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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
In times of great stress like these, it’s important to remember what gets us through: art. Art, of course, can be anything from clothes, food, movies, projects, music, and more. They are the things which bring us joy and help… Read More ›
Biopics are tricky. Just ask 2019 Oscar winning films Green Book and Bohemian Rhapsody. For the former, the issue is telling the tale of a Black musician through the lens of his White companion. For the latter, the writers reconstructed… Read More ›
In 2008, writer Riley Thomas premiered his musical Stuck at the La Costa Theatre in Chicago, Illinois. From there, it moved to off-Broadway in 2012 before being commissioned as a film in 2016. With screenings taking place at festivals as… Read More ›
Films are often more than an escape from your lives or a distraction from politics, family, friends, or whatever ails you. Even hidden within the most harmless looking story is a thematic nugget propelling everything forward, desperately asking the audience… Read More ›
Marking their 18th feature, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs feels like the epitome of the Coen Brothers. It’s as if someone might want to introduce the Coens’ work to someone who’d never seen a single one of their films before… Read More ›
Ugly. Unworthy. Unlovable. These words burn inside us, whether they possess any truth or not, turning to ashes every semblance of self-worth we own. For some, it’s enough to recognize the strength within themselves to prevent true psychological destruction; however,… Read More ›
In all of our lives, there are things which sum up everything about us. Whether it be a poem, a picture, a book, a film, or a song, these things become emblematic of who we are at our core. These… Read More ›
Contained within director Brett Haley’s little indie darling, Hearts Beat Loud, resides an indomitable, overflowing joy. It’s unexpected, wondrous, and bound to fill your soul up until it, too, overflows. Sweet without being saccharine, loving without being profane, pure without… Read More ›
In the summer of 2015, writer/director Damien Chazelle (Whiplash) absconded with Oscar nominees Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling for a few weeks to film a song-and-dance film in the heat of L.A. Audiences finally got a glimpse of this secret… Read More ›