Month: July 2019
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood: Tinseltown fantasy
by Matt Ward
“Once Upon A Time In Hollywood” is everything one might come to expect from a Quentin Tarantino film and yet somehow, it’s also nothing like what one might expect from Quentin Tarantino. Reflective of a man who grew up in the movies engrossed in every aspect of filmmaking, Tarantino’s ninth feature ramps up the dialogue and nonlinear storytelling while tempering down his trademark rampages … Read More Once Upon A Time In Hollywood: Tinseltown fantasy
The Lion King: A joyless wonder
by Matt Ward
Looks aren’t everything. Disney’s latest remake of an animated classic delivers a visually impressive cinematic experience that fails to hold muster over the course of two hours. Released 25 years after the two-time Oscar winning original in 1994, “The Lion King” swaps hand drawn cartoon animation for near perfect, photo realistic computer graphics. In so doing, Disney and director Jon Favreau have excised the … Read More The Lion King: A joyless wonder
Be Natural: Uncovering a film legend
by Matt Ward
Before there was Charlie Chaplin, there was Alice Guy-Blaché. Odds are, if you know even just a cursory amount of movie history, the silent film star is one of the first people rattled off the top of the list. The industry’s first female filmmaker – involved in almost 1,000 films as some combination of director, writer and producer – rarely comes to mind, if … Read More Be Natural: Uncovering a film legend
Stuber: Not a five-star ride
by Matt Ward
Kumail Nanjiani, writer and star of the 2017 breakout hit “The Big Sick,” is an extremely funny man. Dave Bautista, former World Wrestling Entertainment performer and “Guardians of the Galaxy” co-star, is following in the footsteps of wrestlers past like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and John Cena and can be a very funny man in his own right. Their first collaboration, a buddy comedy … Read More Stuber: Not a five-star ride
Spider-Man Far From Home: Passing the superhero torch
by Matt Ward
Spider-Man has some big shoes to fill. Following a 22-movie march to the events of “Avengers: Endgame,” the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has always been building towards something larger. Left in the wake of the second highest grossing film of all time, superhero movies turn once again to a web-slinging wall-crawler to point the way forward. Such is the daunting task before “Spider-Man: Far … Read More Spider-Man Far From Home: Passing the superhero torch
Cinematic Considerations 