Atomic Blonde and Toby Fucking Jones

July 20, 2017

I just can’t help it--I’m a fool for trailers. Some women squander promising lives on unworthy men, self-destructive behavior, or the ever evolving siren’s song of Lifetime movies. But not me. I'm a shameless trailer mark and the studios see this rube coming from a mile off.

War for the Planet of the Apes: Man vs. Ape

July 19, 2017

With War for the Planet of the Apes breaking out on cinema screens, we look at exactly how us humans measure up with our closest cousins in the Animal Kingdom. Around six-to-eight million years ago — a mere blink of an eye in evolutionary terms — humans and chimpanzees went their own ways. Previous to that, we were one and the same species, and even now we remain genetically closer than dogs and wolves.

Adapting Stephen King

July 12, 2017

I have never been a “the book is better than the movie” person. Sure, I think that sometimes an adaptation can really miss the mark of the book’s intent, or leave out one of my favorite plot points, but I hate comparing one medium to the other. Movies don’t have to remind us which characters are talking, or go into detail about a room’s furniture, or make it clear when one scene is over and a new one is beginning.

A24: Girl, We Need to Talk

June 20, 2017

After drying out from the endless supply of Johnnie Walker I was plied with at the 2017 Oak Cliff Film Festival, I gathered my wits about me, found my car keys, and had some time to reflect. As a result of this, I realized, A24 Productions, we need to talk, girl. I was lucky enough to get into the well-attended screening of your latest outing A Ghost Story, and I got exactly what the trailers promised me.

Hooray for Horror: Success for Stop The Stigma at TFW 2017

June 7, 2017

Frightmare, we hardly knew ye. No, don’t panic—the festival isn’t going anywhere. But it is with a heavy heart that I acknowledge the day I’m writing this as exactly one month to the day Texas Frightmare Weekend—in my humble opinion, the best horror con in the United States—wrapped up its’ 2017 show, not to return until 2018.

Mike Flanagan is happy with Bollywood remake of Oculus

May 9, 2017

Filmmaker Mike Flanagan of Absentia, Hush, and Ouija fame shared the Bollywood version poster of his acclaimed horror film Oculus. The Bollywood remake is titled Dobaara and stars Huma Qureshi reprising the part played by Karen Gillan in the original. Flanagan wrote on his Official Facebook page "Here's the teaser poster for DOBAARA... the Bollywood remake of OCULUS."

Review

Alley Cats: Ricky Gervais Turns a Pack of Strays Into an Existential Sitcom

Ricky Gervais has spent decades building comedy out of uncomfortable truths, awkward conversations, and characters who say exactly the wrong thing at exactly the right time. Alley Cats takes that formula and filters it through a gang of feral cats roaming the streets, resulting in a strange, frequently hilarious adult animated sitcom that feels like stand-up comedy disguised as a cartoon. At first glance, the premise almost seems too gimmicky.

Terrifier Junior: Eli Roth’s Ice Cream Man Is a Sugar-Fueled Bloodbath

For over twenty years, Eli Roth has apparently been trying to get Ice Cream Man made. After watching it, that's easy to believe. This is the kind of movie that sounds too insane for a studio to greenlight: an idyllic small town, a mysterious ice cream vendor, and an army of children driven into a homicidal frenzy after enjoying a frozen treat.

Cookie Queens Finds the Humanity Behind America’s Most Famous Cookie Sale

Cookie Queens opens with "Cookie Road" by The Julie Ruin blasting over the introduction, immediately establishing the film's playful punk-rock energy. From there, director Alysa Nahmias takes audiences behind one of America's most beloved traditions: Girl Scout Cookie season. What begins as a charming look at four ambitious young girls competing to become top sellers gradually reveals itself as something more thoughtful, a coming-of-age documentary about ambition, family expectations, and the complicated realities of growing up.

Late Fame: Kent Jones Finds Beauty in New York's Lost Dreamers

What begins as something resembling Dead Poets Society quickly reveals itself to be something altogether more contemporary: a sharply observed examination of rich kid faux intellectualism, artistic posturing, and the people who confuse proximity to art with the act of creating it. Kent Jones' Late Fame is sweet, smart, funny, and occasionally scathing. Adapted by Samy Burch from Arthur Schnitzler's novella, the film follows Ed Saxberger, a forgotten New York poet whose long-neglected work is suddenly rediscovered by a collective of young creatives calling themselves The Enthusiasm Society.

The Last Picture Shows Captures the Beauty and Fragility of the American Cinema

For some people, going to the movies is entertainment. For others, it is something closer to a ritual. No matter what is playing, stepping into a theater offers a temporary escape from the chaos of everyday life.

Malcolm Kelner Is the Face of Obsession, Whether the Rest of the Cast Likes It or Not

Every great film has that one performance audiences can't stop talking about. For Obsession, the viral thriller from director Curry Barker, that performance belongs, unquestionably, to Malcolm Kelner's bartender. What began as a brief appearance in the film's opening moments has somehow evolved into one of the internet's favorite running jokes, spawning memes, fan theories, social media discourse, and a level of celebrity that Kelner has embraced with remarkable confidence.

Chasing More Than Storms: Ken Cole and Reed Timmer Find the Heart Behind Never Stop Chasing

There are few people more synonymous with storm chasing than Reed Timmer. For decades, audiences have watched him barrel toward some of nature's most violent phenomena in pursuit of science, understanding, and, admittedly, a little adrenaline. But Never Stop Chasing isn't simply another film about tornadoes.

Nat Boltt Brings Heart, Humor, and Humanity to Holy Days

There are filmmakers who make movies because they love storytelling, and then there are filmmakers who seem genuinely in love with the medium itself. After speaking with Nat Boltt about her feature directorial debut, Holy Days, it quickly became clear that she falls into the latter category. Known to many audiences as the unforgettable Penelope Blossom from Riverdale and for her work in films like District 9, Boltt has spent decades in front of the camera.

Aging Legend, Wild Stories: James Faulkner Looks Back on Zulu Dawn

Sometimes you go into an interview with a plan. You’ve got your notes, your bullet points, your angles about the new 4K restoration of Zulu Dawn. And then sometimes you get James Faulkner on the line and you just… let him go. That’s exactly what happened here.

Kathleen Kinmont Brings the Heart to Valley of the Horntak

Few performers have built the kind of genre résumé Kathleen Kinmont has accumulated over the years. From surviving Michael Myers in Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers to becoming part of the twisted madness of Bride of Re-Animator and later finding television success with Renegade, Kinmont has spent decades navigating horror, action, and cult cinema. Her latest project, Valley of the Horntak, adds another intriguing chapter to that legacy, placing her at the center of a folk horror story filled with cults, family trauma, creature effects, and fungal nightmares.

Soulbound: A 53-Minute Animated Odyssey Through the Afterlife That’s Already Winning Awards

Independent animation is often defined by passion, perseverance, and the willingness to tell stories that larger studios might never attempt. Soulbound, the original animated web series created by writer, director, and storyboard artist Jeff Stirling, embodies all three. With the completion of its first story arc, Soulbound now stands as a roughly 53-minute animated feature experience released across four episodes, blending fantasy, comedy, psychological drama, and existential mystery into a uniquely memorable journey.