Matt Singer is the editor and critic of the website ScreenCrush.com. For five years, he was the on-air host of IFC News on the Independent Film Channel, hosting coverage of film festivals and red carpets around the world. A member of the New York Film Critics Circle, he’s been a frequent contributor to the television shows CBS This Morning Saturday and Ebert Presents At the Movies, and his writing has also appeared in print and online at The Village Voice, The Dissolve, and Indiewire. His first book, Marvel’s Spider-Man: From Amazing to Spectacular, is on sale now.
Matt Singer
Arthur Hiller, Director of Numerous ’70s Classics, Dies at 92
According to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Arthur Hiller has died. A former President of the Academy, Hiller’s best known as the director of The Americanization of Emily, The In-Laws, and particularly Love Story, the iconic ’70s romance starring Alice MacGraw and Ryan O’Neal. Hiller passed away in Los Angeles today of natural causes. He was 92 years old.
Cinemautopsy: What Went Wrong With ‘Fantastic Four’?
In Cinemautopsy, we look back at a recent, high-profile failure and ask a simple question: What the hell happened? In this installment... the comic that launched Marvel Comics. A cast of beloved up-and-comers. One of the hottest young directors in Hollywood. A bold attempt to reinvent the superhero genre. What could possibly go wrong?
‘Moonlight’ Trailer: Barry Jenkins is Back With a New Coming-of-Age Story
Eight years ago, a young filmmaker burst onto the scene with an exciting film called Medicine for Melancholy, about a day in the lives of two San Franciscans. Starring Wyatt Cenac, the movie did well on the arthouse circuit and established its director, Barry Jenkins, as an artist to watch. But in the eight years since, Jenkins has remained relatively quiet. He’s worked on some shorts, but Medicine for Melancholy never got a followup until now.
New Study Links Love of Bad Movies to High Intelligence
I always knew I was smart. Now I have concrete proof, as sturdy as a football that you might toss around while wearing tuxedos in the alley behind a coffee shop.
40 ‘Suicide Squad’ Rumors That Turned Out to Be False
The following post contains SPOILERS — both real and hilariously fake ones that got shared online even though they were not true — for Suicide Squad.
Jon Stewart Came Out of Retirement to Slam Donald Trump on ‘The Late Show With Stephen Colbert’
I’ve missed Jon Stewart. I’m guessing you have too. The Daily Show continues in his absence with Trevor Noah at the helm, and it’s not a bad TV show. But it’s not the same. For one night only, though, the old Daily Show magic was back, on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
VHS, Beloved Home Video Format, Dies at 40
Very sad news out of Japan: According to Mental Floss, Funai Electric, the last company making VCRs has announced that it will cease production of VCRs, “due to declining sales and difficulty acquiring parts.” Though effectively on life support for the last several years, the will mark the true and final death of the VCR, or video cassette recorder. It was 40 years old.
‘The Magnificent Seven’ Trailer: Chris Pratt and the Guardians of the Frontier
The bounty hunter, the gambler., the outlaw, the sharpshooter, the assassin, the warrior, and the tracker. Seven (a magnificent seven, if you will) against an army. And the army’s led by Peter Sarsgaard! I don’t like those odds.
Netflix Introduces New Make Your Own Playlist Function
“Remember mixtapes?” the new video from Netflix asks. For the benefit of viewers under 30, it explains. “Ok, so they were like playlists, but on actual, physical tapes. (Which are like CDs but older.” Calling playlist writing “a fundamental life skill,” Netflix then introduces “Flixtape” a new function that enables customers to create and share their own Netflix playlists.
ScreenCrush Staff Picks for the Weekend of July 8
If you can’t decide what to watch this weekend, ScreenCrush’s Staff Picks are here to help. They’re like the curated recommendations at an old video store, except you don’t have to put on pants or go outside to get them. Here are three things to watch this weekend:
A Bunch of Warner Bros. Movies Are Coming to Amazon Prime
mp of online streaming for years now, but the competition is nipping at their heels like never before. Anyone who uses the service can tell you their film selection has shrunk in recent years, while other sites like Hulu and Amazon have beefed up their movie offerings. Variety writes about a new deal between Amazon Prime and Warner Bros. to boost the online retailer’s video site with a bunch of new exclusive WB titles.
‘Imperium’ Trailer: Harry Potter Versus a Different Kind of Wizard
As Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliffe fought all kinds of warlocks and wizards. But in the new thriller Imperium, he goes undercover to do battle with a different type of wizard; the sort who leads white supremacists.