Author: Matt Conway

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…

Horror sequels are more commonplace than in any other genre, particularly because of the inexpensive nature of horror titles. Even modest success stories like The Last Exorcist or 30 Days of a Night can spawn their own sequel, with studios often looking to find inexpensive ways to cash in on a brand. The same can be said about the latest horror sequel The Gallows: Act 2, a follow-up to 2015 original that did not make much noise critically or financially. This sequel, which will be forgoing theaters for a VOD release, picks up where the last left off with a new set of students being…

Few actors have experienced the meteoric highs and steep lows of John Travolta. Even with several iconic works like Grease and Pulp Fiction to his name, his recent projects have been lackluster, to put it lightly. A mixture of direct-to-video duds and lackluster efforts like Gotti have marred the former star actor, with his latest offering The Fanatic sinking him to a new career-low. The Fanatic follows Moose (John Travolta), an autistic man who spends his days obsessing over movie star Hunter Dunbar (Devon Sawa). Moose’s seemingly innocent interest in Hunter’s life quickly morphs into something far more sinister as he stalks Dunbar’s estate. Tryin to score…

Many look at the career of Shia LaBeouf as a tumultuous journey for the former child star, with that narrative grossly overshadowing his star ability as an actor. Whether he’s a free-loving drifter like in American Honey or bringing to life the wildman energy of John McEnroe in Borg vs McEnroe, the actor has demonstrated remarkable versatility and commitment with every performance. His latest venture The Peanut Butter Falcon, a well-regarded comedy from the Sundance Film Festival, continues to display his ability, making for a satisfying road trip film with a big heart. The Peanut Butter Falcon follows Zak (Zack Gottsagen), a young adult living with…