Read More ›
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Meet Me at the Movies, Show 354
EoM founder Douglas Davidson once more joins the incredible Meet Me at the Movies crew of Noel T. Manning, Greg Tillman, and Tim Foster to talk several new releases hitting theaters. In addition to Douglas, EoM contributor and operator of The Run-Down on… Read More ›
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Buckle up for safety: “Promare” is the sensory roller coaster you didn’t know you needed.
There’s nothing better than leaving a film having had expectations blown away. That surprise and elation are fantastic feelings which frequently bring about a lasting smile. Chances are, if you’re even checking out this review, that’s what’s going to happen… Read More ›
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“Neither Wolf Nor Dog” challenges our unconscious bias in an adaptation of the award-winning book.
There are many ways to deal with the past. For some, it’s easier to move on and look to the future rather than process deeds done. For others, ignorance is a way of life, though it doesn’t excuse them from… Read More ›
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Techno-thriller “Empathy, Inc.” puts the question of identity up for examination.
The things we want out of life don’t often go the way we planned. Sometimes it feels like planning is just a way people go about trying to control an outcome. Even now, with apps, gadgets, and tech of all… Read More ›