Release: Friday, March 29, 2019 →Hulu Written by: Harmony Korine Directed by: Harmony Korine Spoiler alert for those who demand any lessons or morals be taught in a movie: The Beach Bum is not for you. It's a hedonist adventure "from the mind of" Harmony Korine, a not-for-everyone kind of filmmaker notorious for creating dreamlike experiences that more or less forsake … Continue reading The Beach Bum
Dolemite is My Name
Release: Friday, October 4, 2019 (limited) →Netflix Written by: Scott Alexander; Larry Karaszewski Directed by: Craig Brewer The way Craig Brewer captures the response to Dolemite, the movie-within-his-movie and at least part of its raison d'être, is so warm and uplifting. Yet it's also quaint if considering today's cinematic landscape. Cynics like me are tempted to dismiss the ending as … Continue reading Dolemite is My Name
Month in Review: October ’19
(Flicks a cockroach off keyboard) God! Leave me alone, Wounds!!!! October was certainly bloody and gutsy. I made a conscientious effort to increase the posting frequency while keeping the reviews tailored to the genres of horror/psychological thriller/gross-out (is that a genre? It feels like it should be a genre.) It was a risky approach, because … Continue reading Month in Review: October ’19
30 for 30: Rodman: For Better or Worse
Release: Tuesday, September 10, 2019 (ESPN) →ESPN Directed by: Todd Kapostasy Love him, hate him or indifferent to him you can't really get away with saying you don't know who Dennis Rodman is. Few American athletes have received the attention that the former so-called "Bad Boy" has. How much of that has been self-inflicted and … Continue reading 30 for 30: Rodman: For Better or Worse
The Perfection
Release: Friday, May 24, 2019 (Netflix) →Netflix Written by: Eric C. Charmelo; Nicole Snyder; Richard Shepard Directed by: Richard Shepard Thanks to Twitter, The Perfection will be remembered more for its gross-out moments rather than what it's actually about. The notorious Netflix horror/thriller certainly does get messy and intense, but it is more skin-crawling in terms of its thematic content. … Continue reading The Perfection
Wounds
Release: Friday, October 18, 2019 (Hulu -- U.S./Netflix internationally) →Hulu Written by: Babak Anvari Directed by: Babak Anvari The word 'wounds' really makes me feel icky. It's a trigger for me like 'moist' is for others. (Sorry if I just made you wince.) I hate. The word. Wounds. Masochist that I am, I chose to watch a movie … Continue reading Wounds
Fractured
Release: Friday, October 11, 2019 (Netflix) →Netflix Written by: Alan B. McElroy Directed by: Brad Anderson There's something inherently off-putting about hospitals and treatment centers. Anyone who has spent some time in them (not to mention contend with their bureaucratic ways) can attest to just how much stress they can bring out in a person. They might even … Continue reading Fractured
Little Monsters
Release: Friday, October 11, 2019 (Hulu) →Hulu Written by: Abe Forsythe Directed by: Abe Forsythe With the horror-comedy Little Monsters, Australian director and actor Abe Forsythe is empowering teachers and children alike, arming them with brains and bravery as they try to survive hordes of flesh-eating zombies -- the slow kind, not the fast kind. It's a really admirable … Continue reading Little Monsters
In the Tall Grass
Release: Friday, October 4, 2019 (Netflix) →Netflix Written by: Vincenzo Natali Directed by: Vincenzo Natali Last year Netflix inadvertently triggered the Bird Box Challenge, which set a new standard for stupidity when it comes to audience interaction/reaction. This year it's given us another curio ripe for parody in the form of Vincenzo Natali's In the Tall Grass. A horror film … Continue reading In the Tall Grass
Short, Sweet and Screamy: “Huluween” Reviews
There's no denying short films have gotten short shrift on Thomas J. I've got a few stashed away here and there (and here, too) but the overwhelming majority of my total output has been focused on feature-length productions. And why not? It's very difficult to review a short film and not spoil it! I've been … Continue reading Short, Sweet and Screamy: “Huluween” Reviews
