From an underground enigma in 2010 to a social media icon at the forefront of an evolving genre of music, it comes as no surprise that Abel Tesfaye’s (better known as The Weeknd) 2013 release of “Kiss Land” came with much anticipation and higher expectations. As his fourth album followed by mixtapes, “House of Balloons,”…
Note: Staff writer Maureen Mierke contributed. It was bound to happen sooner or later. Unfortunately, it had to happen to you. That’s the nature of Friday the 13th —bad luck, supernatural occurrences, serial killers… Fun times. Today, it pays to be a little superstitious and as long as you don’t end up dying “Final Destination” style,…
Director Park Chan-wook enters new territory in his first English language film, “Stoker.” The concept behind “Stoker” (charming, elusive relative + deadly family secrets = mystery & intrigue) draws audience attention, and with the previous festival success of Chan-wook’s “Old Boy” (2003), we had high expectations. Unfortunately, the overall predictability and shoddy execution of the film…
Haunting, drawling and blatantly emotive, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club smoothly reinserts themselves into the musical spotlight with the release of their seventh album, “Specter at the Feast.” The album evokes not only an audible sense of grief, anger and spiritual catharsis, but also displays the ongoing maturity of the band’s notable sound and style. The…
So much for spoiler warnings. Based 0n the book by the same name, comedic horror movie “John Dies at the End” inevitably dissolves into the stoner/sci-fi medley the title implies. But somehow it’s peculiarly enjoyable. David Wong (Chase Williamson) is a sarcastic skeptic with a chronic case of stank face. His buddy John (Rob Mayes),…
The short film is an underrated treasure. Shoving the same amount of originality and visual aestheticism into films one-third the length (if not less) of the average, commercial movie requires a completely different level of story-telling ingenuity. And when it comes to the world of entertainment, there’s nothing better than an excellent story. Competing for…
The 1930s, though a pivotal and transitional era in American history, are seldom reveled as a blithe, romantic decade in the world of film. Gangster movies, raging war films and sweeping, powerful dramas tend to dominate when it comes to portraying the ’30s. However, British director Roger Michell took a different perspective on the era…
Paying homage to the extensive world of video games past and present, “Wreck-It Ralph” is a true contender for most original animated film of the year. “Wreck-It Ralph” leads with an animated short appropriately named “Paperman,” an affectionately contrived boy-meets-girl tale that masterfully mixes CG with hand-drawn animation. Drawn in black-and-white, ‘Paperman’ evokes the magic…
Sporadically ridiculous and comically dark, “Seven Psychopaths” is a work of satirical ingenuity with surprising depth that aims for the jugular of the Hollywood movie machine. However, audiences may find that the bouts of absurdity in the film distract from its desire to give reflective commentary. Marty (Colin Farrell) is a screenwriter struggling with writer’s block…
Based on the stage play “Juicy and Delicious” by Lucy Alibar, “Beasts of the Southern Wild” is an existential, cinematic poem that deftly weaves the fantastic within a harsh reality. The film translates smoothly to the screen with the direction of Benh Zeitlin and the talent of an extraordinary cast. Hushpuppy (Quvenzhane Wallis) is a…
