John’s Take: ‘Justice League’

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November 17, 2017

“I need a hero, I’m holding out for a hero ’til the end of the night”
-Bonnie Tyler

Full disclosure, I just always wanted to write something that started with a song lyric in quotes…it just seems so classy. The DCEU has been a roller-coaster of expectation and delivery. I should be up front and say I loved Man of Steel, thought Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice was far better then people give it credit for and, obviously adored Wonder Woman. My feelings toward the universe are not, well, universal and most people thus far have really only expressed a lasting like for the Amazonian. Yet, every time the world at large gets super excited when the trailer drops and eventually let down when the movie premiers. Needless to say, no matter how amazing the pre-release stuff looked, a lot of people questioned whether the end result would be what was promised. Well, the league has been united and we have a firm answer of whether it lives up to the hype, and that answer is “..uhhhh, kinda?” We arrive back in the DC Universe shortly after the events of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. Superman is gone, and the world is in mourning. Batman (Ben Affleck), while patrolling Gotham, has found winged creatures who leave a distinctive “three box” symbol when they are destroyed…a symbol that was found replicated across documentation recovered from Lex Luthor and revealed to be “mother boxes”, cosmic power that gives the possessor ultimate power when united. It becomes apparent that a global threat is imminent, so Bruce Wayne sets off to assemble a team strong enough to combat it. Armed with the research confiscated from Luthor, the help of new super-friend Diana Prince (Gal Gadot), and the example impressed on him by the late Superman (Henry Cavill) Bruce must convince the three recruits, Barry “The Flash” Allen (Ezra Miller), Arthur “Aquaman” Curry (Jason Mamoa), and Victor “Cyborg” Stone (Ray Fisher) to join forces and fight as one to save the planet from Steppenwolf who intends to unite the mother boxes and create the “unity” and turn our world into a hellish landscape.

They are ALMOST there. It feels like they took a giant leap forward with Wonder Woman then a few steps back on this one. I really think Zack Snyder gets more hate then he deserves but it’s hard to argue that his influence is what’s holding these film’s back after seeing what Patti Jenkins did with Wonder Woman. It’s hard to know for sure what Joss Whedon’s influence over the film amounted to but I think it’s safe to say most of what ended up being extremely likeable about the film came from him. The biggest takeaway from the film is that they finally got Superman right in the end. He has become that smiling beacon of hope that he was always meant to be. The most important thing about that is that it shines through that Henry Cavill is a near perfect Superman when given the right material. He has the ability to be a hyper-intimidating demigod and a caring savior at the same time. The future is bright for the Man of Steel and if there was ever a resume worthy of a job it was what Whedon did with big blue in this film. The entire league for that matter is exceedingly great. Aquaman’s tough biker schtick just works and the guy shows that his charisma can rival Dwayne Johnson’s. Gal Gadot is just as perfect as ever and Ezra Miller, though he toes the line of being annoying, is great as a wide-eyed wisecracking Barry Allen (though Grant Gustin is still my #1). My favorite sequence came in the opening scenes when we first check in with the Dark Knight. Sure, the Nolan trilogy was great, but it wasn’t really comic-book fare. It was a comic book scenario adapted for the real world. Our introduction to Batman and the parademon’s showcases what a REAL comic-book Batman would look like on the big screen. Coincidentally this sequence also highlights that Zack Snyder can blow past expectations when he’s given the right topic to work on. Not only do we get some looks at detective Batman, something that surprisingly has been underplayed in almost ALL previous Batman outings. Snyder creates an environment that looks reminiscent of Tim Burton’s take with a more animated look to it. They only way to really describe it is that it looks ripped directly from a copy of Detective Comics. My favorite little touch of the movie comes thanks to Danny Elfman’s score which includes notes from the original Batman theme from the 1989 Burton film. It’s just perfect, if Snyder is to stay on in the DCEU it should be as director or at least visual consultant for The Batman, any detractors need to see this sequence first THEN tell me I’m wrong. The biggest surprise of the film had to be Ray Fisher’s Cyborg. The pre-release materials gave us every reason to believe he would be A) the most boring member of the league and B) the worst looking. That wasn’t entirely wrong, he is a studious computer like character…but hey he IS part computer after all, and yes when he’s full body Cyborg it does look bad BUT there was more to it then that. Fisher is pitch perfect in the part balancing out the dichotomy between programmed machine and emotionally broken man. He really projects the alienation and despair behind that one red eye. Now for the look, admittedly it does not look good in a full body shot, now that being said he spends most of the movie in a hoodie and sweatpants, it may sound silly but when his head is all that is visible it looks completely believable and real. I think it has something to do with how much detail they put into the body but when it’s kept simple it looks awesome. That’s about the only good thing I can say about the CGI which brings me to…….

The bad stuff and yes you KNEW there would be some. No one turns around a franchise completely with all of the same cooks in the kitchen. The most egregious of these issues is the CGI. We live in a world where proper CGI is a staple of good storytelling, if it looks bad or fake you are going to be pulled right out of the story. I don’t know why the DCCU hasn’t realized this yet, I mean after the crap show that was Doomsday in BvS my first order of business would be to find whoever does Marvel’s CGI and put them on retainer no matter what the cost. From the looks of things, they did exactly the opposite. Oddly the Para-demons look pretty good, but they totally dropped the ball on the two biggest subjects, the environment and the big bad. Steppenwolf looks completely unrealistic, like he was made out of Play-Doh by a less than advanced 5-year-old, unrealistic. On top of that background and set scenes really stick out as computer generated, the red sky look you undoubtedly noticed in the trailer sticks out as one such scene. In a way it’s cool because it makes it seem more comic-book like but in a world where Marvel can make you feel a movie about a Norse demi-god and irradiated green monster fighting may be real it seems like DC can do better. My biggest gripe is rather spoilery so I’ll try and keep it vague. I’m sure it’s no surprise to anyone that Superman does indeed return, but it’s how he returns that I want to talk about. The way it’s handled not only takes away from Superman’s God-like qualities, but it also is terribly dark and macabre. I literally could not believe the place they took it and right up until the events were happening I thought they were going to take it another way. To add insult to injury the end of BvS alluded to the fact that he was never really gone in the first place, what with the dirt rising up from his coffin. There were a lot of ways they could have handled it and, in my opinion, they managed to find the worst one.

An unqualified success? Not quite, but a vast improvement over the previous films (save for Wonder Woman of course). The ground work has been laid for what can be a very successful string of solo films in the future. There’s no weak link when it comes to the heroes themselves, assuming they can fix Cyborg’s look. Superman is back to the iconic smiling beacon of hope we all know and love, Batman is showing signs of the one angle we’ve never really seen fleshed out as the world’s greatest detective. Wonder Woman didn’t change and that’s high praise considering the amazing job they’ve done with her since moment 1. The Flash will never live up to the CWTV version but that was an impossible task anyway, what we have now is a slightly different take with the sarcasm turned to 11 and all of the important pieces in place. Aquaman is primed with a much-needed top-down makeover and a solid backstory lead in, and Cyborg…again, assuming they can fix the look, stands to be one of the more emotionally gripping heroes in comic-bookdom. This is all to say, quite simply, that some people will find the issues and pull on them, crying from the rooftops that the movie is horrible but they are, quite simply, wrong. The flick is fun, action-packed, and at exactly 2 hours long is paced perfectly, not slowing down from the opening gates. Are Marvel and DC on level ground now? No, not at all, but there is a glimmer of promise in the future of DC film that isn’t totally comprised of Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman.

4 Out of 5 Pointy Eared Cowls

Review: ‘Destined’ Starring Cory Hardrict, Hill Harper, & La La Anthony

By

John Nolan

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November 17, 2017

Destined, a story that looks at the effects that one action can have on the lives of various people, starring Cory Hardcit, Jesse Metcalfe, Robert Christopher Riley, Margot Bingham, and Hill Harper wasn’t a particularly horrible movie, but it wasn’t great either. In the very beginning there was a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson that was plastered on a completely black screen that read “the only person that you are destined to become is the person you decide to be” right before the start of the movie. From the statement (and in the title alone) I assumed that this movie would dive deeper into conversations surrounding the idea or philosophical debate about choice vs destiny and how whether choice really means anything in this world especially if you hold that idea up to something like say, fate.

I did pick up on the subtle message that sometimes you can’t outrun the inevitable even if you do or try do everything right. However, when it came to actually exploring that message the movie suffered greatly especially seeing as though there are essentially two different stories within one movie. I felt like with one perspective this message was somewhat transparent, but with the other perspective it was completely opaque. I would have to say that the exploration, or lack thereof, of a philosophical conversation that it is clear that the filmmakers were trying to start is the movie’s biggest downfall.

There’s also the problem of the quote and how it doesn’t really seem to match with the plot of the story. What I get from that quote is that Emerson is trying to say that these ideas of destiny or fate are not linked to some outside force that can affect an individual, but that they are instead intrinsically linked to a person’s own autonomous actions; so, essentially they’re future is dependent on what they are doing through the action of the now.

When you hold that idea up to the storyline of the movie things become bit confusing. In the very beginning we see the tapering off of timelines happen with one outcome where a young Rasheed (Hardict) is caught by cops that he was trying to sell drugs to after he unluckily trips and another where “Sheed” (still Rasheed, he just goes by a different name in this alternate universe) is able to successfully evade capture. Rasheed being captured leads to a series of events where he is now a semi-successful, blue collar, architect that faces a moral dilemma that revolves around choosing a career vs. choosing the community that he grew up in. Sheed, escaping capturing, leads to a series of events where he is now the Jefe of his own drug business and a conflicted criminal that never really integrated into the larger society.

The difference in outcomes for Rasheed’s life was solely affected by a literal misstep, his falling while running away from the cops is what changed everything. Yet, when you take into account the quote that is shown to us before the movie even begins and how it is telling us the complete opposite of what we’re shown, we’re left scratching our heads, wondering which side we’re meant to take. Also, the unfolding of both stories doesn’t really help to answer that question either.

Not just that, you’ll also see how every other character that is around Rasheed has a change in lifestyle because of what happened to him. When Rasheed is successful, so is everyone else. When Sheed stays in that negative environment, so does everyone else; their lives are shit too. Now, perhaps what the filmmakers are trying to say is that our destinies are inherently linked and how your actions can create a ripple, a kind of butterfly effect on everyone else around you. That makes sense, but doesn’t that very idea go against the stance that is posited in the first few seconds of the movie and how their own individual choices affect their future? Maybe I’m missing something here and if that’s the case, then I would love for someone to point it out to me, but until then I guess I’ll just sit here in my state of confusion.

There were also characters that were grossly under used making their presence in one or both of storylines pretty irrelevant. You could tell that some characters were placed into either storyline for continuity purposes where because they were in one story, the filmmakers had to figure out a way to fit them into the other, alternative storyline to show just how forceful one rip in the timeline can be for future outcomes. I also think that exploring certain ideas, including ones that became a part of a “I didn’t think that this could’ve been a possibility” plot twist, could’ve helped to bring in a bit more of the emotion and just overall understanding of the story that the filmmakers were going for.

For the sake of not sounding like a total hater and actual movie critic, heavy on the “critic,” there were some things that I did like about the movie – even though “like” in this case is the operative word, I guess “did not hate” would be better. The transitions between the alternating storylines weren’t horrible. I didn’t find myself confused (though this is more so due to the fact that the two different storylines were represented by two different colors – Rasheed’s in blue and Sheed’s in yellow – a choice that I applaud) as to what was going on or completely in awe at how horrible they were *cough* Shot *cough*. I also, think Cory Hardict did a decent job in playing two different characters, with the Sheed character coming across as a bit more captivating.

Seeing as though this movie was told through two different storylines, the filmmakers could only do but so much. I thank with the runtime (at a little more than 80 minutes) that they decided to go with, they did… ok. Had it been 20 mins longer I do think that certain flaws could’ve been turned around, but they worked with what they had and I suppose that that counts for something.

Destined releases in theaters November 17, 2017.

Rating: 2.5 out 5

Michelle Williams May Join Benedict Cumberbatch & Jake Gyllenhaal In ‘Let It Fall Back’

By

John Nolan

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November 17, 2017

As Luca Guadagnino’s summer romance Call Me By Your Name appears to be the belle of the ball this awards season, the director is already gearing up for his next film. Previously titled Rio but newly retitled Let It Fall Back, the film looks to add Michelle Williams to a cast that already has Benedict Cumberbatch and Jake Gyllenhaal.

Williams is in talks for the film’s female lead, marking a reunion for her with Gyllenhaal, who she co-starred with in Brokeback Mountain. Penned by Steven Knight, Let It Fall Back centers on a financial journalist who travels to Rio de Janiero to visit a wealthy friend, only to get wrapped up in a plot to fake his friend’s death. Details on Williams’ role are unclear at this point.

Next up for Williams are a bunch of reshoots on Ridley Scott’s All the Money in the World, which has the potential to thrust her back into the Oscars race. She can be seen right now in Todd Haynes’ Wonderstruck.

Review: ‘Almost Friends’ Starring Freddie Highmore And Odeya Rush

By

John Nolan

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November 17, 2017

We’ve all been, or are currently, that 20-something that is completely lost in life, not knowing which way is up or which way is down, searching for that sign or answers to questions like; “What am I doing in life?” Will I ever get out of my current shitty situation?” “Why am I my own worst enemy?” When I started watching the movie Almost Friends, starring Freddie Highmore, Odeya Rush, Haley Joel Osment, Christopher Meloni, and Marg Helgenberger; I thought, “cool, a story that I can really relate to,” but it turns out that I was sadly mistaken. Fairly quickly into my viewing I could tell that this movie wouldn’t be the identifiable and meaningful piece of cinema that I had anticipated.

Right off the bat any kind of empathy that the viewer could muster up for Charlie (Highmore); a 20-something, post-grad with great potential to be the next Emeril Lagasse; but because he’s physically stuck living at home, working a dead end job at a movie theater and also mentally and emotionally stuck in life period; is immediately put to rest when ages are taken into account. Charlie, like I said is a “20-something, POST-grad,” while Amber (Rush), his love interest in the movie, is a HIGH SCHOOL senior.

Granted, it is never specified whether Amber has officially graduated yet (seeing as though one of the storylines about her character is that she is going to NYU in the fall) or if she’s still under the age of 18. With that being said, I just couldn’t get past the fact that someone thought that having a pre-college girl and post-college man be each other’s love interest was a good idea.

I don’t think that having Amber be a little older would have hurt the story in any way. Although, some things may have had to have been changed, it’s not as if had the filmmakers made those changes that the story would have just fallen apart. Now, I know that this may not even be something that the typical viewer may really think twice or even care about while they are watching this movie because their ages are so glossed over and you’re never really ever visually reminded about Amber’s young age (save for that one time that Charlie decides to show up at one of Amber’s boyfriend’s track meets at what I can only assume is a high school track). However, once you realize this it’s something that (I think) is pretty hard to ignore. When I realized this it was pretty much the only thing that I could really focus on whenever I saw the two of the them on screen together; it was just really weird to me.

Maybe I am making a bigger deal out of than I should (although, I don’t think that I am, I just put that in there because I’m sure someone’ll think that), but I just really didn’t appreciate the choice to have two different characters, in two different age brackets and stages of life fall for one another when that didn’t have to be the case.

In terms of other flaws that I noticed, the movie seemed to suffer from a lack of knowledge of the age of technique of “show don’t tell.” There were a few instances where showing what was wrong with a character instead of just telling us about their problems could and would have gone a long way for the story at hand. For example, it is made known to us that when Charlie was younger he was a pretty good chef, so good that he came in 2nd place at a cooking competition and could have made a thriving career out of it.

Now, in Charlie’s defense because in his current life he is at such a crossroads leading him to feeling disillusioned with the things that once brought him great joy and purpose, I think that by perhaps choosing to show flashbacks of happier times when he was cooking to juxtapose his boring and meaningless current existence and/or showing him attempting to find that magic again but ultimately falling short because of x, y, or z could have driven that point, of him being disillusioned with life, home a lot better; instead of just telling us that he participated in a cooking competition and that he’s randomly cooking dinner one night for the family.

There were also other instances where they would show to us or imply something without ever really exploring the idea or really backing it up. With Amber, one of the main conflicts that her character experiences is that of a bit of a love triangle. Her four year relationship that she has had with Brad is suddenly put to the test when she foolishly decides to entertain Charlie, even though it is apparent from the beginning that he likes her.

In the same way that there was failed empathy for Charlie, this is pretty much the case with Amber because we never really understand why is it that her current boyfriend is no longer satisfying her outside of the implied “well she’s just young and dumb” and her explicitly stating something along the lines of how she doesn’t know what she wants anymore. The latter could have worked for the story and her character had this been explored throughout the movie, but it’s not, so it doesn’t.

There was also the introduction of characters that were really unnecessary to the overall plot. Jack, Amber’s deadbeat cousin, and Howard (Meloni), Charlie’s deadbeat father, were so irrelevant to the story that the existence of their characters really just came across as something that added to the contrived feel that was felt throughout the entire movie. There were scenes in the movie that felt like they were just inserted for the sake of emotion and nothing else. It felt as if the writers, when going over the movie, looked at the script and said “ok, we need some kind of climatic moment here;” “we need tears here;” “we need anger and yelling here;” instead of it all connecting and allowing for the story to unravel before them; essentially letting it write itself, making it feel all the more authentic.

This movie could have been decent, but unfortunately it lacks in real substance and in any real direction. The acting was ok, but it wasn’t enough to really save this movie. Had they thought the story through a little more and actually really explored the trials and tribulations that we all go through when we realize that we don’t have it all figured out, it could’ve been a great testimony and survival guide for anyone that is now or will find themselves in that same predicament.

Almost Friends releases in theaters November 17, 2017

Rating: 2 out of 5

Review: ‘The Star’ Tells The Christmas Story From A Different (And Unusual) Take

By

John Nolan

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November 17, 2017

As we roll on towards the Holiday season, everyone gets their annual refresher about the birth of baby Jesus, for who we Christians (and those who just want presents) celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior. Most people know this story by heart as it’s ingrained in our faith and our culture. However, most of us know the story from the biblical or academic perspective. For some in today’s need-to-be-flashy-and-entertaining culture, the OG story may seem somewhat stale. How do you go and tell the story of Jesus’ birth in a way that is entertaining and somewhat informative? Why you can always have some talking animals to liven it up.

Sony Pictures Animation tells the Nativity Story through the eyes of the animals that were there in The Star. While Mary and Joseph to play a role in this tale, they operate as supporting members of this very large (and very famous) ensemble of all sorts of animals as they all try and follow “The Star” and make it to Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus Christ. Timothy Reckart, fresh off his Academy Award for Head over Heels puts together an extensive cast including: Steven Yeun, Gina Rodriguez, Zachary Levi, Keegan-Michael Key, Kelly Clarkson, Patricia Heaton, Kristin Chenoweth, Tracy Morgan, Tyler Perry, Oprah Winfrey, Kris Kristofferson, Christopher Plummer, Ving Rhames, Gabriel Iglesias, Delilah and Mariah Carey for this animated film.

While the trailers have made you think that we were going to focus on three camels (Tracy Morgan, Tyler Perry, and Oprah Winfrey), we spend the most of our time with Bo the donkey (Steven Yeun) and Dave the dove (Keegan-Michael Key), who want something more out of their lives than as servant animals, they want to march in the roman caravan. When Mary (Gina Rodriguez) is visited by an angel telling her that she will birth the baby Jesus in 9 months, a star shoots across the sky, kickstarting the adventure for many animals including Bo, Dave, the camels, and Ruth the sheep (Aidy Bryant). After escaping his menial life as a wheat miller, Bo injures his leg and ends in the care of Mary, just as she tells Joseph that she is pregnant with the son of God. Meanwhile, King Herod (Christopher Plummer) is nervous of the new “King of Kings” that will be born and dispatches his lieutenant and his two attack dogs (Ving Rhames and Gabriel Iglesias) to find Mary and Joseph.

The animation for The Star is done very well. As expected from a Sony Animation film, the CGI works well as it would in any of their other well-made films like the Hotel Transylvania or the Smurfs and their sequels. The film itself is a little more to be desired. While the The Star sticks to its Christian roots, to the point you will probably want to pull out your bible or go to Sunday school to make sure you remember everything and everyone’s names the way it was in the film (they put a large disclaimer at the end of the film that significant liberties were taken). The film isn’t 100% sure if it wants to be a Christian history lesson, or just a fun kids animation complete with poop and fart jokes. Some of the jokes work, others fall flat. One running joke that works until they run it into the ground is the fact that the humans can’t understand the animals. While it’s refreshing that in an animated movie, there is a separation between humans and animals talking (see: any Disney movie from the last 50 years), the joke wears thin after the third time its tried.

The film does have great moments when it comes to friendship, destiny, and doing the right thing. The character who goes on the hero’s journey is Bo as he’s the first animal we see and therefore the audience avatar. Bo wants to do one thing with his life and throughout the film, he gets to really understand who he is and what he wants to do, giving his significant character development compared to the rest of the uniquely large cast. His buddy Dave seems like he’s just along for the ride, but their friendship gives him (excuse the pun) wings.

Because this film is aggressively Christian (and doesn’t care to hide it at all), the soundtrack is full of all sorts of gospel singers. Unlike most animated films, the main characters don’t do the singing. When the film breaks into musical interludes, we get to hear Kirk Franklin, Yolanda Adams, Pentatonix, and Casting Crowns to name a few. The main song “The Star” is sung by Mariah Carey, cause, well, it’s Christmas time, and you know Mariah’s gonna have a Christmas song.

The Star is made primarily for its core audience, and will have no problem making its budget back as many folks can easily go to the theaters after church. In fact, don’t be surprised if many churches bus their parishioners after service to go and see this movie. Secular people can enjoy the film too. It’s very Christian, but it doesn’t beat you over the head with its messages, and the themes are relatable no matter what religion you are.

Rating: 3 out of 5

‘Flashpoint’ Could Be A Turning Point For Batman As Well As The Flash

By

John Nolan

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November 17, 2017

There’s always more room for “Flashpoint”, apparently. The major DC Comics storyline has been adapted twice already, once on The CW’s TV version of The Flash, and again in the animated movie The Flashpoint Paradox. The premise is wide-ranging and sweeping every time, with Flash basically creating an entirely new alternate universe with some dramatic changes to the status quo. So it was a little surprising at Comic-Con when Flash’s solo movie was revealed to have Flashpoint as its title, but with it comes an opportunity to fundamentally change the DCEU.

Ezra Miller, whose Flash I think will be the breakout star of Justice League, hasn’t seen a Flashpoint script yet, but he recognizes the implications of that title. He tells EW…

“What fans understand when they hear Flashpoint, would be almost like hearing a word like ‘Crisis.’ We start to understand that our precious DC universe will inevitably be torn asunder to an endless, headache-inducing fabric of multiversality. The DC Hyper-Extended Multiverse, as I plan to call it. Quote me!”

He’s referring to the seminal crossover “Crisis On Infinite Earths”, the industry standard for company-wide reboots. It’s true, whenever the word “crisis” is used in reference to DC Comics, fans know something huge is going down.

While Miller’s comments are interesting by themselves, it’s DC Films’ Geoff Johns, who happens to be the writer of the original Flashpoint story, who may have the biggest tease of all. With Ben Affleck’s run as Batman looking shakier by the day, and The Batman director Matt Reeves reportedly eyeing his replacement, Johns seems to be teasing a storyline way to change who is the Dark Knight…

“There’s elements in it that we’re going to be playing into that we couldn’t do anywhere else. The scale of it, the Batman story of it all.”

That’s pretty much a confirmation Batman will be in Flashpoint, joining Wonder Woman and Cyborg in basically making this Justice League 1.5. But what Johns is doing is playing coy, because the Batman of “Flashpoint” isn’t Bruce Wayne, it’s his father, Thomas Wayne, who becomes the Caped Crusader after his child Bruce is killed. With all the timeline gymnastics going on it would be a simple (relatively) thing to work out a way in which an older Bruce Wayne is erased and replaced by a younger version. That would give Affleck the “cool” and “graceful” exit he’s looking for.

The only thing standing in the way? Well, Flashpoint isn’t any closer to happening now than it was a year ago. The film has had all sorts of problems keeping a director, and there’s no script to speak of. When production does finally begin there may be an entirely new plan in place because the DCEU is constantly shifting territory at this point.

Josh Gad Recruits Daisy Ridley And Luke Evans For Superhero Comedy ‘Super-Normal’

By

John Nolan

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November 17, 2017

Josh Gad is making the most of the connections he’s made in his most recent movies by recruiting them to star in his next one. Gad has sold to Netflix the rights to Super-Normal, a superhero comedy that promises to be different from what we normally get from the genre. Joining him in it will be his Murder On the Orient Express co-star Daisy Ridley, and Luke Evans, who he got to horse around with in Beauty and the Beast.

Gad wrote the film along with Aaron and Jordan Kandell, with THR describing it as ” a character-driven subversive take on the genre that Hollywood and the rest of the world loves too much.”

Know what that sounds like? Kick-Ass. Or Super. I’m not sure this is the right time to go down that road again, but apparently the idea was strong enough to start a bidding war to obtain it. Even Disney got in on it. I’m surprised they didn’t make more of an effort considering how much money they’ve made off Gad, Ridley, and Evans already.

‘The Party’ Trailer: Patricia Clarkson & Cillian Murphy Lead A Delicious Ensemble

By

John Nolan

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November 17, 2017

It really doesn’t matter what the film is about if it has an ensemble boasting the talents of Patricia Clarkson, Bruno Ganz, Cherry Jones, Emily Mortimer, Cillian Murphy, Kristin Scott Thomas and Timothy Spall. You already know it’s going to be great, and with a director like Sally Potter (Ginger & Rosa) at the helm, The Party is one you’ll not want to miss.

The title pretty much says it all; a group of friends get together for an intimate gathering, and of course personalities clash, secrets revealed, marriages destroyed, guns drawn…you know, all the ingredients for a great dinner party. Here’s the synopsis:

In Sally Potter’s new dark comedy THE PARTY, Janet (Kristin Scott Thomas) is hosting an intimate gathering of friends in her London home to celebrate her political ascension, while her husband, Bill (Timothy Spall), seems preoccupied. Janet’s acerbic best friend, April (Patricia Clarkson), arrives and others follow, some with their own dramatic news to share, but an announcement by Bill provokes a series of revelations that gradually unravel the sophisticated soiree, and a night that began with champagne may end with gunplay.

RSVP to The Party on February 16th 2018.

Podcast: Does JUSTICE LEAGUE Unite the League or Destroy It?

By

John Nolan

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November 17, 2017

Does JUSTICE LEAGUE unite the League or destroy? Following the success of WONDER WOMAN can Warner Bros. keep the momentum going with JUSTICE LEAGUE? On a very special episode of Cinema Royale, I’ll be joined by Matt Razak of Flixist.com and Jeff Lyles of Lyles Movie Files for a slightly spoilery review of the anticipated superhero flick! We’ll talk about the film’s box office prospects, those Batman rumors, and of course the future of the DCU!

All this plus news on Shazam, secret Marvel projects, Lord of the Rings, the impact of Hollywood’s sexual misconduct scandals, and more! Tune in and follow Cinema Royale on Blogtalkradio as part of Critical: The Movie Critics Network!

‘Strangers: Prey At Night’ Trailer: The Masked Killers Are Back

By

John Nolan

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November 17, 2017

Hard to believe it’s been nine years since Bryan Bertino’s The Strangers. Harder still to believe it’s taken that long for the film to get a sequel considering it was both a critical and box office hit that helped redefine the home invasion thriller. It’s a little disappointing Bertino isn’t back behind the camera for Strangers: Prey at Night, but at least he helped write the script for what looks like a capable followup featuring a new band of masked stalkers.

Starring Christina Hendricks, Bailee Madison, and Martin Henderson, the film finds a different family terrorized in a mobile trailer park. Trailer parks are already pretty creepy on their own, but add a bunch of masked killers and the scare potential goes off the charts. Here’s the synopsis:

A family’s road trip takes a dangerous turn when they arrive at a secluded mobile home park to stay with some relatives and find it mysteriously deserted. Under the cover of darkness, three masked psychopaths pay them a visit to test the family’s every limit as they struggle to survive.

Directed by Johannes Roberts, Strangers: Prey at Night opens March 9th 2018.