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Insidious 2: Another Example of Why Horror Sequels Don't Work
Even compared with other genres, scary movies make for bad follow-up films—because scariness relies on surprise.
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Did The Conjuring Really Deserve an 'R' Rating Just for Being Scary?
The MPAA reportedly slapped a rare age-restrictive rating for "terror" on James Wan's movie—a decision that you can understand once you've seen the film.
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Surprising Things Happen When You Watch 6 Fast and Furious Films in a Row
The early movies run together in a blur of shiny metal, but in recent years, director Justin Lin has polished the franchise into something inventive and genuinely thrilling.
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The True Horror of Rob Zombie's Films: Good Taste Can Make for Bad Movies
His latest, Lords of Salem, shows a slasher-film fanboy trapped by his influences.
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Is the Director of Upstream Color a New Breed of Filmmaker?
Shane Carruth seems like an heir to Terrence Malick or David Lynch—until you realize how different his career has been from those art-film greats.
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Steven Soderbergh's Astonishing Last Rebellion
Has anyone challenged Hollywood norms at the end of a career as entertainingly as the 'Side Effects' director has?
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How Immortality Killed 'Die Hard'
'A Good Day to Die Hard' makes John McClane invincible. That's why his franchise needs the axe.
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In Praise of People Talking to Cameras (a.k.a. Traditional Documentaries)
'The Gatekeepers', about the Israeli security service, shows the value of no-frill filmmaking.
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Snow Is the New Noir: In Praise of Wintery Crime Films
Snow and ice can double as a clean white backdrop for onscreen action.
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The 'Universal Soldier' Paradox: When a Bad Franchise Produces a Great Film
Director John Hyams brings surprising depth and style to what could have been the last-ditch effort from a tired franchise.
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Feel-Good Films About Disabilities Need to Also Make You Feel Bad
Four films this season deal with disabled individuals, and despite its success, 'The Sessions' is the worst of the pack.
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Low-Budget Horror Flicks: A Hollywood Rite of Passage
Cheap, creepy movies can scare, bore, and delight audiences, and sometimes launch legendary film careers.
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Shorter Is Scarier: Why Horror Anthologies Need to Make a Comeback
Collections like 'V/H/S' and 'The ABCs of Death' are reminders that on film, terror is best delivered in small doses.
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How 'Perks of Being a Wallflower' Breaks an Old Filmmaking Curse
Stephen Chbosky's charming coming-of-age movie shows that authors can in fact successfully direct adaptations of their own books.
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The Anti-'King's Speech': When British Hits Don't Translate to U.S. Audiences
'The Inbetweeners Movie,' like most comedies from England, may be a tough sell in America.
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In Praise of Good-Guy Actors Playing Horrible People
Orlando Bloom's turn as an evil M.D. in 'The Good Doctor' shows that typecast heroes should go really, really bad every now and then.
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Here's the Twist: Good Films Are Good Even If They've Been 'Spoiled'
'Searching for Sugar Man' shows that discovery is thrilling—even if you already know what's going to be discovered
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The Reason Christopher Nolan Films Look Like Christopher Nolan Films
With his longtime cinematographer stepping down after 'The Dark Knight Rises,' the director's distinctive visual style could change.
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The Right Way for Documentaries to Tell Real Stories With Fake Footage
'The Imposter' is about a tale stranger than fiction—and used fictionalized sequences to present that tale.
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The Only Thing That Can Save an End-of-the-World Movie: Good Acting
Steve Carell and Keira Knightley elevate 'Seeking a Friend for the End of the World.'
