Matt Shiverdecker, Author at MendoWerks

What to Watch: June 2023 Streaming Preview

23Jul

By Matt Shiverdecker1 Comment

Features, Film

What to Watch: June 2023 Streaming Preview

If you’re looking for something new on streaming in June we’ve got you covered. Check out some of our picks for what you should add to your June streaming watchlist! What are you most excited to see? Newly Available on VOD this June Blackberry (available now) Padre Pio (available now) ALL MAN: The International Male Story (June 6) Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret (PVOD, June 6) Master Gardener (June 6) Showing Up (PVOD, June 6) Somewhere in Queens (June 6) Fast X (PVOD, June 9) Beau is Afraid (PVOD, June 13) Maggie Moore (June 16) The Machine (June 20) https://youtu.be/wELPTxJ2YZY *PVOD titles are fresh from theatrical release and generally rent or sell digitally for $19.99 (or higher). All dates subject to change. Criterion Cha...

‘Love to Love You, Donna Summer’ is Frustratingly Unfocused (Review)

26May

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

‘Love to Love You, Donna Summer’ is Frustratingly Unfocused (Review)

When Donna Summer went into the studio with Giorgio Moroder in 1974 to record "Love to Love You Baby," she could have never known how much her life would change. The song, first released overseas in the summer of 1975, became one of the most successful and notorious of the disco era. Filled with Summer's orgasmic moaning, the full 16-minute version of the song became a dance floor filler in nightclubs around the world. It marked a shift in Summer's career and she went on to become the "Queen of Disco." Oscar and Emmy-winning director Roger Ross Williams and Summer's daughter Brooklyn Sudano collaborate on this new HBO documentary about her life and career. It's inherently watchable, occasionally fascinating, and frustratingly unfocused. The Verdict There has been a re...

‘Sisu’ is a Brilliantly Blood-soaked Tale of Revenge (Review)

19May

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

‘Sisu’ is a Brilliantly Blood-soaked Tale of Revenge (Review)

With his bombastic Nazi-slaying action film 'Sisu,' Finnish director Jalmari Helander keeps things all in the family. After all, lead actor Jorma Tommila is his brother-in-law and his nephew Onni Tommila is also in the film. Both of them also starred in Helander's 2010 feature debut, 'Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale.' It hasn't been an extensive career. Since then, there was only one other film ('Big Game') that pretty much went straight to video here in America. How did 'Sisu' become a surprise hit at the box office this Spring? For starters, it was shot in English. Aside from a smattering of subtitled dialogue, the Finnish production was made with an international audience in mind. Following other hyperviolent films like 'John Wick' and prior World War II revenge tales lik...

Eco-Thriller ‘How To Blow Up A Pipeline’ Explodes Onto VOD (Review)

12May

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

Eco-Thriller ‘How To Blow Up A Pipeline’ Explodes Onto VOD (Review)

The anxiety-riddled eco-thriller, 'How To Blow Up A Pipeline,' feels frighteningly authentic. Daniel Goldhaber's second feature film tells the story of a group of young people who strongly believe that their titular mission will make the world a better place. Based on a 2021 book from Swedish activist Andreas Malm, it introduces us to eight main characters who have come together for different reasons in pursuit of environmental justice. You may be familiar with the term 'social justice warrior,' but have you ever contemplated its implications in reality? This film acquaints us with characters who believe that eco-terrorism represents the sole means to alter the system, immersing us in their methodologies. Ariela Barer stars in 'How To Blow Up A Pipeline' (NEON) The Verdic...

What to Watch: May 2023 Streaming Preview

23Jul

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film

What to Watch: May 2023 Streaming Preview

If you’re looking for something new on streaming in May we’ve got you covered. Check out some of our picks for what you should add to your April streaming watchlist! What are you most excited to see? Nicolas Cage and Nicholas Hoult star in 'Renfield' (Universal Pictures) Newly Available on VOD this May How To Blow Up A Pipeline (available now) The Magic Flute (available now) Mafia Mamma (PVOD, available now) Renfield (PVOD, available now) Evil Dead Rise (PVOD, May 9) R.M.N. (May 16) The Super Mario Bros. Movie (PVOD, May 16) Sisu (PVOD, May 16) Robots (May 19) John Wick: Chapter 4 (PVOD, May 23) https://youtu.be/d2k4QAItiSA *PVOD titles are fresh from theatrical release and generally rent or sell digitally for $19.99 (or higher). ...

‘Little Richard: I Am Everything’ Traces the Roots of a Rock & Roll Innovator (Review)

28Apr

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

‘Little Richard: I Am Everything’ Traces the Roots of a Rock & Roll Innovator (Review)

You can say a lot of things about Little Richard, but you can't ever say that he was shy. He spent decades telling anyone who would listen that he was the architect of rock and roll. And, of course, he truly was a pioneer but the extreme racism of the American South meant that his singles became even bigger hits when watered down by white artists like Pat Boone and Elvis. Little Richard (Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures) In her fantastic documentary, filmmaker Lisa Cortés attempts to correct the record. An opening night selection at this year's Sundance, 'Little Richard: I Am Everything' is an origin story with extreme admiration. It also illustrates just how far ahead of his time that Little Richard was. He broke stereotypes, gender norms, and the lines of segregation. ...

‘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 been...