Snobbin: Beautiful Trash in the Pop Culture Gutter

David Bruckner's  The Ritual builds suspense through the familiar narrative trope of difficult friendships and decisions but takes its protagonist to unexpected places that rework many folk horror tropes, such as the outsider coming to unfamiliar areas and finding horrific occult practices and villagers that are compelled to commit them. The premise which could be a feel good buddy comedy turns horrific quickly, and the legacy of the characters comes into question. Add in a really interesting folk horror monster with antlers, hoofs, and human-like body parts, and you have all the ingredients for an interesting genre excursion. 

Film Eighteen: The Reagan Show (2017). A documentary that utilizes newsreel and video footage to cover Ronald Reagan's presidency. Since the former actor was one of the first presidents to regularly allow cameras in the White House, directors Pacho Velez and Sierra Pettengill had plenty of footage to choose from. The enjoyable documentary provides a somewhat balanced presentation of Reagan's media image that will please both his fans and detractors; however, a few gaffes show cracks in his media friendly facade. The tight focus on his interactions with Mikhail Gorbachev, while apt, leave this viewer wanting more and asking many questions about some of Reagan's other unsavory and beneficial policies.