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Michael Bay Returns With Action-Packed ‘Ambulance’ (Review)

3May

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film, Reviews

Michael Bay Returns With Action-Packed ‘Ambulance’ (Review)

The new film from maverick director Michael Bay will stand the test of time with audiences despite its lackluster showing at the box office. The action-packed thriller is a remake of a 2005 Dutch film called 'Ambulancen' about brothers who risk it all to pull off a bank robbery to cover some massive medical bills. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II stars as Will, an unemployed veteran with a newborn baby and a wife in need of a costly experimental surgery. He is struggling to find a job that will pay him enough to help his family when he gets a proposition from his half-brother Danny (Jake Gyllenhaal). Without much time to consider the implications of his decision, he agrees to join Danny and his nefarious crew to pull off a bank robbery that could solve all of his problems. As is o...

What to Watch: May 2022 Streaming Preview

29Apr

By Matt Shiverdecker1 Comment

Features, Film

What to Watch: May 2022 Streaming Preview

If you're looking for something new on streaming in May, 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 watchlist! What are you most excited to see? Newly Available on VOD a-ha The Movie (May 10)Ambulance (PVOD available now to rent at $19.99 or buy at $24.99, regular price on June 14)Belle (May 3)Dual (May 20, also streaming on AMC+)The Great Freedom (May 20)Jane by Charlotte (May 6)The Lost City (May 10, also on Paramount+)Uncharted (PVOD now, regular price on May 10) Criterion Channel Directed by Richard Linklater - 18 film series including Slacke...

Ti West’s ‘X’ Premieres Tonight in the A24 Screening Room

12Apr

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Features, Film

Ti West’s ‘X’ Premieres Tonight in the A24 Screening Room

Ti West's terrifying new A24 horror film 'X' is still playing in theaters across the country. Tonight, you can stream it at home for the first time. The cast of X (A24) Mia Goth (doing double duty in the cast), Brittany Snow, Jenna Ortega, and Scott "Kid Cudi" Mescudi star in this stunning slasher film about a group of actors in rural Texas who turn up at a boarding house to shoot a porno and end up getting way more than they bargained for. https://youtu.be/Awg3cWuHfoc 'X' has already earned over $11 million at the box office and will be hitting premium video on demand starting on Thursday, April 14. Tonight, you can pay $20 to rent the film directly from the A24 Screening Room (which has Apple TV and Roku apps available for viewing). Your rental will allow a 4-hour vie...

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 aw...

Woody Allen’s Long-Delayed ‘Rifkin’s Festival’ is Painfully Unfunny (Review)

4Feb

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Events, Film, Reviews

Woody Allen’s Long-Delayed ‘Rifkin’s Festival’ is Painfully Unfunny (Review)

Perhaps I'm a glutton for punishment. Despite it all, I've never been able to cut Woody Allen out of my cinephile life. Many have and I completely respect that, but I've had an entire shelf of his films in my movie collection for decades. He's made some of my all-time favorites and, even though there are incredibly diminishing returns, I still watch everything he releases. 'Rifkin's Festival,' his 49th feature film, might be the straw that broke the camel's back. I had not heard encouraging things, but when it recently snuck onto VOD with zero fanfare, I knew I had to rent it. After all, it stars Louis Garrel, one of my favorite actors from France. I was going to watch it just for him, if nothing else. And, so I clicked the rental button and sat down for what is at least a mer...

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

14Jan

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 shuf...

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

21Dec

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 someb...

‘The Beta Test’ is a Razor Sharp Satire With No Strings Attached (Review)

5Nov

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Film, Reviews

‘The Beta Test’ is a Razor Sharp Satire With No Strings Attached (Review)

In the opening scene of "The Beta Test," viewers witness the graphic murder of a young woman in a domestic violence incident. It sets a very dark tone for the film and foreshadows some elements of the storyline but shifts directions relatively quickly after the opening credits. We're introduced to Jordan (Jim Cummings, "Thunder Road," "The Wolf of Snow Hollow"), an anxious Hollywood agent battling a stressful job, a painful ulcer, and a fiancée named Caroline (Virginia Newcomb) who he is just weeks away from marrying. A routine visit to the mailbox kicks Jordan's storyline into full gear. He gets a letter in a purple envelope, addressed to him with golden calligraphy and featuring no return address. Inside is an invitation to come to a local hotel room for an anonymous and "no stri...

Creativity, Loss, and Passion Collide in “Bergman Island” (Review)

15Oct

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Film, Reviews

Creativity, Loss, and Passion Collide in “Bergman Island” (Review)

In her English-language debut, French director Mia Hansen-Løve utilizes the inspiration of Ingmar Bergman to tell two stories in one. Both take place on the Baltic island of Faro, not far off the northern coast of Sweden. Bergman first went there in 1960 while scouting locations for "Through a Glass Darkly." He ended up shooting multiple feature films and two documentaries there and ended up building a house where he lived with Liv Ullmann. Chris (Vicky Krieps) and Tony (Tim Roth) are two American filmmakers who head to Faro on a creative pilgrimage. They are not married, but have a young daughter at home, so they've escaped to work on their separate screenplays and be inspired by the land that Bergman loved dearly. They stay in the home where "Scenes From A Marriage" was filme...

St. Vincent Checks in to “The Nowhere Inn” (Review)

14Sep

By Matt ShiverdeckerNo Comments

Film, Music, Reviews

St. Vincent Checks in to “The Nowhere Inn” (Review)

The evolution of Annie Clark as a musician has been pretty incredible to watch over the years. From the quieter introspection of her 2007 debut album "Marry Me" to the full-on glam rock persona she has taken on more recently, she has become an award-winning artist recording as St. Vincent. Despite the acclaim and a rabid fan base, she isn't exactly a household name. That's where the fun begins in "The Nowhere Inn," a film that begins with Clark in the back of a limousine. The driver rolls down the window to make sure she knows that he's never heard of her and then calls his son and puts him on speakerphone to make sure it's clear that they don't really believe she's famous because they've never heard of her. Director Bill Benz ("Portlandia") helps bring this wild mockumentary to li...