Dark Comedy 'Publish or Perish' Takes a Bloody Shot at Academia
Jim Bowden (Timothy McCracken) believes his time has come to receive a much-deserved reward. The longtime English Literature professor...
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Matthew Creith
- Jul 18
- 4 min
Daisy Edgar Jones & Glen Powell Thwart Serious Tornadoes in Blockbuster 'Twisters'
"If you feel it…CHASE IT!" Spoiler Alert: No cows were harmed in the making of this film. You know that scene in 1996's "Twister" when...
Matthew Creith
- Jul 17
- 2 min
Jodie Comer and Austin Butler Sizzle in Violent Americana Tale 'The Bikeriders'
"When you die, you're better off than when you're living." This is a complicated message that Benny (Austin Butler) utters to his wife,...
Matthew Creith
- Jun 12
- 3 min
Amy Poehler and Company Bring the Waterworks in Emotionally Resonant 'Inside Out 2'
2015's "Inside Out" was a triumph for Pixar upon its release, giving worldbuilding a unique framing in the form of 11-year-old Riley's...
Matthew Creith
- Jun 4
- 3 min
Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone Get Weird in New Yorgos Lanthimos Ensemble 'Kinds of Kindness'
Director Yorgos Lanthimos delights in making his audience squirm. Whether it's the unpredictable antics in "The Lobster" or the sexually...
Matthew Creith
- May 23
- 2 min
Glen Powell Charms in Seductive Comedy 'Hit Man'
"Do you think I'm just out there killing people for NO money?" Director Richard Linklater frequently casts some known actors in roles he...
Matthew Creith
- May 2
- 3 min
Jerry Seinfeld and a Plethora of Comedians Provide a Sugary History Lesson in 'Unfrosted'
"Unfrosted," Netflix's newest original film, begins with a child seemingly running away from home. Makeshift luggage in hand, he stops at...
Matthew Creith
- Apr 15
- 3 min
Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine Sizzle in Otherwise Forgettable May-December Romantic Dramedy 'The Idea of You'
"I could be your mother." The reimagining of the romantic comedy hit several highs in the past few years, namely with "Ticket to...
Matthew Creith
- Apr 9
- 2 min
The Heavens Open Up in Brilliant IMAX Presentation of 'Deep Sky'
In IMAX Theaters April 19, 2024 Audiences don't often pay attention to documentary short films until they are nominated for the Academy...
Matthew Creith
- Mar 14
- 3 min
Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt Redefine the Romantic Action Comedy in An Ode to Stunt Performers (and Taylor Swift) in 'The Fall Guy'
"I had no choice. I had to do some Jason Bourne shit!" Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling) is one of the most talented stuntmen in the film...
Matthew Creith
- Feb 21
- 3 min
Powerhouse Performances and Booming Sound Gives 'Dune: Part Two' a Blockbuster Presence
"I am Paul Muad'Dib Atreides, duke of Arrakis! Long live the fighters!" Nicole Kidman says it best during her introduction to AMC...
Matthew Creith
- Feb 13
- 3 min
Pepsi-Cola Presents…The Preposterous 'Madame Web'
"Seriously, don't do dumb things." This quote is a call to action that Cassie Webb (Dakota Johnson) instructs upon three teenage girls...
Matthew Creith
- Jan 25
- 3 min
Sundance Review: 1980s Oakland Comes Alive in 'Freaky Tales'
"There's nothing cool about being a Nazi." Something strange is afoot in the city of Oakland, California, circa 1987. Green ooze and...
Matthew Creith
- Jan 4
- 3 min
Zachary Quinto and Jacob Elordi Make a Thrilling Team in Indie 'He Went That Way'
"You won't find Jesus in Amarillo." It is the summer of 1964, a time of great difficulty for the United States of America. Homegrown...
Matthew Creith
- Dec 13, 2023
- 3 min
The Spirit of Chocolate Making Comes Alive in Prequel 'Wonka'
"So shines a good deed in a weary world." When actor Gene Wilder embodied the classic Roald Dahl character of Willy Wonka in 1971's...
Matthew Creith
- Nov 22, 2023
- 4 min
A Sick and Twisted Tale is Spun in Emerald Fennell's Sophomore Effort 'Saltburn'
"I loved him. But was I in love with him?" In the year of our Lord 2023, the early to mid-2000s seems like a sufficiently nostalgic era....
Matthew Creith
- Nov 21, 2023
- 3 min
Disney Indulges Itself With a Big-Budgeted 'Wish' That Never Comes True
"I decide what everyone deserves!" What do you get when you mix one of the largest media conglomerates with a pandering tale lacking...
Matthew Creith
- Nov 14, 2023
- 3 min
Ridley Scott and Joaquin Phoenix Reteam to Bring a French Leader Back to Life in 'Napoleon'
"If you do not provoke me, you do not need to fear me." Napoleon Bonaparte is a name most people know, even if they aren't exactly sure...
Matthew Creith
- Nov 9, 2023
- 3 min
The Strange and Beautiful World of Bella Baxter Are on Full Display in 'Poor Things'
"Would you rather the world not have Bella?" Director Yorgos Lanthimos seldom shies away from the absurd. The auteur understands how to...
Matthew Creith
- Nov 8, 2023
- 3 min
'The Marvels' Proves Laughter is the Best Medicine for Superhero Fatigue
"Oh Captain, My Captain!" Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is in full force, and Captain Marvel returns for a sequel all her...
Matthew Creith
- Oct 26, 2023
- 3 min
'Priscilla' Lacks Pizzazz in Sofia Coppola's New Biopic
"I want a life of my own." One year after Baz Luhrmann and Austin Butler showed what made rocker Elvis Presley so famous in his heyday,...
Matthew Creith
- Oct 19, 2023
- 3 min
Paul Giamatti & Alexander Payne Reteam for One of the Best Movies of the Year in 'The Holdovers'
"You don't tell a boy that's been left behind at Christmas that you're aching to cut him loose." In 2004, director Alexander Payne and...
Matthew Creith
- Oct 17, 2023
- 4 min
Review: Lily Gladstone Gives Humanity to Inhumane Story in 'Killers of the Flower Moon'
"This blanket is a target on our backs." Let's set the scene: 1920s Oklahoma. The Osage Nation becomes the chosen people by chance as the...
Matthew Creith
- Oct 11, 2023
- 3 min
Review: There's No Pill Available to Make 'Pain Hustlers' Bearable
"If I'm lying, you can kiss me anywhere you want on this perfect body." The decade is the 2010s. Florida has become the epicenter for new...
Matthew Creith
- Oct 3, 2023
- 4 min
Review: Anna Kendrick's Directorial Debut 'Woman of the Hour' is a True Crime Chiller
"I always get the girl." There is nothing quite like an actor's directorial debut, especially when the film's premiere takes place at an...
Matthew Creith
- Oct 2, 2023
- 3 min
Review: 'Quiz Lady' Elevates the Comedy Stylings of Awkwafina and Sandra Oh in Trivial Sibling Story
"Don't go anywhere. I know I won't!" Awkwafina is Anne, a game show enthusiast who prides herself on possessing encyclopedic knowledge in...
Matthew Creith
- Sep 20, 2023
- 4 min
Review: 'Dumb Money' Invests in its Cast Without Dividends From the Script
"I just like the stock." Imagine if you will a boxing match of the clichéd David versus Goliath. In one corner, there's Goliath,...
Matthew Creith
- Sep 19, 2023
- 3 min
Review: 'Fair Play' Shines an Erotic Light on Gender Dynamics in a High-Stakes Corporate Environment
"If I can't make you cry, I'm going to make you bleed." Power and influence are tricky concepts; no two people understand it better than...
Matthew Creith
- Sep 19, 2023
- 3 min
Review: Eve Hewson and Joseph Gordon-Levitt Make Sweet Music Together in 'Flora and Son'
"I was 17 with a screaming child on my lap. This can't be my story. But, without him, I have nothing." Irish writer and director John...
Matthew Creith
- Sep 12, 2023
- 3 min
Review: Toby Wallace Dives Into Deep Waters With Ben Foster in Brian Helgeland's 'Finestkind'
"You live and you die. It's the in-between part that's important." Writer/director Brian Helgeland's work often speaks for itself....
Matthew Creith
- Sep 11, 2023
- 3 min
Review: Jonathan Glazer's Holocaust Movie is a New Perspective in 'The Zone of Interest'
There is no denying that the Holocaust happened. Millions of Jewish people lost their lives to a madman who sought power for a select few...
Matthew Creith
- Sep 9, 2023
- 3 min
Review: Netflix's Thriller 'Reptile' Neither Slithers Nor Charms in TIFF Debut
"It's only going to get worse now." What do you get when you mix talented actors with a topsy-turvy script aiming to be like David...
Matthew Creith
- Aug 24, 2023
- 3 min
Review: 'Blue Beetle' Battles Evil with Family and Community on its Side
"You are a superhero, cabron!" As of late, DC has been in a transitional period, trying to identify where their comic book superheroes...
Matthew Creith
- Aug 3, 2023
- 3 min
Review: Randall Park Swings For the Fences in Directorial Debut 'Shortcomings'
"Just because I'm a hypocrite doesn't mean I'm wrong." Actor Randall Park takes on directing duties in the new movie, "Shortcomings," in...
Matthew Creith
- Jul 5, 2023
- 3 min
Review: Tom Cruise Gives Us What We Want in "Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One"
"Ethan, you're playing four dimensional chess with an algorithm." After almost three decades on the silver screen, the "Mission:...
Matthew Creith
- Jun 29, 2023
- 3 min
Review: "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" Says Goodbye to One of Film's Greatest Leads
"Hitler made mistakes. And with this, I will correct them all." Professor by day, whip-wielding archeologist in his spare time. For over...
Matthew Creith
- Jun 21, 2023
- 3 min
Review: Jennifer Lawrence Bares It All For Comedy in "No Hard Feelings"
"I've had a one night stand before and gotten zero Buick Regals for it." The newest comedy to hit movie theaters, "No Hard Feelings," is...
Matthew Creith
- Jun 16, 2023
- 4 min
Review: "The Flash" Opens the Door For '90s Kids to Rejoice
"You wanna get nuts? Let's get nuts." There's a lot of fun to be had with a comic book movie, even if it's just entertaining on a surface...
Matthew Creith
- Jun 14, 2023
- 2 min
Review: Pixar Misses the Mark with "Elemental"
"Elements don't mix!" In the grand tradition of Pixar movies, "Elemental" might be among some of my least favorites. But I am very aware...
Matthew Creith
- May 31, 2023
- 3 min
Review: Miles Morales Heads Into Uncharted Territory in "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse"
Spoiler alert: "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" ends on a cliffhanger. This shouldn't be too much of a surprise since a third...
Matthew Creith
- May 25, 2023
- 3 min
Review: White People Problems Creep Into "You Hurt My Feelings"
"Is she jealous of the homeless?" Actor Julia Louis-Dreyfus can do no wrong. She has proven herself worthy of being bestowed the title of...
Matthew Creith
- May 17, 2023
- 4 min
Review: Revenge is a Dish Best Served Unhinged in 'Fast X'
"Everybody becomes family. It's like a cult with cars." I'm never going to apologize when a movie makes me smile from start to finish....
Matthew Creith
- May 12, 2023
- 4 min
Review: 'BlackBerry' Proves Communication Is Not Universal
"Men will no longer commute, they will communicate." The BlackBerry was a revolutionary invention when it was released to the general...
Matthew Creith
- May 11, 2023
- 3 min
Review: 'Hypnotic' Fails to Test the Boundaries of Reality
"What you're seeing isn't real." Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez has played around with various genres for most of his career. Since hitting...
Matthew Creith
- May 5, 2023
- 3 min
Review: ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Gives Rocket a Revenge Arc
"The story has always been yours." The Marvel Cinematic Universe is in the business of introducing new superheroes and villains to its...
Matthew Creith
- Apr 20, 2023
- 3 min
Review: ‘Ghosted’ Navigates Modern Dating and Espionage
"I let my emotions cloud my judgment." Boy meets girl at a farmers market. Girl flirts with boy, but boy is too oblivious to know it....
Matthew Creith
- Apr 12, 2023
- 2 min
Review: ‘Renfield’ Attempts To Escape The Fangs Of An Abusive Relationship
Irish author Bram Stoker created a new horror subgenre by introducing “Dracula” in the late 1800s. Since then, several incarnations have...
Matthew Creith
- Apr 3, 2023
- 3 min
Review: 'Air' Introduces Legends By Way of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon
"World class players don't wear third class shoes." You could call it a biopic. You could call it a behind the scenes look at the...
Matthew Creith
- Mar 27, 2023
- 3 min
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (SXSW)
“That is one pudgy dragon…did he eat the last one?!” Truth-telling time: I have never played the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. I...
Matthew Creith
- Mar 21, 2023
- 3 min
Tetris (SXSW)
"Good ideas have no borders." At SXSW, I had the opportunity to attend the world premiere of "Tetris," the new AppleTV+ movie starring...
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