12 Jan 2026

Rabid, Run: “Primate,” “Is This Thing On?”, and “Father Mother Sister Brother”

By Mike Schulz

One can only hope that director/co-writer Johannes Roberts' Primate remains the worst 2026 horror flick to feature a previous Oscar winner. It should be said, however, that Troy Kotsur, who earned a deserved Best Supporting Actor trophy for 2021's CODA, is the finest thing that could've happened to a dopey, rather repugnant shocker about a chimp gone ape.

05 Jan 2026

Robbed Zombies: “We Bury the Dead” and “The Secret Agent”

By Mike Schulz

As has become a common ritual, the first weekend of the new year brought with it a low-budget horror movie. Unlike releases of the M3GAN/Night Swim variety, however, this most recent release doesn't appear all that interested in being a horror movie – which is largely to its credit.

03 Jan 2026

Mississippi Quiver: Reminiscences on the 2025 Movie Year

By Mike Schulz

Thanks for turning my favorite movie of the year – of many, many years – into the financial, cultural, and awards-season behemoth it's become.

28 Dec 2025

Up a Creek with a Paddle: “Marty Supreme,” “Song Sung Blue,” and “Anaconda”

By Mike Schulz

I found this latest showcase for “hilarious” abhorrent behavior grossly self-satisfied and almost unfailingly obnoxious. The opening credits, though, are a hoot.

20 Dec 2025

Pandora Express: “Avatar: Fire & Ash” and “The Housemaid”

By Mike Schulz

James Cameron can always be counted on to deliver visual wonders the likes of which we've never seen before. No, wait: I take that back. I meant to say that James Cameron could always be counted on to deliver visual wonders the likes of which we've never seen before.

14 Dec 2025

You're Gonna Fake It After All: “Ella McCay,” “Silent Night, Deadly Night,” and “Oh. What. Fun.”

By Mike Schulz

James L. Brooks' first feature since 2010's How Do You Know isn't the worst picture of 2025. It's quite possibly the strangest, though, and suggests that not only has Brooks not made a film in 15 years, but perhaps hasn't seen a film in 15 years.

08 Dec 2025

Grief Encounter: “Hamnet,” “Jay Kelly,” “Merrily We Roll Along,” “Fackham Hall,” and “Five Nights at Freddy's 2”

By Mike Schulz

Although the film is anchored by a ferocious Jessie Buckley and a frequently moving Paul Mescal, it might be impossible, after seeing director/co-writer Chloé Zhao's Hamnet, to reflect on the movie without the face of its titular portrayer coming instantly to mind, and potentially making you well up all over again.

01 Dec 2025

Pulpit Fiction: “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery,” “Sentimental Value,” “Eternity,” and “Zootopia 2”

By Mike Schulz

While Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is fun, it's mildly underwhelming fun – like that three-minute roller-coaster ride you realize wasn't worth the half-hour you waited in line for it.

22 Nov 2025

Grande Dame: “Wicked: For Good,” “Rental Family,” and “Train Dreams”

By Mike Schulz

The only real reason to see this musical continuation is Ariana Grande, who deepens her portrayal of Glinda (née Galinda) to such a degree that both the character and the performer feel remarkably fresh, almost as though we're meeting them for the first time.

17 Nov 2025

Dispatch Me If You Can: “The Running Man,” “Now You See Me: Now You Don't,” “Keeper,” “Nouvelle Vague,” “Being Eddie,” and “The Perfect Neighbor”

By Mike Schulz

This opinion may seem counterintuitive, or even downright crazy. But I found director/co-writer Edgar Wright's The Running Man, a violent, profanity-laden dystopian thriller based on a Stephen King novel … kind of adorable.

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