★★★ Netflix plus animation is turning out to be quite the colorful combination. Against all odds, Back to the Outback is another addition to the charming ouvre of Netflix originals, a cute-as-a-button flick that lovingly wears its heart on its sleeve. A kooky cast of characters trying to escape and essentially go back to nature … Continue reading Film Review: Back to the Outback
Film Review: Death of a Telemarketer
★★★ No offense to anyone in the seedy profession of telemarketing, but there is no secret here that they are among the most despised individuals. Racking up one's phone with senseless calls about imaginary car warranties, special opportunities, and exclusive offers, telemarketers are the scourge of any cell phone owner. Death of a Telemarketer posits … Continue reading Film Review: Death of a Telemarketer
Film Review: The Shuroo Process
★★★ The Shuroo Process was intriguing for one reason and one reason alone: Fiona Dourif. Her father, Brad, is the voice of the iconic Chucky the Good Guy doll from the Child’s Play series, and she recently joined the Chucky sandbox in 2013’s Curse of Chucky. Dourif also steals the scene in her television appearances … Continue reading Film Review: The Shuroo Process
Film Review: Black Friday
★★★★ Gnarly alien violence meets fast-paced zombie action in the new horror/comedy Black Friday, from producer Bruce Campbell. During an opening scene in which crazy customers bang on the window as if they are zombies, the obvious (but hilarious) commentary on capitalism is already present. Wearing Alien inspirations on its sleeve, a pulsating purple sack … Continue reading Film Review: Black Friday
Film Review: Clifford the Big Red Dog
★★★ Covering Toronto International Film Festival, I was shocked earlier this year to see Clifford the Big Red Dog among the lineup. Before being unceremoniously pulled from release (then subsequently rescheduled to November 10th), I was looking forward to Clifford thanks in large part to a bonkers first trailer. Based on the Scholastic Book Series … Continue reading Film Review: Clifford the Big Red Dog
Film Review: Army of Thieves
★★★ I never thought I would see the day we get a Netflix spin-off of Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead, but here we are! Director Matthias Schweighöfer (also the central star) takes the reigns this time around, from a story by Snyder. As far as tone, this prequel could not be more different from … Continue reading Film Review: Army of Thieves
Film Review: The Estate
★★★★ If Ryan Murphy made a psycho-sexual thriller, it would look something like James Kapner’s cutting and hilarious The Estate. Billed as a “true fable,” this campy, outrageous, and decidedly not-PC film touches on all the taboos. It gives Cruel Intentions vibes, only less weighty and more ridiculous. Social and cultural commentary in relation to … Continue reading Film Review: The Estate
Film Review: The French Dispatch
★★★★ By this point, the average viewer should know whether or not to bother with Wes Anderson’s comedy, The French Dispatch, based purely upon the pedigree of his other movies. Anderson’s signature style is always a major selling point (or, if you’re one of his detractors, a big red flag) that makes any of his … Continue reading Film Review: The French Dispatch
Grimmfest 2021: The Pizzagate Massacre
★★★ (Written by Allison Brown) After a recent screening of Shudder’s The Scary of Sixty-First, I was keen to find a conspiracy theory satire closer to its subject matter, and less exploitative of the sensitive content it addresses. I find conspiracy theories entertaining, while being fully aware of their complete lack of fact. Enter: The Pizzagate Massacre. … Continue reading Grimmfest 2021: The Pizzagate Massacre
NYCC 2021: Ghostbusters: Afterlife
★★★★★ Bar none, the biggest surprise of 2021’s New York Comic Con was getting to see the long-awaited reboot/sequel, Ghostbusters: Afterlife! While I was planning to skip the panel and actually in the midst of leaving, a text from a friend clued me in on this screening shocker. I rushed to Empire Stage at the … Continue reading NYCC 2021: Ghostbusters: Afterlife