Trial by Fire Review: The Old-School Issue Movie Rises From the Ashes
Ed Zwick’s death-row drama is a familiar, but effective throwback to old-fashioned issue dramas.NOW STREAMING: Powered by JustWatch It’s hard to think of a filmmaker more synonymous with workmanlike historical dramas than Ed Zwick. Glory, Legends of the Fall, Courage Under Fire, The Last Samurai, Blood Diamond, and even Pawn Sacrifice in 2014 – all ... Trial by Fire Review: The Old-School Issue Movie Rises From the Ashes
Asher Review: A Creaky Pre-90s Hitman Thriller
Try as they might, even genre giants like Ron Perlman and Famke Jannsen can’t elevate this dull, by-the-numbers hitman thriller. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood The ‘90s were peak years for the hitman genre. Between Tarantino, Rodriguez, and Jarmusch, the way we think about and view these agents of quiet doom has informed ... Asher Review: A Creaky Pre-90s Hitman Thriller
Widows Review: An Enthralling Heist Thriller with Some Less Interesting Gangster Drama Touches
Steve McQueen’s ambitious, female-driven crime film sports fabulous performances, but bounces haphazardly between tones. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood The opening of Steve McQueen’s riveting new heist movie Widows is a masterclass in storytelling efficiency. Four moments of domesticity—some happy, some far more complicated—are intercut with a harrowing heist-gone-wrong shot from inside the ... Widows Review: An Enthralling Heist Thriller with Some Less Interesting Gangster Drama Touches
The Girl in the Spider’s Web Review: Lisbeth Slander gets an action hero makeover
Lisbeth Salander returns, this time played by Claire Foy, in a slick but shallow sequel that trades in the series’ nuance for Bond-ian action. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Pre-screening chatter before The Girl in the Spider’s Web all seemed to center on the same questions: “What happened in the last movie?” “Is ... The Girl in the Spider’s Web Review: Lisbeth Slander gets an action hero makeover
How the Matrix Sequels Expanded the Wachowskis’ Universe By Humanizing its Villains
The Wachowskis’ seminal sci-fi trilogy hits 4K today ahead of the first Matrix’s 20th anniversary. In honor of that, we take a look back at the much-maligned Matrix sequels and their intriguing ability to build upon (and even subvert) the themes of the first. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood The Matrix movies are some ... How the Matrix Sequels Expanded the Wachowskis’ Universe By Humanizing its Villains
10 Horror Movies For People Who Don’t Like Horror
This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Let me rephrase that right from the beginning. This list really should be “10 Horror Movies for People Who Normally Aren’t Into Horror Movies, But Might Be Willing to Give Them a Shot,” but that’s just too long for a title. Horror is the genre most often forced ... 10 Horror Movies For People Who Don’t Like Horror
CIFF Dispatch, Part 2: What They Had, Retablo, Maria By Callas, and More
This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood The Chicago International Film Festival keeps chugging along this week, and so does our coverage. From upcoming big indie films to smaller local works, to foreign films that may never see mainstream distribution here, CIFF is a great time to stock up on works you may not get ... CIFF Dispatch, Part 2: What They Had, Retablo, Maria By Callas, and More
CIFF 2018 Dispatch, Part 1 (Feat. Interview w/Felix van Groeningen)
This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood The 54th Chicago International Film Festival is more than just an amped-up pledge drive for Cinema/Chicago – it’s a huge showcase for some of the biggest, most interesting films of the year, foreign or domestic. It’s always a treat to cover – I spent two years as a ... CIFF 2018 Dispatch, Part 1 (Feat. Interview w/Felix van Groeningen)
Bad Times at the El Royale Review: Good Times With Drew Goddard’s Gritty Ensemble
Sporting a brilliant ensemble cast, Drew Goddard’s throwback to the neo-noir crime films of Tarantino and Rodriguez is that rare example that actually works. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood It’s the sort of plot that’s been around for so long, Hollywood was essentially built on it: a bunch of ne’er do well strangers ... Bad Times at the El Royale Review: Good Times With Drew Goddard’s Gritty Ensemble
The Sisters Brothers Review: Joaquin Phoenix and John C. Reilly Upend the Western
Joaquin Phoenix and John C. Reilly are a pair of offbeat gunslingers in Jacques Audiard’s unconventional, gorgeously energetic Western. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood The American Western has been told in every conceivable fashion, but they often feature the same sort of lead – a man who, when faced with great adversity, buries ... The Sisters Brothers Review: Joaquin Phoenix and John C. Reilly Upend the Western