Category: New Releases
Beasts of No Nation: Netflix bursts into Oscar race with thrilling drama
by Matt Ward
Netflix is changing the entertainment business. Again. After revolutionizing how we consume home video with their DVD mailing and online streaming services, the Internet mega-power broke barriers with their original television content, winning Emmys for “House of Cards” and “Orange is the New Black.” This massive change allowed viewers to binge watch an entire season within days of watching the season premiere while never … Read More Beasts of No Nation: Netflix bursts into Oscar race with thrilling drama
Steve Jobs: Perception isn’t reality with Apple founder biopic
by Matt Ward
Steve Jobs was an innovator. The man behind the iPod, iMac and one of the enduring beacons of the tech industry hasn’t been gone five years and Hollywood’s already on their second biopic about the enigmatic and fractured genius. Two years ago, an independent feature with actor/model/Jobs-lookalike Ashton Kutcher as the Apple co-founder was released to little fanfare and critical derision despite a solid … Read More Steve Jobs: Perception isn’t reality with Apple founder biopic
Woodlawn: Sports, faith meet in uplifting drama
by Matt Ward
It’s been a long, uphill battle for Christian filmmakers. Their films, no matter how religious the movie’s message might be, will get labeled with the politically correct “faith-based” genre tag, an almost instantaneous death knell to the financial profitability of the project. Sure there have been some exceptions to the rule – “Passion of the Christ” and to a lesser extent “God’s Not Dead” … Read More Woodlawn: Sports, faith meet in uplifting drama
Pan: Quirky retelling of classic tale requires embracing the absurd
by Matt Ward
Hugh Jackman and a chorus of hundreds beckons the call: “Here we are now; entertain us!” Over and over and over again in a melancholic work camp chant, they intone, pleading to be quenched in their thirst for violent justice, screaming Kurt Cobain-penned, 90s grunge rock lyrics. The chaotic, post-apocalyptic scene feels like something straight out of George Miller’s epic fantasy “Mad Max: Fury … Read More Pan: Quirky retelling of classic tale requires embracing the absurd
The Martian: Damon-led sci-fi film best in several years
by Matt Ward
Don’t make the mistake of skipping a trip to your local theater to catch “The Martian.” There’s too many reasons not to miss out on what likely will go down as one of the premier science fiction films of the decade – thought everything right about the movie starts and ends with Matt Damon. As with all films about the stranded or marooned, a … Read More The Martian: Damon-led sci-fi film best in several years
Everest: Visual thrill ride something to behold in 3D
by Matt Ward
Try and remember the last time you sat in a movie theater and were genuinely blown away by what you saw. Can you picture it even now? Some moments in cinema — whether they be an individual acting performance, captivating scene of dialogue or picturesque shot – will forever remain burned in your mind. True innovation, especially in the way filmmakers tell stories visually, … Read More Everest: Visual thrill ride something to behold in 3D
Black Mass: Depp, Edgerton shine in ensemble gangster flick
by Matt Ward
Johnny Depp is different things to different people. He’s borderline flamboyant, swashbuckling pirate Johnny Depp to many filmgoers; undercover teen cop Johnny Depp to an older generation and an enigmatic Mad Hatter Johnny Depp to a much younger subsect of audiences. There’s no mistaking that the charming when he wants to be, brooding when he needs to be and enigmatic always Johnny Depp feels … Read More Black Mass: Depp, Edgerton shine in ensemble gangster flick
Wildlike: Indie drama nails frontier Alaska
by Matt Ward
You’ve probably seen Bruce Greenwood in a lot of movies. He’s one of those “Oh that guy” character actors. You know the ones. A friend will say something like “I really liked (NAME OF ACTOR) in that movie I saw last week,” to which the immediate response is almost always, “Which one is he?” Then the friend explains what movies you’ve seen the actor … Read More Wildlike: Indie drama nails frontier Alaska
A Walk in the Woods: Redford, Nolte stroll through amusing dramedy
by Matt Ward
It’s difficult to like “A Walk in the Woods” as much as you might like to. Pair acting royalty like Robert Redford and Nick Nolte together and send them off on an Odyssean-like quest through the Appalachian Trail in search of themselves based on the book of the same name by travel writer Bill Bryson and it feels like a sure-fire recipe for success. … Read More A Walk in the Woods: Redford, Nolte stroll through amusing dramedy
Transporter Refueled: Ed Skrein proves he’s no Jason Statham
by Matt Ward
Six different men have embarked on secret wars as the British superspy James Bond — soon to be seven if you believe the rumors that Daniel Craig will hang it up after “Spectre.” While it was difficult to replace Sean Connery, eventually Roger Moore was able to take up the mantle and keep the Bond franchise alive, something action franchises like Indiana Jones, Jason … Read More Transporter Refueled: Ed Skrein proves he’s no Jason Statham
No Escape: Where’s the nearest exit?
by Matt Ward
Pierce Brosnan is trying very hard to revitalize his career, reshaping himself in the mold of Liam Neeson, aging action star. It certainly helps that Brosnan spent a decade in four high profile films as the iconic James Bond, cinema’s longest lasting character, crafting a niche for himself as a classier version of the action star actor. It’s these Brosnan Bond films like “GoldenEye” … Read More No Escape: Where’s the nearest exit?
The Gift: Writer/director/actor Edgerton astounds in thriller
by Matt Ward
Meryl Streep isn’t in “The Gift.” Twenty years ago, the smart independent thriller from writer/producer/star Joel Edgerton would have been something right up Streep’s alley, but just because the performers don’t have top level name recognition doesn’t mean that the relative upstart film isn’t without its merits. In fact, Australian triple-threat Edgerton provides one of 2015’s most inventive and original films on par with … Read More The Gift: Writer/director/actor Edgerton astounds in thriller
Cinematic Considerations 