Matt Brunson Movie Reviews & Previews

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Matt Brunson

Agrees with the Tomatometer 81% of the time.

Publications:: Creative Loafing
Critics' Group:: Southeastern Film Critics Association

Total Reviews:: 1803
Total QuickRatings:: 77

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Showing 1 - 50 of 1803

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Rating	T-Meter	Title \| Year	Add Date
2/4	61%	The Running Man (1987)	" Give the movie credit for being prescient: Given the disgusting rise and success of reality TV, it's not difficult at all to imagine fans of garbage like Survivor or Jersey Shore easily turning into the audience for a deathsport show like The Running Man." — Creative Loafing Posted May 5, 2013
3/4	98%	Repo Man (1984)	" A playful mood informs Repo Man, yet Cox also takes time to comment on the seamy side of LA, the crushing realities of living in a comformist society, and the problems inherent in a decade that so baldly worships Reagan, L. Ron Hubbard and TV evangelists." — Creative Loafing Posted May 5, 2013
3/4	62%	Irreconcilable Differences (1984)	" Writer-director Charles Shyer and writer Nancy Meyers fill their movie with fresh dialogue and Hollywood-insider tidbits, and the roles couldn't be more aptly cast." — Creative Loafing Posted May 5, 2013
2./4	56%	The Vampire Lovers (1970)	" Sheridan Le Fanu's classic 1872 novella Carmilla has served as the basis for numerous vampire flicks, although it's probably safe to state that this blood-and-boob-filled adaptation from Hammer Films boasts the largest fan base." — Creative Loafing Posted May 5, 2013
2.5/4	78%	Iron Man 3 (2013)	" Like Iron Man 2, the movie is generally engaging, occasionally dull, frequently cluttered, and recommended with only the greatest of reservations." — Creative Loafing Posted May 5, 2013
2.5/4	42%	To The Wonder (2013)	" Indisputably comes off as a minor work on the heels of Malick's The Tree of Life but still holds enough of interest for the initiated." — Creative Loafing Posted Apr 27, 2013
2/4	46%	Pain & Gain (2013)	" Not able to get out of the way of a promising movie, Michael Bay, with the apparent support of scripters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, smothers the project in the sort of juvenile hijinks we had hoped he would skip this time around." — Creative Loafing Posted Apr 27, 2013
3/4	98%	Mud (2013)	" With Mud, Jeff Nichols demonstrates once again that he's that rare breed of filmmaker who prefers to bury himself in the dirt of rural America rather than carve his initials into the concrete of sprawling urbanity." — Creative Loafing Posted Apr 27, 2013
2.5/4	54%	The Company You Keep (2013)	" Clearly, Redford has no trouble drawing talent; if he's ever interested in remaking Meteor or Midnight in Paris, he's halfway there." — Creative Loafing Posted Apr 27, 2013
2/4	56%	Oblivion (2013)	" The filmmakers fail to answer a sizable number of questions, electing instead to let audience members fill in the blanks to such an extent that anyone who sees this film would have a justifiable reason to sue to get their names added as co-scenarists." — Creative Loafing Posted Apr 22, 2013
2.5/4	79%	Ginger & Rosa (2013)	" Despite some narrative missteps, Ginger & Rosa should be seen simply for Fanning's exceptional performance, the sort of revelatory turn that makes us feel as if the next generation of film is in capable hands." — Creative Loafing Posted Apr 13, 2013
3/4	68%	Trance (2013)	" Like any good thriller worth its weight in red herrings, Trance keeps the audience guessing for the vast majority of its running time." — Creative Loafing Posted Apr 13, 2013
2.5/4	77%	42 (2013)	" The subject of this competent biopic is still overdue for a comprehensive, warts-and-all movie (after all, here was a black man who campaigned for Richard Nixon against John F. Kennedy), but for the time being, this one will pleasantly do." — Creative Loafing Posted Apr 13, 2013
3.5/4	92%	Jurassic Park: An IMAX 3D Experience (2013)	" Spielberg treats us as he does his characters, leading us into a strange land and expecting us to make it out with all our faculties intact; it's a tall order, given the heart-stopping, bloodcurdling, limbs-numbing excitement packed into the second hour." — Creative Loafing Posted Apr 6, 2013
2.5/4	62%	Evil Dead (2013)	" Even as a huge fan of The Evil Dead, it's impossible to wholeheartedly embrace this one when just last year we were treated to a cabin-in-the-woods yarn -- The Cabin in the Woods, of course -- that carried on Raimi's legacy far better than this film does." — Creative Loafing Posted Apr 6, 2013
3/4	55%	Bachelorette (2012)	" It would be a major mistake to think that Bachelorette is simply a rip-off of Bridesmaids with a healthy dose of Mean Girls stirred into the mix. This comedy clearly marches to its own beat." — Creative Loafing Posted Mar 30, 2013
2/4	28%	G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)	" The movie ricochets between interesting characters and idiotic ones, between clever plot developments and ludicrous ones, between smart dialogue and -- wait, scratch that; there is no smart dialogue, just marble-mouthed monologues and limp quips." — Creative Loafing Posted Mar 30, 2013
1.5/4	45%	On the Road (2012)	" Salles approaches Kerouac's raw, restless and spontaneous work in such a staid and conservative manner that the movie might as well be a lesser Merchant-Ivory production from the team's late-'90s period of decline." — Creative Loafing Posted Mar 30, 2013
2.5/4	66%	Spring Breakers (2013)	" The latest gonzo endeavor from writer-director Harmony Korine, Spring Breakers manages to be a fever dream, a wet dream, a daydream and a nightmare all in one sitting." — Creative Loafing Posted Mar 23, 2013
2/4	48%	Olympus Has Fallen (2013)	" A better Die Hard movie than A Good Day to Die Hard, this still registers as a stale action flick whose primary worth is as a heartland alternative for moviegoers wary of the sexy sinfulness of Spring Breakers or the highfalutin' idiosyncrasies of Stoker." — Creative Loafing Posted Mar 23, 2013
2.5/4	69%	The Croods (2013)	" The Croods is exactly the sort of animated fare we receive on a monthly basis from Hollywood. On the scale of such efforts, it's pretty good, with an engaging second half making up for a tedious opening stretch." — Creative Loafing Posted Mar 23, 2013
1.5/4	43%	Admission (2013)	" While the idea of teaming Fey and Rudd sounds like a feasible one, the reality is that all this low-simmer niceness results in a movie that has absolutely no wit, bite or -- most shockingly -- moments of hilarity." — Creative Loafing Posted Mar 23, 2013
3.5/4	67%	Stoker (2013)	" As much a startling coming-of-age saga as a portrait of a psychologically damaged family, Stoker emits a Gothic chill that's almost tangible, and the performances by Wasikowska and Goode are mesmerizing." — Creative Loafing Posted Mar 16, 2013
2/4	39%	The Call (2013)	" There's something cheerfully stupid about thrillers like The Call, wherein a protagonist who's seemingly as brilliant as Sherlock Holmes eventually becomes as dim-witted as Forrest Gump." — Creative Loafing Posted Mar 16, 2013
2.5/4	52%	Jack the Giant Slayer (2013)	" Jack the Giant Slayer isn't close to being among the elite films in theaters now, but if your significant other or your friends narrow down the viewing options to this or Oz the Great and Powerful, best to gently push them in this direction." — Creative Loafing Posted Mar 9, 2013
1.5/4	60%	Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)	" A portrait of plasticity that could have benefited from more intelligence in its narrative structure, more feeling in its characterizations and more courage to break away from the one-size-fits-all strain of blockbuster that's been draining studio coffers" — Creative Loafing Posted Mar 9, 2013
3/4	100%	Ministry of Fear (1944)	" It's not top-shelf Fritz Lang, nor is it top-level Graham Greene, but as an exercise in World War II intrigue with a smidgen of film noir thrown in, Ministry of Fear gets the job done. " — Creative Loafing Posted Mar 7, 2013
3.5/4	89%	Easter Parade (1948)	" The most famous act finds Garland and Astaire dressed as bums for "A Couple of Swells," but there's also ... the pair tackling the title tune and -- my favorite -- Astaire showing off his incomparable tap-dancing prowess in "Steppin' Out with My Baby."" — Creative Loafing Posted Mar 7, 2013
2/4	31%	A Star is Born (1976)	" A dreary and bloated production that can't sustain its 140-minute running time (the 1954 version is even longer at 176 minutes, but it feels like a live-action short when compared to this one)." — Creative Loafing Posted Mar 7, 2013
3.5/4	100%	On the Waterfront (1954)	" A powerful watch, thanks largely to an incredible cast, Leonard Bernstein's strong score, and a handful of iconic scenes, none better than the moving "I coulda been a contender" sequence." — Creative Loafing Posted Mar 7, 2013
2/4	26%	21 And Over (2013)	" It's hard to imagine anybody who's 21 and over truly getting much out of 21 & Over, but as far as these sorts of films go, this one isn't as aggressively stupid as some." — Creative Loafing Posted Mar 2, 2013
3/4	89%	White Zombie (1932)	" The supporting cast is awful and the low budget dictates a few moments worthy of MST3K ribbing. But the atmosphere of dread is pungent, the use of sound is inspired, and the makeup by the great Jack Pierce and Carl Axcelle is minimal but effective." — Creative Loafing Posted Feb 23, 2013
4/4	100%	The Terminator (1984)	" Still a toss-up between The Terminator and Aliens as to which James Cameron picture ranks as his best, this propulsively exciting yarn about a murderous cyborg has long staked its claim as a classic -- science fiction or otherwise -- for the ages." — Creative Loafing Posted Feb 23, 2013
3.5/4	95%	Best in Show (2000)	" The first 45 minutes are amusing enough, but the movie ascends to another level with the second-half introduction of Fred Willard as commentator Buck Laughlin." — Creative Loafing Posted Feb 23, 2013
2.5/4	58%	Snitch (2013)	" I certainly don't want to oversell the film ... Still, moviegoers finding themselves between The Rock and a hard place -- say, an auditorium showing the new Die Hard debacle -- might agree that a switch to Snitch isn't a bad idea at all." — Creative Loafing Posted Feb 23, 2013
1.5/4	45%	Beautiful Creatures (2013)	" For all the vitriol directed at the shaky Twilight series, all of its entries are definitely better than this dull and insipid movie." — Creative Loafing Posted Feb 16, 2013
1/4	15%	A Good Day To Die Hard (2013)	" Unbelievably, this great character has made a complete transformation from a likable, sympathetic Everyman in 1988 to an arrogant, insufferable jerk in 2013." — Creative Loafing Posted Feb 16, 2013
3/4	93%	Amour (2012)	" Clearly, Amour, Michael Haneke and Emmanuelle Riva don't really need me to additionally sing their praises (although praise is indeed all I have), so let's discuss Jean-Louis Trintignant for a moment." — Creative Loafing Posted Feb 9, 2013
3/4	80%	Warm Bodies (2013)	" Even after we thought the genre was exhausted with 28 Days Later ... and then Shaun of the Dead ... and then Zombieland ... and then some ... here we find fresh blood pumped into the format with Warm Bodies." — Creative Loafing Posted Feb 2, 2013
1/4	4%	Movie 43 (2013)	" If approached by friends to see this disaster, feel free to repeat what a wise George Clooney reportedly said when asked by its producers to take part: "No ing way."" — Creative Loafing Posted Feb 1, 2013
2.5/4	82%	Seven Psychopaths (2012)	" If it doesn't quite match In Bruges in terms of total success, it's still potent enough to indicate that McDonagh managed to dodge the dreaded sophomore slump." — Creative Loafing Posted Jan 31, 2013
1.5/4	14%	Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013)	" Viewers can expect a level of gore that in comparison makes Django Unchained look as wholesome as The Vow (OK, maybe not quite). The bloodletting at least breaks up the monotony of the fight sequences." — Creative Loafing Posted Jan 26, 2013
3/4	79%	Quartet (2013)	" Of course, let's take care not to oversell this piece, which is the sort of genteel art-house offering that will thrill older audiences but seems unlikely to break out with those who don't know Downton Abbey from Howards End." — Creative Loafing Posted Jan 25, 2013
2/4	82%	Rust and Bone (2012)	" Like a carnival barker or presidential candidate, Rust and Bone promises far more than it delivers." — Creative Loafing Posted Jan 19, 2013
2/4	65%	Mama (2013)	" While the child actresses are quite good, only Chastain makes an impression among the grown-ups, and that's more for our willingness to chart her career trajectory than for anything connected to her underdeveloped role." — Creative Loafing Posted Jan 19, 2013
3/4	88%	The Man Who Knew Too Much (2003)	" In the final analysis, the 1934 and 1956 versions are comparable in quality for different reasons, but the greatest single component of either film can be found in this '34 edition: the great performance by Peter Lorre as a menacing criminal mastermind." — Creative Loafing Posted Jan 17, 2013
2/4	——	Death Valley (1982)	" Director Dick Richards has fashioned a perfectly serviceable thriller that unfortunately becomes derailed by both an extended -- and ludicrous -- climax as well as an increasingly silly performance by McHattie." — Creative Loafing Posted Jan 17, 2013
1.5/4	40%	The Island (1980)	" The biggest flaw is that the pirates aren't particularly frightening or imposing, instead coming off as Peter Pan's Lost Boys all grown up -- to riff from Kentucky Fried Movie, they aren't tough and ruthless so much as they're rough and toothless." — Creative Loafing Posted Jan 17, 2013
3.5/4	93%	Zero Dark Thirty (2013)	" The picture acknowledges the very real presence of torture on the post-9/11 landscape -- had the filmmakers ignored the subject, the movie would be little more than vile, jingoistic nonsense." — Creative Loafing Posted Jan 12, 2013

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