★★ I have seen every single film in The Purge series in the theater, and while the series itself is far from being consistent in any way, it did deliver a perfect one-two punch with 2014’s The Purge: Anarchy and 2016’s The Purge: Election Year. Those movies saw a grizzled Frank Grillo take center stage … Continue reading Film Review: The Forever Purge
Genres
Chattanooga 2021: Kandisha
★★★★ I kept waiting for one of the movies at the Chattanooga Film Festival to wow me, and finally there was Kandisha! The horror movie from directors Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury (the masterful gory home invasion masterpiece, Inside; Texas Chainsaw Massacre prequel film Leatherface) is not just gorgeously filmed and visually complex—it has an … Continue reading Chattanooga 2021: Kandisha
Film Review: Long Story Short
★★ Long Story Short is a disposable, time-jumping romantic dramedy, with a general premise that doesn’t seem as novel as it did before. By this point, I am so burned out from time-jumping, day-repeating, and throwaway rom-coms. A fresh spin on a tired formula is always welcomed with open arms; however, Long Story Short does … Continue reading Film Review: Long Story Short
Film Review: Till Death
★★★★ Megan Fox doing any movie that’s horror or thriller adjacent is always minor cause for celebration, especially since Jennifer’s Body remains my favorite film of her career. Till Death places Megan firmly in the strong heroine category, as her character, Emma, must fight for survival amongst a rather sticky situation. After exchanging anniversary gifts … Continue reading Film Review: Till Death
Film Review: Zola
★★ Based on a series of tweets chronicling how “me and this bitch here fell out,” Zola lacks the stylistic craftsmanship that could have made this strange story crackle and pop. It plays out as if you are just reading the Twitter thread that inspired it, and it sadly works better on paper, where your … Continue reading Film Review: Zola
TV Review: Monsters at Work
Judging from the first two episodes (one of which I viewed at the in-person Tribeca Film Festival premiere), Monsters at Work has some work to do. A spin-off from the excellent, Oscar-nominated Disney/Pixar collaboration Monsters, Inc. and its highly entertaining prequel, Monsters University, this is the first time we are presented this world from a … Continue reading TV Review: Monsters at Work
Frameline 2021: Firebird
★★★★ Imagine, if you will, a tense time where if the Air Force discovered one was in a same sex relationship, it was grounds to be locked away in prison for five years. Set under the domineering Soviet regime at the height of the Cold War, Firebird is a beautifully made love story that tugs at … Continue reading Frameline 2021: Firebird
Film Review: Blood Pageant
★ Imagine a horror movie set amongst an exciting reality-show competition where the winner receives $1,000,000, and an open door into an entertainment career. Now envision a runtime of over two hours, with occasional celebrity cameos, sporadic death scenes, and a complete over-explanation of literally every facet of the narrative to the point of exhaustion. … Continue reading Film Review: Blood Pageant
Provincetown International Film Festival 2021 Wrap-Up
For this year's Provincetown International Film Festival, I caught a couple of great gems, with my favorite of the bunch being the absolutely phenomenal drama, CODA. A full listing of all the films covered, including recently-reviewed ones from previous festivals, is included below... Films BEANS Full review at the link. BEING BEBE Full review at … Continue reading Provincetown International Film Festival 2021 Wrap-Up
Tribeca Film Festival 2021 Wrap-Up
I was personally very excited to cover the Tribeca Film Festival for the first time, since living in New York grants me easy access, and I am just a train ride away. Sadly, in-person ticketing was extremely limited, but Tribeca At Home opened up a whole new can of worms. I would be lying if … Continue reading Tribeca Film Festival 2021 Wrap-Up