film review

Film Review: Varsity Blues (1999)

Like the show Friday Night Lights if you removed its soul, 1999's Varsity Blues is filled with all the crude, country-fried stereotypes you might expect. Set in a small, football-fixated town, the film centers on Jonathan "Mox" Moxon (James Van Der Beek), the high school football team's backup quarterback. Although Mox has had a life-long love…Read more Film Review: Varsity Blues (1999)

Film Review: The Accidental Husband (2008)

In post-9-11 New York, marriage is the air, or so it may seem. The unpredictable nature of love and the fickleness of the human heart will rear their mighty heads. And when they do, they shall tear apart some couples, bring others together and force one woman to make a fateful choice in 2008's forgotten…Read more Film Review: The Accidental Husband (2008)

On Disney’s Robin Hood: A Triumph of Details Over Structure

Whenever you return to a piece of art after some time away, it's never easy to know what your reaction might be. If enough time has passed, you have likely evolved and so too have your opinions. Recently, however, I rewatched one of my favorite childhood Disney movies, Robin Hood, and I must say, I…Read more On Disney’s Robin Hood: A Triumph of Details Over Structure

Film Review: Survive the Night (2020)

I continue to struggle with my retirement from film reviewing. Each time I attempt to hang up my keyboard and ride off into the sunset, I find a new movie that I just can't wait to sink my analytical teeth into. Thus, today I am presenting a review that I penned for FilmMonthly.com somewhat recently;…Read more Film Review: Survive the Night (2020)

Film Review: In the Mouth of Madness (1994)

Like so much of my semi-recent foray into horror, John Carpenter's last good film, 1994's In the Mouth of Madness, came to my attention due to its Lovecraftian connotations. As the final installment of Carpenter's "Apocalypse Trilogy" (which also includes The Prince of Darkness and the classic science fiction film, The Thing), Madness is another direct…Read more Film Review: In the Mouth of Madness (1994)

Film Review: Shadow of a Vampire (2000)

Most people with even a cursory awareness of art cinema have seen or heard of Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, F.W.  Murnau's 1922 masterwork. Nosferatu is a film so powerfully rendered, so insanely memorable, that its continuing resonance over the past nine decades feels self-explanatory. This resonance has taken on many forms: from the appearance of the Nosferatu…Read more Film Review: Shadow of a Vampire (2000)

Film Review: Rasputin – Dark Servant of Destiny (1996)

Many were hit hard by Alan Rickman's death this past January, and it's easy to understand why. Immortalized by the Harry Potter franchise for his role as anti-hero Severus Snape, Rickman loomed large over a generation of moviegoers. The resonance of this role is so powerful that it's occasionally difficult to remember the varied nature of…Read more Film Review: Rasputin – Dark Servant of Destiny (1996)

Film Review: Apocalypto (2006)

It's sometimes hard to remember that Mel Gibson is a formidable filmmaker. After the controversial release of 2004's Passion of the Christ, his arrests, and his slew of unhinged, drunken tirades, this talent became understandably lost in the shuffle. His 2006 effort Apocalypto (the last film Gibson directed) however, is a clear reminder of his directorial strengths. This ambitious, Mesoamerica-set action film…Read more Film Review: Apocalypto (2006)

Film Review: Metropolis (1927)

Fritz Lang's towering Metropolis is a film that needs no introduction. Its influence on cinematic history is so powerful, so resonant to this day, that trying to write anything novel about it is probably an exercise in futility. However, seeing how futile is my middle name I've decided to give it the old college try,…Read more Film Review: Metropolis (1927)