Elements of Madness

Recent Posts - page 2

• Meet Me at the Movies, Episode 389

  By Douglas Davidson on August 2, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  If there’s a hill I’ll die on, it’s that Batman Forever is not the horrid schlock-fest that it’s proclaimed to be. On this episode of Meet Me at the Movies, not only do I get the chance to talk about why… Read More ›

• “House of Hummingbird” is an exercise in patience with a profound emotional payoff.

  By Douglas Davidson on August 1, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  There’s something ubiquitous about adolescence that makes coming-of-age stories. It doesn’t matter what era or culture they derive or take place within, because there’s something universal, even in their specificity: the social awkwardness, the longing for connection, the need to… Read More ›

• Horror thriller “1BR” offers pure, clever entertainment.

  By Hunter Heilman on July 31, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  Apartment hunting is a living nightmare. There’s simply no way around the fact that every facet of moving to a new space is meant to test our mental and physical fortitude as humans, looking to see just how much stress… Read More ›

• Comedy classic “Airplane!” celebrates its 40th anniversary by joining the Paramount Presents label.

  By Douglas Davidson on July 30, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  July 2nd, 1980, a comedy from the minds behind The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977) opened wide and forever took hold within the zeitgeist: Airplane!. Now you’re likely thinking, “Surely, you can’t be serious that it’s been 40 years since Airplane!… Read More ›

• Bold, loud, and making no apologies, “We Are Little Zombies” is a striking feature debut for Makoto Nagahisa.

  By Douglas Davidson on July 29, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  In spite of its colorful style and quirky video game motif, We Are Little Zombies is a surprisingly somber and thoughtful experience as it explores loneliness, death, and grief amid several ear worms. Written and directed by Makoto Nagahisa, We… Read More ›

• HBO Documentary Films’s “Stockton On My Mind” creates a new story around impoverished towns and highlights the strength of local communities.

  By Mallory Moore on July 28, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  The 2020 American presidential election is well underway, one that may prove to be the most interesting (or frustrating) elections of the past few decades as the candidates navigate campaign strategies in the midst of a global pandemic. As voters… Read More ›

• Lionsgate’s “Legacy of Lies” is a solid showcase for Scott Adkins talents.

  By Thomas Manning on July 27, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  Scott Adkins is one of those multi-talented artists in the filmmaking industry who is known to work on upwards of five or more projects each year. Skilled as an actor, martial artist, and stuntman, Adkins enjoys staying busy year-round. His… Read More ›

• Adaptation of Indonesian comic superhero “Gundala” kicks off the beginning of a grand adventure.

  By Douglas Davidson on July 26, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  Take the brilliant stunt choreography of Indonesian action film The Night Comes for Us (2018), the intrigue of Indonesian thriller The Raid: Berandal (2014), and mix with superhero elements you know from various Marvel and DC storylines and you’ll get… Read More ›

• A Conversation with director John Gray. [Real to Reel Film Festival]

  By Thomas Manning on July 25, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  “Reel Conversations” highlights filmmakers behind official Real to Reel Film Festival Selections. On this episode of “Reel Conversations,” Thomas Manning speaks with John Gray, the writer and director of the short film Extra Innings. Real to Reel is honored to… Read More ›

• Leah McKendrick’s short film “Pamela & Ivy” reenvisions the ecowarrior’s origin.

  By Douglas Davidson on July 24, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  Comic book stories have been on an upswing since, arguably, 1998’s Blade. There were comic book films before it, but many that came after tried to replicate the style and authenticity of Wesley Snipes’s badass vampire hunter. Even as other… Read More ›

• Come for the story, stay for the music of “Fisherman’s Friends.”

  By Douglas Davidson on July 23, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  Before the written word, one of the main ways of passing down stories from one generation to another was through song. Considering that music is currently showing no signs of slowing down, it should surprise no one that telling the… Read More ›

• Romola Garai’s directing debut “Amulet” delivers on every twisted promise.

  By Hunter Heilman on July 22, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  Actors turned directors are not rare occurrences in the film industry with many seasoned actors at least taking one crack behind the camera during the course of their career, from George Clooney, Ben Affleck, Tom Hanks, Warren Beatty, to Denzel… Read More ›

• Get your action-adventure fix anytime with the home release of “Scoob!”

  By Douglas Davidson on July 21, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  If you’re one of those folks who prefers physical media, get excited because one of the first 2020-slated films to hit Premium VOD is finally hitting shelves: WB Pictures’s Scoob!. In this soft-reboot of the beloved series, audiences are invited… Read More ›

• Paramount Presents adds the 30th anniversary edition of “Ghost” to its collection.

  By Douglas Davidson on July 20, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  Released in 1955, The Righteous Brothers’s classic tune “Unchained Melody” tells the story of one lover’s unending yearning for another. The music is soft, yet insistent, as the lyrics describe the relentless hunger for contact. By the time Jerry Zucker’s… Read More ›

• Keep on rollin’ with your homies in this stylish 25th Anniversary Steelbook release of ‘90s classic “Clueless.”

  By Douglas Davidson on July 19, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  There are a few films which define a generation. The Wizard of Oz speaks to those born 1922 -1945, a group which survived not just the Great Depression, but also World War II. For the Boomers, those born post-World War… Read More ›

• A Conversation with director Rafael Duarte. [Real to Reel Film Festival]

  By Thomas Manning on July 18, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  “Reel Conversations” highlights filmmakers behind official Real to Reel Film Festival Selections. On this episode of “Reel Conversations,” Thomas Manning speaks with Rafael Duarte, the writer, director, and cinematographer of the incredible nature/sports documentary, Beyond Dreams. This documentary has been… Read More ›

• Criterion brings the ’97 Palme d’Or winner “Taste of Cherry” to your home.

  By Douglas Davidson on July 17, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  The way an audience perceives art is by framing it within their own experience. This can be taken literally, as in someone considers their lifetime experience against what they are engaging in, or it can be taken more figuratively, as… Read More ›

• The Cine-Men, Episode 35: Foreign Films

  By Douglas Davidson on July 16, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  The last time the Cine-Men gathered we spoke of revolution! This time around they look specifically at films of the non-English variety and name three of their favorites. If we do our jobs right, you’ll only be able to guess… Read More ›

• “Ghosts of War” is a solid haunted house movie set during World War II.

  By Zane Gray on July 15, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  We all love a good World War II movie. Saving Private Ryan, Hacksaw Ridge, heck, you could even count Captain America: The First Avenger as a great World War II movie. World War II movies have a great way of striking so much emotion,… Read More ›

• Unless you’re in the mood for incredible frustration, stay out of “The Room.”

  By Douglas Davidson on July 14, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  In film criticism, there’s a guiding light that I try to stand by: review the film in front of you, not the film you wish you’d seen. That doesn’t mean that you can’t, don’t, or shouldn’t discuss a film’s failings…. Read More ›

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