Share: There’s little to be afraid of in “Beau Is Afraid,” a surprisingly not-so-scary comedy from one of the most exciting horror directors, Ari Aster. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, it’s the sort of comedy where everyone, including the audience, is in on the joke. Everyone except for Beau, who is relentlessly tortured by any and every absurd creative choice Aster could imagine. Not every ambitious idea works in the film’s favor, yet the ungodly fever dream remains hilarious in a perverse, perturbed sense of humor. Beau …
As vampire stories go, ‘Renfield’ kinda sucks
Share: Chris Mckay’s modern day Dracula horror-comedy is one to be remembered, if not for the wonderful talent of the people in front of and behind the camera, then for its lackluster plot. What began as a wonderfully delightful movie filled with equal parts comedy and drama, ended in a less than satisfying way, leaving the audience wanting more from such a spectacular cast. Nicolas Cage delivers us a Dracula that far exceeded all expectations, a terrifying yet hilarious performance that undoubtedly became one of …
‘The Secret Conversations’ does more for McGovern than it does for Ava Gardner
Share: Some 34 years after she was dubbed “The Most Beautiful Animal Alive,” a financially struggling, physically ailing Ava Gardner contracted a journalist to ghostwrite her memoir as the less humiliating alternative to pawning off her old jewels. So began the working relationship between writer Peter Evans and Gardner. The relationship would span across a year and ultimately culminated with Gardner abruptly withdrawing her permission to publish. This didn’t stop Evans’s estate from posthumously publishing “Ava Gardner: The Secret Conversations,” in 2013. The book was …
‘Air’ is the slam dunk story of Nike’s game changing shoe
Share: A movie about Michael Jordan who is considered the best basketball player to exist and one of the greatest athletes of all time certainly isn’t exactly rare. That’s why “Air” sets out to tell the lesser-known story of how a group of employees at Nike came together to create a shoe specifically for Jordan so he could switch his endorsement. Despite the expansive amount of awards Michael Jordan has received over the course of his life including the incredibly rare switch from the NBA …
New Mario Bros. movie is a warp pipe to the mushroom kingdom
Share: The Mario franchise has come a long way from a simple Donkey Kong arcade game. “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” does a fantastic job of displaying every aspect of the Nintendo universe, from the comedy to the animation, to the soundtrack, there was no visible weak spot. Recently after quitting their steady plumbing job, Mario and Luigi,who are played by Chris Pratt and Charlie Day, test their luck and attempt to start their own plumbing company. With hardly any success and limited external support, …
Ryuichi Sakamoto: Something for everyone in late maestro’s music
Share: Rarely do artists of any discipline have the privilege to explore their interests with as much international attention and critical acclaim as Japanese musician Ryuichi Sakamoto. Ever since the world first met Sakamoto as a member of the electronic trio Yellow Magic Orchestra, he routinely reinvented himself without losing sight of what made him an exciting and multifaceted talent. Last month, after his third fight against cancer, Ryuichi Sakamoto passed away at 71. When the news broke out, multiple publications and news outlets had …
‘Resident Evil 4’ remastered into modern masterpiece … again
Share: After 18 years, two additional remakes, and a load of spin-offs, Capcom has finally released “Resident Evil 4” and with it, has once again revitalized the survival horror genre. Capcom started its remake trend in 2019 with their remaster of “Resident Evil 2,” which they continued with 2020’s “Resident Evil 3.” The game follows the exact same story as the original, making it easy for people to jump in whether they’ve played the original or not. Eight years after the events of “Resident Evil …
Lana Del Rey expresses her most authentic self in vulnerable new album
Share: Lana Del Rey née Elizabeth Grant’s ninth studio album titled “Did You Know that There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd?”, released March 24, 2023, is proving to be her most vulnerable album in her over a decade-long career. Those unfamiliar with Del Rey may look at the abnormally long and somewhat cryptic album title and subsequent song and be deterred, while fans would expect no less from the singer-songwriter. The song “Did You Know that There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd?” Which was the …
Ghostface revitalizes the slasher sub-genre in ‘Scream VI’
Share: Despite being far and away from the sleepy California town of Woodsboro, the Ghostface killer is back in action in “Scream VI”, and this time, he isn’t playing around. To put it simply, this movie kicks ass. It has something for everyone from the die-hard “Scream” fans to the people just trying to see a sweet horror flick. From the character work to the setting and the kills, everything is put together masterfully. This film picks up, timely, a year after the events of …
‘The Mandalorian’ returns, albeit a little confused
Share: After a wait of about two years and four Disney+ shows later, Lucasfilm’s “The Mandalorian” has returned, once again reuniting viewers with their favorite space western featuring Pedro Pascal. Episode one titled, “The Apostate”, opens with what seems like a flashback but turns out to be bait as the show immediately welcomes the return of Din Djarin and his adorable companion Grogu following their reunion in 2022s “The Book of Boba Fett”. The show swiftly reminds viewers of the main plot of this season. …