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 ›
RLJE Films
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 ›
Documentary “You Don’t Nomi” perfectly captures the self-aware, but unionic love audiences possess for “Showgirls.”
Love to hate it, hate to love it, or just plain hate it, Showgirls is a movie that to those who have seen it, will never fade from memory. The tale of Paul Verhoeven’s 1995 NC-17 fame epic has gone… Read More ›
Like a traditional fairytale, “Tigers Are Not Afraid” will lift you up and cut you down.
The 2017 supernatural-horror-drama Tigers Are Not Afraid (Vuelven) from writer/director Issa López (Casi divas) is truly an extraordinary cinematic experience. It pulls you in, charms you, enthralls you, rips you to shreds, and mends back the pieces. Thanks in part… Read More ›
You’re not going to want to write home about latest home video release “The Postcard Killings.”
Newly married daughter and her husband murdered. No prints, no evidence of any sort. An NYC detective left with nothing but his wits as he tries to track down the murderer. This is the basic premise of thriller The Postcard… Read More ›
Bring some Lovecraftian horror into your home now with the home release of “Color Out of Space.”
If you’ve ever dabbled in the morbid or macabre, then chances are you’ve come across the works of H.P. Lovecraft. His tales of the strange, the weird, the supernatural, and the horrific have lingered in the cultural zeitgeist with the… Read More ›
“VFW” balances excellence on one end and absolute batshit crazy on another.
When it comes to the new world of film production, the world has been seeing a lot of big name companies saying “screw it” and making their own films rather than sitting around while putting out other companies’ films on… Read More ›
Upending conventions by combining trends with personal style, Richard Stanley creates the next best midnight horror movie in “Color Out of Space”.
I have a small connection with Richard Stanley which makes viewing Color Out of Space feel like a strangely touching moment. Stanley’s new film, based on the short story by H.P. Lovecraft, is his first feature film to be produced… Read More ›
Don’t Romjin Calm! Join the “Satanic Panic”!
Horror is one of those genres that never goes out of style. It draws inspiration from the things which we fear collectively and gives it form. 1978’s Halloween was born out of the move from city centers to suburbia. 1954’s… Read More ›
“Deadsight” delivers a taut, clever, and often humorous zombie thriller via simplicity.
The urge to create complications, to produce bigger and stronger obstacles within stories, is one of many balancing acts writers manage when crafting their stories. Introductions of characters and settings, moving the narrative forward, designing conflict – these are all… Read More ›
Coming To Theaters: June 2019
Summer may not officially kick off until June 21st, but the movies hitting theaters don’t know that. June brings with it films small (actor Seth Green’s directorial feature debut Changeland) and large (Men in Black: International), each competing for your… Read More ›
Quiet and bold, “The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot” ruminates on heroism and the consequences of actions.
When you hear a title like The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot, you’re likely to imagine some kind of grindhouse-esque action thriller filled with gun fights, explosions, and absurd badassery, something, perhaps, akin to Iron Sky, a… Read More ›
RLJE’s “The Standoff at Sparrow Creek” is a quietly unnerving character study.
As a millennial, seeing mass shootings has become the norm. Since the Columbine High School shooting in 1999 (when I was 2), which was far from the first mass shooting, it seems like the number has increased exponentially. It’s not… Read More ›
Don’t crash a “Monster Party”. You never know what’ll awaken.
October may be coming to a close, but that doesn’t mean the mayhem ends. If you want to keep the murder train running even when everyone else is turning toward giving thanks, look no further than RLJE Films’s latest feature,… Read More ›
A solid cast, script, and direction make for a fun “Ride”.
In today’s service-based economy, it’s all about creating the best experience for your customers in order for them to return. Gone is the authentic customer service experience, replaced with a script meant to feel honest. More often than not, we… Read More ›
Director Panos Cosmatos’s second feature “Mandy” is an epic tale of heavy metal, demons, and blood.
Some films need to be seen and experienced to be believed; where rumor becomes hype and gives way to the possibility of a false god or a new revelation. As with all things, where you fall depends on how well… Read More ›
“Arizona” takes off those rainbow shades, revealing a mischievous dark comedy underneath.
There are films where you know from the get-go that they are going to shock you and then there are films that come out of nowhere. Arizona, the latest from RLJE Films, unequivocally falls into the category of the later…. Read More ›
Graphic novel adaptation ‘I Kill Giants’ is beautifully constructed, but misses its emotionally landing.
When the term “graphic novel” is tossed around, most immediately turn toward stories that capture grand adventures of heroes, like Superman, Batman, the Avengers, who display their superhuman strength or intellect while defeating similarly striking villains bent on world, or… Read More ›
Curiouser and Curiouser, Vaughn Stein’s feature debut ‘Terminal’ is a candy-coated neon nightmare into the bowels of Wonderland.
Appearances can be deceiving. Always be the smartest person in the room. There’s no such thing as coincidence. These may be rote clichés, yet the failure to adhere to them will get you killed in Vaughn Stein’s feature debut, Terminal…. Read More ›