Matt Shiverdecker, Author at MendoWerks

Brad Pitt Boards a Bloody ‘Bullet Train’ (Review)

5Aug

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

Brad Pitt Boards a Bloody ‘Bullet Train’ (Review)

Adapted from the 2010 novel by Kōtarō Isaka, 'Bullet Train' is an action-packed thriller with a spectacular cast that involves multiple assassins on a high-speed train across Tokyo. This is one of many films that Sony could have very easily have pawned off to Netflix last year when theatergoing was still shaky. After a few date changes and the success of features like 'The Lost City' and 'Top Gun: Maverick,' it feels like the decision to hang on to this one was pretty damn smart. Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brad Pitt star in 'Bullet Train' (SONY) The Story Brad Pitt stars as "Ladybug," a for-hire mercenary who considers himself to be unlucky. He's given what appears to be a simple task: retrieve a briefcase on a bullet train that is heading from Tokyo to Kyoto. His unluckiness...

What to Watch: August 2022 Streaming Preview

1Aug

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film

What to Watch: August 2022 Streaming Preview

If you’re looking for something new on streaming in August, we’ve got you covered. Maybe you want to sit down with a brand new release to rent on VOD? If you’d rather check out something that has just hit a service you already subscribe to, we’ve got you covered there too. Check out some of our picks for what you should add to your August streaming watchlist! What are you most excited to see? Newly Available on VOD this August Mister Candid Camera (August 2)Gone in the Night (August 2)Official Competition (August 2)Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris (PVOD @ $19.99, August 2)Minions: The Rise of Gru (PVOD @ $29.99, August 2)Hypochondriac (August 4)Elvis (PVOD @ $24.99, August 8, also on HBO Max)Poser (August 9)I Love My Dad (August 12)Sharp Stick (August 16)Both Sides of the Blade (August 2...

Netflix Hits Big With ‘The Gray Man’ (Review)

26Jul

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

Netflix Hits Big With ‘The Gray Man’ (Review)

After two relatively goofy comedies in the early aughts, The Russo Brothers jumped in to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2014 with 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier.' They not only took the reins of that film's sequel, but then proceeded to direct the next two films in the 'Avengers' series. It's probably not too surprising to learn that their first film for Netflix is among the streamer's most expensive releases to date. With 'The Gray Man,' every bit of that alleged $200 million budget is on display. A CIA Agent Fights For His Life Ryan Gosling stars as "Sierra Six," a high-level secret assassin for the CIA. After learning secrets about Denny Carmichael, a corrupt official at the agency (Regé-Jean Page, 'Bridgerton'), Six begins a literal fight for his life. Carmichael...

New Documentary Takes Us Inside New York’s Legendary Chelsea Hotel (Review)

22Jul

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

New Documentary Takes Us Inside New York’s Legendary Chelsea Hotel (Review)

The Chelsea Hotel is one of the most iconic buildings in the history of New York City. It has famously housed poets, rock stars, and artists and has been a designated landmark in the city since 1966. As times have changed, so has the building. For decades, many lived within rent-stabilized units within the building. Most of the long-term tenants were bought out and paid to move after plans were made to renovate the building into a luxury hotel. Some Residents Refuse To Leave With 'Dreaming Walls: Inside the Chelsea Hotel,' directors Maya Duverdier and Amélie van Elmbt have chosen a "fly-on-the-wall" approach to document the building's residents who have refused to leave. We meet some of the more eccentric tenants from what is about 40 apartments left in the building during 1...

Nicolas Cage Goes Meta in ‘The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’ (Review)

19Jul

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

Nicolas Cage Goes Meta in ‘The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’ (Review)

Nicolas Cage finds his career getting an outrageous reboot with 'The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.' Director Tom Gormican and co-writer Kevin Etten came up with an idea so wild that it was irresistible to the actor: have him play himself in a hyperrealistic meta comedy where he supplements his career by becoming a government agent. Nicolas Cage stars as himself in 'The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent' (LIONSGATE) Of course, Nicolas Cage is playing an alternate reality version of himself here. He's also playing a younger "de-aged" version of himself that he calls "Nicky," who accosts him for poor choices and desperately wants to get back on track. After his Hollywood agent (Neil Patrick Harris) presents an opportunity for him to fly to Majorca to make an appearance ...

Catch an Alex Garland Double Feature in the A24 Screening Room This Weekend

15Jul

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

Catch an Alex Garland Double Feature in the A24 Screening Room This Weekend

Alex Garland's 'Men' is one of the year's most polarizing films and it's about to become available for home viewing. In advance of the DVD and Blu-ray release on August 9, the independent thriller starring Jessie Buckley and Rory Kinnear will be hitting PVOD from all digital services on Tuesday, July 19. Jessie Buckley stars in Alex Garland's 'Men' (A24) If you're itching to see it a little earlier, you can pay $20 to rent the film directly from the A24 Screening Room (which has Apple TV and Roku apps available for viewing) on Sunday, July 17. Your rental will allow a 11-hour viewing window which begins at 2pm Eastern/11am Pacific and also includes Garland's 'Ex Machina.' https://youtu.be/HKJ4Thgk1Js Buckley stars as Harper, a woman who rents a country estate for a little...

What to Watch: July 2022 Streaming Preview

8Jul

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film

What to Watch: July 2022 Streaming Preview

If you’re looking for something new on streaming in July, we’ve got you covered. Maybe you want to sit down with a brand new release to rent on VOD? If you’d rather check out something that has just hit a service you already subscribe to, we’ve got you covered there too. Check out some of our picks for what you should add to your July streaming watchlist! What are you most excited to see? Newly Available on VOD Brian and Charles (available now, PVOD)Dreaming Walls: Inside the Chelsea Hotel (available now)Mothering Sunday (available now)The Phantom of the Open (available now, PVOD)Jurassic World Dominion (July 14, PVOD)The Black Phone (July 14, PVOD) Diary of a Spy (July 15)Facing Nolan (July 19)Men (July 19)Mr. Malcolm's List (July 21)Beba (July 26)The Duke (July 26) https://...

‘Marcel The Shell With Shoes On’ is Truly Delightful (Review)

28Jun

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

‘Marcel The Shell With Shoes On’ is Truly Delightful (Review)

Dean Fleischer-Camp and Jenny Slate's online phenomenon of Marcel The Shell earns his first big screen adventure in 'Marcel The Shell With Shoes On.' A24's first foray into family films is a feature-length adaptation of the short films that the former couple posted on YouTube over a decade ago. In the years since, the duo fell in love, got married, got divorced, and still managed to make this truly delightful film together. Marcel The Shell With Shoes On (the original YouTube video) https://youtu.be/VF9-sEbqDvU Marcel's Big Screen Adventure Marcel (voiced by Slate) is not a snail - he's a walking and talking (and often rolling) seashell with one googly eye. His family gets whisked away into a suitcase during a fight between the humans in the house where they lived. No...

Tribeca Film Festival 2022 Dispatch (Reviews)

21Jun

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Events, Features, Film, Reviews

Tribeca Film Festival 2022 Dispatch (Reviews)

The 21st annual Tribeca Film Festival has been been going on since June 8. The in-person portion of the event has ended, but the online "at home" programming continues through this weekend. I haven't had as much time as I would like to dive in to everything. I've focused so far on some of the excellent documentaries on the lineup. All of the films featured below had their World Premiere at Tribeca and are available to rent online for $15/each and are viewable through the Tribeca At Home app until Sunday, June 26. This was the 21st year of the Tribeca Film Festival. 'Butterfly in the Sky' Directors Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb follow-up 'Jasper Mall' with this loving portrait of the long-running PBS series, 'Reading Rainbow.' Host LeVar Burton is interviewed alongs...

‘Lightyear’ is a Summer Blast for Kids and Adults (Review)

13Jun

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

‘Lightyear’ is a Summer Blast for Kids and Adults (Review)

Pixar's 'Lightyear' marks the beloved animation company's first feature film in nearly two years to be released theatrically. 'Soul,' 'Luca,' and 'Turning Red' were all sent straight to Disney+ for streaming during the pandemic. This film, with its connection to an existing film series that is the fourth-highest-grossing animated franchise in history, finds the company back on the big screen where they belong. And when I say big screen, let me encourage you to see this in IMAX if you can. Many large-format screens are sticking with 'Jurassic World Dominion' this weekend. 'Lightyear' should at least get matinees in most areas. This is the first time that Pixar has ever crafted a film with the full IMAX screen in mind. The full IMAX aspect ratio is used in multiple sequences. Those s...