The Black Phone left far more questions than answers. And given how Black Phone 2 plays out, maybe those questions should’ve stayed unresolved.
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From the supernatural ghosts, ghouls, zombies, and demons, to the more cold-blooded reality of violent murderers and devious psychopaths, there are more than enough options to chill a viewer to the core. Despite all of these more traditional horrors, nothing affects me quite so much as the very real fear of simply losing my grasp on reality without any kind of warning, and at its core, this is what Gaspar Noe’s Climax is all about.
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Gothic is a fascinating watch, to be sure, especially with a packed Weird Wednesday crowd on a well-preserved 35mm print. That said, it depends entirely on the viewer as to whether or not this is a brilliant, hallucinogenic trip into madness, or the equivalent of showing up to a party where all your friends have already taken their substances of choice while you choose to remain sober and watch over them to make sure nothing too stupid happens.
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“To suck is to be human,” as director and star Louise Weard puts it in her director’s statement for Castration Movie, and her depiction of trans life in all its bare-assed, 4am trailer park glory transcends the sad oppression saga the premise of the films may imply.
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At its heart, the 1958 British film The Horse’s Mouth directed by Ronald Neame is a movie about art. More specifically, it's a movie about the Art Life.
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What begins as a seemingly straightforward documentary about a popular show and its known controversies evolves into a complex examination of the show’s cultural affect, bound inextricably with Osit’s personal experiences.
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Linklater is seen as a figurehead for independent cinema, and one of the biggest reasons for this title is the excitement that his films carry. They are rebellious and staunchly against popular films of their time. However, this excitement is not the sum of perfectly precise plotting with never-coulda-seen-it-coming twists—it instead comes from a distinct abandonment of these elements.
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Is American Hunter a "bad movie" on paper? Yes. Is it incredibly entertaining to watch? Absolutely.
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While Spielberg’s adaptation of Jurassic Park may have defined Michael Crichton’s career for many, Runaway is a fine starting point for the rest of his prolific career as a master storyteller.
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Martin Scorsese’s gangster films are well known for exploring masculinity (toxic or otherwise) and the role it plays in the lives of men and their loved ones and enemies. In the 1973 film Mean Streets, the level of masculinity one has is inversely proportional to how mature one is.
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Let’s get one thing straight at the outset: whether or not this review ends positively, if you’re the kind of person seeking it out, you should watch V/H/S Halloween. Full stop.
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It’s immortal filmmaking, the sort of craft that burrows its way into souls.
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The Piano Teacher isn’t a film for everyone, but for those willing to sit with its discomfort, it offers an experience that is impossible to forget.
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Blue Moon triumphs as a portrait of an artist due to writer Robert Kaplow’s witty script and Ethan Hawke’s terrific performance as Hart.
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For reasons that extend beyond the film viewed in a vacuum, Robot Monster exudes a charm that is impossible to ignore.
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Godzilla vs. Biollante takes full advantage of the innovations of the time and rewards the viewer with the craft on display.
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Sure, it’s easy to tell where Roofman is going from the get-go – these “based on true events” crime stories tend to follow all the same beats. That’s okay though, when you tell a tight enough story with a big enough heart.
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Jeremy Saulnier’s 2015 horror film Green Room has been rattling around in my brain recently.
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Misunderstood upon release, now revered for its complexity; that its messiness is what gives it such a voice, and the obsession with spectacle and unpredictability in modern times, Southland Tales follows suit, displaying the grotesque, beautiful fascination with disaster.
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In a world where cinephiles ask “What if you made one character a Muppet?” Dan Akroyd dares to ask, “What if they were all Muppets, especially me?”
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