Author: Matt Conway

Many speculate on what has made wizkid distributor A24 such a success in independent cinema, winning Best Picture after a mere three years in existence. Much of that I would credit to building strong reports with developing auteurs, as The Safdie Brothers (Good Time and the upcoming Uncut Gems), Ari Aster (Hereditary and Midsommar), and Trey Edward Shultz (It Comes At Night and Waves) have impressed with their unique projects. Following up on his atmospheric horror hit The Witch, director Robert Eggers continues this impressive trend, crafting one of the most accomplished horror features in some time. The Lighthouse follows Ephraim Winslow (Robert Pattinson) and Thomas Wake (Willem…

Considering his long-run in Hollywood, Eddie Murphy’s disappearance from the big screen has left many waiting for a return to form for one of the comedies’ most essential voices (his last film was 2016’s virtually unseen Mr. Church). Thankfully, Murphy is back on the big screen, returning to bring the dynamic Rudy Ray Moore to life in Dolemite is My Name. Murphy delivers one of his best performances in a fitting tribute to an overlooked period in film. Dolemite is My Name follows Rudy Ray Moore, a struggling comedian who desperately searches for his chance to make a name for himself.…

In a climate in which superhero films dominate blockbuster cinema, an original science fiction actioner like Gemini Man touting a 138 million dollar budget faces a steep challenge at the box office, even with the likes of Will Smith facing off against a younger version of himself (along with Ang Lee’s inventive 4k 120 FPS framing of the film). After the film scored negative reviews from critics (holds a 25% rating on Rotten Tomatoes), Gemini Man has since struggled mightly at the box office. After a middling 20.5 million opening, the film dropped 60% at the box office this weekend, with The Hollywood…

Being released amidst the zombie craze of the late 2000s, Zombieland was a sleeper success that has since sustained a passionate following. Much of that was due to the film’s decidedly unique take on the tried and true genre, meshing its apocalyptic landscape with a heavy dose of humor and personality from its all-star cast. After a decade of waiting, Zombieland: Double Tap has finally hit theaters, but the results pale in comparison to the charming original. Zombieland: Double Tap picks up with Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Witchita (Emma Stone), and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), who continue to survive the zombie apocalypse…

Steven Soderbergh’s career has been one of continual osmosis, morphing along with the times while embracing a variety of genres along the way. After almost retiring in 2013, the Traffic director has delivered continually-inspired efforts, whether it be a claustrophobic thriller like Unsane or a thoughtfully crafted take on sports’ commercialization with High Flying Bird. In his latest effort The Laundromat, Soderbergh and frequent collaborator Scott Burns attempt to capture the Panama Papers saga through a variety of vignettes. The execution, while far from perfect, is inspired nonetheless. The Laundromat follows Ellen Martin (Meryl Streep), whose eyes are opened to the fraudulent practices of two…

Between the unique gothic charm of its 1960’s sitcom and the macabre sensibilities of its 90’s films, The Addams Family has made a strong impression with audiences due to the delightfully offbeat family dynamic at its core. Now being remade and repackaged via animation for a family audience, this latest Addams adventure is able to find its own distinct pleasures while still staying true to the heart of its source material. This iteration of The Addams Family follows Gomez (Oscar Isaac) and Morticia Addams (Charlize Theron), who raise their kids Wednesday (Chole Grace Mortez) and Pugsley (Finn Wolfhard) in isolation while practicing a…

While rarely one to grab the spotlight, Ang Lee’s pursuit to evolve his craft has made him one of Hollywood’s most notable directors. Whether it’s an emotionally-deep drama like Brokeback Mountain or a kung-fu masterwork like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Lee has approached varied material with equal measures of craft and meditative thought. The same can be said about his latest Gemini Man, a high-concept science fiction spectacle with an effective emotional backbone. Gemini Man follows Henry Brogan (Will Smith), a highly-skilled assassin who begins to confront his past actions in his old age. When he tries to retire, Clay Verris (Clive Owen) unleashes the…

With the haunted Halloween season almost upon us, its time for many horror fans to check out some of their favorite horror entries. Many of those are likely to be adaptations of Stephen King, with the horror writer becoming an icon in the genre with book to film adaptations like It and The Shining. To celebrate the Halloween series, Dish is looking to reward one person for being the ultimate Stephen King fan. In a new contest, Dish will pay $1,300 dollars to a chosen fan that watches 13 King adaptations before Halloween, with their heart rate being tracked along the way via Fitbit.…

Horror is often at its best when it’s playing off of the zeitgeist of our current society. For example, a film like The Ring effectively unnerves its audience with a premise that hits close to everyday life, that what if a video you were watching turned deadly. By connecting to audiences that way, films have an even easier time of unnerving them with their distorted reality. Trying to adapt that formula into our modern times is the latest horror film Countdown.  Utilizing smartphone technology as a means of horror,  Countdown finds its characters downloading an app that tells them when they are going to die.…

Whether its Martin Scorsese crafting another mafioso masterpiece or Robert DeNiro leading the ultimate heist in Heat, crime dramas are among some of the most revered works in film. At its best, the genre can display an artful balance between popcorn thrills and substantive content, with the latest entry in the genre Hustlers replicating some of the best aspects of the genre while infusing its own sincerely conceived ideas. Set amidst the 2008 financial crisis, Hustlers follows Destiny (Constance Wu), a down-on-her-luck former stripper who is trying to stay afloat as a single mother. When a former friend and colleague Ramona (Jennifer Lopez) comes…