A writer friend once told me that the secret to crafting a truly good and dismal horror story lies in writing great happy scenes. Show your characters triumphant, peaceful and secure, get your viewers really invested in their well being and success, and then let the audience die a little inside as that happiness slowly […]
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The Da Vinci Load
Robert Langdon returns
“Inferno” is the latest Robert Langdon thriller based off the books by Dan Brown, directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom “America’s Favorite Uncle” Hanks. The story is similar to “The Da Vinci Code” and “Angels & Demons” in that we follow Harvard University professor Robert Langdon through another historical scavenger hunt across the globe. […]
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Cruise Control
“Jack Reacher” never grabs on
Unlike some, I don’t hate Tom Cruise. It seems like most of the distaste for the man comes from his couch-jumping period, where every single one of his public appearances was more bizarre than the last. Some people might dislike him based on his film work, but it seems like his creepy Scientologist vibe is […]
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Scare Your Pants Off
The Source’s picks for Halloween flicks, no matter what the crowd
Another Halloween is here and you know what that means! Well, yes, a bunch of sexy Ken Bone costumes, but also it means watching a few horror movies. Even people who can’t stand being scared will rock a horror movie or two for this season. But here’s the thing: “Horror” is a pretty wide and […]
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A Man and His Horse
“Harry & Snowman” vs. the blue bloods
So many modern documentaries don’t even feel like the truth anymore. With expertly composed frames and painterly cinematography, documentaries can sometimes feel like dramatic reenactments more than slices of history or current events. Those kinds of docs can be powerful and gorgeous to look at, but something feels inherently manufactured about them. That’s why “Harry […]
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Little Boxes
“The Accountant” makes up its own rules
Film studios and critics always try to place movies in little boxes. This one’s a comedy. This one’s a mystery. This one’s a drama…as if “drama” isn’t the most generic and shortsighted description for film imaginable. When a film plays fast and loose with genre, the marketing department is usually at a loss, selling the […]
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Born Into This
“The Birth of A Nation” divides
There is no real way to talk about Nate Parker’s “The Birth of a Nation” without first addressing some of the controversy surrounding it. Parker co-wrote, co-produced, starred and directed the film (about Nat Turner’s slave rebellion in 1831), appropriating the title from D.W. Griffith’s 1915 Ku Klux Klan propaganda film. The original film is […]
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Midnight Train to Nowhere
“The Girl on the Train” is off the tracks
“The Girl on the Train” is one of those books that everyone calls a “beach read.” Your brain doesn’t have to be 100 percent invested in what’s happening and the mystery is just fascinating enough to keep you turning the pages long after it’s time for bed. “The Girl on the Train” tells the story […]
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BendFilm: Our Don’t-Miss Picks
If you’re excited for this weekend’s BendFilm Festival, I know building your schedule can be difficult. As your resident film geek, I hereby offer a schedule of the flicks I’m checking out, so you can see what interests me, what might interest you and what might just be awesome all around. Thursday, Oct. 6 5pm […]
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Tim Burton’s X-Men
“Miss Peregrine” is peculiarly empty
Tim Burton’s films are primarily focused on outsiders—people who don’t fit into mainstream society, and when they try, are either humiliated, heartbroken or forced to commit horrible acts of violence. If you look at “Edward Scissorhands,” “Ed Wood,” “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure,” and “Sleepy Hollow,” you’ll find stories of people leaving their comfort zones and trying […]