It’s all fun and games until demon possession ruins the party. So goes Jeff Ryan’s newest horror/comedy Mean Spirited, or maybe its comedy/horror…either way, if you’re a fan of either genre, this little indie may be exactly what the witch… Read More ›
Reviews
M. Night Shyamalan’s “Knock at the Cabin” is one you’ll want to answer.
Right before the pandemic really kicked off, I read Paul Tremblay’s The Cabin at the End of the World. It had been the hot new horror novel on the block a little while back and I figured it to be… Read More ›
The cinéma vérité approach of documentary “Sweetheart Deal” results in profound surprise, investment, and disgust. [Slamdance Film Festival]
Content Warning: The documentary explores drug use and addiction and the narrative involves sexual assault. For at least 10 years, Laughn Elliott Doescher presided over Seattle, Washington, living in an RV and providing support of various kinds of the sex… Read More ›
“The Grandmaster of Kung Fu” imagines Chinese historical figure Huo Yuanjin in a personal conflict during the first Sino-Japanese War.
Each country has their history and storytellers often find those histories ripe for the picking when trying to devise ways to entertain. In the U.S., for instance, audiences marveled at cinematic release The Patriot (2000) for its depiction of sacrifice… Read More ›
The home release supplemental materials may underwhelm, but feature “Bones and All” remains a meal.
I have a complicated relationship with Luca Guadagnino. I love his work, sans one film of his, and even consider his 2018 remake of Suspiria to be in my top 5 films of all time (sidenote: someone please take the… Read More ›
True crime adaptation “American Murderer” raises the kinds of questions even justice may not answer.
No matter how close we are to someone, they’ll never truly know us. We can get close, sharing secrets others don’t know or confiding intrusive thoughts we might otherwise not, but without an actual mindmeld, it’s impossible for someone to… Read More ›
Family rom-com “Aliens Abducted My Parents and Now I Feel Kinda Left Out” is a tale for the lost and not-yet-found. [Sundance Film Festival]
Whether young adult or full grown, rom-coms tend to follow a similar track. The characters are on different trajectories, there’s a meet-cute, they find themselves drawn to each other, and then there’s conflict. Perhaps it was a conflict the audience… Read More ›
Eroticism is in the details in Patricia Ortega’s “Mamacruz.” [Sundance Film Festival]
When director Patricia Ortega found a revealing picture of her mother as a young woman, scantily clad in an open bathrobe, she didn’t recoil in embarrassment. She made a movie about it. Ortega was surprised by such a blatant display… Read More ›
Ho-ho-HOLY S#@T! Christmas actioner “Violent Night” is out on home video.
Saint Nicholas. Kris Kringle. Père Noël. Weihnachtsmann. Babbo Natale. Дед Мороз. Noel Baba. Święty Mikołaj. Sinnterklaas. These are just a few of the names Santa Claus goes by in communities and cultures around the world. He’s a figure known for… Read More ›
Axel Danielson and Maximilien Van Aertryck’s doc “And the king said, what a Fantastic Machine” will get you thinking about the relationship you possess with your camera. [Sundance Film Festival]
Part historical revue, part sociological examination, co-directors Axel Danielson (Kneg) and Maximilien Van Aertryck’s (Kneg) documentary And the king said, what a Fantastic Machine (also referred to simply as Fantastic Machine), premiering at Sundance Film Festival 2023, takes the audience… Read More ›
Comedy hybrid “Men at Work” receives a first-time North American Blu-ray as part of the MVD Rewind Collection.
There are some films that catch us at a specific moment in our lives and leave an indelible mark. Sometimes it’s a film that made you realize the limitless nature of storytelling, how much larger the world really is compared… Read More ›
“The Underbug“ sparks conversations that will last long past the 68-minute runtime. [Slamdance Film Festival]
The COVID pandemic has forever changed the landscape of our world, effecting everything from religion and politics to visits to the local grocer. During the early days there was an overwhelming sense of dread due to the unseen force that… Read More ›
Director Jacqueline Castel explores the torment that comes without self-love in horror-romance “My Animal.” [Sundance Film Festival]
For some reason, despite its longevity in the realm of storytelling (not just cinema), horror is often pushed to the sidelines in the hallowed halls of critical praise in favor of dramas, comedies, thrillers, or traditional action-oriented narratives. Even though… Read More ›
Documentarian Paula Eiselt’s “Under G-d” explores interfaith opposition to abortion bans. [Sundance Film Festival]
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government… Read More ›
Every year for the last 30 years we celebrate “Groundhog Day.” This year, Sony Pictures does it with a commemorative steelbook.
Though there have been plenty of films that used time travel as a narrative mechanism for the entirety of storytelling, in recent memory, few do it as well as the Harold Ramis-directed, Danny Rubin-co-written, Bill Murray comedy Groundhog Day (1993)…. Read More ›
Performances from Joanna Scanlan and Nathalie Richard linger well “After Love” completes.
This is going to sound rather silly, but it has merit so please bear with me as I explain my logic and theory behind it. Non-American television and movies are typically better than American (US/Canadian) product. That is not to… Read More ›
Sex positive, hilarious, and kind, Mike Donahue’s short film “Troy” explores the social contract of neighbors. [Sundance Film Festival]
There’s a trope in storytelling about the nosey neighbor, the one who’s always at their window or peephole, lurking around, trying to know everything about everyone all the time. This person who folks don’t like because they are forcing themselves… Read More ›
The “New Gods” cinematic universe expands with the visually stunning “Yang Jian.”
Animation studio Light Chaser Animation has released seven films with ones most likely known in North America being White Snake (2019), New Gods: Nezha Reborn (2021), and Green Snake (2021), the latter two likely because of their accessibility on Netflix…. Read More ›
Adolescent horror-comedy “Kids vs. Aliens” is wild and rebellious, though not as gnarly as audiences may want.
**Content Warning: Photosensitive audiences may want to avoid this picture due to high frequency of strobing and flashing lights.** Director Jason Eisener’s career is a collection of short and feature-length stories, either made as a standalone or part of an… Read More ›
Maria Schrader seeks to honor the #MeToo Movement in “She Said,” available on home video now.
While the real-life work of an investigative journalist might feel like running head-first into a brick wall over and over again, movies and shows usually make it seem like an idealistic, noble, and exciting job that combines the thrill of… Read More ›