If there was ever a life that was deserving of the Baz Luhrmann treatment, it’s the famed singer Elvis Presley’s. Despite only living until 42, Presley’s music remains considered among the greats, his home a place viewed as sacred from… Read More ›
musical
Keep the beat whenever and however you like with “Vivo” on home video.
The recent go-to writer for making a family film, especially one with music, is Lin-Manuel Miranda. He’s not just the mind behind global phenomenon Hamilton, he’s the lyricist behind Moana (2016) and Encanto (2021). It makes sense, then, that if… Read More ›
Anachronistic musical fusion “Inu-Oh” adapts an old story to tell a very modern tale of artistic freedom and personal identity. [Fantasia International Film Festival]
One of the oldest storytelling conveyances is the oral tradition. Before we could write or read, we spoke and the sounds we made transfixed audiences, transporting them to times before their present. With the advent of the written-word, one might… Read More ›
For joy, for the love of music, for the Foo Fighters: “We Are The Thousand.”
July 30th, 2015: With little more than hope and a prayer, Fabio Zaffagnini uploaded a 7:28 minute video he and his friends had made to YouTube in hopes of getting the attention of rock band Foo Fighters. What did he… Read More ›
Good morning! Good morning! “Singin’ in the Rain” celebrates its 70th anniversary with a first-time 4K UHD release.
When one speaks of the Golden Age of Hollywood, there are certain names that get invariably included: Bette Davis, Katharine Hepburn, Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, Elizabeth Taylor, and Gene Kelly. Each of them left an indelible impression upon cinema history,… Read More ›
“Seriously Red” is a love letter to impersonators and the celebrities they embody. [SXSW Film Festival]
There is something truly magical about movies that are just effortlessly charming, endearing, and whimsical. Then there is something extraordinary when one writes and stars in the feature and pulls off that ever so delicate balance of amazement. In Gracie… Read More ›
Open Dialogue with “tick, tick…BOOM!” actor Andrew Garfield.
Andrew Garfield is an award-winning talent of stage, TV and screen – earning honors from the British Academy, the Tonys, the Critics Choice, and the Golden Globes. His versatility ranges from comic book superheroes (The Amazing Spider-Man) to TV evangelists… Read More ›
“Sing 2” dreams big dreams and manages to make most come true.
Since before well covers became popularized in its modern form, singing has been a way to carry on local history and traditions, carrying warnings or lessons that the listener will absorb and carry forward into the next generation. The minstrels… Read More ›
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “tick, tick…BOOM!” adaptation is a love-letter to both a lost artist and the medium he so loved.
Your musical theater tastes are all but defined by when you were first introduced. It doesn’t mean that you can’t shift or grow in tastes, but there certainly comes a heavy influence or leaning based upon your start. While I,… Read More ›
Fistful of Features shines a spotlight on The Criterion Collection’s restoration of “Original Cast Album: ‘Company’.”
Welcome to Fistful of Features, a celebration of film preservation through physical media and the discussion of cinematic treasures to maintain their relevance in the cultural lexicon. Today we’ll be discussing a failed television documentary pilot that was recently revived… Read More ›
Celebrate 50 years of Wonka goodness with “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” on 4K UHD.
Joining the long list of films receiving 4K UHD restorations is the Mel Stuart classic Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory as it celebrates its 50th anniversary. Of all author Roald Dahl’s books to receive adaptations, this is the one… Read More ›
“Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” 4K UHD Blu-ray Giveaway
The candyman isn’t the only one capable of bringing you treats. Thanks to Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, EoM can offer you a most dazzling, charming, and, yes, even horrifying adventure via the 4K UHD restoration of Willy Wonka & the… Read More ›
A Conversation with “Stuffed” co-creators Theo Rhys and Joss Holden-Rea. [SXSW Film Festival]
After watching the bittersweet and darkly humorous short musical Stuffed at SXSW Film Festival 2021, I just had to interview the creative team. It was truly the biggest surprise of the festival and won the special jury prize for Bold… Read More ›
Two features and five shorts to keep an eye out for. [SXSW Film Festival]
SXSW 2021 has come and gone, offering accredited press a dizzying array of opportunities in which to indulge. While the Elements of Madness coverage team wrote a hearty portion of reviews, there were far more films worth seeing than we… Read More ›
“Best Summer Ever” is may be cheesy, but it’ll sweep you up in its charm nonetheless. [SXSW Film Festival]
Originally slated for a 2020 SXSW premiere, musical comedy Best Summer Ever from first-time feature directing partners Michael Parks Randa and Lauren Smitelli instead makes its world debut at the 2021 festival. Part Grease homage, part Disney Channel wannabe, part… Read More ›
Spike Lee brings David Byrne’s once in a lifetime musical experience “American Utopia” to HBO and HBO Max.
On October 9th, The Broadway League announced, to the severe disappointment of theatre professionals and fans, that Broadway will remain closed until June 2021. It’s difficult to imagine that the musicals, concerts, and plays that have been a New York… Read More ›
A Conversation with writer/director Diane Paragas.
Writer/director Diane Paragas had a dream to bring a story to the screen that spoke of political and social injustice, the power of music, and the beauty of the Filipino people. Yellow Rose is that story, and Diane shares her… Read More ›
Following the fish-out-of-water rom-com formula, “A Mermaid in Paris (Une sirène à Paris)” is a dazzling visual treat. [Fantasia Film Fest]
Multi-talented writer and director Mathias Malzieu, who is known for his success as a novelist and musician as well as filmmaker, returns to this year’s virtual Fantasia Film Festival with a delightful grown-up fairytale. Malzieu’s previous animated film, Jack and… Read More ›
Special features in the home release enhance the already uplifting experience of “The High Note.”
Depending on who you talk to, there have either been not enough movies out to see this year or too few. Even without standard theaters being active, there’re still drive-ins, broadcast, and streaming options, many of which the studios have… Read More ›
The world must have turned upside down because “Hamilton” is coming home via Disney+.
In case you’re coming to this unclear on what actor/playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton is about, the play follows significant moments of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton’s (Miranda) life from surviving severe illness as a child; coming to American from the Caribbean;… Read More ›