At some point in the mess that is Avengers: Age of Ultron, the titular heroes retreat to a bucolic, isolated farm, owned by the archer known as Clint Barton/Hawkeye. Serving as the place where he stashes his kids, and inexplicably Linda Cardellini (unfortunately relegated here to a doting housewife), the Barton ranch sequence encapsulates everything…Read more Film Review: Avengers – Age of Ultron (2015)
Film Reviews
Film Review: White God (2014)
For anyone who has ever loved, cared for, or, hell, even petted a dog, White God will prove to be a searing, uncomfortable experience. Meshing heightened-realism with allegorical horror, Hungarian writer/director Kornel Mundruczo's film powerfully connects on both an intellectual and emotional level. Although perhaps a little on the long side, White God is a…Read more Film Review: White God (2014)
Film Review: Hot Rod (2007)
In 2004 Will Ferrell cemented himself as the premiere comedy star with Anchorman. With its barrage of gags, unapologetic stupidity and everything-but-the-kitchen-sink ethos, it was a definitive comedy film of the "aughts." Nearly ten years later, the long-gestating sequel, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, was released. Overlong and forced, the film embodied that classic adage:…Read more Film Review: Hot Rod (2007)
Film Review: Spellbound (1945)
A good friend of mine once said that your average Alfred Hitchcock film consists of little more than "white people eating on trains." With him not typically sprouting off contrarian views, I was surprised by this statement and more than a little amused. It also colored my subsequent viewings of Hitch's work. No longer do…Read more Film Review: Spellbound (1945)
Film Review: A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (2014)
Ana Lily Amirpour's freshman effort, A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night, is the ultimate example of a hodgepodge film. Self-described as "the first Iranian vampire western," Amirpour's audacious narrative does indeed dance across multiple genres. As many "critics" have noted, the film also tips its hat to the work of the video store brats…Read more Film Review: A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (2014)
Film Review: Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
Anyone familiar with Francis Ford Coppola's work will know that his 70s films, despite their frequently violent subject matter, were often characterized by marvelous restraint. This makes his career progression in later decades all the more fascinating. For example, after a decade of commercial failures Coppola emerged from the 1980s with two pieces of cinematic lunacy:…Read more Film Review: Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
Film Review: Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979)
Steeped in atmospheric dread, Werner Herzog's Nosferatu the Vampyre is easily one of the most distinctive vampire movies ever made. With its mystical imagery and foreboding score, the film gradually takes on the appearance of a bad dream, a waking nightmare from which none of the characters can escape. That being said, it is not…Read more Film Review: Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979)
Film Review: Jupiter Ascending (2015)
Since the release of the original Matrix 15 years ago, the Wachowskis have become deeply embedded in the world of high concept sci-fi. Their most recent release, Jupiter Ascending - which opened last Friday, is no exception to this trend, offering an outlandish, operatic version of the tried and true monomyth. The film is by no…Read more Film Review: Jupiter Ascending (2015)
Film Review: The Furies (1950)
When one is forced to think of directors typically associated with the western genre, only a few names leap instantly to mind. After one immediately blurts out "JOHN FORD" and "CLINT EASTWOOD" and fumbles around to say "um... well... oh gee... Sergio Leone?" the wellspring usually runs dry. This is certainly understandable; these men did…Read more Film Review: The Furies (1950)
Film Review: One, Two, Three (1961)
Billy Wilder is a name synonymous with Hollywood classics. During his tenure as a movie-making big shot, Wilder produced a string of acclaimed features, including Double Indemnity, Sunset Boulevard, Ace in the Hole and Some Like it Hot. With such iconic films littering the man's resume, it is perhaps no surprise that are many entries…Read more Film Review: One, Two, Three (1961)
Adam Mohrbacher 