Author: Bill Watters

Bill Watters is a child of the late 70s- he walked into a theater to watch Star Wars, and emerged to become a lifelong fan of cinema and television. Spending nearly a decade as a projectionist, he fell into the Silicon Valley dot-com boom and became a codemonkey for a range of game companies. These days he's a frequent speaker, moderator, and panelist at pop-culture events and conventions, as well as a prolific film and television critic and genre news writer. He is also a member critic of both the San Francisco Film Critics Circle and the Broadcast Film Critics Association. In addition to his writing, he is also a photojournalist and can be found on Getty Images.

In recent decades, there has been the ongoing effort in storytelling to help elevate fantasy-genre Princesses tropes towards saving themselves, rather than relying on a wayward Prince Charming. The results have been very hit-and-miss. Sometimes they are written so unbelievably modern as to be a disservice to the story. Other times it feels like just lip service. And there’s also the challenge that the fantasy genre itself has often struggled to stick the landing. With Netflix’s latest film, “Damsel,” we finally have a fantasy that is a genuinely entertaining and empowering, while at the same time making sense. Millie Bobby…

Read More
This entry is part 7 of 7 in the series Reviews

It’s been nearly two and a half years since writer/director Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s “Dune” released to strong acclaim from both audiences and critics (I gave it one of my highest ratings I’ve given any film in a long while—a 9.5 out of 10). “Dune: Part 2” is mostly worth the wait. “Dune” as a literary series remains one of the classic fiction works of all time, alongside Isaac Asimov’s “Foundation,” and J. R. R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings.” As such, it has long been espoused as one of those “impossible to translate to the screen”…

Read More

We are very sorry to report genre film and television actor Gary Graham has passed away. Familiar to generations of fans, he was known to many as Detective Matthew Sikes on “Alien Nation” the tv series, and as Ambassador Soval on “Star Trek: Enterprise.” Graham’s ex-wife, Susan Levelle, posted the following on Facebook: “It is with deep profound sadness to say that Gary Graham, my ex husband, amazing actor and father of our beautiful only child together, Haylee Graham, has passed away today. We are completely devastated especially our daughter Haley. His wife, Becky was by his side.I met Gary…

Read More

“Wonka,” in a nutshell, is the kind of comfort film with hope and optimism we rarely encounter anymore. It’s a prequel of sorts to the original 1971 Gene Wilder-led “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” It picks up with Wonka’s arrival in a town, sporting an array of the world’s most acclaimed chocolatiers, so that he can finally realize his lifelong dream of becoming the best among them. The vibe is part “Oliver!” (the ’68 musical version) and part the whimsical summer daydreams of “Chocolate Factory.” This film eschews the Tim Burton remake. This is a more psychedelic acid trip…

Read More

Writer/director Sean Durkin most surely has a knack dark and tense films. These tend to wind up as parables of warning rather than just telling a story. His third feature film, “The Iron Claw,” is dark and tense. It leans into being an “inspired by” tale of the ill-fated wrestling family, the Von Erichs. Fitzpatrick Jack Adkisson (Holt McCallany), a professional wrestler known as Fritz Von Erich, is the family’s fervent leader. Having built up a wrestling legacy himself, he manages a regional wrestling circuit around Texas. While not having won a national championship, he has burned his ambition to…

Read More

“Beacon 23” has quietly hit streaming services like Prime Video, MGM+, and SlingTV. Based on the series of short stories by “Silo” author Hugh Howey, the slow-burn sci-fi psychological thriller hasn’t gotten the marketing push of other shows. But as the season 1 finale approaches this Sunday, word of mouth is building. Set in the far future on a remote space outpost, Lena Headey (“Game of Thrones”) stars as Aster Calyx, who arrives at Beacon 23. The outpost is manned by the lone Halan Kai Nelson (Stephan James). As time passes and the mysteries surrounding the distant area of the…

Read More
This entry is part 6 of 7 in the series Reviews

With the nominal box office results emerging after the first weekend for “The Marvels,” the typical collection of The Sky is Falling on Disney clickbait emerged like clockwork. Their typical range of histrionics is at least tempered by their editors doing their best to mitigate their writers’ varying levels of misogyny and racism. Is “The Marvels” the standout entry of the tail end of the MCU’s Phase 4 thus far? Well, at the moment, that’s not a terribly high bar. It kind of depends on whether one prefers “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” or “The Marvels.” it’s straightforward enough…

Read More

No, this isn’t Comic Con or Burning Man- it’s something altogether different. Imagine living in your favorite cyberpunk video game or science fiction movie for 5 days. That’s exactly what Neotropolis, a festival in California, is offering. Part LARP, synthwave celebration, and desert campout, this event is ALL party. From the same team behind Wasteland Weekend, the event requires every single participant (that’s performers, vendors, volunteers and even visiting press) to be in thematically appropriate costumes. There’s also the age requirement; you must be 18 by the time the festival starts, April 24th-28th, 2024. “We’ve simply created the future we…

Read More
90
Review

Ever since the early 19th century, Edgar Allan Poe has captured the imagination of untold millions with his tales of suspense and horror. Unfortunately, while he remains one of the authors with the most film and television adaptations (along with the likes of William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, and Jane Austen), most of the attempts have been largely forgettable fare. Notable exceptions being several of Roger Corman’s 1960-1964 efforts. But in the midst of this 2023 Halloween season, Netflix’s limited series “The Fall of the House of Usher” is not only a breath of fresh air in being a very solid…

Read More

Fans were left shaken with HBO’s award-winning “Euphoria” season two finale, specifically with the fate of audience-favorite Fez, played by Angus Cloud. We are very sorry to report tragedy has struck in the real world, as Angus Cloud has passed away. No details have emerged on the specifics. A family statement has pointed towards a mental health crisis, caused by the recent loss of his father.”It is with the heaviest heart that we had to say goodbye to an incredible human today,” Cloud’s family said in a statement to TMZ. “As an artist, a friend, a brother and a son,…

Read More