Matt Cipolla (Page 3) | The Spool

Matt Cipolla (Page 3)

Writer and film critic for hire who has worked with WGN Radio, Bright Wall/Dark Room, RogerEbert.com, The Film Stage, and more. Firmly believes that ".gif" is pronounced "jiff."

“Charm City Kings” is revved up and almost ready

By: Matt Cipolla

Angel Manuel Soto's tale of Baltimore dirt bikers has all the right ingredients, but it rides the clutch too often.

In “The Cleansing Hour,” online fame is the greatest evil

By: Matt Cipolla

Damien LeVeck's adaptation of his own short film takes a sharp premise and pads it out to feature-length.

“Scare Me” is a long, long story about short stories

By: Matt Cipolla

Josh Ruben's feature debut is cozy company for a bit, but it's far too drawn-out to do its performances or themes justice.

Unraveling pop-culture one thread at a time

The Spool is an irreverent, informative source for film and television coverage, focused on diverse, thoughtful opinions that seek out a greater understanding of the media we love.

“On the Rocks” is a bitter cocktail to swallow

By: Matt Cipolla

Sofia Coppola's latest is a wry, disarming look at our need for love and the willful ignorance it leads to.

This isn’t Camp. This is holy water!: “Showgirls” at 25

Paul Verhoeven's infamous 1995 satire isn't Camp going by Susan Sontag's definition, but it is one of the great American movies.

“Antebellum” wastes its potential time and time again

By: Matt Cipolla

Gerard Bush & Christopher Renz's feature debut is a misguided, crass, often silly tale that throws away its cast and premise.

“The Nest” is hard to look away from and harder to argue with

By: Matt Cipolla

The latest from Sean Durkin is a quiet, searing look at a family falling into disarray featuring stellar work from Carrie Coon.

“Bill & Ted Face the Music” isn’t all that wyld

By: Matt Cipolla

The franchise's long-awaited third entry is a harmless jaunt that lacks its predecessors' novelty and surrealism.

“Random Acts of Violence” is dopey, dreary horror

By: Matt Cipolla

Jay Baruchel's adaptation of the 2010 comic is an ugly attempt at social commentary that lacks irony or emotion.

“Out Stealing Horses” is too self-conscious to be self-reflective

By: Matt Cipolla

Hans Petter Moland's adaptation of Per Petterson's novel is a sensual look at growing up, but it's more inert than introspective.

“An American Pickle” is an odd mix of salty and sweet

By: Matt Cipolla

Brandon Trost's directorial debut finds two Seth Rogens balancing old, new, and distant family, to largely mixed results.

“Amulet” is too sparse to ever come to life

By: Matt Cipolla

Romola Garai's directorial debut, Amulet, aims to mix body horror and feminist storytelling but instead feels like a short film stretched to feature length.

“Relic” is a chilling mix of family drama and old-school horror

By: Matt Cipolla

Natalie Erika James' feature debut mixes loneliness, intimacy, and a strong Bella Heathcote performance to disconcerting effect.

“Palm Springs” is a time loop movie that actually has something to say

By: Matt Cipolla

Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti buoy Max Barbakow's first scripted feature, mixing laughs and light philosophy in the process.

Filmmaker of the Month

July’s Filmmaker of the Month: Joel Schumacher

In light of his passing, we look at the eclectic work of the man who loved camp, callousness, and everything in between.

“The Truth” is okay, but it won’t set you free

By: Matt Cipolla

Hirokazu Kore-eda's first film outside of his native Japan is a light, star-studded family affair of modest potential and diminishing returns.

“Yummy” is a gorefest without any real flavor

By: Matt Cipolla

Without its own texture or style, Lars Damoiseaux's Camp-adjacent feature debut exists in a vacuum divorced from its inspirations.

“Artemis Fowl” is slapdash, snoozy, and stuck in the early 2000s

By: Matt Cipolla

The adaptation of the first in Eoin Colfer's series is alarmingly messy for a project that's been in the works for almost two decades.

“The Hunt” is too safe to really be called a satire

By: Matt Cipolla

The once-controversial story of "liberal elites" hunting people for sport has a provocative premise, but it's far less than the sum of its parts.

“The Trip to Greece” is a fitting end to the series, but don’t expect a comedy

The last entry in the Trip series provides more insults and impressions, but it isn't so much about the jokes this time.

“The Lovebirds” is a disappointing date night of foul play

Michael Showalter's latest comedy suffers from a hackneyed script that forces its otherwise-likable stars to do all the heavy lifting.

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