Zaden Dennis

In 2018 “Black Panther” took over the world. The film succeeded far beyond any expectations and became one of the most successful Marvel films, financially and critically, as well as eventually becoming one of the highest grossing films of all time.  It was a major moment in film history, showing the level of success that...

Usually a few times a year, a film will come out that takes everyone by surprise, launching to the tops of various year-end lists, with little marketing hype or fanfare to predispose an audience.  “TÁR” is as shocking as they come, with very little marketing theatrics or any major studio putting the film on a...

In the last decade, Dwayne Johnson has quickly become one of the most bankable actors in Hollywood. Whether it be in the “Fast & Furious” franchise, the “Jumanji” films or star vehicles such as the recent Netflix original “Red Notice,” Johnson nearly guarantees a film a certain level of success in the current blockbuster landscape. ...

There are very few franchises that have maintained their grip on pop culture like “Halloween” has. Since the original film terrified audiences in 1978, the series has seen 12 sequels, been passed through five production studios, rebooted three times and had nine different directors take a stab at it…

“Don’t Worry Darling” is a film that has seen its fair share of media coverage in the leadup to its release. The film has been one of the most drama-filled productions in decades, as seemingly every person involved had some sort of tea to be spilled, with even lead actress Florence Pugh’s lack of social...

Earlier this year in March, A24 released “X”, an elevated horror/slasher that received much praise and has continued to be a topic of conversation throughout the year among horror fans. The film was directed by Ti West and starred Mia Goth. Goth especially made a splash with the film, as she played…

2022 has become an increasingly exciting and optimistic year for film. With a multitude of original and innovative films doing well at the box office and seeing theater attendance finally climb closer to what it was prior to the pandemic. “The Woman King” is another film that has seen a large attend…

There’s no time quite like the beginning of fall. The early gusts of cold air, the cozy clothes and especially the start of Halloween festivities: decorations, costume parties, hayrides, and not being able to go three feet without running into something with pumpkin spice in it. But easily my favor…

If you’ve been alive long enough to watch at least a handful of movies, you’ve probably already seen “Jaws,” or at least heard of it. But for most moviegoers, it’s commonplace in any discussion of the greatest and most influential films of all time. Despite the film having been released nearly fifty years ago now,...

Gen Z is something that has been hard to define for a lot of people, partially because most of them haven’t even been around long enough to do so. It’s been especially hard for filmmakers to represent the generation, as there are very few within it that are helming projects directly, facing it down, as...

Just three years ago, Marvel Studios released “Avengers: Endgame,” a global phenomenon that, for a short period, was the number one highest grossing film of all time and still holds its place as the second highest grosser of all time (after Avatar re-surpassed it). Since then, we have gone through a global pandemic, during which...

In the film industry, it’s easy to get stuck on the “what ifs.” This is especially true today, when hundreds of projects are greenlit every month, just for a large chunk of them never to be completed. In our currently superhero-obsessed industry, there are loads of films that never see the light of day. More...

Historically, the summer has always been the most exciting time to be a movie lover. Since “Jaws” blessed the silver screen in 1975, birthing the modern blockbuster (and is aptly getting a theatrical re-release this September), May through July has been the most coveted spot for the year’s biggest and most successful films. 2022 is...

It’s not very often that we get to experience something that is truly new and unique, whether it be in film or in the world in general. When it comes to the world itself, we are often the barrier between seeking out these new experiences for ourselves. “Everything Everywhere All at Once” is in direct...

As someone who has been mostly jaded with Disney and Pixar’s animated efforts in the past few years (aside from occasional standouts like 2020’s “Soul”), the early buzz surrounding “Turning Red” admittedly had me excited. But with Disney having released 3 animated features in just the last year, with none of them particularly resonating with...

While foreign filmmakers have been making excellent work since the creation of the medium itself, it has been a long and arduous journey to get them fully recognized or appreciated in the West. Director Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite” changed the Academy Award landscape by being the first foreign film to …

For as long as I can remember, Batman has been a character that I have always been obsessed with. There’s a depth and darkness to Bruce Wayne that isn’t usually explored in traditional comic book stories. Peter Parker, Tony Stark and Clark Kent, just to name a few, all have struggles with their identities and...

In the summer of 2019, “Euphoria’s” first season debuted and quickly became a highly acclaimed addition to the HBO pantheon of consistently stellar dramatic TV series. It garnered a lot of attention at the time, due to its boundary pushing narrative and content. It served as one of the first mature …