Awards season has come and gone once again, like another overblown, overwrought, overlong thief in the night, spanning an impressive seven months from the beginning of the Venice Film Festival to that of the Academy Awards. Though, unlike other years,… Read More ›
When you see a movie is a sponsorship of IFC Midnight and Shudder, there is a certain expectation for the film, an expectation that it is going to be something uneasy, disturbing, f-ked up, and downright gross. Now, with all… Read More ›
Mangas, like all other kinds of storytelling, come in a variety of types. Americans are familiar with the isekai (That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime), shonen (Jujutsu Kaisen), and parody (One-Punch Man), with several breaking through into mainstream… Read More ›
The cult cinema streaming service Arrow Player is no stranger to the grotesque, the bizarre, and the gloriously macabre, making it the perfect home for the French dark fantasy film, Pandemonium. This visceral and nightmarish flick, which made the rounds… Read More ›
The cinema has entered a weird stage in its history. Movies still arrive in theaters weekly but have shorter life spans. This means certain films have a quick turnaround on the home release market. While not yet on Blu-ray or… Read More ›
The shuriken throwing star, the black mask and suit, the high-flying moves — the few identifiers synonymous with the ninja archetype. Radiance Films brings home one of the most respected and influential ninja films of all time with the Shinobi… Read More ›
It’s not so uncommon for those in the film industry to recognize a trend and try to lean into it. We’re not talking about similar releases like Deep Impact (1998) and Armageddon (1998), which released two months apart, but films… Read More ›
“Take my love, take my land Take me where I cannot stand I don’t care, I’m still free You can’t take the sky from me … .” – Sonny Rhodes, The Ballad of Serenity Speaking at Rice University on September… Read More ›
“For want of a nail …” Requiem for a Dream (2000), The Fountain (2006), and Uncut Gems (2019) are examples of a type of film which is well-made, thoughtful, subject to acclaim, and less likely to be revisited, the latter… Read More ›
The Sea is Watching is the latest splash in the ongoing wave of previously unavailable East Asian films coming to America through boutique Blu-ray labels, this one through Imprint: Asia. It’s the second-to-last screenplay from one of the greatest Maestros… Read More ›
Do you recognize the following three products: the Artic Hat, the Air Hawk, and the Easy Feet? What if these were replaced with Veggetti, Shake Weight, or ShamWow? Can you picture them? Hear the sales pitch? Can you remember the… Read More ›
Photosensitivity Warning: The opening title/credit sequence before the film begins and all of the breaks between scenes are accompanied by bright flashes of white light. Viewers with photosensitivity issues should watch with caution. College campuses across the U.S. have been… Read More ›
Author Frank Herbert reportedly got the spark for the concept of his book Dune after observing conservation attempts along the Oregon coastline, creating from this a science fiction action-adventure tale that would inspire readers for generations. Parts of this inspiration… Read More ›
Photosensitivity Warning: There are multiple sequences — some short, some prolonged — of intense strobing and glitching effects, which may trigger migraine or other neurological issues. In the age of digital media, developing parasocial relationships occurs before most even realize… Read More ›
January 16th, 1865, American Civil War: General William Sherman includes in Special Field Orders No. 15 that 40 acres will be given to slaves as part of their freedom. It’s one of the largest redistributions of land in the country… Read More ›
When Matt Reeves concluded his prequel trilogy to Planet of the Apes in 2017 with the masterful War for the Planet of the Apes, it was basically understood that the story was ending there. It wrapped up the story of… Read More ›
For a “movie” that is 65 years old and was originally a two-part series premiere pilot, never in my wildest dreams would I have thought this would look as clean and crisp as it possibly does. It is truly so… Read More ›
Written and directed by a woman in her mid-30s who was raised in New York, Joanna Arnow’s The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed hits home in a multitude of ways. I know what it’s like to… Read More ›
Films can be more than just the latest sci-fi/superhero blockbuster or summer comedy. Some films aspire to teach audiences lessons and history. I Am Cuba (Soy Cuba), a 1964 political propaganda film, is one such story. Its historical richness and… Read More ›
Photosensitivity Warning: There are multiple scenes in which either a character is using a camera with flash or a strobe is used (often at length). Proceed with absolute caution. In the realm of action fantasy, John Milius’s 1982 sword and… Read More ›