Author: James Preston Poole

Movie ReviewsReviews

‘Maxxxine’: Mia Goth & VHS Scuzz Mark a Gloriously Salacious Final Chapter

In March 2022, director Ti West and star Mia Goth unveiled their new slasher film, X, with a little twist after the credits: they had already filmed a prequel entitled Pearl. Releasing in September of the same year, Pearl arguably was even more of a cultural success than the first film. The memes of Goth screaming “I’m a starrrr!” speak for the impact in the horror community. After the

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Review: Gothic Romance and Dark Comedy Dominate ‘Lisa Frankenstein’

Diablo Cody has been in the screenwriting game a long time. Her debut, Juno, won her the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. She enjoys continued success, notably in her continued collaborations with Juno director Jason Reitman, Young Adult and Tully. The film younger generations tend to latch onto is the Megan Fox starring vehicle Jennifer’s Body. Its queer themes, sardonic comedy, and true horror cement

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‘Hit Man’ Review: The Perfect Rom-Com Crowd Pleaser

The art of the crowd pleaser is a delicate craft. Trying to make something that will connect with audiences on a major scale while also maintaining artistic integrity, on a good day, might as well be near impossible. So it wasn’t difficult to look upon the rave festival reviews for Hit Man, the latest from legendary filmmaker Richard Linklater (Dazed &

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‘Freaky Tales’ Review: Genre Extravaganza Pays Tribute To 1987 Oakland

When an independent director is swallowed up into the blockbuster machine, there’s usually two paths for them. Either they stay in the machine or are never heard from again. It’s Kind of a Funny Story and Mississippi Grind directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck seemed destined for the latter after directing Captain Marvel when they didn’t return for the sequel or immediately

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‘The Beekeeper’ Review: Honey-Sweet Actioner Delivers

The January movie dead zone doesn’t appear so dead. Night Swim‘s already made its budget back, Mean Girls is getting a mostly positive reception, and movies like Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and Anything But You are gaining new box office legs. It’s an uncommonly decent January, so it really shouldn’t be a surprise that something like The Beekeeper is exceeding critical expectations. The Jason Statham action movie, directed

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