Matt Shiverdecker, Author at MendoWerks

What to Watch: November 2023 Streaming Preview

8Nov

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...

‘The Exorcist: Believer’ May Make You a Skeptic (Review)

13Oct

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

‘The Exorcist: Believer’ May Make You a Skeptic (Review)

With 'The Exorcist: Believer,' director David Gordon Green has taken another legacy horror series and updated it for modern times. Whether or not he has succeeded in that is debatable. I was a fan of his 2018 reboot of the 'Halloween' series, but stretching that into a new trilogy felt unnecessary. Now, the plan is for another new trilogy using the backbone of 'The Exorcist.' I gotta say, it feels like Green should stop while he's ahead. This is not to say that 'The Exorcist: Believer' is unwatchable. Far from it. The first half of the film is rather compelling. Unfortunately, things change once efforts are made to tie the new storyline into the original tale of possession from the 1973 classic. Leslie Odam Jr. is Victor, an overprotective single father raising his teenage daug...

All is ‘Fair Play’ in Love and Climbing the Corporate Ladder (Review)

6Oct

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

All is ‘Fair Play’ in Love and Climbing the Corporate Ladder (Review)

At Sundance 2023, 'Fair Play' set off the kind of bidding wars that we don't often see anymore for indie dramas. Most of the mini-majors like Searchlight and Neon were battling it out against streaming services to release the feature debut from Chloe Domont, who cut her teeth directing television series like 'Ballers' and 'Suits.' In the end, Netflix emerged victorious and took global rights on the film which had everybody talking in Park City. Alden Ehrenreich as Luke and Phoebe Dynevor as Emily in 'Fair Play.' Cr. Sergej Radovic / Courtesy of Netflix Emily (Phoebe Dynevor, 'Bridgerton') and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich, 'Solo: A Star Wars Story') are two young professionals working in the cutthroat world of hedge fund management. Their scorching hot relationship is against company po...

What to Watch: October 2023 Streaming Preview

4Nov

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film

What to Watch: October 2023 Streaming Preview

If you’re looking for something new on streaming in October we’ve got you covered. Per usual, the month is packed with horror movies to bring the scares for Halloween! Check out some of our picks for what you should add to your October streaming watchlist! What are you most excited to see? Megan Suri stars in 'It Lives Inside' (NEON) Newly Available on VOD this October The Equalizer 3 (PVOD, October 3) The Nun II (PVOD, October 3) Joan Baez: I Am A Noise (October 6) Fremont (October 10) It Lives Inside (PVOD, October 10) Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (PVOD, October 10) The Lost Weekend: A Love Story (October 13) The Origin of Evil (October 13) The Miracle Club (October 17) https://youtu.be/wu8CzVfik-4?si=u_3yEIkI50UBII_P *PVOD ...

‘Flora and Son’ Explores the Healing Power of Music (Review)

22Sep

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

‘Flora and Son’ Explores the Healing Power of Music (Review)

With his latest film 'Flora and Son,' Irish director John Carney continues to build on the themes that have brought him success. Over the last two decades, the former bass player for The Frames has earned raves with movies like "Once" and "Sing Street." His newest is a little more rough around the edges, but still illustrates the transformative properties of song. Flora (Eve Hewson) is a single mother living in Dublin. When it comes to luck, she just doesn't have any. Her teenage son Max (Orén Kinlan) is a problem child, but Flora isn't much better. Life has been a series of mistakes and disappointments and when she gets a warning that Max needs to clean up his act or risk serious trouble, her maternal instincts finally start to surface. After rescuing a guitar from a dumpster, she ...