If you’d said that a DC Comics live-action film would make it onto anyone’s Best Of list, I’d have been one of the first to act surprised. Granted, Patty Jenkins’s Wonder Woman remains an outstanding outing for the warrior princess… Read More ›
home video
“Deadsight” delivers a taut, clever, and often humorous zombie thriller via simplicity.
The urge to create complications, to produce bigger and stronger obstacles within stories, is one of many balancing acts writers manage when crafting their stories. Introductions of characters and settings, moving the narrative forward, designing conflict – these are all… Read More ›
Let’s talk about sex: dramedy “Making Babies” tackles the stigma of infertility.
More often than not, pregnancy is compared to a “miracle,” as though the act of conception isn’t part of the biological make-up instilled within the human machine. Defining pregnancy and childbirth as a “miracle” creates undue pressure on the women… Read More ›
Tim Burton’s live-action interpretation of the animated Disney classic “Dumbo” offers a new perspective that may alienate the existing fanbase.
2014’s Maleficent kicked off Disney’s live-action reimaginings of various beloved properties. Soon after followed 2015’s Cinderella, 2016’s The Jungle Book, and 2017’s Beauty and the Beast. For whatever reason, rather than sticking to one new release a year, 2019 will… Read More ›
In the mood for good, cheeky fun? Look no further than teenage horror-comedy “Slaughterhouse Rulez”.
Chances are, even if you’re reading this, that the film Slaughterhouse Rulez is a bit of an enigma to you. Despite boasting a cast which includes Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz), Nick Frost (At World’s End), Michael Sheen (Tron: Legacy), and… Read More ›
Martial arts nostalgia only goes so far in “The Unity of Heroes”.
When it comes to crafting compelling stories, anything can inspire ideas: love won or lost, a desire to return to childhood innocence, moments of great historical significance. All of these and more provide the baseline for audiences to engage emotionally… Read More ›
You can’t get it at Blockbuster but Marvel Studio’s “Captain Marvel” is available on home video.
Captain Marvel represents several things for Marvel Studios and their audience. For one, it’s the first female-led film in their run of 22-films. Considering the absolute badasses which make up the current MCU – Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Wanda Maximoff/Scarlett Witch,… Read More ›
Holy 80th Birthday, Batman! In his honor, WB releases a 4K UHD remaster of the “Batman: Motion Picture Anthology”.
After 80 years in print, the DC Comics Dark Knight, the Batman, is still going incredibly strong. Whether you are an avid comic reader or primarily stick to the broadcast iterations, there’s likely a story that immediately endeared the bereft… Read More ›
Writer/director Jason B. Kohl’s feature debut “New Money” is an indictment of prescription culture.
Debut features are more than a coming out, they often represent the clearest version of the individual. In the case of directors, debuts provide the most honest interpretation of how the director views the world. In the case of Jason… Read More ›
“Isn’t It Romantic” lampoons rom-coms and owns every minute of it.
Before you can lampoon something, before you can satirize something, you must know as much can you can about it. You have to know the ins-and-outs of it, the heart and soul of it. In order for the humor to… Read More ›
“On the Basis of Sex” presents the fierce battle for gender equality wrapped in a fuzzy comfort blanket.
It would be difficult to find anyone who hadn’t either heard the name Ruth Bader Ginsburg, heard her nickname “the Notorious RBG,” or seen one of Kate McKinnon’s SNL skits poking fun at the seemingly eternal 86-year old Supreme Court… Read More ›
“We Are Boats” explores a metaphysical current that keeps us moving from port to port.
For as long as humans have existed, there’s been a longing to explain that which we don’t comprehend. This longing gave rise to myths and legends born out of trying to rationalize why the sun sets and rises as well… Read More ›
Fun runs “Rampant” among zombies and classism in ancient China.
When the first description of a film includes something like “from the studios which brought you [insert film title here],” it’s rarely a good sign. Rather than trying to stand on its own merit, this new property is relying heavily… Read More ›
“Iceman: The Time Traveler” is another fun Donnie Yen feature, despite being a weak sequel.
Donnie Yen is one of the most prolific actors in Chinese cinema. Though modern American audiences are most familiar with Yen from his performance as Chirrut Îmwe in 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Yen’s been working in films… Read More ›
Disney’s “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” is too dour for Christmas, too artificial to feel magical.
The Nutcracker is a famous ballet known the world over for its delicacy and grace in performance and the beauty of Tchaikovsky’s music. In fact, it’s safe to say that more people are aware of the story in connection to… Read More ›
Make your reservations now for some “Bad Times at the El Royale”.
Writer/director Drew Goddard is no stranger to a good mystery. Having made his bones writing for shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Alias, he went on to write 2008’s Cloverfield and co-write 2012’s The Cabin in the Woods,… Read More ›
Film noir “The Lightest Darkness” toys with time and memory.
There’s something truly delicious about a film which toys with your expectations; a film possessing the temerity to state its own vision, even as it identifies the areas in which it knows the audience is looking. Rather than focus the… Read More ›
No One Is As Hardcore As “HardCore Henry.”
Do you dig intense action sequences in movies? Close your eyes for a moment and imagine your favorite action sequence. Does it make you giggle? Multiply that by ten and you might get close to the thrill-ride that is Hardcore… Read More ›