Elements of Madness

Recent Posts - page 2

• Spike Lee brings David Byrne’s once in a lifetime musical experience “American Utopia” to HBO and HBO Max.

  By Mallory Moore on October 15, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  On October 9th, The Broadway League announced, to the severe disappointment of theatre professionals and fans, that Broadway will remain closed until June 2021. It’s difficult to imagine that the musicals, concerts, and plays that have been a New York… Read More ›

• Sci-fi adventure comedy “Love and Monsters” offers all the title suggest and much more.

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

  

  There have been many stories put on celluloid about the end of humanity. There’s the nightmarish It Comes At Night (2017), the lonely The Night Eats the World (2018), the frigid Snowpiercer (2013), the violent Mad Max: Fury Road (2015),… Read More ›

• “Luz: The Flower of Evil” offers a folk-horror tale that is both all-too-realistic and wonderfully fantastical.

  By Mallory Moore on October 13, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  Last year, Ari Aster set the bar high for “daylight” horror films with Midsommar, a terrifying fantasy that casts its disturbing events against a beautiful, blossoming, sunlit backdrop. The genre-play proved to be quite successful for Aster, although the effect… Read More ›

• Comedian Steve Byrne trades the stage for the director’s chair in feature debut “The Opening Act.”

  By Douglas Davidson on October 12, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  There was a moment, perhaps not so long from this one, where you wondered if you were doing what you always wanted to do, where you contemplated if the “you” of before would be proud of or impressed with the… Read More ›

• Supernatural thriller “Broil” is more of a low simmer.

  By Douglas Davidson on October 11, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  Werewolves. Vampires. Zombies. Each of these monsters of the dark owe their origins to legends and myths, to a time before science when fear ran roughshod over reason. That part of ourselves remains present even now and yet we find… Read More ›

• Feel-good drama “The Secret: Dare to Dream” is cinematic comfort food.

  By Douglas Davidson on October 10, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  Best-selling 2006 self-help book The Secret, from author Rhonda Byrne, implores its readers to view the world through a philosophy known as the “Law of Attraction.” The basic idea is that the thoughts of the individual (positive/negative) bring about the… Read More ›

• A Conversation with writer/director Diane Paragas.

  By Noel Manning on October 9, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  Writer/director Diane Paragas had a dream to bring a story to the screen that spoke of political and social injustice, the power of music, and the beauty of the Filipino people. Yellow Rose is that story, and Diane shares her… Read More ›

• A Conversation with director Daniel Smith. [Real To Reel Film Festival]

  By Thomas Manning on October 8, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  “Reel Conversations” highlights filmmakers behind official Real to Reel Film Festival Selections. On this episode of “Reel Conversations,” Thomas Manning speaks with Daniel Smith, director of the short film, Sideways. Exploring friendships, gravitational anomalies, and the challenges to keeping relationships… Read More ›

• A Conversation with Real to Reel Film Festival co-founders Will Eskridge and Noel T. Manning. [Real to Reel Film Festival]

  By Thomas Manning on October 7, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  “Reel Conversations” highlights filmmakers and others featured in the 21st Annual International Real to Reel Film Festival. On this episode of “Reel Conversations,” Thomas Manning speaks with Will Eskridge and Noel T. Manning II, cofounders of the Real to Reel… Read More ›

• This. Is. “300”… on 4K UHD for the first time.

  By Douglas Davidson on October 6, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  If history is to be believed, then the story of King Leonidas I of Greek Sparta is truly remarkable. The story goes that the king and 300 of his soldiers took on an invading army of 100,000 Persians, defiantly keeping… Read More ›

• Crime drama “Invincible Dragon” proves to be vulnerable after all.

  By Douglas Davidson on October 5, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  With turns in Ip Man 3 (2015), Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018), and Master Z: Ip Man Legacy (2018), Max Zhang is slowly becoming recognizable in the stateside martial arts community. His movements are fast, his skill precise, and his presence… Read More ›

• Want to get weird? Check out horror-western “The Pale Door.” Just beware that you may find Hell on the other side.

  By Douglas Davidson on October 4, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  You may not be familiar with the genre term “Weird Western,” but chances are you’ve seen one. The term refers to the combination of a typical western setting in combination with something more atypical of the period. Think Kathyrn Bigelow’s… Read More ›

• Martial arts dramedy “The Paper Tigers” honors the heritage of the genre while exploring the cost of neglected bonds. [Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival]

  By Douglas Davidson on October 3, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  The phrase “peaceful warrior” will always sound like an oxymoron to those who don’t understand it. The confusion lies in perceiving these terms as in opposition to one another — one can’t be peaceful if one is trained in the… Read More ›

• A Conversation with co-directors Ruckus and Lane Skye.

  By Noel Manning on October 2, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  Lane and Ruckus Skye are the writing/directing team behind the Southern Gothic tale, The Devil to Pay, starring Danielle Deadwyler. Here, the two chat with Noel T. Manning II about the making of this film and the unexpected collaborations that… Read More ›

• Alex Wolff’s “The Cat and the Moon” is a strong directorial debut from a creator just getting started.

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

  

  Your age likely defines how you know actor Alex Wolff. If you’re my age (near 40), then films like The House of Tomorrow (2017), Hereditary (2018), and the two new Jumanji (2017, 2019) films are your touch points. If you’re… Read More ›

• Meet Me at the Movies, Episode 398: Special Guest Violet Arth Dukes of the Real To Reel Film Festival. [Reel to Reel Film Festival]

  By Noel Manning on September 30, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  In partnership with the Reel to Reel Film Festival, enjoy this extended interview with festival director Violet Arth Dukes on EoM partner Noel T. Manning’s television program Meet Me at the movies. Violet Arth Dukes, festival director, for the 21st… Read More ›

• Documentary “Dick Johnson Is Dead” is an oft silly and poignant celebration of life.

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

  

  Alzheimer’s is often described as a “long goodbye.” It’s a progressive disease which slowly robs the individual of their memories and facilities, up to the point of loss of all communication skills and the inability to engage with anything around… Read More ›

• “Possessor” is a gruesome, ugly, and morally repugnant film and you’ll love every minute of it.

  By Hunter Heilman on September 28, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  Hollywood nepotism can be frustrating at times. With so many burgeoning actors and filmmakers bursting onto the scene in their family member’s footsteps, it can sometimes feel unfair to the whole selective process that weeds so many quality filmmakers out… Read More ›

• A Conversation with directors Lydia Schamschula and Jeremy Glaholt of “A Step Without Feet.”

  By Noel Manning on September 27, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  Imagine leaving the country you’ve always known all in search of freedom, opportunity and your place in the world. Directors Lydia Schamschula & Jeremy Glaholt share the story of making the documentary A Step Without Feet with Noel T. Manning II…. Read More ›

• A Conversation with cinematographer Tom Sigel.

  By Noel Manning on September 26, 2020 • ( 0 )

  

  Cinematographer Tom Sigel joins Noel T. Manning II again on Cinemascene for more film dialogue. This time they chat about Sigel’s work with Spike Lee on Da 5 Bloods and the Sam Hargrave flick Extraction. Noel also gets Tom to… Read More ›

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