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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
Debut features are more than a coming out, they often represent the clearest version of the individual. In the case of directors, debuts provide the most honest interpretation of how the director views the world. In the case of Jason… Read More ›
Before you can lampoon something, before you can satirize something, you must know as much can you can about it. You have to know the ins-and-outs of it, the heart and soul of it. In order for the humor to… Read More ›
Book adaptations are tricky beasts. Take the Game of Thrones series. Beloved by fans, readers, and television watchers alike, the finale season is drawing ire for a perceived underdevelopment of one of the lead characters. In the books by George… Read More ›
Real life can be a crushing, soul-sucking experience. Even in the best of circumstances, hardships can come from anywhere, putting the best and worst of us all on equal footing in an uncertain word. As cynicism becomes status quo, reminders… Read More ›
Depression lies. It whispers in our ears, penetrating our minds, until it resides in our hearts, turning all that’s good into ash. It tells us the worst we can imagine and removes all hope, convincing us that the world might… Read More ›
If you didn’t catch The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part when it was in theaters and you want to remain unspoiled about whether you should or should not see it, then check out the spoiler-free review of the film… Read More ›
Developed with obvious love for boxing, director Bartle Bull’s Cradle of Champions shifts between feeling like an absolute first feature and the work of a seasoned pro. It’s the way Bull frames his subjects – three fighters competing in New… Read More ›
Humanity’s been fascinated with extending its life since about the time it realized its mortality. Stories run rampant of the relics like the Fountain of Youth or the Holy Grail, believed to possess restorative powers strong enough to put a… Read More ›
It would be difficult to find anyone who hadn’t either heard the name Ruth Bader Ginsburg, heard her nickname “the Notorious RBG,” or seen one of Kate McKinnon’s SNL skits poking fun at the seemingly eternal 86-year old Supreme Court… Read More ›
For as long as humans have existed, there’s been a longing to explain that which we don’t comprehend. This longing gave rise to myths and legends born out of trying to rationalize why the sun sets and rises as well… Read More ›
The original 1964 Mary Poppins tale is more remembered for its music and charm than its family-centric story. The use of animation mixed with live-action created a cinematic experience filled with incredible wonder, the likes of which were incredibly few…. Read More ›
Though it didn’t go on to the 91st Academy Awards, director Lee Chang-dong’s adaptation of Haruki Murakami’s short story Barn Burning still had a good year with 30 wins and 104 nominations from various global festivals and events. The opening… Read More ›
When the first description of a film includes something like “from the studios which brought you [insert film title here],” it’s rarely a good sign. Rather than trying to stand on its own merit, this new property is relying heavily… Read More ›
First premiering at Sundance 2018, the Isabella Eklöf-directed and co-written crime thriller Holiday spent most of that year jumping from festival to festival without much in the way of a large release. Eklöf’s incredible direction, her script with co-writer Johanne… Read More ›
The Christian phrase “love the sinner, hate the sin” implies that it’s possible to separate the person from their actions, and that, as individuals, those who follow the word of the Bible are capable of transcending their discomfort or disdain… Read More ›