Choices and consequences. Most of the time, when we think of choices and consequences, it’s within the framework of ourselves. We view it from the perspective of the decisions we make and the repercussions that follow. In reality, our choices… Read More ›
When a studio releases a film versus when a boutique releases a film, there can be, on occasion, a little worry that the former won’t be the *best* version of the release. There are always exceptions to the rule, of… Read More ›
Trigger Warning: Meta Take One contains several instances of flashing light and visual distortion that may disturb photosensitive viewers. How far would you go to make your dreams a reality? What would you give up or sacrifice? In a society… Read More ›
“Cry ‘Havoc!’, and let slip the dogs of war.” – Mark Antony in William Shakespeare’s Julius Cesar. Though his debut short released in 2003, filmmaker Gareth Evans wouldn’t make his international mark until 2011’s The Raid, also known as The… Read More ›
When a boutique label announces that they’re releasing a 4K copy of a movie that has already had a restoration done, the questions are inevitably going to be asked as to which transfer is better between the two disks, what… Read More ›
Christopher Nolan’s Insomnia is one of those rare thriller movies that defies convention by substituting the disquiet of night with the unrelenting brightness of an Alaskan summer — a choice that paradoxically amplifies the film’s sense of terror. The movie… Read More ›
True crime stories are nothing new in terms of being a source for adaptive works. Law & Order consistently takes their inspiration from real crime tales, as do a variety of films. The four-film deep Crime City series led by… Read More ›
What would you do to make amends with your past? For some, it means rolling up your sleeves and doing the hard work to atone; while, for others, it means living a life of abstinence. Both can be viewed as… Read More ›
The New Hollywood movement (or “period”, depending on who you ask) was a defining moment in cinema where the film director was the “end-all/be-all” authority rather than the film studio. It’s a movement (generally from the mid-‘60s to early ‘80s)… Read More ›
Trigger Warning: The narrative centers violence upon the LGBTQIA+ community and this may be distressing for sensitive viewers. If you’re reading this and, like me, you’ve heard of William Friedkin’s Cruising with Al Pacino (Heat), but have never seen it… Read More ›
There is an all-time great story of betrayal, recklessness, and tragedy told about the events that took place among the yakuza of Japan’s snowy north coast, and it’s told through around 50 minutes of interviews included as special features on… Read More ›
Content Warning: This film contains sexual violence and semi-explicit sex acts that may be unnerving for sensitive viewers. Mermaid Legend (1984) is the prize film in Third Window Film’s newest wave of their Blu-ray releases of The Directors Company movies…. Read More ›
The neo-western/crime drama has become a cinema staple. Early classic examples include Lone Star (1952), Hud (1963), and Paris, Texas (1984). More recent films like No Country for Old Men (2007), Sicario (2015), Hell or High Water (2016), and Wind… Read More ›
There’s this strange compulsion by many to respond to someone’s discomfort with “everyone has problems.” Whatever the intention, all it ever does is minimize what a person is feeling with the implication that “why should someone be feeling badly about… Read More ›
“There is no honor among thieves.” This idea is often at the center of confidence or crime tales within any genre or medium. The people who you trust to pull a job just might be the same people who will… Read More ›
“You can’t take anything with you when you die, except your deeds.” – Lee Fun Yee (Cecilla Cheung) in Running on Karma Established in 1996 by director Johnnie To and frequent collaborator Wai Ka-Fai, production house Milkyway Image Ltd. would… Read More ›
When 2022 was happening and the announcement that Quentin Tarantino’s first feature ever was going to be released in 4K, everyone was foaming at their mouth with anticipation that not only was this going to be a *good* release but… Read More ›
“The Bride: You and I have unfinished business. Bill: Baby, you ain’t kidding.” – Kill Bill, Vol. 2 (2004) It’s 2025 and filmmaker Quentin Tarantino is actively developing his 10th, and rumored final, film. Though incredibly divisive for the dialogue… Read More ›
The Criterion Collection always tries to curate releases that get the cinephile community excited and talking about their addition to Criterion’s Closet and film lovers’ shelves. The quality of release is always top-notch as it’s filled with a plethora of… Read More ›
Satire of any sort is a difficult storytelling genre to nail. Go too far in one direction, people dismiss the ideas as far-fetched and implausible (ex. the revelation of Sorry to Bother You (2018)); go too far in the other,… Read More ›