In 2014, I lost my mother to ALS. It was difficult because the disease caused us to lose her bit by bit and then all at once. In his documentary Time Passages, Kyle Henry charts the story of his mother’s decline into dementia during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. But more …
“Torture Porn” — a term used to describe a particularly unsettling subgenre of horror — was made popular in the early 2000s through films like Hostel and Saw. Terrifier 3 doesn’t quite fall into that category, but it comes pretty dang close. Through the use of gruesome practical effects and …
At the beginning of Parthenope, the protagonist reflects on the concept of beauty, saying that it lasts only for 10 minutes and all that is left after that is just boredom. Interestingly enough, that is exactly how I ended up feeling about the entire film after the first few scenes. …
All eyes were on how James Gunn planned to start the DCU. When it was revealed the starting product would be Creature Commandos, some people scratched their heads. Is this animated series able to jump-start a new universe? It was a strange start, simply because (similarly to Gunn’s The Suicide …
Winning an award is always an achievement worthy of noting. The first season of Severance, the superb Apple TV+ thriller where characters sever their brains to become two people (an Innie for work life, and an Outie for home life) earned several but the one that feels most salient to …
The art of cinema has room for all kinds of experiences, whether unusual blends of genres, unorthodox storytelling methods, or unique filming techniques. Steven Soderbergh (Traffic) is a pioneer of modern independent cinema, and his movies are often acclaimed precisely for their inventive or distinct perspective. Presence fits into the …
Unless covering a film festival, January is usually not a particularly memorable or busy month. On one hand, it’s a pity not to attend the always interesting week or so of the Sundance Film Festival, but on the other hand, there’s more time to watch films that often go unnoticed …
There will be no chicanery in this review about what Companion is about, even if the film spends a minor chunk of time attempting to shroud the obvious in double entendres. This obviousness, shall it not be devised from the opening few minutes, the revealing trailer – or from the …
Several factors build anticipation for a film. Whether it’s the cast, genre, franchise, or director, the reasons why viewers feel more or less excited about a new cinematic release are endless. Personally, my expectations for Wolf Man were naturally high simply because it’s the newest movie by Leigh Whannell, the …
When Apple announced their appearance on the streaming market, there was palpable excitement amongst media fans. Allowing filmmakers and creatives to play with big budgets to create vibrant, energetic stories nearly totally liberated from network executives was a concept unfamiliar within the media zeitgeist. That excitement soon deflated after AppleTV+ …
Starting a new cinephile year is always exciting, even knowing that January is far from being a particularly memorable month. In fact, even today, the first month of the year is often dubbed “dump January” precisely because it consists of 31 days studios don’t consider appealing or important for their …
The BBC recently put out an article highlighting the sound of 2025, in which Chappell Roan, already a pop sensation and arguably the sound of 2024, won in her ascent to mega-stardom. Little focus or care was put to newer, younger bands, who might need an uplift. This is an …
In the song Yin Yang from their acclaimed project BRIME, the Brazilian trio Febem, Fleezus, and CESRV analyze the uncertainty of life and how things can change abruptly. In one of the lines, Febem says, Even Superman fell from the horse, comparing how everything transforms in a fraction of a …
When Doctor Who Christmas specials first began with the 2005 revival, they often existed lateral to main storylines bar the occasional outlier (such as The Time of the Doctor). With The Church on Ruby Road last year, though, Ncuti Gatwa’s tenure as The Doctor began with an episode that sparked …
Pierce Brosnan became an action icon when he portrayed the most iconic secret agent, James Bond. Throughout his four films with the franchise, he appeared in some of the most popular films of the recent era, including Goldeneye. Lately, Brosnan has engaged in action flicks as an experienced agent who …
I was a freshman in high school when Baywatch debuted, so I have always had a very particular view of who Pamela Anderson is as an actor. She was the Playgirl with the most covers on Playboy, the object of Borat’s lust, and the unfortunate victim of a leaked sex tape. Gia Coppola clearly knows Anderson’s background and used that …
2024 turned out to be an excellent year for films, and even though it started slow, the year came through for audiences and critics. Yes, we didn’t get anything close to ‘Barbenheimer,’ but several titles gave us an enthralling time at the cinemas. From big blockbusters to small indie gems, …
Chasing Liberty is a romantic comedy set largely in Europe, starring Mandy Moore and Matthew Goode. Directed by Andy Cadith and written by Derek Guiley and David Schneiderman, it came out in 2004. Moore plays Anna Foster, the first daughter (not to be confused with Katie Holmes’ First Daughter) of …
To watch The Quick and the Dead is to embrace in pure pulp from one of Hollywood’s greatest pulp veterans, Sam Raimi – switching gears for the Western with an all-star cast. Sharon Stone, young Leonardo DiCaprio, it’s a black comedy that benefits entirely from director of photography, Dante Spinotti, …
Apple TV+ launched all the way back in 2019, and it has since produced a plethora of original films and TV shows. But unlike Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime, it struggles to enter the zeitgeist. Its most popular show, Ted Lasso, is probably the closest something from Apple TV+ has …