Matthew R. Reis: Film and TV Critic

Blog Exclusive! "Misfits" is a riotously funny show about a bunch of English juvenile delinquents forced to do community service together at a London community center. These teenagers hate authority figures and their new attire, orange prison-like jumpsuits. Just when you think their lives couldn't get any more difficult they are blindsided by a nasty storm. Imbued with fantastical and bizarre abilities after the storm subsides these band of misfits find that life is about to get a whole lot stranger. As "Misfits" is super addicting it's worth noting that series regulars such as Robert Sheehan (who plays wise-ass Nathan Young in season 1) leave the show quiet frequently. However, the high turnover rate in each successive season didn't dampen my enthusiasm for the show. In fact I actually think the new blood helps keep the show fresh and relevant. And don't just take my word for it... with a few big award wins, most notably a BAFTA Television Awar...

Not the Band from Lodi.. 4 stars Blog Exclusive! Lately my attention has been turning to a lot British TV shows including Luther, Skins and Misfits. Misfits is perhaps the best UK import to come to America due to it's pure ingenuity and crass humor. The show centers around a bunch of kids who avoid juvenile hall by during menial community service gigs in their London community center. A tyrannical probation worker eagerly watches their every move in hope that they screw up while their family and friends seemingly abandon them. A freak storm surge pops up out of no where and instead of killing the teens it imbues them with special superhero-like abilities. The only question is if they will use their new found talents for the betterment of humanity or for pure evil! Feel free to check out the series premiere of "Misfits" courtesy of Hulu below: As always thanks for reading! © 2011 Matthew R. Reis, All rights reserved.

All Statham, all the time. (Now on DVD) 3 Stars As Featured in: The Ithacan After starring in 2002’s “The Transporter,” Jason Statham has earned a “tough guy” reputation. But in “The Mechanic,” Statham proves he is more than a one-trick pony in his dramatic performance as Arthur Bishop, a hit man who lives to kill. Set in the post-Katrina city of New Orleans, Tony Goldwyn plays Dean, a corporate executive whose clerical persona is a dark and convincing lie. He is really the leader of a global network of assassins, and Bishop happens to be his most trusted killer for hire. But their business relationship sours when Bishop’s mentor, Harry McKenna (Donald Sutherland), ends up on Dean’s hit list. Lewis John Carlino, who penned the original film script for the 1972 “Mechanic,” revamps the movie for the current generation. Despite the success of the first film and the modern twists in the remake, Carlino and Richard Wenk’s screenplay will leave a bad taste in audiences’ mouths. The l...

A delicious comedy. 3 Stars Blog exclusive! What's on the menu? “Dinner for Schmucks” of course! The hilarious new comedy from Jay Roach, director of Austin Powers, serves up gut busting laughs and enough funny weirdness to fill up even the most starving patron. Starring Paul Rudd and Steve Carell "Dinner for Schmucks" is a remake of 1998s "Le dîner de cons" (The Dinner Game). The premise of "Dinner for Schmucks" goes as follows: meet an idiot, bring him to dinner, make fun of him and get promoted. With a plot this simple “Dinner for Schmucks” isn't going to impress people looking for mature jokes rather it will please fans seeking physical, outrageous comedy. Paul Rudd (Clueless) plays Tim Conrad an up and coming executive in a financial firm. Pressured to impress his girlfriend Julie, Tim makes a bold move in order to get a promotion. At a board meeting he gives an overview of a prospective client, a wealthy couple from Switzerland wor...