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Tag: In theaters

‘Clerks III’ is a Heartfelt Trip Back to the Quick Stop (Review)
9Sep By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments
Features, Film, Reviews

‘Clerks III’ is a Heartfelt Trip Back to the Quick Stop (Review)

Kevin Smith wraps up the raunchy 'Clerks' series by facing his mortality. I was a freshman in college and working in a video store when the original 'Clerks' was released in 1994. To call me the target audience is an understatement. With a tagline that read "just because they serve you doesn't mean they like you" and its raw black-and-white aesthetic, it just worked on every level at that specific moment in my life. 2006's sequel found our slacker characters Randal (Jeff Anderson) and Dante (Brian O'Halloran) jumping from the Quick Stop convenience store into the fast-food world of Mooby's. While it didn't hit as sharply for me, it was undeniably funny, crass, and built upon the cult classic status of the first film to become an even bigger hit. Jeff Anderson and Brian O'Halloran...
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‘Spin Me Round’ Takes Us On Absurdly Comic Trip to Italy (Review)
26Aug By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments
Features, Film, Reviews

‘Spin Me Round’ Takes Us On Absurdly Comic Trip to Italy (Review)

In Jeff Baena's new indie comedy 'Spin Me Round,' a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity turns out to be a ridiculously bad idea. Alison Brie ('Community') stars as Amber, the longtime manager at the Bakersfield, California location of an Italian restaurant chain called Tuscan Grove. At one point she had quit to start her her own restaurant with a boyfriend. He ended up driving the business into the ground and destroying her credit, so she comes back to sling salads and breadsticks. Alison Brie and Aubrey Plaza star in 'Spin Me Round' (IFC Films) As Amber returns to a kitchen that mostly heats things up in a microwave and uses pre-made sauces out of plastic bags, a silver lining appears. She wins an all-expenses-paid trip to Tuscan Grove's luxurious "institute" outside of Florence, Ita...
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The ‘Bodies Bodies Bodies’ Hit The Floor This Weekend at Theaters Nationwide (Review)
12Aug By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments
Features, Film, Reviews

The ‘Bodies Bodies Bodies’ Hit The Floor This Weekend at Theaters Nationwide (Review)

'Bodies Bodies Bodies,' the latest release from A24, is a perfect pick if you're looking to get in some jump scares before the summer ends. Let's get one thing clear - this is not a slasher film. Just seeing the company's logo up top should give you an indication that this is something more unexpected. 'Bodies Bodies Bodies' expands nationwide this weekend. (A24) The Story In this wild satirical whodunit directed by Halina Reijn, a bunch of filthy rich kids plan a hurricane party at remote family mansion. Sophie (Amandla Stenberg) is a recovering addict. She hits the road with her girlfriend Bee (Maria Bakalova) to head out to a gigantic house where her best friend David (Pete Davidson) is hosting friends to weather a massive storm. Upon arrival, it's clear that Sophie and...
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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...
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‘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...
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‘Crimes of the Future’ is Frustratingly Inert (Review)
7Jun By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments
Features, Film, Reviews

‘Crimes of the Future’ is Frustratingly Inert (Review)

Let's get one thing absolutely clear - David Cronenberg's 'Crimes of the Future' was my most anticipated film of the year. To prepare for it, I rewatched 'eXistenZ' and 'Crash.' Those turned out to be the two closest parallels in his oeuvre to this, but the concept here is better than the execution. The storyline is frustratingly inert, succeeding mostly on the strength of the incredible cast. Viggo Mortensen and Léa Seydoux star in David Cronenberg's 'Crimes of the Future' (Neon) Viggo Mortensen and Léa Seydoux star as Saul and Caprice. In a strange not-so-distant future they're performance artists. She's a former trauma surgeon and Saul has the unique ability to form new organs in his body. Not just any organs, but unknown organs that may or may not serve an evolutionary ...
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‘Happening’ is a Searing Reminder of Life Before Roe v. Wade (Review)
10May By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments
Features, Film, Reviews

‘Happening’ is a Searing Reminder of Life Before Roe v. Wade (Review)

'Happening,' released by IFC Films from director Audrey Diwan, could have just been an emotionally charged look back at what life was like for women when abortion was illegal. This 1960's-set drama stands poised to be not just be a look back at the past. It's also a terrifying look into what the future may hold in America if the Supreme Court strikes down Roe v. Wade. Louise Orry-Diquéro, Anamaria Vartolomei, and Luàna Bajrami in 'Happening' (IFC Films) Based on a True Story 'Happening' takes place in 1963-era France. Based on Annie Ernaux’s semi-autobiographical novel, Anamaria Vartolomei gives a César award-winning performance as Anne, a vibrant young Literature student. Her life becomes derailed after a one-night stand leads to pregnancy. Diwan divides the film up into...
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1970’s Charitable Frenzy Explained in ‘Dear Mr. Brody’ (Review)
4Mar By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments
Features, Film, Reviews

1970’s Charitable Frenzy Explained in ‘Dear Mr. Brody’ (Review)

In 'Dear Mr. Brody,' the latest documentary from director Keith Maitland ('Tower'), we're introduced to a seemingly well-intentioned 21-year-old named Michael James Brody Jr. Brody caused a genuine national frenzy in 1970 when he announced he would be giving away his entire inheritance, allegedly worth $25 million or more, to people in need. He encouraged people to write him letters to let him know why they needed money. The plan was to distribute as much of it as he could for the betterment of society. Or so the story goes. Maitland attempts to uncover the bizarre backstory behind Brody's giveaway by speaking to his widow, several friends, and multiple letter writers from the original campaign. You see, Brody was quickly overwhelmed by the response to his quest to give awa...
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‘Cyrano’ Charms With Musical Remake (Review)
25Feb By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments
Features, Film, Reviews

‘Cyrano’ Charms With Musical Remake (Review)

Wikipedia lists at least 24 film adaptations of 'Cyrano de Bergerac,' either in direct or derivative versions. Based on a play from 1897, most versions find our lead character pining for a beautiful woman and afraid to put himself out there on account of his large nose. Joe Wright's charming new adaptation is based on an Off Broadway musical reimagining of the story that was done for the stage by Erica Schmidt and starring her husband, Peter Dinklage, in the titular role. Haley Bennett also reprises her role as Roxanne from this stage version, which includes a beautiful score and delightful original songs from Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner, and Matt Berninger of The National. https://youtu.be/EpuImNBJXTE Edmond Rostand's original play was loosely based on the true st...
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