We’re right in the middle of awards season, which culminates in February with the Academy Awards, so you’ve probably noticed that every movie with some connection to an awards nomination if putting that fact front and center. Uncut Gems which is being lauded for Adam Sandler’s amazing performance is not different. The awards showcasing aside this trailer serves one perfect purpose that most trailers seem to be unable to do. Summarize what to expect from the movie without giving too much away. While I will agree that this was a quality film and Sandler has put out an undeniable reminder of the talent he can summon, I had a hard time making it through this flick without having an anxiety attack, mostly due to the main character’s inability to ever do the right thing….or really ever do something that isn’t patently stupid….but at the same time I was glued to the story. Check out the latest trailer below and let us know what you think!
Uncut Gems is in theaters now and you can check out Travis’ review here!
Disney+ subscribers won’t have to wait until The Mandalorian returns this fall for more Star Wars action. Long before that happens, the new season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars will arrive, and now we have an exact date.
A since-deleted promotional video for Disney+ programming revealed the seventh season of The Clone Wars debuts on Monday, February 17th. In the recent past, we’ve seen Disney launch new seasons of their animated shows on different nights than they regularly air, so it’s unclear if Monday is where it will stay.
The Clone Wars debuted in 2008, and was set during the three-year war between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, with a special focus on the relationship between Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, and his padewan Ahsoka Tano. The series ran for five seasons then moved to Netflix for a sixth titled The Lost Missions. To me, that season was unfocused and lacked compelling stories, plus it came to a lame, unsatisfying conclusion which has always stuck in the craw of fans. With the announcement of a seventh season, made at Comic-Con at 2018, those fans may finally see the show get a proper send-off.
Little did we know Jake Gyllenhaal’s off-the-wall performance in Okja was just the beginning. He’s been as wildly unpredictable as actor’s go for the last couple of years, with roles in Spider-Man: Far from Home, Wildlife, Velvet Buzzsaw, and whatever the Hell that was he was doing in John Mulaney and the Sack Lunch Bunch. Now he’s taking another unexpected career turn, with an adaptation of Alison Bechdel’s memoir-turned-stage musical, Fun Home.
DailyMail reports Gyllenhaal will produce and star in an adaptation of Fun Home, which is based on Bechdel’s graphic memoir exploring her childhood and complex relationship to her father, a funeral home director (aka the “fun home”) and high school English teacher. Themes of sexual identity, suicide, emotional abuse, and more explored in a non-linear narrative that makes allusions to other literary works.
Bechdel’s book was adapted into a Broadway musical in 2015, eventually going on to win five Tony Awards, including one for director Sam Gold, who is also on board to helm the film version. Gyllenhaal is expected to play Bechdel’s father, of course. The plan is for Fun Home to begin production around year’s end.
I think the trailers for Dolittle are some of the most confusingng around, at least if you’re only familiar with the character from the series of Eddie Murphy comedies. Based on the many questions I’ve received about this movie, that does seem to be the knowledge many people have. This version, which is led by Robert Downey Jr. as the veterinarian who can talk to his animal friends, doesn’t look like a comedy. It looks like Lord of the Rings. Even the lettering in his name is stylized to resemble Peter Jackson’s films.
The reason for the change in style has to do with this being an adaptation of author Hugh Lofting’s second Dolittle novel, The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle, which was targeted at older audiences. That also explains the decision to hire director Stephen Gaghan, who is primarily known for serious dramas such as Traffic, Syriana, and Gold. That decision, we learned some months ago, did not lead to a smooth production. Test screenings went poorly, and Gaghan saw extensive reshoots largely taken out of his hands and members of the crew destroying him in public.
Downey Jr., in his first non-MCU role since 2014’s The Judge, is joined by rising star Jessie Buckley, Harry Collett, Tom Holland, Antonio Banderas, Selena Gomez, John Cena, Kumail Nanjiani, Octavia Spencer, Emma Thompson, Michael Sheen, Jim Broadbent, and many more.
SYNOPSIS: After losing his wife seven years earlier, the eccentric Dr. John Dolittle (Downey), famed doctor and veterinarian of Queen Victoria’s England, hermits himself away behind the high walls of Dolittle Manor with only his menagerie of exotic animals for company. But when the young queen (Jessie Buckley, Wild Rose) falls gravely ill, a reluctant Dolittle is forced to set sail on an epic adventure to a mythical island in search of a cure, regaining his wit and courage as he crosses old adversaries and discovers wondrous creatures.
In a day and age where it seems like every year is
highlighted by what addition(s) will be made to the Marvel cinematic universe –
dominating not only much of the box office, but the public’s attention – The Song of Names is a moving drama
that should not be overlooked. Based upon Norman Lebrecht’s novel of the same
name – the film tells the story of Dovidl Eli Rapaport (Luke Doyle), a nine-year-old
violin prodigy whose father has left in the care of Gilbert Simmons (Stanley
Townsend) and his family in London at the start of World War II. The Rapaport family is from Warsaw and Dovidl’s
father wanted to make sure his son was safe and able to continue progressing
his violin skills. Martin Simmons (Misha Handley) is around the same age as
Dovidl and Gilbert is hoping they will develop a relationship. Martin is jealous
of all the attention Dovidl is getting at first, but they quickly develop a
close bond and over the next decade, a brotherhood.
Dovidl continues to hone his musical talents over the years and
his legend begins to grow, culminating in a performance that will have his name
explode onto the international stage when he is 21. Dovidl’s musical talents along with his training, instruments, and him as a person are something that Gilbert has
been invested in for over a decade and this performance will finally make all the time and money worth it. Martin (Gerran Howell), the
rest of the Simmons family, and a packed theater are awaiting Dovidl’s (Jonah
Hauer-King) arrival – but he never comes, seemingly disappearing off the face
of the Earth.
Thirty-five years later and Martin (Tim Roth) is still
haunted by what happened to Dovidl (Clive Owen). Martin notices a strange
mannerism by a young violinist at a music competition he is judging, something
that he had only seen one other person ever do before – Dovidl. This leads
Martin on an international search for his long-lost brother – a search that he
is hoping will finally give him closure and understanding on what happened that
fateful night back in 1951.
The Song of Names
is a touching film. It is a film about loss, family, what is important in life,
and of course about music. Music has a power over people – it can bring people
together, it can serve to memorialize them and events, and it can pass along a
story and message. The score throughout The
Song of Names by Howard Shore and the solo violin playing by Ray Chen are fantastic.
As the film carried on, I kept wondering about the title. The Song of Names. What did that mean? Well it is not only
something that becomes explained but is incredibly powerful. A song with so
much emotion and raw feeling that it gave me chills. The film’s first act does
drag on a little more, but the second makes up for it. The acting from start to finish is
fantastic and the portrayals of Martin and Dovidl at three separate ages each bring
a unique addition to the film. Director François Girard weaves scenes from the past
and present into the film, almost as if he was creating a symphony himself.
When the end credits roll some may think that the mystery or ‘twist’ wasn’t
shocking enough for them – I didn’t particularly feel that The Song of Names was about that – it was about so much more. I
enjoyed the story, acting, and music and left very satisfied with what I had
seen. If you are looking for a change of pace from the typical blockbuster, The Song of Names won’t steer you wrong –
but it is not a film you need to rush to theaters to see, Netflix will suffice.
Tyler Perry is set to make his long-awaited, at least by his fans, Netflix debut with A Fall from Grace. Considering the $71M haul of the $20M-budgeted A Madea Family Funeral, there’s still a lot of love out there for Perry, and Netflix hopes to turn his audience into subscribers.
A Fall from Grace is a thriller written, produced, and directed by Perry. It stars Crystal Fox (of Perry’s series The Haves and the Have Nots) as a woman who meets a dangerous new lover (played by Supergirl actor Mehcad Brooks) shortly after her ex-husband’s affair. Perry has assembled a cast that includes a pair of screen legends in Cicely Tyson and Phylicia Rashad, plus Bresha Webb and Adrian Pasdar. Perry has a supporting role, as well.
SYNOPSIS: Disheartened since her ex-husband’s affair, Grace Waters (Crystal Fox) feels restored by a new romance. But when secrets erode her short-lived joy, Grace’s vulnerable side turns violent.
Netflix premieres A Fall from Grace on January 17th.
We’ve known since last summer that Marvel’s upcoming Eternals would introduce the first openly gay character into the MCU. A groundbreaking move, for sure, and more of gesture towards representation than that pitiful display we got in Avengers: Endgame. In recent days a comment by Kevin Feige seemed to confirm a transgender character would also be showing up, but those who are looking forward to that may have a while to wait.
It was at a recent guest lecture series that Feige said “Yes — absolutely, yes. And very soon. In a movie that we’re shooting right now” when asked whether the MCU would be bringing on more LGBTQ characters, with the questioner later emphasizing the “T”. That’s where the confusion comes from, according to a pair of sources speaking with Variety. Feige was only answering the first part of the question and not specifically to trans people.
It does appear that greater diversity and representation are high on Feige’s priority list, but the first trans superhero is going to have to come later.
There’s been a concerted movement to distance Harley Quinn away from the Joker, whether it be in comics or in the character’s animated series. Part of the reason is, frankly, both characters have found their recent popularity spike when separate from one another. That is except for Jared Leto’s version of Joker, which we saw in Suicide Squad. That version almost nobody liked, and while there was some question whether he would appear in the upcoming Birds of Prey film, Margot Robbie confirms that won’t be the case.
Speaking with Variety, Robbie says you won’t be seeing Mr. J show up in Birds of Prey, which finds Harley Quinn out on her own for the first time. The “girl gang” film will see her teamed up with a crew of badass ladies, including Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez), and Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco).
Robbie does speak highly of Joaquin Phoenix’s performance in Joker, calling it “phenomenal”, but doesn’t say whether she likes it better than Leto’s. I think I know the answer.
One thing Birds of Prey and Joker do share is an R-rating, which Robbie says took “a lot of convincing” to get Warner Bros. to pull the trigger. You’d think they’d be more amenable to the idea given the success of Joker, Deadpool, and Logan, but maybe they see greater risk in an all-female team movie that Robbie says is very different from the rest…
“I feel like the ‘Joker’ film was much more grounded. Ours is different. It’s heightened,” Robbie said.
Birds of Prey opens February 7th, then we’ll see Robbie as Harley Quinn again in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad on August 6th 2021.
For a time in the mid-2000s the J-horror genre was extremely hot, and Hollywood brought a couple of them over from Japan to, of course, turn into successful franchises. There was Ringu, which became The Ring; and because American moviegoers couldn’t get enough of creepy, pale ghost children, Ju-On was brought over here as The Grudge. The fad quickly died out, but a decade the paranormal beef is back on with The Grudge, a lifeless snoozer as bland and unimaginative as the reboot’s title.
The central conceit of The Grudge is pretty easy to follow and ready-made for sequels, which is why there have been a dozen of these movies already. Basically, when someone is murdered in a particularly strong fit of rage, it leaves behind a vengeful ghost that haunts a home forever. A grudge. And this grudge is with anybody living who enters that home. Real estate agents seem to have no problem finding buyers for these homes where scores of families have repeatedly been murdered, but whatever.
This version of The Grudge doesn’t do much to prove the franchise is worth reviving. Andrea Riseborough leads an incredibly talented, but ultimately useless cast as Detective Muldoon. She’s moved to a small Pennsylvania town with her young son (He’s super inconsequential to the plot) for a fresh start after the recent death of her husband. Too bad for her, the first case she gets with her new partner Detective Goodman (Demian Bichir), is the gruesome discovery of a body hidden deep in the woods. The death seems to be connected to a certain home with a long history of murder lingering over it, one that Goodman would very much like to forget. While he tries to warn Muldoon away, she can’t help herself and goes to investigate the home. She gets herself grudged in the process, becoming infected by the demonic curse that drives you nuts before driving you to kill.
Fans of the Ju-On and Grudge films will quickly recognize the cheap jump-scare patterns and even the loopy narrative construction. The timeline leaps between 2004, 2005, and 2006, as writer/director Nicolas Pesce weaves together a mythology of murder, connecting multiple victims of the grudge. John Cho and Betty Gilpin play a couple contemplating the birth of their child who is likely to be born with severe defects; Frankie Faison plays a husband struggling to ease his seemingly mentally ill wife (horror queen Lin Shaye, right at home) with the help of a caregiver (Jacki Weaver); and then there’s Goodman’s old partner (William Sadler) who is obsessed with the home.
Pesce’s ambitions play out in grueling, dull fashion, made worse by the Grudge gimmick itself which was repetitive years ago and remains so. Regardless of the time period, we see characters get freaked out by the same creepy visions of dead people, falling for the same tired jump-scares, and stupidly approaching the same tub of bloody water. It’s unintentionally hilarious after a while, and in the theater I was at the crowd laughed at the movie’s lame attempts to frighten. Pretty sure that’s not the reaction Pesce was hoping for. The movie’s only true moment of comedy, a “pack your bags” moment of clarity by Weaver’s character, frustratingly teases Pesce’s subversive sense of humor. You get it once so better enjoy it.
It’s not that Pesce isn’t a talented director, he’s just not built for generic, studio horrors that blunt his twisted sensibilities. His 2016 debut The Eyes of My Mother was a hypnotic, nightmarish look into the creation of a serial killer; his 2018 film Piercing was a savage thriller that mercilessly flips audience expectations. The Grudge has very little of what has made Pesce a rising star filmmaker to genre fans. It sidelines him, but also a strong cast who deserve much better than this. Riseborough, Cho, and Gilpin do their best with the given material, but they’re most effective when removed from the haunted house tropes that make The Grudge little more than a minor spat.
When Hasbro recently completed its $4B acquisition of Entertainment One, they not only acquired easily-marketable kid-friendly brands like Peppa Pig, they also got their hands on this…
Yeah, Hasbro now owns the Death Row Records music catalog.
That Power Rangers/Tupac crossover you didn’t know you needed is closer than ever.
This story has been getting sensationalized over the last few days, and for obvious reasons. It’s pretty crazy to think the same company that gives us My Little Pony owns anything that ever was associated with Suge Knight, but it’s true.
Now, Hasbro didn’t make this purchase specifically to get Death Row. They’ll probably sell that shit off as soon as possible. But for now, they do own it, and it’s interesting to us only because Hasbro has been making power moves in Hollywood to launch new franchises. The My Little Pony movie did pretty well for them a couple of years ago, and they’re embarking on a new Power Rangers reboot right now. They have other projects in the works, too, including BeyBlade, GI Joe, Transformers sequels, Micronauts, and more.
Just sayin’, if Bumblebee rolls up to the sound of “Gin & Juice” you know what’s up. [Vice]
