Film | MendoWerks

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

23Jul

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)

31Jan

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...

Your Guide to the Virtual 2022 Tribeca Film Festival

31Jan

By Matt Shiverdecker1 Comment

Events, Features, Film

Your Guide to the Virtual 2022 Tribeca Film Festival

The 21st annual Tribeca Film Festival kicked off this week in New York City and they've opted to continue an "at home" component. That's good news for those of us who don't live in the area or couldn't travel in to see some great independent films. There are more screenings for 2022 than last year that are only happening in-person, but Tribeca At Home will still allow you to watch over 100 movies and short films from anywhere in the United States. How to Attend Online There are four ways to buy passes for online screenings and the prices are the same as they were last for last year's Tribeca Film Festival. Tribeca At Home Shorts Pass: watch all of the festival's short films for $25. Tribeca At Home Awards Pass: watch any of the films that win awards at the end of the fes...