As has been written many times, the phenomenon that is the John Wick series almost didn’t happen. The film was originally slated as a direct-to-video release, it was helmed by two first-time feature directors (Chad Stahelski and David Leitch), had… Read More ›
This Is Spinal Tap remains one of the funniest and most influential comedies ever made, a true landmark in both the mockumentary format and cinematic comedy as a whole. Directed by Rob Reiner (The Princess Bride; Stand by Me) in… Read More ›
In 1991, DC Comics published Batman: Holy Terror, a tale featuring an alternate history for the United States in which it remained a Commonwealth of the United Kingdom. It shifts the origin story we know of Bruce Wayne into Batman… Read More ›
Those keeping track of modern martial arts action know the name Kensuke Sonomura between his work as a stunt director and as a director. If it hits hard, looks badass, and helps move the narrative forward, you can almost guarantee… Read More ›
Everyone says that they want original stories to watch at the movies, but what they really mean is that they want good stories, engaging stories, stories that they can’t stop talking about or thinking about when they leave the theater…. Read More ›
November 2003 saw the release of director/co-writer Peter Weir’s (The Truman Show; Dead Poets Society) nautical wartime tale Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, an indirect adaptation of the stories from the Patrick O’Brian Master and Commander… Read More ›
I think there was a time where I saw, or at least saw parts of, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (2006). My recollection of it is null, so when I visited (or maybe revisited) the 4K by Arrow after… Read More ›
In the world of horror movies, there is always going to be debate as to which one is the greatest of all time; it’s going to vary from fan to fan, from opinion to opinion. But one seems to universally… Read More ›
This year’s live-action How to Train Your Dragon proved itself a box-office success. Audiences enjoyed traveling to this world of Berk in a new format, the film grossing over $600 million worldwide. While a technical marvel, it’s hard to know… Read More ›
There are dueling sentiments in the cinephile community: not everything needs a new edition and film preservation on physical media matters. Given the shift toward digital consumption which removes ownership from the viewer and keeps it steadily in the hands… Read More ›
I could spend hours ruminating on all of the ways the Final Destination franchise shaped me as a lover of film from childhood, but eventually I would bore you with my stories of being afraid of the Final Destination 3… Read More ›
Sometimes movies fly under the radar for viewers, and some of those movies get branded as favorites or classics. When one of those movies has escaped my viewing experience one way or another and the 4K gets announced, my curiosity… Read More ›
Mike Nichols can be described as one of the best 21st century directors with titles under his belt like Who’s Afraid of Virgina Woolf? (1966), The Graduate (1967), Working Girl (1988), Charlie Wilson’s War (2007), and Carnal Knowledge (1971), so… Read More ›
It only takes one person’s moment of greed to poison the lives of countless others. This isn’t to suggest that individuals aren’t in control of their choices, but, if one ascribes to Chaos Theory, there’s a strong inclination that our… Read More ›
Comic book heroes are filtered through the eyes of the creatives before reaching the reader, empowering our heroes to shift, change, and experience adventures that are unique to the storyteller. Sure, it may create places for readers to argue and… Read More ›
“See, white folks, they like the blues just fine. They just don’t like the people who make it.” – Delta Slim (Delroy Lindo) Xenophobes exhibit a strange cognitive dissonance. They own iPhones, but hate the people who make them. They… Read More ›
If you’ve never seen F. Gary Gray’s Law Abiding Citizen, then stop reading this right now, go find a copy (this new snazzy steelbook is now available), and sit down and watch it (preferably the unrated cut as it has… Read More ›
Fifty years ago, on June 20th, 1975, Steven Spielberg (Hook) unleashed Jaws into theaters and audiences immediately became terrified to go into the water. Widely regarded as the first blockbuster film, its legacy is indelible between its John Williams (Star… Read More ›
Before filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie accepted the mission four times (Mission: Impossible franchise) and before he adapted Lee Child’s nomadic former MP for the big screen (Jack Reacher (2012)), he started out with his own creation, the neo-western The Way of… Read More ›
Director Terry Gilliam has always been a difficult talent for me to connect with. His films relish in a level of weirdness that never lands as intended. Movies like Time Bandits (1981) and 12 Monkeys (1995) never left a significant… Read More ›