The Left isn’t processing the latest headlines well. Some are dreaming of drone strikes targeting former President Donald Trump. Others are eviscerating the Supreme Court for determining presidents have immunity for “official acts”…
I am one of the YouTube curmudgeons warning audiences about the politically correct takeover of my favorite fandoms. You can find articles on my website and essays on my vidcast raging against what is now known as woke. I’m not alone.…
Director Ti West and Mia Goth proved the perfect horror movie combo with “X” and “Pearl.” West’s retro vision wouldn’t work without someone as committed as Goth in front of the camera. She proved that in the first two films of his genre…
Kevin Costner isn’t a gambler by trade, but he went all in with “Horizon.” The “Yellowstone” alum sunk millions into a film he directed, co-wrote and co-starred in. He even dubbed the oater “An American Saga.” Audiences begged to differ.…
Eddie Murphy can dish it out … but can he take it? The “Saturday Night Live” superstar is still sore about a joke dating back to the Clinton era. The context? Murphy’s ill-fated “Vampire in Brooklyn” had underwhelmed at the box office that…
Joel and Ethan Coen’s “The Hudsucker Proxy” (1994) is the first true cult film of the Coen Brothers, whose run of extraordinary independent films revealed a duo capable of spinning any genre in a fresh direction. After the socko streak of…
Bill Maher is much more than a middling stand-up. Over the decades, Maher has become one of the most influential voices in American media. His journey from the comedy circuit to the arena of political discourse is a testament to his…
It’s one thing to read headlines about the pro-Palestinian protests raging across campuses nationwide. It’s another to watch a reporter attempt to share what’s happening on the ground. Cam Higby of Today Is America fame did just that,…
Kevin Costner’s “Horizon: An American Saga” is an enjoyable western and a chance for Costner, as star, director, co-writer and producer, to unabashedly share his love for the genre. It’s three hours and occasionally slow moving (until the…
Comedian Micheal Ian Black is Hollywood. By that, we mean the “Wet Hot American Summer” star’s Twitter feed is filled with the industry’s accepted takes on gun control, Donald Trump and other politically-charged issues. Even Black called…
The 2018 smash “A Quiet Place” left viewers with endless questions. Who are these alien creatures that conquered the Earth? How did they crush the collective might of the world’s military defenses? And, most importantly, why did they take…
It’s hard to believe a conservative star like Nick Searcy continues to work in Hollywood. He’s surprised, too. Searcy knows firsthand the discrimination right-leaning artists face in the industry. He was part of the Friends of Abe…
“Clear and Present Danger” (1994) felt like a middle chapter for director Phillip Noyce and star Harrison Ford. The film marked their second time adapting a Tom Clancy bestseller after the success of their “Patriot Games” (1992). Instead,…
A film festival known for bucking indie conventions is opening its doors to 2025 entries. Filmmakers can now submit titles for the 2025 Santa Monica Film Festival. The event, which just wrapped its 18th year, includes categories like…
Mike Rowe’s “Something to Stand For” is everything today’s pop culture isn’t. Sentimental. Patriotic. Sincere. Aspirational. It takes time to adjust to Rowe’s approach, one targeting heartland values sans apology. Yet even cynics will…
President Ronald Reagan knew pop culture better than his Republican predecessors. He lived it. The veteran actor worked within Hollywood for decades before ditching sound stages for stump speeches. President Donald Trump has a similar…
No one imitates Dr. Anthony Fauci quite like comedian Tyler Fischer. The “Lady Ballers” star went viral during the pandemic with his Fauci-isms. They proved good for business, even if some social media platforms didn’t take kindly to the…
A mysterious affliction has found its way into the minds of the masses. It’s called Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS), and according to Urban Dictionary—a well-known medical authority—it turns otherwise rational citizens into quivering…
Pablo Berger’s “Robot Dreams” made a name for itself on the festival circuit last year and wound up an Academy Award nominee for Best Animated Feature. Based on the 2007 comic by Sara Varon, this small but emotionally rich sleeper…
The runaway success of Disney’s “Inside Out 2” is a major story. Why? The sequel stopped the studio’s fiscal bleeding and reversed Hollywood’s sleepy summer box office. Corporate media journalists dutifully covered it, as well they should.…
Tim Burton’s “Batman” (1989) was such a monumental pop culture event, that it was easy for some to deem the film itself as an also-ran. Pop culture immersion aside, many critics didn’t embrace Burton’s film nor his take on the character…
Following Francis Ford Coppola’s highly touted “Megalopolis” premiering at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, I’d like to draw attention to my favorite Coppola film and one of his strangest works. “Youth Without Youth” (2007) is an…
M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Village” is now 20 years old and reflects on a family adage that is probably uttered a lot in the Shyamalan family: “The Sixth Sense” (1999) is a hard act to follow. Set in the Covington Woods at the turn of the…
Magatte Wade isn’t waiting for a handout. The Senegalese CEO knows how to lift citizens out of crushing poverty. It’s work, hard work, not blaming the echoes of slavery or colonization. “She Rises Up” introduces us to Wade and other women…
Sydney Sweeney’s rise to stardom has been nothing short of staggering. Her story is one of embracing her sexuality in an era where such confidence is often met with criticism, even opposition. Sweeney first captured the world’s attention…
There’s something about a motorcycle that transcends time. The not-so-subtle hum of the engine. The wind in your hair. The way women turn as a bike roars past. “The Bikeriders,” inspired by a photo book of a late ’60s motorcycle club, cops…
“Inside Out 2” gave Disney a rare win on the box office battlefield. The company, which oversees Pixar films, has suffered one megaflop after another in recent years. Now, its animated sequel could earn $100 million in its second weekend…
In 2021, Armie Hammer, once a prominent actor and a Hollywood hearthrob, found himself at the center of a controversy over accusations of cannibalism. During a recent podcast appearance, the 37-year-old confronted the claims that have…
Judd Apatow’s name was once synonymous with big-screen comedy. He directed instant classics (“Knocked Up”), produced howlers (“Superbad”) and co-wrote sleepers (“Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story”). Yet one film released in the fading…
Nicolas Cage’s “Longlegs” has already achieved a rare honor—a 100 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes—even before its U.S. premiere. Cage portrays a sadistic serial killer hunted by FBI agent Lee Harker (Maika Monroe). As Harker delves…