While Kenner’s viewpoints are largely never in doubt, he still does a terrific job of staying objective as he interviews some of the worst offenders as far as all this rhetorical wheeling and dealing is concerned. What’s more, he allows them to state their case free of embellishment or shading from him, most more than willing to admit the truth behind their verbal nonsense, some even going so far as to be openly euphoric about just how talented they are at creating doubt where in all reality there shouldn’t be any.

It’s creepy, upsetting, emotional and fascinating, all pretty much at the same time, and if ever a movie could make the case for its style being enough to compensate for its lack of substance [The Cell (2000)] would arguably be it.

Anchored by a stupendous, marvelously intricate performance from its star, [Gemma Bovery] is a sprightly, introspectively fearless wonder that goes to some pretty dark places yet does so with a somewhat surprising amount of levity. It’s an odd amalgamation of comedy, drama and tragedy all melded into one gleefully anarchic whole, and as such it’s a joy to watch opening frame to last.

But for those who do like this type of thing, who are open to all its icky, sticky, gruesomely sadistic, blood-slathered charms, Diez has done a nice job of giving Aresty’s script life. [Stung] builds well, has some superb set pieces and offers up a relatively winning climax I was perfectly satisfied with.

Here’s what’s happening in Episode #14 (download .mp3): Sara Michelle, Mike, Brian and Adam take on summer tentpole heavyweights Terminator Genisys and Magic Mike XXL, as well as When Marnie Was There. Plus, an impassioned discussion of the best and worst films of 2015 so far, considering the year’s half-way mark is practically upon is. […]

Alien Outpost holds up surprisingly well the second time around. While not a great or terribly profound motion picture, it’s still far more entertaining than it maybe has any right to be, and as such I’m quite happy to add the Blu-ray to my personal library.

[Magic Mike XXL] is a blast, an animated shot of bare-chested adrenaline that’s easy to drink and even more satisfying to savor, the sequel stripping inhibitions to the point they vanish leaving only pleasure behind.

But in the pursuit of setting up a new world, as well as planting the seeds for future sequels, the filmmakers fail to construct a self-contained story worthy of an audience’s attentions let alone their emotional investment. It’s a robotic descent into Hollywood financed, corporate-driven stupidity, diluting a once powerful franchise to a place it had yet to travel to until now: irrelevance.

Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away is one of the greatest animated films ever made. Period.