Carl Lumbly Archives - Silver Screen Riot

Mike Flanagan has always had a unique way of looking at death. From his first breakout series, The Haunting of Hill House, to his more mainstream horror features (Oculus, Doctor Sleep), he’s seen ghosts not as ghastly specters but as existential hangovers. A whispered celebration of life that doubles as an affirmation of its titanic meaning. Though the horror auteur is most closely associated with his genre work — and for good reason; few existing filmmakers come close to touching his impressive oeuvre — The Life of Chuck, an affirming story of life, love, dance, and numbers (but still featuring a probably-apocalypse and ghosts), is perfectly suited to his very particular sensibilities. Read More

Much has been written about the death and resurrection of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the wider superhero subgenre writ large. Fatigue! Fanfare! Box office records! In both the red and the black. The story has been told from every angle, re-examined with fresh eyes upon every new theatrical release, trailer drop, or scrap of casting news. And so the discourse around the superhero film has become just as stale and beaten to death as the genre itself. To its credit, Captain America: Brave New World, directed by Julius Onah and co-written by Rob Edwards, Malcolm Spellman, and Dalan Musson, at least postures at doing something differently. With a fresh(ish) face donning the iconic mantle, Marvel (kinda, maybe) actually passed the torch, only to mostly fumble the handoff, failing to make it mean much of anything. Read More