“Violent Night” relies too heavily on graphic violence at the expense of all else. But somewhere in this almost catastrophically absurd blend of gore and family drama emerges a thoroughly enjoyable experience. How? Well, aside from Harbour’s acting and screen presence — let’s call it Christmas magic.

As my friend and I walked out of the theater after seeing Director Alex Garland’s new film “Annihilation” — both trying to wrap our heads around what we had just witnessed — my friend said, “I...

When a friend offhandedly suggested that Brandon Keenan — a 2005 graduate of Pitt’s media communication program — research the strange topic of body farms, he quickly discovered a potential story...