If living in this world has taught us nothing else, it is that we have long learned that when those in power lie and manipulate facts, a serpent of deceit is born and slithers through our societies devouring what is true and fair.

“Collective” is a Romanian film that examines cutting through bullshit fed to the public by corrupt people in power in order to get to the facts and achieve justice.

“The Devil All the Time” is the excellent adaptation of the deliciously nasty and viciously grim novel from Donald Ray Pollock, who also narrates the film. This is the kind of southern pulp that grabs its audience by the hair and places them among the violent nature of its characters, all the while weaving a down-home gothic tale soaking in religiosity.

But this is far from the wistful

“There's no way to escape the fact that we've grown up in a violent culture, we can't get away from it, it's part of our heritage. I think part of it is that we have always felt somewhat helpless in the face of this vast continent. Helplessness is answered in many ways, but one of them is violence.”

Sam Shepard wrote those words which have become a potent mirror to our country’s mindset since its inception. They also become a

As a film critic there is nothing better than watching a stimulating film. Something that feeds the mind and gives you nights of discussion with fellow cinephiles were one can debate the symbolism or message of a certain work or filmmaker.

You know what else is great? watching a film that reminds you of the fun you’ve had as a kid or a teenager, a film that seeps into your memory and becomes a part of your

The new Netflix produced “Rebbeca” is a film haunted by the very present ghost of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1940 Oscar-winning namesake, also adapted from Daphne du Maurier’s 1938 gothic novel.

Armie Hammer, who is carving out an interesting career for himself and who can be great, is much too wooden in his portrayal of the dashing and wealthy heir Maxim de Winter.

Taiwanese director John Hsu’s first feature length film is a political statement disguised as a historical thriller tinged with moments of horror.

“Fanxiao” (“Detention” in the Mandarin original) is a compelling and generally effective hybrid that walks its characters through the hell of existing in a dystopian society while confronting the difficulties of their reality.

“Save Yourselves” is a blend of indie relationship comedy, social commentary, and sci-fi/horror that is a unique and quirky little pleasure to help get you through the chaotic year that is 2020. As Kyoshi Kurosawa did so well in his prophetic 2001 Japanese horror film “Kairo” (“Pulse”), this film warns against the dangers of disconnecting; from the world, from our families, and from ourselves. Too much internet, for whatever the reason, causes us to lose