Documentaries that manage to introduce a new audience to something niche and relatively uncommon (while retaining entertainment value and artistic excellence) instantly earn my admiration. From director Jeremy Workman and executive producer Kelly Marie Tran, Lily Topples the World shows… Read More ›
SXSW 2021
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 ›
Director Mary Wharton’s documentary “Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free” is good for the heart and soul. [SXSW Film Festival]
From director Mary Wharton, the documentary Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free feels like a secret glimpse into a lost part of history. Considering that we are less than three decades removed from the time period of this film’s focus,… 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 ›
Flashes of brilliance in co-directors Mallory Everton and Stephen Meek’s “Recovery” are diminished by inconsistency. [SXSW Film Festival]
A little over a year ago, mentioning the term “COVID comedy” as a film genre would have probably brought looks of confusion. Of course, events within the last 12 months or so have changed the entire motion of the world… Read More ›
The Cine-Men, Episode 47 – Resurrections in Cinema.
Since we’re in the time of year where some folks are celebrating either Passover or Easter, I pitched to Darryl the idea of exploring resurrections in cinema. Our reasonings may surprise you for what we choose. We also, of course,… Read More ›
Jacob Gentry’s jazzy tech noir “Broadcast Signal Intrusion” takes us down a rabbit hole. [SXSW Film Festival]
Imagine being in the middle of a favorite television program, only to have your television hijacked by unwanted and disturbing images. While the interruption doesn’t last long, what appeared on screen you can’t unsee. While this sounds like an old… Read More ›
A Conversation with “For The Record” showrunner/actor Julian De Zotti and Actress Anna Hopkins. [SXSW Film Festival]
Elements of Madness contributor Thomas Manning recently spoke with showrunner/actor Julian De Zotti and actress Anna Hopkins about the new anthology series For the Record, which premiered at SXSW 2021. Over the course of their 10-minute conversation, they discuss the… Read More ›
Meet Me at the Movies: Episode 420, SXSW 2021 & More.
It’s been a few months since the last time I could join the Meet Me at the Movies Team and, yet, it never feels like it. The MAM Team is so welcoming, you’d never know I last jointed them in… Read More ›
Documentary “The Hunt for Planet B” begins with the amazing minds at home. [SXSW Film Festival]
Are we alone in the universe? This is the question that drives some people to search the stars and others to question your sanity. “Why would there be others like us?” some may wonder, “For we are divine creatures thanks… 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 ›
Documentary “Hysterical” is a showcase of the sheer fearlessness and tenacity of female comics. [SXSW Film Festival]
There is a lot to take away from the official SXSW selection, Hysterical, a documentary feature directed by Andrea Nevins, which examines the culture of women in stand-up comedy. Just to set the scene, I am a straight, white male… Read More ›
Riveting documentary “Introducing, Selma Blair” captures the spirit of a person unbroken. [SXSW Film Festival]
There’s a point about two-thirds of the way through Introducing, Selma Blair where the titular Selma Blair is recounting her career based on her magazine appearances, including an admittedly unfortunate Seventeen Magazine cover, a stunning Italian Vogue cover, and the… 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 ›
Documentary “Alien on Stage” charms from lights down to the final curtain call. [SXSW Film Festival]
If you’re like me, you’ve been obsessed with the North Bergen High School’s production of Alien two years ago. The New Jersey high school, with the film and a dream as inspiration, crafted a unique and (by high school standards)… Read More ›
Failing to live up to its promise, “Offseason” feels more like a pale imitation to other works. [SXSW Film Festival]
If you ever even mutter the words “silent” and “hill” within seven words of each other in a sentence within a 10-meter radius of me, buckle in because I’m going to tell you everything I know about the Silent Hill… Read More ›
Megan Park’s “The Fallout” doesn’t sensationalize school violence, but explores the aftermath. [SXSW Film Festival]
Columbine, Sandy Hook, Parkland. These are words that have been burned into our collective minds as a nation as we struggle to deal with a society that puts gun rights over children’s lives. These are atrocities we’ve been forced to… Read More ›
South African horror film “Gaia” is 100% risk, earning the audience’s respect. [SXSW Film Festival]
There really aren’t enough African films in the international film circuit. Nollywood (Nigerian Film Industry) is certainly getting its flowers, but rarely do those films ever make their way onto American shores. Even most films we see about South Africa… Read More ›
Shunning convention at every turn, Justine Bateman’s “Violet” is a raw and blistering must-see film of 2021. [SXSW Film Festival]
After an already extensive career, Justine Bateman proves she’s nowhere close to done with her feature-length directorial debut, Violet, a film which is as easily an exploration of gender politics as it is of mental health. In the press notes,… Read More ›
“Language Lessons” offers an honest look into what a COVID-19 riddled world has become.” [SXSW Film Festival]
On paper, a film like Language Lessons sounds like your typical love story waiting to happen. Two people (Natalie Morales, Mark Duplass) find the thing they’ve been looking for over the confines of a weekly Zoom call. The catch is… Read More ›