Suspenseful horror abounds in “Heretic”

The co-writers of “The Quiet Place,” Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, bring you an exciting thriller/horror inside the head of a well-mannered creep, or at least in his house. A24 did it again, making a suspenseful “horror” movie with “Heretic.” I personally won’t call it a horror movie because there aren’t many jump-scares and it’s not gore/torture porn like your average modern horror movie. The movie follows two girls who are part of the Mormon church knocking door to door till they arrive at Mr. Reed’s door, played by Hugh Grant. The lesson we can all learn from the trailer…

Salem’s Lot (2024): Mid on Max

In the day and age of studio tax write-offs, “Salem’s Lot” was lucky to see the light of day at all. Filmed five years ago, and sat on by Warner Brothers for a couple of years, the film adaptation of Stephen King’s1978 novel finally released on Max just in time for Halloween.  Fans of the book will tune in to see if it is a faithful adaptation, but as with most movies based on the written word, adaptation can prove to be tough. The film suffers from pacing and editing issues galore. The film’s director, Gary Dauberman, claims he had…

A cinematic journey through Chicano culture and spirituality

“Bless me, Ultima” (2013)is an emotional and powerful film adaptation of Rudolfo Anaya’s beloved novel directed by Carl Franklin. As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, this film stands out as a touching exploration of cultural identity, spiritual growth, and a clash between Indigenous tradition and European religion. Set in New Mexico during World War II, “Bless me, Ultima” follows young character Antonio Márez y Luna (Luke Ganalon), a young Chicano boy who is coming of age in a world where ancient traditions and modern influences intersect. His life changes dramatically when Ultima (Míriam Colón), a curandera(healer) with deep mystical wisdom,…

“Inside Out 2” the importance of emotional intelligence

“Inside Out 2” continues its emotional exploration into the mind of young Riley, as she navigates the complexity of being a teenager. The film follows Riley as she and her friends take on a summer hockey camp before they enter their freshman year in high school. Puberty comes in overnight and puts Riley’s brain under construction – making room for some new emotions. Envy, Anxiety, Embarrassment, and Ennui come in and make themselves at home while the original emotions, Joy, Sadness, Disgust and Anger, struggle to adapt to their new roommates. We are taken on a wild ride through Riley’s…

Honoring female filmmakers who helped shaped the film industry behind the scenes

The film industry, like many others, is male dominated. That is not to say that women haven’t played an important role in it throughout its history. There have been, and continues to be, incredible women who play a major part in making great films.   Many of these women find success behind the scenes in critical filmmaking roles. There are many amazing female writers, costumers, and editors in film. While they aren’t necessarily common household names, they work alongside male directors that you would likely recognize.  Even the iconic director Martin Scorsese has had the same female editor, Thelma Schoonmaker, since…

Return of the rom-zom-com

Valentine’s Day and romantic comedies, much like a couple in love, go hand in hand. This month’s new release, Lisa Frankenstein, takes the best things about the beloved genre and gives it a healthy dose of horror. The new film marks the feature length debut of director Zelda Williams, daughter of the late actor and comedian Robin Williams. Taking inspiration from classic horror films as well as the candy-colored comedy staples of the 1980’s, the film tells the story of a teenage girl and her newly resurrected zombie boyfriend.  In honor of this new release, I decided to reach out…

‘Ghostbusters’ is a call worth making

 ho you gonna call? I’m gonna call my mom because this movie hit all the soft spots in my heart.  If you didn’t grow up with the original 1984 “Ghostbusters” directed by Ivan Reitman, that’s OK. But if you did and you have not gone to see the new “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” directed by Jason Reitman, son of Ivan Reitman, in Mushu’s words, “Dishonor! Dishonor on you, dishonor on your cow…” because when you think about a Ghostbusters reboot you think of the all-female version we don’t all like to talk about, well it’s like it never happened. And I get…

‘Resident Evil’ film is a waste of time

 At one hour and 47 minutes, “Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City,” is a freaking dumpster fire. The movie tries to be its own separate thing from the original games with Easter eggs to the games sprinkled here and there, like the healing spray from the first “Resident Evil” game, and the different keys with the spade, clover, heart, and diamond. But the characters and plot are all over the place, and the characters feel like cardboard cutouts of wannabe bad asses.  The main character, Leon Kennedy ( played by Avan Jogia ), is made to be a total loser…

‘Ron’s Gone Wrong’ is everything that is right

 “Ron’s Gone Wrong” is a charming movie featuring a boy and his new friend robot. This movie first shows how kids can quickly become addicted to technology especially when a new B-Bot is introduced to be their new best friend. This little robot follows each child around and shares their whole life with the internet. Barney, the main character, at first can’t get one but his father eventually is able to acquire a broken one from a sketchy man in a back alley. When Barney first accesses the B-Bot you can immediately tell he has all sorts of errors.  As…

Myers seeks revenge in “Halloween Kills”

“Cult classic or reboot regret?” may be a question Halloween fans are asking themselves after viewing the latest movie in the Halloween franchise that started 40 years ago. To start off, it would not make sense at all without a small clarification — movies made from 1981 to 2009 never happened. At least not in this storyline, directed by David Gordan Green and scripted alongside Scott Teems and Danny McBride.. Jamie Lee Curtis returns as Laurie Strode, Michael Myer’s (aka The Shape) lone survivor from the babysitter murders in the 1978 “Halloween” film but taking place 20 years from the…