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Disney’s “Cruella” is Darkly Wicked Fun (Review)

26May

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Film, Reviews

Disney’s “Cruella” is Darkly Wicked Fun (Review)

Disney has always had a habit of raiding their past in order to fuel their present-day success. Before home video, they frequently reissued their classic films in theaters and that eventually turned into the cash-cow of the Disney Vault wherein their most classic films would get released on vhs/dvd/blu-ray for a limited time and then they would build up demand for those same titles by pulling them off the market for years at a time. In 2014, they turned their focus onto a famous Disney villain by releasing the live-action film "Maleficent," which had Angelina Jolie tackling the evil queen from the animated classic "Sleeping Beauty." It racked up over $750 million at the international box office and spawned a sequel, so it can't be a big surprise that they are back to flesh out another ...

Almodovar’s English-language “The Human Voice” Streaming Now on HBO Max (Review)

21May

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Art, Film, Reviews

Almodovar’s English-language “The Human Voice” Streaming Now on HBO Max (Review)

I've been a huge fan of Pedro Almodovar's work since I saw his Academy Award-nominated 1988 film "Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown" as a teenager. Prolific and always provocative, the Spanish director has never made a feature film in English, but now he has delivered a rather experimental 30-minute film that is. During the COVID lockdown he teamed up with the brilliant Tilda Swinton to create the short based on a play by Jean Cocteau. Swinton is credited simply as "Woman." Her lover has left and she is in their shared apartment with his packed suitcases and dog, who has slowly begun to realize that his master isn't coming back. Distraught and unsure of how to manage an animal who wants nothing to do with her, we observe her grief, anger, sadness, and ultimately a phone c...

Apple TV+ Premieres “1971” Series on Friday (Review)

18May

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Film, Music, Reviews

Apple TV+ Premieres “1971” Series on Friday (Review)

A phenomenal new docuseries entitled "1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything" is premiering on AppleTV+ this Friday, May 21. Using David Hepworth's book "Never A Dull Moment: 1971 The Year That Rock Exploded" as inspiration, an award-winning team of filmmakers has crafted a highly bingeable eight-part series that intertwines the music and politics of this volatile and highly creative moment in history. I've been able to preview the first five episodes of the series, which was executive produced by Asif Kapadia and James Gay-Rees ("Amy," "Senna") and really wanted to put this on people's radar because even as a music lover since childhood, this was absolutely packed with footage and stories I had never seen before. Each episode hovers between 45 and 50 minutes, but manages t...

Amy Adams Goes For Broke in “The Woman In The Window” (Review)

14May

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Film, Reviews

Amy Adams Goes For Broke in “The Woman In The Window” (Review)

Based on the 2018 novel of the same name, "The Woman In The Window" has had a long and troubled road to release. It was originally scheduled to hit theaters in the fall of 2019, but hit two major snags along the way. Test audiences rated the film poorly enough that portions were reshot and re-edited. Originally a 20th Century Fox release, it also had the misfortune of being one of the last Fox projects sitting unreleased when Disney took over. The new regime kicked it to the curb and it ended up in the hands of Netflix. Now, I've not read the book and have absolutely no idea what the reshoots did to the change the final product, but what I can tell you is that if you have an affinity for throwback 90s thrillers like "Pacific Heights," "Unlawful Entry," "The Hand That Rocks The Cradl...

Sundance Gem “Together Together” Hits VOD (Review)

11May

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Film, Reviews

Sundance Gem “Together Together” Hits VOD (Review)

"Together Together" was acquired for release by Bleecker Street who bought it before its Sundance Film Festival world premiere earlier this year, where it was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival in the Dramatic category. After a decent start at the box office a few weeks back that has already seen it sell over $1.2 million worth of tickets, Nikole Beckwith's second feature film is now available for home viewing. It stars Ed Helms ("The Office") as Matt, a single man in his 40s who has been unlucky in love and finds himself desperate to be a father. Patti Harrison, who is an absolute riot on Hulu's "Shrill," stars as Anna, a young woman who Matt hires to be his surrogate. We rarely get to see a movie about a platonic relationship between a man and a w...

‘Fast Fridays’ Leading Up to “F9” Release in June

7May

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Film

‘Fast Fridays’ Leading Up to “F9” Release in June

When "F9," the ninth installment in the massively successful "Fast and Furious" saga is released this summer, it's likely to reignite the global box office back to levels we haven't seen since before the pandemic. In the meantime, Universal Pictures and theatrical chains across the country are offering up a free nationwide screening series of all eight previous films. Some of you may have already noticed this as it kicked off officially last week, but participating theaters are ramping up and there should soon be over 900 locations screening every Friday into mid-June. “The Fast films are all about family, and Universal wanted to find a way to thank our huge family of Fast fans around the country for their passion and loyalty over the past 20 years,” said Jim Orr, Universal’s P...

“The Mitchells vs. The Machines” Offers Family Fun and Then Some (Review)

27Apr

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Film, Reviews

“The Mitchells vs. The Machines” Offers Family Fun and Then Some (Review)

I grew up on a steady diet of Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barbera shows, and Disney classics, and I'm not ashamed as a grown-ass man to still enjoy my fair share of animated films. Sure, there's plenty of family films every year that I have no interest in, but I have a soft spot for the ones that balance humor, heart, and creativity with gags that can delight a younger audience but are still genuinely funny for grown-ups. In recent years that has mostly been the stomping ground of Pixar, but they have plenty of competition now. The creative team behind "The Mitchells vs. The Machines" is worth its weight in gold. You start with Mike Rianda and Jeff Rowe (both of whom wrote for Disney's "Gravity Falls") for direction and writing duties and then add in Phil Lord and Christopher Miller ("The ...