Zachary Wigon’s Sanctuary was one of the most thrilling surprises of 2023, and one that positioned the American filmmaker as one to watch even more, as he made his grand return almost ten years after the release of 2014’s The Heart Machine. His latest effort, Victorian Psycho, itself adapted from Virginia Feito’s novel of the same name, possesses the same aesthetic
Read MoreThe murder mystery is being reinvented in the wake of Rian Johnson’s Knives Out trilogy, though that doesn’t mean every film in the genre will be worthwhile. However, you can see how Johnson’s film served as the blueprint for Anton Corbijn’s A Talent for Murder. Patricia Highsmith’s psychological thriller is refraimed within the trappings of a whodunit, though its conclusion may be
Read MoreRob Reiner’s last good movie was over thirty years ago, with the incredible A Few Good Men. The rest of his oeuvre has taken quite the nosedive, and one may be inclined to think he never recovered from the blistering takedown of his disastrous North by Gene Siskel & Roger Ebert. This doesn’t mean he hasn’t had any success post-North, with
Read MoreGuy Maddin, Evan Johnson, and Galen Johnson’s film Rumours is very telling of what I like about cinema. Everything I love about the art form is found in this picture: experimentation with an ever-changing aesthetic, satirical jokes that take zero prisoners, and a slight jab at the audience for sitting through a movie that does not reward or fulfill them in
Read MoreI’ve never been to space, but I think it’s safe to assume it’s a lonely, claustrophobic experience. Being surrounded by a cold, dark void hundreds of thousands of miles from Earth could certainly have a negative effect on the mental well-being of anybody not fully prepared for the treacherous journey. Slingshot, starring Casey Affleck (The Instigators) and Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix),
Read MoreOne of the coolest compliments I ever heard the late, great Roger Ebert express about a movie was that, while you’re watching it, your mind keeps turning; the movie’s mysteries encourage you to explore your own imagination in regard to what you’re seeing on the screen. The new prehistoric horror film from Bleecker Street titled Out of Darkness is exactly the
Read MorePicture this: You’ve dedicated your life to the pursuit of science and advancing mankind after you’ve had some pretty tragic things happen in your past. Your intelligence and work ethic take you through the Marine Corps and astronaut training to eventually get assigned to work on the International Space Station, 254 miles above the Earth. This frame is our way into
Read MoreJules, written by Gavin Steckler and directed by Marc Turtletaub, is a quirky indie sci-fi comedy about aging, aliens, and friendships. It’s charming and endearing; this should be no surprise given the incredible actors that helped bring it to life, including Sir Ben Kingsley, Harriet Sansom Harris, Zoë Winters, Jade Quon, and Jane Curtin. We had the great pleasure of sitting
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