If you happened to read my Best Films of 2015 list, you would have noticed near the top of that list sat this film that I was lucky enough to see at Fantastic Fest last year. With its official wide release coming this Friday, I felt it appropriate to expand more on my love for this film, and give you all a more in-depth look at what I feel a “true” horror film is...
Read moreThe Worst Films of 2015
First, the good news: 2015 was a fantastic year at the movies. There were great original stories, sequels done right, adaptations that match their source material, and more. But for every great movie, there are a ton of bad ones too. For those of you with short memories, 2015 was also when we watched Ed Helms (The Office, The Hangover) bathe in raw sewage, the Entourage crew prove their alpha-douche toxicity could not be contained to the small screen, and a recent Oscar winner giving such an over the top, hammy performance while at the same time wearing such a sparkly costume, that I reckon he’s been taking wardrobe inspiration from Jareth the Goblin King (if you haven’t seen Labyrinth, you really should).
Read moreThe 15 Best Films of 2015
I'm often able to squeeze in a dozen or more films in the last couple weeks of December - mostly stuff that others have told me is worth checking out that I either missed when it came out in Chicago or titles that simply never came out locally. I hope you dig the list and that it gives you some ideas for purchases, streaming, rentals, and most importantly, going to the theater and checking them out on the big screen (a few of these are still in theaters). I saw a lot of good movies this year, so condensing this to 15 was not easy...
Read moreAsh vs Evil Dead: Return of the King
THE KING IS BACK BABY! The first episode alone is an incredibly intoxicating short film from a master storyteller. It builds with a rush of fire, delivering scene after scene in a tsunami-like punch of sure-to-be iconic images that fall right into place with the first three films in this legendary horror franchise. It delivers exactly what fans have wanted and waited for these past thirty years. And it does so at a hectic trot that never slows down. The episode comes to its crescendo with an action packed encore that is better than anything I’ve seen on premium cable this year (though the white walker invasion scene in the new Game Of Thrones series is up there).
Read moreGoosebumps Movie Review
In today's day and age, there are films, like the new Fantastic Four, that people seemingly want to be bad. Though, in their defense, that film was bad. Like holy hell that was bad. Then there are films, like The Amazing Spider-Man 2, that want to be good, but are still no better than before. Goosebumps, however, is one of those rare films that looks bad based on all empirical evidence that I’ve seen, but is actually quite enjoyable… for the most part.
Read more'It Follows' Film Review
It Follows – from writer/director David Robert Mitchell (The Myth of the American Sleepover) – arrives riding a wave of buzz from various festival showings and a strong box office turnout during its limited release. It will almost certainly go down as one of the creepier, stylish, and overall better offerings from the horror genre realized in 2015 (despite some faults) – and it shows that Mitchell belongs next to Adam Wingard (You’re Next), on the list of talented indie film storytellers lending their skills to the genre today...
Read more