Author: Matt Conway

Streaming services have grown to become essential to the film industry and audiences alike. These platforms have allowed for unique content like Stranger Things and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel to thrive, while also changing the way audiences view content.  With these services dominating the marketplace, it’s no surprise that competitors want to get a slice of the pie. That’s where WarnerMedia comes in. According to a new report, WarnerMedia will reportedly name this service HBO Max. With HBO and several hit sitcoms like The Big Bang Theory under their control, the company has been developing its own service to compete with Netflix, Amazon, and the…

Films, like all media, serve as both a product for entertainment as well as a reflection of the times the content was made in. Films like American Graffiti and Saturday Night Fever are prime examples of this, reflecting 60’s and 70’s Americana with a genuine and stylistic eye. In some cases though, older films can often highlight the more problematic aspects of a time period. Disney isn’t a stranger to revising regrettable content (Song of the South being the most notable example), now doing such with a somewhat-modern film Toy Story 2.  In the new release of the film, a blooper that tries to poke fun…

Many wouldn’t recognize the Ju-On franchise based on namesake, but most audiences are familiar to it through its American remake The Grudge. After successful first entry, The Grudge would go on to spawn a trilogy that offered some memorable thrills. With a remake in production for The Grudge, it’s only fitting that Ju-On would get the same treatment. It appears that Ju-On will return in a unique new package. According to BloodyDisgusting, Netflix plans to adapt the films into a TV series that will be released in Spring 2020. Check out the tentative premise for the show: The J-Horror classic franchise “Ju-On” was actually based on real events that…

The Conjuring Universe has taken over the horror genre in a way that few franchises could copy. While successfully spinning-off its original series with notable financial success (Annabelle Creations and The Nun topped 100 million domestically), many of these films have shown a noticeable drop in quality from the original source material. While the latest entry Annabelle Comes Home isn’t among the series worst entries, it shows the creative cracks that have developed with this cinematic universe. Annabelle Comes Home brings the sinister Annabelle doll into the hands of Conjuring protagonists Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga). When they leave for a night, a babysitter’s friend…

Effortlessly mixing science fiction intrigue with the thrills of blockbuster cinema, Men in Black was a true creative force when it hit theaters in 1997. It would spawn two sequels, that while less-acclaimed, still entertained through Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones engaging dynamic. Like any franchise though, Sony decided it was time for a reboot with Men in Black: International, a reimagining that lacks any of the fun or creative spark of the originals. Men in Black: International follows Molly (Tessa Thompson), a woman who desires to join the MIB ranks after seeing extraterrestrial life as a kid. Once enlisted, she teams up…

Zombies have taken over pop culture over the last decade with staples like The Walking Dead, The Last of Us, and World War Z helping to popularize the genre. With the genre reaching its point of over-saturation, filmmakers have to get creative to make their interpretations feel fresh for the undead. In comes writer/director Jim Jarmusch, whose new black comedy The Dead Don’t Die utilizes zombies to create pinpoint humor and commentary about our apathetic culture. Set in the peaceful town of Centerville, The Dead Don’t Die follows officers Cliff Robertson (Bill Murray) and Ronnie Peterson (Adam Driver), who are thrust into action when their…

With his signature and hilariously direct approach to acting, Samuel L. Jackson has become one of the most beloved character actors in the industry. He has shined in supporting roles like Pulp Fiction, but it’s always exciting to see the actor get to command the screen as the star of a film. With Shaft (2019), Jackson reprises his role as the signature hero from the 2000 film, but the results are far less inspired. Acting as a loose sequel to the 1971 and 2000 films respectively, Shaft follows John Shaft Jr. (Jessie T. Usher), a CIA data analyst who is thrust into a mystery…

With Avengers: Endgame culminating a decade-plus run on the big screen, Marvel is gearing up for a new generation of superheroes to lead the way. Along with Black Panther, Captain Marvel will be one of the major fixtures of Marvel’s future. Her debut film was met with mostly positive reactions from critics and audiences, but that doesn’t mean the film avoided backlash. No one quite does backlash like the Honest Trailers series, which often mocks big films and the respective issues with them. After its successful theatrical run, Captain Marvel is now getting the Honest Trailer treatment with their latest video. Check it out:…

While Marvel has thrived with their big and small screen content, they are still finding their footing when it comes to video games. Aside from Insomniac’s incredible Spider-Man game that hit shelves last year, many of their popular characters have been left dormant after an era of cheap cash grabs and movie-tie in games (looking at you Thor: God of Thunder). With the E3 gaming conference taking place this weekend, Marvel fans got a much-awaited update from Marvel’s Avengers, a long-awaited reimagination from Square Enix. Check out the debut trailer, which shows Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, and Black Widow in action. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zl-jT5QyoY…

With the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, other superhero brands wanted to get in on the success and reincorporate the connected storylines into their properties. DC infamously tried and failed with the DC Extended Universe and  Sony is currently dabbling with villain spin-off films like Morbius. What may come to a surprise to some is that Fox tried to do something similar with their properties, the X-Men and Fantastic Four. Tentatively titled X-Men vs The Fantastic Four, information about the crossover film had been unknown, until now. The Hollywood Reporter did a deep dive and discovered the plotline of the script, which…