Elements of Madness

Recent Posts - page 5

• Open Dialogue with “The Secret Agent” actor Wagner Moura.

  By Noel Manning on February 22, 2026 • ( 0 )

  

  In this Meet me at the Movies/Screen Scene spotlight interview, Noel T. Manning II talks with Oscar nominee Wagner Moura about his acclaimed performance as Marcelo/Armando in The Secret Agent. Moura discusses the atmospheric impact of this 1970’s infused international… Read More ›

• Road trip dramedy “BRB” beautifully captures the struggle of forging one’s identity online and IRL. [Slamdance]

  By Douglas Davidson on February 21, 2026 • ( 1 )

  

  “In this farewell There’s no blood, there’s no alibi ‘Cause I’ve drawn regret From the truth of a thousand lies…” – “What I’ve Done” by Linkin Park from the 2007 album Minutes to Midnight There’s a joke floating around the… Read More ›

• The bonus features for crime comedy “London Calling” are about as deep as the film itself.

  By Douglas Davidson on February 20, 2026 • ( 0 )

  

  Crime and comedy often go hand-in-hand due to the ridiculousness of a given situation. Watching two high-octane cars pull a massive safe through the streets of Rio? Hilarious. Betting as to whether Yen (Qin Shaobo) shorts it? Gold. Declaring that… Read More ›

• Documentary “Sell Your House” captures the real costs, literally and figuratively, of independent film making in today’s systems. [SBIFF]

  By Douglas Davidson on February 19, 2026 • ( 1 )

  

  At Fantastic Fest 2023, writer/director Francis Galluppi made his feature-length directorial debut with The Last Stop in Yuma County, a tense thriller involving bad timing, worse luck, and oh so much greed. By May of 2024, it was released in… Read More ›

• Mind-bending folk horror “Keeper” gets a 4K/Blu-ray combo release from NEON absent any special features.

  By Michelle Swope on February 18, 2026 • ( 0 )

  

  Prior to 2024, Oz Perkins was a somewhat niche indie filmmaker who had already built a nice little fanbase thanks to his early films The Blackcoat’s Daughter (2015), which follows a young girl who may or may not be possessed… Read More ›

• True crime thriller “All the President’s Men” gets a 4K UHD release from Warner Bros. Pictures in honor of its 50th anniversary.

  By Douglas Davidson on February 17, 2026 • ( 0 )

  

  While it’s safe to presume that political ideologies have often led to disagreements and hard lines between classmates, colleagues, and family members to the point that countless stories will feature “black sheep” liberal relatives in conservative families or conservative characters… Read More ›

• Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s dramatic thriller “Cloud” gets a slim-but-deep home edition as part of the sublabel of Criterion Premieres.

  By Douglas Davidson on February 17, 2026 • ( 0 )

  

  It feels safe to say that capitalism had a solid run, but needs to step down. At this point, there’s nothing in this world that doesn’t feel commodified to the point that ethical consumption, let alone ethical existence, is an… Read More ›

• HIKARI’s heartfelt dramedy “Rental Family” arrives to own via home video.

  By Douglas Davidson on February 16, 2026 • ( 0 )

  

  “… make you feel like family is who we include, rather than we were assigned to.” – Actor Brendan Fraser discussing Rental Family. The world can feel like a cruel and unforgiving place that isolates you at every opportunity. That… Read More ›

• 13 Slamdance Film Festival 2026 films to prioritize.

  By Douglas Davidson on February 15, 2026 • ( 0 )

  

  After missing the 2025 edition, EoM returns to cover the Slamdance Film Festival in 2026! The festivals not long, but there are some extraordinary titles taking part. In an effort to narrow our own plans, here’s a short-list of 12… Read More ›

• Generational trauma, cultural horror, and the persistence of healing converge within James Takata’s “California Scenario.” [SBIFF]

  By Douglas Davidson on February 14, 2026 • ( 1 )

  

  Trigger Warning: California Scenario includes depictions of self-harm and sexual material that may be difficult for sensitive viewers. “Art is our weapon. Culture is a form of resistance” – Shirin Neshat, Iranian photographer and visual artist Regardless of the generation… Read More ›

• “The Mortuary Assistant” undercuts its audience experience by keeping us in the observation room instead of elbows-deep at the slab.

  By justin waldman on February 13, 2026 • ( 0 )

  

  We’re only slightly over a month into 2026 and it has already been a *rough* year for video game adaptations. First we had Return to Silent Hill, which our very own EoM Senior Critic Hunter Heilman, fan of the franchise,… Read More ›

• Filmmaker Dan Trachtenberg’s third “Predator” adventure, “Badlands,” lands on home video packed with in-depth bonus materials.

  By Douglas Davidson on February 12, 2026 • ( 0 )

  

  Writer/director Dan Trachtenberg’s feature film debut, 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016), not only helped reenergize the Cloverfield franchise, it established the filmmaker as one to watch. He’s since been handed the reigns to three different Predator-related projects and each one, unique… Read More ›

• “All of the Above” demonstrates the significance of embracing curiosity while creating space for multiple answers. [SBIFF]

  By Douglas Davidson on February 12, 2026 • ( 1 )

  

  “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.” – Tao Te Ching The concept of religion never quite seemed like a casual topic of conversation, but it has grown to be quite the sticky wicket. It often seems that around… Read More ›

• Open Dialogue with “Arco” director/co-writer Ugo Bienvenu.

  By Thomas Manning on February 11, 2026 • ( 0 )

  

  In this episode of Meet Me at the Movies, Thomas Manning is joined by Ugo Bienvenu, the writer, director, and producer behind the Oscar-nominated animated film Arco. Bienvenu opens up about the years-long creative journey behind this deeply personal project… Read More ›

• “Blue Moon” boasts a career-best performance from Ethan Hawke as Richard Linklater lovingly brings the 1940s to life.

  By Blak Cinephile on February 11, 2026 • ( 0 )

  

  Director Richard Linklater (Nouvelle Vague) has been actively communicating with the past, meaning he has released two films within the past year that pay homage to the figures behind classic films and musicals. Alongside Nouvelle Vague, a film about the… Read More ›

• Criterion brings a third format of Jacques Tati’s “PlayTime” into the Collection.

  By justin waldman on February 10, 2026 • ( 0 )

  

  The world of physical media is constantly changing and evolving, impacting the way collectors gather movies. Criterion is occasionally regarded as the benchmark of the crème of the crop for collectors, however, with them continuing to dip their toes into… Read More ›

• Filmmaker Mamoru Hosoda’s “Scarlet” riffs on Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” in a time-bending animated adventure that challenges the validity of revenge.

  By Douglas Davidson on February 10, 2026 • ( 0 )

  

  Photosensitivity Warning: Several scenes in Scarlet may prove triggering for photosensitive viewers through the use of stylized lightning. It occurs a handful of times in the film and can often be predicted, enabling a viewer to shield oneself, but it’s… Read More ›

• 12 films of 2025 that stuck with me.

  By Douglas Davidson on February 10, 2026 • ( 0 )

  

  Before I fully look toward 2026, it’s time for the Tenth Annual Sticky List! If you’re unfamiliar with the Sticky List, these are the films which made me want to watch, rewatch, discuss, and share. While several films on my… Read More ›

• Documentarian Rustin Thompson’s “The Last Picture Shows” explores what’s lost when local picturehouses disappear from communities. [SBIFF]

  By Douglas Davidson on February 9, 2026 • ( 1 )

  

  Photosensitivity Warning: In one of the later segments of archival photos, they are stylized like old film footage with light blips and visible scratches which may prove triggering for photosensitive individuals. The evolution of the movie-watching experience is fairly straight-forward…. Read More ›

• Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” comes available on home video without an ounce of bonus materials and not a single small beer.

  By Douglas Davidson on February 9, 2026 • ( 0 )

  

  After working on the script for roughly 20 years, filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson (Punch-Drunk Love; Boogie Nights) finally cracked his vision to adapt author Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel Vineland and, if one’s been following the awards circuit, the resultant film,… Read More ›

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