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‘Cocaine Bear’ is Exactly As Advertised (Review)

21Apr

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

‘Cocaine Bear’ is Exactly As Advertised (Review)

Let's get one thing clear: 'Cocaine Bear' is genuinely a fun concept and exactly the movie you think it is. Is it any good? Let's just say, your mileage may vary on that aspect. Director Elizabeth Banks is in on the joke. She takes a "what did they just say" concept and turns it into an inherently watchable movie. It's just an incredibly silly one. Hannah Hoekstra as Elsa in 'Cocaine Bear' (Universal Pictures) Pitched as an "inspired by a true story" tale, 'Cocaine Bear' is as loosely rooted in the truth as a certain bloated and very orange ex-President. Which is to say, virtually nothing that happens in this film actually occurred in real life except for the fact that a dead bear was found in Georgia in 1985. Officials believe it ate an entire duffel bag of cocaine that had bee...

Mia Hansen-Løve Returns With Understated ‘One Fine Morning’ (Review)

14Apr

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

Mia Hansen-Løve Returns With Understated ‘One Fine Morning’ (Review)

With an incredible run of films going back to her 2007 debut 'All is Forgiven,' Mia Hansen-Løve has become one of my favorite filmmakers. She's been met with acclaim and accolades from the start, with that first film earning nominations at the Cannes Film Festival and the César awards. As the years have rolled on, she has continued to consistently tell intensely personal stories with warmth. We covered her last film, 2021's 'Bergman Island,' here and it recently was released through the Criterion Collection. For her eighth feature film, she cast Léa Seydoux ('Blue is the Warmest Color') as Sandra. She is a young single mother who works as a translator. Her father Georg (Pascal Greggory) was a brilliant man who taught philosophy, but a neurodegenerative disease has wrecked havo...

‘Tetris’ Delivers a Surprisingly Fun Origin Story (Review)

31Mar

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

‘Tetris’ Delivers a Surprisingly Fun Origin Story (Review)

With 'Tetris,' Scottish director Jon S. Baird ('Filth') takes on the origin story of one of the most addictive video games ever created. Is it the whole truth and nothing but the truth? Of course not. But it is a surprisingly fun film with a standout performance from Taron Egerton who plays Henk Rogers, the man who helped spread a small Russian-created game around the world. The movie begins with a flat-footed batch of exposition to lay out the story, but it finds its way as we go along. The game Henk designed and is exhibiting at the Consumer Electronics Show is a dud, but after playing Tetris at another CES booth, he sees his ticket to success. His plan slowly begins to take hold from there. All he has to do is buy the global distribution rights from the game's creator, Alexe...

I Said I Wouldn’t, But I Actually Bought a Cassette Tape: on ‘Terminals’ by Druid & Jok.

26Mar

By Ambur MasenNo Comments

Features, Music, Reviews

I Said I Wouldn’t, But I Actually Bought a Cassette Tape: on ‘Terminals’ by Druid & Jok.

Ya'll, I can't believe it, but I actually bought a cassette tape. On Bandcamp Friday. In March 2023. This makes no sense to me, especially since I've definitely gone on one too many rants that sound a little bit like this: "I can't do this anymore, I already did the cassette thing, and the CD thing, and now the oh-so-occasional vinyl thing--and now cassette is coming back, and I--I just can't keep doing this." Then along came Terminals, the new EP by Druid & Jok, out via Decaying Spheres at the beginning of the month... And it was getting a physical release. On cassette, of course. Ugh. The tape came in the mail the other day. and it hit me: I caved. I bought a cassette tape. I'm part of "the problem" now. And, as anticipated, I have absolutely no way of playing...

HBO Max Premieres Oscar-nominated ‘All The Beauty And The Bloodshed’ (Review)

17Mar

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

HBO Max Premieres Oscar-nominated ‘All The Beauty And The Bloodshed’ (Review)

The latest and greatest from filmmaker Laura Poitras ('Citizenfour') is a captivating look at the life and career of artist Nan Goldin. In 'All The Beauty And The Bloodshed,' Poitras takes us far beyond the artistic achievements of a remarkable woman. The film was awarded the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, only the second time in the fest's history that a documentary won the honor. Sadly, it lost out to the timely 'Navalny' at the Oscars this year in the Best Documentary Feature category, It should find a much bigger audience on HBO Max than it did during a brief theatrical release last fall. Nan Goldin in 'All The Beauty And The Bloodshed' (NEON/HBO Documentary Films) The Verdict 'All The Beauty And The Bloodshed' was in my Top 10 for 2022, so you can safely presu...

Oscar-nominated Drama ‘Close’ Heading to VOD (Review)

24Feb

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

Oscar-nominated Drama ‘Close’ Heading to VOD (Review)

Lukas Dhont's 'Close' premiered in compeition at the Cannes last year and won the Grand Prix, the festival's second highest honor. Acquired for U.S. distribution by A24, it has been nominated for Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards. Eden Dambrine (center) stars in Lukas Dhont's 'Close' (A24) Set in rural Belgium, Léo (Eden Dambrine) and Rémi (Gustav De Waele) are young teenage boys who have been best friends for years. As their teenage years begin they spend a blissful summer by each other's side, playing games and goofing around like any kids would. As they head to start a new school year, they find that their classmates perceive them to be gay. Without the maturity to deal with the shame and confusion this taunting brings to their friendship, they be...

‘Infinity Pool’ Delivers Pure Nightmare Fuel (Review)

17Feb

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

‘Infinity Pool’ Delivers Pure Nightmare Fuel (Review)

With 'Infinity Pool,' Brandon Cronenberg proves that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. And that tree is probably covered in blood. Yes, Brandon's dad is the one and only David Cronenberg and he's made some great films over the course of his career. For my money, 'Infinity Pool' is far more interesting than his dad's most recent effort. Of course, it helps to have two of the sexiest people on the planet along for the ride - Alexander Skarsgard and Mia Goth. Mia Goth stars in Brandon Cronenberg's 'Infinity Pool' (NEON) Skarsgard plays James Foster, an author with one middling novel under his belt who just can't seem to write a follow-up. To kickstart his brain, he follows his wife Em (Cleopatra Coleman) on a trip to a luxury resort in Li Tolqa (a location made up for t...

Military Drama ‘The Inspection’ is a Powerful Debut (Review)

10Feb

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

Military Drama ‘The Inspection’ is a Powerful Debut (Review)

When he was just 16 years old, Elegance Bratton was kicked out of the house by his mother for being gay. After a decade of homelessness, he joined the Marines. That real-life story inspired his debut feature film, 'The Inspection.' Jeremy Pope earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in the lead role as Ellis, a stand-in for Bratton. He heads to boot camp in South Carolina at the height of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Once his fellow recruits discover his secret, he becomes a target for hazing. Jeremy Pope stars in 'The Inspection' (A24) The Verdict Bratton previously helmed the Vice series 'My House' and an acclaimed documentary entitled 'Pier Kids,' but his debut narrative feature is an astonishing leap in filmmaking. Chalk it up to the personal nature of the story, ...

‘M3GAN’ is an Instant Camp Classic (Review)

27Jan

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

‘M3GAN’ is an Instant Camp Classic (Review)

With 'M3GAN,' Blumhouse has done it again. They've delivered a low-budget, high-concept thrillride that is a total blast, even if it's been watered down to a PG-13 rating. Producer James Wan ('Malignant') tapped New Zealand director Gerard Johnstone to helm this campy blend of horror and comedy from a taut script by Akela Cooper. Cady (Violet McGraw) has just lost her parents in a car accident and is sent to live with her aunt Gemma (Allison Williams), who just happens to be a high-end toy designer in Seattle. Gemma has no idea how to handle a young child and instead adapts a robot project she's been working on. It's easier for her to hand over M3GAN (Model 3 Generative Android) to babysit Cady and use its AI adaptive learning to keep her busy. But M3GAN takes her duties a...

Go Behind The Scenes With ‘The Return of Tanya Tucker’ (Review)

13Jan

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

Go Behind The Scenes With ‘The Return of Tanya Tucker’ (Review)

Tanya Tucker is a legendary country singer who became a star when she was still a teenager, being named Most Promising Female Vocalist by the Academy of Country Music Awards in 1972. Her career has had its share of ups and downs over the years, with the end of the 1970s into the early 1980s being especially difficult. She had her first big comeback in the late 80s where she ended up not only selling strongly again, but by winning multiple awards again, including CMT's Female Video Artist of the Year in 1990. After multiple attempts at reinvention followed, Tucker was fairly off the radar again until her 2019 album While I'm Livin was released. Working with Brandi Carlile and Shooter Jennings, Tucker won the Grammy Award for Best Country Album in 2000 as well as Best Country Song fo...