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 ...

Break a leg. 4 Stars Blog Exclusive! I'm in between classes and my work is done so I thought I'd talk about "Breaking Bad." In my opinion I feel that "Breaking Bad" is one of those rare shows that makes viewers disregard clichés, and embrace uncertainty. Each episode I've watched so far (mind you I only have completed the first 2 seasons) contributes something to the viewer(s). The creative team behind "Bad" force the viewers to think, react and interact with the show in a very cerebral way. That being said, for the first time in a long time I don't feel like I've lost any brain cells watching this series. Rather at least for me, I gain a lot of knowledge about filmmaking, and the harsh realities of the drug trade. The show also delves a lot into human psychology and makes each character's problems seem plausible. I feel that the show accurately talks about tough, real life issues. Changing pace... another thing that comes ...

Blog Exclusive! One Sentence Synopsis and Review "Hanna" 2011 4 Stars Synopsis: Hanna (Ronan) is barely an adult, but her dashing father Erik (played by a looking better than ever Eric Bana) has taught her to be the ultimate killing machine in an undisclosed location in order to one day avenge the death of her mother. Review: With beautiful visuals drummed up by director of photography Alwin Kuchler and an in grossing, bite-your-nails till they bleed pacing everything comes together for "Hanna", the most refreshing action film since "The Bourne Ultimatum" and perhaps my favorite overall since Luc Besson's "The Professional," my favorite film of all time. Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett and Eric Bana star. One Sentence Synopsis and Review "Paul" 2011 3 Stars Synopsis: Two English chaps Graeme (Pegg) and Clive (Frost) decide to head to America and tour all the rumored UFO encounter locations in America; along the way t...