They tell you never to meet your heroes. Yet time and time again, we are suckered into the promise that meeting can bring. That allure becomes too great for one budding country star to pass up. Director Mickey Reese puts the two men together for an absurd night, allowing them to throw barbs and stingers … Continue reading Review: ‘Country Gold’ Strikes at Art, Misunderstanding, and Idol Worship
Review: ‘Werewolf By Night’ Brings Classic Horror to the MCU
As the Marvel Cinematic Universe grows, its important for the franchise to change up the formula. We need variation with almost thirty films and more than a half-dozen shows in the bank. However, few would have guessed that Michael Giacchino would be the curveball the franchise needed. The composer of Up, Inside Out, and The … Continue reading Review: ‘Werewolf By Night’ Brings Classic Horror to the MCU
Fantastic Fest Dispatch: ‘Hundreds of Beavers,’ ‘Give Me Pity’ & ‘Razzennest’
We are grouping reviews to ensure we can cover all of the films we saw at the 2022 Fantastic Fest. Check out our series of dispatches as we release them. Hundreds of Beavers - Directed by Mike Cheslik We love a director that wears their influences on their sleeves. In the case of Hundreds of … Continue reading Fantastic Fest Dispatch: ‘Hundreds of Beavers,’ ‘Give Me Pity’ & ‘Razzennest’
Fantastic Fest 2022: ‘Everyone Will Burn’ Lights a Flame In Your Heart
No matter where you are from, the fear of losing a child can hang over your life. Once you have created life, one can not imagine the pain of seeing it extinguished. This danger hangs over Everyone Will Burn from the start of the film. Director David Hebrero takes us into the mind of a … Continue reading Fantastic Fest 2022: ‘Everyone Will Burn’ Lights a Flame In Your Heart
Fantastic Fest 2022: ‘Vesper’ Among the Best Indie Sci-Fi Features of the Decade
While many imagine futuristic worlds require expensive sets and massive special effects, there's been a long thriving indie sci-fi industry. Stripping down on the spectacle allows most directors to focus on the character and complex world-building. For Vesper, which recently played Fantastic Fest 2022 before releasing in theaters and VOD this week, these ideas burst … Continue reading Fantastic Fest 2022: ‘Vesper’ Among the Best Indie Sci-Fi Features of the Decade
Fantastic Fest 2022: ‘Swallowed’ Highlights Queer Body Horror
What was once seen as a subversion within the horror community has become one of its strongest aspects. During the 1980s, many films within the genre were outwardly homophobic or transphobic. For decades this continued to be the case, but in 2022, queer-coded characters have become a staple of the genre. In the case of … Continue reading Fantastic Fest 2022: ‘Swallowed’ Highlights Queer Body Horror
Fantastic Fest 2022: ‘Missing’ Anoints a New Star Director Through a Dark Mystery
There are few filmmakers capable of changing their careers overnight. However, the arrival of Missing at Fantastic Fest 2022 may do just that for Shinzô Katayama. Missing lands at the festival as an explosive breakthrough. After working with Bong Joon Ho on a pair of films as his assistant director, Katayama made his own debut … Continue reading Fantastic Fest 2022: ‘Missing’ Anoints a New Star Director Through a Dark Mystery
Fantastic Fest 2022: ‘A Life on the Farm’ Foregrounds Earnest Amateurism
Colloquial use of “found footage” conditioned most audiences to expect horror stories. Yet not all abandoned or forgotten footage drives audiences to nightmares. In fact, most home movies provide unique, unfiltered visions of a family. The life of the mundane rarely feels cinematic when we live it. Yet, for Charles Carson, his absurd honesty and … Continue reading Fantastic Fest 2022: ‘A Life on the Farm’ Foregrounds Earnest Amateurism