Published in Cinapse·PinnedTop 10 2021 Films to Make You More Empathetic“Movies are the most powerful empathy machine in all the arts.” — Roger Ebert — Empathy — the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. There’s simply no art form quite like a movie. From playful children’s comedies to bracing meditations on death and dying, the format contains multitudes and can take us places few other mediums can. Giant sci-fi epics can make…Features12 min read
Published in Cinapse·PinnedTop 10 Action Films of 2021A great year for redemptive action — Another year, another sampling of the freshest action cinema the planet had to offer. My lists tend to eschew four quadrant blockbusters which neither need the attention nor, in my estimation, are quite pure-blooded action films. It’s also worth noting that the United States of America isn’t the only place…Top 109 min read
Published in Cinapse·Jun 5THE CONTRACTOR: Top Notch Thriller Exposes Stark Reality for Former SoldiersChris Pine and Ben Foster: forever blue collar Americans with their backs against the wall — I spend a fair amount of my time thinking about the value of a single human life. Working at Community First! Village in Austin, TX, where we provide permanent supportive housing for the formerly chronically homeless, I work day to day alongside people who’ve been chewed up and spit out…The Contractor6 min read
Published in Cinapse·Jun 4THE UNTOUCHABLES Go Toe-To-Toe With Al Capone in 4K UHDDe Palma’s Prohibition era cops & gangsters classic hits hard & looks great — My experience of, and appreciation for, Brian De Palma’s 1987 hit The Untouchables all revolve around one central truth of the film, which is that it is absolutely iconic. This is one I grew up with; visiting the film many times through many different stages of my own life. I’ll…The Untouchables6 min read
Published in Cinapse·May 20VIOLENT CITY (1970) Blu Review: A Grimy Charles Bronson Eurocrime Hitman TaleBronson is, indeed, loose! — Jeff (Charles Bronson) and Vanessa (Jill Ireland) appear to have it all in the opening frames of Sergio Sollima’s hitman revenge tale Violent City. Cruising around on a boat, lounging in the sun, and longingly disrobing one another. But someone is watching, and soon a classically styled old school car…Violent City4 min read
Published in Cinapse·May 14SHAWSCOPE VOL. 1: DIRTY HO Cinapse Roundtable ReviewsThe team & guests cover Shaw Brothers classics from Arrow Video’s Blu-ray box set! — Cinapse has always been, and will always be, about cinematic discovery and discussion. Our Shawscope Volume One: Round Table Reviews column is, therefore, a watch project allowing our team, and guests, to work our way through this phenomenal 12 film Blu-ray box set from Arrow Video. These capsule reviews from…Dirty Ho8 min read
Published in Cinapse·May 8SHAWSCOPE VOL. 1: HEROES OF THE EAST Cinapse Roundtable ReviewsThe team & guests cover Shaw Brothers classics from Arrow Video’s Blu-ray box set! — Cinapse has always been, and will always be, about cinematic discovery and discussion. Our Shawscope Volume One: Round Table Reviews column is, therefore, a watch project allowing our team, and guests, to work our way through this phenomenal 12 film Blu-ray box set from Arrow Video. These capsule reviews from…Heroes Of The East6 min read
Published in Cinapse·Apr 27SHAWSCOPE VOL. 1: CRIPPLED AVENGERS Cinapse Roundtable ReviewsThe team & guests cover Shaw Brothers classics from Arrow Video’s Blu-ray box set! — Cinapse has always been, and will always be, about cinematic discovery and discussion. Our Shawscope Volume One: Round Table Reviews column is, therefore, a watch project allowing our team, and guests, to work our way through this phenomenal 12 film Blu-ray box set from Arrow Video. These capsule reviews from…Crippled Avengers9 min read
Published in Cinapse·Apr 22THE PIZZAGATE MASSACRE Embeds You in an American Horror ShowA down and dirty indie feature — Not so much alluding to far right conspiracy theories or referencing them via metaphor, John Valley’s indie feature The Pizzagate Massacre plunges the viewer right into the fray of this modern and chaotic stew of militias, murder, and mania. Our avatar character whose journey embeds us into this bizarre world…The Pizzagate Massacre4 min read
Published in Cinapse·Apr 21SHAWSCOPE VOL. 1: THE FIVE VENOMS Cinapse Roundtable ReviewsThe team & guests cover Shaw Brothers classics from Arrow Video’s Blu-ray box set! — Cinapse has always been, and will always be, about cinematic discovery and discussion. Our Shawscope Volume One: Round Table Reviews column is, therefore, a watch project allowing our team, and guests, to work our way through this phenomenal 12 film Blu-ray box set from Arrow Video. These capsule reviews from…The Five Venoms7 min read
