Favorite films

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Recent reviews

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  The Black Phone 2021

  ★★★ Watched by Stephen Hyland 23 Jun 2022 2

  It’s been happening for a while now. The Marvel-ization of the horror genre. 

  When I say that, I’m not referring to superpowers (though aspects of this come dangerously close to making it a superhero film). Rather, it’s the overtly calculated period setting (the 70’s were just the best, right?), the aggressively precocious children who swear (like haha funny!), and the faux-inspirational beats (cue Dora’s We Did It!). It’s designed to get maximum audience approval, but sacrifices things like fleshed-out characters…

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  Sinister 2012

  ★★★★ Rewatched by Stephen Hyland 23 Jun 2022

  Poor taste often describes true crime fiction, our most accepted form of exploitation. The authors of these works can and do prey upon our buried desire for the macabre. When we should turn our eyes away, we look upon the horrors man inflicts on others. We say it is for education, but is it not to tickle a nerve we have, a nerve that makes us capable of these same atrocities? Do those who exploit our desire for violence fuel…

Popular reviews

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  Peter Pan 2003

  ★★★★½ Rewatched by Stephen Hyland 24 Jul 2018 5

  In defense of this film: 

  This movie flopped when it came out, despite positive reviews and a Christmas release (the rather awful trailer could not have helped). Largely overlooked in 2003, the small cult appreciation for it is well deserved. Not only is it the most faithful adaptation of JM Barrie’s novel, but no other adaptation has so openly and artistically showcased the dark psychology that people forget was so prominent in the book.

  Peter Pan is secretly a tragedy.…

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  The Green Knight 2021

  ★★ Watched by Stephen Hyland 30 Jul 2021 16

  I went into this with high hopes, and left feeling hopeless. Such is the working of secular artists today, who see no beauty in the great works of Western literature, but seek to undermine the virtuous ideals of Christianity that have shaped civilization because of their own hopelessness. “If I can’t have Hope in life that there’s something greater than what’s in front of me, I’ll rob others of that Hope too.”

  I like David Lowery. He’s an exceptional stylist…