Names mean something. They hold power. Names withheld can create mystery and names known can open doors. They are the things that can be passed down from generation to generation — be it a surname, a given name, a middle… Read More ›
Ireland
“Re-Creation” poses a judicial what-if of a well-known cold case. [Tribeca]
I am not going to pretend that the name Sophie Toscan du Plantier means anything to me outside of the context of the film as I do not follow famous deaths or cold cases. However, maybe if I was older… Read More ›
“Fréwaka” leaves a chill in your spine long after its end. [BUFF]
Compared to horror films with other themes, those focused on lore, especially folklore, evoke a different emotional knee-jerk reaction from their audiences with their eerie tales keeping the uneasy viewers interested and engaged. This is where Aislinn Clarke strives in… Read More ›
Irish hip hop underdog story “Kneecap” stays on-brand with a DVD-R home release.
If you haven’t heard of Rich Peppiatt’s newest feature, Kneecap, it’s because it flew so under the radar for everyone and its theatrical window was relatively short. However, it has now hit home release on DVD only, but don’t be… Read More ›
Irish-language horror film “An Taibhse (The Ghost)” reaches toward a haunting quality that it can’t quite achieve. [NBFF]
Touted as the first Irish-language horror film, John Farrelly’s An Taibhse (The Ghost) is a well-intentioned mix of folk horror, disturbing imagery, and narrative references to the horror genre in general (mostly The Shining (1980)). With an all-too familiar setting… Read More ›
Apocalyptic musical “The End” is both chaotic and balanced to mixed results. [TIFF]
Musicals about the apocalypse or the end of the world are certainly not new territory, but they all succeed to various mileage. While there is no world where a Mad Max-type movie is going to put to song, Joshua Oppenheimer’s… Read More ›
“The Damned” fully delivers on its genre promises of mystery, drama, and horror. [Tribeca Film Festival]
Genuinely speaking, I don’t want to condone a movie, but the trance, anxiety, and dread that Thordur Palsson creates with his directorial debut, The Damned, needs to be studied as A Clockwork Orange-style of torture. This movie is the one… Read More ›
Creature feature “Arcadian” has a fever and the only prescription is more Cage. [The Overlook Film Festival]
In the most Abed Nadir voice possible — “Nicolas Cage maaaaaaaaan” — and that alone should either have an audience immediately ready to dive into what absolute madness whether good, bad, or Cage, they’re about to get into. While the… Read More ›
Intriguing concepts are diluted by abandoned threads in Paul Duane’s folklore horror “All You Need is Death.” [Beyond Fest]
Before the written word carried the words of the present into the future, the oral tradition was used to safeguard family and cultural histories. This method, though reliant on the memory of the custodian, still remains a valued part of… Read More ›
Heavyweight cast delivers a satisfying story in “The Miracle Club.”
When there is a cast of heavyweight actors, you know, at minimum, the movie is going to be incredibly acted, and if that satisfies the craving you have for a film, then so be it. However, if you’re looking for… Read More ›
Sinéad O’Loughlin’s short film “Lamb” is a calling card of homegrown terror in a single chamber. [Santa Barbara International Film Festival]
The only right length to tell a story is the length required to tell it completely. This is why a story can be constructed with as few as three words or as much as a 90-minute or more screenplay. It… Read More ›