The JJ Abrams-produced Nazi zombie flick provides plenty of schlock and scares, but stumbles over its own rotting feet when it reaches for profundity. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood If Indiana Jones has taught us anything, it’s that Jehovah starts with a ‘Y’ and there’s nothing more satisfying that watching someone kick the ... Overlord Review: Nazi Zombie Shoot-Em-Up Is Fast and Furhrer-ious
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
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
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
The latest mid-budget Gerard Butler vehicle might thrill those who clamor for the return of the 90s submarine thriller, but doesn’t offer much else. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood While the film and television industry is deep in the throes of nostalgia, it’s strange to see the submarine thriller – one of the ... Hunter Killer Review: Gerard Butler Sinks In this Throwback Sub Thriller
This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood In my last post I suggested that the unofficial theme for the 2018 Brooklyn Horror Film Festival is “horror is whatever you want it to be.” With that expansion of themes and ideas comes a flexibility in using both real life issues and fantasy to create something new ... Brooklyn Horror Film Festival Dispatch, Part 2: Level 16, Rusalka
This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood As horror continues its gradual moving away from traditional monsters and slashers to rawer, more unsettling scares that are COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE, we can look forward to more internet discourse about whether a movie qualifies as “horror.” This requires the sort of pedantry that is the ... Brooklyn Horror Film Festival Dispatch, Part 1: Tower. A Bright Day, Empathy, Inc., Antrum
Netflix’s latest creep-fest is a schlocky bore filled with predictable twists and some dodgy performances, though it’s mitigated with some genuine visual style. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood “Horror isn’t easy” is probably one of the greater understatements in the history of film. Sure, it’s easy to crank out an hour and a ... Malevolent Review: Netflix’s Latest is Stylish and Sloppy in Equal Measure
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
Elizabeth E. Schuch’s spooky, atmospheric horror gem prefers to keep its tale of demonic birth and possession filled with atmospheric dread rather than outright shocks. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Secluded from the world, convents offer filmmakers an isolated setting charged with religious significance. This combination especially lends itself especially to tales that ... The Book of Birdie Review: Atmospheric Chills Abound in This Convent Thriller
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
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 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
Shane Black returns to the macho 90s alien-hunter franchise he helped spawn, but his irreverent stamp (including a heaping helping of ableism) does more harm than good. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood On the surface, Shane Black seems like a great, if unexpected, fit for the Predator franchise. He’s a distinct, irreverent action-comedy ... The Predator Review: Shane Black’s Sequel Is One Messy Hunt
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
Expanding the ever-widening Conjuring universe, this origin story/prequel of one of the universe’s spookiest threats is downright silly – which may not be the worst thing. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Horror is arguably the genre that is the most dependent on its predecessors; every generation of horror filmmakers tries to recapture the ... Film Review: The Nun Is Campy Fun, But Relies on Some Bad Habits
This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood For the latest On Tap minisode, we air an interview Clint conducted for the new John Cho computer-screen thriller Searching – about a frantic father searching for his missing daughter by going through the clues on her laptop! Clint sits down with Searching director Aneesh Chaganty and producer Sev Ohanian ... INTERVIEW: Searching’s Aneesh Chaganty and Sev Ohanian on Building Suspense Through Screens
Anchored by a layered lead turn from John Cho, Aneesh Chaganty’s screens-only thriller explores the formal implications of laptop cinema in new and exciting ways. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood (We previously reviewed Searching in our coverage of the Chicago Critics Film Festival. Read our capsule review.) While ‘laptop cinema’ films like Unfriended and Open Windows are becoming ... Film Review: Searching Is a Riveting, Screens-Only Missing Persons Thriller
Jack Reynor keeps his brother and his big-ass gun safe in this tepid late-August shoot-em-up, its characters as mild as its ambitions. This piece was originally posted on Alcohollywood Detroit has had a bit of a film renaissance in the 2010s, so much so that the city could be classified as its own sub-genre itself. ... Film Review: Kin Misfires With Egregious Sci-fi Sequel Baiting
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
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