Familiar elements can be clichéd but also useful. Emphasize a particular trope too much and it becomes tired and tedious. Use a trope carefully, especially when connected to other tropes within a wider framework, and the various pieces can add up to a satisfying whole. The key aspect here is judicious treatment, ensuring that the…
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (“Gods of Egypt”) stars as Max, an insurance detective with a growing tumor in his brain. As part of one of his investigations, Max discovers a place called The Aurora, sort of a bespoke-assisted-suicide facilitator. The place seems outwardly helpful but maintains quite the mysterious aura. What method does one wish for one’s…
Forgive me if I have a “The Ten Commandments” flashback for a moment. The 1956 film (the last directed by the legendary Cecil B. DeMille) was one the the ultimate Biblical treatments to take place in Egypt. With Academy Award winners Charlton Heston (“Ben-Hur”) and Yul Brynner (“The King and I”), plus actors who should…
In choppy, frizzed, black and white video, Sally, a boisterous leader with a southern drawl asks, “Are you still an effective team?” Agreeably, the woman on the other end of the line, Victoria, responds with a nod and Sally labors forward with technical orders. But I too, can respond to this inquiry in agreement. Director…
If a horror film’s story is strong enough, then there is no need for it to resort to “cheap scream” techniques to manipulate the audience. A loud, closing door during a quiet period will elicit the same scream as will a figure walking by a window with a sudden, shrieking violin. There is no earthly…
In Joseph Kosinski’s Oblivion, the surface of the Earth is laid barren due to an alien invasion. Tom Cruise stars as Jack Harper, a soldier sent to the surface to do inspections, partially for a reinhabitation; partially for straggler cleanup. The trailer from Universal Pictures offers a glimpse to the vast, desolate world and to…
Feral girls, a mangled spectre and a creepy locale make for the setup of Guillermo del Toro’s latest horror film Mama. For it an international trailer was released today by Universal Pictures (complete with Spanish subtitles) and there are more than enough elements contained within to make one feel uncomfortable. Unfortunately, most of these elements…
