The definition of “epic” is a work of narrative art in an elevated style that recounts the deeds of a legendary or historical hero. Such a hero tends to be legendary because of the backdrop, their individual acts taking place within a context that shapes or reshapes the world. Therefore, a truly epic realization of…
2018’s “A Quiet Place” is a terrifically focused and tightly wound horror film, which uses silence interspersed with jump scares to create a thoroughly thrilling experience. How then to follow it up with a “Part II?” Writer-director John Krasinski does so by expanding the world of the first film while also maintaining the focus on…
There is a scene in Zack Snyder’s Justice League when one of the central superhero figures uses his superpowers for good. This may sound obvious, but it is notable that such use usually translates into beating up bad people, whether they be muggers, megalomaniacal crime bosses or genocidal aliens. This scene, however, involves helping someone…
H. P. Lovecraft, writer of weird and horror fiction, creator of Cthulu mythos and widely revered/reviled literary figure. Richard Stanley, director of “Incidents in an Expanding Universe,” “Hardware,” “Brave” and, originally, “The Island of Dr. Moreau” before powerful and irresistible forces wrested that particular beast from his grasp. Nicolas Cage, Oscar-winning actor, prolific performer, butt…
No doubt, Disney and Lucasfilm were faced with a monumental task by ending the Skywalker saga — the ninth film in a franchise that changed the course of filmmaking and introduced generations of viewers to freewheeling, space-opera arcs and settings. Inherent in that task: The risk of polarizing a temperamental fan base and bookending “Star…
WARNING: This review is very geeky. “Deep Space Nine” is the pariah, or even the “petaQ,” of the “Star Trek” franchise. It is regarded in fandom as a middle child between “The Next Generation” and “Voyager,” and is described by viewers and makers alike as the “darkest” entry of the franchise. More disparagingly, it has…
The special forces sub-genre combines elements of the cop, spy and soldier film, and is characterized by jargon, hardware, institutionalized yet independent characters and almost-but-not-quite overwhelming odds. Notable examples include “Tears of the Sun,” “Zero Dark Thirty,” “Triple Frontier” and “The Expendables” franchise. Given their practice of taking established generic traditions and infusing them with…
