When a horror franchise reaches its sixth installment, expectations naturally shift. You generally aren’t expecting a reinvention of the wheel; you’re hoping for an effective spooky ride that respects the mythology and delivers a few memorable jolts. That was precisely my mindset heading into Insidious: Out of the Further.
The verdict? It was an enjoyable enough movie that didn’t blow my mind, but was merely satisfactory.
Continue reading
I sat down at AMC on August 6 to see Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and it came with a personal milestone: it was my first time watching a Tom Holland Spider-Man film. Going in without the direct theatrical baggage of his earlier trilogy gave the whole experience a fresh slate, and overall, I walked away genuinely impressed and thoroughly entertained.
Continue reading
If you know anything about my taste in cinema, you know that Robert Englund is royalty in my book. Wes Craven’s New Nightmare holds the top spot as my absolute favorite movie of all time, and I still have vivid, incredibly fond memories of sitting in a packed theater back in the day to watch Freddy vs. Jason. So when I saw Englund himself post about Pinocchio Unstrung on Facebook, I hesitated for zero seconds. Any chance to see a brand-new Robert Englund movie on the big screen in theaters is an immediate, non-negotiable ticket purchase for me.
Going into it, I expected campy fun, but I didn’t expect just how thoroughly entertained I’d be.
Continue reading
I finally made it out to my local AMC to catch Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey in Dolby Cinema, and after sitting with it for a bit, I’ve got some thoughts.
First off, let’s get the big verdict out of the way: it’s a great movie, and it really is something everyone should see at least once. When Nolan takes on a mythic story on this scale, the sheer ambition on screen demands to be witnessed in a theater setting.
That said, my experience came with a few interesting surprises—and a couple of caveats.
Continue reading
Every so often, a film comes along that doesn’t just entertain you—it quietens the noise of the modern world and completely resets your perspective.
Directors Barbara Miller and Philip Delaquis, along with Executive Producers Richard Gere and Oren Moverman, have delivered something truly extraordinary with Wisdom of Happiness: A Heart-to-Heart with the Dalai Lama.
Having watched my fair share of spiritual and philosophical documentaries over the years, I can say without hesitation that this is easily the most profound and impactful documentary I’ve ever seen featuring the Dalai Lama. I was so deeply moved by the experience that I immediately pre-ordered a digital copy the moment the credits rolled.
Continue reading
I am still recovering from a Saturday night at the theater, and honestly, my ribs might be bruised from laughing so hard. The Invite is an absolute riot.
Continue reading
If you know anything about my usual taste in movies, Young Washington isn’t typically the kind of film I’d see. Historical biopics can easily feel dry, stuffy, or like a glorified history lecture, so it’s usually a genre I skip. But I decided to give this one a shot anyway, and honestly, it completely exceeded my expectations.
Continue reading
There is a distinct, surreal kind of vertigo that comes with being a parent and sharing the defining pop culture touchstones of your own youth with your child. I vividly remember growing up in the mid-1990s, completely spellbound by a groundbreaking little movie called Toy Story and spending hours playing the tie-in video game on the Super Nintendo with my cousins. Fast forward to this past week, and my wife and I found ourselves walking into a theater—holding the hand of our own three-year-old son to see Toy Story 5. It is an incredibly cool, full-circle moment, even if it does make me feel incredibly old.
Continue reading
Let me preface this by saying I am completely burnt out on modern horror trailers. They either give away the entire plot in two minutes or compile every single jump scare into a neat little montage, leaving absolutely nothing for the actual theater experience.
So, when the buzz around Obsession started getting dangerously loud, I made a conscious choice to tune it out. I didn’t read the synopses. I didn’t look at the deep-dive theories. All I knew was that both hardcore horror fans and notoriously stiff critics were losing their minds over it. I watched just enough of the trailer—maybe thirty seconds—to confirm the vibes were immaculate, bought my ticket, and walked into the theater with absolutely zero expectations.
What I wound up watching completely shattered me.
Continue reading
When James Gunn’s Superman hit theaters last summer, it felt like a breath of fresh air. It was optimistic, colorful, and pointed toward a bright future for the new DC Universe (as I wrote in my review of the 2025 Superman movie). Naturally, I went into the new Supergirl movie wondering if we were going to get a carbon copy of that specific tone.
Instead, this film carves out a completely distinct identity—and it really works.
Continue reading