Examiner Reviews 2/34

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 IS CURRENTLY ON-GOING THROUGH THE END OF THE MONTH!

Make sure to keep on checking the Rewind Series section to see what I will be checking out for this review series! SIDE NOTE! This anniversary milestone review series will be on hold for the month of July for my special America 250 review slate!

* 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!

* Reviews for recent releases will be back for August! I have updated the line-up below and you can see in the review slates below when I will have these reviews available!!**

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My Rewind Series will be back in August after I conclude my special America 250th anniversary review slate! For August, I will be planning a family edition of this series and will start planning this in a couple weeks! Stay tuned!!

EXAMINER 7/8

My review slate for the 7/8 Examiner will consist of the following:

Supergirl (new release)
Batman V Superman (DC 10th anniversary)
The Flash (DC RE-VISIT)
Zero Dark Thirty (America 250th)
Miracle (America 250th)

EXAMINER 7/15

My review slate for the 7/15 Examiner will consist of the following:

Minions and Monsters (new release)
Suicide Squad (DC 10th anniversary)
Glory (America 250th)
9/11: One Day in America (America 250th)
Apollo 13 (America 250th)

EXAMINER 7/22

My review slate for the 7/22 Examiner will consist of the following:

Moana (new release)
The Fifth Element (special Dietrich movie event)
Brothers After War (special Dietrich event)
A.I. Doc (Summer Fest)
Hidden Figures (America 250th)
Young Washington (new release)

EXAMINER 7/29

My review slate for the 7/29 Examiner will consist of the following:

The Odyssey (new release)
Willy Wonka (special Dietrich event)
Tuner (Summer Fest)
Normal (Summer Fest)
Thirteen Days (America 250th)

EXAMINER 8/5

My review slate for the 8/5 Examiner will consist of the following:

Spider-Man: Brave New Day (new release) (for 8/12 Examiner)
Pressure (Summer Fest)
Review No. 3 TBD
Review No. 4 TBD
Review No.5 TBD

Rewind Back to 2001: “Rat Race” (25th anniversary)

“Rat Race” is a 2001 comedy that’s inspired by Stanley Kramer’s 1963 film “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.” Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, the movie was a box office success, having grossed $85.5 million worldwide against a $48 million budget. In an ensemble movie about easy money, greed, manipulation and some bad driving, a Las Vegas casino tycoon entertains his wealthiest high-rollers by pitting ordinary people against each other in a wild dash for $2 millio

Matt Palmer

Jun 153 min read

Rewind Back to 2001: “Zoolander” (25th anniversary)

For this week’s review slate, I wanted to add a comedy that would really make myself laugh - especially a comedy where I can just turn my thoughts off for a little while and enjoy myself. Well, for this slate, I ended up finding two comedies that fit in that category that are celebrating their 25th anniversaries - “Zoolander” and “Rat Race” (separate review). Propelled to the top of the fashion world by a photogenic gaze he calls Blue Steel, dimwitted male model Derek Zooland

Matt Palmer

Jun 143 min read

“Countdown” An Entertaining, Sometimes Clever Thriller

As I was planning this week’s review slate, I came upon a small supernatural psychological thriller that I haven’t seen since it was initially released in 2019 - “Countdown.” While its initial premise about a killer app predicting a user’s exact time of death was deemed fun, both critics and some genre analysts immediately saw it as an exceedingly forgettable and predictable movie - I actually really enjoyed this movie. When a nurse downloads an app that claims to predict exa

Matt Palmer

Jun 133 min read

While Not the Best, “Scary Movie” Returns to Chaotic, No Holds Barred Comedy

The past couple weeks I have been re-visiting the “Scary Movie” franchise, which you can find those bonus reviews available exclusively on my Facebook page! Now that I was able to finally check out the sixth entry of the series, while there are a couple jokes that didn’t really land, fans of the franchise (mainly the first two movies) should enjoy it. In “Scary Movie 6” (actually titled “Scary Movie”), recluse Cindy Campbell and her estranged daughters are targeted by the fam

Matt Palmer

Jun 124 min read

A Look Back at "Scary Movie 3" and "Scary Movie 4"

A few days ago, I finally checked out the sixth installment of the "Scary Movie" franchise and I will have my review available for "Scary Movie 6" Friday! And, despite the mixed reactions from both critics and general audiences I'm sure that the new "Scary Movie" will be a hit. So, let's get into "Scary Movie 3" and "Scary Movie 4." In the 2003 entry "Scary Movie 3," after newspaper reporter Cindy Campbell accidentally watches a strange videotape that causes viewers to die wi

Matt Palmer

Jun 113 min read

Rewind Back To 2001: “The Fast and the Furious” (25th anniversary)

“The Fast and the Furious” was released on June 22, 2001 and even though critics praised the action sequences and the performances, they criticized the story. Despite critical reviews, the 2001 movie grossed $207 million worldwide on a $38 million budget and eventually spawned a huge franchise that consists of many sequels, a spin-off, an animated series (Fast & Furious: Spy Racers) and several video games. Dominic Toretto enjoys the adrenaline of street car racing and his fa

Matt Palmer

Jun 93 min read

Rewind Back to 2001: “The Princess Diaries” (25th anniversary)

With the Dietrich Theater celebrating the 25th anniversary of their re-opening this year, I wanted to focus my Rewind Series slate for the next few weeks on films that are also celebrating their 25th anniversary. For this week, I took a look at “The Princess Diaries” and “The Fast and the Furious” (separate review). This 2001 Disney movie is based on the 2000 young adult novel of the same name written by Meg Cabot. A sleeper hit, the movie grossed $165.3 million worldwide ($1

Matt Palmer

Jun 83 min read

“65” A Forgettable Movie That Can Deliver A Bit of Fun

The 2023 sci-fi movie “65” had a quiet and relatively underwhelming box office run. Despite an appealing premise starring Adam Driver and being backed by a couple producers of “A Quiet Place,” the movie struggled to stand out in a crowded market. I’ve only checked this movie out once a couple years ago and since I barely remembered the movie, I figured it was time to give it another watch. After a catastrophic crash on an unknown planet, pilot Mills quickly discovers he’s act

Matt Palmer

Jun 74 min read

“Greenland 2: Migration” An Unnecessary Sequel That Doesn’t Live Up To The First Movie

Back in January, I worked on a review of the 2020 movie “Greenland,” which is a tension-filled and emotional movie that should be checked out. Now that the sequel is now available to stream on HBO Max, I was eager to see how the sequel would turn out, even though I really didn’t think that the previous movie really needed a sequel. “Greenland 2: Migration” picks up five years after the Clarke comet strike. When earthquakes destroy their bunker that they’ve been calling a home

Matt Palmer

Jun 63 min read

“The Breadwinner” Delivers Some Great Wholesome Family Fun

For those not familiar with the comedian Nate Bargatze, he has been called a clean comedian and has been noted for his deadpan, monotone delivery. Bargatze was also the highest-grossing stand up comedian in 2024, with over a million tickets sold across his shows. In “The Breadwinner,” a man becomes a stay at home dad when a once in a lifetime opportunity takes his wife on a prolonged business trip for one month. With three young daughters and little experience handling their

Matt Palmer

Jun 53 min read

BONUS REVIEW!!! A Look Back at "Scary Movie" and "Scary Movie 2"

Since I will be checking out the sixth installment of the "Scary Movie" franchise for the Examiner sometime opening weekend, for this review slate, I took a look at the parodies "Scary Movie" and its 2001 sequel "Scary Movie 2." I will also be checking out the other movies in the franchise for bonus reviews soon! In the 2000 movie "Scary Movie," defying the very notion of good taste, "Scary Movie" out-parodies the pop culture parodies with a no-holds-barred assault on the mos

Matt Palmer

Jun 33 min read

Rewind to 1996: “The Birdcage” (30th anniversary)

For the film’s 30th anniversary, the Dietrich Theater will be showing the comedy “The Birdcage” on June 7 (4:00 pm) and June 10 (7:00 pm). And, since the film is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, I decided to add it to my ongoing Rewind Series. “The Birdcage” opened on March 5, 1996 to positive reviews and significant commercial success. It debuted at the top of the domestic box office and stayed there for three weeks. It has also been seen as ground-breaking becaus

Matt Palmer

Jun 24 min read

“Anaconda” A Silly Yet Fun Meta-Comedy

Best friends Griff and Doug have always dreamed of remaking their all-time favorite movie “Anaconda.” When a midlife crisis pushes them to finally go for it, they assemble a crew and head deep into the jungles of the Amazon to start filming. However, life soon imitates art when a gigantic anaconda with a thirst for blood starts hunting them down. Believe it or not, one of the most divisive movies released last year happened to be “Anaconda.” Instead of a straight out horror-t

Matt Palmer

Jun 14 min read

“Mandalorian and Grogu” A Fun and Exciting Addition to the “Star Wars” Franchise

Now that I finally had the chance to get through the three seasons of “The Mandalorian on Disney Plus, it was time to see their big screen adventure in “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu.” While this big screen adaptation can feel like an over-long episode of the series, it is still a fun “Star Wars” adventure! The evil Empire has fallen, and Imperial warlords remain scattered throughout the galaxy. As the fledgling New Republic works to protect everything the Rebellion fo

Matt Palmer

May 314 min read

“Mandalorian Season 3” A Decent Season Yet Still A Step Down From Previous Seasons

For the last couple review slates that I have been working on, I have been checking out the Disney Plus series “The Mandalorian” to gear up for the new movie “The Mandalorian and Grogu.” Throughout the first two seasons, I have thoroughly enjoyed the series and it brought some fun back to the franchise for the most part. Now, let’s get into the third season of “The Mandalorian,” which could’ve been slightly better. “The Mandalorian Season 3” follows Din Djarin and Grogu as th

Matt Palmer

May 303 min read

“Obsession” A Shocking, Unpredictable Horror Flick

After breaking the mysterious “One Wish Willow” to win his crush’s heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price. “Obsession” ended up being one of the horror-thrillers that has been on my radar for some time. The trailers for the movie looked mysterious and intriguing, and after seeing a lot of the reactions online, not to mention seeing the increased box office, my intrigue for

Matt Palmer

May 295 min read

BONUS REVIEW! "The Prestige" Celebrates Its 20th Anniversary This Year!

Starting this week, I will be working on an additional bonus review that I would have exclusively available on Facebook and this website! I am current planning on having a bonus review with every review slate I work on, except for when time constraints are a little tight, such as during the seasonal film festivals. So, for this bonus review I took a look at the 2006 film, "The Prestige," which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year! "The Prestige" is a period thriller

Matt Palmer

May 273 min read

Rewind Back to 1986: “Top Gun” (40th anniversary)

The movie I chose for this particular review is one that I will always enjoy no matter how many times I have seen it. The last time I revisited this classic was actually a few years ago when its belated sequel was finally released and I checked it out for the Examiner and the sequel is just as good! The classic I’m talking about is the 1986 film “Top Gun,” which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year! “Top Gun” was released in the US on May 16, 1986 and received mixed

Matt Palmer

May 265 min read

Rewind Back to 2001: “The Mummy Returns” (25th anniversary)

Released on May 4, 2001, “The Mummy Returns” continued on with the still entertaining story from the 1999 movie “The Mummy.” Just like its 1999 predecessor, the 2001 sequel became a huge success and later spawned a prequel (“The Scorpion King”), an indirect sequel (“The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor”) and a recently announced direct sequel set for release NEXT YEAR! (As you can tell from “next year” being in all caps, I’m excited for the sequel!). Now that this year marks

Matt Palmer

May 244 min read

Rewind Back to 2001: “Legally Blonde” (25th anniversary)

Since the local Dietrich Theater will be showing “Legally Blonde” for its 25th anniversary as part of their Dietrich Flashback Feature series, I decided to add the movie to my Rewind Series for the Examiner. And quick side note, for the month of June, since it has been 25 years since the beloved Dietrich Theater had its re-opening, I will be focusing my Rewind Series on a few movies that are also turning 25 this year! “Legally Blonde” was released on July 13, 2001, and was a

Matt Palmer

May 234 min read

NEW RELEASE REVIEWS AND MORE FOR THE EXAMINER!!!

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EXAMINER 7/8

EXAMINER 7/15

EXAMINER 7/22

EXAMINER 7/29

EXAMINER 8/5

Rewind Back to 2001: “Rat Race” (25th anniversary)

Rewind Back to 2001: “Zoolander” (25th anniversary)

“Countdown” An Entertaining, Sometimes Clever Thriller

While Not the Best, “Scary Movie” Returns to Chaotic, No Holds Barred Comedy

A Look Back at "Scary Movie 3" and "Scary Movie 4"

Rewind Back To 2001: “The Fast and the Furious” (25th anniversary)

Rewind Back to 2001: “The Princess Diaries” (25th anniversary)

“65” A Forgettable Movie That Can Deliver A Bit of Fun

“Greenland 2: Migration” An Unnecessary Sequel That Doesn’t Live Up To The First Movie

“The Breadwinner” Delivers Some Great Wholesome Family Fun

BONUS REVIEW!!! A Look Back at "Scary Movie" and "Scary Movie 2"

Rewind to 1996: “The Birdcage” (30th anniversary)

“Anaconda” A Silly Yet Fun Meta-Comedy

“Mandalorian and Grogu” A Fun and Exciting Addition to the “Star Wars” Franchise

“Mandalorian Season 3” A Decent Season Yet Still A Step Down From Previous Seasons

“Obsession” A Shocking, Unpredictable Horror Flick

BONUS REVIEW! "The Prestige" Celebrates Its 20th Anniversary This Year!

Rewind Back to 1986: “Top Gun” (40th anniversary)

Rewind Back to 2001: “The Mummy Returns” (25th anniversary)

Rewind Back to 2001: “Legally Blonde” (25th anniversary)