There are directors who rely on jump scares and fake blood to get under a viewer's skin and those who believe the realistic portrayal of raw violence is more emotionally effective. James Cullen Bressack is one of the latter, and Hate Crime more than proves this. Horror is such a broad genre, and this mashup of a home invasion film and a found footage movie takes perverse pleasure shocking the audience with a level of brutality seldom seen.
Read MoreLaurel & Hardy: The Definitive Restorations (2020) #BluRay
Beginning as a 7-year-old in the early eighties, I’ve consistently had a bit of a personal connection with Laurel and Hardy. I’ve always been a huge fan of all of the classic comedy teams – Three Stooges, Abbott & Costello, ZaSu Pitts/Thelma Todd, The Little Rascals, The Marx Brothers. I was lucky enough to catch the tail end of an era in which it was pretty common for shorts to be shown prior to the features in the tiny movie theater where I grew up.
Read MoreBatman (1989) #RetroReview
It’s hard to overstate just how big Tim Burton’s Batman was when it premiered in 1989. I was 11 years-old that summer and I had already been a full-on comic book freak for years. To say I was anticipating it is to put it lightly.
Read MoreBecky (2020)
I enjoy seeing actors try roles completely outside their wheelhouse. Now, I don’t dislike Kevin James, but I don’t think he’s made anything I ever had an interest in watching. This brings me to the just-released Becky, directed by Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion.
Read MoreFast Color (2018)
I have seen too many movies, more than any normal person should have. Because of this, I am always on the lookout for something fresh. My latest obsession has been exploring the niche of films in the superhero genre that examines the gifted as people struggling with their powers, not in some glossy Marvel universe, but in everyday life, with their feet firmly planted on the ground.
Read MoreDreamland (2019)
Back in 2008, director Bruce McDonald impressed me with his taut, less is more, is it or isn’t it a zombie apocalypse thriller Pontypool. Since then, I haven’t seen any of his work, though he’s been quite busy, both theatrically and on television. Recently, I was able to check out his latest cinematic effort, Dreamland, which has been making the rounds on the festival circuit for the last year and will debut Stateside on June 5th.
Read MoreTim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! S3E7: Jazz (2008) #Cincothon2020
“Jazz” serves up an intoxicating blend of Maria Bamford, the Beaver Boys, and enough James Quall to make us all forget “Jim and Derick.” Like the genre of music that lends its name to this episode, “Jazz” represents not so much a coherent thesis as a series of variations on several themes. Here, we see old Awesome Show standbys like rivalry, frenzy, social awkwardness, and the sustaining power of friendship all explored, expounded upon, and stylized a little differently.
Read MoreWillow (1988) #RetroReview
Ron Howard is not one of my favorite filmmakers. I often find his work to be bland and boring. However, I’ll always have a soft spot for 1988’s Willow.
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