Independent & Mainstream Film Reviews

Breath-Taking Horror: Don't Breathe delivers clever scares

10/28/2016

By amber BroYles

Don't Breathe Fede Alvarez Horror Film House

Don't Breathe / 2016 / Fede Alvarez

I miss the days when thrillers actually said something, tapped into some deep-seated social issue. I miss the days when social commentary could be subtle yet provocative, a la Dawn of the Dead or The Crazies. There's a real elevation in story when a filmmaker can sneak those ideas in. Having said that, I'd like to point your attention to a little(ish) film that came out this year, Don't Breathe. Not only does it employ wonderful filmmaking techniques but it also uses current social issues as a backdrop for a grindhouse-esque thriller.

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe Part 1: The Water Cooler Contract

6/23/2016

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By Casey Patterson

Captain America: Civil War Steve Rogers Chris Evans

Captain America: Civil War / 2016 / Anthony Russo & Joe Russo

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is not improperly named. It really is galactic in size, both in the breadth of the settings and the endless chore that has becoming keeping track of all the canon. It’s so huge I’m going to have to publish this in multiple parts, meaning this will be a multi-part article criticizing the practice of multi-part storytelling. Thanks for making me look like a hypocrite, Marvel.

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Brooklyn Film Festival Inspires With A Variety Of Stories And Resources

6/21/2016

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By Mary Thornton

Brooklyn Film Festival Experimental Film Ambrosia Qin Yuke

Ambrosia / 2016 / Qin Yuke

For the 19th year, the Brooklyn Film Festival boasts selections from all over the world. With 107 films from 31 countries, there was no shortage of impressive films both feature-length and short. With an overall theme for the festival of "Experiment," there was no better place to be to be exposed to the up and coming people and trends in film.

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My Life In Purple: Prince's Biopic Is An Accurate And Uniquely-80's Experience

5/5/2016

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By Mary Thornton

Musical "biopics" are a popular draw both now and back in the 1980's, but few capture the essence of a performer like the (very), fictional musical Purple Rain. While not offering much in the way of biographical information, the musical performances and story of the film serve as a perfect time capsule for someone who's fashion and style imprinted him on the memory of a generation. Neither the movie or the artist once and always called Prince or the movie Purple Rain will be forgotten any time soon.

Purple Rain / 1984 / Albert Magnoli

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The Witch: A Stark Look At Puritanical Values

4/25/2016

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By Amber Broyles

The Witch / 2016 / Robert Eggers

Horror films are a tricky thing. They teeter on the edge of thriller and terror. Some get muddled on either end of the spectrum while others gracefully embrace a bit of both. Either a film gets under your skin or it doesn’t. There’s no ifs ands or buts about it. Horror films do well to build tension and twist it into terror. Pacing is key. Plus, a great villain or monster never hurts.

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The End in Sci Fi: Snowpiercer

12/17/2014

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By Mary Thornton

The first in a series about how The End of Civilization is handled in different generations of science fiction. CONTAINS SPOILERS

Snowpiercer / 2013 / Bong Joon-ho

I decided to watch the movie Snowpiercer as part of my NaNoWriMo attempt, which has since expired in a blaze of last-minute furious typing and me swearing not to even look at the story again until I'm full of enough goodwill and post-Christmas eggnog to get through the editing process. I expected to enjoy a thrilling science fiction saga of humanity's triumph in survival at the end of a global apocalypse, but instead found myself drawn into questions of what the end of the world really means and how the genre of sci-fi is uniquely equipped to handle them.

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Breath-Taking Horror: Don't Breathe delivers clever scares

By amber BroYles

The Marvel Cinematic Universe Part 1: The Water Cooler Contract

By Casey Patterson

Brooklyn Film Festival Inspires With A Variety Of Stories And Resources

By Mary Thornton

My Life In Purple: Prince's Biopic Is An Accurate And Uniquely-80's Experience

By Mary Thornton

The Witch: A Stark Look At Puritanical Values

The End in Sci Fi: Snowpiercer

By Mary Thornton

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