You know when you have a friend who is smart, pretty, and generally good at everything, but has a significant other who constantly brings them down? And how you can’t imagine that someone with so much talent and potential could… Read More ›
thriller
The good intentions of dramatic thriller “Choir Girl” fall flat as the story devolves into a questionable savior fantasy.
Choir Girl sets up a story that begs to be told through pictures. Its protagonist, Eugene (Peter Flaherty), is a shy street photographer who hopes that his pictures will expose the hardships of everyday life in his neighborhood and, eventually,… Read More ›
Propelled by grief, haunted by loss, Johannes Nyholm’s repetitious “Koko-di Koko-da” is an unexpected ear worm of horror.
There is, in nature, an expectation of form and function. The seasons bring about growth and change as Earth undergoes a period of refreshment and blossoming before wilting and decaying, only to start it over again with the return of… Read More ›
“Spell” lacks that special something to conjure a proper incantation.
Horror films about religion and spirituality are not hard to find, with films like The Exorcist, Rosemary’s Baby, and The Omen being some of the highest-regarded horror films of all time. The issue with many of them is that they… Read More ›
“The Craft: Legacy” breaches the generational divide with aplomb. Blessed be.
I’m not sure anyone has the patience to listen to my list of all the reasons that The Craft is one of the most iconic films of the 1990s, but if you know, you just know. Focusing more on the… 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 ›
Joining the Paramount Presents collection is the peculiar, yet absolutely charming Jan de Bont film “The Haunting.”
I love me some Shirley Jackson, and, more specifically, I love her 1959 novel The Haunting of Hill House and have since I first started getting into horror early in my adolescence. Jackson’s novel was one of the first horror… Read More ›
RZA continues to up his directorial game with crime drama “Cut Throat City.”
There’s a brief line said by T.I.’s Lorenzo “Cousin” Bass that contains more than just a slight meaning to the context of the moment in which it’s said. Cousin is speaking to the four leads — Blink (Shameik Moore), Miracle… Read More ›
Supernatural thriller “Broil” is more of a low simmer.
Werewolves. Vampires. Zombies. Each of these monsters of the dark owe their origins to legends and myths, to a time before science when fear ran roughshod over reason. That part of ourselves remains present even now and yet we find… Read More ›
A Conversation with co-directors Ruckus and Lane Skye.
Lane and Ruckus Skye are the writing/directing team behind the Southern Gothic tale, The Devil to Pay, starring Danielle Deadwyler. Here, the two chat with Noel T. Manning II about the making of this film and the unexpected collaborations that… Read More ›
A Conversation with actors Jules Willcox and Marc Menchaca. [Fantasia Film Festival]
In this audio interview, Thomas Manning of The Run-Down On Movies speaks with Jules Willcox and Marc Menchaca, the stars of the 2020 Fantasia International Film Festival selection, Alone, directed by John Hyams. Alone tells the story of a recently… Read More ›
A Conversation with actor Wil Wheaton.
Wil Wheaton is no stranger to film, TV, entertainment and pop culture. From his work on the film Stand by Me, to his break into the sci-fi universe as Wesley Crusher in Star Trek: The Next Generation, to his performances… Read More ›
A quiet film with fantastic suspense, “Wildland (Kød & blod)” is a different flavor of mafia movie. [Fantasia Film Festival]
Although the Fantasia International Film Festival was held virtually this year, it still featured an incredible lineup of wild and visceral films that celebrated everything gory and horrific. Many of the featured titles were loud and boastful with their colorful… Read More ›
Psychological thriller “Sleep” explores German cultural identity with a fairy-tale feel. [Fantasia Film Festival]
Dreams help us process unspoken emotions and desires in contained, temporary environments. Those who dream can escape reality, explore a path unchosen, and tuck the experience away in a safe box. In Michael Venus’s feature-length debut, however, the borders between… Read More ›
WB Home Entertainment releases four adventurous catalogue titles in 4K UHD for the first time.
It’s showtime! Warner Brothers Home Entertainment is dropping not one, not two, but four new 4K UHD editions from their vast catalogue: Richard Donner’s The Goonies (1985), Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice (1988), and Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes (2009) and Sherlock Holmes:… Read More ›
A Conversation with the cast of “DieRy.”
In this interview, Thomas Manning sits down with the cast and crew of the new Mailer Tuchman Media production, DieRy, including director Jennifer Gelfer, lead actress Claudia Mailer, and producer Samantha Watkins. DieRy tells the story of Instagram model, Marie Clark,… Read More ›
Charlie Kaufman’s “i’m thinking of ending things” pulls off the seemingly impossible task of adapting Ian Reid’s book with ease and grace.
When I read a book, I feel accomplished. When I read a book based on a film, I feel elitist. When I read a book based on a film before its release, I feel completely untouchable. I know I shouldn’t,… Read More ›
The discomfort within “Centigrade” is more than a matter of degrees.
I hate snow. Perhaps it’s because my exposure to snow has been the rare snowstorms that hit North Carolina once or twice a year, leaving a wake of dirty black ice in its wake, but I’ve genuinely never enjoyed the… Read More ›
“Hard Kill” is a disappointing, low stakes action flick.
We all love a good action flick. Even the worst action movies can get somewhat of a pass if the action is exciting and visceral. Action movies, as of late, have become much more versatile than some might expect. On… Read More ›
“The Mortuary Collection” struggles to keep its stylistic balance, but it’s a fun, nostalgic ride. [Fantasia Film Festival]
The word “nightmarish” is one of those terms frequently thrown around when describing horror films. While the jump-scares, villains, and gore of the horror genre can certainly haunt us in our sleep, oftentimes, the plots of horror movies are quite… Read More ›