Beginning as a character in a serial, Dashiell Hammett’s hard-boiled detective Sam Spade has appeared in the original 1930 tale The Maltese Falcon, two films of the same name, several short stories, and several short films. Of the characterizations, the… Read More ›
It is 2023 and the theatrical window is dangerously small now. Things that aren’t being made on $100 million budgets are barely seeing the theatrical window to begin with, and then a physical release is even less likely, and if… Read More ›
For those not in the know, the video game subgenre “rhythm” is of a music-oriented or music-centric design, the intent being to get the player to engage with music in some way. This could be by using one’s feet to… Read More ›
Personal feelings have a way of clouding one’s more practical or pragmatic judgement. If we’re excited or enamored with something, we’re more likely to excuse or soften something’s harder edges. If we’re not interested or already turned off by something,… Read More ›
Acts of aggression always come with unintended consequences. On the smaller scale, as when my children fight, it could be that the toy they’re fighting over takes a break for a bit and neither gets to use it. On the… Read More ›
Whiplash, La La Land, First Man — each one directed by Damien Chazelle, two of three written by him, and each one (love or hate them) makes a declarative statement regarding its subject. It shouldn’t surprise that the Oscar winner… Read More ›
“It’s not the years, honey, it’s the mileage.” “Never tell me the odds.” “I know.” “Get off my plane!” An actor is lucky if they get even one line that stands the test of time, invading the zeitgeist and maintaining… Read More ›
As a child who enjoyed studying myths and legends from Roman and Greek culture, it wasn’t much of a leap to be fascinated by super hero stories. Typically, the ones that drew me came from DC Comics, specifically Superman. The… Read More ›
When it comes to Dario Argento, the highs are high and the lows are cavernous pits leading straight to hell. The Italian filmmaker, known for helping further define the later era of the giallo film, has made some of the… Read More ›
On March 3rd, 2023, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) stepped into theaters with Creed III, the ninth film in the Rocky Universe. It’s a film that takes the character, the offspring of original Rocky (1976) character Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers),… Read More ›
Genre films are the only films that I personally will give a pass to if there isn’t a story but they succeed in the genre basis of what they’re striving for. An example of this is the SAW franchise and… Read More ›
There are movies that manage to slide under the radar, and then there are movies that are so absolutely bonkers and insane that are based on real events that you can’t possibly imagine them to be real or that you… Read More ›
Between Puss in Boots films there was an 11-year gap. 11 years where original voice actor Antonio Banderas (Desperado; Official Competition) played several supporting roles in other Shrek-related projects big and small, but not where the fearsome fighting feline took… Read More ›
When I first heard that Park Chan-wook was releasing a new movie, my anticipation skyrocketed through the roof! It quickly became one of my most anticipated movies of 2022. Then, when I had a chance to see it (later than… Read More ›
In the last few years, physical media boutique Arrow Video has restored many martial arts-centric films. These range from two Shaw Brothers collections totaling 22 films, Come Drink with Me (1966), and One-Armed Boxer (1972), to name a few, while… Read More ›
Writer/director/actor Robert Townsend has played a solider, a superhero, an every man, and even himself. He’s made a point to create and tell stories that are not just specific to him and his worldview, but to the Black community, as… Read More ›
Before Oscar-nominee Michelle Yeoh (about damn time) traveled everywhere all at once, before she was a rich Asian, before she played a Chinese agent alongside 007, Yeoh was part of a heroic trio, a royal warrior, and, for the Hot… Read More ›
Whenever I see a film that is on a subject that I know is controversial, I try to place myself in at least the headspace of the main character (when able to) to see if I can connect and resonate… Read More ›
Art imitates life when it comes to timing. One can never predict how something will be received and, even things prognosticators think is a shoe-in, could fall flat. Sometimes the politics of the day get in the way, other times… Read More ›
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 ›