Same town, new story: we heard those words in the 1989 movie Road House. Fast forward 25 years, and we have a new town, same story with the new Amazon Studios movie Road House. Dalton (Jake Gyllenhaal) walks into an underground fight, ready to take on Carter (Post Malone), but the moment …
Stuntmen do very impressive work on movies, and the better they are, the less likely you are even to notice them. While rumblings about an Oscar for stunts finally being given out have led nowhere, the best boost to this particular section of the industry is the big-budget blockbuster The Fall …
It’s hard to discuss the nature of One-Percent Warrior without discussing the elephant in the room: Tak Sakaguchi. The film, directed by Yamaguchi Yudai, not only examines the nature of action films but also serves as a self-reflexive examination of Sakaguchi’s own career in the realm of Japanese action cinema, with turns in Ryuhei Kitamura’s Versus, Sion Sono’s Why Don’t …
Well, here we are. After being delayed over five months because of the SAG-AFTRA strikes, Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic Dune: Part Two (and its infamous popcorn bucket) has hit theaters worldwide. This second film, an adaptation of the second half of Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel, follows immediately after Dune (2021) and continues the journey of Paul Atreides (Timothée …
Enter the film community, and you’ll see jeers of derision at new movies; “They don’t make ‘em like they used to,” scream those factions of the internet. There’s merit to the anecdote; practical effects taking backseat to digital, a rubbery grey aesthetic taking precedence over vibrancy and such, but ultimately …
Avatar: The Last Airbender is the latest animated property to get the live-action treatment from Netflix. There has been some success with this trend, such as Netflix’s adaptation of the anime One Piece, but reimaginings such as this have to work hard to justify their existence, as their animated counterparts are already …
Animated sequels can be a challenge; sometimes, the sequel isn’t as good as the original (Shrek the Third is a perfect example). Other times, the sequels can be better than the original (Shrek 2). In DreamWorks Animation’s case, they now have two franchises that have maintained their quality throughout their sequels …
James Nunn’s One Shot had the biggest potential out of any direct-to-video actioner Scott Adkins led in so long: an action film staged like a one-take in which Adkins would topple as many baddies as possible as if the audience were playing a video game. And while it certainly contained its moments of pure spectacle, …
This cinematic triumph transcends expectations, blending epic action with unforgettable performances. In 2021, Denis Villeneuve stunned the world with the first part of Dune and made everyone believe he is one of the most extraordinary filmmakers of this generation. Since then, fans have eagerly waited for the Canadian director to come forward with the …
Nickelodeon cartoons were a staple of the after-school experience for many kids and families during the late 90s to mid-2000s. From Spongebob Squarepants to Invader Zim, some of the most popular shows ever to spawn from the channel emerged during this period. However, one of these shows stands heads and shoulders above the …
Queer stories aren’t a new concept. If you look at film history, especially before the Hays Code, you’ll see a vast collection that has been influenced by queer filmmakers since the beginning of Hollywood, even if it’s through fashion, set design, etc. Queer love stories have begun to find a …
Denis Villeneuve’s much-awaited sequel to 2021’s spi-fi epic, Dune, is the first truly great film of 2024. Dune: Part Two’s scope is awe-inspiring, its pacing is electric, and the themes it explores are suspenseful and thought-provoking. While a faithful adaptation to its behemoth-sized source material, the ways in which it inverts the formula of …
Who says you can’t direct bone-crunching fight scenes AND like Star Trek: Deep Space Nine? Not Christian Sesma! I hopped on Zoom with the director of the pulse-pounding new action movie Lights Out, starring Mekhi Phifer, Jaime King, Frank Grillo, Scott Adkins, and Dermot Mulroney. Frank Grillo channels his signature intensity in Lights Out as Michael “Duffy” Duffield. It’s the kind …
Director William Eubank made a name for himself a few years ago at Sundance with the Sci-fi Thriller The Signal and more recently with the Kristin Stewart starring Underwater. He sat down with us over Zoom to talk about his new action movie, Land of Bad. Starring Russell Crowe, Luke Hemsworth, and Liam Hemsworth (in their first film together!), Milo Ventimiglia, and Ricky Whittle, this …
Sundance can always be an interesting start to the cinematic year. The festival’s films thrive on teasing audiences about the potential of great movies. In some cases, those films can even lead to prestigious Oscar winners like Coda. That does not mean every Sundance film has to have aspirations for awards. …
The DCEU world has been filled with incredible highs and hellish lows. What began as a strong contender in a battle to compete with the MCU, the DCEU rose quickly before crashing and burning just as fast. Some films, such as Man of Steel, Wonder Woman, and Birds of Prey, stand as testaments …
The Brothers Sun is Netflix’s newest binge-worthy original series. Led by the formidable Michelle Yeoh, and also starring Justin Chien and Sam Song Li, this eight-episode dramedy starts with an expertly coordinated fight scene with Great British Bake Off playing in the background. That’s the perfect way to set the tone and start the series. …
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2024) is a mix of danger, action, and romance that packs a punch. It’s a unique take on the genre, the spy version of a group project from hell with your crush, and is a ton of fun to watch. Mr. & Mrs. Smith is billed …
Argylle sees Matthew Vaughn return with another silly, over-the-top spy movie. Mercifully, it’s not the Kingsman characters for once and a brand new story for the Kick-Ass filmmaker (Well, kind of). The film has a lot of derivative qualities, but for the most part, Argylle excels in its enjoyable casting and sequences, which are willing to go for …
Tom Tykwer’s Run Lola Run (Lola Rennt) opened the doors for many short but effective action scenes where its protagonist had a set amount of time to get from point A to point B, only for them to be stuck in innumerable (and preposterous) situations that would slow them down. That’s also …