I’m a total shill for anything Alien/Predator, and will readily admit that even the first AvP movie wasn’t without it’s merits. That being said I was concerned when I first heard that they were rebooting/sequelizing the ultimate hunter yet again. Shane Black’s (Lethal Weapon, Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang) inclusion left my even more confused, while I’m a HUGE fan of Black I wasn’t sure how his humor would fit into the action…I desperately want a serious bad-ass Predator film, so I held some reservations. Each trailer got me a little more hyped with the pinnacle coming this morning when the final ‘Red-Band’ trailer hit. While everyone’s obvious favorite is the orignal 1987 film I always had a special place for Predator 2, this was the flick that introduced the lore and armory of unique weapons to the Predator mythos, this new remake looks to incorporate both of those films with the large action sets of the original and the background story of it’s sequel. This final trailer gives us a little more of the “ultimate” predator and his hunting dogs and a whole lot more of the violence and weaponry used implemented by the big guy(s). While I’m still not really feeling the humor aspect (Kegan Micheal-Key I’m looking at you!) everything else is setting me up for my new favorite entry in the series. Check out the trailer below courtesy of MovieClips.com!
Boarding School is a horror movie starring Luke Prael, Sterling Jerins, Will Patton, and Tammy Blanchard about a young, outsider named Jacob (Prael) who is sent to a boarding school for misfits where he uncovers dark secrets about the institution and the people who run it.
The thing that this movie has going for it above all else is its unconventionality. They take stories that we’ve come to know, those revolving around misfits and boarding schools, and add a nice spin of unpredictability to it that is refreshing. As things begin to unfold you think that you have everything figured out; it’s this creepy boarding school with sinister motivations for its inhabitants, but it’s also more than that.
I also found the performances from everyone involved to be commendable. A good chunk of the movie centers around these young, misfit characters. I think that it could’ve been really for these young actors to be too over the top with their characters to the point where it comes off cartoonish, but I think that they all did a great job of grounding themselves especially Sterling Jerins who plays The Bad Seed-influenced and psychotic Christine.
Where I believe this movie does flounder is in its sub-plot surrounding Jake’s grandmother. In the beginning of the story we find out that his grandmother, whom he has never met, has died. One afternoon while he’s alone, he starts going through his grandmother’s belongings: playing old records, trying on her clothes, and looking through old photographs.
What it feels as though they are attempting to propose with this story initially is that she is haunting him and that there is this unspoken, eerie, and familial connection between the two. Other than the wrap-up at the end I felt like that sub-plot’s connection to the larger plot could’ve been tied together better, the whole thing just felt incredibly underutilized.
There was also this sense of ambiguity that surrounded Jake’s gender expression that while I can see some considering it to be another flaw of the film, I didn’t necessarily have a problem with. While it would’ve been nice to see it explored more, I also think that it makes sense as to why it isn’t. Jake’s expression of gender norms is something that, while I’m sure he has had thoughts about before, we can at the very least assume he hasn’t really explored it in the way that he is now at this point in his life; he’s attempting to make sense out of all of it, and in Jake’s attempt at understanding what he is instantly drawn to there isn’t going to be this definitive judgment or answer to the questions that it raises.
This was a movie that definitely exceeded my expectations. Though, I felt like the horror element could’ve been played up more, overall this was a fun watch that kept me guessing from beginning to end.
When we look back at the memorable performances of 2018, one that’s sure to rank high on the list is Elsie Fisher’s star-making role in Eighth Grade. Before that she had been known best for voicing Agnes in two Despicable Me movies. Now she’s set to join a different animated film, MGM’s The Addams Family, which already has Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloe Grace Moretz, Finn Wolfhard, Nick Kroll, Bette Midler, and Allison Janney on board. The film is based on the Charles Addams cartoons, which were adapted into a popular TV series and live-action films. Isaac is voicing Gomez, patriarch of the creepy and kooky family, with Theron as his wife, Morticia. Moretz is their daughter, Wednesday; Wolfhard voices their son, Pugsley; Midler as Grandmama, and Janney as nemesis Margeaux Needler. Fisher is set to play Margeaux’s daughter, Parker. The Addams Family will be directed by Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan (Sausage Party), and open on October 18th 2019. [THR]
Doctor Sleep, the adaptation of Stephen King’s sequel to The Shining, has added rising star Kyliegh Curran in the key role of Abra “Abby” Rafaella Stone, the granddaughter of Jack Torrance and the niece of Danny Torrance. Abra is found to have powerful psychic abilities, predicting the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks. It also makes her a target of the True Knot and Rose the Hat, who think her powers can cure them from a terrible disease. Curran earned praise for her Broadway role as young Nala in The Lion King, but this is her biggest screen role to date. She joins Ewan McGregor and Rebecca Ferguson in the Mike Flanagan-directed film, which opens on January 24th 2020. [Deadline]
When it first premiered earlier this year at Sundance, it had critics’ hearts, describing it as one of the best films of the year and a Puerto Rican version of Moonlight, as it was showing you the ideas of family, suffering, and sexuality through the eyes of a trio of brothers in rural upstate New York during the 80s. We The Animals is a very intriguing one.
Based on author Justin Torres’ semi-autobiographical novel, the film focuses on a trio of brothers who’s life, to say the least, is quite hectic. Their parents aren’t going to win any awards for their parenting style. The father, Paps (Raul Castillo), and mother Ma (Sheila Vand) have a volatile relationship. They are loving and try to work it out, when Paps isn’t blackening her eyes and leaving her with the kids for an extended period of time. When Paps isn’t there, Ma doesn’t know what to do. She doesn’t work, she doesn’t shop for food. This forces Joel (Josiah Gabriel), Manny (Isaiah Kristian), and youngest brother Jonah (Evan Rosado) to fend for themselves. As a result, the brothers form a tight-knit bond with each other.
While we get to know Joel and Manny, most of our time is spent with Jonah as he’s not only the youngest, but he also goes into his own isolation away from the family to deal with the trauma their parents are inflicting on them. Joel and Manny seem to have the same hard edge their father has, but Joel has a more sensitive side. There’s a moment where he talks with Ma and she tells him she doesn’t want him to grow up to be ten years old, instead just be “nine plus” years old, remaining her baby boy, so that he doesn’t turn out like his angry father.
Through their many time spent to fend for themselves, they resolve to rob a convenience store and steal from a farm just to be able to feed themselves. One farmer takes pity on the young boys and feeds them. There they befriend the farmer’s son, who introduces the young men to adult film. While Joel and Manny don’t mind looking at the pornos, Jonah is discovering an is own sexuality, one that he must keep to himself.
We The Animals doesn’t operate in a linear fashion, instead moves from moment to moment, more like a dream, showing images while Jonah narrates key moments of his life. Visually, the film is amazing, which one could expect from director Jeremiah Zagar, who is known more for documentaries rather than feature films. The film showcases breathtaking Upstate New York scenery, and beautiful cinematography. The animation from Jonah writing drawing in his personal journal is very unique and gives us a surreal viewpoint to the mind of the young ten-year-old. At the same time, the film doesn’t really get to the meat of the subject until the third act of the film. More attention is given to the dysfunctional family drama, rather than Jonah learning and wanting to explore his sexuality, which dominates the story once comes to fruition. The family drama seems to disappear to focus on Jonah after a while.
Even still, the film is a dynamic, visually impressive coming of age film. Having is focus almost exclusively on the young trio of brothers is a big gamble. The casting of Josiah Gabriel, Isaiah Kristian, and especially Evan Rosado was great as they acted flawlessly, carrying the whole movie. The three child actors give authentic performances (and we all know when bad kids act, it can distract a movie to death) that elevate the film.
If you thought the “Fuck Batman” trailer for DC Universe’s Titans series looked awful, at least you won’t have to wait long to see what else it has to offer. The streaming service has been officially announced to launch on September 15th, ironic because it’s actually Batman Day. “Fuck Batman”, indeed. Does Robin have his own holiday? No. No, he doesn’t.
The reveal was made during the first episode of DC Daily, a new DC entertainment news talk show that will include a revolving lineup of hosts including Harley Quinn Smith (why??), Arrow’s John Barrowman, Samm Levine, and more. The first episode was hosted by DC super nerd, Kevin Smith.
Titans will make its debut on October 12th, and a batch of new images featuring Robin, Beast Boy, Starfire, and Raven were released which look like they were filtered through a game of Silent Hill. Seriously, why are these so grim and haunting?
Fans will also get the third season of the animated series, Young Justice: Outsiders, and there’s a new clip which shows Nightwing, literally the same Dick Grayson in Titans, but with a much better attitude and half as scary. Subscribers will also get the James Wan-produced Swamp Thing series, a Harley Quinn animated series, Doom Patrol, plus classics like Lois & Clark: The Adventures of Superman, the Christopher Reeve Supeman films,the original Wonder Woman, and Batman: The Animated Series.
A group of grad students conducting an experiment to find a way to negate the need for sleep permanently…that’s like, the total opposite of what was going on when I was in college. Now, an experiment to find a way to sleep more without consequence, that’s a trial I can believe in!
Sleep No More or 200 Hours: Sleep No More depending on the release you read, is a new horror film starring upcoming scream queen Brea Grant (Dexter, Halloween II) that revolves around a group of students who have come upon the hypothesis that once you survive 200 hours without sleeping your body adjusts and you never need sleep to function again. It sounds pretty out there, but here’s the thing, it’s WELL documented the bat shit crazy things that start to happen to the human mind after even 36 hours without sleep, auditory/visual hallucinations and psychosis is just the start so to see what these guys come up with rounding hour 100 and more should be interesting. The film’s got the other hook of not knowing whether everything is in the heads of those in the study or not, logic says it is but it would be a neat twist to throw some mythology into it with sleep demons or something along those lines. The trailer does give off a lower-grade B-movie feel but in the horror world that’s definitely not a bad thing. The visuals, which will carry the film, seem to be tense and insanely atmospheric and the mood is understandably tense. If the complete movie can carry this throughout we may just be in for a memorable addition to the horror genre.
Maybe I’m mistaken, it’s been known to happen, but I don’t think documentary Tea with the Dames was targeted at guys like me. That said, is there anybody in the world who wouldn’t want to have tea and an afternoon chat with famous British actresses Judi Dench, Eileen Atkins, Maggie Smith, and Joan Plowright? Speaking of tea, these ladies spill plenty of it while discussing their legendary careers, scandalous personal lives, and what it means to grow old in the industry.
“Fuck off, Roger”, shouts Dench at director Roger Michell (Hyde Park on Hudson), when he suggests they talk about their ages. “That’s an awful angle, it’s not fair to old ladies”, says Plowright while Smith asks the poor cinematographer if this is his first day. There are probably worse things than coming to work and being harassed by a bunch of screen legends, and at least they do it in a typically polite British way.
While they are all well into their 80s at this point, this trailer shows the energy and vitality they still possess. That tea isn’t going to hold these ladies for long, better break out the champagne.
Crazy Rich Asians’ battle of old money vs. new will continue, albeit in a way nobody expected. Two of the hit film’s stars, Michelle Yeoh and the red-hot Awkwafina, are reuniting on a very different film, one that will see them directed by the Swiss Army Man duo known collectively as Daniels.
Yeoh and Awkwafina will star in Everything Everywhere All At Once, a sci-fi action film that, if the bizarre Swiss Army Man is any indication, will be as far from Crazy Rich Asians as they could possibly get. Here’s the info courtesy of Deadline:
Their very first major deal was to buy the next film by the directing team known as The Daniels — Dan Kwan & Daniel Scheinert — after seeing their offbeat directing debut Swiss Army Man. That project, an inter-dimension action film, now has a title, Everything Everywhere All At Once, with talks underway with Awkwafina and Michelle Yeoh, both coming off the hit Crazy Rich Asians, for a spring start.
I wasn’t a huge fan of Swiss Army Man, finding it to be pointlessly weird despite the game performance by Daniel Radcliffe as a magical corpse. Daniels, aka Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, have a unique visual eye and a twisted sense of humor that could be very interesting through the talents of Yeoh and Awkwafina. Can’t wait to see how this develops, and hopefully we get more details soon.
Well, it looks like that “break” Woody Allen was going to take will start…oh, right now. As speculated just yesterday, the legendary director’s next film, A Rainy Day in New York, has been shelved by Amazon Studios indefinitely.
This always seemed like the logical scenario, although there remained some chance Amazon would quietly release it later this year. The film has been under heavy scrutiny of late since past allegations of sexual abuse have resurfaced to hound the director. As usual, the cast for this was great with Timothee Chalamet, Elle Fanning, Selena Gomez, Jude Law, and more on board, but some who were involved have come to regret working with Allen. Chalamet, Hall, Gomez and co-star Griffin Newman have each spoken out against him and donated their salaries to Time’s Up.
The backlash has been devastating, and recent reports are that Allen is unable to find backing for any further projects, not to mention that actors are hesitant to work with him. The overall deal he struck with Amazon has proven to be less than benficial, as well. So far it’s produced the dreadful series Crisis in Six Scenes and last year’s disappointing drama Wonder Wheel, and clearly Amazon has decided the time is now to cut their losses and move on. [PageSix]
The Russo Brothers are on the verge of making their exit from the MCU after Avengers 4, and after that they basically could have written their own ticket. Instead they’ve chosen to launch their own studio, AGBO, and have already made a number of power moves that will set them up for a few years, including their next directorial effort, a post-Iraq War film titled Cherry. But they also are throwing their weight around as producers, and the next film they’ll back is a Netflix film that will reteam them with a familiar face, the mighty Thor himself, Chris Hemsworth.
Hemsworth will star in Dhaka, an action film produced by the Russos and directed by someone you may not have heard of, Sam Hargrave. While his name may be unfamiliar, Hargrave has been alongside the Russos’ Marvel ventures from the beginning, starting off as Chris Evans’ stunt double in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. He then moved over to ‘Civil War‘ as a stunt and fight coordinator, then did second unit directing on Avengers: Infinity War. Movin’ up the food chain, right?
Joe Russo wrote the Dhaka script, and it follows a good man who must liberate a kidnapped Indian boy being held in Dhaka, but to do it he’ll have to get over his personal insecurities and come to grips with his identity.
While they may be exiting Marvel, the Russos are keeping close tabs on their Avenger pals. Their studio is also backing 17 Bridges, a film starring Black Panther‘s Chadwick Boseman. [Deadline]
