Author: Matt Conway

When it comes to the horror genre, few names have more clout than Guillermo Del Toro. The Oscar-winning director has always worked within his own gothic sensibility, creating wholly original films like Pan’s Labyrinth that have stood the test of time. Del Toro continues to work in the genre, this time serving as a producer for an adaptation of Alvin Schwartz’s anthology novel Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Teaming up with director Andre Overdal, the duo are teaming up to adopt one of the more chilling young adult works. So it should come as no shock that the film…

Ever since Jaws conjured a palpable sense of dread towards shark-infested oceans, creature features have been a prominent fixture of the summer movie schedule. Films like The Shallows and The Meg have continued this trend with mostly positive results, paving the way for the latest R-rated genre film Crawl. Shamelessly playing up to the formula of the genre, the film offers a fun, yet familiar entry in the creature pantheon. Crawl follows Hayley, a college student trying to rescue her father amidst an incoming hurricane. She gets more than she bargains for, however, as deadly alligators only enhance the disastrous situation. Delivering on the B-movie promise of its outrageous…

Few horror titles have had as massive of an impact as 2017’s It. Grossing a massive 700 million dollar worldwide total while also successfully bringing to life one of author Stephen King’s most prized works, It marked one of the biggest success in the horror genre. With that being said, it looks like It: Chapter 2 has the potential to be even better. Adding the talents of Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy, and Bill Hader, It: Chapter 2 has continued to gain a lot of momentum heading towards its September release. Adding to the hype is Entertainment Weekly’s new issue, which features exclusive new photos from the film. Check…

Streaming services have grown to become essential to the film industry and audiences alike. These platforms have allowed for unique content like Stranger Things and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel to thrive, while also changing the way audiences view content.  With these services dominating the marketplace, it’s no surprise that competitors want to get a slice of the pie. That’s where WarnerMedia comes in. According to a new report, WarnerMedia will reportedly name this service HBO Max. With HBO and several hit sitcoms like The Big Bang Theory under their control, the company has been developing its own service to compete with Netflix, Amazon, and the…

Films, like all media, serve as both a product for entertainment as well as a reflection of the times the content was made in. Films like American Graffiti and Saturday Night Fever are prime examples of this, reflecting 60’s and 70’s Americana with a genuine and stylistic eye. In some cases though, older films can often highlight the more problematic aspects of a time period. Disney isn’t a stranger to revising regrettable content (Song of the South being the most notable example), now doing such with a somewhat-modern film Toy Story 2.  In the new release of the film, a blooper that tries to poke fun…

Many wouldn’t recognize the Ju-On franchise based on namesake, but most audiences are familiar to it through its American remake The Grudge. After successful first entry, The Grudge would go on to spawn a trilogy that offered some memorable thrills. With a remake in production for The Grudge, it’s only fitting that Ju-On would get the same treatment. It appears that Ju-On will return in a unique new package. According to BloodyDisgusting, Netflix plans to adapt the films into a TV series that will be released in Spring 2020. Check out the tentative premise for the show: The J-Horror classic franchise “Ju-On” was actually based on real events that…

The Conjuring Universe has taken over the horror genre in a way that few franchises could copy. While successfully spinning-off its original series with notable financial success (Annabelle Creations and The Nun topped 100 million domestically), many of these films have shown a noticeable drop in quality from the original source material. While the latest entry Annabelle Comes Home isn’t among the series worst entries, it shows the creative cracks that have developed with this cinematic universe. Annabelle Comes Home brings the sinister Annabelle doll into the hands of Conjuring protagonists Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga). When they leave for a night, a babysitter’s friend…

Effortlessly mixing science fiction intrigue with the thrills of blockbuster cinema, Men in Black was a true creative force when it hit theaters in 1997. It would spawn two sequels, that while less-acclaimed, still entertained through Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones engaging dynamic. Like any franchise though, Sony decided it was time for a reboot with Men in Black: International, a reimagining that lacks any of the fun or creative spark of the originals. Men in Black: International follows Molly (Tessa Thompson), a woman who desires to join the MIB ranks after seeing extraterrestrial life as a kid. Once enlisted, she teams up…

Zombies have taken over pop culture over the last decade with staples like The Walking Dead, The Last of Us, and World War Z helping to popularize the genre. With the genre reaching its point of over-saturation, filmmakers have to get creative to make their interpretations feel fresh for the undead. In comes writer/director Jim Jarmusch, whose new black comedy The Dead Don’t Die utilizes zombies to create pinpoint humor and commentary about our apathetic culture. Set in the peaceful town of Centerville, The Dead Don’t Die follows officers Cliff Robertson (Bill Murray) and Ronnie Peterson (Adam Driver), who are thrust into action when their…

With his signature and hilariously direct approach to acting, Samuel L. Jackson has become one of the most beloved character actors in the industry. He has shined in supporting roles like Pulp Fiction, but it’s always exciting to see the actor get to command the screen as the star of a film. With Shaft (2019), Jackson reprises his role as the signature hero from the 2000 film, but the results are far less inspired. Acting as a loose sequel to the 1971 and 2000 films respectively, Shaft follows John Shaft Jr. (Jessie T. Usher), a CIA data analyst who is thrust into a mystery…