by Joshua WiederDirector Gore Verbinski is, to say the very least, an interesting fellow. Anyone who’s seen the first three Pirates of the Caribbean films, which become progressively stranger as the series goes on, can attest to his bizarre style. At World’s End, the third film in the series (and the last one he directed), … Continue reading →

by Joshua WiederBarry is director Vikram Gandhi’s second film, and his fledgling, amateur directorial tendencies draw attention to themselves quite glaringly in this two-hour coming-of-age biopic about a 20-year-old Barack Obama. In the interest of fictionalization, this film makes a concerted, but subtle effort to draw a distinction between the real man and this fictional … Continue reading →

by Joshua WiederYorgos Lanthimos’s latest film The Lobster is a peculiar specimen, to say the very least. The premise is exciting; in a dystopian universe, single individuals are forced to stay at “the hotel,” where they are given 45 days to find a romantic partner. If they don’t find a partner, they will be changed … Continue reading →

by Joshua Wieder10 Cloverfield Lane is a spiritual successor to the 2008 monster/kaiju film, Cloverfield, and it happens to be Director Dan Trachtenberg’s feature film debut. It should be pointed out, first and foremost, that 10 Cloverfield Lane shares essentially nothing in common with its namesake. The plot is entirely distinct, as are the characters, … Continue reading →

by Joshua WiederIf any doubt remained that the January doldrums has come round once more for us movie junkies, this release removed it. From director William Brent Bell (The Devil Inside), The Boy is really nothing short of insulting. By the end of the film’s only 97-minute runtime, the only relief from the tedious plot … Continue reading →