Popcorn Zombies

  By Michael Momper     Paul Schrader is the kind of filmmaker that makes theater-going worthwhile. In delivering intense moral quandaries and violently high stakes, he slowly puts the audience on edge and makes them squirm in their seats. His filmography is impressive, as he has co-written or written some of the greatest dramas of all time. Most notably, he has worked with Martin Scorsese on Taxi Driver, Raging Bull  and The Last Temptation of Christ. His writing has become known to focus on troubled and twisted characters; characters grappling with their own past and the horrors that they have committed or that they have witnessed at the hand of others. His vision is often one heavily doused in cynicism, highlighting a cruel and wicked world but showing the effects that we can have on those around us for both better and worse. Taxi Driver in particular is one of the greatest character studies in American cinema, and its portrayal of an incredibly tortured soul...

  By Michael Momper   ​ James Wan, creator of the  Saw  and  The Conjuring  franchises, has returned to his seat in the pantheon of great horror directors after a brief deviation with his direction of  Aquaman . His newest film,  Malignant , is equal parts horror and thriller, totally  bonkers, and a hell of a lot of fun. It is a rocky road at times, with some very campy and stilted dialogue throughout, but given its crazy 1980s horror vibes it is inoffensive enough to overlook. You can say a lot about this movie for better or worse, and it will no doubt be a divisive one, but one thing that is undeniable is its creativity. ​ To avoid spoilers, I can’t get too much into the plot because the  absolutely insane  twist in the back half of the movie is one that absolutely nobody will see coming. A proper suspension of belief is important for a story this ludicrous and fun, even though there are a few very frustrating  plot  ho...