Spinal Tap II: The End Continues arrives with the kind of baggage only a decades-delayed sequel can carry. The original This is Spinal Tap (1984) didn’t start life as a blockbuster or even much of a mainstream success; rather, it built its… Read More ›
Director Richard Linklater’s films hold a deep personal connection to me. From the Before trilogy’s sense of love and yearning, to the mellow qualities of Dazed & Confused (1993) and Everybody Wants Some!! (2016), they show a serious directorial range…. Read More ›
Chandler Levack (I Like Movies) is back with her sophomore feature and Mile End Kicks makes one wonder what horrible tragedies and injustices Chandler went through herself or if there are a lot of creative liberties being taken in her… Read More ›
This Is Spinal Tap remains one of the funniest and most influential comedies ever made, a true landmark in both the mockumentary format and cinematic comedy as a whole. Directed by Rob Reiner (The Princess Bride; Stand by Me) in… Read More ›
“So, come up to the lab and see what’s on the slab. I see you shiver with antici …” There are moments in our lives that we can recognize as (“…pation.”) life-changing; that we can see as the creation of… Read More ›
Stans is a compelling and emotional new documentary that explores the powerful connection between legendary rapper Eminem (The Slim Shady LP; The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce)) and the devoted fanbase inspired by his music. Directed by Steven… Read More ›
In 2007, director James Griffiths (Cuban Fury) and co-writers/co-stars Tom Basden (Plebs: Soldiers of Rome) and Tim Key (Wonderdate) released their short The One and Only Herb McGwyer Plays Wallis Island. The trio has been working since to adapting it… Read More ›
On April 5, 1994, the lead singer of the alternative rock band Nirvana, Kurt Cobain, died by suicide at the age of 27. His body was discovered three days later in a greenhouse above the garage in his home in… Read More ›
Art isn’t for everyone. It can be profitable for the artist if it is, striking the balance between personal vision and widespread appreciation, but it’s not a necessity. Sometimes art is entirely for the artist, the work so niche that… Read More ›
Trigger Warning: Metallica Saved My Life features a variety of flourishes in the editing that include light bursts that may prove impactful for photosensitive viewers. Concert footage does also include expected flashing lights, but nothing out of the ordinary. Some… Read More ›
A little word of advice, my friend. Sometimes you gotta let those hard-to-reach chips go. – Dante Hicks (Brian O’Halloran) in Clerks. One night, while attending a youth group function, someone decided, for reasons lost to the annals of time,… Read More ›
There are certain places in this world that draw people to them. The ones to come to immediately to mind in the U.S. are Los Angeles, California, or New York City, New York, as cornerstones of music, theater, and entertainment… Read More ›
Before writer/director Naoko Yamada created The Colors Within (2024), she released Garden of Remembrance, a 2022 short film in which remembrance gives way to healing from grief, the presentation of which involved toying with colors, specifically the way in which… Read More ›
If you were a child who existed within the ‘80s and ‘90s, chances are that Japanese pop culture left some sort of influence on your noggin. Whether it be the colorful landscape known as anime or the equally enchanting treasure… Read More ›
Trigger Warning: Better Man features several sequences involving flashing lights that may be troubling to photosensitive viewers and the narrative explores depression, substance abuse, and suicidal ideation that may be hard for some viewers. You may not be immediately familiar… Read More ›
When we think of Bob Dylan, we often reflect on his profound impact on music, culture, and politics. Over the decades, he’s transcended the role of a mere musician, becoming a cultural icon whose voice and influence have defined multiple… Read More ›
The ‘80s were a decade of decadence. Whimsical fashion, music, and media reigned pop culture. This was especially true with the films of the era. The year 1984 saw Warner Bros. release both Purple Rain, a semi-biographical concert film starring… Read More ›
It’s an important rite of passage for each generation to mourn the loss of the cultural norms and trends that defined its youth. Unfortunately, this mourning usually manifests as some iteration of the tone-deaf and demeaning phrase, “Kids today will… Read More ›
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference. – The Serenity Prayer There’s a frequently quoted adage “youth is wasted on the young.”… Read More ›
Director James Mangold does not make bad movies. He makes good movies (The Wolverine; Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) and great movies (Ford V. Ferrari; Copland; Logan). He’s a class-act craftsman but he’s no revolutionary, and neither is… Read More ›