THE DAY THE EARTH BLEW UP is a lackluster attempt at a Looney Tunes revival
by Tessa Swehla, Staff Writer
The Day the Earth Blew Up is missing that element of Looney Tunes that made the original shorts so attractive to audiences.
How to Start Watching: Daffy Duck and Porky Pig
by Tessa Swehla, Associate Editor
A new Looney Tunes film, this one a full length feature, is arriving in theaters this Friday, The Day the Earth Blew Up. Since this film focuses on the characters of Daffy Duck and Porky Pig, I have put together this list of shorts and one feature film that I believe provide a good introduction to the characters for the uninitiated or a guide for those wanting to revisit these characters to prepare for the new film.
Pulled punches undercut the science fiction satire in MICKEY 17
by Tessa Swehla, Associate Editor
The idea of disposable people isn’t new to science fiction, but Bong Joon Ho’s Mickey 17 takes the concept in a new direction.
NIGHT OF THE ZOOPOCALYPSE is a great intro to B-movie horror, for kids
by Tessa Swehla, Associate Editor
But then I saw it: a writing credit for Clive Barker. I sat up and said out loud to my plus one to the event, “The Clive Barker? Hellraiser Clive Barker?!?”
Sci-Phi Film Festival 2025 Preview
by Tessa Swehla, Associate Editor
The Sci-Phi Film Festival, hosted by the nonprofit Hiway Theater in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, is a three-day science fiction film extravaganza, showcasing a carefully-curated schedule of outstanding repertoire films.
Interview with Terence McCormack, sound utilities technician for A COMPLETE UNKNOWN
by Tessa Swehla, Staff Writer
An interview Terence McCormack, an experienced sound utilities technician who is part of the sound team that is up for the Academy Award for Best Sound for A Complete Unknown.
PADDINGTON IN PERU is no PADDINGTON 2, and that’s actually a problem
by Tessa Swehla, Staff Writer
Paddington in Peru is a whimsical little film about characters audiences and readers have grown to love going on a straightforward adventure in the jungle.
LOVE HURTS finally gives Ke Huy Quan the leading man role he deserves
by Tessa Swehla, Associate Editor
Love Hurts is an amusing and impressive showcase of Ke Huy Quan’s acting and action chops as well as rebuke to every casting director who couldn’t figure out what to do with him in the ‘90s.
DOG MAN boasts a bold visual style perfect for kids and families
by Tessa Swehla, Associate Editor
At its best, Dog Man feels like a story told by a child, albeit an incredibly imaginative and technically proficient child.
Animation First Festival 2025: YUKU AND THE HIMALAYAN FLOWER, THE TWELVE TASKS OF ASTERIX, HARMONY, and René Laloux
by Tessa Swehla, Associate Editor
Here are some of the best films I was able to catch at this year’s Animation First Festival.
A Primer for STAR TREK's Section 31 and its long, dark history
by Tessa Swehla, Associate Editor
Section 31 sits within an interesting place in the Star Trek universe. With the new film coming out, we take a look at its history within the existing franchise, and what the film might represent.
Animation First Festival 2025 Preview
by Tessa Swehla, Associate Editor
This year will mark the eighth anniversary of Animation First, one of the biggest film festivals dedicated to animation in the US and certainly the biggest dedicated to French language animation filmmaking.
ONE OF THEM DAYS is a buddy comedy about the grind of living paycheck to paycheck
by Tessa Swehla, Associate Editor
One of Them Days fits in the buddy comedy tradition nicely, with the basic plot points being predictable and comforting, but it cleverly brings in themes that are unusual in a buddy comedy.
Best of 2024: The 15 best science fiction movies of the year
by Tessa Swehla, Associate Editor
2024 has been a rich year for science fiction, both in film and in print.
THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO brings an almost two-century-old story to vivid life
by Tessa Swehla, Associate Editor
The latest French adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo, directed by Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patelliere, leans into the historical epic aspects of the story, condensing some of the more labyrinthian plot details and characters in order to emphasize the action.
WALLACE AND GROMIT: VENGEANCE MOST FOWL is a handcrafted joy–with the thumbprints to prove it
by Tessa Swehla, Associate Editor
There’s lots here that’s familiar to fans of the duo: wacky inventions, cheese, tea, Wallace getting in over his head and Gromit having to save him.
THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM brings Middle Earth back to movie theaters
by Tessa Swehla, Associate Editor
The War of the Rohirrim is one of the darker tales of Middle Earth, with the scope of an Homeric epic and the emotional heft of a Shakespearean tragedy.
Lackluster execution makes ELEVATION feel extra derivative
by Tessa Swehla, Associate Editor
Elevation feels like a TV movie made in the early 2000s.
Goth Week: Ruined Houses, Ruined Families
by Tessa Swehla, Associate Editor
Why do we find these old houses in books and film creepy? It’s because they are externalizations of their inhabitants, a physical intrusion of abstract ideas like secrets, trauma, lies, and violence.
YOUR MONSTER is a horror rom com about why we love monsters
by Tessa Swehla, Associate Editor
Writer-director Caroline Lindy expertly weaves in horror elements into the film to challenge both Laura and the audience’s perception of themselves.