Every thriller about confidence men (or women) usually has two questions poised against it: How is this film going to stay one step ahead of me, as the audience? Or, How is this film going to attempt to insult my… Read More ›
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“Attachment” boasts engaging performances over a less engaging script.
Anyone who knows me knows that I am an advocate for directors who want to express their vision and take a swing for the fences. Gabriel Bier Gislason has jumped ship from shorts to features with Attachment, and while exploring… Read More ›
Takeish Kushida’s “Woman of the Photographs” explores the warped nature of self perspectives.
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 ›
“Mean Spirited” delivers on horror and comedy.
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 ›
“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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
Dark comedy “The Menu” is a stark reminder not to mess with the people who serve you.
“The customer is always right, in matters of taste.” – Marshall Field Whether one is aware of it or not, there’s a subgenre of film called “Eat the Rich.” They can be horror films, comedies, dramas, anything really, with recent… Read More ›
“There’s Something Wrong with the Children” satisfies a range of horror appetites.
When you watch as many movies as someone who reviews for a living, you’re bound to see similar themes and ideas throughout multiple projects. Sometimes they do it better, sometimes they do it worse, sometimes it’s the same with a… Read More ›
Experimental drama “The Seven Faces of Jane” makes something whole and beautiful out of its fractured pieces.
In a world where there are literally countless hours of product out there, having something with power behind and in front of the camera that breaks the mold so drastically is always something that catches the eyes of a viewer…. Read More ›
Cringe comedy “The Drop” offers a soft landing.
There is always a place in the world for cringe comedy and everyone has a different opinion as to what they define as cringy. As someone who has literally no intentions of being a parent to a human in their… Read More ›
Creature feature “Strange World” astounds in artistic concept where it lacks in original story.
This year Walt Disney Studios asked audiences to go on an internal journey with Meilin Lee (Turning Red) as she came into her own while addressing a generational blessing, and then look to the stars with the adventurous and introspective-resistant… Read More ›
The arrival of “Black Adam” at home is a bittersweet experience.
The state of the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is hard to pin down because every few months something else shifts. Each release thus far has its supporters and its detractors, but the one consistent thing is that the fans are… Read More ›
Dark web thriller “Amber Road” may walk a well-worn path, but will satisfy those with a cinematic bloodlust.
It is rare for a movie that is being released in 2022 to be original or to execute something that hasn’t been done yet. However, when taking concepts that have been around and widely done for the past 20 or… Read More ›
The 4K UHD edition of “Highlander” will have any fan screaming “Gimmie the Prize!”
There can be only one. In 1986, these words were uttered and it changed the course of fantasy nerdom forever. It’s a battle cry and a declaration of supremacy on its own, but now also works to identify others whose… Read More ›
Mark Cousins’s latest documentary “The Story of Film: A New Generation” examines and connects the last 11 years of cinema.
In Jordan Peele’s brilliantly layered Nope (2022), the lead characters are described as relatives to the jockey depicted in the first ever moving picture, Eadweard Muybridge’s 1878 silent short film The Horse in Motion. That film was constructed of several… Read More ›