We’re happy to offer our DC readers the chance to attend a free screening of Burden, starring Garrett Hedlund, Forest Whitaker, Andrea Riseborough, and Tom Wilkinson.
SYNOPSIS: Orphaned at a young age, Mike Burden (Garrett Hedlund) has spent years living on the margins of society under the spell of manipulative Ku Klux Klan leader Tom Griffin (Tom Wilkinson). Rising through the ranks of the hate group to the status of Grand Dragon, Mike has become one of Griffin’s most loyal lieutenants, and he proudly assists in the opening of a museum celebrating the Klan’s horrific legacy in the center of their small South Carolina town. But once the storefront is open for business, long-simmering racial tensions threaten to finally boil over.
Enter the idealistic Reverend David Kennedy (Academy Award®-winner Forest Whitaker), who vows to do everything in his power to maintain order—yet Kennedy’s inner resolve is tested once a former enemy comes to him seeking guidance. After falling in love with a courageous single-mother (Andrea Riseborough) and reconnecting with a high-school acquaintance (Usher Raymond), Mike ultimately chooses to abandon his long-held beliefs, leaving behind his violent past in the hopes of building a brighter future.
Soon, both Burden and Kennedy find themselves on a collision course with Griffin, who is determined to lure Mike back into the fold—or to see him punished for his betrayal. Penniless and desperate, Burden relies on Kennedy to help him escape a terrible fate. In the face of grave threats to himself and his family, the resolute Kennedy sets aside his own misgivings and bravely pursues a path toward peace, seeing in Mike a chance to save a lost soul and to heal his wounded community.
The screening takes place on Wednesday, February 26th at AMC Georgetown at 7:00pm. If you’d like to attend, simply register at the Gofobo ticketing site here. Please remember, all screenings are first come first served and you will need to arrive early to ensure seating. Enjoy the show!
I think it’s safe to say that Kevin Feige’s power grab that left him in complete creative control over Marvel Studios, is a big reason for their recent push for diversity. Under the previous Ike Perlmutter regime, Marvel took heat over how homogenized the MCU was, and every minor gain made by Feige came with the fear it could lead to his exit. At least that’s the story Mark Ruffalo told The Independent, in talking about the progress Marvel has made to be more inclusive…
“When we did the first ‘Avengers,’ Kevin Feige told me, ‘Listen, I might not be here tomorrow,’” Ruffalo said. “And he’s like, ‘Ike [Perlmutter] does not believe that anyone will go to a female-starring superhero movie. So if I am still here tomorrow, you will know that I won that battle.’”
To put it in context, we didn’t see films such as Black Panther or Captain Marvel, two of Marvel’s biggest ever, until a meeting in which Feige wrested control of Marvel Studios away from Perlmutter. He now answers directly to Disney CEO Alan Horn, who has obviously been more receptive to diversifying the superhero slate. Perlmutter was the guy who didn’t think children would buy a Black Widow action figure. Ridiculous. Now we have a Black Widow movie coming up in a couple of months.
Ruffalo continued, “Because Kevin wanted black superheroes, women superheroes, LGBT superheroes. He changed the whole Marvel universe. We now have gay superheroes, we have black superheroes, we have female superheroes – Scarlett Johansson has her movie coming out, we have Captain Marvel, they are doing She Hulk next. No other studio is being that forwardly inclusive on that level.”
Feige’s many clashes with Perlmutter, whether they were over creative decisions or budget concerns, were well-known but this is the first time we’ve heard of him being afraid for his job. Could you imagine if nothing had changed? We’d probably never have Black Panther and its groundbreaking Oscar nominations, there would be no Captain Marvel. The MCU would be a completely different, much less interesting place, and also far less profitable. Diversity sells.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan is so good at playing bad, whether it’s as the bloody bat-wielding Negan in The Walking Dead, or The Comedian in Watchmen, or any other numerous villainous roles, that seeing him on the side of justice is weird. No matter what, Morgan always plays characters who live on the edge, and that you definitely don’t want to meet in a dark alley. Enter his dogged NYPD detective in The Postcard Killings, an adaptation of the best-selling crime novel by James Patterson and Liza Marklund.
Morgan plays a NY detective overcome with grief over the murders of his daughter and her husband while in London. Traveling there to get some answers, he discovers this was the work of a serial killer who has been quite busy all throughout Europe. He even has his own personal calling card, introducing himself with a postcard. How sweet that he still uses those.
The film is directed by acclaimed filmmaker Danis Tanovic (No Man’s Land) with Famke Janssen, Cush Jumbo, and Denis O’Hare co-starring.
SYNOPSIS: In The Postcard Killings, based on the James Patterson and Liza Marklund #1 New York Times bestselling novel, NY Detective Jacob Kanon’s (Jeffery Dean Morgan) world is destroyed when his daughter and son-in-law are brutally murdered in London. Unable to sit idly by and do nothing, Jacob travels to London get the answers he needs. As he learns of similar heinous murders happening across Europe – each preceded by a postcard sent to a local journalist – Jacob is in a race against time to stop the killings and find justice for his little girl.
The Postcard Killings hits digital, VOD, and theaters on March 13th.
Abel Ferrara and Willem Dafoe are one of those cinematic duos that doesn’t instantly come to mind, but every time they reunite you remember why they’re so great together. Having previously collaborated on Tommaso and Pasolini, they’re back for the nightmarish Siberia, which is due to premiere at the Berlin Film Festival.
The entire trailer finds Dafoe traversing a Hellish dreamscape, encountering many sinister figures including a woman who mockingly tells him “You destroyed my life”! The scary visuals are provided by cinematographer Stefano Falivene, who worked with Ferrara on Pasolini. Ferrara directs from a script he co-wrote with Chris Zoist, having previously collaborated on 2014’s Welcome to New York.
Following on his Spirit Award-winning performance in The Lighthouse, Dafoe seems trapped in a dark journey of the soul he may never escape from.
SYNOPSIS: “A man flees from one world to another that is strange and cold. Furs and fires keep him warm; a cave serves as his shelter. He is a broken man who wants to be alone. But even isolation does not bring him inner peace. Once again, he goes on a journey, this time into the self. He explores his dreams, confronts memories and seeks out visions. The rare encounters with other people are in languages he does not speak, determined by bodies that fascinate him, and by types of love he explores and then loses. His journey becomes a dance with demons, but time and again it flares up: light. In cinema history there have been many attempts to portray the mythical as something intimate, and the radical as a personal journey. But there is only one artist who is as wildly anarchistic, metaphysically mysterious, and at the same time god-obsessed and fanatical about the truth: Abel Ferrara, joining forces here once again with his acting alter ego, Willem Dafoe. While his previous film ‘Tommaso’ explored the way desire plays out in families, in ‘Siberia’ the (male) ego abandons all semblance of everyday life in a tumultuous montage. To expose and discover himself.”
1. Sonic the Hedgehog– $26.3M/$106.6M Sonic the Hedgehog remains at the top of the leaderboard for a second week, falling 55% for $26M and $106M domestic. That number puts it fourth all-time in terms of video game flicks, behind The Angry Birds Movie ($107M), 2001’s Tomb Raider ($131M), last year’s Detective Pikachu ($144M). On top of that, it has earned another $95M overseas for $203M worldwide, enough to guarantee we’ll get that Sonic vs. Tails showdown in a sequel.
2. The Call of the Wild (review)- $24.8M
Audiences chose a CGI hedgehog over a CGI canine this weekend, but it was still a very strong debut for Disney/Fox’s adaptation of The Call of the Wild. The Harrison Ford-led film about a domesticated dog who gets in touch with his wild side while in the Yukon, opened with $24M. Reviews have been generally favorable, with audiences giving it an A- Cinemascore and critics a 64% on Rotten Tomatoes. I was surprised at Ford’s commitment to the movie, he bonds with his canine companion quite well. But the big problem we see reflected in the oversized $125M budget, and that’s how much of it is done in CGI, which is weird for a movie about untamed Mother Nature. Currently, it has $40M worldwide and has a long ways to go before having a chance at earning a profit.
3. Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey– $7M/$72.5M
4. Brahms: The Boy II– $5.9M
Of all the low-budget horrors to get a sequel lately, 2016’s The Boy is the most unassuming. It did well enough, finishing up with $74M worldwide on a $10M budget, without the benefit of the buzz something like The Witch was getting around the same time. So now we have Brahms: The Boy II, which finds the creepy doll flick underperforming with just $5.9M. That’s with a bigger cast, led by Katie Holmes, roughly the same budget, and a promo campaign targeted solely at fans of the first film. But this one isn’t catching anybody unawares, and it will likely be wiped out by The Invisible Man next week.
5. Bad Boys for Life– $5.8M/$191.1M
6. 1917– $4.4M/$151.9M
7. Fantasy Island– $4.1M/$20.1M
8. Parasite– $3.1M/$48.9M
9. Jumanji: The Next Level– $3M/$310.9M
10. The Photograph– $2.8M/$17.6M
Hope you weren’t eager for a second season of Watchmen, because the latest update from HBO all but confirms it ain’t going to happen. In a statement to Variety, HBO has reclassified Watchmen as a “limited series” rather than an ongoing one, although they leave the door open for more sometime down the road.
“We discussed with the producers and felt limited series was the most accurate representation of the show and any possible future installments.”
Hopefully by “future” they mean in twenty years or so when Regina King can come back, her character Angela Abar having settled into whatever her status may be.
Creator Damon Lindelof has never been on board for a second season of his hit remix of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ classic graphic novel. He did leave the door open to HBO doing more seasons anthology-style, but they would be without him. The network hasn’t seemed interested in that without Lindelof’s creative involvement, however.
We’re offering our DC readers the chance to attend a free early screening of Blumhouse’s The Invisible Man, starring Elisabeth Moss in a timely reimagining of the classic horror.
SYNOPSIS: What you can’t see can hurt you. Emmy winner Elisabeth Moss (Us, Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale) stars in a terrifying modern tale of obsession inspired by Universal’s classic monster character.
Trapped in a violent, controlling relationship with a wealthy and brilliant scientist, Cecilia Kass (Moss) escapes in the dead of night and disappears into hiding, aided by her sister (Harriet Dyer, NBC’s The InBetween), their childhood friend (Aldis Hodge, Straight Outta Compton) and his teenage daughter (Storm Reid, HBO’s Euphoria).
But when Cecilia’s abusive ex (Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House) commits suicide and leaves her a generous portion of his vast fortune, Cecilia suspects his death was a hoax. As a series of eerie coincidences turns lethal, threatening the lives of those she loves, Cecilia’s sanity begins to unravel as she desperately tries to prove that she is being hunted by someone nobody can see.
The screening takes place on Tuesday, February 25th at 7:00pm at AMC Tysons Corner. If you’d like to attend, simply register at the Gofobo site here. Please remember all screenings are first come first served and you’ll need to arrive early to ensure seating. Enjoy the show!
In this month’s documentary about black films, They Gotta Have Us, actor David Oyelowo proudly stated that we are in the beginning stages of a second black renaissance in film. It seems more like a third if you honestly think of it. There was the Harlem Renaissance, in the late 1990s when black films moved away from “hood” films, and made “positive black films” (like The Best Man, The Wood, and countless others) that showed African Americans just living everyday life: not slave narratives, or drugs and gangs, just black folks being regular people as they navigate their everyday lives. This year already started off with a bang with The Photograph, showcasing a black love story between two charismatic leads, and only a few weeks later, we get another gem showcasing a quintessentially and authentically black love story in Premature.
Aryanna (Zora Howard) has just graduated high school and is spending her last summer with her girls, just hanging in Harlem. Not a care in the world, just some good old fashioned fun, hanging in the park, talking smack to each other, and chasing boys (and having boys chase them) before they move on to the next stage in life. Everything changes when she runs into Isaiah (Joshua Boone) at the park playing basketball with his friends. Aryanna plays it smooth at first, but after a second run in, he charms her for a quaint date and the two immediately hit it off.
Before we delve into how great this film is, we have to speak about the elephant in the room. Having graduated, Aryanna (in the movie as actress Zora Howard is really in her late 20s) is 17 years old, maybe 18 years old, and Isaiah is “grown” as Aryanna’s friends state. He’s probably between 20-23. While the couple’s ages don’t seem to be too far off, there was a small “ick” factor that you had to move past. Besides the comment from Aryanna’s friends that Isaiah’s a little older. Even after an argument with one of Aryanna’s friends he comments that her friends are “young.” The film makes a point that every move forward in their relationship is done by Aryanna’s advances. She kisses him first, she initiates sex between the two of them. Director Rashaad Ernesto Green definitely doesn’t want the film to get bogged down in any #MeToo type of fashion.
That said, the relationship between Aryanna and Isaiah is majestic. This is mostly due to the writing by both director Rashaad Ernesto Green and Aryanna herself, Zora Howard, who in addition to acting is a poet in real life, which suits her character who also is great at poetry. Both Isaiah and Aryanna are artists. She has her poetry, he is an upcoming music producer. There’s a great moment in the film where they are having a discussion of art and activism with some friends that seems to be a part of a broader conversation about what responsibility black creatives have in their art when it comes to activism. Never does the writing or the dialogue feel melodramatic. In fact, it’s sort of the opposite, it’s very authentic. The only gripe I found was the two of them dancing in what appeared to be the West Indian Day parade (which happens during Labor Day Weekend) and not during peak summer when this story takes place. Besides that, the writing is dynamic. Having the lead writer her own dialogue and the director direct the dialogue he writes also helps them film be more authentic.
Speaking of authenticity, this film is peak blackness. Taking place in Harlem, we are removed from the hipsterness of gentrified New York City and Premature showcases a little bit of the old New York before the rent got high. The film starts on the subway and gives you a very real approach, not Aryanna and her friends and they are loud, unafraid to speak their minds, and full of the New York state of mind. They have their own stories, like Aryanna’s friend who has become the de facto mother for her own younger sister’s child as she runs around, not caring for her kid. Aryanna also has a complicated relationship with her mother and doesn’t approve of her mother’s dating choices. Isaiah’s father left him and only gave him records behind, which is why he’s attracted to music. There’s a great scene where Isaiah argues with one of Aryanna’s friends about a police shooting and whether or not black men or black women have a bigger target on their back in their everyday struggles, a discussion topic that exists within the black community. While Premature visits these types of issues, it does it without being preachy.
For those who were disappointed with the lack of steaminess in The Photograph, don’t worry, Premature got you covered. When I say there’s black love in this film, there’s plenty of black lovemaking as well. You get to be treated to all the passion and goods you can see on screen without it coming across as pornographic. Speaking of viewing blackness on screen, the directing, cinematography (thanks to cinematographer Laura Valladao), and lighting is also great. Sometimes capturing black skin on film is difficult for some movies, but not only do they capture dark skin well, but every shade in between as the film showcases the diversity of all the colors black people come in.
Premature tells a great story of a summer of love as well as the trials and tribulations of not only having a first love, but also the heartbreak that occurs with such a relationship. You may end up taking sides as Aryanna and Isaiah butt heads with each other as past girlfriends, jealousy, ambition, and other things work against their relationship succeeding. Ultimately, this is a great ride as you get to see a well-acted (watch out for Zora Howard as she’ll be a star soon enough), well written, and authentic tale of black love, something we need to see a whole lot more of on the big screen.
If you had told me going into Sundance that the Baltimore dirtbike drama Charm City Kings would emerge as one of my favorites of the festival, I’d have thought you’d been riding too much without a helmet. But it was a genuinely great coming-of-age film at a place always crowded with bland takes on the genre. Now you can get a feel for why there’s so much buzz with this brand new trailer.
Based loosely on the documentary 12 O’Clock Boys, the film centers on a Baltimore youth who has dreams of joining the sickest motorcycle clique in town. To do that, he must navigate a cycle of crime, new loves, a doting parent, and more.
It features a breakout performance by star Jahi Di’Allo Winston (he had a small but pivotal role in Queen & Slim) and rapper Meek Mill, the latter is guaranteed to open some eyes. Angel Manuel Soto directs, bringing an uncommon authenticity while revealing a little-seen corner of black culture. Teyonah Parris,Will Catlett, Chino Braxton, Lakeyria “Wheelie Queen” Doughty, Donielle Tremaine Hansley, Kezii Curtis, and Chandler DuPont co-star.
SYNOPSIS: Growing up in West Baltimore, teenage Mouse (JAHI DI’ALLO WINSTON, Queen & Slim, Proud Mary, The Upside) feels the fierce pull of different forces: Between notorious ex-con Blax (Grammy-nominated best-selling artist MEEK MILL) and concerned Detective Rivers (WILLIAM CATLETT, TV’s “Black Lightning”), and between the straight path set for Mouse by his concerned mother (TEYONAH PARRIS, If Beale Street Could Talk, Dear White People, TV’s “Empire”) and the dangers of gang life, which took his brother’s life. The one truth Mouse knows is that he loves the power, artistry, and energy of “The Ride” — the exhilarating motorized-dirt-bike scene that is both a pastime and passion on the streets of Baltimore. During one eventful summer, Mouse has to steer his way through two father figures, a first girlfriend, and the illegal but irresistible thrill of stunt-riding that makes him and his friends feel like CHARM CITY KINGS.
Charm City Kings rides into theaters on April 10th.
Everyone knows the old Hollywood tale of leaving everything behind in search of stardom. We often hear tales of people who go across the country in search of being on the big screen and everyone ends up rich and lives happily ever after. Of course, this often is not the real case. It’s a tough town. Many times, people just don’t cut it, and have to end up going back home to lick their wounds. That’s exactly what happens to Scott (Ben Schwartz) in Standing Up, Falling Down from first time director Matt Ratner.
Scott left Long Island with the hopes of becoming a famous stand-up comedian, but after 4 years of being incredibly poor in LA and forcing to perform at coffee shops where he gets interrupted by people going to the bathroom, he realizes that it’s time to head back to live with his parents on the East Coast. It’s a sobering experience for anyone, and Schwartz pulls it off very well. His mother (Debra Monk) is more than happy that her baby boy is back home, she even didn’t change one thing about his childhood room in the past 4 years. His sister (Grace Gummer) is indifferent to him back as well as she has her buddy to go back and forth with. His father (Kevin Dunn) is a different story as he constantly has an “I told you so” look on his face, and constantly tells him he needs to go and get a real job at the post office.
Scott frequents his local bar reconnecting with his friend where he runs into Marty (Billy Crystal). Marty seems to be the local drunk. He pleads with the bartender for his turn at karaoke, he’s belligerent, he even urinates in the sink as the stalls are busy, and then blames Scott when the bartender goes to kick him out. And that my friends, is how you start a beautiful friendship! Through their bathroom encounter, Marty observes Scott’s stress-induced hives and recommends the town dermatologist to treat it. The next day Scott goes to the office to find Marty is his new doctor. After a serious HIPPA violation, the two hit it off as they continue to run into each other.
Usually, a film about a guy returning to his hometown is about him connecting with the girl who got away, and in a sense, it is as Scott pines for his old girlfriends he left behind (Eloise Mumford), but the real relationship in Standing Up, Falling Down is about his newfound bromance with Marty. While they become friends, it’s also a weird father/son dynamic between two broken people. Scott’s life imploded with his failed stand up career as he has to pick up the pieces and Marty is nursing his wounds through endless drinking following the death of his wife and his son who blames him for her death. Both are broken, and both help put each other back to a better version of themselves.
The chemistry between Billy Crystal and Ben Schwartz is pitch-perfect. Even from their first encounter, they feel like two lost souls who finally found each other. There’s a moment where the two of them smoke marijuana after a night of drinking that is perfect acting between the two of them as they are both hilarious and enduring, especially when they get stopped by Scott’s sister’s security guard boyfriend (David Castañeda) and he joins in the comedic magic. After all, “Ruis is awesome,” as per Scott’s father.
While the screenplay is by Peter Hoare, it really feels as though the two comedic actors did a great deal of comedic improv as they run off each other constantly throughout the movie rather effortlessly. Speaking of Billy Crystal, he delivers one hell of a performance and reminds you once again why he’s one of the best in the business! He’s funny when he needs to be, and quickly turns tragically sympathetic at the drop of a hat. If this was a November/December theatrical release, there surely would be awards considerations for his performance. Standing Up, Falling Down is almost broken down in two parts, an interesting choice by Ratner. The first is much more comedic than the second act which allows the characters to delve down into their self-pity and remorse. The film feels formulaic as the ending is somewhat telegraphed, but there are some great payoffs that reward the viewer for participating in the journey between the two characters.
