“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 ›
streaming
Documentary “Pitch People” shifts the spotlight from the products you see on TV to the people.
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 ›
Lies, secrets, and murder make up a great deal of “Dune: Part Two,” available on home video now.
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 ›
“Faceless After Dark” is fury manifested on digital as it rages against parasocial relationships and the commodification of people. [Atlanta Film Festival]
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 ›
Comic book adaptation “Madame Web” arrives on home video with bonus materials that’ll educate the fans of this Sony-run Marvel film.
It’s been stated before, but it bears reminding: expectations can ruin an experience. This is equally true when the hype ahead of something implies one thing when the truth is something very different. In the real world, it can look… Read More ›
“Crisis on Infinite Earths – Part Two” raises the stakes as the annihilation of DC’s animated TomorrowVerse continues.
Event storylines in comics are not unusual. It’s a way to take on something that doesn’t quite fit in the everyday narratives, while also providing a means of both bringing characters together and altering their trajectory. In the world of… Read More ›
Lily Rabe and Hamish Linklater revive the ‘80s in wonderfully cozy directorial debut “Downtown Owl.”
Long ago, in a time before the internet and social media, there was a world that Gen X remembers well — the ‘80s had Reagan, the AIDS epidemic, big shoulder pads, bigger hair, bold makeup, and colorful, poppy music videos… Read More ›
To “Beekeeper” or Not To “Beekeeper” is now a question you can answer anytime you want at home.
When one thinks of the filmography of actor Jason Statham, films typically feature him in one of two roles: quiet badass or loudmouth badass. He’s certainly done more with turns in Snatch (2000) and London (2005) demonstrating his versatility, but… Read More ›
Director Martin Bourboulon sticks the landing in the concluding portion of his “The Three Musketeers” adaptation – “Part II: Milady.”
As satisfying as it can be to view one whole story when you sit down to enjoy a film, there are exceptions where a second (or more) is needed to really make it satiating. Especially when it comes to adaptations,… Read More ›
What harm could a little “Hanky Panky” do?
It all starts with an idea. Then, if you’re lucky, that idea blossoms into a complete story that can then be transformed from words on a page into a fully-staged production. For all the films released in a week every… Read More ›
“Lisa Frankenstein” pieces together ‘80s teen comedy tropes to create something unholy original, now on home video.
1980s American cinema included some of the most influential teen comedies in cinema. So much so that filmmakers continue to take inspiration from them. The thing is that, while significant for their time, the majority of these films focused on… Read More ›
“Monster” brings our global, idiotic anxiety about teachers home on Blu-ray.
Monster (2023) was one of the best films of last year that no one saw, as is typical of Hirokazu Kore-eda’s (Shoplifters; Nobody Knows) films as of late. It’s also part of a worrying trend and aftershock of American politics… Read More ›
“Infested” grants audiences a parting gift of a life-long phobia. [The Overlook Film Festival]
Horror movies usually tend to fixate on fears to engage their audience or do something truly horrifying and disturbing. The latter are typically easier to digest since they’re easier to shake off as they’re not exploiting something the audience may… Read More ›
Director Raymond St-Jean tackles the story of Canadian hitman Donald Lavoie in “Dusk for a Hitman (Crépuscule pour un tueur).”
Real life is often fodder for storytelling. Typically, one will take an experience or emotion and transcribe that into something unique. However, fiction isn’t always as compelling as reality, which is why we get stories like Dumb Money (2023) detailing… Read More ›
Documentary “Runaway Radio” chronicles the evolution of groundbreaking Houston radio station KLOL.
It’s been a little over a hundred years since the first commercial radio broadcast when Pittsburgh’s KDKA broadcast the results of the Harding-Cox presidential election in 1920. In 1938, Orson Welles directed and narrated an adaptation of H.G. Wells’s novel… Read More ›
Broadcasting live in theaters and coming to Shudder this Spring in a battle for your soul, it’s “Late Night with the Devil.”
If you are a fan of the horror genre, then you are probably very familiar with the name, David Dastmalchian. In the last year alone, he’s exploded off the screen in films like The Last Voyage of the Demeter, The… Read More ›
Ned Benson’s time travel rom-com “The Greatest Hits” is profound in its use of grief and trauma. [SXSW]
Photosensitivity Warning: The visual elements used to convey transitions appear as an anamorphic lens-like flare similar to refraction of light that may prove trigging to photosensitive individuals. Memory is greatly tied to our senses. Tastes, sights, smells, and sounds all… Read More ›
Doc “The Antisocial Network” demonstrates the devastating repercussions of focusing on the lulz and forgetting to touch grass. [SXSW]
“I reject your reality and I substitute my own!” – From the film The Dungeonmaster (1984) and *not* Adam Savage There’s a fairly popular video and text meme which starts with a reminder that it costs nothing to be kind… Read More ›
The home release of “Eileen” is skin and bones, unlike its lead performances.
Certain films slipped through the cracks in the heat of the 2023 awards season. Everything released at that time was not going for the gold. Those smaller films attempt to achieve other successes. Outside of the awards season rush, some… Read More ›
From director Yorgos Lanthimos, Oscar-winner “Poor Things” is a triumphant journey; available now on home video.
It may seem strange to describe any part of Poor Things as conventional. This bold and highly imaginative fantasy is the eighth feature film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, a 21st-century auteur who has made a name for himself with his… Read More ›