franchise Archives - Page 3 of 36

Will Tron: Ares be Jared Leto’s Final Franchise Fumble?

How many successful film franchises are based on retro-classic video games? A couple that instantly come to mind are Super Mario Bros. and Sonic. I guess a better question to ask is how many successful film franchises have actually been… Continue Reading →

28 Years Later: Expectations, Reality and a Very Different Movie

I went into 28 Years Later expecting water. Clean, familiar, maybe a little stale from sitting out too long, but ultimately recognizable. I expected the cinematic equivalent of rehydration, something that would remind me why this series mattered, hit the… Continue Reading →

December 21, 2025

Wake Up Dead Man is Righteous Knives Out Sequel

I grew up around faith the way some people grow up around fire. It was always present, always framed as protective and always capable of doing real damage, depending on who was holding the match. I watched ordinary people gain… Continue Reading →

December 20, 2025

Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 Turns Up the Terror and the Lore

I sometimes wonder if the universe is trying to humble me. Maybe I have gotten too comfortable sleeping through the night without worrying about animatronic animals attempting to rearrange my spinal column. Maybe life has gotten too peaceful, too quiet,… Continue Reading →

December 4, 2025

Zootopia 2: A Smart Sequel About Prejudice, Truth and Trust

I have always been fascinated by the little snap judgments people make when they think no one is watching. Growing up, I saw it all the time. Someone would clutch their purse a little tighter when a stranger walked by,… Continue Reading →

December 1, 2025

Derry Welcomes IT’s Comparison to Stephen King’s Hometown

These days, it’s become incredibly difficult to separate the wheat (pop-culture gold) from the chaff (its divisive creator) because they’re eternally connected. Say what you will about his many hit-or-miss adaptations, Stephen King probably feels bulletproof, cranking out book after… Continue Reading →

November 4, 2025

V/H/S/Halloween: A Candy-Coated Nightmare

I have a deep love for anthology horror films. They remind me of digging into a trick-or-treat bag at the end of Halloween night: You dump it all out on the floor, not knowing what you are going to find…. Continue Reading →

October 24, 2025

Watching Superman as a Buddy Film

After watching Superman recently, my first thought was: Mr. Terrific > Supes. And that Krypto was the true hero of the film. But after I got those hot takes out of my system, I was thinking this wasn’t your average… Continue Reading →

September 29, 2025

Marvel Zombies Finally Rise Up!

Marvel Zombies definitely have a voracious appetite. Established at the end of 2005, the killer hunger of this undead menace has raged through more than 30 releases through almost 20 years via Marvel Comics. And now, just in time for… Continue Reading →

September 24, 2025

Virtual Blood, Real Hype: My First Fantastic Fest

For years I’ve read about Fantastic Fest like it was a secret clubhouse where horror, sci-fi, fantasy and general cinematic mayhem gathered under one Austin roof. This year, for the festival’s 20th anniversary, I finally get to step inside… sort… Continue Reading →

September 13, 2025

Geek Culture, Zombies... and Other Monsters

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