★★★★★ Fresh off a first viewing of 1986’s seminal classic, Top Gun, I went into this sequel with little knowledge about the actual plot this time around. Would it tread similar ground in portraying a group of elite fighter pilots in training mode? I had a plethora of questions, most primary of which was, why … Continue reading Film Review: Top Gun: Maverick
TV Review: Clark
Putting aside my own personal curiosities about the origins of the term “Stockholm syndrome,” Netflix’s new Swedish dramedy series, Clark, caught my attention primarily for one reason only: Bill Skarsgård. I still remember when Skarsgård originally really wowed me, which also happened to be the first time I ever saw him in anything. One of … Continue reading TV Review: Clark
Film Review: The Northman
★★★★★ Visionary director Robert Eggers established a name in making cerebral, divisive horror with just two films. Both The Witch and The Lighthouse are fantastic in their own unique ways, but in my opinion, The Northman is his indisputable masterpiece. While this one does not fall among the horror genre, the visual influence and atmospheric … Continue reading Film Review: The Northman
SIFF 2022: Cop Secret
★★★★ Try to imagine the cheesiest imitation of a Bruce Willis 80s film like Die Hard, but injected with a magnum-sized dose of gay, and one will come close to picturing the delightful vibes of Cop Secret. This surprisingly great Icelandic action spoof plays up the inherent cliches of the genre to an exaggerated, preposterous … Continue reading SIFF 2022: Cop Secret
Film Review: The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
★★★★★ Nicolas Cage is very much a love or hate kind of actor—his fanbase is loud and supportive, while his haters are equally so. I would say I find myself somewhere in the middle, admiring his off-the-wall performances in films like Face/Off and Gone in Sixty Seconds. He has an equal amount of missteps as … Continue reading Film Review: The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
CIFF 2022 Wrap-Up
2022's Cleveland International Film Festival hosted a variety of excellent screenings, both in person and online. Being unavailable to go in person, we covered this one virtually. Check out our full roundup of films that screened this year, including links to those we have previously covered. 1991 Depicting a specific time period (expressly, 1991 Guatemala), … Continue reading CIFF 2022 Wrap-Up
Film Review: Sonic the Hedgehog 2
★★★★ Despite not being the biggest fan of 2020’s Sonic the Hedgehog, I was optimistic for this second journey thanks to the end-credits stinger it left us with—Tails, Sonic’s two-tailed fox bestie, must deliver a crucial message! Emerging from a rotating ring vortex, Tails flew down, ready to embark on a brand-new journey. Now, Sonic … Continue reading Film Review: Sonic the Hedgehog 2
Film Review: Morbius
★★ Marvel and horror has been attempted before (see: 2020’s notorious bomb The New Mutants, which I actually quite liked myself), but long-delayed Morbius from Life and Safe House director Daniel Espinosa attempts to dive deep into the vampiric delights that no production has dared before. Previously, my only familiarity with this character was via … Continue reading Film Review: Morbius
Film Review: The Contractor
★★★ (Written by Intern, Megan Davis) As a descendant of a long line of military men, I went in with the idea of The Contractor would be yet another run-of-the-mill military movie that my ex-Army dad would be interested in, and I must say, it never proved me wrong. While the premise of the film … Continue reading Film Review: The Contractor
Oscar Roundup 2022
The 2022 Academy Awards are tomorrow; as per usual, a sizable divide exists between audience preference and critical acclaim. In fact, 2021's highest-grossing film, Spider-Man: No Way Home, garnered merely one nomination, for best visual effects. After the jump, check out links to our coverage for the nominated films, along with information about their nomination, … Continue reading Oscar Roundup 2022