We Want You!! Punch Drunk Critics Is Looking For New Writers!

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January 14, 2020

Punch Drunk Critics has been around since 2008. That’s crazy, when I think about it, us being around doing this for so long. In the beginning it was just John Nolan and myself, and it took me a long time before I was willing to let others be a part of what we’re doing. I’m glad I did. We’ve had a lot of good writers come through here, many of them my friends, and I’m happy to see the great things they’ve gone on to do. But with the new year, it’s time to let some more folks into the clubhouse.

We’re now accepting applications for writers who are eager to get some experience writing about movies. We are offering internships for those looking for college credit, and opportunities for compensation for others. Punch Drunk Critics is a Washington, DC-based site, but we have pretty extensive reach so we’re accepting applications from outside the DMV.

Regardless of where you are, the requirements are the same:

-Must have reliable transportation for getting to and from movie screenings, interviews, events, etc.

-Must have reliable internet

-Must be available on weekdays and weekends at all times of the day. The movie biz never sleeps, and neither do we. Or at least I don’t.

-Must have a true passion for film and TV, along with an extensive knowledge. If you’re the first of your friends to catch every trailer, if you’re the one who always knows the next big movie coming out or the indie movie they’ve never heard of, you probably qualify.

-Must be able to write in your own voice. Put your personality out there.

-Must be able to work independently or as part of a team

-Did I mention that you should have a passion for this? It bears repeating.

As for your responsibilities. Well, most of those are fun. You’ll be expected to:

–research and write news articles about movies and TV. This is the bulk of what we do here.

–conduct in-person and phone interviews

–attend movie screenings or watch online screeners with the purpose of reviewing

— attend special events, conventions, and film festivals with the purpose of writing features

–transcribing interviews

There’s more, but that’s a good enough start for now. We’re looking for those who have a lot to say, and we welcome story ideas, feature columns, etc.

So how do you apply? Send two writing samples to punchdrunktrav@gmail.com and john.nolaniii@gmail.com. One must be a movie or TV episode review (300-500 words), the other your coverage of a recent news story or trailer release. You can use the above emails for any questions, as well. Thanks! We hope to hear from you soon.

‘The Lovebirds’: Kumail Nanjiani And Issa Rae Look Ridiculous In ‘The Big Sick’ Director’s New Comedy

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John Nolan

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January 14, 2020

Kumail Nanjiani has always been a funny guy, but it was sleeper hit The Big Sick that helped make him a household name. The success of that relationship comedy is probably a big part of the reason Nanjiani is reteaming with its director Michael Showalter for The Lovebirds, which has a hilarious debut image.

The titular lovebirds, in this case, are Nanjiani and Insecure star Issa Rae, pretty much promising this is going to be great no matter what it’s about. Details have actually been pretty scarce, but it seems the romantic duo get themselves in the middle of a murder mystery, while at the same time trying to see if their relationship can survive the night. And as you can see just be the ridiculous clothes they’re wearing, shit gets pretty wild…

“Initially they were written for white people which, plot-wise, would have been a different story,” said Rae to EW. “It’s not a story about race but we wanted to acknowledge our race and the fact that we’re an interracial couple.”

“Due to — spoilers — we end up having to get new clothes at a CVS-type store,” said Nanjiani. “Since we’re in such dire straits, we don’t put much thought into what clothes to buy. So…that’s how you end up looking if you randomly pick clothes up at a CVS.”

Hopefully, this means a trailer is on the way. Showalter, whose comedic background includes classic Wet Hot American Summer, has been on a hot streak. Along with The Big Sick he directed Sally Field in My Name is Doris, and the underrated Two Night Stand.

The Lovebirds opens April 3rd.

Billie Eilish To Write And Perform The ‘No Time To Die’ Theme Song

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John Nolan

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January 14, 2020

Who needs a “Bad Guy” when you can have a “Bond guy”? 18-year-old Grammy-nominated singer Billie Eilish will co-write and perform the theme song from the upcoming James Bond film, No Time to Die.

Eilish will co-write the song with her older brother Finneas. She will be the youngest ever to write and perform the 007 theme. Sam Smith recorded the forgettable track “Writing’s On the Wall” for 2015’s Spectre, while Adele wrote and performed the title track “Skyfall’ in 2012. Both went on to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

I don’t recall it always being such a big deal who performs the Bond music, at least not before Adele came along. I could be wrong, though as this isn’t a franchise I’ve always paid a ton of attention to. With this being the big send-off for star Daniel Craig, Eilish will be expected to really bring it to make this movie feel special.

No Time to Die opens April 10th.

‘The Kindness Of Strangers’ Trailer: Zoe Kazan, Jay Baruchel, And More Are In Need Of A Helping Hand

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John Nolan

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January 14, 2020

The Kindness of Strangers doesn’t cheat you on the title or anything, that’s for sure. It is exactly what it says, a movie about how strangers are brought together through acts of kindness, helping one another through various hardships. It’s the kind of movie that could only really be set in New York City, where connections like the ones made here are, I assume, pretty common? Surely they don’t just happen in movies, right?

Leading the excellent cast is Zoe Kazan, as an abused wife and mother who faces an uncertain future with her kids. She’s joined by Jay Baruchel, Bill Nighy, Tahar Rahim, Andre Riseborough, and Caleb Landry Jones. Lone Scherfig, known for films such as One Day, Their Finest, and An Education, wrote and directed the film.

SYNOPSIS: In New York City, six strangers’ lives intersect in a modern tale of ordinary people struggling to find help, hope and love. As the unlikely group comes together, they discover that liberation and triumph lie in each other’s hands.

The Kindness of Strangers hits theaters and VOD on Valentine’s Day. Makes sense.

‘Bloodshot’ Trailer: Vin Diesel Is An Unstoppable, Uncontrollable Killing Machine

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John Nolan

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January 14, 2020

Much like with the Morbius trailer released yesterday, the challenge for Sony’s Bloodshot isn’t whether the movie is any good or not. It’s convincing audiences to take a crack at a comic book character they may not know anything about, and the way they’re going about that is by banking on the star power, big muscles, and bald head of Vin Diesel.

The first trailer for Bloodshot looked pretty generic, and I’m not sure this new one changes things. Based on the popular Valiant Comics series, the film stars Diesel as a super-soldier built on nanotechnology that gives him amazing powers, but also turns him into an easily-controlled killing machine. If you guessed he has no memory of his past, you’d be right! Lots of amnesia going around with these unstoppable cyborg types.

Sony has been keen on launching this movie as a franchise for a while, and at one point even had Jared Leto, who is now playing Morbius for them, as their lead actor. That fell through, obviously, and now Diesel’s the guy. He’s joined by Eiza Gonzalez, Sam Heughan, Toby Kebbell, Guy Pearce, Lamorne Morris, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson, and Talulah Riley. David Wilson makes his directorial debut from a script by Jeff Wadlow (Kick-Ass 2) and Eric Heisserer (Arrival), so maybe this is better than it appears to be?

Bloodshot hits theaters on March 13th!

SYNOPSIS: After he and his wife are murdered, Marine Ray Garrison (Vin Diesel) is resurrected by a secret team of scientists. Enhanced with nanotechnology, he becomes a superhuman, biotech killing machine – Bloodshot. As Ray first trains with fellow super-soldiers, he cannot recall anything from his former life. But when his memories flood back and he remembers the man that killed both him and his wife, he breaks out of the facility hellbent on revenge, only to discover that there’s more to the conspiracy than he originally thought.

‘Penny Dreadful: City Of Angels’ Trailer: Natalie Dormer Is A Shapeshifting Demon During Hollywood’s Golden Age

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John Nolan

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January 14, 2020

If the ratings on Penny Dreadful were poor enough for Showtime to cancel it after three seasons, why would they expect anything different from spinoff series, Penny Dreadful: City of Angels? I’m not sure that question gets answered in this new trailer, although it does look like star Natalie Dormer is having a lot of fun on an Eva Green-level.

City of Angels moves the action from the Victorian era to 1930s Los Angeles, ” a time and place deeply infused with social and political tension. When a grisly murder shocks the city, Detective Tiago Vega (Daniel Zovatto) and his partner Lewis Michener (Nathan Lane) become embroiled in an epic story that reflects the rich history of Los Angeles: from the building of the city’s first freeways and its deep traditions of Mexican-American folklore, to the dangerous espionage actions of the Third Reich and the rise of radio evangelism. Before long, Tiago and his family are grappling with powerful forces that threaten to tear them apart.”

So don’t expect the same allusions to literary horrors as in the previous series, nor any of the familiar characters. Dormer, who was great in both Game of Thrones and The Tudors, plays Magda, a shapeshifting demon with her own agenda. Original creator John Logan is back, however, with 1917 director Sam Mendes as an exec-producer. The cast includes Adriana Barraza, Rory Kinnear, Kerry Bishe, and Michael Gladis with occasional appearances by Lin Shaye, Brent Spiner, Amy Madigan, Adam Rodriguez, Lorenza Izzo, Piper Perabo, and Thomas Kretschmann.

Showtime premieres Penny Dreadful: City of Angels on April 26th.

‘Black Widow’ Special Look Features A Face-to-Face Showdown With Taskmaster

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John Nolan

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January 14, 2020

What better time to drop a special look at Marvel’s upcoming Black Widow than a few short hours after Scarlett Johansson earned two Oscar nominations? The new preview features a lot of the same footage we’ve seen before, but there is some new stuff like more of the film’s primary villain, Taskmaster.

Natasha Romanoff finds herself face-to-face with Taskmaster in the film, and for those who don’t know him, he’s a guy who can emulate the fighting style of anybody he’s faced. In this footage we see him copying Captain America’s shield combat, before mirroring Black Widow herself.

This movie has been a long time coming, and the timing is interesting given the events of Avengers: Endgame. The events of Black Widow take place between Captain America: Civil War and Infinity War, so if this movie is a hit the way we assume it will be, does Marvel take on other stories from her war-torn past?

Directed by Cate Shortland and co-starring fellow Oscar nominee Florence Pugh, Oscar winner Rachel Weisz, and David Harbour, Black Widow opens May 1st 2020.

Dave Bautista Joins Jason Mamoa for Season 2 of Apple TV+’s ‘See’

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John Nolan

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January 14, 2020

This is the amazing thing about the world of entertainment today. There can be a TV show starring one of the world’s biggest stars and people don’t know it exists. Such as seems to be the case with Apple +’s slate, which was comprised of quite a few quality shows, including SEE a post apocalyptic drama starring Jason Mamoa in the type of role he was built for. So what can make a show with Aquaman as a Mad Max father figure more interesting? Well, Drax the Destroyer, that’s what. Dave Bautista has signed on for the second season of See.

For those like me who totally missed the memo on this show, here’s the synopsis:

In the distant future, the human race has lost the sense of sight, and society is left to find new ways to interact, build, hunt, and survive. Meanwhile, the wife of blind warrior and chieftain Baba Voss gives birth to a set of twins. To his tribe’s amazement, the twins can see.

As word spreads, it gets the attention of a cynical tribe and its queen who will stop at nothing to get their hands on the twins. In order to protect his children, Voss is forced to rely on his instincts and must rally fellow tribes to take down the queen and her tyrannical cult before they can capture the children.

The series is set in the village of Alkenny, protected by a Kanzua Dam. “Alkenny” and “Kanzua” are alterations of Allegheny and Kinzua, real-life locations in present-day western Pennsylvania.

Well….I’m in. There’s no confirmed date for season 2 yet, but you can bet on late 2020. Maybe it’s time to try out that Apple+ free trial and get to binge-ing.

Bong Joon-ho Says ‘Parasite’ HBO Series Takes On “Many More Ideas” Than The Film Could Fit

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John Nolan

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January 13, 2020

It’s been an incredible couple of days for Bong Joon-ho and Parasite. Yesterday his film won a Critics Choice for Best Foreign Language, while he won Best Director. And this morning Parasite came away with 6 total Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. But this is only the beginning because we know the film is making its way to HBO as a limited series that has everyone speculating on what it could be.

The news broke last week that Bong Joon-ho and Adam McKay would be producing a Parasite limited series for HBO. Details were scarce at the time; such as if it would be a sequel or spinoff or some other reimagining. Speaking with Deadline, the director says it’s his chance to expand on ideas he simply didn’t have time for with the movie…

“I really liked Adam McKay’s ‘The Big Short’ and I loved his sense of humor, and the sharp satire he conveyed about the current American politics. With ‘Parasite,’ while I was writing the script I had so many more ideas I couldn’t convey into the two-hour running time of the film. I knew that if I had a longer running time, I would be able to tell these stories, and that’s what I plan to talk about with Adam pretty soon.”

He continued, “Though I’m not very familiar with the TV industry, I really consider this limited series an expanded film that can delve deeper into the stories that didn’t make it into ‘Parasite.’ Adam McKay and HBO have created the amazing show ‘Succession,’ so they’re very reliable and amazing partners to have.”

Sounds like Bong Joon-ho and McKay are vibing here, which should take some of the edge off of those who are pissed at seeing Parasite redone in any way. At this point, I’m willing to give anything the benefit of the doubt after what HBO was able to do with Watchmen, and I have a lot more faith in Joon-ho than I did Damon Lindelof. Consider me optimistic.

‘Morbius’ Trailer: Jared Leto’s Bloodthirsty Hero Links Sony Directly To The MCU

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John Nolan

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January 13, 2020

Whether you like that crazy shit Tom Hardy was doing in Venom or not, the fact is that movie was huge for Sony. A sequel to that is coming, but a further expansion of their Spiderverse continues before that with Morbius, and this will be a tougher task for them to pull off, even with Oscar winner Jared Leto playing the vampiric anti-hero. Good thing they’ll have a little help from Kevin Feige and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Leto, who is coming off the least-liked take on the Joker ever, plays Michael Morbius, a scientist who accidentally turns himself into a vampire-like creature while attempting to cure a rare blood disease.

If there’s a weird, offbeat role out there you’ll often find Leto gravitating towards it, which makes him right for this. That said, Morbius is on the lower end of Spider-Man supporting characters, whereas Venom was very well-known. If this hits, Sony should be off to the races.

This is the first Sony movie that unquestionably links directly to the MCU, referencing Spider-Man (labeled a murderer following events of Far from Home), and even an appearance by Michael Keaton as the Vulture. It goes to show how far the relationship between Sony and Marvel has come since those brief, dark days when it looked like Spider-Man’s future was up in the air. Remember that? It seems like a lifetime ago. Clearly, both sides have made up and have forged an alliance that should make all fans happy.

The film is directed by Daniel Espinosa, who last directed the sci-fi flick Life and had his biggest hit with Safe House. Joining Leto in the cast are Adria Arjona (6 Underground), Matt Smith (Doctor Who), Jared Harris (Mad Men), and Tyrese Gibson (Black & Blue).

Morbius hits theaters on July 31st 2020.