Examiner Reviews

NEW RELEASE REVIEWS AND MORE FOR THE EXAMINER!!!

Examiner Review Schedule

On this page, you will see the reviews that I work on for the Examiner and the Dietrich Theater in Tunkhannock for the current new releases, film festival selections and/or special movie events that will also appear in the Wyoming County Press Examiner!!! I will keep this schedule of upcoming reviews as updated as possible!!! I typically post my reviews on here a few days prior to when they appear in the Examiner!!

SPECIAL REVIEWS!!!

KEEP ON CHECKING FOR MORE UPDATES ON SPECIAL REVIEWS!!!

AN AMERICA 250 REVIEW SLATE STARTING ON 7/1 THROUGH THE MONTH OF JULY!

Rewind series starts towards the end of April! Many movies are celebrating big anniversaries this year! This will be the primary series from April onward except for a few exceptions. More updates to follow!

* Each of the lists of films will be updated as the reviews are published and posted!*

*** Line-ups are subject to change ***

I will start getting back on track with the recent releases that I haven't gotten a chance to check out during their initial releases! I will be keeping the list below updated as I go through these titles! Make sure to keep checking my review slates below to see when my review for these titles will be available!

MAY	JUNE
JUNE	JUNE
JULY	JULY
JUNE	JUNE

My Rewind Series will be my primary throwback series where I take a look at some films that are celebrating some milestones anniversaries this year! The line up will be updated as I go through the list!!

MAY	MAY
MAY	MAY
May

EXAMINER 5/20

My Examiner reviews for the 5/20 edition will consist of the following:

The Mandalorian Season 1
Mortal Kombat (1995/1997) (special Rewind review)
Primate (recent release 2026)
Shrek (Rewind Series) 25th anniversary
Mortal Kombat II (new)

EXAMINER 5/27

My Examiner reviews for the 5/27 edition will consist of the following:

The Prestige (rewind series) 20th anniversary - BONUS ONLINE REVIEW!!!
The Mandalorian Season 2
Legally Blonde (Rewind Series) 25th anniversary (special Dietrich movie event)
The Mummy Returns (Rewind Series) 25th anniversary
Top Gun (Rewind Series) 40th anniversary)
The Sheep Detectives (new release)

EXAMINER 6/3

My Examiner reviews for the 6/3 edition will consist of the following:

The Mandalorian and Grogu (new)
The Mandalorian Season 3
The Birdcage (special Dietrich movie event) (Rewind Series) 30th anniversary)
Review No. 4 TBD
Review No. 5 TBD

MORE JUNE SLATES COMING SOON!!!!

A Look at the 90’s Live Action “Mortal Kombat” Movies

For the past couple weeks I have been revisiting the world of Mortal Kombat for my latest review slates. So, for this review, I checked out the 1995 fan favorite “Mortal Kombat” and its 1997 sequel that has been heavily panned “Mortal Kombat: Annihilation” (and yes the 1997 sequel is that bad). In the 1995 fan favorite “Mortal Kombat,” Lord Rayden handpicks three martial artists - federal agent Sonya Blade, Shaolin monk Liu Kang and action movie sensation Johnny Cage - and me

Matt Palmer

23 hours ago5 min read

“Primate” An Effective, Chilling, Over the Top Flick

The 2026 movie “Primate” has been recognized as the first box office horror success of this year and later became a massive sleeper hit on streaming. Despite a modest $21 million budget, it exceeded expectations in a quiet January, becoming a popular creature feature. Lucy’s tropical island homecoming turns deadly when her family’s clever chimpanzee, Ben, becomes rabid. With her father away and no help coming, paradise becomes a prison as Lucy and her friends fight for surviv

Matt Palmer

2 days ago3 min read

Flawless Victory! “Mortal Kombat II” A Huge Improvement of the 2021 Reboot

From New Line Cinema comes the latest high-stakes installment in the blockbuster video game franchise in all its brutal glory, “Mortal Kombat II.” This time, the fan favorite champions - now joined by Johnny Cage himself - are pitted against one another in the ultimate, no holds barred gory battle to defeat the dark rule of Shao Kahn that threatens the very existence of the Earthrealm and its defenders. Even though the response for the 2021 reboot of “Mortal Kombat” was kind

Matt Palmer

3 days ago4 min read

Halfway to Halloween: A Look at the “Blair Witch” Movies

It’s Halfway to Halloween, which means that one of my favorite holidays will be here before you know it and I can't wait to come up with a Halloween review slate down the road! So, since it's halfway to Halloween, I wanted to check out a small series of movies that I have never seen before that have gotten some mixed reactions from audiences over the years - the “Blair Witch” series. In 1999's “The Blair Witch Project,” found video footage tells the tale of three film student

Matt Palmer

6 days ago5 min read

Rewind Back to 2016: “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”

This month for the Examiner, not only will I be checking out the upcoming movie, “The Mandalorian and Grogu” (which also marks the first time the franchise is on the big screen since 2019), I will also be checking out the three seasons of “The Mandalorian” for the first time for the next few editions! So, since I am already on the topic of the “Star Wars” franchise, I wanted to revisit “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” for its upcoming 10th anniversary. “Rogue One” marks the fir

Matt Palmer

7 days ago5 min read

Rewind Back to 2006: “The Devil Wears Prada” (20th anniversary)

With the sequel “The Devil Wears Prada 2” now playing in theaters, I wanted to revisit the original movie that was released twenty years ago! 20th Century Fox bought the rights to the film adaptation of Lauren Weisberger’s novel in 2003, before it was even completed and the project wasn’t greenlit until Meryl Streep was cast. The movie eventually grossed $326 million worldwide ($125 million domestically) against a $35-41 million budget. Andy is a recent college graduate with

Matt Palmer

May 104 min read

A Revisit of the 2021 Reboot of “Mortal Kombat”

The eagerly awaited sequel to the 2021 “Mortal Kombat” movie will be showing on the big screen and for the next two slates (including this one) I will be going back to the world of Mortal Kombat. For next week’s review slate, I will be checking out the 1995 movie and its 1997 sequel (which I haven’t seen before and heard that it’s not really that great). So, for this week, let’s talk about the 2021 reboot. Hunted by the fearsome warrior Sub-Zero, MMA fighter Cole Young finds

Matt Palmer

May 95 min read

“The Devil Wears Prada 2” an Empowering, Enjoyable Sequel

Twenty years after making their iconic turns as Miranda, Andy, Emily and Nigel - Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci return to the fashionable streets of New York City and the sleek offices of Runway Magazine in “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” the sequel to the 2006 movie that defined a generation. Miranda Priestly struggles against Emily Charlton, her former assistant turned rival associate, as they compete for advertising revenue amid declining print media

Matt Palmer

May 85 min read

Rewind Back to 1991 - “Fried Green Tomatoes” (35th anniversary)

The Dietrich Theater is celebrating the 35th anniversary of the classic “Fried Green Tomatoes”, showing on May 10 (Mother’s Day) and May 13! “Fried Green Tomatoes” is a 1991 film based on Fannie Flagg’s 1987 novel “Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe.” The beloved film grossed $119.4 million on a $11 million budget and has also received nominations for two Academy Awards and two BAFTA Awards, as well as Golden Globe nominations among many others. On one of trapped h

Matt Palmer

May 54 min read

Spring Film Festival - “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die”

The final film festival selection that I checked out for this week’s slate is the Gore Verbinski-directed “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die,” a weird, yet entertaining film. A man claiming to be from the future takes the patrons of an iconic Los Angeles diner hostage in search of unlikely recruits in a quest to save the world. The film festival selection “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die” is a chaotic, fun film that delivers a high-energy tone, led by another awesome performance

Matt Palmer

May 43 min read

Spring Film Festival - “Late Shift”

The second film festival selection I checked out for this slate of reviews is the foreign film “Late Shift,” which is an absolute must see! Dedicated nurse Floria navigates the relentless pace of her hospital’s understaffed surgical ward with humanity and warmth. As her overnight shift intensifies, she is pushed to the brink in a race against time. The film “Late Shift” is an intense, immersive and essential drama that highlights the grueling realities of nursing, anchored by

Matt Palmer

May 32 min read

Spring Film Festival - “Tow”

For this week’s review slate, I was able to check out three more films that are showing throughout the Dietrich Theater’s Spring Film festival. One of these films that I checked out was also one of the opening night films - and based on a true story - “Tow.” Based on a true story, “Tow” follows Amanda Ogle, a woman living in her aging Toyota Camry on the streets of Seattle. When her car - her only lifeline - is stolen and eventually impounded, Amanda is thrust into a relentle

Matt Palmer

May 22 min read

“Michael” Biopic Will Have Fans Moonwalking to the Theater

“Michael” is the cinematic portrayal of the life and legacy of one of the most influential artists the world has ever known. The film tells the story of Michael Jackson’s life beyond the music, tracing his journey from the discovery of his extraordinary talent as the lead of the Jackson Five, to the visionary artist whose creative ambition fueled a relentless pursuit to become the biggest entertainer in the world. Highlighting both his life off-stage and some of the most icon

Matt Palmer

May 14 min read

“Is This Thing On” A Thought-Provoking, Well-Acted Drama

Last year’s release “Is This Thing On?” was featured at the Dietrich Theater’s Winter Film Festival a couple months ago and I didn’t get a chance to check it out then like I initially planned. The film premiered as the closing film of the 2025 New York Film Festival on October 10, 2025 before its initial domestic release on December 19, 2025. As their marriage quietly unravels, Alex faces middle age and an impending divorce, seeking new purpose in the New York comedy scene wh

Matt Palmer

Apr 283 min read

Rewind Back to 1996: A Nostalgic Childhood Favorite of the 90s - “Space Jam”

Last week, I officially started up my Rewind Series with “The Silence of the Lambs” (35th anniversary; showing at the Dietrich Theater April 26 and 29) and one of my childhood favorites “Short Circuit” (40th anniversary). And for those who don’t know, my Rewind review series will consist of reviews for movies that I will be checking out that are celebrating anniversary milestones throughout the year. For this week, I will be checking out two movies that will be celebrating th

Matt Palmer

Apr 274 min read

Rewind Back to 1996: A 90s Action Staple - “The Rock”

For this review, I checked out an action movie that is probably one of the best action movies that came out of the 1990s. This 90s action staple that I am talking about is the 1996 action flick “The Rock.” FBI chemical warfare expert Stanley Goodspeed is sent on an urgent mission with a former British spy, John Patrick Mason, to stop General Francis X. Hummel from launching chemical weapons on Alcatraz Island into San Francisco. Gen. Hummel demands $100 million in war reparat

Matt Palmer

Apr 264 min read

Spring Film Festival - “Midwinter Break”

Longtime retired couple Stella and Gerry realize that their relationship has reached a crossroads while on holiday in Amsterdam. After so much time and so many memories, long-held promises and deeply concealed wounds threaten to come to light and force them to confront their future. The Spring Film Festival selection, “Midwinter Break,” is a slow-moving, melancholic drama that delivers exceptional performances from Lesley Manville and Ciaran Hinds. Now, while it’s a slow-movi

Matt Palmer

Apr 253 min read

Spring Film Festival - Epic: Elvis Presley in Concert

The Dietrich Theater’s annual Spring Film Festival is now ongoing and it’s time to check out as many film selections as possible. And just like the previous film festivals, I will ultimately get to the films that I missed once they are available on streaming (SVOD). So, for this review, I took a look at the film festival selection “Epic: Elvis Presley in Concert.” Elvis sings and tells his story like never before in a new cinematic experience from visionary filmmaker Baz Luhr

Matt Palmer

Apr 243 min read

Rewind Back to 1991: A Look Back at the Still Chilling “The Silence of the Lambs” (35th anniversary)

If you are a fan of some classic films, then I highly suggest you check out the Dietrich Theater's website since the theater will be showing some films that are celebrating some big milestones. And, I plan on checking most of them (if not all) for my new Rewind Series. The first classic that will be showing at the Dietrich Theater coming up is the 1991 classic film “The Silence of the Lambs” - 35th anniversary. Clarice Starling is one of the top students at the FBI's training

Matt Palmer

Apr 225 min read

“Hamnet” A Powerful Must See Film

From Academy Award winning writer/director Chloe Zhao, “Hamnet” tells the powerful story of love and loss. Shakespeare and his wife, Agnes, celebrate the birth of a twin boy and girl and when the young boy Hamnet died at a young age, it inspires Shakespeare to write his masterpiece “Hamlet.” “Hamnet” is one of the films that the Dietrich Theater was showing during their Winter Film Festival a couple months ago that I wanted to check out, yet didn’t get a chance to do so. Now

Matt Palmer

Apr 213 min read

NEW RELEASE REVIEWS AND MORE FOR THE EXAMINER!!!

MAY

JUNE

JUNE

JUNE

JULY

JULY

JUNE

JUNE

MAY

MAY

MAY

MAY

May

EXAMINER 5/20

EXAMINER 5/27

EXAMINER 6/3

A Look at the 90’s Live Action “Mortal Kombat” Movies

“Primate” An Effective, Chilling, Over the Top Flick

Flawless Victory! “Mortal Kombat II” A Huge Improvement of the 2021 Reboot

Halfway to Halloween: A Look at the “Blair Witch” Movies

Rewind Back to 2016: “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”

Rewind Back to 2006: “The Devil Wears Prada” (20th anniversary)

A Revisit of the 2021 Reboot of “Mortal Kombat”

“The Devil Wears Prada 2” an Empowering, Enjoyable Sequel

Rewind Back to 1991 - “Fried Green Tomatoes” (35th anniversary)

Spring Film Festival - “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die”

Spring Film Festival - “Late Shift”

Spring Film Festival - “Tow”

“Michael” Biopic Will Have Fans Moonwalking to the Theater

“Is This Thing On” A Thought-Provoking, Well-Acted Drama

Rewind Back to 1996: A Nostalgic Childhood Favorite of the 90s - “Space Jam”

Rewind Back to 1996: A 90s Action Staple - “The Rock”

Spring Film Festival - “Midwinter Break”

Spring Film Festival - Epic: Elvis Presley in Concert

Rewind Back to 1991: A Look Back at the Still Chilling “The Silence of the Lambs” (35th anniversary)

“Hamnet” A Powerful Must See Film