Horror

Women are typically the victims in action and horror films, but two films at the Los Angeles Film Festival flipped these genre clichés on their heads.

Two films at the Los Angeles Film Festival, June 10-18, explored the Dude weltanschauung to bring us all closer to a profound understanding of the essence of dudeness. (Dude, that was heavy.) 'Flock of Dudes' looks at what happens when you put off becoming your father for too long. 'Dude Bro Party Massacre III' suggests that maybe dudeness could be a topic for satire.

Joe Dante's "Burying the Ex is not funny enough, not gross enough, not Dante enough.

I’m making sure the windows are locked tonight. Three consecutive films I viewed at the Los Angeles Film Festival, June 10-18, dealt with tying people up. Not in a nice way, but at least in two cases, a funny way. 'Caught' tells the tale of a teen having an affair with a married man who is kidnapped by the man’s wife and, among other things, tied up. In 'Shevenge', three BFFs fantasize about how to punish men, which involves tying them up. In 'Old Tricks', a burglar learns that you should never try to steal from a retired magician and escape artist. They’re kind of hard to tie up.

When mysterious suicides bring an inspector and his daughter Sara to the town of Bridgend, Wales, there is no respite for the father and daughter. Both caught up in the evil atmospheres of the town and the surrounding dark forests. Sara becomes estranged from her father and the inspector grows more tyrannical as the situation moves from bad to worse. There is no explanation why teens are killing themselves and everyone wonders who will be next.

My brain’s cynicism synapse snapped when I heard that a new Arnold Schwarzenegger zombie movie was opening at the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival.

Featuring spectacular video/audio and way more features than most Hollywood blockbusters, 'A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night' is not to be missed.

"Killers" is worth the wait: a recommended release for those who can stomach it.

It stinks.

Film fans and writers we can learn something from other people’s mistakes, for example, the SXSW screenings of 'The Diabolical' and 'Roar.'