Guy Ritchie’s thriller Wrath of Man landed in theaters in May, taking audiences for an unexpected ride. They thought there were getting a standard Jason Statham-led actioner, but got something much darker, violent, and explosive. If you missed it in… Read More ›
crime
“Hydra” Blu-ray Giveaway
Among the many upcoming releases Asian cinema distributor Well Go USA has lined up, their latest one – crime thriller Hydra – looks to be particularly wild in terms of stunt work. Graciously, they sent EoM two (2) Blu-ray copies that… Read More ›
Despite mixed success with the action and emotional resonance of the drama, you can still see the promise within “Silat Warriors: Deed of Death.”
Though the highest grossing films in Malaysia mostly come from the international market, one shouldn’t discount the country for its own cinematic successes. There’s docudrama The Big Durian (2003), the first Malaysian film to screen at the Sundance Film Festival,… Read More ›
Director Samuel Fuller’s Cold War noir “Pickup on South Street” is one of the latest films restored for The Criterion Collection.
The line between politics and art is often fine, if not entirely overlapped. This is most obvious in stories from Marvel Comics’s X-Men, a series exploring the ultimate minority group trying to make peace against great xenophobia. In a similar… Read More ›
“Silat Warriors: Deed Of Death” Blu-ray Giveaway
After streaming exclusively on martial arts streaming service Hi-YAH!, Malaysian martial arts film Silat Warriors: Dead of Death is set for home release on July 6th. Thanks to film distributor Well Go USA, EoM has two (2) Blu-ray copies to give… Read More ›
Uncover the secrets of “Nobody” at home any time you like.
When the first trailer for the Bob Odenkirk (Little Women) action thriller Nobody first landed, there was little doubt that it would be a good time, not because Odenkirk has never been the focus of such a specific piece of… Read More ›
Martial arts crime comedy “Undercover Punch & Gun” is largely undercooked despite good ideas.
Over the last few years in America there’s been a surge of “gun fu” films: The Matrix (1999), Equilibrium (2002), all the way up to the recent John Wick series. It’s not that the combination of martial arts and weaponry… Read More ›
“Nobody” Digital Code Giveaway
After a theatrical and VOD release in March/April, the Bob Odenkirk-led Ilya Naishuller-directed Nobody comes home permanently with a cornucopia of bonus materials. Coming in three iterations, you can snag the digital edition on June 8th or wait for the… Read More ›
“Cruella” is brilliant and mad in all the right places, but is mostly frustrating.
In the spirit of past Walt Disney live action remakes or reimaginations such as Maleficent or Dumbo, comes Cruella, directed by Craig Gillespie (I, Tonya) and starring the talented Emma Stone (The Favourite), Emma Thompson (Love Actually), Mark Strong (Sherlock… Read More ›
“Spiral: From The Book of Saw” is not a game you want to play.
As a child, I truly believed the pinnacle of horror was the Saw series. As someone who feared horror films up until age 13-ish, it was difficult for me to distinguish between something that was actually scary, and something that… Read More ›
Guy Ritchie’s “Wrath of Man” is mean, gritty, and surprising in its restraint.
Writer/director Guy Ritchie last dazzled audiences (or, at least this reviewer) with the fairly up-tempo 2019 Matthew McConaughey crime-thriller-comedy The Gentlemen. A film which, despite a few faults, reminded audiences how much of a good time they can have exploring… Read More ›
Ran Slavin’s feature debut, “Call for Dreams,” is “A Page of Madness” for the 21st century.
According to the press notes for Call for Dreams, Israeli director Ran Slavin started the project in pursuit of a “new cinematic form.” Slavin began with the idea to collect dreams from strangers that he could use as inspiration for… Read More ›
Two features and five shorts to keep an eye out for. [SXSW Film Festival]
SXSW 2021 has come and gone, offering accredited press a dizzying array of opportunities in which to indulge. While the Elements of Madness coverage team wrote a hearty portion of reviews, there were far more films worth seeing than we… Read More ›
“Nobody” brings comfort like family.
Audience expectations are killer. They will ruin you every time, which is often why the marketing has to work so hard to manage them. A little tease here, a little explanation there — just enough to get folks interested without… Read More ›
“In The Land of Lost Angels” is an indisputable debut for writer/director Bishrel Mashbat.
When one looks back on a director’s early works, you can usually see the beginnings of whatever will become their signature POV or narrative approach. In The Land of Lost Angels is the first feature film from writer/director Bishrel Mashbat,… Read More ›
Akira Kurosawa Series: A Look Back on “Stray Dog.”
By the end of Akira Kurosawa’s 1949 detective drama, Stray Dog, there is not a character that escapes the fray without rolling around in the mud, figuratively and literally. Every decision has consequences, and every action has a reaction. Some, more… Read More ›
Be careful out there. If you “Flinch,” you’ll catch a bullet.
If you’re familiar with Cameron Van Hoy, it may be because of his work as Eddie Alvarez in STARZ’s Crash or as Deputy Duke in the hilarious slasher-comedy Tragedy Girls (2017). With luck, thanks to his feature-length directorial debut Flinch,… Read More ›
In a world full of criminals, what we need is an “Honest Thief.”
At this point in Liam Neeson’s career, the frequency of Taken-like stories he headlines has got to be purposeful. For one, Neeson makes for a damn fine action hero. His characters tend to be believable in their strength and skill,… Read More ›
“All Roads to Pearla” is a strong feature-debut from writer/director Van Ditthavong.
Some argue that a town only truly comes to life once the sun has set. That’s when the things hiding from sunlight feel more comfortable to come out, stretch their legs, and roam the streets freely; when those who strive… Read More ›
16 years later, Michael Mann’s “Collateral” is as strong a neo-noir as ever. But does HDR improve or distract?
In the included commentary for Collateral, director Michael Mann comments that the film picks up in the third act of a standard film. He’s not wrong at all with this description as the audience is given a clue of location… Read More ›