Most Scooby-Doo films are just alright. They are often glorified hour-long episodes of the series, or Archie Comics-style cameo machines. But starting in 1998 and ending in 2003, there was a run of good-to-great straight-to-VHS films, Scooby-Doo! On Zombie Island… Read More ›
The 1990s brought forth a number of cinematic comic book adaptations. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Dick Tracy, and Darkman in 1990; The Rocketeer in 1991; Batman Returns in 1992; Batman Forever, Judge Dredd, and The Mask in 1995; The Phantom in 1996; and,… Read More ›
Photosensitivity Warning: The opening sequence and several throughout the film include either flashes of light or strobing that may be triggering for photosensitive viewers. There are certain phrases, certain references, one can make that will elicit a specific response within… Read More ›
Photosensitivity Warning: There are multiple scenes in which either a character is using a camera with flash or a strobe is used (often at length). Proceed with absolute caution. In the realm of action fantasy, John Milius’s 1982 sword and… Read More ›
It’s been stated before, but it bears reminding: expectations can ruin an experience. This is equally true when the hype ahead of something implies one thing when the truth is something very different. In the real world, it can look… Read More ›
Event storylines in comics are not unusual. It’s a way to take on something that doesn’t quite fit in the everyday narratives, while also providing a means of both bringing characters together and altering their trajectory. In the world of… Read More ›
Yellow Smiley offers me X Like he’s drinking 7-Up I would rather drink six razor blades Razor blades from a paper cup He can’t understand, I say too tough It’s just that I’ve seen the future and boy it’s rough… Read More ›
Photosensitivity Warning: In several key sequences, flickering lights are used to convey enhanced emotions which may prove problematic for sensitive viewers. In undergrad at UNC at Asheville, during a lower-level English course, Bram Stoker’s Dracula was read and discussed as… Read More ›
Like the David Bowie song from which filmmakers Carina Mia Wong and Alex Simmons (Buddymoon) drew inspiration for the title of their documentary, We Can Be Heroes is a bit of a melancholic tale of individuals who recognize that they… Read More ›
Photosensitivity Warning: The visual elements used to convey transitions appear as an anamorphic lens-like flare similar to refraction of light that may prove trigging to photosensitive individuals. Memory is greatly tied to our senses. Tastes, sights, smells, and sounds all… Read More ›
From 2013 – 2023, Warner Bros. Pictures has released 15 films featuring characters from DC Comics beginning with The Trinity — Superman (Henry Cavill), Batman (Ben Affleck), and Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) — and now it’s all over with the… Read More ›
After a world premiere at Sundance 2024, co-directors and operators of Magic Society Pictures, Nicole Daddona and Adam Wilder (Sexy Furby; The Mundanes) bring their animated horror short The Bleacher to SXSW for its Texas premiere. Looking like stop motion… Read More ›
Period/fantasy films offer opportunities to view the current world through a different lens. If you lived in a world of orcs, goblins, and magic, what role would you play in the greater hierarchy? If you existed at a time of… Read More ›
When not compared against the bountifulness of time, 100 years is a long time. Within the last 100, three generations of Davidsons followed the arrival of my grandfather. We have fought in two world wars (nearly crossed the line into… Read More ›
All of Us Strangers is about memories, grief, and love. It’s about reconciling the past with the present and navigating the space in between. If you missed the U.S. theatrical release in December, you can stream All of Us Strangers… Read More ›
Running from March 1st – 14th at Film Forum NYC, a 25-film Japanese Horror festival gives New Yorkers the chance to see Nobuhiko Obayashi’s (The Little Girl Who Conquered Time; His Motorbike, Her Island) House (1977). This Japanese blockbuster was… Read More ›
Back in October 2023, Well Go USA released director/co-writer Kim Seong-sik’s action/adventure fantasy thriller Dr. Cheon and the Lost Talisman (천박사 퇴마 연구소: 설경의 비밀) into theaters. Given the influx of theatrical and streaming releases in October, it’s fair to… Read More ›
Running from February 2016 until March 2020, the shonen manga Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba by Koyoharu Gotouge was adapted into an animated series by Studio ufotable in April 2019 and is set to release its latest story arc soon…. Read More ›
How do you bounce back from making the highest grossing film of all time? How do you follow up to such a film with a sequel? Do you double down or do you subvert expectations and sweep the floor out… Read More ›
One man, an uncharted world, romance, war, destiny. You could apply these five things to any big-budget adventure films that have been released over time. For this review, we’re discussing James Cameron’s 2009 sci-fi adventure epic Avatar. The rundown: set… Read More ›