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I have mentioned this film a number of times in my journeys, primarily because of the stranglehold the concept of it has had on me. Needless to say, I finally got around to it (so I can get a good grade). I was not only mesmerized and unable to peel my eyes off the screen, but my expectations as a whole were completely shattered, in the best way possible. The Holy Mountain follows a thief, cleverly dressed as Jesus Christ, venturing through a heightened reality filled with re

Now, allow me to guide you through my descent of horror over the past week or so. I truly didn’t expect myself to go as deep as I went, as fast as I went, but hey, here we are. I started off easy, with my yearly rewatch of the Wes Craven classic, Scream (1996). Every year I make an effort to sit down and watch this one, especially with it being one of my best pals’ most favorites of all time for the holiday.

We lost Gene Hackman this past year, the legendary actor and star of The French Connection (1971), directed by William Friedkin. This film is dark and gritty, and exactly the kind of realistic action/thriller I live for experiencing. Hackman portrays Popeye Doyle, a tough-as-rocks narcotics agent on the tail of a big international heroin score.

More complexly put, it delicately walks the tightrope of being commentary on our sociopolitical landscape and simultaneously being a laugh-out-loud satirical comedy. Oh, and it’s an action film. PTA pulled out all the stops for this one, not only assembling an ensemble cast led by Leonardo DiCaprio, Benicio Del Toro, Teyana Taylor, Regina Hall, Sean Penn, and newcomer Chase Infiniti...