McLean‘s Hometown News Site

If a fall from grace used to come with front-page headlines, now it’s more likely to be buried under an outdated YouTube banner and a forgotten TikTok soundbite. THE EGO DEATH OF QUEEN CECILIA takes that modern tragedy and crafts it into a gripping, sometimes bleak, sometimes darkly funny drama that pushes its central character to the brink of obscurity—and then keeps going. This isn’t a story about losing relevance. It’s about how dangerously easy it is to think relevance is all you have.

There’s something uniquely thrilling about watching a film embrace its weirdness with a full heart—and then use it to say something real. A CERTAIN METHOD is a story that sneaks up on you with a wild premise and turns it into a biting reflection on creative survival instead of playing it for cheap thrills. This sort of horror-comedy hybrid has more to say than you'd expect—and says it with just enough madness to leave a lasting mark.

There’s a certain kind of movie that doesn’t try to grab your attention—it slowly pulls you into its characters until you’re trapped in its perspective. THE OLDEST PROFESSION fits that mold perfectly. Marketed under a label associated with erotica, this 1974 entry is anything but ordinary. It takes the studio-mandated requirements—frequent sex scenes, provocative settings—and flips them into something bolder, more unsettling. The result is less about desire and more about survival, with a story that digs into exploitation and social abandonment systems with a sharp, unflinching eye.

ONE DAY THIS KID doesn’t just tell a story—it gives you the sense that you’ve been allowed to overhear something rarely said out loud. There’s an unassuming boldness in how it moves, scene by scene, not trying to strike but instead asking you to reflect, to remember, and maybe even to see yourself differently. It’s not concerned with checking boxes or fitting into the usual dramatics—it’s focused on truth, the quiet kind often ignored in favor of something more polished. And that truth hits hard.

Few Hollywood stories capture as much heart, grit, and glamour as the life of Liza Minnelli, and Bruce David Klein’s documentary LIZA: A TRULY TERRIFIC ABSOLUTELY TRUE STORY does an impressive job balancing the spectacle with personal sincerity. Rather than just another celebrity documentary ticking off career highlights, this one offers a fresh perspective on what makes Minnelli an unforgettable entertainer and an intriguing human being. Klein carefully crafts a narrative that feels like discovering the person behind the performer, rather than merely a chronological account of her celebrity status.

DON’T TURN OUT THE LIGHTS opens with a clever sleight-of-hand. Right from the opening scene—a child's gentle humming twisted into something quietly menacing—there’s a promise that the film intends to keep you with that uneasy feeling. This supernatural horror outing is ambitious in its attempt to fuse familiar scary-movie tropes with an unnerving, closed-in atmosphere, though it stumbles more often than succeeds.

Romantic comedies often promise a charming escape but rarely deliver something genuinely memorable. Too often, they're predictable, serving familiar scenarios without depth. Yet, a film surprises us now and then—not by reinventing the genre but by genuinely investing in its characters, creating authentic and relatable connections. Roshan Sethi’s A NICE INDIAN BOY is a delightful surprise, blending humor and genuine emotion within a vibrant exploration of culture, identity, and the modern dating experience.

The kind of project that only gets made when two directors cash in on their blockbuster cred and decide to get weird, FREAKY TALES is the right kind of chaos. Directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, this multi-genre anthology doesn’t just look back at 1987 Oakland—it energizes it. It’s messy, loud, and a little all over the place. But it’s also bursting with creative vision, cultural specificity, and a refreshing willingness to take wild swings. It’s the kind that doesn’t always hit center field, but the crowd still jumps out of their seats.

SHIP OF DREAMS: TITANIC MOVIE DIARIES doesn’t overreach or try to amplify drama. It’s a heartfelt backstage pass that thrives on memory, emotion, and on-set stories. The surprise here is how engaging it is to see a project reclaim overlooked perspectives and find beauty in the margins of movie history.

Historical dramas rarely walk the tightrope like this one. AN AMOROUS WOMAN OF TANG DYNASTY refuses to settle into a single identity—it balances romance, tragedy, rebellion, and visual grandeur with the energy of a filmmaker trying to push genre boundaries. While the storytelling isn’t without its stumbles, this film crafts an atmosphere so rich that even its narrative gaps become part of the experience.

There’s something undeniably fascinating about a villain whose presence lingers long after their death. That’s the hook behind MABUSE LIVES!, a six-film box set from Eureka Entertainment and MVD Entertainment that taps into the persistent shadow of Dr. Mabuse—a criminal icon whose influence transcends time, place, and even physical form. Across these films, shot between 1960 and 1964, Mabuse becomes more than a person. He’s an idea—malleable, intangible, and always waiting in the wings to strike again. And while the quality of these entries varies, the set captures something deeply compelling about the evolution of genre storytelling, the nature of evil, and the shifting cultural fears of the mid-20th century.

Nothing about this movie was supposed to work—until it did. An after-hours shoot, a workplace transformed into a horror set, no formal script, and a cast and crew working in secret? Sounds like a recipe for chaos. But MEGA BLOOD MOON: THE FREELANCER thrives on that chaos. What starts like an improvised experiment winds up somewhere more layered, channeling raw creativity into a hybrid of horror, comedy, and surreal existential panic.

The mid-70s fascination with anti-establishment adrenaline hit another checkpoint with Mark L. Lester’s BOBBIE JO AND THE OUTLAW. Equal parts road trip mayhem and outlaw-fantasy fever dream speeds past the usual character arcs and lands squarely in the corner of genre cinema. While the storytelling never quite hits the brakes for nuance, it delivers enough havoc to make the ride memorable.

It’s always interesting when a film puts down the megaphone and leans into a whisper instead. EX-HUSBANDS doesn’t announce itself with spectacle or shocking twists—it operates in the quiet space where uncertainty, disappointment, and self-reflection sit side by side. Instead of trying to impress through chaos, it focuses on something more elusive: the emotional disarray of ordinary lives at a standstill.

It’s not every day that a story about grief, betrayal, and awkward reunions can crack a smile while shattering your expectations—but this one pulls it off with a sting. Mixing dry wit with genuine tension, the film captures the uncomfortable chaos of family drama in an unflinching and unexpectedly entertaining way.

Two lesser-known directorial works from Ismail Merchant are paired together in this Blu-ray release from Kino Lorber and Cohen Media Group, and while they may seem like an unlikely duo at first glance, there’s a shared sensitivity in both that makes the collection worth watching. These aren’t showy prestige pieces and don’t lean on big twists or dramatic flair. Instead, they gently examine cultural displacement, memory, and creative identity themes with patience, care, and just enough sophistication to keep them from feeling too static. It’s a blend of modest storytelling and reflective filmmaking that invites viewers to lean in.

There’s something undeniably captivating about watching someone swing for the fences with a homegrown project, even if they don’t quite hit it out of the park. ENTER THE ROOM falls into that category—a passion-driven short that aims high with its themes and emotional punch. It’s the kind of indie piece where you can feel the determination behind every frame, but you can also see the missing resources, every unpolished edge, and every idea that needed a few more drafts. Ambition is on full display here, but ambition alone can’t carry a story when the final product feels more like a first cut than a finished product.

Every once in a while, a horror film lands with a chill that lingers—not because of buckets of gore or jump scares but because it manages to tap into something raw and deeply personal. That’s what THE BROOD does. David Cronenberg crafts a story that takes a scalpel to emotion and examines what happens when trauma isn’t dealt with—it erupts. From the outside, this might look like your standard horror, but under the surface, it’s simmering with ideas, grief, and a slow-burning rage that never quite gets extinguished.

When looking for a comedy that embraces unrestrained chaos with open arms, BLACK SHEEP delivers the laughs in waves. The film doesn’t pretend to be anything more than it is—a straightforward, slapstick comedy fueled by Chris Farley's energy and David Spade's biting wit. Together, this comedic duo creates an atmosphere of amusing disorder, reminding viewers that sometimes humor doesn't have to be sophisticated or subtle to be genuinely entertaining. The biggest knock on the film is that we’ve been here before, coming out shortly after TOMMY BOY. This was a rehash with a new skin, but it doesn’t take away from the ride.

A trip to the laundromat rarely promises adventure, laughs, or life-changing revelations, but STATIC CLING flips the script, transforming a typical chore into absolute absurdity sprinkled with a touch of everyday wisdom. The film follows Kyle, played by Bj Gruber, an overly confident young man whose night spirals out of control after an embarrassing run-in with his jacket’s zipper (not quite THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY, but still.) While his intentions initially revolve around impressing a woman, Kyle soon finds himself stuck—quite literally—in a humbling battle. This scenario magnifies the trivial yet maddening frustrations we've all faced, creating a scenario that's both laughably bizarre and oddly familiar.

Imagine a world where violence isn't just legal—it's a celebrated spectacle broadcast nightly on primetime TV. THE 10TH VICTIM offers that and more, plunging audiences into a technicolor dystopia that gleefully mocks humanity's obsession with fame, fortune, and bloodlust. Under the playful yet critical eye of directorial eye of Elio Petri, this satirical gem from cinema’s past remains just as relevant today as when it first captivated audiences decades ago.

What happens when your everyday routine meets a twist you never saw coming? CREATURES OF HABIT presents a sleek, bite-sized mystery where comfort meets chaos. Director Bryon Jones establishes a moody, dimly lit atmosphere reminiscent of classic noir cinema, immediately pulling you into a familiar yet deeply unsettling scenario. This brief encounter plunges you into a narrative teeming with intrigue, though the short runtime may leave audiences craving more story.

A HALLOWEEN FEAST starts with an unforgettable opening scene, immediately setting the stage for a wild ride through horror-comedy. Director Guile Branco makes no apologies for plunging audiences straight into graphic violence and outrageous visuals, signaling that subtlety and restraint won't be part of the experience. If you enjoy films that push boundaries and embrace their eccentricities, this might catch your attention, even though it doesn’t align with my preferences.

Romantic comedies often seem trapped in a predictable pattern, but occasionally, a film emerges to flip the script. THIS IS LOVE!? does just that, breathing air into a genre that desperately needs it. Director Haley Rice delivers a charming and relatable short film that explores the everyday struggles of ever-lasting love. Rather than relying on grand romantic gestures or cliché plot twists, Rice focuses on the tensions that quietly build up over time, resulting in an engaging story filled with witty dialogue, intriguing characters, and thoughtful insights into modern relationships.

If you've ever wondered what happens when a sociology class crosses paths with scandalous campus politics, COLLEGE CONFIDENTIAL gives you a glimpse. Directed by Albert Zugsmith, this 1960 film places Steve Allen—widely known for his comedic personality—as Professor Steve McInter, an academic conducting an eyebrow-raising research project at Collins College. His study, which seeks to unpack the social behaviors and hidden moral codes among young adults, inevitably sets off a moral firestorm in the conservative small-town community.