Elements of Madness

Recent Posts - page 119

• Inherit the dreams of Dreamers with “In the Heights.”

  By Douglas Davidson on September 9, 2021 • ( 1 )

  

  In so many ways, truth is stranger than fiction. According to actor Olga Merediz (The Place Beyond the Pines) in the featurette “That Music in the Air,” playwright/actor Lin-Manuel Miranda told her that he’d begun writing songs that would appear… Read More ›

• “The Shawshank Redemption” 4K UHD Giveaway

  By Douglas Davidson on September 8, 2021 • ( 0 )

  

  The Shawshank Redemption premiered September 1996 and, even after all this time, still manages to find a new audience. It could be the concept, the cast, the direction, or all of the above, but there’s something there which beckons audiences everywhere… Read More ›

• Styled like a documentary, dramatic fiction “Dark Blood” feels like watching the spiritual obliteration of innocence.

  By Douglas Davidson on September 8, 2021 • ( 0 )

  

  Few films have shaken me quite like Harold Trompetero’s Dark Blood has. Uncut Gems (2019) left me vibrating from anxiety; If Anything Happens I Love You (2020) left me stunned, silently crying over the credits; Violet (2021) left me raw,… Read More ›

• “The Fast Saga: F9” 4K UHD Digital Code Giveaway

  By Douglas Davidson on September 7, 2021 • ( 0 )

  

  In June of 2021, theater-goers were treated to the much-desired return of not just Dominic Toretto to action, but the first official trip to space for this beloved series. Did you get to witness it first-hand? Not feel quite comfortable… Read More ›

• In the style of teen classics like “The Breakfast Club” and “Dead Poets Society,” Daigo Matsui’s “Remain in Twilight” appeals to our restless youthful spirits with wit and sincerity. [Fantasia International Film Festival]

  By Mallory Moore on September 7, 2021 • ( 0 )

  

  It’s not every day we get the chance to chat with a loved one who has passed on. Skeptics would say that we never get that opportunity. If you’ve lost someone important to you, you’ve probably at least imagined having… Read More ›

• Unite the trilogy on your home shelf with “Zack Snyder’s Justice League.”

  By Douglas Davidson on September 6, 2021 • ( 0 )

  

  If a physical copy weren’t in my hand, it would be hard to believe that director Zack Snyder’s original vision for Justice League was anything more than rumor mixed with fan desire. After a horrific personal situation resulted in the… Read More ›

• Documentary “Kipchoge: The Last Milestone” reminds audiences that our limits are of our own making.

  By Thomas Manning on September 3, 2021 • ( 0 )

  

  There are certain landmark achievements in human history, whether physically or intellectually or a combination of the two, that only come along once every century or so, representing the pinnacle of human potential. The documentary Kipchoge: The Last Milestone, directed… Read More ›

• Fistful of Features explores the LAIKA Studios Edition releases from Shout! Factory, Part One: “The Boxtrolls.”

  By Sean McClannahan on September 3, 2021 • ( 0 )

  

  Welcome to Fistful of Features, a celebration of film preservation through physical media and the discussion of cinematic treasures to maintain their relevance in the cultural lexicon. Today we’ll be discussing the third feature film from acclaimed stop-motion animation studio… Read More ›

• Come for the cast in novel adaptation “Here Are the Young Men” and little else.

  By Douglas Davidson on September 2, 2021 • ( 0 )

  

  Coming of age stories come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes they’re joyous, ridiculous tales like Weird Science (1985), dramatic like Baby, Don’t Cry (2021), or explorations of addiction and trauma like Trainspotting (1996). The story within writer/director Eoin Macken’s… Read More ›

• “It Takes Three” adapts the story of “Cyrano de Bergerac” with an ‘80s rom-com swagger.

  By Douglas Davidson on September 1, 2021 • ( 0 )

  

  The biggest reason to stop telling people what films they should love or hate is primarily due to its icky gatekeeping factor, but, secondarily, there’s no telling what people will connect to and when. There are as many people out… Read More ›

• “In The Heights” 4K UHD Giveaway

  By Douglas Davidson on August 31, 2021 • ( 2 )

  

  The Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians) adaptation of writer/actor Lin-Manuel Miranda’s play (itself an adaptation) In The Heights landed in theaters and on HBO Max earlier this summer and, as of today, is available to own. Thanks to Warner Bros…. Read More ›

• Discover new life in “All the Moons (Todas las Lunas),” an enchanting and bittersweet vampire fantasy. [Fantasia International Film Festival]

  By Mallory Moore on August 31, 2021 • ( 0 )

  

  No country’s literature or filmography is short of romance stories. If a writer tells you they’re working on a piece about love, you’ll probably assume they’re talking about romantic love. We live in a culture that prioritizes romance and marriage,… Read More ›

• “The Last Matinee” satisfies with thrills and kills.

  By Thomas Manning on August 31, 2021 • ( 0 )

  

  The great debate of the importance of the “theatrical experience” has been run into the ground as streaming services continue to expand and movie theater attendance becomes increasingly inconsistent. The industry was headed in this direction even before March 2020,… Read More ›

• Shout! Factory’s LAIKA Studios Edition Examination, Part 2: “The Boxtrolls.”

  By Douglas Davidson on August 30, 2021 • ( 0 )

  

  For the last 15 years, LAIKA Studios has amused, entertained, amazed, and, in some cases, downright terrified audiences with their stop-motion animation tales that continually place children at the center, offering a chance for audiences old and young to see… Read More ›

• Shout! Factory’s LAIKA Studios Edition Examination, Part 1: “Coraline.”

  By Douglas Davidson on August 29, 2021 • ( 1 )

  

  For the last 15 years, LAIKA Studios has amused, entertained, amazed, and, in some cases, downright terrified audiences with their stop-motion animation tales that continually place children at the center, offering a chance for audiences old and young to see… Read More ›

• Russian comedy “Sweetie, You Won’t Believe It” is a road trip horror comedy you’ve just gotta see. [Fantasia International Film Festival]

  By Douglas Davidson on August 27, 2021 • ( 0 )

  

  Everyone has a thing that they look for before deciding if they want to engage with a piece of art. It could be the cover of an album that lures them in, the style of brush strokes crafting a painting,… Read More ›

• “The 12 Day Tale of the Monster that Died in 8 (8日で死んだ怪獣の12日の物語)” is a carefully produced, lovingly crafted COVID-related tale. [Fantasia International Film Festival]

  By Hunter Heilman on August 27, 2021 • ( 0 )

  

  I don’t mess with COVID-related content. I’ve lived it for the past 18 months and, when I watch a movie, I absolutely do not want to be reminded of it in any way. Locked Down? I refuse to watch it…. Read More ›

• Director Nia DaCosta’s “Candyman” recontextualizes the mythos in a way that’ll excite some and frustrate others.

  By Douglas Davidson on August 27, 2021 • ( 1 )

  

  The stories we tell matter. They carry weight with every word. They are derived from their individual meanings as well as the histories accompanying them. Stories keep people and events alive long after their physical forms are gone, enabling those… Read More ›

• Open Dialogue with “The Colony” writer/director Tim Fehlbaum.

  By Noel Manning on August 26, 2021 • ( 0 )

  

  Tim Fehlbaum is the writer/director for the Lionsgate/Saban sci-fi/action/drama The Colony. On this episode of Open Dialogue, Tim shares the unusual journey of making this film in the German Tidelands. Tim also offers interesting connections to the 1981 Wolfgang Petersen… Read More ›

• Open Dialogue with “The Colony” actor Nora Arnezeder.

  By Noel Manning on August 26, 2021 • ( 0 )

  

  Nora Arnezeder has worked as an acting talent in many film and episodic series; she’s currently shooting the Paramount+ series The Offer based on the making of The Godfather. Today, on Open Dialogue we dive in deep to the film… Read More ›

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