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 is …
As vampire stories go, ‘Renfield’ kinda sucks
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 …
‘The Secret Conversations’ does more for McGovern than it does for Ava Gardner
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 published …
‘Air’ is the slam dunk story of Nike’s game changing shoe
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 to …
New Mario Bros. movie is a warp pipe to the mushroom kingdom
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, the …
Lana Del Rey expresses her most authentic self in vulnerable new album
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 first …
Ghostface revitalizes the slasher sub-genre in ‘Scream VI’
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 last …
‘The Mandalorian’ returns, albeit a little confused
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. Din …
‘Cocaine Bear’ blows away expectations, snorts up success on screen
A massive American black bear accidentally takes an overdosing wash in a cocaine shower, eating kilos upon kilos of the powdery white substance, and goes on the best coke-fueled rampage you’ve ever seen. And the best part is, this actually happened. Elizabeth Banks’ ridiculous comedy “Cocaine Bear” is a comically retro film that follows the 1985 story of a group of people in Georgia trying to kill, and most of the time escape, a 500-pound American female black bear who unintentionally ate a significant amount …
‘You’ uncovers a murder mystery that lacks substance
Following the success the Netflix series “You” has had since its first season debut in 2018, each season has made the show grow more popular. The recent release of its fourth season is entertaining, though falls flat in comparison to previous seasons. For those that are not familiar with this series, the story follows a literature fanatic named Joe Goldberg, played by Penn Badgley, who holds an unhealthy obsession with stalking women that could be potential lovers in his eyes. His obsession becomes lethal as …