Blonde Baddies: The devil is alive and wrapped around Barbara Stanwyck’s ankle
by Ryan Silberstein, Managing Editor, Red Herring
And after watching a few Stanwyck noirs, I fully believe that if the devil was real, he’d fall for her too
MUSIC BY JOHN WILLIAMS highlights the work of a living icon
by Ryan Silberstein, Managing Editor, Red Herring
Two notes (Jaws). Five notes (Close Encounters of the Third Kind). John Williams’ work is so iconic that you can likely hear the exact notes being referenced here, whether you want to or not.
HERE takes a big swing, but its understanding of America is out of touch
by Ryan Silberstein, Managing Editor, Red Herring
It would be accurate to call Here a gimmick movie, as the film is essentially one static shot of the same place over the course of Earth’s history through the present–with a heavy emphasis on the residents of a house built on the spot in the early 20th century.
LET'S START A CULT is a smell step for Stavros Halkias' movie career
Let’s Start a Cult is a comedy that misses the mark but could be a small step towards better things from Stavros Halkias down the line.
Read MoreVENOM: THE LAST DANCE is a shaggy, fun conclusion to this oddball trilogy
by Ryan Silberstein, Managing Editor, Red Herring
While Venom: The Last Dance feels like it might buckle under all of its various plot appendages, the core relationship between Venom and Eddie remains engaging and fun enough to enjoy the ride.
Impressively shallow MY NAME IS ALFRED HITCHCOCK is neither illuminating or insightful
by Ryan Silberstein, Managing Editor, Red Herring
My Name is Alfred Hitchcock is frankly an embarrassing exercise when taken as a whole, offering baffling choices and severely limited in its outlook.
CONCLAVE tarnishes its measured approach with a rushed, busy, final act
by Ryan Silberstein, Managing Editor, Red Herring
After a steady, thoughtful first two acts, Conclave takes its focus off the characters and the ideologies at play within the Sistine Chapel, an error compounded by the rushed nature of the film’s final twist.
Ghouls Week: DEATHDREAM connects the origins of modern horror to Vietnam veterans
by Ryan Silberstein, Managing Editor, Red Herring
Bob Clark’s Dead of Night–later retitled to the more familiar Deathdream–reinterprets the vampire myth and transposes it to Vietnam War-era America.
PIECE BY PIECE embraces Pharrell Williams’ worldview and Lego to capture creativity
by Ryan Silberstein, Managing Editor, Red Herring
Where the film shines is in its expressions of Williams’ creativity and the emotions he puts into his music.
In just twelve minutes, TEA perfectly balances empathy and comedy
by Ryan Silberstein, Managing Editor, Red Herring
If Tea was any longer, I’m not sure I would have been able to make it through it, because this short film packs so much relatable feeling into its 12-minute run time that I found myself extremely moved.
Ghost Week: The living ghosts of DON’T LOOK NOW and PERSONAL SHOPPER
by Ryan Silberstein, Managing Editor, Red Herring
What would it mean if we could receive messages through the veil? Nicholas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now (1973) and Olivier Assayas’ Personal Shopper (2016) both approach grieving from this angle but with different tones.
Ambitious, idiosyncratic, and moving: MEGALOPOLIS is my new Roman Empire
by Ryan Silberstein, Managing Editor, Red Herring
Megalopolis deserves to be considered in conversation with The Godfather and Apocalypse Now not just as explorations of the American Empire, but as proof to the power of cinema to convey the nuance and complexity that shapes the human experience itself.
Coppola Week: A Man and his dream – Coppola in the 80s
by Ryan Silberstein, Managing Editor, Red Herring
This week, in honor of the wide release of Megalopolis, MovieJawn is looking back at some of Francis Ford Coppola’s lesser-discussed work. No Godfathers, Conversations, or Apocalypses right Now.
Read MoreTRANSFORMERS: ONE truly offers more than meets the eye
by Ryan Silberstein, Managing Editor, Red Herring
While Transformers is often a self-serious toy franchise, this film finds a good balance between giving the story proper weight and allowing for enough comedy to emphasize that these toy movies are supposed to be fun.
THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE perfectly exemplifies Reagan’s America
by Ryan Silberstein, Managing Editor, Red Herring
All of this audaciousness comes about simply because the people hired to make this movie did their best to tell an interesting and engaging story in spite of the hardline toy sales-based mandate of their corporate masters.
ALIEN: ROMULUS feels like ALIEN: THE RIDE
by Ryan Silberstein, Managing Editor, Red Herring
Alien: Romulus feels like it was engineered in a lab from the parts of the previous Alien films, but it is a relentless thrill machine.
Action Countdown #3: Shot composition and music are the secret weapons of MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
by Ryan Silberstein, Managing Editor, Red Herring
Everything in Mad Max: Fury Road is a symphony, and the action sings its part with resounding clarity.
DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE ends a universe with a big sticky load of fan service
by Ryan Silberstein, Managing Editor, Red Herring
Deadpool and Wolverine is a eulogy for the non-MCU Marvel movies, mostly from the era at Fox that made the X-Men franchise, Daredevil, and three Fantastic Four movies.
As the first Millennial blockbuster, TWISTERS reminds us it is not too late
by Ryan Silberstein, Managing Editor, Red Herring
Twisters places its characters in classic disaster situations, where awe of nature’s power is quickly replaced by terror.
Action Countdown #23: JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 is a kinetic opera
by Ryan Silberstein, Managing Editor, Red Herring
Each action sequence tells its own story, with rise, fall, and climax giving a sense of progression while also being extremely thrilling.