RED ISLAND explores the effect of colonialism on childhood innocence
by Andrea Schmidt, Staff Writer
Though not a perfect film, Campillo’s Red Island remains a stirring evocation of childhood and the memory of colonial rot.
CONSUMED is a monster movie with not quite enough bite
by Rachel Shatto, Staff Writer
Consumed interrogates the fragility of the human body when facing down attacks coming from both external (a skin-stealing monster) and internal (corruption of body through disease).
Action Countdown #1: THE MATRIX altered reality itself
by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport and Editor in Chief
I have always thought of The Matrix as more than just stunts, shootouts and explosions. Frankly my dear, it is one of the best damn movies ever made.
ALIEN: ROMULUS feels like ALIEN: THE RIDE
by Ryan Silberstein, Managing Editor, Red Herring
Alien: Romulus feels like it was engineered in a lab from the parts of the previous Alien films, but it is a relentless thrill machine.
When a new aesthetician rises, the old one fades away in SKINCARE
by Chelsea Alexandra, Staff Writer
The cut-throat world of cosmetic beauty set the scene for the film to tap into interesting themes.
CLOSE TO YOU is reserved, but still provides a window into a transmasc experience
by Melissa Strong, Staff Writer
Viewers willing to look past Close to You’s imperfections will be rewarded with a moving take on an experience rarely explored in feature films.
Action Movie Countdown #2: In HARD BOILED, action is emotion
by Tessa Swehla, Staff Writer
Face/Off will always be his most famous film in the US, but before he began making American films, Hard Boiled was already a masterpiece.
TCM'S 2024 SUMMER UNDER THE STARS: week three
by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport & Editor in Chief
As we head into week three of TCM’s annual Summer Under The Stars program, I am hopeful that your DVR still has storage available.
With DUCHESS, Neil Marshall apes British crime films, gets bloody nowhere, innit?
by Alex Rudolph, Staff Writer
Marshall has made a Guy Ritchie or Matthew Vaughn movie, which is to say he's taking their recycled 70s and 80s crime tropes and recycling them again.
Action Countdown #3: Shot composition and music are the secret weapons of MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
by Ryan Silberstein, Managing Editor, Red Herring
Everything in Mad Max: Fury Road is a symphony, and the action sings its part with resounding clarity.
CALL BACK holds a mirror up to the Industry and HollyShorts audiences alike
by Liz Wiest
I found Call Back to be prolific, gorgeously shot, with a biting satirical lens capturing our reality at 110%.
STRANGE DARLING is a wicked cat and mouse thriller
by Vannah Taylor, Staff Writer
Strange Darling is wicked and playful, like a cat toying with its prey.
THE NIGHT IS YOUNG is an ambitious vampire flick
by Gary M. Kramer, staff writer
The Night Is Young is a mixed bag.
POPCORN FRIGHTS FEST offers thrills and chills in week one
by Avery Coffey, Staff Writer
Here’s three flicks Avery caught at Popcorn Frights Fest.
THE BUILDOUT is a slow burn into the unknown
by Vannah Taylor, Staff Writer
The mysteries of The Buildout are questions that are never clearly answered, and the terror is often hidden in small glimpses or lurking in the shadows.
GIRL YOU KNOW IT'S TRUE turns a punchline into prestige
by Susan Keiser, Staff Writer
Girl You Know It’s True wouldn’t be a Milli Vanilli biopic if it weren’t surface-level, but the obvious tropes are hit with a deft touch, and beyond the sex, drugs, and sushi rolls, there is a real heart to it.
ELECTRIC LADY STUDIOS: A JIMI HENDRIX VISION is a straightforward biodoc of the legendary studio
by Shah!, Staff Writer
Beyond the origins of the studio told here, there wasn’t much meat on the bone to make it a truly unique and fantastic documentary.
Action Countdown #4: RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK remains a cheerful tribute to the past
by Katharine Mussellam, Staff Writer
Even with those blemishes, the film still shines in what it does well, evoking wonder and adventure that is unfortunately not always accessible to us as adults in a cynical world.
CUCKOO updates a classic monster movie formula
by "Doc" Hunter Bush, Podcast Czar
Tilman Singer has crafted a monster movie in the tradition of the Universal Monsters classics.
THE CONVERSATION continues to be engaging in it's new 4K restoration
by Rosalie Kicks, Editor in Chief and Old Sport
My first encounter with The Conversation was close to twenty years ago when I viewed it during a film class. Even after just a single watch, it managed to always stick with me.