With the release of Evil Dead Burn, I thought this would be the perfect time to look back at one of the greatest, weirdest, bloodiest, funniest, and most consistently entertaining franchises in horror history. And yes, I absolutely consider it a universe now. We're not just talking about six feature films anymore. There was the terrific Ash vs. Evil Dead television series, comic books, graphic novels, video games, stage musicals, crossover stories, documentaries, conventions,

Sometimes you have to separate artistic quality from commercial success. As a film critic, that's something I've been doing for decades. There are movies that I absolutely adore that nobody goes to see, and there are movies that make billions of dollars that leave me scratching my head. That's just the way the business works. Popularity and greatness don't always go hand in hand, and one of the things that has always fascinated me about movies is figuring out why audiences em

[Get the exclusive video version of these weekly reviews each Friday by becoming a paid subscriber!] My Film Critic pants are quite fetching; they are on, pressed, and ironed. I'm ready to review four new movies in this week's capsule (short) movie reviews for Friday, July 1Oth, 2026. 1) EVIL DEAD BURN It’s still remarkable to me that one scrappy little independent horror movie made by three young filmmakers outside Detroit with virtually no money has become one of the most i

We are halfway through the year! So, here is the list of my choices for The 20 Worst Movies of 2026 (so far). Movies released from January thru June 2026. THE WORST FILMS OF 2026 ...SO FAR (in order of awfulness): 1) "WUTHERING HEIGHTS" 2) GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN, DON'T DIE 3) MICHAEL 4) THE BRIDE! 5) MERCY 6) NIRVANNA THE BAND THE SHOW THE MOVIE 7) THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 3 8) YOU, ME & TUSCANY 9) SCREAM 7 10) DRACULA: A LOVE TALE 11) THE BREADWINNER 12) READY OR NOT: HERE I COME

We are halfway through the year! So, here is the list of my choices for The 20 Best Movies of 2026 (so far). Movies released from January thru June 2026. THE BEST FILMS OF 2026 ...SO FAR (in order of preference): 1) ALPHA 2) PILLION 3) BACKROOMS 4) SEND HELP 5) TOY STORY 5 6) PROJECT HAIL MARY 7) THE DEATH OF ROBIN HOOD 8) HOKUM 9) 28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE 10) THE DRAMA 11) TUNER 12) THE CHRISTOPHERS 13) THE SHEEP DETECTIVES 14) THE FURIOUS 15) MOTHER MARY 16) JACKASS:

[Get the exclusive video version of these weekly reviews each Friday by becoming a paid subscriber!] My Film Critic pants are quite fetching; they are on, pressed, and ironed. I'm ready to review four new movies in this week's capsule (short) movie reviews for Friday, July 3rd, 2026. 1) MINIONS & MONSTERS I'll admit something right up front: before I walked into Minions & Monsters, I actually had to stop and remember how many of these things they've made. Seriously. I had com

Once again, it’s time for another 'Nick’s Pix' Screening at the beautiful Lake Theater in Oak Park, and I have to tell you, I’m especially excited about this one. Not only is it happening just a couple of days after my birthday (which means I’ll basically be celebrating with all of you) but the movie we’re gathering to watch is one of the greatest science fiction films of the 21st century and, without question, one of Christopher Nolan’s finest achievements. On Wednesday, Jul

I love Jackass. And I'm not even remotely embarrassed to admit it, in fact, I'm proud of it. I am a card-carrying member of the Jackass fan club, and I think the entire franchise (from the original MTV series to the feature films to the spin-offs and now the bittersweet final chapter) is one of the funniest, most joyous, and most misunderstood pieces of pop culture from the last quarter century. When Jackass premiered on MTV in October of 2000, I was there from day one. Like

[Get the exclusive video version of these weekly reviews each Friday by becoming a paid subscriber!] My Film Critic pants are quite fetching; they are on, pressed, and ironed. I'm ready to review four new movies in this week's capsule (short) movie reviews for Friday, June 26th, 2026. 1) SUPERGIRL Anybody who has listened to my podcast, heard me on the radio over the years, or regularly reads my reviews knows one thing: I am not a comic book guy. I’m not invested in the endle

One of my favorite actors on the planet is Colin Farrell. Absolutely one of my favorites. And not just because he's a terrific actor (which he is) or because he possesses one of the most charming Irish accents ever committed to film (which he does) but because he has become one of those increasingly rare performers who seems capable of doing absolutely anything. Comedy. Drama. Action. Horror. Fantasy. Independent art-house weirdness. Big-budget studio blockbusters. Television