Out in Theaters: ‘I SMILE BACK’

October 22, 2015 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Adam Salky, I Smile Back, Out in Theaters, Reviews, Sarah Silverman 52 Comments

That Sarah Silverman had the gall to break out of her irreverent comic persona for a melancholic melodrama as jet black as I Smile Back is impressive in and of itself. That the film itself is resoundingly potent and her performance amongst the strongest of the year is nothing short of a shocker. Hers is what many would refer to as a “breakout” role, were Silverman not already close being to a household name. Nonetheless, the performance front and center of I Smile Back is evidence enough that Silverman needs more dramatic roles and she needs them now. Read More

AHMYGAWD Watch the New ‘STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS’ Trailer NOW

October 19, 2015 by Matt Oakes Posted in Trailers Tagged Carrie Fischer, Daisy Ridley, Harrison Ford, J.J. Abrams, John Boyega, Poe Dameron, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Trailers Leave a comment

I usually don’t watch trailers. I couldn’t help myself with the first teaser for Star Wars: The Force Awakens and I couldn’t stop myself from watching this next (and potentially final) trailer. Join the dark side and watch Han (Harrison Ford), Chewie (Peter Mayhew) and Leia (Carrie Fischer) join new Star Wars members Finn (John Boyega), Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) to battle New Order Sith Lord Kylo Ren. But don’t take my word for it, watch it yourself. Read More

Out in Theaters: ‘BEASTS OF NO NATION’

October 15, 2015 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Abraham Attah, Beasts of No Nation, Cary Fukunaga, Dan Romer, Idris Elba, Netflix, Out in Theaters, Reviews Leave a comment

War films have never been as great as they were from the late-70s to the mid-80s. There was an esthetic richness to them, a vast sense of moral disorientation that defined them. Surfers catching waves neck deep in the shit, soldier’s squeezing the triggers of pistols squared at their heads, combatants throwing their arms up in defeat. That iconography sticks for a reason. In the era of 9/11, there have been some excellent war films, but like the wars themselves, the weapons, scenery and tone have changed. Beasts of No Nation is a heavyhearted throwback to the great war epics of the Vietnam generation and tells the sorrowful saga of a child soldier’s dark transformation. Read More

Out in Theaters: ‘CRIMSON PEAK’

October 15, 2015 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Charlie Hunnam, Crimson Peak, Guillermo del Toro, Horror, Jessica Chastain, Jim Beaver, Out in Theaters, Reviews, Tom Hiddleston 1 Comment

Only in a Guillermo del Toro yarn would the setting – a decrepit Victorian estate housing buried, but not forgotten, secrets – literally drip blood. His is the humor of a tongue buried deeply in a cheek, almost to the point of popping through to the other side. It’s not actually blood that is dripping but there’s no mistaking what the globular rouge streaks running down the wallpaper is supposed to resemble. In the world of Crimson Peak, it is but red clay that sullies the interior of the far flung mansion from which the title takes its name. The house is literally sinking in it. As the winter snow decorates the earth around this distinctly haunted house, it grows blood red from the clay beneath. So it’ll likely catch you off guard to hear that for a movie ostensibly soaked in blood, Crimson Peak is actually pretty restrained. Read More

Out in Theaters: ‘STEVE JOBS’

October 14, 2015 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Aaron Sorkin, Daniel Pemberton, Danny Boyle, Elliot Graham, Jeff Daniels, Kate Winslet, Michael Fassbender, Michael Stuhlbarg, Out in Theaters, Reviews, Seth Rogen, Steve Jobs 2 Comments

A sweetly sour punch of cinematic vitality, Steve Jobs is alive, it’s kinetic and it’s an intellectual kick to the shins. With a soaring foundation in Aaron Sorkin’s lively script, the dramatic biography hums along in real time, deconstructing the mythology of a recently controversial figure, the eponymous Steve Jobs, as he navigates his way to the top of the personal computer heap. From top to bottom, no detail has been spared as Danny Boyle’s signature aesthetic doddlings add a certain touch of magical realism to the affair while Michael Fassbender’s award-worthy central performance grounds the film in a degree of stone-washed, near-robotic cynicism. It’s an odd marriage of misanthropic megalomania and surprisingly salty sentiment that works for almost every minute of its run time. Read More

Out in Theaters: ‘BRIDGE OF SPIES’

October 14, 2015 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Alan Alda, Bridge of Spies, Janusz Kamiński, Mark Rylance, Oscars 2016, Out in Theaters, Reviews, Steven Spielberg, The Coen Brothers, Thomas Newman, Tom Hanks Leave a comment

Now this is confident filmmaking. But what else would you expect from the accomplished pairing of artful overlord Steven Spielberg and American everyman maestro Tom Hanks? Bridge of Spies is in its very essence a showcase of Spielberg’s directorial prowess; it neatly highlights the auteur’s ability to shape the mundane into the magical, of his expert craftsmanship behind the camera, of his articulate (if not subtle) storytelling capabilities. It is at its very core a reminder of why Spielberg has become a harbinger of prestige pictures and why Hanks will never be replaced. It is, without a doubt, an excellent film. Ladies and gentlemen, we’re looking at our first assured best picture nomination lock. Read More

Out in Theaters: ‘THE FINAL GIRLS’

October 9, 2015 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters, Uncategorized Tagged Adam DeVine, Alexander Ludwig, Alia Shawkat, Angela Trimbur, Horror, Malin Akerman, Nina Dobrev, Out in Theaters, Reviews, Taissa Farmiga, The Final Girls, Thomas Middleditch, Todd Strauss-Schulson 3 Comments

The premise for The Final Girls – a group of teens are inexplicably sucked into a slasher movie and must survive its 92 minute runtime in hopes of returning to their world – is questionable to say the least. One might think to find such a movie buried deep down in and amongst the filth of Netflix; hidden amongst those low-budget wanna-be’s masquerading as the real deal. It doesn’t take the aid of Sherlock to prove that this is not the case. Not only is The Final Girls not atrocious, it’s rather excellent. As in, it’s goddamn righteous. Read More

Channing Tatum is a Merry Sailor in Trailer for Coen Bro’s ‘HAIL, CAESAR!’

October 9, 2015 by Matt Oakes Posted in Trailers Tagged Channing Tatum, Frances McDormand, George Clooney, Hail Caesar!, Jonah Hill, Josh Brolin, Ralph Fiennes, Scarlett Johansson, The Coen Brothers, Tilda Swinton, Trailers Leave a comment

Have you ever wondered what Channing Tatum would look like in a little sailors outfit? Wonder no more. The trailer for Hail, Caesar!, the newest comedy from Joel and Ethan Coen, has arrived and it looks nothing short of glorious (and features Tatum dressed oh-so-preciously) . Hail, Caesar! tells the story of a tentpole movie production halted when its leading man (George Clooney) is kidnapped and held for ransom. The sure-to-be winning picture is brimming with talent; in addition to Tatum and Clooney, Josh Brolin, Tilda Swinton, Scarlett Johansson, Ralph Fiennes, Jonah Hill and Frances McDormand are set to star with cinematography provided by all-star DP Roger Deakins. Read More

Out in Theaters: ‘PAN’

October 8, 2015 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged DVD Reviews, Garrett Hedlund, Hugh Jackman, Jason Fuchs, Joe Wright, Levi Miller, Pan, Reviews, Rooney Mara Leave a comment

Were one to take both Pan and Oz: The Great and Powerful as case studies of skillful directors attempting to adapt iconic source material, they would be forced to reason that this just ain’t a venture worth taking. The same exact sentiment can be said of Pan the film. Joe Wright (Hanna, Pride and Prejudice), working from a Jason Fuchs (Ice Age: Continental Drift) script, has drained the prestige from his presence in attempting to tell a for-all-ages tale of the flying boy with a sentient shadow who never ages. Rather, he delivers a schizophrenic, incredibly frustrating family-friendly adventure with staggering highs and lows. Had Pan just been bad – rather than offering the odd moments of true clarity and borderline brilliance – the inevitable disappointment wouldn’t sting quite as much. As it, it’s a monstrous failure with absolutely out-of-place moments of undeniable inspiration. Read More

Out in Theaters: ’99 HOMES’

October 7, 2015 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged 99 Homes, Andrew Garfield, Laura Dern, Michael Shannon, Noah Lomax, Out in Theaters, Ramin Bahrani, Reviews Leave a comment

*This is a reprint of our Sundance 2015 review

Success and honesty have become diametrically opposed forces in 99 Homes, a one-percenter housing thriller that pits a wolf of real estate in the form of an e-cigarette munching Michael Shannon against a hardworking everyman day laborer (Andrew Garfield). Money though is a powerful drug. Opulence, an even purer form of intoxicant. And as Dennis Nash’s (Garfield) desperate catches the sweet whiff of greenback wafting from the depths of Rick Carver’s (Shannon) pockets, he becomes willing to trade in his common man status for the spade suit of an iniquitous property mogul.