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Josh Bell

Josh Bell is a freelance writer and movie/TV critic based in Las Vegas. He's the former film editor of 'Las Vegas Weekly' and has written about movies and pop culture for Syfy Wire, Polygon, CBR, Film Racket, Uproxx and more. With comedian Jason Harris, he co-hosts the podcast Awesome Movie Year.

News archive

How Richard Linklater’s <i>Dazed and Confused</i> Launched an Informal Semi-Autobiographical Coming-of-Age Trilogy

Happy Birthday

How Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused Launched an Informal Semi-Autobiographical Coming-of-Age Trilogy

Sep 21st, 2023 Josh Bell

Thirty years ago, Richard Linklater made a high school hangout comedy inspired by his Texas youth, which then shaped two more of his personal films decades later.

VODepths

VODepths: What to See (and Avoid) on Demand This Week

Sep 19th, 2023 Josh Bell

Our mini-reviews of "Barber," "Condition of Return," "The Curse of the Willow Song," and more.

Reviews

VODepths: What to See (and Avoid) on Demand This Week

Sep 5th, 2023 Josh Bell

Our mini-reviews of "King of Killers," "American: An Odyssey to 1947," "The Latent Image," and more.

Looking Back

Classic Corner: Eight Men Out

Sep 1st, 2023 Josh Bell

One of the greatest baseball movies of all time is about exploited players who can only assert their value by losing on purpose.

VODepths

VODepths: What to See (and Avoid) on Demand This Week

Aug 22nd, 2023 Josh Bell

“Ashkal: The Tunisian Investigation,” “Brightwood,” and “The Dive” are the highlights of this week’s indie VOD titles.

Reviews

VODepths: What to See (and Avoid) on Demand This Week

Aug 8th, 2023 Josh Bell

Our mini-reviews of “The Passenger,” “Wolfkin,” “Match Me If You Can,” and more of this week’s direct-to-VOD fare.

VODepths

VODepths: What to See (and Avoid) on Demand This Week

Jul 18th, 2023 Josh Bell

Our mini-reviews of 'The Flood,' 'August at Twenty-Two,' 'Ouija Shark 2,' and more new-to-home titles.

Movies

The Films of Project Greenlight: When a Reality Show Makes Movies

Jul 13th, 2023 Josh Bell

Over 20-plus years and five seasons, reality show ‘Project Greenlight’ has produced a strange assortment of movies that chart the evolution of the corporate indie film.

Reviews

VODepths: What to See (and Avoid) on Demand This Week

Jul 5th, 2023 Josh Bell

Our mini-reviews of "Transmorphers: Mech Beasts," "South fo Sanity," "Tiger Within," and more new straight-to-VOD flicks.

VODepths

VODepths: What to See (and Avoid) on Demand This Week

Jun 20th, 2023 Josh Bell

Quick-hit reviews for “Midday Black Midnight Blue,” “Surrounded,” “Coyote,” and more of this week’s straight-to-VOD titles.

The Hair Metal Supremacy of Penelope Spheeris’ <i>The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years</i>

Happy Birthday

The Hair Metal Supremacy of Penelope Spheeris’ The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years

Jun 14th, 2023 Josh Bell

Thirty-five years ago, Penelope Spheeris encapsulated the past, present, and future of hair metal in a documentary filled with glorious excess.

VODepths

VODepths: What to See (and Avoid) on Demand This Week

Jun 6th, 2023 Josh Bell

This week's straight-to-VOD mini-reviews include "The Secret Kingdom," "Bone Cold," and "All Man: The International Male Story."

VODepths

VODepths: What to See (and Avoid) on Demand This Week

May 23rd, 2023 Josh Bell

Our mini-reviews of 'Dotty & Soul,' 'Cracked,' 'Pastacolypse,' and more of this week's straight-to-streaming and VOD fare.

<i>The Opposite of Sex</i> Remains a Provocative, Problematic Charmer

Happy Birthday

The Opposite of Sex Remains a Provocative, Problematic Charmer

May 15th, 2023 Josh Bell

Twenty-five years ago, both Christina Ricci and queer cinema noisily came of age in this crass, unapologetic sex comedy.

VODepths

VODepths: What to See (and Avoid) on Demand This Week

May 9th, 2023 Josh Bell

Our mini-reviews of "Johnny & Clyde," "Out and About," two parts of the slasher throwback "The Third Saturday in October," and more new direct-to-VOD fare.

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