“People are desperate to tell you who they are.” This lesson is one of many imparted to Stan (Bradley Cooper) in the first act of Nightmare Alley — the story of a rise and fall…
Neo-Noir
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“The past can haunt a man,” that’s what Hugh Jackman’s Nick Bannister utters as Reminiscence — Westworld co-creator Lisa Joy’s feature directorial debut — sets itself in motion in its opening scene, soaring above a water-drowned, near-future…
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Growing up, there was a time in my life where only one book series truly mattered: Goosebumps. And within R.L. Stine’s nearly infinite list of book titles was a particularly special set of books, the…
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ReviewsThriller
‘Disappearance at Clifton Hill’ Takes the Unreliable Narrator Up a Notch
by Nick Kushby Nick KushI like to think I’m a fan of most film genres, but there’s something about a taut mystery that is extra exciting. Disappearance at Clifton Hill channels a lot of what makes the genre great, trapping…
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Retrospectives
Is Scorsese’s ‘Shutter Island’ More Than Its Divisive Twist?
by Olivia Hillby Olivia HillIt’s been 10 years since the release of Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island and hence, 10 years since I was totally enthralled and disturbed by it as a 14-year-old. When I first heard the film’s ominous…
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Retrospectives
November 2019: Thankfully, Ridley Scott’s ‘Blade Runner’ Was Wrong
by Kali Tuttleby Kali TuttleBlade Runner (1982) sure had a bleak view of what November 2019 would look like. Then again, that’s what neo-noir science fiction tends to do. Thankfully, Ridley Scott’s dark version of the future is far from…
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Reviews
Do You Know the Way to Shell Beach?: ‘Dark City’ and the Dangers of Nostalgia
by David Oberby David OberOver twenty years ago, Dark City, Alex Proyas’ follow-up to The Crow, dropped into theaters only to be quietly, ignominiously shuffled out. On its opening weekend, Dark City came in fourth, beaten by not only…
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From the Illuminati to backmasked satanic messages on Led Zep albums, the world has always loved a good conspiracy theory. And (no) thanks to the success of pundits like Rush Limbaugh and Alex Jones, we’re…
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A Simple Favor, released last month, is a bizarre cocktail of murder, mystery, and a sexy, suave elegance. Although it’s not a perfect film, its themes harken back to the style of a bygone era…