The next time you pay for some lowbrow comedy full of fart and vomit jokes, you may regret it. 4DX technology is coming to a theater near you, which means you’ll be able to feel and even smell the action on the screen like never before.
Sony has signed an exclusive deal with Korean distributor that created 4DX technology, with the plan to release 13 films using it in 2019. 4DX technology “augments and enhances the experience of a film with 21 sensory effects, including seats that move and vibrate in tandem with the action on the screen, dynamic bursts of light and a range of other integrated elements, such as scents, wind, water, snow and more”, according to THR‘s report.
Here are the list of movies Sony plans to release using 4DX…
Escape Room – January 4 Miss Bala – February 1 Greyhound – March 22 The Intruder – April 26 BrightBurn – May 24 Men in Black International – June 14 Grudge – June 21 Spider-Man: Far from Home – July 5 The Angry Birds Movie 2 – August 16 Zombieland 2 – October 11 Charlie’s Angels – November 1 Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle sequel – December 13 Masters of the Universe – December 18
I get what Sony’s thinking here. Movie theaters are losing business by the bundle which means movie studios are, as well, and this is seen as a way of getting people to buy tickets again. I don’t know if having your seat shake underneath your ass is a way of doing that, but it’s an idea. Just be careful with your soda. Seriously, does this mean we’ll smell the zombies of Zombieland 2? Will we feel the wind of Spider-Man swinging through Manhattan? Of this list, I’m not sure how all of them could even use 4DX to the utmost.
This makes me wonder how much ticket prices will increase for the enhanced 4DX experience. Because if you’ve been to a 4DX movie you know it’s more expensive. Will it be worth it? Personally, I don’t think so but the market could say otherwise. We could see this have an early boom like when 3D became prominent, but I doubt it would last.
How far does unconditional love go when a parent is dealing with a drug-addicted child? The subject was explored rather listlessly just weeks ago in the film Beautiful Boy, but Peter Hedges’ thrilling and poignant Ben is Back does a much better job. The similarities between the two films end with the subject of drug addiction, as this film deals with what happens long after it has taken root and settled into the bones of the family. Can trust ever be regained when there has been so many years of repeated hurt and anguish?
Ben is Back stars the impeccable Julia Roberts and the director’s son, Lucas Hedges, who is having yet another phenomenal year playing at-risk youths. The film is set over the Christmas holiday, a time of joyous family reunions, and it’s now that Holly (Roberts) is getting the reunion she’s been hoping for. Standing in front of the house as she pulls up is her son, Ben (Hedges), and Holly is overjoyed to see him. Her daughter, Ivy (Kathryn Newton), looks more concerned than anything. In a flash she’s on the phone calling someone, while Holly is dashing to give Ben a big hug.
Ben’s an addict, and it’s clear, even through Holly’s happy tears, that this is a familiar scene. It’s also clear that it usually doesn’t end well. Like Timothee Chalamet’s character in Beautiful Boy, Ben has undoubtedly relapsed more times than this family can count, and has done things to them to feed his addiction that are unspeakable. Holly’s husband and Ben’s stepfather, Neal (Courtney B. Vance), says it best…
“If he were black he’d be in jail right now.” But this isn’t a movie about relapse. It’s not even a movie about curing Ben of his addictions. It’s a film about trust, and how somebody like Ben can possibly ever earn it back. But trust is a double-edged sword. You can trust a person will tell you the truth, but sometimes that truth isn’t what you want to accept. Ben swears he is sober and has been for weeks, but Holly and Neal demand a drug test if he’s going to stay the night. And it’s only for the night; after that he goes back to the rehab facility. Everything is tense, his motivations for being there are cloudy, and let’s just say this will be one edgy yuletide celebration.
The question constantly at play throughout Ben is Back is, “How far can we trust Ben to be truthful?” He puts on a good story; he’s clean, he insists on buying his own Christmas presents, he agrees to never be out of Holly’s sight. Ben is saying and doing all of the right things. At the same time, is Holly as blinded by love for her prodigal son as she appears to be? Answers don’t come quickly, and more questions emerge after a Christmas Eve break-in leads Ben and Holly through a dark, violent journey he’s all too comfortable with but is new to her.
“I used there. I robbed someone there”, he tells her as they revisit some of his old haunts. He’s strangely calm and accepting of the terrible things he’s done in the past. Holly looks like she doesn’t know her own son, which is probably true.
It’s a surprisingly exciting turn for the dramatic film into thriller territory, but also a welcome one. My biggest fear was this would be another morose story of heartbreaking disappointments. Ben is Back explores the devastating impact of drug addiction on a family while also being an entertaining, insightful film with pulse-quickening surprises. Roberts gives a devastating performance as a mother torn between her protective instinct and the memory of who her son used to be. As Holly, she desperately grasps for anything resembling hope. When another mom of an addict tells her, “We can’t save them, but we have to try”, it’s like a shot of adrenaline.
Roberts is thankfully free from the hysterics a role like this invites, and Hedges is equally measured in his portrayal as Ben, who is remorseful over what he’s done but accepting of the person he is now. Whether others accept it is a different story, one that Ben is Back tells with disarming honesty.
The Merc with a Mouth is back in all-ages fashion in Once Upon A Deadpool, a PG-13 version of this year’s hit, Deadpool 2! We’re happy to invite our DC readers to attend a free early screening of the film, which stars Ryan Reynolds and…Fred Savage. Fun for the whole family!?!?
SYNOPSIS: Audiences of almost all ages will soon be able to enjoy the Merc with the Mouth’s reimagining of Deadpool 2 filtered through the prism of childlike innocence. “Fox has been asking for a PG-13 basically since the start in 2006,” Ryan Reynolds told Deadline. “I’ve said no since 2006. Now, this one time, I said ‘Yes’ on two conditions. First, a portion of the proceeds had to go to charity. Second, I wanted to kidnap Fred Savage. The second condition took some explaining…” Fred Savage will join Reynolds in new scenes for ONCE UPON A DEADPOOL in an homage to Savage’s starring role in the 1987 bedtime-story classic THE PRINCESS BRIDE. Fred remarked, “while my participation in this film was anything but voluntary, I am happy to learn that Fudge Cancer will be the beneficiary of this shameless cash grab.” For every ticket sold, $1 will go to the charity Fudge Cancer – previously known as F*ck Cancer, who have graciously changed their name to be more PG-13 friendly for the 12 days of ONCE UPON A DEADPOOL’s release.
The screening takes place on Tuesday, December 11th at 7:00pm at AMC Mazza Gallerie. If you’d like to attend, simply register at the Gofobo ticketing site here. Please remember that all screenings are first come first served and having passes does not guarantee entry. Expect to arrive early to ensure receiving a seat. Enjoy the show!
Well, this is a surprise. While most of the major Oscar contenders were thought to already have their release dates set in stone, one has popped up out of nowhere. Kenneth Branagh’s Shakespeare biopic All is True has not only revealed its first trailer, but it has joined the crowded pack of December releases.
Branagh both directs and stars as William Shakespeare, but this is no standard biopic. The film centers on the legendary writer’s final years as he looks back at a career that cost him everything, including his family. Judi Dench co-stars as Shakespeare’s neglected wife Anne Hathaway, with Ian McKellen as the Earl of Southampton, who many believe is the Fair Youth of Shakespeare’s Sonnets.
Here’s the synopsis: ALL IS TRUE reveals a dramatic and little known period in the final years of William Shakespeare. Branagh is the playwright, Judi Dench is his wife Anne, and Ian McKellen plays the Earl of Southampton. The year is 1613, Shakespeare is acknowledged as the greatest writer of the age. But disaster strikes when his renowned Globe Theatre burns to the ground, and devastated, Shakespeare returns to Stratford, where he must face a troubled past and a neglected family. Haunted by the death of his only son Hamnet, he struggles to mend the broken relationships with his wife and daughters. In so doing, he is ruthlessly forced to examine his own failings as husband and father. His very personal search for the truth uncovers secrets and lies within a family at war. All Is True opens on December 21st.
This weekend will see the debut of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Far From Home trailer, but before that happens we’re getting a look at the two new costumes worn by Peter Parker. One is fairly familiar, but the second is definitely off the webbed path.
The image comes from the folks at Omelete who are on the show floor at the comic-con in Brazil where the trailer will premiere. Take a look at the suits below…
The red and blue suit looks a lot like the one he wore in Homecoming, except with a red and black color scheme. The second suit, which is all in black, looks like some kind of stealth suit, like a SWAT outfit. He looks like Beach Head from the G.I. Joe cartoons, actually. Not sure what that’s about but we can assume Spidey is going to be doing some sneaking around. Maybe that becomes necessary when dealing with a villain capable of illusion like Mysterio.
Spider-Man: Far From Home opens July 5th 2019. Look out for that trailer this Saturday.
An animated romp, this is not. Be advised, there is no cartoonish bear singing about the “Bare Necessities”, Andy Serkis’s new film is based more faithfully on the source material of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book series of stories. It’s pretty easy to forget that all of those Disney tales that kept us entertained as kids aren’t original Disney stories. Nope they are almost all based on decidedly darker morality tales from generations past when an evil witch wasn’t banished to a land without candy and rainbows, she was beheaded. What I’m trying to say here is that this isn’t a movie for young kids, 10 and up would be my suggestion. Based on Kipling’s short story collection, All the Mowgli Stories, while itself is a compilation of all of Mowgli’s adventures from his two The Jungle Book novels, Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle follows the upbringing of the boy from when he’s found as a tiny “man-cub” to his eventual seat as a leader in the jungle. It’s directed by Andy Serkis who, if you didn’t already know, is THE name in motion capture CGI performances, Gollum, Caesar from Planet of the Apes, Supreme Leader Snoke.if there’s a major CG character in a big-budget movie, he’s probably the guy playing him, needless to say the film achieves its talking animals through some pretty impressive CGI.
Mowgli is found by the black panther Bahgeera (voiced by Christian Bale) and brought to the wolf pack. There he is adopted by a wolf family and put under the protection of the pack by it’s leader, Akeela, from Shere Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch), the tiger who killed Mowgli’s mother. Mowgli grows up with the pack believing he is a wolf and finding comfort in his brother and fellow outcast Bhoot (Serkis’ son, Louis) an albino. As Mowgli grows he begins to realize he is different, and even with the teaching of the pack’s tutor, Baloo (played by Serkis himself) and advice of surrogate big brother Bagheera the differences become more clear. Meanwhile Shere Khan lurks at the edges waiting for the opportune time to finish what he started with Mowgli’s mother and passing the time by killing cattle and drawing the attention of Man. Overseeing all of this is the de facto “mother of the jungle” Kaa (Cate Blanchette) who “has seen all, past and future” and narrates our story.
Not having been a fan of the Disney version of The Jungle Book (I didn’t dislike it, just had no interest), I really had no stake in the game for this one. I did, however, go in with the idea of that movie in my head which ended up being a mistake that culminated in one of the most effective gut punches a movie has ever delivered to me. Serkis has taken the core story and stripped out the silly leaving a story about family, rejection, force of will, and the brutality of nature. I’m not trying to make this out to be some ground-breaking flick, but it was incredibly well done and kept my rapt attention throughout. The performances and motion capture technology is really where the heart of the film lies. This is what gives these animals life and makes you really accept them as you would a human with emotion and thought. If this is how PETA sees animals all of the time, then I can kind of see where their vigilance comes from. Benedict Cumberbatch’s Shere Khan is menacing and cunning, Cumberbatch may play hero more than villain these days but he’s got a voice built for evil deeds. Christian Bale’s Bagheera is really where the performances hit their apex, he may get a lot of flack for his Batman voice but as the faithful friend and protector of Mowgli he projects an entire range of emotion simply through inflection and pitch. The assistance of mo-cap adds to this translating the actors exact facial expressions through to the CG world resulting in a movie that makes you forget for a minute that, no…animals can’t really talk. It’s these performances that really set up the blow for a death reveal ¾ of the way through the movie that literally left me speechless. Let’s just say I’ll see a hunter’s “trophy wall” the same way again.
If the jungle side of the story is its strength, then its human side is unquestionably the weak spot. Mowgli is eventually banished from the pack and recovered by a nearby village where he is taking in by a British hunter (Matthew Rhys) that’s been hired to take out Shere Khan and looked over by a villager played by Frieda Pinto. The problem here is that the entire segment is done over a short period with barely a word spoken (Pinto says nothing throughout the movie). It’s basically a montage of Mowgli getting a bath, playing with the other kids in the tribe, and learning a few things from Pinto’s character and the hunter, Lockwood, after which Mowgli accepts that he is both man and wolf. I get that they didn’t really have time with what was allotted but it makes the ending feel a bit unearned. The film clocks in at just over 90 minutes, in a world where it’s hard to find a sub-2-hour movie surely they could have written in a few scenes to have this aspect of the story make more sense.
Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle is fun, exciting, heartbreaking and uplifting all at once. I’m left wanting to see where Mowgli and the pack go from here, and while the film doesn’t directly set up a sequel it’s obvious that there are more stories to tell. There is quite a bit of jungle violence and some very disturbing imagery so I’ll repeat my earlier suggestion that you don’t let the little ones watch without checking it out yourself first. The film is being released simultaneously on Netflix and in select theaters which, depending on its performance, could be the start of a new model for film release.
The awards season kicked into high gear this morning with the announcement of the 2019 Golden Globes nominations. The actual ceremony will take place on Sunday, January 6th hosted by Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg. As for the nominations, there are quite a few welcome surprises here, but for me I’ll go with Elsie Fisher and Constance Wu cracking the Best Actress Musical/Comedy field for their performances in Eighth Grade and Crazy Rich Asians, respectively. Gotta love that. Also good to see Spike Lee recognized for his direction on BlackKklansman. Maybe he won’t be so angry all the time now. Don’t hate me, Spike. Burning not making it into Best Foreign Language category? That’s a snub I don’t care much for.
Adam McKay’s political dramedy Vice led the way with 6 nominations, followed by The Favourite, Green Book, and A Star is Born with 5 each.
Here are the complete list of nominees, both for film and TV.
Best Motion Picture, Drama
Black Panther
BlacKkKlansman
Bohemian Rhapsody
If Beale Street Could Talk
A Star Is Born
Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
Crazy Rich Asians
The Favourite
Green Book
Mary Poppins Returns
Vice
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama
Glenn Close, The Wife
Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born
Nicole Kidman, Destroyer
Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Rosamund Pike, A Private War
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
Emily Blunt, Mary Poppins Returns
Olivia Colman, The Favourite
Elsie Fisher, Eighth Grade
Charlize Theron, Tully
Constance Wu, Crazy Rich Asians
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama
Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born
Willem Dafoe, At Eternity’s Gate
Lucas Hedges, Boy Erased
Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody
John David Washington, BlacKkKlansman
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Mahershala Ali, Green Book
Timothée Chalamet, Beautiful Boy
Adam Driver, BlacKkKlansman
Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Sam Rockwell, Vice
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Amy Adams, Vice
Claire Foy, First Man
Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk
Emma Stone, The Favourite
Rachel Weisz, The Favourite
Best Director, Motion Picture
Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born
Alfonso Cuarón, Roma
Peter Farrelly, Green Book
Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman
Adam McKay, Vice
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
Christian Bale, Vice
Line-Manuel Miranda, Mary Poppins Returns
Viggo Mortensen, Green Book
Robert Redford, The Old Man and the Gun
John C. Reilly, Stan & Ollie
Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series, Drama
Caitriona Balfe, Outlander
Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid’s Tale
Sandra Oh, Killing Eve
Julia Roberts, Homecoming
Keri Russell, The Americans
Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Series, Drama
Jason Bateman, Ozark
Stephan James, Homecoming
Richard Madden, Bodyguard
Billy Porter, Pose
Matthew Rhys, The Americas
Best Television Series, Drama
The Americans
Bodyguard
Homecoming
Killing Eve
Pose
Best Original Song, Motion Picture
“All the Stars,” Black Panther
“Girl in the Movies,” Dumplin’
“Requiem for a Private War,” A Private War
“Revelation,” Boy Erased
“Shallow,” A Star Is Born
Best Screenplay, Motion Picture
Alfonso Cuaron, Roma
Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara, The Favourite
Barry Jenkins, If Beale Street Could Talk
Adam McKay, Vice
Peter Farrelly, Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, Green Book
Best Original Score, Motion Picture
Marco Beltrami, A Quiet Place
Alexandre Desplat, Isle of Dogs
Ludwig Göransson, Black Panther
Justin Hurwitz, First Man
Marc Shaiman, Mary Poppins Returns
Best Motion Picture, Animated
Incredibles 2
Isle of Dogs
Mirai
Ralph Breaks the Internet
Spiderman: Into the Spider-verse
Best Motion Picture, Foreign Language
Capernaum
Girl
Never Look Away
Roma
Shoplifters
Best Television Series, Musical or Comedy
Barry
The Good Place
Kidding
The Kominsky Method
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
The Alienist
The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
Escape at Dannemora
Sharp Objects
A Very English Scandal
Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series, Musical, or Comedy
Sasha Baron Cohen, Who Is America?
Jim Carrey, Kidding
Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method
Donald Glover, Atlanta
Bill Hader, Barry
Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Antonio Banderas, Genius: Picasso
Hugh Grant, A Very English Scandal
Daniel Bruhl, The Alienist
Darren Criss, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
Benedict Cumberbatch, Patrick Melrose
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television
Alan Arkin, The Kominsky Method
Kieran Culkin, Succession
Edgar Ramirez, American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace
Ben Whishaw, A Very English Scandal
Henry Winkler, Barry
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television
Alex Bornstein, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Patricia Clarkson, Sharp Objects
Penelope Cruz, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
Thandie Newton, Westworld
Yvonne Strahovski, The Handmaid’s Tale
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Amy Adams, Sharp Objects
Patricia Arquette, Escape at Dannemora
Connie Britton, Dirty John
Laura Dern, The Tale
Regina King, Seven Seconds
Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Musical or Comedy
Kristen Bell, The Good Place
Candice Bergen, Murphy Brown
Alison Brie, GLOW
Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Debra Messing, Will & Grace
Stefano Sollima had an uphill climb following up Denis Villeneuve’s Sicario with the unlikely sequel, Day of the Soldado. But the drug war thriller did relatively well at the box office, and while it wasn’t up to the high bar set by the original, it was good enough that people want to see the trilogy wrap up. Whether Sollima comes back for that we don’t know, but we do know what he’ll be doing next, and it’s directing Michael B. Jordan in the Tom Clancy film, Without Remorse.
This story doesn’t follow the adventures of Clancy’s most popular character, Jack Ryan, as he’s busy being played by John Krasinski in an Amazon TV series. Without Remorse centers on John Clark, a tough-as-nails soldier who does whatever it takes to get the job done. He’s appeared in a handful of Jack Ryan stories, always as the guy who gets his hands dirty while Ryan is the dutiful analyst. Without Remorse is an origin story for Clark, while it’s expected the film will be followed by an adaptation of Rainbow Six, which shows him as an expert hunter of terrorists. Yeah, this is turning into another major franchise for Michael B. Jordan.
The plan is to get moving on this quickly, which is probably the right idea so Jordan doesn’t run into any scheduling conflicts. Sollima can handle the action necessary for a movie like this, even if he isn’t the most dynamic filmmaker around. The film should be in relatively good hands.
So the 21 Jump Street crossover with Men in Black is thankfully dead and buried, but plans for a female-led spinoff are moving forward. And it’s just taken a very interesting turn, as Collider reports Tiffany Haddish and Awkwafina, two of the hottest actresses in the biz today, could potentially star in the comedy.
Haddish is said to be in talks to star in the 21 Jump Street spinoff, while Awkwafina is Sony’s top choice to join her. So how is this going to work, especially given Haddish’s age? Surely she won’t be going undercover in a high school the way Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill did? Well…what if she’s playing a teacher who is also an undercover cop? That’s the plan, with Awkwafina as one of her students who is undercover, too. I can dig it. Nice twist on the familiar formula. Haddish can put that Night School experience to good use.
I’m a big fan of both Haddish and Awkwafina, although I’ll admit they can be a bit much in large doses. That said, the combination has a ton of potential, both are expert comediennes who can steal a scene like nobody’s business. Together they could be great, but it all depends on what writer/director Rodney Rothman comes up with for them. He previously worked on 22 Jump Street and knows the franchise well, and he’s currently reworking a script originally written by the writers of Broad City.
There was barely time after the credits had rolled on the final Resident Evil movie to star Milla Jojovich that a reboot set in motion. Last year we learned Aquaman and Saw director James Wan would be involved in relaunching the adaptation of the Capcom video games, and now we know it has a director in 47 Meters Down‘s Johannes Roberts.
Roberts will direct Constantin Film’s reboot of Resident Evil, which originally centered on a zombie outbreak caused by the evil Umbrella Corporation. Paul W.S. Anderson’s movies greatly expanded on that core premise, but it was to tremendous and long-running success. The franchise ended with 2016’s Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, which earned over $300M worldwide. The franchise as a whole ran for six movies and over $1.2B earned. It’s easy to see why they wanted a reboot so quickly.
The addition of Roberts isn’t exactly exciting, though. He’s a solid filmmaker and he did some good work on the shark flick 47 Meters Down. He also directed the sequel Strangers: Prey at Night, and has 47 Meters Down: The Next Chapter opening next year. Chances are he’ll blend right into these movies without leaving a recognizable fingerprint, which is kinda sad. If they’re going to bring Resident Evil back I’d like to see them go in a vastly different direction with an especially stylish filmmaker, perhaps someone unfamiliar to the genre.
There’s also no mention of Wan in Variety‘s story, so who knows if he’s still involved. I assume we’ll find out soon.
