Author: Matt Conway

The superhero genre is one of the most profitable in the industry, yet the latest X-Men film Dark Phoenix has been a disastrous failure. After earning unanimously poor marks from critics (currently holds a 24% rating on Rotten Tomatoes), the film earned a franchise-low 33 million dollars in its opening weekend, ending Fox’s 19-year-old franchise with a whimper. With the film’s notable failure, it’s not a shock that some are coming out to discuss their involvement, or lack thereof, in the comic book film. Producer Lauren Shuler Donner has been credited for producing every X-Men film, came out in a now-deleted…

Fox’s X-Men franchise has had a 19 year run on the big screen, a journey that has been full of impressive highs (Logan) and shocking lows (X-Men Origins: Wolverine). With the recent Disney-Fox merger, the latest X-Men film Dark Phoenix has been marked as the last entry of Fox’s long-running franchise. Going out with a disappointing whimper, Dark Phoenix marks a new low in the X-Men franchise. Dark Phoenix follows the X-Men, who have finally escaped the outcast label from society. During a routine mission, Jean Gray (Sophie Turner) is struck with a cosmic force that unlocks her full powers. When a mysterious…

Some film projects have to face the haunting limbo of delays and reshoots, with Brad Pitt’s upcoming film Ad Astra suffering from this fate. The high-concept science fiction film was previously scheduled for a December 2018 release, but it has since been delayed twice all the way to September 2019. As a Fox film acquired by Disney in the merger, many have wondered whether the film would remain in its current form or undergo reshoots. After months of little updates, a trailer for Ad Astra is finally here. Coming from Lost City of Z director James Gray, this is a film that looks to push…

Django Unchained is one of Quentin Tarantino’s most accomplished works, with the writer/director masterfully meshing a western motif with blaxploitation influences. The film thrived as both a critical and commercial success, but many assumed that the gunslinging Django would never see the light of day on the big screen. That is until now… In a shocking announcement, Collider reports that Tarantino has tapped Jerrod Carmichael to write a Django and Zoro crossover film. It is currently unknown at this time whether Tarantino will be involved in a directing role or if any of the original actors will return to their respective…

Garnering 3 Oscar nominations during this decade, Octavia Spencer has become one of the most acclaimed actresses in the industry. Typically showcasing her work in acclaimed awards-contenders, Spencer is thankfully changing it up with Ma. Casting her in the role of a horror villain, the film succeeds at offering entertainment value despite its problems. Ma follows a group of teenagers who ask a stranger to purchase them alcohol one day. That stranger is Sue Ann (Spencer), and due to an odd connection she has with the teens, she begins to have them over for wild parties. All is clearly not it seems…

Sylvester Stallone has had several iconic franchises, but none personify his 80’s action roots like the Rambo series. Featuring the actor in his iconic red bandana, Rambo started as a dark observation of the action genre before morphing into an action series. While not of the sequels are particularly well-received critically, they have garnered a large and supportive audience, an audience that is likely very excited for the latest entry Rambo: Last Blood. Seeing Sylvester Stallone return to the iconic role for the last time, Last Blood has the makings of a seminal movie for the star actor. Ahead of its September 2019 release, Lionsgate…

Godzilla: King of the Monsters has been one of the most anticipated releases of 2019 since the debut of its first trailer back at last year’s Comic-Con. Showing off stunning visuals, an all-star cast, and a tone that seems self-aware of Godzilla and its universe, many expected the film to be an instant success. So far, early reviews are telling a different story. With the embargo broken, reviews have surfaced on Rotten Tomatoes, with the film holding a 43% rating on the site by Wednesday morning. Check out an array of thoughts from different critics: Part 21st-century action franchise (kick in…

The Conjuring series has been full of its respective highs and lows, with this year’s The Curse of La Llorona marking a new low for the series. Even with that disappointment, the upcoming Annabelle Comes Home could be one of the series’ strongest entries. Combining the Conjuring and Annabelle series into one, this movie has been built up as a culmination of the previous entries. With the film’s release roughly a month away, Warner Brothers have released a new trailer for the upcoming horror film. Check it out along with the official synopsis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMa-KFfatT0 “Annabelle Comes Home” is the third installment of New Line Cinema’s hugely successful “Annabelle”…

Located in Tonopah, Nevada is a motel called the Clown Motel. This hotel has been named “the scariest motel in America” by Roadtrippers, with a creepy clown motif and dozens of cheery jokesters appearing around the corner. Considering the potential nightmares that this location and all creepy clowns can give, its no surprise that someone wants to turn this concept into a movie. Simply entitled Clown Motel, the film stars Tony Moran (the unmasked Michael Myers in Halloween) and Tony Moran (young Jason in Friday the 13th) as the abandoned souls of the creepy motel come to life and haunt a group of ghost…

Combining the superhero genre with a horror sensibility, Brightburn looked to be one of the more promising releases of the summer. The concept of getting to see a young Superman-like hero descend into evil and terrorize those around him was fresh and intriguing, with producer James Gunn’s presence giving hope. It’s with great disappointment that I report that Brightburn doesn’t only waste its cool concept, its lazy execution ranks it among the year’s worst films. Brightburn follows Tori (Elizabeth Banks) and Kyle Breyer (David Denman), a couple who stumble upon a crashed ship carrying life. That small boy grows up to be Brandon (Jackson…