★★★ The newest cog in the Disney remake machine has arrived, this time in the form of David Lowery’s newest rendition of the timeless tale, Peter Pan & Wendy. While one’s mileage may certainly vary when it comes to these live action reimaginings, I have personally loved many more of them than I have hated. … Continue reading Film Review: Peter Pan & Wendy
Film Review: Beau is Afraid
★★★★★ Ari Aster’s film career thus far could lovingly be called divisive and polarizing; for this viewer, both Hereditary and Midsommar are among the best horror films made in the last decade. With Beau is Afraid, Aster enters his dark dramedy era in a flourish of brashness and a crescendo of emotionality. Due to the … Continue reading Film Review: Beau is Afraid
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
Film Review: We Have a Ghost
★★ Writer/director Christopher Landon has impressed me several times before, from Disturbia to Paranormal Activity to Freaky and many movies in between. His newest, a Netflix family comedy, sadly lacks the ferocious bite and wit of other entries in Landon's filmography. A close comparison in terms of a tone it’s attempting would probably be Tim … Continue reading Film Review: We Have a Ghost
Berlinale 2023: Deep Sea
★★★★ Animation as a medium is often undersung and underestimated—all the more reason to seek out nearly every animated film that I come across. In recent years, some of my favorite animated features have emerged from the film festival circuit. Last year alone, 2D-animated marvel Titina, bizarre ultra-gory Unicorn Wars, stop motion horror fantasy Wendell … Continue reading Berlinale 2023: Deep Sea
Film Review: Avatar: The Way of Water
★★★★★ I will never forget the first time I went to see the original Avatar in 2009. Working at AMC theaters at the time, I was of course privy to free tickets; I made a family event out of it, sure to travel to Pandora a total of four times while it was playing in … Continue reading Film Review: Avatar: The Way of Water
Film Review: Slumberland
★★ 1989’s Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland has been a favorite of mine for years, so to say I was ambivalent about a live action remake would be an understatement. Still, I am always willing to give these types of films a proper chance, viewed on their own, separate from their animated superiors. Aladdin and … Continue reading Film Review: Slumberland
Film Review: Enola Holmes 2
★★★★ 2020’s Enola Holmes holds a special place in my heart for a variety of reasons. My late mother recommended it to me several times over—though I did not get to view it for the first time until after her passing in November, I fell in love with its depiction of a young investigator living … Continue reading Film Review: Enola Holmes 2
AIF 2022: Titina
★★★★ Every now and then, a wonderful film comes along to remind us what makes 2D-animation so special in the first place. In stunning Belgium/Norway collaboration Titina, we follow the very first exploration of the North Pole through the eyes of an absolutely adorable little dog. The perspective of spunky punk Titina adds an extra … Continue reading AIF 2022: Titina