Author Archive
Film Review – Ad Vitam
The title of Ad Vitam (2025) is a Latin phrase meaning “For Life.” A not-so-subtle metaphor for a story in which characters fight to save the lives of others and themselves. On paper, this French action thriller has all the trappings we are familiar with: A highly…
READ MORE
Film Review – Den of Thieves 2: Pantera
Den of Thieves (2018) was a hard boiled, testosterone fueled, cops-and-robbers thriller that had just enough good stuff to make it better than it had any right to be. Sure, we’ve seen plenty of heist films where skilled criminals played a game of cat and mouse…
READ MORE
Film Review – Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl
Watching a Wallace & Gromit film feels a bit like coming home. There’s something about the pairing of a good natured but absent-minded inventor and his trusty dog that is sweet and endearing. Although their world is made up of stop motion animation, the connection we have…
READ MORE
Top 15 Films of 2024 – Allen’s Picks
Normally, when I sit down to write these end of year lists, I have a fairly good understanding of where certain films will land. The top five to seven entries are usually locked into place, and it’s just a matter of sorting out the remaining…
READ MORE
Film Review – Nosferatu (2024)
Writer/director Robert Eggers’ adaptation of Nosferatu (2024) doesn’t stray too far away from the blueprint laid out by the 1922 silent classic. It stays consistent to the Dracula/Count Orlok mythos without taking wild creative swings as seen in Shadow of the Vampire (2000) or Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992). This is a story we’ve seen a million…
READ MORE
Film Review – Carry-On
In a season overstuffed with hard hitting dramas, big budget spectacles, socially conscious documentaries, and other productions geared for award contention, it’s refreshing to see a good old entertainer as well made as Carry-On (2024). This is the kind of film whose sole purpose is to provide…
READ MORE
Film Review – Maria
Director Pablo Larraín’s Maria (2024) is the third and final entry into his series of notable women in history – following the footsteps of Jackie (2016) and Spencer (2021). And while his latest continues the elegant camerawork, sumptuous production design, and deep examination into the psyche of his subject, this is also…
READ MORE
Film Review – Nightbitch
This might come as news to some of you: Being a parent is hard. The lack of sleep, having a baby or toddler that will not listen to you, the constant stress of making sure they are fed, safe, and entertained, the never-ending barrage of…
READ MORE