Matthew R. Reis: Film and TV Critic

Pinky and the Brain Blog Exclusive! Note: This paper was originally written on Tuesday, November 16, 2009. When I first read "Pink Hills'" description in the Herbert F. Johnson Museum catalog my curiosity didn't pique all that much. After all, the word pink tends to strike fear in the heart of man. But in all seriousness I was disappointed to find out that the painting I intended to write about was put in storage unbeknownst to me. So why did I then wind up looking at "Pink Hills"? Well I'll shamelessly admit that the magnitude of the artist behind the work had a lot to do with it. Georgia O' Keeffe painted "Pink Hills" in 1937. The painting came to fruition during one of the most productive periods of her legendary career (that being the 1920s through 1940s). "Pink Hills" depicts a far flung, oft-forgotten area of the American Southwest, yet O’Keeffe paints the hilly terrain like it is the most important parcel of land ...

Airport Junkie As featured in: Buzzsaw Magazine Waiting for a flight in an airport often brings forth memories of a lobby with sticky vinyl seats, overpriced food and drinks, and that one screaming kid that’s just asking for a punch in the face. Frequent flyers used to be stuck in the same situation, but years of airline loyalty grant them special extras. They earned better service, and they get it. Forget overpriced bagels and coffee; they get a free martini. And waiting in a lobby? No way. They have trendy, exclusive clubs. Repeat customers of airlines such as Delta, Continental and American Airlines have their own Bat Caves—lounges hidden in airports all over the world. These clubs include bars with complementary drinks, restaurants, showers, and even spas and movie theaters. Frequent flyers also receive more opportunities to fly first class, or even get free tickets. In the Oscar-nominated movie Up in the Air, road warrior Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) dreamed of hitting ...

Actress Henly pushes this already solid opera over-the-top. As featured in: The Ithacan 3 1/2 Stars Opera had only been around for 10 years when Claudio Monteverdi debuted “L’Orfeo” to an Italian audience in 1607. As one of the earliest opera’s still performed today, Ithaca College’s goal was to make this centuries old classic appeal to a modern audience. With the combined talents of theater and music students, the college gave this opera a fresh new spin. “L’Orfeo” tells the story of Orfeo (Daniel Bates and Alex Canovas), who loses his wife Euridice (Laura Gladd) to the conniving and ghastly Hades. This blow undermines Orfeo’s powerful physique and commanding presence. Thus, he departs from his comfortable, Garden of Eden-like reality and enters the underworld as a mortal. As he tries to take Euridice back he must control his lust to appease Hades (Stephen Lovell) or risk losing his wife forever. Each year, the music school and the theater school collaborate to produce a show,...

It's working. Here's to more progress. No rating As featured in: "The Ithacan" All of the drama, love and despair of the Orpheus myth return to Ithaca College for a third time. After staging “Euridice” in 2009 and “Metamorphoses” in 2008, the theater department takes on the Italian opera “L’Orfeo” by Claudio Monteverdi, another retelling of the tale. Running just under two hours in length, this rendition combines gaudy aspects of post-Renaissance culture with modern pizzazz with a large cast of 48. Written in 1607, “L’Orfeo” is one of the earliest operas still performed. Sung entirely in Italian with English supertitles, the college’s theater and music students combine their talents to bring Monteverdi’s opus to life. Set in an ethereal world of pleasure, Orpheus — also known as Orfeo — has his life torn apart when his bride Euridice dies. The opera focuses on his dangerous journey through the Underworld to try to rescue her while grappling with his own inner ...

Hello friends, fellow bloggers and casual moviegoers, This site isn't all about me and my work (or Eve). It's meant to be an insightful, drama-free forum for your opinions and ideas. That being said please comment, subscribe and visit often. So a little bit about me. I'm a college student studying Design (formerly Cinema Production.) The focus of this blog will be to primarily review movies, but some books and and TV shows will be covered on a less frequent basis. I'll also shamelessly promote my own photography and film work and provide insights into what I think about certain media messages. So all in all expect a smorgasbord of delightful insights and not mindless when you visit the blog. And check out my website for videos, some other writings and ways to get in touch. Warmest Regards, Matthew R. Reis © 2011 Matthew R. Reis, All rights reserved.