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Right from the opening credits, audiences are made aware that Venom is NOT a Marvel Studios movie, despite how much Sony would like you to believe the two are related. The familiar flippling comic book pages Marvel logo flashes on screen but with one big difference; the inclusion of “In Association With” above the Marvel font. Those three words make a huge difference apparently because despite the familiarity of Venom to comic book fans, there are things about the film that feel off including it’s drastic shifts in tone. It’s an absurd film in which Tom Hardy is the only one aware of the fact and fully embraces it. Like a runaway train, Venom teeters on the edge of the rails, inches away from becoming an absolute wreck. Like it or hate it, you won’t be able to to look away.

Investigative journalist Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) is set to interview the questionable CEO of the Life Foundation, Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed), about his company’s rocket division for a simple story but ends ups questioning him about alleged human experiments that have resulted in multiple deaths. Following their confrontation, Eddie is subsequently fired from his job and loses his girlfriend, Life Foundation lawyer Anne Weying (Michelle Williams), whose computer he hacked in order to get information about the experiments. Months pass, and a despondent Eddie finds a new lead that he believes will finally bring the truth about Drake to light. Driven by revenge, Eddie breaks into the Life Foundation’s labs and discovers alien creatures called symbiotes that Drake has been trying to bond with humans but to no avail.Coming into contact the symbiote called Venom, he finds out that two are a perfect match for each other. While Eddie initially wants nothing to do with Venom, the symbiote shows him that they’re stronger together and how they can bring Drake and his whole company down. With his newfound powers, Eddie learns that sometimes it’s good to be bad.

Venom’s biggest problem is that it doesn’t know what type of film it wants to be as it struggles to find balance between horror and comedy, with the constant shift in tones making it quite confusing. On one hand, the symbiotes can be absolutely terrifying as they infect and take over their human hosts. With the exception of the final fight between symbiotes that boils down to a CGI mess, the action scenes are done well. Venom is a beast and has no problem ripping limbs off or eatting heads, much to Eddie’s disgust. Then again, his constant joking with Eddie doesn’t scream “fear me” either. Dialogue, like the “turd in the wind” line from the trailers, makes you wonder if the script was written by a 16-year-old who grew up watching nothing but MTV in the 90s.

That being said, everything isn’t all bad. Tom Hardy is clearly having fun in the role, as both Eddie Brock and the voice of Venom. I thoroughly enjoyed the dynamic between the two as Venom takes over Eddie’s body. The motorcycle chase through the streets of downtown San Francisco (Atlanta) are exhilarating as Eddie sees what Venom is capable of for the first time. And despite being confused by the constant change in tone, Hardy does such a convincing job with both characters that it’s hard not to laugh at the ridiculous moments. It’s a shame that everyone else wasn’t on the same page.

Venom is a superhero film out of sync. It has plenty of great individual ideas going for it, yet when you put it all together it just becomes laughably awkward. There’s just enough glue to keep everything together, although it could have easily fallen apart at any moment. Venom isn’t exactly a turd in a wind, but it definitely doesn’t smell right.

Venom (Trailer #2)

Matt Rodriguez — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 13:02:17 +0000

The world has enough superheroes. Watch the new #Venom trailer now. 10.5.18.

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Venom (Trailer #1)

Matt Rodriguez — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 11:22:58 +0000

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Una (Trailer #1)

Matt Rodriguez — Tue, 29 Aug 2017 15:46:58 +0000

“Una” follows a young woman’s journey to reclaim her past. Fifteen years earlier, Una ran away with an older man, Ray, a crime for which he was arrested and imprisoned. When she comes across a photo of him in a trade magazine, Una tracks him down and turns up at his workplace. Her abrupt arrival threatens to destroy Ray’s new life and derail her stability. Unspoken secrets and buried memories surface as Una and Ray sift through the wreckage of their past.

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Jason Bourne

Matt Rodriguez — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 19:02:50 +0000

Jason Bourne

Matt Damon is back and this time it’s personal in Jason Bourne, the action-packed fifth installment of the blockbuster franchise, coming to Digital HD November 15, 2016 and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand on December 6, 2016, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Nearly a decade since fans last saw the former operative, the explosive return brings Jason Bourne into a whole new era, revealing key secrets about Bourne’s origins to a new generation. The 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD include commentary from the cast, filmmakers, stunt performers and fight coordinators, plus behind-the-scenes features that take viewers inside the making of the film’s intense stunt choreography and one of the wildest car chases in Bourne history.

Enter below for your chance to win Jason Bourne on Blu-ray!

(Deadline: December 03, 2016)

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The Night Of: Season 1

Matt Rodriguez — Mon, 26 Sep 2016 18:35:11 +0000

“The best TV you’ll see this summer” (Vanity Fair) will be available to own this fall when The Night Of, the acclaimed HBO limited series that captivated TV audiences this summer, comes to Digital HD on September 26, 2016, and to DVD and Blu-ray on October 18, 2016. Starring John Turturro in “a mind-blowing performance” (Wall Street Journal) and the “extraordinary” (Boston Globe) Riz Ahmed, The Night Of is “an anthem to television’s unique power to turn a series of understated performances into sustained magnificence” (Los Angeles Times). The series, which delves into the intricacies of a complex New York City murder case with cultural and political overtones, was a critical and ratings sensation on HBO this summer, with critics heralding the show as “exquisite… richly detailed” (The New York Times), “mesmerizing” (Entertainment Weekly) and “as complicated and layered as life itself” (TV Guide).

In The Night Of, Pakistani-American college student Nasir “Naz” Khan, who lives with his parents in Queens, NY, takes his father’s taxi to go to a party in Manhattan. But what starts as a perfect night for Naz becomes a nightmare when he’s arrested for murder. The series examines the police investigation, the legal proceedings, the criminal justice system and Rikers Island, where the accused await trial.

The Night Of is created and executive produced by Steven Zaillian (Oscar winner, Best Adapted Screenplay, Schindler’s List) and Richard Price (The Wire, Oscar nominee, Best Adapted Screenplay, The Color of Money), based on the BBC series Criminal Justice, created by Peter Moffat. Other executive producers are Jane Tranter, James Gandolfini and Peter Moffat; co-executive produced by Garrett Basch, Nancy Sanders and Mark Armstrong.

The ensemble cast includes Michael Kenneth Williams, Bill Camp, Jeannie Berlin, Poorna Jagannathan, Payman Maadi, Glenne Headly, Amara Karan, Sofia Black-D’Elia, Paul Sparks, Ben Shenkman, Afton Williamson, Paulo Costanzo, Ned Eisenberg, Mohammad Bakri, Nabil Elouahabi, Ashley Thomas, Glenn Fleshler, and Chip Zien.

Enter below to win Season 1 of The Night Of on Digital HD!

The Night Of

(Deadline: October 10, 2016)

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Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Teaser Trailer)

Matt Rodriguez — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 11:50:21 +0000

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Star Wars: Rogue One Begins Principle Photography; Main Cast Announced

Matt Rodriguez — Sun, 16 Aug 2015 00:25:32 +0000

Star Wars: Rogue One

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Principle photography has begun on Star Wars: Rogue One, Lucasfilm announced during Disney's annual D23 celebration event this weekend. Rogue One is the first film in the Star Wars: Story series that takes place outside the main saga. The film will center around a group of resistance fighters who attempt to steal the Death Star plans.

Rogue One is being directed by Gareth Edwards, whose previous films include Godzilla and Monsters. THe film features an all-star cast including Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything), Diego Luna (Milk), Ben Mendelsohn (Bloodline), Donnie Yen (IP Man), Jiang Wen (Let the Bullets Fly), Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland), Mads Mikkelsen (Hannibal), Riz Ahmed (Nightcrawler), and Alan Tudyk (Firefly) in a performance-capture role.

“Rogue One takes place before the events of Star Wars: A New Hope and will be a departure from the saga films but have elements that are familiar to the Star Wars universe,” says Kathleen Kennedy. “It goes into new territory, exploring the galactic struggle from a ground-war perspective while maintaining that essential Star Wars feel that fans have come to know. Gareth is such an innovative director and I’m so excited to be working with him and the extraordinary ensemble cast he’s selected for Rogue One.”

Rogue One is set for release on December 16, 2016.

NIghtcrawler

Matt Rodriguez — Fri, 31 Oct 2014 17:31:39 +0000

When Lou Bloom, a driven man desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story. Aiding him in his effort is Nina, a TV-news veteran.

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