Author: Brian Russell

Brian Russell grew up loving super-hero comic books, TV and movies. Star Trek, The Six Million Dollar Man, and Planet of the Apes were his favorites as a kid. He still loves all that cool sci-fi stuff, but now spends about half his screen time with Classic Films. Film Noir is his favorite genre in that realm. He is a Director of Photography with credits ranging from an ESPN 30 for 30, to celebrities like Arianna Huffington, Ed Burns and the entire cast of Saturday Night Live. Check him out at http://www.redshoefilm.com

The Dead Don’t Die is Very Alive

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The Dead Don’t Die hits the coffin-nail on the head with a sledgehammer in the absolute funniest and most skewering way. Jim Jarmusch’s recent horror comedy is about as subtle as a yellow-jacket sting. He goes after … well, all of us. Polar Fracking has caused the Earth to shift on its axis, not causing… Continue reading The Dead Don’t Die is Very Alive

Green Book’s controvesy and why we talk about race in movies

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Please welcome a new friend to the Blog, Ron Dawson. Ron is a filmmaker and managing editor of The Frame.io Insider, the video collaboration site’s leading online educational resource for post production professionals.  Ron has also hosted numerous podcasts, including Radio Film School (which is like “This American Life” for filmmakers) and the 1-on-1 filmmaking… Continue reading Green Book’s controvesy and why we talk about race in movies

Skate Kitchen is So Freakin’ Good

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In her recent opinion piece for NBC News, Jillian Richardson posits that America’s young people are suffering from a lack of meaningful connection. She says, “The average person in the U.S. has only one close friend, according to a study published in the American Sociological Review. One in four people have no confidantes at all… Continue reading Skate Kitchen is So Freakin’ Good

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse goes where no superhero film has gone before

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WARNING: Light spoilers ahead BRIAN RUSSELL: Hey there Sam! Certainly you know this, and most regular readers of the blog will also be aware, I am a comic book fan from way back, and waited my entire life for the modern age of digital effects to make the  superhero’s of my childhood look so realistic… Continue reading Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse goes where no superhero film has gone before

“Solo” Tells Us how Han Gets His Last Name and a Bunch of Other $h!t No One Cares About

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When Star Wars captured the box office in 1977, it seemed obvious that George Lucas intended Luke Skywalker to follow the hero’s journey. Plus, Luke had a lightsaber, and damn,  that was cool! But wise-cracking, swashbuckling, screw-you-I’m-gonna-shoot-first-if-I-have-to Han Solo became the bad-boy we all wanted to be. He came for the cold hard cash: “Look,… Continue reading “Solo” Tells Us how Han Gets His Last Name and a Bunch of Other $h!t No One Cares About

Dueling Reviews: You Were Never Really Here Hits Hard (Like a Hammer Might)

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Brian and Chris talk about You Were Never Really Here and how much it reminds them of Taken.