Author: Derrick Murray

I’m on record for not being the biggest kaiju fan. There are some exceptions, “Godzilla Minus One” most notably, but most of the westernized versions of monsters and monster movies just don’t do it for me. Their biggest problem have always been extremely uninteresting characters, so a TV show primarily focused on those humans really isn’t in my wheelhouse. Nevertheless, “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” is a tale of two cities: one that has some really strong ideas and world building and the other that saddles them with often unlikeable characters at its core. Season 2 on the whole dials up…

“Blades of the Guardian” is pure, unadulterated martial arts action cinema that never lets up as soon as it begins. The choreography is stunning, with each battle feeling unique and exciting and constant, the clanging of swords and high wire flying so enthralling you forget why we’re here in the first place.

“How To Make a Killing” removes all sense of wit and whimsy that makes this satire of the rich and pursuit of wealth so intriguing, leaving it with very little commentary on its own framework and not really saying anything at all about the 1 Percenters it’s supposedly mocking.

“Redux Redux,” an inventive and fresh take on both multiverse storytelling and revenge thrillers. When we say we want original cinema, THIS is the kind of film we’re talking about. Emotionally intelligent, violent, and armed with an excellent premise…the kind of film that is full of surprises and an engaging grit that keeps you locked in until the final frame.

Every time I’m forced to interact with some kind of AI, I die a little inside. It is a technology forced upon us whether we want it or not, and outside of living off the grid completely, it has already become ubiquitous in both our personal and professional lives. Enter “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die,” a blunt force satire that extends Gore Verbinski’s ire beyond AI and includes pretty much all existing technology in his 10 year absence from Hollywood. What transpires is a deeply weird film that spouts its anger so directly and is so sprawling it becomes more “old…

In the age of AI slop and relentless streaming fodder, we’re often left saying things like “they just don’t make ’em like they used to!” A longing nostalgia for a simpler time when movies were just that – movies – meant to entertain and stay in their genre lane with no franchise IP being its only reason for existing. An ode to a bygone era almost to a fault, “Crime 101” is tried and true throwback crime thriller that channels the greats of Michael Mann and mid 90s cinema. That said, it sticks too close to its inspirations to stand…

“Undertone” is the scariest movie you will ever hear, viscerally overloading your eardrums with haunts that are sure to keep you up at night and evoke a physical reaction when you hear it again.

…a truly profound film and combined with its beautiful imagery, magnificent score and assured direction, “If I Go Will They Miss Me” is the first great film of the year.

After 10 days of movies, the Sundance Film Festival celebrates its final year in Park City, Utah. A bittersweet event, the longing memories of veteran festival goers was palpable. Many people traveled to venues they’ve been going to for decades for the final time, and it truly felt like a final farewell to a cherished and beloved event, one that bought so many people together and has solidified itself as an amplifier of independent cinema. Sundance moves to Boulder, CO to begin a new era of film and festival life next year. Only time will tell what the new city…

“The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist” is one of the best documentaries at Sundance and an absolute must see for everyone. It timely, urgent, and funny all in equal measure and is impossible to come away from without some kind of impact.