Land of the Dead wasn’t so hot, and lots of people were expecting it to be awesome. What should I do? Another film? Retire? Oh, sometimes I wish making movies were as easy as writing in you, diary. Oh! – George A. Romero George A. Romero, the man, the myth, the legend… has signed on to write and direct Diary of the Dead, another installment in his storied …of the Dead series....
One case is the experience of Jonathan Davis, a Marine Biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife. He was invited by Discovery’s Shark Week to speak about sharks on camera for a show called “Voodoo Shark.” Though he didn’t know that was its title. Near the end of the interview, they surprised him with questions about a mythical monster shark called the Rooken. He wasn’t aware of this myth and said so....
Interviewing an array of taxidermists from all over the globe, the different styles of taxidermy is one of the first things learned. Yes, different styles. There’s the more natural, scientific avenue of taxidermy, in which the animal is going to resemble the real-life counterpart as closely as possible. It should come as no surprise that taxidermists at natural history museums and in research facilities utilize this taxidermy in this way....
The film traces Plath’s life beginning in 1956, when her studies at Cambridge on a Fulbright Scholarship brought her into the rising starlight of Ted Hughes, the campus literary talent. As the film presents their story, the couple fell instantly in love and were wed a few months after their first meeting. Yet their professional life was not a marriage of equals, as Hughes commanded a considerably higher level of respect and praise in the academic and literary worlds....
That condition—are you ready for this?—is juvenile and adult acne, and that man is Dr. Vail Reese, a San Francisco dermatologist and the founder of Skinema.com, a queasily-addictive website devoted to analyzing the skin conditions that pop up in Hollywood best and worst movies. The site routinely offers short, hilarious essays, backed up with photographic evidence, bearing titles such as Celebrity Skin of the Moment and The Hogwart’s Textbook of Dermatology....
The film, simply named Tetris, is an entertaining retelling of the game’s origins and the story of the people behind it, showcasing their struggles and triumphs in creating one of the most beloved and enduring video games of all time. Read on to explore why this new drama is a must-watch for anyone interested in video games, 80s culture, or just great storytelling. The rise of the game Tetris In today’s gaming world where players can choose to play anything from multi-player Call of Duty to free online slots, Tetris looks a bit dull by comparison....
Epic Adventures: “The Chronicles of Elysium” Synopsis: “The Chronicles of Elysium” takes viewers on an extraordinary journey to a mythical realm where magic intertwines with the struggles of mortals. With breathtaking visuals and a compelling storyline, this epic adventure promises to be a feast for the senses. Why Watch Fantasy Spectacle: Immerse yourself in a visually stunning world filled with magical creatures and landscapes. Intriguing Narrative: Unravel the mysteries of Elysium as the characters navigate a complex web of destiny and choices....
Bailey connects the two sisters to the natural world through a dreamlike lens. Sitting on a screened-in porch or a dock next to the bayou, Jorie and Kaidon dissect their lives, including their secrets and the consequences thereof. With a nod to some of the works of Ingmar Bergman, Michelangelo Antonioni, and early Federico Fellini, the picture unfolds out of sequence and even uses animation at points. The Dark Sisters uses a series of voiceovers in the tradition of Eugene O’Neil....
The short captures you from scene one with its frenetic pace and sharp jazzy soundtrack. Fitzgerald does not waste a second of the under-twenty-minute runtime, magnifying tension at every turn but never sacrificing the constant “cool factor” on display throughout. Like the soundtrack and shot placement, the film weaves through genres, giving thrilling, suspenseful, funny, offbeat, and dramatic looks all during the holidays. Ironside does a phenomenal job as a problematic but keen police officer, subtly questioning the family as Paul sleeps upstairs like a timebomb waiting to blow the entire plan to pieces....
In the opening shots, lawman John Breaker (Neal McDonough) strides down the dusty street. He is searching for the one-eyed, rough-looking Deadeye (Dermott Mulroney) to bring to justice. He is aided by First Nations companion Bugle Bearclaw (Gregory Cruz). Yes, this may seem like a stereotype, but that is shed as the story progresses. Breaker and Bearclaw have some of the best dialogue together, talking about the women of their past and the life they had before they met, similar to the bouncy deadpan words between Butch and Sundance....
The central setting is a religious order known as the Temple of Horus. The dying elder chieftain of the temple has groomed Jack Mason – known as a “sex-magickian” – as his successor, but that is thwarted when the older man’s long-estranged son abruptly arrives and manipulates a deathbed contract that gives him the temple’s control. The new successor wants to commercialize the temple, though Mason decides to bring revenge against this eager upstart....
And thus is pretty much all you really need to know about Wild Girl Waltz, as it actually delivers very little beyond its premise, which is two women go on a drug trip in different ways while a guy minds them. They leave the house and interact with other people in the area, and there’s humor to be had here and there, but overall the film is devoid of a narrative conflict or arc and just becomes boring....
One long day at the airport (apparently airlines don’t want you to take-off or land in a thunderstorm) later, and I was finally at the Sidewalk Film Festival in Birmingham, Alabama. It didn’t take long to hop into the flow of things, as I arrived at the hotel just in time to see fellow juror and friend Skizz getting ready to head out to the Filmmaker Reception. He was nice enough to wait for me while I dropped my bag off in my room, and we limo-shuttled our way over to the reception....
That paved the way for numerous surprises at the most recent edition of the Academy Awards, and there’s bound to be more where that came from when the 2022 ceremony makes its arrival. Sir Anthony Hopkins was one such shock earlier this year when, at the ripe age of 83, he took Best Actor for his role in ‘The Father’, becoming the oldest person to win either Best Actor or Best Actress in the ceremony’s history....
The fact that so many people around him seem to disappear leads to a police investigation, with detective Abby (Joy Kigin) leading the charge. Is her vendetta against Mitch’s work clouding her judgment? Is the monster real or just a figment of Mitch’s angry, shattered psyche? Have you ever watched a film that is well acted and crafted with style, yet you can’t get into it? Director F.C. Rabbath’s parable horror movie, A Brilliant Monster, is one such movie for me....
This true story focuses on the ordinary life and people who are disrupted by the encroaching Nazi regime in the village of Bardejov. The totalitarian-aligned Hlinka Guards have gained control of Bardejov and signal impending tragedy as they create authoritarian rule. Rabbi Lowey (Robert Davi) and fellow town leaders confront the grim reality of their fellow Jews being deported to Auschwitz. Despite this horror of family separation, a group of people are defiant and do not accept the fate the Nazis want for them....
The obvious question watching this nonsensical film is: why? What was the point in creating such an inane fantasy when Zeffirelli himself was involved in a genuine cinematic drama involving Callas. In 1965, Zeffirelli found Callas, her lover Aristotle Onassis and conductor Herbert von Karajan in a heated struggle over the creation of a movie based on “Tosca.” Onassis wanted to finance a “Tosca” film for Callas, but von Karajan controlled the rights and would not sell them....
We open on the final scenes of a black and white thriller called Cobweb, which is quickly shown to be a film shoot. Director Kim doesn’t like the finale, asking if the sequence can be completed in one take. Then Kim wakes from the sequence as if from a nightmare. It is implied that this is reality, but it is presented as a dream. In voiceover, he ruminates on a sudden burst of creativity that he cannot ignore—luring him towards a rethink of his work....
Well, if the opening is anything to go by, critical distance should’ve been used. In the first scene, two teens break into the church basement to get it on. The over-the-top twang in their awful accents is less amusing and more lousy community theater. Admittedly, their deaths at the hands of the evil Jackalope and his demonic bunny horde are amusing. So does that mean Foster and Lobel have made a so-bad-it’s-good film or just a bad one?...
Day 2 (July 9) — After settling into our crash pad in Outremont (stupid Jazz Festival) we hurried down to Concordia just in time to meet up with Jeremy and catch the first film of the night: Macabre Case of Prom Piram. Although based on a horrible true story, the predictability of the process and the presence of too many cop clichés watered down the intended emotional impact. Needing something a little more uplifting I decided to skip seeing Gozu again and joined my Fiancé in witnessing a beautiful restored print of 8th Diagram Pole Fighter....
