★★ In my household, Bob Ross wasn’t just a painter on TV, but a way of life. When I was younger, my sister and I would both wile away countless hours of watching Ross calmly and splendidly paint vibrant landscapes, whilst wistfully narrating in a way only he could manage. Say what you will about … Continue reading Film Review: Paint
Film Review: Murder Mystery 2
★★★ Marking the third collaboration between Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston after the first Murder Mystery and Just Go With It, Murder Mystery 2 arrives in a landscape where whodunnit cinema spectaculars Glass Onion, Bodies Bodies Bodies, and Scream VI have recently debuted to great fanfare. Expecting the unexpected is the new norm. Audiences are … Continue reading Film Review: Murder Mystery 2
Film Review: The Portable Door
★★★ In the time since the Harry Potter series began, countless imitators and outright copycats emerged in an attempt to emulate its tone and style. Few, if any, survived. The newest in a long line of these types of films is entitled The Portable Door, based on the seven-book series written by Tom Holt. A … Continue reading Film Review: The Portable Door
Film Review: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
★★★★★ Having freshly rewatched 2000’s wildly misguided and ridiculously campy Dungeons & Dragons, the prospect of a new take on the tabletop classic was probably the last thing on any film buff’s mind. Infamously, that iteration was a box office bomb that failed to kickstart a new franchise despite the presence of a relatively solid … Continue reading Film Review: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Retro Review: Sparkler
★★★★ At long last, Jawbreaker writer/director Darren Stein’s debut feature Sparkler is finally available after fading to time! Look no further than the stunning cast roster (which includes 90s favorites like Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jamie Kennedy, as well as seasoned gems such as Veronica Cartwright and Glenn Shadix) with Stein behind the camera to … Continue reading Retro Review: Sparkler
SXSW 2023: Beef
A24 and Netflix finely season their newest collaboration: dark dramedy Beef, a searing depiction of road rage taken to its most outrageous extreme. Showrunner/writer/creator Lee Sung Jin wrings masterful performances from both Steven Yeun and Ali Wong, both of whom have never been better. Throughout a ten-episode run, Beef builds up an increasingly tense atmosphere, … Continue reading SXSW 2023: Beef
SXSW 2023: Northern Comfort
★★★ Northern Comfort ramps up the fear of flying to dizzying, darkly comedic heights in the morally questionable, occasionally successful new flick from co-writer/director Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson. Who doesn’t love a good yarn about a collection of strangers forced into a difficult scenario against their will? While the film may not be brimming with surprises, … Continue reading SXSW 2023: Northern Comfort
TV Review: Up Here
Being a major sucker for a good musical, I will watch literally any one of them that comes my way. In terms of the television format, an absolute obsession over Glee, Smash, and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend was kind of a no-brainer. Along comes Hulu’s Up Here which, to my surprise, could easily join the pantheon of … Continue reading TV Review: Up Here
Film Review: Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game
★★★★ Everyone knows the game of pinball, but how many are truly aware of the storied tale behind its origins, or the fact that it was literally criminalized and banned in New York City for over three decades? The endlessly charming, super sweet semi-biopic Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game is here to answer … Continue reading Film Review: Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game
SXSW 2023: I Used to Be Funny
★★ One of the more anticipated entries at this year’s SXSW Film Festival was I Used to Be Funny, the newest Rachel Sennott vehicle that I assumed would be a dramedy/mystery mixture. I loved Rachel in Bodies, Bodies, Bodies, where her awkward humor blended perfectly into her ditzy, self-obsessed character’s personality. Hoping for more range … Continue reading SXSW 2023: I Used to Be Funny