The Blair Witch Project is one of the scariest films of all time because no matter how often I see it, I genuinely believe those characters’ lives are in danger. That sense of mortal dread is something both follow-ups fail…
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Science and medical documentaries exist to offer hope when hope is not available. I’ve often heard, “I didn’t know what to do until I saw this documentary.” Dagan W. Beckett’s documentary Beautiful Faces brings hope to parents of children who…
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The fire that Hank Williams Sr. set in the woods is still burning strong in the rip-roaring music documentary Rebel Country, directed by Francis Whately. It opens in Tennessee with a reenactment of country star Jelly Roll being led out…
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What happens when you run out of money? Where do you go? Who do you turn to? Now, ask yourself this. What happens when a city runs out of money? In Sam Katz and James McGovern’s documentary, Gradually, Then Suddenly,…
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Philip J. Cook returns to his science fiction roots with the independent film Ghost Planet. The film extensively uses computer-generated imagery to create most of its sets. While the writer-director has quite the history of making the most from little…
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NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON PRIME! Based on the first issue of the graphic novel, Pulp Modern: Die Laughing is a horror anthology with a twisted sense of humor. Directed by Scotch Rutherford, the anthology’s through line follows a KPLP DJ,…
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Summary The Inheritance sets up expectations but cleverly shifts gears from mystery to horror. The film takes unexpected turns, but suffers from weak character development and a flawed script. Despite the Victorian-era mansion's set design and cinematography creating a spooky…
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The modern horror film is missing a key ingredient that you seemed to always have in decades past—creepiness. Instead of taking your time and allowing dread and terror to hang around you, creeping inside of your brain, modern horror films…
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The Big Picture Rick Moranis is hilarious, but underused, leaving a gap in the movie's humor. The wonky CGI has a charm that appeals to the nostalgia for the time. Most of the humor in Ghostbusters falls flat and the…
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A lot of family moments happen around a couch. The couch is a great place for families to connect and discuss life’s ups and downs. But in Niclas Larsson’s new, beautifully crafted family drama, “Mother, Couch,” the sofa at the…
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For Prophet, a delightful satire written and directed by Mark Stewart Iverson, playfully pokes fun at the revered holiday classic It’s A Wonderful Life. The film opens with whimsical, nebulous beings engaging in a humorous discussion about human woes. Their…
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The Big Picture At under 80 minutes, The Outlaws is a lean Western tale of paranoia among a group of outlaws on a quest to find a thief. Committed performances from the cast add life to characters, but the storyline…
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