Category: New Releases
Morbius: Big teeth, no bite
by Matt Ward
Nowadays it seems that studios aren’t really trying as much to hide their greed, especially when as it relates to comic book movies. Just one month after Warner Brothers dropped a fantastic, original, and darker take on a classic comic book hero with The Batman, audiences have to suffer through the complete opposite. Pushed off for nearly two years due to both the COVID-19 … Read More Morbius: Big teeth, no bite
Deep Water: Vengeful infidelity
by Matt Ward
Director Adrian Lyne, the filmmaker behind some of cinema’s most compelling erotic thrillers, hasn’t stepped behind the camera in two decades. The mastermind of Fatal Attraction, Indecent Proposal and Lolita last put out a new movie in 2002 with Unfaithful, a sexy Diane Lane and Richard Gere film that quadrupled its budget in box office revenue. With plenty of time to craft his next … Read More Deep Water: Vengeful infidelity
Turning Red: Not so enchanting
by Matt Ward
Director Domee Shi isn’t a household name in animated film like Brad Bird, creator of the Incredibles films or Pete Doctor of Inside Out and Soul, are synonymous with Pixar movies. But the Chinese-Canadian filmmaker has developed a career out of making animated movies pulling from her heritage, first with the Oscar-winning short film Bao in 2018 and now with her major feature Turning … Read More Turning Red: Not so enchanting
The Batman: Darkest night
by Matt Ward
How is it possible to craft a completely original take on a character that has been reset, rebooted and reimagined countless times in print and on the silver screen over decades? It feels as if audiences, especially those soaked in comic book lore, have already seen every possible iteration of reclusive billionaire Bruce Wayne and his nocturnal vigilante alter ego Batman. But director and … Read More The Batman: Darkest night
Dog: Unlikely compatriots
by Matt Ward
Trailers don’t always give the best impression of what a film actually is. Sometimes it’s because the studio is attempting to trick potential viewers by showing the best clips in order to maximize profits. Other times, it’s simply because they don’t have any actual clue what kind of movie they have on their hands. This is especially problematic for first-time directors, who have to … Read More Dog: Unlikely compatriots
Uncharted: International treasure
by Matt Ward
Almost by definition, films based on video games are subpar features meant to propel teenagers into buying the latest installment in the entertainment franchise on PlayStation, Xbox, or computer console. Movie franchises have spawned from several popular titles over the years including multiple Tomb Raider installments, fighting series like Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter, as well as a Resident Evil series. In recent years, … Read More Uncharted: International treasure
Marry Me: The simplest of proposals
by Matt Ward
Sometimes the best performances an actor can deliver on screen are the ones that closely mirror who they are in real life. They could be portraying another actor and draw from their own personal experiences to get into the right state of mind or perhaps they have gone through similar struggles and find that the best way to connect to the character. And yet, … Read More Marry Me: The simplest of proposals
Nightmare Alley: Beautiful noir for small crowd
by Matt Ward
Acclaimed auteur Guillermo del Toro hasn’t made a new film since winning both best director and best picture in 2018 for his eccentric feature The Shape of Water. del Toro is known as a master of the avantgarde, relishing in the eccentricities of life and the oddities of horror for decades with everything from Pan’s Labyrinth to a pair of Hellboy films to an … Read More Nightmare Alley: Beautiful noir for small crowd
Home Team: Matter of inopportune timing
by Matt Ward
Super Bowl championship winning coach Sean Payton announced he was leaving his New Orleans Saints after 16 years with the franchise last week. Just days after his decision, a brand-new Netflix film about a pivotal moment in Payton’s coaching career ironically debuted focusing on yet another time Payton was away from his Saints. Home Team, a collaboration between Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions and … Read More Home Team: Matter of inopportune timing
The Tragedy of Macbeth: The weight of language
by Matt Ward
Adapting the works of William Shakespeare from the stage to the screen is a time-honored tradition of prestige filmmakers. Bringing the bard’s words to life in a way that casual audiences can understand and appreciate is perhaps the most difficult task of any director, theater or film. Shakespeare’s complicated lyrical prose uses far too many metaphors and overly floral language for the lay person … Read More The Tragedy of Macbeth: The weight of language
The Tender Bar: Uneven family drama
by Matt Ward
Slice of life Americana films only truly work about once in every six or seven attempts. Most of the time, these period-driven, small town family dramas attempt to bite off more than they can chew by introducing more characters than they can give adequate time to or by muddling the narrative with time jumps or by simply being bland. All these things, unfortunately, are … Read More The Tender Bar: Uneven family drama
Don’t Look Up: Stop worrying and love the comet
by Matt Ward
Stanley Kubrick made Dr. Strangelove, a quintessential black comedy of the 1960s starring Peter Sellers as a treatise against the uneasy relationship between America and Russia’s nuclear arms race. It’s one of the driest modern comedic films with a biting screenplay and pitch-perfect acting that fully realizes its auteur’s vision and works on numerous levels for casual as well as fully engaged audiences. Adam … Read More Don’t Look Up: Stop worrying and love the comet
Cinematic Considerations 