Author: Matt Conway

To say the romantic comedy has struggled over the years is an understatement. After years of having fairly generic and mostly bad entries in the genre, Hollywood appeared to just give up on the genre entirely. The most success the genre has had recently is with Netflix, as this summer’s Set It Up became an oasis for rom-com fans starving for more content. Looking to continue the rom-com winning streak is Crazy Rich Asians, which is also substantial from a diversity perspective as the first Hollywood film since The Joy Luck Club to feature a predominately Asian cast (25 years ago). The film follows Rachel, who…

While several TV series experience some ups and downs, few can equal the rise and fall of HBO’s True Detective. Where as season 1 was a masterfully executed crime drama that featured fantastic performances, season 2 was a complete mess. Aside from a few shadings of good filmmaking and performances (mostly Colin Farrell), the whole season felt too inert and disconnected to ever register. When you fail, try again, and that’s what HBO is doing in creating a third season of True Detective. This time the anthology series will follow Detective Wayne Hays (Oscar winner Mahershala Ali), who is trying to piece together a…

It’s no news that streaming services have made a major impact in the entertainment industry. Both Netflix and Amazon have grown substantially over the years, creating a content library while also curating their own successful content. While Disney originally had a deal with Netflix for their respective films, the tantalizing amount of cash Disney could profit from their own streaming empire proved to valuable to pass up. In a expose by Variety documenting the revolution in streaming, Disney’s Bob Iger announced that the so-called Disney streaming service will be entitled “Disney Play”. Iger also addressed the significance of the streaming…

Whether he’s racing through the sands in Mad Max: Fury Road or spending an hour and a half talking on the phone in Locke, Tom Hardy is one of the most beloved and versatile actors around. His dedication and enormous presence makes him someone to watch even when he isn’t in the best roles, as shown with his puzzling performance as Bane in Dark Knight Rises.  With Hardy’s latest foray into superheroes, Venom, fast approaching, many still aren’t quite sure how to feel about the character’s first solo film. Despite that skepticism, it appears Hardy has a great deal of confidence in the brand, announcing officially that he…

Even after Star Wars: The Last Jedi’s highly-controversial reception from fans, its hard for fans not to be excited about Star Wars: Episode IX. The last entry in the latest Star Wars trilogy has been shooting has been shooting for three weeks now, with the rumor mill continuing to spin as to what exactly will go down in this much-anticipated sequel. It appears fans might have something big to get excited for. It has been leaked from set that an Episode 9 scene will feature Kylo Ren having a reunion with Anakin Skywalker and his alter-ego Darth Vader. Before you ask how exactly this could happen, here is…

Ben Affleck has had a tumultuous past few years. Whether its his own passion projects like Live By Night or staring roles in potential blockbusters like Justice League, Affleck has not found the critical or financial success that made him a star actor and director a few years back. What causes even more concern is Ben Affleck’s struggles with acholoism, with two recent stints in rehab trying to help fix the problem. According to TMZ, Affleck is heading back to rehab for a third time. This was set-up by his ex-wife Jennifer Garner, who staged in intervention to confront Affleck on his continuing issues…

Making a name for its mixture of genre thrills and sociopolitical commentary, The Purge series has been one of the most prosperous horror franchises in recent memory. While the series quality has been relatively hit or miss (Purge: Anarchy being the standout in quality), I was curious to see what new angle could be captured with the franchise in its 4th entry The First Purge. Taking place before the events of The Purge, we follow a few civilians on Staten Island, the location for the first ever Purge. To ensure successful results, the political overseer the New Founding Fathers of America create a war zone…

While it went largely forgotten by most, Escape Plan to me was one of the better late Sylvester Stallone vehicles. Not only did it feature him going toe-to-toe with Arnold Schwarzenegger, but it’s involving prison break story and well-done action made it a fun throwback actioner. Nearly five years later, we now have Escape Plan 2: Hades, a sequel no one besides me even asked for. This time we continue to follow Ray Breslin (Stallone), who is continuing his mission of breaking out of the most impossible of prisons. When most of his team is kidnapped, he must enlist the help of an old…

Genre movies are a rarity in mainstream cinema, let alone genre films that are low to mid-budgeted. After being treated to the fantastic Upgrade a few weeks back, we now have Hotel Artemis, a film that, while it packs numerous interesting ideas, never really comes together as it should. Set in a not-so-distant dystopian Los Angeles where riots and crime are constant, Hotel Artemis follows an ensemble of thieves and murders who stay at Hotel Artemis, a hotel ran by “The Nurse” (Jodie Foster) for bad guys in trouble. When the rules of the Artemis begin to be broken, chaos ensues as the residents turn on…

Whether its as one of the frontman of the debaucherous  Jackass stunt team or staring in linear features like Bad Grandpa, Johnny Knoxville has always stayed true to his vulgar self. While his latest Action Point won’t win any new converts, its a satisfyingly broad slapstick comedy that pays homage to the great comedies of the 1970’s. Action Point follows D.C. (Knoxville) a daredevil by nature who has designed and operated his own theme park for years. With a new wave of theme parks coming, D.C. and his ragtag gang of friends look to save the park by adding even more insane ride attractions. The selling…