Reviews | MendoWerks

Eddie Vedder Confronts Loss On Heartfelt New Single “Brother The Cloud”

13Feb

By SimonNo Comments

Music, Reviews

Eddie Vedder Confronts Loss On Heartfelt New Single “Brother The Cloud”

Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder is set to release a new solo album in February and his latest single tackles a very difficult subject, the loss of a loved one. In this case, he has experienced multiple tragedies in recent years. The unexpected death of his half-brother Chris in 2017 affected him deeply. That, in addition to the loss of Cornell a year later as discussed in a 2020 Howard Stern interview has left him reeling. Vedder's new album Earthlings drops on February 11. Not only does the album feature a number of legends, the band he's taking on the road features some familiar characters. Billboard reports collaborations with the likes of Elton John, Stevie Wonder, and Ringo Starr can be expected. https://twitter.com/PearlJam/status/1482052688368087052 On Tour The live band sup...

Daniel Craig Says Goodbye to Bond in ‘No Time to Die’ (Review)

17Jan

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

Daniel Craig Says Goodbye to Bond in ‘No Time to Die’ (Review)

Daniel Craig's final screen appearance as James Bond was delayed over and over again. Pre-production on the film began back in 2018 with Danny Boyle ('Slumdog Millionaire') hired for the director's chair. He left the project that fall over "creative differences" with the producers and MGM ended up going in a new direction with Cary Joji Fukunaga ('True Detective') taking over. Shooting ended up taking place in mid-2019 with a theatrical release scheduled for fall 2020. Then, of course, COVID-19 derailed things even further and caused an extra bit of havoc with this production wherein the incredible theme song from Billie Eilish actually got released and won a Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media six months before the film ended up even coming out. After several shuff...

Sundance Hit ‘Mass’ is a Tragic Tale of Loss (Review)

13Jan

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

Sundance Hit ‘Mass’ is a Tragic Tale of Loss (Review)

For most of us, it's hard to imagine the pain that would come from the loss of a child. I don't know how many people ever would also stop to think about the pain for those whose children take the lives of other kids. That's at the heart of the directorial debut feature film from actor Fran Kranz. In 'Mass,' two sets of parents entangled in a lawsuit meet up for a private conversation in a neutral zone. In a utility room at a church where none of them attend, the four adults finally sit down face to face with each other. Martha Plimpton and Jason Isaacs star as Gail and Jay. They lost their teenage son in a school shooting. Ann Dowd and Reed Birney star as Richard and Linda. Their son, who was also a student at the same school, pulled the trigger. As they all sit dow...

Clooney Fails to Connect With ‘The Tender Bar’ (Review)

4Jan

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

Clooney Fails to Connect With ‘The Tender Bar’ (Review)

With his eighth feature film as a director, George Clooney has taken on J.R. Moehringer's acclaimed memoir of the same name. Unfortunately, as with his last several films in the director's chair, 'The Tender Bar' is inherently quite watchable, but failed to connect with me on almost any genuine level. For the film, J.R. is played by talented newcomer Daniel Ranieri as a young boy raised by his single mother (Lily Rabe) who really never gets to know his father, a disc jockey who exists in his life almost exclusively as a voice on the radio dial. They end up moving in with his grandparents (Sondra James, who gets almost no dialogue, and Christopher Lloyd, who does little else except for grunt and fart) on Long Island. J.R. falls under the spell of his uncle Charlie (Ben Affleck), a b...

Americana Duo The HawtThorns to Release Tarot Cards & Shooting Stars February 25th

13Feb

By SimonNo Comments

Music, Reviews

Americana Duo The HawtThorns to Release Tarot Cards & Shooting Stars February 25th

The new year is shaping up nicely for new music releases and on February 25th we can expect a new album from husband/wife Americana duo The HawThorns. The album, Tarot Cards & Shooting Stars is set to drop on Mule Kick Records. When you combine the lush vocal harmonies, sun-kissed songwriting, and versatile guitar work of K.P. and Johnny Hawthorn, the result is something special. Spending time in both Nashville and Los Angeles to record the album, it also serves as a nod to both sides of the group's geographic and musical roots. K.P and Johnny came together to form The HawThornes with accomplished careers of their own already under their belt. K.P., a nationally tour artist with CALICO and her own solo work, and Hawthorn, a multi-instrumentalist who'd shared the stage with the l...

28Dec

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

The 10 Best Films of 2021

For as long as I have been breathing, there have been people complaining that it was not a good year for film. In the wake of a global pandemic and with the methods that most people use to consume movies changing all the time, there feels like there has been more of that than usual. There is an awful lot of Chicken-littleing across the internet, especially on 'Film Twitter.' One thing is certain: COVID accelerated the ever-shortening theatrical window. Not only do we see a lot more 'day and date' releases available to rent on video on demand or streaming providers, but even moderately successful titles have foregone a staggered theatrical release in favor of premium VOD rental access after 17 days of release. It will be hard to put that genie back in the bottle and, one might argue,...

‘The Novice’ is a Tightly Wound Tale of Obsession (Review)

5Jan

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Film, Reviews

‘The Novice’ is a Tightly Wound Tale of Obsession (Review)

Sometimes you watch a directorial debut and you find it hard to believe it was created by a first time filmmaker. Lauren Hadaway's thrilling debut feature is a shining example of this. It probably helps to craft a story that is inspired by your own life. Hadaway was a competitive collegiate rower and "The Novice" tells the story of Alex ("Orphan" star Isabelle Fuhrman), a college freshman who joins the rowing team and becomes obsessed with rising up the ranks. It's highly unusual for a freshman to be anywhere near the varsity team, but Alex's determination and laser-sharp focus finds her sidelining friends, classes, and romantic relationships in order to succeed against upperclassman competition. Fuhrman's performance is striking and borderline terrifying. We've all known somebo...