“The Witch” Is More Than Just a Great Horror Movie, It’s Great Period

I’ve been hearing about how terrifying and incredible The Witch (or The VVitch) is since last year’s Sundance Film Festival, when writer-director Robert Eggers won the U.S. directing award for his indie horror film. It’s oftentimes hard for a movie to withstand that kind of hype, but I managed to maneuver around spoilers, … Get hard

“Deathgasm” Features Dildos, Decapitations and Heart in Equal Measure

It’s easy to be cynical about everything, but I think it’s worth pointing out that we live in a world where a gross-out metal movie called Deathgasm has an 88% on RottenTomatoes. Yin and yang, you know? It’s not often you find a movie bursting with decapitations and dildos that … Get hard

“The Hallow” Continues Gnarly Indie Horror Trend

I got a late start to the horror game. When I was younger, I was derisive of the genre, which is code for being too chicken shit to explore it. Sure, I grew up watching Universal horror with my father and Uncle, but it wasn’t until the past couple years … Get hard

Horror-Western “Bone Tomahawk” Ushers in the Wondrous Winter of Kurt Russell

You’d be hard-pressed to find two more misunderstood genres than the horror and western. The former is often (and unfairly) seen as schlock, a cheap studio stunt for cash. The latter is seen as a long since dead genre, a relic of Classic Hollywood, despite Django Unchained, Deadwood, Meek’s Cutoff … Get hard

You Won’t Be Able to Escape “Room” or Its Transcendant Stars

When I was a kid, I spent an inordinate amount of time in my weird salt and pepper carpeted room. I would play with my action figures all day, narrating their battles, recreating scenes from comic books, cartoons and movies in glorious mash-up fashion, throwing them to and from the … Get hard

National Lampoon Doc “Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead” Provides Origin Story for Modern Comedy

Toward the end of Douglas Tirola’s Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead, a documentary unraveling the fascinating story of National Lampoon magazine, Judd Apatow makes a comment that had become clear through the proceedings: the humor, satire and bite from National Lampoon became “all of modern comedy.” Many comedy fans will point to the beginning … Get hard

There Is No Escape From Yourself in “Queen of Earth”

Sometime last year, on a lark, I went on an audition for a small play opening in a black box theatre on Santa Monica in Hollywood. The bizarre experience is another story, but in addition to a line reading, we had to fill out a short bio. One of the … Get hard

Sundance NEXT FEST: Take a Gripping, Stressful, Joy Ride With “Cop Car”

Inbetween the internet’s collective groaning about another Spider-Man reboot were whispers about the man chosen to direct it: little known director Jon Watts (The Onion News Network). Who? Anyone who sees Cop Car will no longer ask that question, because Watts is the talented writer-director of the taut thriller Cop Car, and afterwards, in spite of … Get hard

Sean Baker’s i-Opening “Tangerine” is Transcendent Filmmaking

Every time a new show or movie is set in Los Angeles, I groan. Haven’t we seen that? Most movies are already made in Los Angeles; do they also all need to take place there too? Rest assured we have never seen the side of Hollywood shown in Sean Baker’s … Get hard