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
Outlaw King Review: Chris Pine Frees Scotland in Tepid Historical Drama
David McKenzie reunites with Chris Pine for a Braveheart-esque historical epic that plays out more like a filler episode of Game of Thrones. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Before you read any further, know this: yes, Chris Pine does hang dong in Outlaw King. For a certain subset of the population, this may ... Outlaw King Review: Chris Pine Frees Scotland in Tepid Historical Drama
10 Movie Witches to Hex Your Halloween
This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Halloween season is here, which means it’s the season of the witch. The witch has long been a part of our collective unconscious, mostly in our nightmares where she tended to be a convenient scapegoat. And she continues to be a part of our culture today, albeit in ... 10 Movie Witches to Hex Your Halloween
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
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina TV Review: A Total Witch Hunt
This Riverdale-ified reboot of Sabrina the Teenage Witch is chock-full of scares, sex and a hefty dose of camp, making for a 21st-century Gothic delight. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood It is not at all an astute, original observation that horror, even in a subtle way, tends to reflect current events. Vampires once ... Chilling Adventures of Sabrina TV Review: A Total Witch Hunt
Five Movies We’re Dying to See at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival
This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Now in its third year, the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival, taking place October 11th through the 18th, has become one of the fastest rising venues to catch the next best thing in scary movies months before everyone else gets a chance. This year’s line-up showcases both new faces ... Five Movies We’re Dying to See at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival
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 Haunting of Hill House: Netflix Adapts Shirley Jackson’s Novel, Loses Some of Its Essence
Netflix’s adaptation of the classic Shirley Jackson horror novel boasts a brilliant cast and some intriguing scares, but disappointingly reduces the book to a spooky soap opera. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood To ask “why was this made” when it comes to a remake or reboot is to be rhetorical – the answer ... The Haunting of Hill House: Netflix Adapts Shirley Jackson’s Novel, Loses Some of Its Essence
A Simple Favor Review: Paul Feig’s Comedy-Thriller Is a Riotous Look at Female Agency
A bold, brassy take on Gone Girl, Paul Feig’s mommy-vlogger noir allows Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively to smash the patriarchy in some fascinating ways. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood You have to admire the bravery of a film that all but tells you what it’s about. At no point does A Simple ... A Simple Favor Review: Paul Feig’s Comedy-Thriller Is a Riotous Look at Female Agency
Film Review: Peppermint Fails to Give Jennifer Garner a Minty-Fresh Franchise
Jennifer Garner goes back to her Alias days as an ass-kicking action hero, but its muddy action and faux-Punisher derivations make it another late-August dud. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood The past few decades have seen an amazing resurgence in the vengeance film. In a world gone mad, it can be pretty cathartic ... Film Review: Peppermint Fails to Give Jennifer Garner a Minty-Fresh Franchise
Film Review: Oscar Isaac Hunts Nazis in Compelling, if Spotty, Operation Finale
Despite two incredible lead performances from Oscar Isaac and Ben Kingsley, this dramatization of the Mossad extradition of Adolf Eichmann feels a bit too safe. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood In 1960, a group of Mossad and Shin Bet agents, let by Peter Malkin, traveled to Argentina on an undercover mission to capture ... Film Review: Oscar Isaac Hunts Nazis in Compelling, if Spotty, Operation Finale
35 Years Later, Cujo Remains a Scary, Shaky Stephen King Adaptation
Lewis Teague’s adaptation of Stephen King’s Cujo turns thirty-five today, and is a perfect example of the thrills and pitfalls experienced by the average King film adaptation. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood August marks 35 years since the release of the movie adaptation of Stephen King’s Cujo. A modest hit at the box ... 35 Years Later, Cujo Remains a Scary, Shaky Stephen King Adaptation
The Meg is the Goofiest, Cheesiest, Most Sharktastic Fin-tertainment of the Summer
The shark schlock comes at you hard, fast, and fun, as Jason Statham battles giant sharks with an international cast in the Deep Blue Sea remake you never knew you needed. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Why release The Meg two entire weeks after Shark Week is over? It’s a perfect fit – ... The Meg is the Goofiest, Cheesiest, Most Sharktastic Fin-tertainment of the Summer
Fantasia 2018: Hurt Is Blumhouse’s Latest, Spookiest, Most Uneven Scare-Fest
Blumhouse’s latest thriller is tense and deceptively clever, but undoes its thrills with no shortage of irritating fakeouts. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Trauma appears to be the monster in Sonny Mallhi’s Hurt, but things aren’t exactly as they seem. While the Blumhouse-produced thriller maintains an almost uncomfortable sense of tension, it suffers ... Fantasia 2018: Hurt Is Blumhouse’s Latest, Spookiest, Most Uneven Scare-Fest