Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Forest Taylor
‘Brand to demand’ is the future of marcomm
For years, marketers have been forced to prioritize brand or demand, making difficult decisions to shift budgets between the two when new challenges arose. Brand often lost this tug of war as the urgency of the moment drove marketers to focus on short-term initiatives to fill the sales pipeline and generate revenue.
Here We Go Again: Thoughts and Predictions for the 2022 Oscars
Netflix Jane Campion's The Power of the Dog is an almost surefire bet to take home at least one Academy Award, as it has been nominated for a whopping 12 Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress.
Film and Television
Away Isn't a Waste of Space by Nick Warren9/23/2020, 4:00 PM How the easy-to-love Netflix drama goes beyond its elevator pitch Queens of the North by Michael Mongera9/23/2020, 3:45 PM Canada's Drag Race Slays the Screen and Crowns a New Queen PEN15's Absurd Nostalgic Glory by Nick Warren9/23/2020, 3:30 PM The early 2000s period piece returns in full force despite limited episodes STATION!!!: Bill & Ted Face the Music is Both Excellent and Bogus by Forest Taylor9/23/2020, 2:58 PM Back to the...
To Hell and Back: Hellboy is Both Insane and Boring
Fans of Guillermo Del Toro's Hellboy films should be disappointed to know that with Neil Marshall's (Dog Soldiers, The Descent) reboot now released, they will likely never see that long-awaited third chapter in the series. They should also be disappointed to hear that the new Hellboy film is a clunky and disjointed mess. Never before have I seen a movie with so much blood and carnage manage to be so utterly boring.
Super Mania!: 'Shazam!' is a Burst of Fun and Adventure
I have a particular philosophy with film titles. It is my belief that whenever a movie's title ends with an exclamation point, I am certain that the movie is going to be a fun ride from beginning to end. I am happy to report that the newest DC superhero film, Shazam! carries on that tradition by being an absolute blast! In fact, the film has so much fun with its ridiculous premise, that it reminds us why this subgenre has had such a mass generational appeal in the first place.
"The Bums Lost": 'The Beach Bum' is Nonsense Presented as Genius
Harmony Korine has made an entire career out of filming people on the fringes of society. From the grimy and bizarre poverty-porn of Gummo to the neon-colored explosion of hedonism in Spring Breakers, he clearly loves wallowing in freaks, weirdos, and depravity. However, I've never found any point to his stories beyond some kind of ironic detachment and a complete disdain for anything beyond that.
"A Sticky Situation"
Articles in this Issue An Easter Getaway with Strawberry Girls by Tommy Shannon10 minutes ago Platters, Coasters, and Drifters at the Warner by Symone Crockett25 minutes ago Focus on Self Care During Erie's 4th Wellness Night by Miriam Lamey40 minutes ago "The Bums Lost": 'The Beach Bum' is Nonsense Presented as Genius by Forest Taylor55 minutes ago 2/5 Stars Super Mania!: 'Shazam!' is a Burst of Fun and Adventure by Forest Taylor2 hours ago 4/5 Stars A Sticky Situation: The evolving legality...
"Oh Captain, My Captain": Captain Marvel is so Much Less Than it Could Have Been
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has shown us a lot of things. It's given us robots, super-soldiers and a Norse god battling with a green behemoth. We've seen magic, monsters, and aliens from thousands of worlds, yet it wasn't until their 21st film that Marvel finally gave us a female-led story. Because of that, Captain Marvel is cause for celebration. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about the film itself.
"Let Me Tell You Something, Brother": 'Fighting with My Family' is Funny, Heartfelt and Utterly Predictable
The world of professional wrestling has had a rocky relationship with the movies. For every powerful drama like The Wrestler, there have been two ridiculous cartoons like No Holds Barred and Ready to Rumble. The challenging, physically grueling, and often very silly business is difficult to portray on film and while the new wrestling film Fighting with My Family doesn't do anything to elevate the sub-genre, it's entertaining enough to make its runtime go by easily.
Sensory Overload: 'Alita: Battle Angel' is Beautiful, but a Little too Crowded
We are living in what I like to call a "post-special effects" film world. Visual effects have advanced so far that filmmakers can now create worlds and characters that have heretofore only been possible in novels or comic books. The only problem is that it makes it much harder for these amazing effects to really dazzle an audience.
On the Road to the Gold
By: Forest Taylor It's that time of the year again; on February 24th, artists and film technicians will all compete for the chance to win a gold statue of a little bald man. In other words, it's Oscar season, and this one has been one of the strangest in recent memory.
If Beale Street Could Talk: Barry Jenkins' New Film is Deeply Intimate and Compassionate
Barry Jenkins caught the attention of the world (and the Academy) with Moonlight, a touching and intimate story about sexuality and masculine identity that proved to be a powerfully emotional experience for many audiences, including this writer.
Superhuman: Glass is Occasionally Interesting, Mostly Silly
Superhuman: Glass is Occasionally Interesting, Mostly Silly No filmmaker has had more of a roller-coaster career than M. Night Shyamalan. After hitting it big with critics and audiences, he went on to make some truly bizarre films that ranged from ambitious failures (The Village) to hilariously inept (The Happening). Shyamalan has found something of a comeback recently with Blumhouse Studios, making smaller scale thrillers culminating with his newest film, Glass.
Practically Perfect in Every Way?: 'Mary Poppins Returns' is a Shot of Whimsy for Cynical Times
Modern Disney films almost seem to be embarrassed to be Disney films. From Enchanted to Frozen, to the new Beauty and the Beast, they all spend so much time winking at the audience and pointing out the ridiculousness of their own plots simply to prove that they're much too hip for fairy tales. This is disappointing because it runs contrary to Walt Disney's original goal to appeal to the child in us all.
Amazing!: 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse' is a Burst of Creativity
Are we ever going to get tired of Spider-Man? In just over 15 years we have witnessed four different cinematic incarnations of the friendly neighborhood superhero. The new animated feature Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse proves that we aren't even close to finished with web-slinging adventures. In fact, comic book geeks, cinephiles and kids all over the world are declaring this to be Spidey's best adventure yet. After seeing it for myself, I nearly agree with them.
Power Behind the Throne: 'The Favourite' is a Different Kind of Period Piece
The films of Yorgos Lanthimos (Dogtooth, The Lobster) are some of the strangest in recent memory. A part of the so-called "Greek Weird Wave," Lanthimos uses the absurdity of his stories to make deeper social statements. His newest film, The Favourite is both his highest-budget and most easily accessible film, but it is by no means any less sardonic.
More Than Meets the Eye?: 'Bumblebee' is the Best Transformers Movie ... but is it Good?
I have never liked Michael Bay's brutally long assaults on the senses known as the Transformers series. I find them crass, vulgar and offensive; jingoistic, misogynistic and just generally misanthropic, they represent all of the worst qualities of their auteur. With that out of the way, Travis Knight's (Kubo and the Two Strings) prequel Bumblebee could be the course correction we were all waiting for.
I Accuse My Parents: Boy Erased Tries to be Radical but Ends Up Middling
In the '80s and '90s, a new group of filmmakers emerged in the independent film scene and started a revolution that became known as the "New Queer Cinema." Made by young, openly gay filmmakers, these films sought to break down societal norms and expose the reality of the problems facing LGBT people to the rest of the world. Today as LGBT rights have become more tangible, Queer Cinema has more or less entered the mainstream.
"It Ain't Over 'til Its Over": Creed II is a Blast Despite Its Cliches
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Let's just get this out of the way first. I love the Rocky films. Aside from the abysmal Rocky V, there has never been a film in the series that I haven't enjoyed. Whether that enjoyment was genuine or ironic, I've always loved these films. That being said, Ryan Coogler's Creed was by far the best since the 1976 original. Powerful acting and Coogler's confident, energetic direction helped breathe new life into a cliched story.
Nazis and Zombies and Mutants! Oh My!: 'Overlord' is a Gory Good Time
Distributed by Paramount Pictures Audiences in this day and age seem to be obsessed with realism in films. Movies can be about the craziest subject matter imaginable but there has to be some kind of explanation for how it all happened or else the audience may turn on the film. It can be exhausting, and sometimes I'd welcome more films that just revel in their ridiculousness.
Hell Fest
October is here and to celebrate the encroaching Halloween season, it's always fun to see some new horror movies in the theater. Naturally, when I saw the trailers for Hell Fest, a good old-fashioned slasher flick, I thought it would be the perfect October night out. The film was what I expected: a good old-fashioned slasher flick, but I think it could have been more. The film follows a group of college students spending a night in an extreme horror theme park.
Same Old Song and Dance?
How do you take a universally familiar story and turn it into something that can still surprise audiences? This is the task that befell Bradley Cooper with his directorial debut, the third(!) remake of A Star is Born and his solution is some energetic filmmaking (which doesn't always work to the film's advantage) combined with inspired songwriting and two extraordinary performances.
Film - Erie Reader
Page123456789101112131415of 15 Experience Danny Pakulski's Local Documentary, A Life in Paint by Aaron Mook9/26/2018, 2:15 PM Erie filmmaker premieres new work Head Trip: by Forest Taylor9/12/2018, 11:30 AM The Theta Girl Brings Micro-Budget Insanity to the Erie Movie House The Anti-Social Network: by Forest Taylor9/12/2018, 11:15 AM Searching is Mostly Great, Until It Isn't Eerie and Experimental; Dark-comedy Short Film The Fifth Premieres by Hannah McDonald8/29/2018, 11:45 AM Locally made...
"Stick Around!"
John McTiernan's 1987 film Predator is really the most ingenious idea for a film: an action movie that suddenly gets hijacked by a slasher flick halfway through. Thirty years later, dozens of filmmakers have tried to emulate that premise but Predator still stands as one of the greatest action/horror hybrids ever made. To his credit, director Shane Black (Iron Man 3, The Nice Guys) doesn't try to copy McTiernan's original in his new sequel The Predator.
Trigger Warning
These are strange times we live in. The concept of privacy is becoming more and more obscured, the political landscape is becoming more black and white, and the internet has exacerbated the mistrust and paranoia that has already existed. The world seems overdue for a good satire and Assassination Nation is that satire we need right now. I don't think I'm being hyperbolic when I say that this film is a giant middle finger pointed directly at modern society.
The Anti-Social Network:
The "Social Media" film is a very new concept in movie-making but it is already making waves. In these times it seems like a natural progression for the way that stories can be told and I've seen filmmakers use the intriguing premise for genres like romance (the tragically under-seen Hank & Asha) and horror (the overrated Unfriended).
Head Trip:
Leave it to the Erie Movie House to find the strangest, most off-the-wall, most creative, and most exciting movies playing today. This week the Movie House has another special treat for audiences looking for something beyond what the multiplexes will show, because The Theta Girl, an imaginative little indie title is making its Pennsylvania debut on September 14th.
Dial "M" for Muppet:
Making an adult-themed movie about a child-related subject is tough. The story needs to be really clever, otherwise it will just come off as try-hard edginess for the sake of edginess. That being said, I really hoped that Brian (son of Jim) Henson's detective noir The Happytime Murders could provide that clever story. Unfortunately, all I got was try-hard edginess for the sake of edginess.
A Boy and His Dog:
As something of an amateur anthropology buff, I'm always excited when movies about the early days of mankind are released. They don't get made very often, but when they do, I make sure to seek them out. Naturally, when I'd first heard about Albert Hughes' (Menace II Society, The Book of Eli) new film Alpha, I couldn't wait to see it. The film ended up pleasantly surprising me in many different ways.
Good Documentary, Great Man:
Oftentimes, the secret to making a great meal is simply choosing the finest ingredients possible. Some things are just so pure and delightful that it's hard to mess them up. Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood is one of those things. Won't You Be My Neighbor is a documentary about the work of television personality Fred Rogers, and it uses its ingredients wisely and tastefully.
'There's the Road!'
In the 1970s, movies like Jaws, Star Wars, and Alien re-invigorated Hollywood by infusing B-movie storylines with A-movie talent. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom continues in that tradition by feeling like the demented fever-dreams of Roger Corman on a $250 million budget. However, instead of invigorating, this film is simply infuriating.
'A Land of Wolves'
Denis Villeneuve's Sicario was a grim, gritty thriller that also worked as a mildly thought-provoking treatise on the lengths we would go to win this so-called "Drug War". The sequel, Day of the Soldado gets the grim and gritty parts right, but leaves all thought out to dry. Giving us a depressingly relevant story about human trafficking across the border, the film begins with a bombing from terrorists who seem to have come here from Mexico.
Film Grain: Dinner and a Movie
There was a time when the go-to date was simply “dinner and a movie.” You went and had dinner and then you headed to your local cinema and caught a flick. It was comfortable and reliable, yet this date night idea is like an old-timey movie that doesn’t quite meet “classic” standards. It’s a little boring. It’s black, white, and blah. You could start a nap halfway through and not feel you missed much.
The Shape of Water
I’ve always wondered about the story of the regular workers in some vast, secret facility in movies. What do the janitors on the Death Star think of the Empire? Does a Bond villain’s evil lair have a front desk receptionist? Lucky for me, Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth, Pacific Rim) has finally produced a spy film seen through the eyes of blue collar workers in The Shape of Water.
Must See Shows: January 3, 2018
Before we get to the plot of Jack Rys’ fourth feature film, Mechanical Heart, he wants you to know that this premiere is different. The event doubles as an arts education benefit, where Rys hopes all proceeds will go toward future artists who are struggling to find the resources or encouragement to tell their story. Arts education is an unsurprising cause to attach to the young filmmaker, who is quick to bring up the role community plays in his work.
A New Hope?: Star Wars
Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi has proved to be the most polarizing of all the films in the saga. Director Rian Johnson (Looper) has attempted to take the series in some new and interesting directions, which have left some fans elated and others furious. In my opinion, though, Johnson has left us with an ambitious, well-meaning mess.
The Best Movies of 2017
An adventure story that also seeks to criticize the very notion of adventure, James Gray’s masterful film follows an explorer’s obsession with finding a fabled advanced civilization somewhere in the Amazon. As a man who’s both critical of colonialism and a product of it, his search for this city has the noblest of intentions, but his obsessions may ultimately be his downfall.
Tee-ming with Options
A simple t-shirt. It’s the keystone to everyone’s casual attire. You know them and you love them, and, as everyone knows, you can never have enough of them. A handful of businesses around town have even made them their livelihood. There are a few successful screenprinters (from Silkscreen Unlimited to No Dress Code Studios, to Leadhead Creative), who have carved out a niche of their own through countless ink-loaded pulls of a squeegee.
Lady of the Manor: Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird has the Guts to be Ordinary
Greta Gerwig’s (Frances Ha, Mistress America) directorial debut Lady Bird is a difficult film to write about. I loved nearly every scene in it, but I can’t really describe why without just describing the entire film. The film effortlessly displays a kind of familiarity and relatability that is often all too lacking in movies.
...And Justice For All?: Justice League Suffers from an Identity Crisis
I swore I’d review Justice League without mentioning Henry Cavill’s horribly distracting CGI-erased moustache, but it’s just so obvious and frankly, a perfect metaphor for all the bizarre decisions that brought this film to life. So I’m just going to say it: Henry Cavill’s computer generated upper lip looks really weird. With that out of the way, Justice League begins where Batman v.
It’s a Trap!: Jigsaw is Just as Gruesome and Incomprehensible as Always
There was a time long ago, around the mid to late 2000s, when Halloween was celebrated with the annual arrival of a new entry in the popular Saw franchise: the series that ushered in the horror sub-genre known as “torture porn.” Now with the new film Jigsaw, that tradition lives again.
Done to Death: Suburbicon Doesn’t Work as a Satire
The idea of showing the optimism and cheerfulness of 1950s suburbia juxtaposed with darkness and human cruelty is a concept that’s been done to death at this point. I mean, it’s something that was satirized even in the 1950s; so to make a movie with that theme stand out today, it would have to be really ingenious and inventive. George Clooney’s Suburbicon is not that film.
Our Erie - Erie Reader
Picturesque, majestic countryside as far as the eye can see? Been there, done (and/or developed) that. Galaxies far, far away? We’ll get around to them, but it’s going to be a while. Until then, music remains the ultimate frontier.
Erie At Large: Vote your conscience
Many have said that this year’s mayoral election is the most important city election in a generation. After decades of managed decline, the effects of urban sprawl and deindustrialization have placed Erie at a crossroads. Down one path waits a potential prosperity born out of a millennial renaissance. Down the other are the vestiges of time gone by, changes never made, and chances never taken. Amid this urgency, city voters have an actual choice to make.
More Human Than Human: Blade Runner 2049 is a Sequel Done Right
More Human Than Human: Blade Runner 2049 is a Sequel Done Right We are currently living in the age of the remake. Whether they are called “remake,” “re-imagining,” or the dreaded “soft reboot”, Hollywood films are obsessed with taking a story that has already been told and giving it a few new bells and whistles. Fortunately, Denis Villeneuve’s new film Blade Runner 2049 is the exception that proves the rule.
Thunderstruck!: Thor: Ragnarok is a Standard Story with an Amazing Middle
For nearly ten years now, the Marvel movies have been hitting theaters at least twice a year with their tales of superheroes teaming up to defeat some villain or monster who wants to destroy the world. It’s a very successful formula, but audiences have been complaining lately about too much of the same thing; the so-called “superhero fatigue” we’ve been told about.
Deja Vu: Happy Death Day is the Same Old Story
No, just because you acknowledge in your movie that you’re ripping off Groundhog Day doesn’t make it any less of a rip-off of Groundhog Day. And ripping off the basic premise of Harold Ramis’s film would have been fine if the story went anywhere interesting, but unfortunately, Christopher Landon’s Happy Death Day has nowhere to go beyond it’s intriguing concept.
Whodunit?: Murder on the Orient Express Provides Old-Fashioned Entertainment, but Not Much Else
As movies seem to become bigger and more extravagant every year, I often think that it would be nice to see a simple yet effective little genre film like the kind studios used to make in Hollywood’s golden age. No elaborate special effects, no needless action set pieces — just a clever story told in an interesting way.
Marietta’s McBride
The City of Erie has pushed for the demolition of the McBride Viaduct (a.k.a. the East Ave. Bridge) for several years now, citing various reasons. Unfortunately for the pedestrians who depend upon the viaduct for safe crossing of Erie’s railroad mainline, the original assessment considering repair of the structure did not include an option to preserve it as a pedestrian walkway. The folks who decided to tear down this piece of Erie history were not truly considering the human factor served here.
It Provides More Laughs Than Scares
With the success of the Netflix series Stranger Things, it seems that the look and feel of 1980s Stephen King-style movies are becoming popular again. It was to be expected that we would get more stories in the tradition of King’s “supernatural happenings in American suburbia” style.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Forest
Contact Forest, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack