Matt Shiverdecker, Author at MendoWerks

29Dec

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

The 10 Best Films of 2023

It's time to take a look at the best films of 2023. I managed to view over 120 new releases this year and there was a lot to love. Despite the Writers Guild and Screen Actors Guild striking this year, there was a wide array of movies to choose from. The true impact from those strikes will not likely be felt until next year, although the box office of several releases this year were likely less than they could have been due to a lack of promotion. It wasn't all doom and gloom for the overall business - 8 feature films crossed the $200 million mark in ticket sales and 'Barbie' ended up grossing over $636 million domestically. The films below weren't necessarily the biggest hits, but they are the ones that have lingered the most in my mind. Emma Stone stars in 'Poor Things,' ...

ICYMI: ‘Rye Lane’ is a Refreshingly Creative Meet-Cute (Review)

22Dec

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

ICYMI: ‘Rye Lane’ is a Refreshingly Creative Meet-Cute (Review)

'Rye Lane' is the debut feature from director Raine Allen-Miller. Earlier this fall, the it led the pack with a whopping 16 nominations at the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA). While attending a friend's art exhibition, Dom (David Jonsson) breaks down in a gender-neutral bathroom. His long-term girlfriend Gia has cheated on him with his best friend and Dom just can't take it anymore. He feels safe to have an isolated cry in the bathroom, but Yas (Vivian Oparah) overhears him in the stall next door. The two cross paths later while checking out their mutual friend's artwork on display and Yas clocks Dom by noticing it was his shoes under the bathroom stall. But Yas has recently gotten out of a relationship too and, although she plays it cool, it was also a difficult experience ...

Timely Sci-Fi Thriller ‘The Creator’ is a Visual Marvel (Review)

8Dec

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

Timely Sci-Fi Thriller ‘The Creator’ is a Visual Marvel (Review)

'The Creator' is set in the not-so-distant future. In 2070, humans are at war with artificial intelligence. Director Gareth Edwards has a knack for crafting inventive sci-fi thrillers that look far more expensive than their actual budgets. In 2010, he made a film called 'Monsters' that was made for under $500,000 using consumer-grade software and edited on a laptop. It didn't make a lot of money at the box office, but managed to get the attention of Hollywood. It led to him rebooting the Godzilla franchise in 2014 and helming 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' in 2016. Gareth Edwards' 'The Creator' (Courtesy of 20th Century Studios) With this latest film, he took $80 million and, yet again, made it look like a film with a much higher budget. There may not be any shots in the fin...

What to Watch: December 2023 Streaming Preview

1Dec

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

What to Watch: December 2023 Streaming Preview

If you’re looking for something new on streaming in December we’ve got you covered. Check out some of our picks for what you should add to your December streaming watchlist! What are you most excited to see? Newly Available on VOD this December The Holdovers (PVOD, available now) Killers Of The Flower Moon (PVOD, December 5) The Persian Version (December 5) Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer (December 5) Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (PVOD, December 13) The Delinquents (December 13) Immediate Family (December 15) Priscilla (PVOD, December 15) Trolls: Band Together (PVOD, December 19) Anatomy of a Fall (December 22) Not yet scheduled, but likely: Silent Night https://youtu.be/AhKLpJmHhIg?si=Jj-hksVnF2xQmk6T *PVOD titles are fresh from theat...

24Nov

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film

Best Streaming Deals for Black Friday

Black Friday has plenty of great deals to offer if you're looking to try a new streaming service. How can you find the best deals? Look no further than our handy round-up! Hulu / Disney+ One of the best deals going is over at Hulu where you can get their ad-supported service for just 99 cents per month for a full year. This saves you 87% per month! There is also an option that gives you Disney+ (with ads) for an additional $2 per month for 12 months. Check out both offers here. Anybody who is a new customer or who has not had an active subscription in the last 30 days is eligible. This pricing expires on November 28. If you already have Hulu, they are currently offering Starz as an add-on for $1/month for 6 months. In addition to all of the on-demand content, this als...

Visually Stunning ‘Suzume’ is Streaming Now on Crunchyroll (Review)

17Nov

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

Visually Stunning ‘Suzume’ is Streaming Now on Crunchyroll (Review)

'Suzume' is the latest feature film from acclaimed writer-director Makoto Shinkai. Upon its release in Japan last fall, it became a massive hit. It's currently the fourth highest-grossing Japanese film of all time. In America, it grossed nearly $11 million, which is no small feat for an international animated movie. I am hardly an expert on anime, but I thoroughly enjoyed Shinkai's previous films, 'Your Name' (streaming on Crunchyroll ) and 'Weathering With You' (streaming on Max). Those had me very interested in what he would do next, so I was excited to watch this. The storyline pays tribute to those impacted by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan, often referred to as 3.11. This tragedy caused the meltdown of the reactors at a nuclear plant in Fukushima. While 'S...

Sofia Coppola Explores Love and Loss with ‘Priscilla’ (Review)

10Nov

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

Sofia Coppola Explores Love and Loss with ‘Priscilla’ (Review)

Priscilla Presley was little more than a footnote in Baz Luhrmann's 'Elvis' last year, despite being his only wife. For her eighth feature film, Sofia Coppola turns the tables and puts the focus on Priscilla's formative years. Based on the 1985 memoir Elvis and Me: The True Story of the Love Between Priscilla Presley and the King of Rock N' Roll, we are introduced to Priscilla when she is just 14. An American teenager living in Germany while her Air Force officer father was stationed there, she is lonely and homesick. Then, she meets Elvis. Already a worldwide star, Elvis was drafted into the Army and served from 1958 to 1960. He took a shine to Priscilla, but because of her age, he was cautious about going too far in their relationship. Or so we're led to believe. As they fell...

What to Watch: November 2023 Streaming Preview

3Nov

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film

What to Watch: November 2023 Streaming Preview

If you’re looking for something new on streaming in November we’ve got you covered. Check out some of our picks for what you should add to your November streaming watchlist! What are you most excited to see? Newly Available on VOD this November The Kill Room (available now) Dumb Money (Digital purchase only, November 7, rental on November 21) Scrapper (November 7) Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (November 7) Dicks: The Musical (PVOD, November 10) The Other Zoey (November 10) The Creator (PVOD, November 17) Oppenheimer (November 21 - get ready for 'Barbenheimer' at home!) Five Nights at Freddy's (November 28, available now on Peacock) https://youtu.be/bmr8YmwnZ3w?si=qgn3kqGkKJDDZ9rl *PVOD titles are fresh from theatrical release and generally rent ...

New Milli Vanilli Documentary Takes You Beyond The Scandal (Review)

27Oct

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

New Milli Vanilli Documentary Takes You Beyond The Scandal (Review)

For a brief moment in time in the 90s, it seemed like Milli Vanilli were the future of pop music. Their songs were inescapable. Their debut album produced hit after hit on the charts. Until, at least, it all fell apart. Fabrice Morvan and Rob Pilatus were on top of the world until they were proven to be frauds. Or that's the story that everybody remembers. In a new documentary from director Luke Korem, we're offered a lot more information about what really went down. The two young men were living in Munich and both wanted to be famous. They were dancers on a popular German music television show and eventually formed a band. Discovered by producer Frank Farian, he signed them to a contract and agreed to record their music. The only problem? He loved their look, but didn'...

Looking to Experience ‘Barbenheimer’ at Home? You’ll Have to Wait!

20Oct

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film

Looking to Experience ‘Barbenheimer’ at Home? You’ll Have to Wait!

In 2023, the most unifying cinematic moment of the year was thanks to the unlikely 'Barbenheimer' phenomenon. Few could have predicted that Greta Gerwig's enthusiastic comedy based on the iconic Mattel doll and a historical drama from Christopher Nolan about the creation of the atomic bomb would create a perfect double feature. Instead of being rivals, 'Barbie' and 'Oppenheimer' brought people to movie theaters in droves. And not just in America. The two films were wildly successful around the globe. When both films were released in late July, it was clear that 'Barbie' would be the big box office winner, but both films earned their fare share of ticket sales. In fact, 'Barbie' is the biggest box office hit of the year, with a global gross of over $1.4 billion. 'Oppenheimer...