It’s a tough conversation, but one that needs to be addressed head-on before jumping into actually talking about the film itself. Shadow in the Cloud, despite its best efforts, is written by Max Landis. Landis, the son of veteran filmmaker… Read More ›
VOD
Sick of Hallmark holiday love stories? Try Joe Duca’s authentic “Evergreen.”
Romantic relationships as depicted in film often receive derision for being too picture perfect, creating unrealistic expectations for what love is really like between two broken people hoping to find a fulfilling partnership. In traditional romances, those which have an… Read More ›
Quick Take Review: “Greenland.”
Greenland is a family drama disguised as a disaster film. When the clock is ticking on an extinction-level event, a mom and dad (struggling with a failing marriage) must do everything within their power to find safe passage to Greenland;… Read More ›
With strong performances, a compelling story, and a satisfying blend of romance and mystery, all “32 Weeks” needs is a better ending.
Sometimes, writers get a tad bit lazy with their narratives and throw in a character with amnesia as a cheap and easy way to wiggle themselves out of plot holes and avoid the extra work of coming up with a… Read More ›
“All Roads to Pearla” is a strong feature-debut from writer/director Van Ditthavong.
Some argue that a town only truly comes to life once the sun has set. That’s when the things hiding from sunlight feel more comfortable to come out, stretch their legs, and roam the streets freely; when those who strive… Read More ›
Quick Take Review: “Beasts Clawing at Straws.”
If you found a duffle bag filled with money, what would you do? That’s the question that drives the Korean film Beasts Clawing at Straws. The mystery crime-noir thriller is from first time director Kim Yong-hoon. On this Quick Take… 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 ›
Documentary “Dear Santa” showcases the magic of the season and the people who keep it alive for others.
From the director of Batkid Begins (2015) and Pick of the Litter (2018) comes a joyous and heartfelt exploration of Operation Santa, an initiative within the U.S. Postal Service that works to answer letters of children and adults sent to… Read More ›
“Ashens and the Polybius Heist” is going to steal your heart and little else.
Stuart Ashen joined YouTube in Feb 2006 and has developed a long history of comedy videos that are a mixture of gadget reviews, food reviews, and other assorted nonsense. This hustling multi-hyphenate has developed short form and long form narratives… Read More ›
“Face The Music” with Bill & Ted from the comfort of your own couch.
When writers Chris Matheson (A Goofy Movie) and Ed Solomon (Men in Black) first created the characters of Bill S. Preston, Esquire, and Ted Theodore Logan, they likely didn’t expect their creations to grab hold of the world for more… Read More ›
“Bill and Ted Face The Music” Blu-ray Combo Pack Giveaway
Elements of Madness is excited to announce we’ve partnered with Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on the upcoming home release of Bill & Ted Face The Music. In anticipation of the Blu-ray and DVD on November 10th, we are giving away… 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 ›
The Atlantic’s documentary “White Noise” shines a spotlight on white supremacy.
Documentaries are tricky to make, but they’re also a bit more challenging to review than your standard and more conventional type of movie. That’s due to the fact that you really don’t have characters, performances, or anything else to really… 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 ›
Sci-fi adventure comedy “Love and Monsters” offers all the title suggest and much more.
There have been many stories put on celluloid about the end of humanity. There’s the nightmarish It Comes At Night (2017), the lonely The Night Eats the World (2018), the frigid Snowpiercer (2013), the violent Mad Max: Fury Road (2015),… Read More ›
“Luz: The Flower of Evil” offers a folk-horror tale that is both all-too-realistic and wonderfully fantastical.
Last year, Ari Aster set the bar high for “daylight” horror films with Midsommar, a terrifying fantasy that casts its disturbing events against a beautiful, blossoming, sunlit backdrop. The genre-play proved to be quite successful for Aster, although the effect… 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 ›
Sci-fi drama “LX 2048” appears to possess themes running parallel to current quarantine life, yet fails to explore any of them deeply.
Time is truly the enemy of us all. It’s perhaps the only thing in our lives which is truly finite. whose amount is uncertain and, once used, is never be replenished. There’s a quote attributed to singer/actor/activist Henry Rollins that… Read More ›