Month: April 2015
SEC Ready: Hill Country Film Festival spotlight
by Matt Ward
Nobody’s calling the University of Texas the big brother of Texas A&M University anymore. Not that anyone in Aggieland ever did. With the move from the Big 12 Conference to the Southeastern Conference two years ago, the Aggies have officially separated themselves from the perceived shadow of the Longhorns and are well on their way to long term success in the SEC. It’s why … Read More SEC Ready: Hill Country Film Festival spotlight
The Age of Adaline: Lively shines in hit or miss romance
by Matt Ward
Don’t look now, but Blake Lively is a movie STAR deserving of capital letters and could very well become a future Best Actress award winner. “The Age of Adaline,” an otherwise pedestrian film, is nothing short of a coming out party for the young actress. Sure, Lively doesn’t have the film credits and accolades on the mantle like Jennifer Lawrence, but few young actresses … Read More The Age of Adaline: Lively shines in hit or miss romance
The Origins of Wit and Humor: Hill Country Film Festival spotlight
by Matt Ward
Good comedy is hard to find. Movies that consistently make us laugh without being formulaic and/or cliché are fewer and farther apart. Originality in the genre — whether it’s Oscar winners like “Birdman” and “Grand Budapest Hotel” or small independent efforts — should be equally celebrated. It’s thrust into this environment that Chicago-based filmmakers Christian Gridelli and Hunter Norris find themselves with their debut … Read More The Origins of Wit and Humor: Hill Country Film Festival spotlight
Woman In Gold: The allure of a golden woman
by Matt Ward
It’s still the time of year where movies just seem to run together in a way that makes them devoid of anything special or unique. Though Hollywood isn’t quite out of this annual funk, the cinematic landscape is starting to escape from the winter wasteland where films go to die and emerging in a spring season that gives moviegoers hope for a quality 2015. … Read More Woman In Gold: The allure of a golden woman
Paul Blart Mall Cop 2: No, just no
by Matt Ward
This week’s biggest release, “Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2,” arrives in theaters on the assumption that bigger is better — both figuratively and literally — when it comes to sequels. Yet, like the lackluster “Dumb and Dumber To” before it, “Blart 2” is a sequel no one really asked for. The premise of star Kevin James getting an all-expenses paid vacation to Las Vegas … Read More Paul Blart Mall Cop 2: No, just no
Sunny in the Dark: Hill Country Film Festival spotlight
by Matt Ward
Sometimes life gets too tough and you want to shut the world out. Imagine being able to close out everything and everyone as soon as you get home from work, only to realize you’re not as alone you think. It’s the premise for a horror film, right? Not exactly. Try Texas-based independent drama. Dallas-based filmmaker Courtney Ware will bring the Texas premiere of her … Read More Sunny in the Dark: Hill Country Film Festival spotlight
Mount Lawrence: Hill Country Film Festival spotlight
by Matt Ward
Wake up, bicycle until you can’t really move anymore, set up camp, go to bed, then repeat ad nauseam for the next five and a half months. It’s a formidable challenge for anyone, let alone a filmmaker attempting to chronicle the journey every step of the way, but for Texas native Chandler Wild, it was something he felt compelled to do in order to … Read More Mount Lawrence: Hill Country Film Festival spotlight
Lost River: Art house insanity on display
by Matt Ward
Almost a year following its world premiere at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, “Lost River,” the directorial debut of mercurial talent Ryan Gosling has finally wandered onto screens across America via video on demand. It’s likely that the loud chorus of boos that the film received from the Cannes audience has shelved the film for this long, but it’s important to remember that Cannes … Read More Lost River: Art house insanity on display
The Longest Ride: Alda shines in middling romance
by Matt Ward
Thank God for Alan Alda. For all the talk about the emergence of Clint Eastwood’s son, Scott, if there’s one thing that should be absolutely clear to moviegoers following a screening of “The Longest Ride,” it’s that Alda is a cinematic treasure we all need to be thankful for. The latest in an increasingly predictable line of films based on Nicholas Sparks novels finds … Read More The Longest Ride: Alda shines in middling romance
Furious 7: A proper end to action star Paul Walker’s career
by Matt Ward
“Furious 7,” the latest in the street racing “The Fast and the Furious” franchise, will forever be tied to the tragic death of leading man Paul Walker, who makes his final on screen appearance nearly two years after a fatal, yet unrelated, car accident. It’s a tragedy tied to a film in much the same way that Heath Ledger’s death looms large over “The … Read More Furious 7: A proper end to action star Paul Walker’s career
Get Hard: Failing cultural sensitivity tests
by Matt Ward
Things would have been better off if Kevin Hart and Will Ferrell teamed up to develop a remake of the classic Eddie Murphy-Dan Aykroyd comedy “Trading Places.” It’s the direction that their latest film, the double-entendre heavy “Get Hard,” heads down and the part of the raunchy comedy that actually works. Aside from some gratuitous rear nudity from Ferrell to “set the mood,” the … Read More Get Hard: Failing cultural sensitivity tests
Home: Parsons elevates middling animated comedy
by Matt Ward
“Home,” the latest animated feature film from DreamWorks Pictures, doesn’t break any new ground in family-friendly entertainment. You can see each and every twist coming from a mile away. What sets this animated tale of a lost girl and her unlikely alien friend apart is the terrific voice acting work from “Big Bang Theory” star Jim Parsons, whose animated career will surely take off … Read More Home: Parsons elevates middling animated comedy
Cinematic Considerations 