That Shelf

3 weeks ago | thatshelf.com | Courtney Small

Spring has barely stretched its legs and April is already showering us with pop culture gifts. The most exciting of which, for us LEGO fans at least, is the release of The Lord of the Rings: The Shire set! Joining other iconic Lord of the Rings LEGO sets, including the epic The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell and The Lord of the Rings: Barad-dûr, this Middle-earth themed set comes at a cheaper price point.

3 weeks ago | thatshelf.com | Mel Valentin

Although it was far from the first film to cross genres, Alien redefined the combo science-fiction/horror movie. It became the template for any filmmaker eager to wade in its ready-made tropes, like derelict ships, monstrous aliens, and labyrinthine haunted house mechanics. But Alien had more than trend-setting tropes on its side.

3 weeks ago | thatshelf.com | Mel Valentin

As income inequality in the United States and elsewhere in the Western world approaches an inevitable inflection point, “Eat the Rich” stories have become, if nothing else, more prevalent, reflecting changing cultural attitudes about the wealthy elites who seem to control everything, from politics to media and in the case of writer-director Alex Scharfman’s middling horror-satire, Death of a Unicorn, a profit-first, people-last pharmaceutical company headed by a dying CEO and his casually...

1 month ago | thatshelf.com | Deirdre Crimmins

Darkest Miriam is not trying to create any major, dramatic waves. It is a quiet film about a quiet woman, having a quiet life. Miriam (Britt Lower, Severance) works at a small Toronto library branch, has a lunch routine, a cardigan at her desk, and although she is alone she does not seem particularly lonely. Director Naomi Jaye brought the character to screen after staging an immersive art experience based on the novel The Incident Report by Martha Baillie.

1 month ago | thatshelf.com | Colin Biggs

The prevailing feeling throughout The Alto Knights‘ is that it should’ve been made 20 years ago. While mob figures like Vito Genovese and Frank Costello used to be in the public lexicon, those names have faded into the pages of history. Even Jimmy Hoffa, a man whose mysterious death was a source of tabloid fodder for years, barely registered with the public when The Irishman debuted in 2019. These are the forgotten names from a bygone era.