Author: Rob Dean

Despite directing 15 movies over the last three decades, Paul W.S. Anderson still doesn’t know his weaknesses as a filmmaker — or if he does, he simply doesn’t care. The same issues that have plagued his previous films continue to be a problem with each new project, with no signs of changing anytime soon. To be fair to Anderson, while his work has mostly been critically panned, it remains popular among many moviegoers and usually makes a profit for the studio. The critics might not like him, but his fans clearly enjoy what he does, so why fix what isn’t…

There have been many scandalous films that defy basic morality by indulging in tacit endorsements of violence, animal cruelty, racism, misogyny and other things that are tough to watch as a viewer. “Songbird” is a morally reprehensible film along these same lines that has no real saving grace beyond the occasional good shot by cinematographer Jacques Jouffret, a few decent tracks in an otherwise mediocre score by Lorne Balfe, and performances by actors (who should honestly know better than this) trying their best with awful material. It achieves the bare minimum by being professionally edited, sufficiently lit and correctly framed.…

Despite being totally grounded in reality, “Nomadland” is a film filled with ghosts. From the opening screed about the collapse of a company town to the closing credits, the story is permeated with the specters of the past. There are the dead relatives and spouses that cling on to the various travelers, and the decomposing American dream that has left so many people behind while providing massive economic growth for a few. Even the lure of exploring the frontier haunts every frame of this movie. Writer/director Chloé Zhao has created a gorgeous film that looks into a world of forgotten…

“The Mandalorian” is easily the best piece of “Star Wars” content that has been made since Disney acquired the property from George Lucas, with the exception of the new Marvel comics. That’s hardly a controversial statement given the incredibly varying degrees of praise and scorn that the latest movies have received. At best, each new cinematic entry in the “Star Wars” franchise is a mixed bag, with some having more strengths than others, as well as their share of passionate proselytizers and venomous detractors. “The Mandalorian,” meanwhile, has been embraced by all types and tiers of viewers, spawning widespread accolades…

The early ‘80s heyday of slasher films produced dozens of titles that have become staples of pop culture, beloved cult classics and rightly forgotten duds. But due to that excess, it became harder to reproduce later as plots were exhausted and audiences grew tired of the formulaic approach. 1996’s “Scream” added a meta-textual element to slashers that paved the way for a mini-resurgence with some enjoyable (if immemorable) movies that featured beautiful people from various WB and UPN teen dramas. As the kids who were raised on these early slasher films because filmmakers themselves, there have been more attempts to…

Finding where one belongs seems like it should only be a high school issue, but in reality, it’s a lifelong endeavor as locations change, needs and desires are refined, and opinions and tastes evolve. This is the allure of fringe groups because they’re places where people feel embraced, not in spite of their quirks but because of them. This source of social acceptance ranges from the relatively benign (e.g., enthusiastic fandoms) to the exceptionally dangerous (e.g., hate groups), but it stems from the same drive that most people feel their entire lives — a need to feel at home with…

Making a good sequel is hard, and it’s arguably even harder when it comes to comedy, as the filmmakers must find new ways to do similar types of humor without simply recycling the exact same routines. 2006’s “Borat” was a pop culture watershed that seemed omnipresent — it was lucrative, critically hailed and led to an epidemic of impressions. The movie was reliant on Sacha Baron Cohen’s outsized character interacting with non-actors in real settings. So, the question surrounding his newest film is whether Cohen is able to create a comedy sequel 14 years later that doesn’t feel like a…

It’s a well-known position that the opposite of love isn’t hate but indifference. Hate and love both involve passion and focus on a particular thing (a person, a group, etc.) that inspires some sort of action or deep feeling. Therefore, the inverse of that is pure apathy, which is why the kind of fine but forgettable, moderately well-crafted but ultimately unengaging films are the worst. There’s certainly a place for movies like “Honest Thief” — the type that follow obvious plots and use all the basic tropes that are best enjoyed on a lazy Sunday afternoon — but they’re often…

It was around the second time that Robert De Niro accidentally flashes his genitals to his son-in-law (Rob Riggle) in “The War With Grandpa” that the question of phases in acting careers became more pressing. Some actors are able to balance comedic roles with dramatic ones, while others use their comedy past to lure viewers into a false sense of security before revealing their tragic or dark layers to powerful effect. There also exists a large group of established stars who use their gravitas and years of dramatic performances to serve as the basis for their comedy. This group includes…

Nobody is a villain in their own story — it’s a phrase that best describes the idea that most people believe their actions are justified or will lead to something beneficial. But best intentions don’t always lead to good results. It’s clear throughout “Antebellum” that writers/directors Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz meant for their movie to be a bold statement that would provoke conversations and examine societal issues in a powerful manner. This is a noble goal, but the problem with “Antebellum” is that the subject matter is so poorly executed that it becomes more detrimental and possibly leads to…