★★★★ Poupelle of Chimney Town was sweet and delightful, a 2021 delight that flew under the radar with its sweet celebration of Halloween and... trash. Telling the story of chimney sweep Lubicchi and his magical garbage-made best friend, Poupelle, that first film had some heartwarming, Ghibli-esque magic. When I heard there was a sequel produced, … Continue reading Berlinale 2026: Chimney Town: Frozen in Time
Film Review: Wicked: For Good
★★★★★ The magical land of Oz has been a vital part of my life since I was in diapers. My mom used to sing me to sleep as a newborn with smooth croonings of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” When I was old enough to watch, The Wizard of Oz was on a permanent loop in … Continue reading Film Review: Wicked: For Good
Film Review: The Carpenter’s Son
★★ Depending on one's familiarity with religious texts, perhaps the claims of The Carpenter's Son being based on the Infancy Gospel of Thomas will be significant. For this viewer, that meant very little; however, following the storyline comes relatively easy when pared down to the basic elements. This is a version of the traditional story … Continue reading Film Review: The Carpenter’s Son
Blu-Ray Film Review: The Life of Chuck
★★★★★ At this point in time, the names Stephen King and Mike Flanagan are synonymous with quality. At the very minimal, King's name attached to a property denotes a fascinating concept; at an even bolder extreme, King on cinema has delivered some of the best movies of all time. The Life of Chuck brings together … Continue reading Blu-Ray Film Review: The Life of Chuck
4K Blu-Ray Film Review: Small Soldiers
★★★★★ Far more than just a Gremlins clone from director Joe Dante, Small Soldiers left an indelible mark on the millennials who obsessively rewatched it. Its brand of dark humor and violent action with touches of horror certainly took some cues from Child's Play. Whether you were Team Commando Elite or Team Gorgonites, there was … Continue reading 4K Blu-Ray Film Review: Small Soldiers
Fantasia 2025: Hi-Five
★★★★★ The best movie screening at 2025's Fantasia International Film Festival is... a slapstick Korean superhero flick? Color me surprised, but Hi-Five truly delivers the goods in a way that many modern superhero origin stories simply do not. Of course, it all starts from the ground up. A ridiculous script from writer/director Kang Hyung-chul lampoons … Continue reading Fantasia 2025: Hi-Five
Fantasia 2025: ChaO
★★★★ Japanese animation is in an entirely different realm than what we see over here from the Western branches. ChaO further proves that originality and bold storytelling come first, with creative visuals following soon after. Its unconventional mermaid romance makes a perfect venue to explore themes of ecological impacts as well as relationship power dynamics. … Continue reading Fantasia 2025: ChaO
Fantasia 2025: I Am Frankelda
★★★★ Beautifully realized stop motion animated I Am Frankelda has to be one of the most stunning movies of the year. With imagery that recalls Coraline and The Nightmare Before Christmas, directors Roy Ambirz and Arturo Ambriz do an incredible job at paying tribute whilst paving their own exciting way into the future. At times, … Continue reading Fantasia 2025: I Am Frankelda
Tribeca 2025: How to Train Your Dragon
★★★★★ Despite having only seen the Dreamworks originals once each in theaters, I was still optimistic for the company’s first foray into the live action remake arena. Seeing dragons interact with humans in the real world, built off identical mythology, has a certain appeal to it. Would Hiccup and Toothless live up to the lofty … Continue reading Tribeca 2025: How to Train Your Dragon
Film Review: Fountain of Youth
★★ On paper, Apple TV+'s Fountain of Youth should be a total blast. Director Guy Ritchie has a great eye for fun action set pieces; screenwriter James Vanderbilt has a stellar track record in the genre space; and leads John Krasinski and Natalie Portman have filmographies overflowing with outrageously entertaining spectacles. So why does this … Continue reading Film Review: Fountain of Youth