Better Family Entertainment
by Wally De La Fuente “The Marvels,” directed by Nia DaCosta, is a film that dances on the edge of brilliance and confusion, a tightrope act that is both its strength and downfall. Nia DaCosta’s direction shows promise, despite her remote completion of the film due to scheduling conflicts. Her departure from traditional on-site direction, … Read More “Review of “The Marvels” (2023): A Symphony of Hits and Misses” »
by Tyler Smith Few things are more frustrating for a film critic than having to review a movie that is “for the fans.” While many films made with a built-in fan base try to be accessible enough to bring in a wider audience, some of these films have no such ambition. They are content to appeal … Read More “Five Nights At Freddy’s Review” »
by Tyler Smith Most Horror Movies that feature an outlandish story contain heavily-stylized worlds and characters, meant to elicit terror and dread from the audience. Many of the best films in the genre are so drenched in atmosphere that, while undeniably frightening, they clearly don’t take place in a recognizable world. This stylization is so … Read More “The Exorcist Review” »
by Tyler Smith Few things are more heartbreaking for film fans than when a bold, exciting director starts to phone it in, at which point their once-innovative work loses its novelty and becomes “by-the-numbers”. A prime example of this is Tim Burton, whose early film can only be described as visionary but eventually became perfunctory. … Read More “Beetlejuice Retrospective” »
by Tyler Smith Of all the pop culture trends of the last twenty years, few have been more pervasive than zombies. These shambling, decaying creatures with a hunger for human flesh have been featured in movies, TV shows, and games. Zombies are so iconic it feels as though they’ve been around forever, as integral to … Read More “Night of the Living Dead” »
The Universal Classic Monsters Review The term “cinematic icon” can refer to many different things. It could be a notably impressive set piece or a particularly impactful musical theme. It could be as simple as a prop: a falcon, a sled, a ring. Then there are iconic characters. Those heroes and villains that immediately come … Read More “The “Universal Classic Monsters” Retrospective” »
Few film genres have been as maligned, as mocked, as thoroughly dismissed, as the romantic comedy. Perhaps it’s the facile nature of the stories, or that they are seen as appealing exclusively to women. No matter the reason, to mention romantic comedy is to be met with an instant, and intense eye roll. It is … Read More ““You’ve Got Mail” Review” »
Considering director Wes Andersons’s penchant for whimsical story telling, off-kilter dialog, and heavily stylized world building, it seemed only a matter of time before he would arrive at the works of Roald Dahl. Dahl, perhaps best know for his books “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “James and the Giant Peach”, managed to capture in … Read More ““Fantastic Mr. Fox” Review” »
