Author: Matt Conway

Since debuting back in 2002, few superheroes have captured the imagination of audiences on the big screen quite like everyone’s favorite neighborhood web-slinger. With the latest Spider-Man film hitting theaters this weekend, let’s take a look at the character’s history on the big screen. 8. The Amazing Spider-Man What’s Good: Casting-wise, this reboot does a good job at filling out its roles to a talented cast. Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone share some sparks on screen as Peter and Gwen, developing a relationship that has more potency that Raimi’s trilogly. Garfield also has a few fun moments as Spider-Man, doing…

Since her 1999 directorial debut The Virgin Suicides, Sofia Coppola has proven to be one of the most significant auteurs in the industry. Not only is she one of two female directors to win a Best Screenplay Award at the Oscars, but is also the only American female director to win Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival. Her work, while somewhat divisive, has displayed her wonderful precision and insight behind the camera. Coppola’s latest venture is The Beguiled, the film that won her the coveted Cannes trophy. As a loose adaptation of Thomas Cullinan’s novel (as well as the 1971 film),…

2017 has marked an exceptional year for the superhero genre. Not only was Logan one of the greatest superhero films of all time, but Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Wonder Woman lived up to pre-release expectations. Heck, even The LEGO Batman movie proved to be a hilarious ride for kids and adults alike. Trying to continue this positive trend is Spider-Man: Homecoming, which is the third reboot of everyone’s favorite neighborhood superhero. In this reboot, gone is the classic backstory as the film follows high schooler Peter Parker trying to deal with his everyday responsibilities while learning how to become a superhero. After already seeing two Spider-Man…

For over a decade, Will Ferrell has been one of the most popular comedic actors in Hollywood. Unlike Adam Sandler though, Ferrell has actually had a run of critically successful films. Anchorman, Step Brothers, and Talledga Nights: The Ballard of Ricky Bobby have become modern comedic staples, with Ferrell’s large than life comedic persona bringing the films to life. While he may not be in his comedic prime, I am still a fan of his work and his charismatic energy. Ferrell is back, this time sharing with Amy Poehler in The House. The film follows a married couple who are burdened with the responsibility of paying…

Despite not getting the opportunity to work with big budgets, Bong Joon Ho continues to prove himself as one of the best directors in the industry. Films such as The Host, Mother, and Snowpiercer have displayed Ho’s immense ability of building interesting worlds, while crafting exciting and insightful films. Instead of being sucked into the studio system, Ho is instead teaming up with Netflix for his latest feature Okja. Set in a somewhat dystopian reality, the film follows a corporation which has produced 26 super pigs to fight world hunger. When the cooperation takes a super pig from a local farm girl Mija, she goes on…

Much controversy has been made over the past week about upcoming Han Solo film. While Rouge One was a good start to the Star Wars anthology brand, production so far on Solo has been a disaster. Most notably, 21 Jump Street directors Chris Miller and Phill Lord were fired with a mere few weekends left in production, replacing him with Ron Howard. Now, even more controversy is brewing behind the scenes. According to some reports, Lucasfilm producers were not only concerned about the directors approach to the material, but also the performance they were getting out of star Alden Ehrenreich. Their level of concern reached the point where they decided…

Netflix’s Marvel TV empire continues to dominate much of TV news. What the two studios have been able to achieve together is equivalent to what Marvel and Disney has created on the big screen. With the impending release of The Defenders, many are curious to see where their brand goes afterwards. Fans of Jessica Jones fear not, as a second season the show is approaching in 2018. Giving fans a tease of Jessica’s new look, Netflix has released a few set photos showing star Krysten Ritter dawning the new uniform. https://twitter.com/AidarSM/status/878168900147400704 Ritter has been quite excited about the work being done for this second…

Post-apocalyptic dystopias are all the rage in media today. Whether it be The Walking Dead on TV or Mad Max: Fury Road on the big screens, quite a few efforts recently have used their environment well while telling an effective story. While most assume dystopian worlds have to be created for big budgets, indie filmmakers have also experimented in creating bold new dystopian worlds. The latest example of this is The Bad Batch, which premiered at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival. Set in a dystopian Texas landscape where all of the outcasts of society are sent to a desert sector, the film follows a wondering…

While the success of Wonder Woman has been huge, Warner Brothers has had a bit of an uneven 2017 so far. They have hit big with some films like The Lego Batman Movie, bombs such as Live By Night and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword have proven to be severely costly for the studio. Under the new management of former New Line executive Toby Emmerich, it looks like times might be changing for Warner Brothers. Highlighted in a profile piece by The Hollywood Reporter, it seems like Emmerich might be changing the studios approach to auteur directors. “Outside the silos, there has been a big waste of money…

Since the announcement of two films being made about the Boston Marathon Bombing, I’ve been hesitant about the idea (especially as someone from Massachusetts). There is a fine line between making an movie with artistic principal and making something to exploit audiences experience for ticket sales. Thankfully, the first effort at this Patriot’s Day was a fairly honorable and well-made film. Just a few months after the release of that film, we now have the incoming release of Stronger. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, the film follows the true story of Jeff Bauman, a man who lost his legs in the bombing when supporting his girlfriend…