Matthew R. Reis: Film and TV Critic

Pray for me Blog exclusive! I rented “Prey” for free yesterday thanks to a Redbox Play Pass coupon I received. This isn’t a review of the entire game since I only rented it for a single night ($3 game rentals are rip-offs!) Small sample size aside, I came away mightily impressed by Arkane Studios’ reboot of the original “Prey” (2006) . Set in 2035, Morgan Yu (the protagonist) awakens inside a posh San Francisco apartment. Life is good, he or she (you choose which gender to play as) is a surefire one-percenter, but something’s afoot. A glitch reveals that Morgan’s inside a partially simulated environment and has had a memory wipe. It’s the player’s job to break out. Once outside the confines of the fake apartment, you realize that you’re onboard the Talos 1 Space Station. The crew aboard the space station had been studying a dangerous species of alien called the Typhon ( derived from Greek Mythology , meaning a giant, deadly monstrosity) for years. The hope was that the coll

Steel Beauty Blog exclusive! In the alpha-male dominated world of superhero pictures, a blockbuster film with a feminine touch stands out. Some may call it sacrilegious; most will call it "Wonder Woman". Israeli actress and former soldier Gal Gadot ("Justice League") plays the title character, Diana Prince/Wonder Woman. Prince is a fierce and noble Amazonian warrior born of clay and brought to life by Zeus. She reaches maturity on the female-only island of Themyscira. Strong, sexy and perfectly cast, Gadot elevates "Wonder Woman" to high art. And with a little help from CGI, Gadot seems like she was destined to swing Diana's fiery whip, wield her longsword and defend the innocent with a Captain America-esque shield from the day she was born. Misogynists everywhere will be displeased that “Wonder Woman” not only stars a woman (duh), but is also directed by a member of the fairer sex. Humor aside, Warner Bros. and DC Films made a historic move b

NOW AVAILABLE On 4K Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD! It stands to reason that many American moviegoers were introduced to the under-appreciated Australian New Wave cinema back in 1979. That's when George Miller's debut feature film "Mad Max" came out. Miller's dystopian version of Australia is sobering. Echoing the real life energy shortages of the 1970s, "Mad Max" preyed upon the fears of audiences still struggling to get back on their feet economically speaking. While big time cities existed, ruthless bikers like Crawford "Nightrider" Montazano controlled the Outback with despicable ultra violence. Then unknown actor Mel Gibson got his big break playing the title character Max. As you all know, he later became Hollywood's biggest star thanks to the "Lethal Weapon" series and "Braveheart", among other hits. But Gibson started to unwind after spouting off crazy anti-semitic statements and homophobic remarks later

Blog Exclusive!   The 3 films below are my favorite pieces of cinema from 2013. I haven't seen every movie this year. However, I think these three films should be nominated for the awards listed below.   "12 Years a Slave" Best Picture Best Director Best Actor in a Leading Role Best Actress in a Supporting Role Best Adapted Screenplay What did I personally like best about "12 Years a Slave"?    Director Steve McQueen helms a picture so grandiose in scope, yet so uneasy to watch , that I doubt you will get through it in one sitting without crying. "12 Years a Slave" is based upon Solomon Northup's ( Chiwetel Ejiofor) stolen life. McQueen shows all the ills of slavery: rape, kidnapping, assault, vilification, dehumanization. And most importantly McQueen and shows us (the viewers) that hope is humanity's most precious asset. It's the most important film of the year and quite simply the best film of the decade.  

The return of Josh Holloway Blog exclusive! CBS Television executives, like other network suits, are currently busy ordering pilots for the upcoming fall TV season. One CBS offering that's on my radar is an action/sci-fi show called "Intelligence." While "Intelligence" is a bland title for a show rooted in such a fast paced genre the dullness ends. In reality there's plenty to be excited about starting with the fact that "Lost" alum Josh Holloway is starring in the series. Holloway plays Gabriel, an ex-Special Forces soldier and CIA agent who is selected for an ultra-secret US Government assignment. This assignment requires Gabriel to undergo a procedure that implants a microchip running a program called Clockwork into his cranium. Calling to mind a buffer, less dated version of Keanu Reeves' Johnny Memento, Gabriel is effectively part man, part machine. He is able to tap into, exploit and control limitless amounts of electron

Blog exclusive!   In this new weekly series I will be highlighting the things I love most and least about cinema.   Top Ten for 2012:   "Django Unchained" dir. by Quentin Tarantino "Skyfall" dir. by Sam Mendes "Argo" dir. by Ben Affleck "The Dark Knight Rises" dir. by Christopher Nolan "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" dir. by Peter Jackson "Dredd" dir. by Pete Travis "The Hunger Games" dir. by Gary Ross "Lincoln" dir. by Steven Spielberg "The Avengers" dir. by J.J. Abrams "The Amazing Spider-man" dir. by Marc Webb I know there are plenty of critically acclaimed films such as "Moonrise Kingdom", "Looper" and "Silver Linings Playbook", but I only ranked films that I've watched.   Others of note: Honorable Mention: "Hit and Run" dir. by Dax Shepard Best Re-release of 2012: "Titanic" dir. by James Cam