When you’re a teenager, every little upset feels like the end of the world. Failing a test, losing the big game, watching your crush take someone else to prom, or even finding out that your favorite band broke up can… Read More ›
RLJE Films
Simon Barrett’s feature directorial debut “Séance” is a first class experience.
As someone who, like many, spent the entirety of their education in public schools, I’ve always had a sick fascination with the mystique of the private school experience, particularly that of the private boarding school experience. There’s something so strangely… Read More ›
“Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on ‘The Exorcist’” Blu-ray Giveaway
The Exorcist is the horror film that really showed a genre picture could transcend industry perception, going on to win two Academy Awards for Adapted Screenplay and Best Sound and earn eight nominations in other categories, including Best Picture and… Read More ›
Bonkers B-Movie gore fest “Jakob’s Wife” is brimming with bloodlust. [SXSW Film Festival]
Immediately after I finished watching Jakob’s Wife, I sat there in a state of confusion, perplexed by the madness of what I just witnessed. A jumbled mess of incohesive thoughts and emotions floated around in my mind as I tried… Read More ›
Can you find the real “Archenemy” when the film comes to home video?
The deconstruction and evaluation of superheroes in cinema and television didn’t begin with Zack Snyder or Eric Kripke, though they are the ones most widely known for it at the moment. Their stories take a darker look at the notion… Read More ›
“PG: Psycho Goreman” DVD Giveaway
After a tour on the festival circuit and a mixed theatrical/VOD release, The Archduke of Nightmares is coming to your home, ready to bathe in your blood. That’s right, PG: Psycho Goreman is slated for a home release on March 16th:… Read More ›
“Prisoners of the Ghostland” brings new meaning to the phrase “balls out” in its post-apocalyptic action/adventure tale. [Sundance Film Festival]
A nameless stranger. A damsel in distress. A suicide mission that no one but the best can handle. These three requirements appear in countless stories, from gunslinger westerns of the East to the samurai tales of the West, each possessing… Read More ›
“Archenemy” DVD Giveaway
Did you miss Joe Manganiello’s turn as Max Fist, the supposed hero of the planet Chromium lost across dimensions on Earth? On February 16th Archenemy comes available on Blu-ray and DVD. In partnership with RLJE Films, you can now win… Read More ›
The “PG” in Steven Kostanski’s horror comedy “PG: Psycho Goreman” stands for “plenty-o-gore.
According to the production notes accompanying my screener, writer/director Steven Kostanski (The Void) grew up wondering what it would be like to hang out with the iconic villains of his youth: Skeletor, Megatron, Cobra Commander, etc. As an adult, his… Read More ›
“Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror” Blu-ray Giveaway
In 2019, horror streaming service Shudder premiered the incredible documentary Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror, directed by Xavier Burgin, co-produced by Tananarive Due (instructor of Sunken Place Class), and inspired by Dr. Robin R. Means Coleman’s book. On… Read More ›
Prepare yourself to explore “The Dark & The Wicked” on home video.
The Dark and the Wicked is one of those films that has stuck with me long since I saw it for the first time back in August. I liked it in my first viewing, but it didn’t take long after… Read More ›
Psychological thriller “Archenemy” explores man’s superhero obsession, asking who is the real enemy of our heroes.
Writer/director Adam Egypt Mortimer is developing a very specific artistic aesthetic after only three full length features. The first, Another Kind of Hate (2015), appears to explore bullying with a supernatural bend. The second, Daniel Isn’t Real (2019), is an… Read More ›
“The Opening Act” Blu-ray Giveaway
If you’re any kind of comedy enthusiast, you won’t want to miss any of comedian Steve Byrne’s directorial debut The Opening Act, dropping on Blu-ray and DVD on December 15th. Thanks to a partnership with RLJE Films, EoM is giving away… Read More ›
Dystopian drama “2067” is strongest when focused on character, not the intrigue of time travel.
Time travel movies are a tricky wicket. Use consistent rules and a clear narrative, you end up with Looper (2012). Explain things in in too wide manner which allows for numerous interpretations, you get Avengers: Endgame (2019). Create a rule… Read More ›
Horror thriller comic adaptation “The Owners” reminds that maybe it’s best to leave well-enough alone.
The horror genre is all about taking what terrifies you and giving it life so you can explore that terror in relative safety. Scared of the dark? Let’s personify it. Unnerved by the unknown? Let’s give it physical form. Chilled… Read More ›
Comedian Steve Byrne trades the stage for the director’s chair in feature debut “The Opening Act.”
There was a moment, perhaps not so long from this one, where you wondered if you were doing what you always wanted to do, where you contemplated if the “you” of before would be proud of or impressed with the… Read More ›
Want to get weird? Check out horror-western “The Pale Door.” Just beware that you may find Hell on the other side.
You may not be familiar with the genre term “Weird Western,” but chances are you’ve seen one. The term refers to the combination of a typical western setting in combination with something more atypical of the period. Think Kathyrn Bigelow’s… Read More ›
If you’re in the mood for something dark and gory, look no further than Bryan Bertino’s “The Dark & The Wicked.” [Fantasia Film Festival]
One of the first horror films I ever saw during its release time was Bryan Bertino’s 2008 home-invasion thriller, The Strangers. I will always have the distinct memory of watching it at my best friend’s house after a July 4th… Read More ›
Unless you’re in the mood for incredible frustration, stay out of “The Room.”
In film criticism, there’s a guiding light that I try to stand by: review the film in front of you, not the film you wish you’d seen. That doesn’t mean that you can’t, don’t, or shouldn’t discuss a film’s failings…. Read More ›
Surprise hit of 2017, “One Cut of the Dead,” now out on physical release.
In the middle of shooting a zombie film, the cast and crew find themselves fighting off an actual zombie attack. This is the premise for the 2017 release One Cut of the Dead from director Shin’ichirô Ueda adapted from the… Read More ›