GASOLINE ALLEY
Devon Sawa plays Jimmy Jayne, a tattoo parlor owner with a cop’s instinct in his blood. When he becomes the main suspect in the brutal murder of three sex workers, he does the legwork detectives are ignoring.
Luke Wilson plays detective Freddy Vargas with a vigor and smartass attitude. It rings awkward most of the time, especially set against Sawa’s rebel do-gooder. Knowing Wilson’s abilities, I don’t blame this on him. As for Bruce Willis as Detective Freeman, if he is on-screen all of ten minutes, I’d be surprised. His name still has pull, despite the string of mediocre (and cop-centric) roles over the past few years. In truth, it could have been any actor.
Devon Sawa is a chameleon. Every role in the past few years, and there have been A LOT, Sawa has fully immersed himself. He’s just so good at what he does. Even surrounded by Wilson and Willis, there’s no denying Gasoline Alley is his vehicle. He’s a certified badass. I would love to see him in a Punisher reboot. I know, I know that sounds insane. But he’s got the chops for a franchise of that ilk.
Emotional revenge propels the script forward. Although, if I’m being honest, I found myself getting bored and distracted when Sawa wasn’t speaking. The film feels convoluted until the final 30 minutes, and then it’s an avalanche of violence. It’s almost videogame cliché. As a whole, Gasoline Alley feels long, but Sawa earns every single frame.
GASOLINE ALLEY
In Theaters, Digital, and On Demand February 25, 2022
Practical FX are gnarly. I actually exclaimed, “Oh F*ck!” as I caught my first glimpse of gore. Studio 666 is based on a story by Dave Grohl. Self-professed genre lover, the screenplay from Jeff Buhler and Rebecca Hughes is laced with profanity that you cannot help but smirk. It’s so over the top, ya gotta laugh. Beyond that, Studio 666 is pure horror-comedy gold.
Every member of the band brings their personality to the forefront. Grohl is hilarious. His unadulterated manic energy makes Studio 666 a goddamn freight train. That and the fact that it rocks. Grohl wrote an entire metal album for the film and we get to receive it with open ears. I have to say, if casting directors don’t use Dave in a plethora of upcoming acting projects, they are seriously missing out.
The tropes are abundant but always fun. The kills are gruesome and creative. Hands down, Studio 666 has a Top 10 of all-time chainsaw kill. Side note, Doritos must have a huge stake in the financing because the amount of chips featured and consumed is anything but inconspicuous. Studio 666 brings the giggles and the gore. Genre fans will go nuts for this film.
In 
*Originally posted during Fantasia 2021*
Zelda Adams as Izzy is so intriguing in her innocence and curiosity. Her journey from child to adult occurs before our eyes, whether we like it or not. Toby Poser, as Mom, is a force of nature. Often telling an entirely emotional story without words. Their chemistry is never forced. This is not always the case when a family works together. In the case of the Adams family, it’s their biggest strength. Their work is dark and that takes trust and guts. And allow me to assure you both are teeming in Hellbender, quite literally. There is one special effect in particular that blew me away. When you see it, you’ll know what I’m talking about.
It’s a mother-daughter relationship film that just so happens to center around a witchy heritage. Predictably, deceit under the guise of protection is bound to backfire. Hellbender is about a secret and sacred family history. But, it’s also about the power of the feminine and a slick takedown of any sort of patriarchal structure. The social commentary between the treatment of witches and any female, ever, is glaringly obvious, but no less genius. Hellbender is undoubtedly one of the most kick-ass films from this year’s festival. It’s no wonder it won Best Score and Best Actress (Zelda) in the CHEVAL NOIR AWARD FOR FEATURE FILMS. I cannot wait for Shudder audiences to join in their fandom.
With films like 
Kelvin Harrison Jr.
Peter Dinklage 
In 2012, I became friends with a couple who were both mechanical engineers at Boeing. I recall a conversation in which they nonchalantly explained that the only thing holding a Boeing aircraft together were some bolts, and the likelihood that a crash didn’t occur more often was surprising. Everyone in the room immediately hushed, and I think they got the hint that we were terrified by those statements, especially considering a vast number of our spouses traveled on a plane twice a week. In the new Netflix documentary 
The film uses heart-wrenching footage of recovered luggage and personal items, like small children’s shoes. Recreations show the viewer precisely what occurred based on the black box’s digital information. The film puts faces to those on board the two flights. We hear from family members about who they were. They each recall how they found out their loved ones had been on those planes. We see internal memos and hear from, you guessed it, former employees. It’s nothing less than stunning. 
KING KNIGHT
Committed coven leader Thorn is hiding a secret. How will his partner Willow and fellow coven members react when the truth comes to light? 
Writer-director 
Angela Sarafyan
In my humble opinion, horror must be enthralling to justify 2-hour runtime. Shudder’s latest original film, 
Michelle Krusiec
Trauma, the Catholic Church, politics, mental health, justice, and sexual abuse, 
The metaphor of a peloton is perfect. The lack of safety as Dave (mostly) rides alone represents every survivor who felt dismissed, who lived in fear, who kept it inside from childhood to adulthood. His unadulterated honesty and bravery connect people of all ages across the country. 
Episodes 1 -3
***Golden Nymph Jury Special Prize Winner – 2021 Monte-Carlo TV Festival***
Streaming Exclusively on Topic Beginning February 17th
Oscar® winner Jordan Peele disrupted and redefined modern horror with Get Out and then Us. Now, he reimagines the summer movie with a new pop nightmare: the expansive horror epic, Nope. 
The film reunites Peele with Oscar® winner Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out, Judas and the Black Messiah), who is joined by Keke Palmer (Hustlers, Alice) and Oscar® nominee Steven Yeun (Minari, Okja) as residents in a lonely gulch of inland California who bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery.
When a close-knit circle of private school friends attempts to request a makeup calculus test, things do not go as planned. Student Body flips the script, quite literally, on whatever genre you thought you were watching. In a film of consequences and crazies, surviving high school just became a lot harder.
Writer-director Lee Ann Kurr gives us two distinct genres by structuring the script as one half character development and the other half horror. The issue with the second half is pacing. The urgency is missing. There are 15 minutes between murders, a brief slump then the third. Then, it stops being cohesive at all. There’s an overall emphasis on safety. We know new locks and safety glass were installed as they make a point to highlight it over and over. Unfortunately, unless I missed it, there’s no president for the measure. As the generation who experienced Columbine, some of these details seem nonsensical. Bulletproof windows and roll-down gates, but no classroom locks from the inside?
Ghosts of the Ozarks
Torb and Lucille’s (
The Pact
The sets and costumes are sumptuous. The dialogue is delicious and poetic, possessing a gravitational pull that is undeniable. The film’s intentionally steady and emotional momentum works its magic on you. 
The Spine of Night stars an all-star cast of Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?), Lucy Lawless (“Xena: Warrior Princess”), Patton Oswalt (Young Adult), Betty Gabriel (Get Out), and Joe Manganiello (“True Blood”). The film was co-written and co-directed by Philip Gelatt and Morgan Galen King.
Boasting spectacular visuals alongside a riveting script from writer-director 
As Cosmic Dawn guru Elyse, 
Is this some extensive gaslighting or is Molly still experiencing PTSD from her previous loss? The marrying of these two concepts is here perfection. For Molly, the idea of sitting idly by will drive her mad. A slow-burn mystery with striking cinematography, Knocking will make your head spin. The use of a go-pro-style camera during a climactic confrontation puts you in the manic state of Molly’s brain. It’s a wildly effective choice. Cecilia Milocci‘s performance is truly compelling. You are right there with her on this tumultuous emotional journey. It’s absolutely award-worthy.
With generational tensions you can cut with a knife, the power struggle screams off the screen. The script is carefully curated, with Irish pagan history weaved into the narrative. The tug of war between protection and control makes for a thoroughly engrossing watch. Do not get comfortable with this script. You are in for some gruesome twists. The sound editing creates another layer of fright. Brimming with scary good performances, it is the turn from Carolyn Bracken that will chill you to your core.
Bodies Bodies Bodies
Linoleum
Bad Axe
The Cow
Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down
Bitch Ass
A Vanishing Fog (Colombia, Czech Republic, Norway)
DIO Dreamers Never Die
Sheryl
2nd Chance
61st Street
Awayy
All the Crows in the World (Hong Kong)
The Voice Actress (Japan, U.S.)
Warsha (Lebanon)
Long Line of Ladies
Angakuksajaujuq – The Shaman’s Apprentice (Canada)
Blink
Act of God
Before
I’m Here
Baby Tate – ‘Pedi’ / Director/Screenwriter: Norton
Lil Nas X – ‘Montero’ / Director: Tanu Muino
Don’t Breathe 2 Title Sequence / Company: Filmograph / Title Designer: Aaron Becker
WandaVision Main On End Title Sequence / Company: Perception / Creative Director: John LePore
(Hi)story of a Painting: The Light in the Shadow (United Kingdom)
Beatday – The Beginning – Mini VR Concert (Taiwan)
Madame Pirate: Becoming a Legend (Taiwan)
You must be logged in to post a comment.