Prior to hearing about the 2019 limited theatrical release of director Shinsuke Sato’s (Inuyashiki) Kingdom, I had no awareness of the 2012 anime or the 2006 manga. Coming into the film blind, I only knew that the story involved treachery,… Read More ›
There’s something about Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of Stephen King’s novel The Shining that’s gripped audiences for nearly four decades despite factors which one might presume would detract from its popularity. Kubrick quite famously tortured Shelley Duvall on set to a… Read More ›
According to actor/writer/director Edward Norton, his relationship with Jonathan Lethem’s 1999 novel Motherless Brooklyn began before the book hit shelves. As he explains in the featurette “Making-Of: Edward Norton’s Methodical Process,” he was tipped off by a friend about the… Read More ›
1994 low budget comedy Clerks is writer/director Kevin Smith’s first film and the foundation for a 25-year strong series of films, comics, a cartoon, and a cartoon television show that have entertained literal generations of audiences. Dubbed the “View Askewniverse”… Read More ›
Of the various Disney live-action adaptations, few have really struck a chord beyond the “I remember that thing!” moments that occasionally occur. There’s some debate as to whether this is a result of the adaptations not bringing anything new other… Read More ›
At the time of this writing, director Todd Phillips’s Joker is the highest grossing R-rated film of all time, has earned two Golden Globe wins for Best Actor in A Drama Motion Picture and Original Score with two individual nominations… Read More ›
“You’ll Float, too.” Three innocuous words infused with horrible terror thanks to Stephen King’s 1986 novel It. Then, in 1990, a television mini-series adapted from the book shifted the way the average person looks at clowns, thanks in large part… Read More ›
Can humanity survive? That’s the biggest and boldest question that 5 Galaxies asks us with giant text in the beginning of the movie. While that theme might be overused as a lot of other sci-fi movies (Blade Runner, Terminator etc.) play around with… Read More ›
Published in 2013, Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch went on to earn best-selling status, along with the coveted Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2014. It’s a book that — it seems — entranced readers, including future cast member Sarah Paulson (Ocean’s… Read More ›
A science-fiction love story can go either way. It could be a Passengers (2016) or it could be a About Time (2013), which may not be a true science-fiction movie, but it’s infused with time travel so we’ll call it… Read More ›
From director D.C. Hamilton and screenwriter Brinna Kelly, The Fare is a film that almost defies categorization. At times, if feels like a science-fiction mystery, with shocking and striking narrative shifts. At other points, it appears as a romantic dramedy,… Read More ›
When people talk about something being “timeless,” what do they mean? Are they referring to the aesthetic? To the sound? What about the structure? It’s all of these things and none of these things as timelessness refers to the innate… Read More ›
Rated PG; however, be advised that, as a nature documentary, various harrowing elements are presented. Victor Kossakovsky’s documentary Aquarela is unlike anything you’ve seen before within the section of nature-focused films. Not only is it shot at 96 frames-per-second, a… Read More ›
In November 2014, the first issue of DC Vertigo’s The Kitchen ran. Created by Ollie Masters and drawn by Ming Doyle, the story followed three women trying to survive in 1970’s mobland New York. With the desire for stories from… Read More ›
On paper, adapting The Lion King for a new generation of fans seems like an absolute no-brainer. First released by Disney in 1994, the original Lion King blew the minds of audiences and critics alike as the story and songs… Read More ›
2009’s Toy Story 3 seemed like the definitive end to the Pixar series begun in 1995. After their owner, Andy, left home for college, Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) and company found a new home with the daughter of a… Read More ›
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 ›
When it comes to horror films, serial killer horror is often the easiest entry into the genre. With a decent prosthetics team and some creativity, a good horror film can be made on the cheap with some pretty chilling effects… Read More ›
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 ›
There’re two ways to look at re-releases and remakes: the nihilist “cash grab” view or optimistic “opportunity for new audience” view. The chorus is rarely louder about this issue than when it comes to the live-action/photorealistic adaptions Walt Disney Studios… Read More ›