Disney+ is only days away from launching, but CEO Bob Iger wants you to remember they already have one streaming service lounging inside the Mouse House: Hulu. With more than 28M subscribers, Hulu has a pretty good base audience, but what it lacks is more exclusive programming. That’s about to change now as Disney will begin moving FX shows exclusively to Hulu, including some of the most anticipated series for next year.
Iger revealed a plan to launch FX on Hulu beginning in March 2020, which will include past, current, and future FX programming. That includes some highly-anticipated shows that were going to be on the FX network, such as Alex Garland’s Devs, Mrs. America with Cate Blanchett, Hannah Fidell’s A Teacher, and The Old Man with Jeff Bridges.
It’s easy to sleep on FX because they are a spinoff of the original Fox network, but it really has become a home for prestigious, acclaimed series both in comedy and drama which shows such as Pose, Fargo, The Americans, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. For shows like that which are still putting out current episodes, they’ll continue to be on FX first, then hit Hulu the next day.
This move gives Hulu the clout to measure up a little better with HBO Max, Apple TV+, Peacock, and others bringing the big guns to the streaming wars. Frankly, the move has been expected ever since Disney acquired Fox. They just didn’t sit around waiting to make it happen.
Hulu CEO Randy Freer said in a statement…
“We’re excited to become the official streaming home to the award-winning current and legacy series that FX has produced over nearly two decades, as well as brand-new original series that will be exclusive to Hulu subscribers — all available through ‘FX on Hulu. FX has solidified its position as a premium brand that consumers are passionate about, and we can’t wait to bring its valuable content offering to our customers, all in one place.”
I have something to confess…I’ve never really been a huge fan of The Shining. I know, I know, for a movie geek who loves horror that basically constitutes heresy. I have the utmost respect for what Kubrick was able to capture and what the film did for the genre….but it was just so boring for the most part. That being said, I did find myself getting pretty psyched when I heard this was being made. Ewan McGregor stars as the adult Danny, now Dan, who’s life wasn’t exactly champagne dreams after his pops went all axe murderey and chased he and his mother around the snowed in Overlook hotel. He’s cleaning up his life, attends AA and works at a hospice center where he’s using his ‘Shine’ to help the patients in his care. He’s so good at making them comfortable he earns the nickname Doctor Sleep (Title!). Here’s where things go a little left. Enter the True Knot. A cult who draws power and youth from “steam”, which is the dying breath of anyone gifted with the shine. When they kill a boy named Bradley, his death alerts others with the gift through the shine, specifically Abra, a teenage girl. Abra seeks out Dan and together they have to survive the True Know and a return to the Overlook hotel.
If the main issues I had with The Shining were its long stretches of boring then Doctor Sleep recognized that and sought out to correct. The result could be good or bad depending on who you are and what you’re looking for in this sequel. While there’s a lot more happening the way it’s done, with the cult cat and mouse angle, the result is a film with less tension and more of an, almost, comic-book feel, a horror comic mind you, but a comic none the less. Ewan McGregor is, surprise surprise, amazing as older Danny Torrance, bringing a subtlety to his tortured existence while maintaining that reluctant hero vibe that we saw glimpses of in the final moments of the original film. The true highlight of the film has to be the genuine feel of Danny and Abra’s (Kyliegh Curran) relationship. If there was no chemistry between the two, if we didn’t absolutely believe what the story was trying to tell us about these two and their journey the whole thing would fall apart. Thankfully there’s a palpable and effortless big brother little sister, or maybe Uncle/Niece, feel that adds weight to the stakes of the film. From a horror aspect this ain’t traditional. Honestly, I would classify this as a supernatural thriller before horror, there are scares and the atmosphere created by director Mike Flanagan is as creepy and macabre as it gets, but the fright factor seems to be the by-product instead of the focus of the story.
It pains me to say this, as the addition of a murderous cult to a movie is a big bonus for me usually, but the True Knot fell short of being a terrifying threat. When the shoes you’re filling belonged to an ax-wielding Jack Nicholson it’s going to be tough to make the fit, and sadly, they just don’t. Rebecca Ferguson, who plays cult leader Rose, is perfectly fine performance-wise but falls short of being a compelling villain. I’m not to sure if this next bit is actually a bad thing or not, but you need to be prepared for the whole “cult murdering children to feed off their last breath” aspect if you’re going in expecting a ghost story. Let’s highlight something that isn’t usually talked about, Stephen King writes really really weird books. It flys under the radar most of the time because the film adaptations are able to leave out the odder choices, but don’t be fooled, this whole storyline is pretty standard Stephen King stuff.
I’m fairly certain your enjoyment of this movie is going to depend highly on one thing, not expecting something exactly like The Shining. Going in with a clear slate this is a highly polished, completely effective thriller with some great performances. Not to worry, if you’re only reason to see it was to head back to the Overlook Hotel, well you get your way as well.
Keeping up with the MCU won’t be as easy as just going to the movies from now on. With Kevin Feige bringing Marvel to Disney+, having a subscription is going to be the only way to know everything that’s going on leading up to each movie.
Bloomberg says, “If you want to understand everything in future Marvel movies, [Feige] says, you’ll probably need a Disney+ subscription, because events from the new shows will factor into forthcoming films such as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.”
That means tuning into everything including Falcon and the Winter Soldier, WandaVision, Loki, Hawkeye, and more.
The question is whether this will have an impact on box office ticket sales? While Disney+ isn’t crazy expensive, there will be a lot of people who don’t subscribe. If they have no clue what’s going on, will they be as quick to pay for a Marvel film?
This is all part of the Disney plan to make all of their content essential to fans. They’ll be doing the same for Star Wars, as well, so get ready.
After his breakout film Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon struggled for a couple of years to see the release of The Current War. That was all due to a bunch of legal mumbo-jumbo nobody cares about anymore, but the film has kindof come and gone without making much noise. Hopefully, his next project, the Walter Cronkite drama Newsflash, will whip up more attention.
THR reports Gomez-Rejon will direct Newsflash, which has Chris Pine already set to play the legendary anchorman Walter Cronkite on the day he must report to the world of President Kennedy’s assassination. Cronkite became the most trusted voice in America on that fateful day in 1963, back when people were still willing to trust in their news media.
While his Netflix film Hold the Dark didn’t quite measure up to previous efforts Blue Ruin and Green Room, there’s no denying Jeremy Saulnier is one of the most exciting directors of thriller films working today. And that makes his next one, Rebel Ridge, one to keep a close eye on, especially now that he’s landed Star Wars actor John Boyega for the lead role.
Boyega is set to star in Rebel Ridge, a thriller that Saulnier will write and direct. According to Variety, the film will explore systemic injustice in America and feature “bone-breaking action sequences, suspense, and dark humor.” Yep, that sounds like Saulnier, alright. His best movies are often as funny as they are violent.
No word on when this will roll but let’s hope for sooner rather than later, before Boyega gets snapped up by another franchise or something.
For every dark cloud there is a silver lining. Unfortunately this cloud is very dark and there isn’t enough silver to even come close to making the cause ok. That’s because that cloud is a loudmouth degenerate named Harvey Weinstein, thanks to the truth finally coming out about his depravity Dimension films, THE top name in mid-late 90’s horror studios, has off-loaded their content catalog and we are about to see quite a few properties come back to theaters near you. First rule in horror is that, when you think the bad guys dead, you’re wrong. Along with the Hellraiser franchise Spyglass is moving forward with development on a new installment in the Scream franchise. In case you haven’t been keeping track, the sleeper hit from the winter of ’96 which spawned the final iconic slasher villain, has spawned 3 sequels and 3 seasons of a TV show (which was surprisingly good).
I mean, this news is cool and all but I don’t know what else they can do with this storyline. The original was so special because it was fresh and different while still hitting the hallmarks of the genre with perfection. Scream 4 and the tv series pretty much covered all of the technological updates since the original. I say this just to point out that the one I’m much more excited about is the remake of Hellraiser which is being lead by David S. Goyer. Clive Barker’s bounty hunters from hell are an amazing story that’s never been filmed with any real skill. Just alot of blood and gore. There’s SO much a really talented filmmaker could sink their teeth into and really do the story justice.
We’re happy to offer our DC readers the chance to attend a free early screening of The Good Liar, starring Ian McKellen and Helen Mirren.
SYNOPSIS: Career con man Roy (Ian McKellen) sets his sights on his latest mark: recently widowed Betty (Helen Mirren), worth millions. And he means to take it all. But as the two draw closer, what should have been another simple swindle takes on the ultimate stakes. Legendary actors Mirren and McKellen star together on screen for the first time in this suspenseful drama about the secrets people keep and the lies they live.
The screening takes place on Monday, November 11th at 7:00pm at AMC Mazza Gallerie. If you’d like to attend, go to the Warner Bros. 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 can barely stretch far enough to tie my own shoes, so the amount I know about yoga is pretty small. That said, I’ve heard the name “Bikram” before. Bikram Choudhury is the biggest name in yoga, recognized as one of its greatest teachers. But the founder of the peaceful exercise format has a dark side, which is explored in the Netflix documentary Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator, and based on that title you probably already know what’s up.
Basically, the doc explores the multiple accusations against Bikram that he’s a sexual predator who brainwashes his students into sexual relationships. It also looks into his arrival here in America and the founding of his hot yoga system that is practiced by millions.
SYNOPSIS: BIKRAM: YOGI, GURU, PREDATOR examines the dramatic rise and fall of the controversial founder of hot yoga, Bikram Choudhury. Arriving in Beverly Hills from Calcutta, India in the early 1970s, Choudhury quickly cultivated a celebrity following and built a global fitness empire that furnished him with extreme wealth. But by the 2010s, as numerous sexual abuse allegations emerged and stories of his aggressive, cult-like training environment surfaced, the lawsuits started to mount and Choudhury’s unorthodox teaching style became front-page news. Directed by Academy Award® winner Eva Orner (Taxi to the Dark Side, Chasing Asylum) and produced by Sarah Anthony (The Price of Free, The Defiant Ones), BIKRAM: YOGI, GURU, PREDATOR, a Netflix original documentary, shines a light on the stories of the women who took him down and explores the contradiction of how this healing discipline could simultaneously help and hurt so many.
Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator is directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Eva Orner and hits Netflix on November 20th.
Right off the bat, let me say that I have no idea what’s going on with Nic Cage’s hair or accent in the new trailer for Grand Isle, but I’m going to have a good ol’ time trying to figure them out. Unlike the wacko extraterrestrial hook of yesterday’s Color Out of Space trailer, this one finds Cage in what looks to be a trashy domestic thriller that eventually goes spinning out of control.
I can’t wait.
Grand Isle stars Cage as a husband who, along with his poor neglected and very saucy wife (KaDee Strickland), invites a young man (Luke Benward) into their home to get out of a hurricane. That leads to all sorts of racy shenanigans, sexual tension, and finally the young man being accused of murder and interrogated by Frasier Crane…I mean Kelsey Grammer.
Behind the camera is Stephen Campanelli, who previously directed the Clint Eastwood-produced film Indian Horse.
SYNOPSIS: Walter (Nicolas Cage) and his neglected wife (Strickland) lure a young man (Benward) into their Victorian home to escape a hurricane. When the man is charged with murder by Det. Jones (Grammar), he must reveal the couple’s wicked secrets to save himself.
Grand Isle hits select theaters and VOD on December 6th.
With Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker right around the corner, we’re coming to the end of the line for characters we’ve loved for decades. Unfortunately, the untimely passing of Carrie Fisher means we’ll never get to see what the original plan for Leia might’ve been, but at least we will get Fisher back on the big screen one final time.
As for where Leia’s story would’ve gone, Fisher’s brother Todd tells Yahoo that Leia would’ve stopped being the stoic General and gone full-on Jedi…
“She was going to be the big payoff in the final film,” Fisher said. “She was going to be the last Jedi, so to speak. That’s cool right?”
We’ve always known that Leia holds the potential to be the strongest of all the Skywalkers, so this direction makes total sense and would’ve been incredibly cool to see.
As for how Carrie Fisher can appear in the movie at all, Todd reveals the technical wizardry pulled off by director J.J. Abrams to make it happen…
“They had eight minutes of footage,” Fisher said. “They grabbed every frame and analyzed it… and then reverse-engineered it and [got] it into the story the right way. It’s kind of magical.”
That should be a comfort to those who worried she’d return through the use of CGI effects. As for whether her final appearance will be the payoff fans hope for, Todd Fisher has no doubts.
“This is, in its own way, a payoff. … It’s Carrie talking to us all from beyond,” he said. “The beautiful thing about the concept of the Force is that there is no real death; you just exist in another dimension. So Carrie is looking down or sideways or wherever and is still part of us. To be able to see that — it’s magical stuff only in the movies.”
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker opens December 20th.
