While it’s not one of those films considered for any awards, Barb & Star go to Vista Del Mar sure has a lot of fans. The bizarre comedy was a feather in the cap of director Josh Greenbaum, and it has led him to an even bigger project with a cast led by Jamie Foxx, Will Ferrell, and Will Forte.
THR reports Greenbaum will direct mature CGI comedy hybrid Strays, starring Ferrell, Foxx, and Forte. The script by American Vandal screenwriter Dan Perrault will have Forte as a “nasty human owner” who abandons his dog, voiced by Ferrell, who joins with strays, including one voiced by Foxx, to get some revenge.
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Onboard as producers are Phil Lord and Chris Miller, along with Louis Leterrier. Lord and Miller have shown they have the golden touch on just about everything they do, including Into the Spider-Verse and this year’s The Mitchells vs. the Machines. Leterrier is known for his work on The Incredible Hulk, The Transporter 2, and Now You See Me.
In other good news, filming was already completed over the fall, with the dogs added in post-production through visual effects. So we may see this sooner rather than later.
TNT’s reimagining of Bong Joon-ho’s post-apocalyptic sci-fi film Snowpiercer has been a hit for the network. With Daveed Diggs as Andre Layton: the head of the “tallies” and leading a class-warfare-styled revolution against those in the Wilford Corporation who were imposing their way of life on everyone on the train, it was a fun and bloody ride. However, his tenure was short-lived. By the end of the second season, Mr. Wilford (Sean Bean) had returned, and through his Machiavellian schemes and his charisma, managed to take the train back from Layton and Melanie (Jennifer Connelly). While things are looking bleak for the good guys, there’s hope as some parts of the snow-covered planet are starting to warm up.
Newcomers to Season 3 of Snowpiercer include actress Chelsea Harris as “Sykes,” Wilford’s head of security, and actress Archie Panjabi in an undisclosed role. With dealing with Wilford as well as searching for “New Eden,” it looks like Layton, the taillies, and a few of the “good ones” inside the Wilford Corporation have their work cut out for them.
Snowpiercer Season 3 premieres on January 24, 2022 on TNT.
An Aaron Sorkin screenplay is never about just one thing. The Social Network wasn’t just about the formation of Facebook, was it? And neither is Being the Ricardos just about comedy legends Lucille Ball (Nicole Kidman) and Desi Arnaz (Javier Bardem) surviving a particularly hectic week of filming on I Love Lucy. There’s a lot going on here, such as McCarthyism, sexism, and even a personal scandal that threatens the duo’s rocky marriage. When Sorkin’s snappy dialogue is put to those things in context of the 1950s era of Hollywood, the film soars. But if you were looking for a film that bolsters Lucille Ball’s tremendous talent as one of the funniest women ever to grace the screen, well, you might have to look elsewhere.
There’s no such thing as a straight narrative with Sorkin, and so Being the Ricardos unfolds in daily segments, from the table read all the way to the live filming of the “Fred and Ethel Fight” episode of I Love Lucy. It’s actually quite a clever idea if left on its own. However, Sorkin complicates it by hopping around to different timelines, narrated by two writers and the showrunner Madelyn Pugh (Linda Lavin/Alia Shawkat), Bob Carroll (Ronny Cox/Jake Lacy), and Jess Oppenheimer (John Rubinstein/Tony Hale) as they fill us in on details of Lucy and Desi’s relationship at various stages. But the framing is weird, nebulous in its time setting, and doesn’t examine anyting particularly important.
Being the Ricardos is better when Sorkin keeps it simple. Lucy, with her mop of fire red hair, and her suave Cuban band leader husband Desi, are up to their eyeballs in tabloid scandal. They’re being targeted in a couple of different ways: an accusation that she is a Communist, making her a target of McCarthy’s witch hunt; and there’s also the newspapers buzzing with Desi’s apparent infidelity, which he vehemently denies. But the real turmoil happens on set, where co-stars Vivian Vance (Nina Arianda) and William Frawley (J.K. Simmons) can’t stop sniping at one another long enough to do a scene, the writers are no better, and there’s a power struggle between Desi and the other execs.
As a huge fan of Sorkin’s other examinations of TV show chaos, Sports Night and Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip, I found the best aspects of Being the Ricardos were when he leans into what he knows best. The dialogue is zippy, and Sorkin is a pro at weaving in larger themes into seemingly ordinary conversation. Sexist treatment of successful women like Lucille and Vivian hampers their ability to make the show the best it can be. Arianda is particular good as Vivian, a gorgeous, respected actress who hates being cast as the very-domesticated Ethel Mertz. She struggles to stand out in Lucille’s shadow, made worse by Frawley’s constant harassment about her lack of talent. Simmons is terrific as the grumpy, seen-it-all-before Frawley, who has a moment of openness in defense of Lucille who he sincerely respects.
While there has been a lot of debate on the casting of Kidman and Bardem, neither is out of their league here. Kidman has a lot to juggle, too much given the amount Sorkin heaps into this story, but she plays both the screwball sitcom Lucy or the tough-as-nails Lucille. Also effectively done are black-and-white recreations of some of the show’s iconic moments, such as the grape stomping scene. Sorkin envisions these moments as emerging straight from Lucille’s creative mind, a testament to her ability to see funny. If only the script were itself funny, and Lucille presented as a woman whose humor was an integral part of her character. Instead, she comes across too often as a stick in the mud whose sense of humor is used against her by others. Bardem won’t convince anybody that he’s got a hint of Desi Arnaz’s charisma, but he’s not distracting in the role, either. The same can’t be said for Kidman’s prosthetics which take some getting used to.
The biggest hindrance to Being the Ricardos is a surprising lack of narrative focus and a serious lack of spark. Sorkin has so much on his mind that the film ends up being about nothing at all, when there’s more than enough in the fictionalized mayhem behind the scenes of a comedy classic.
Being the Ricardos opens in theaters on December 10th, followed by Amazon Prime Video on December 21st.
You don’t get Colin Farrell to be part of The Batman cast and only give him a few minutes of screen time. So it wasn’t shocking when we learned a few months ago that an HBO Max spinoff series focused on his bird-like villain, The Penguin, was in the works. However, there was no confirmation that Farrell was involved, until now.
According to Variey’s sources, Farrell has signed on to star in the Penguin series on HBO Max, penned by Lauren LeFranc, a past writer on Agents of SHIELD. The show will delve into Oswald Cobblepot’s rise to power in the Gotham underworld, which to me sounds like another version of Fox’s Gotham series. Hopefully, this one will be much better.
Warner Bros. is going all-in on Matt Reeves Bat-verse, even before The Batman opens. Another spinoff series focus on the Gotham City Police Department is coming to streaming, as well. And you can bet that if The Batman is a huge hit and people love Robert Pattinson in the role, there will be a lot more.
If you’re even passively browsing Punch Drunk Critics for this review, you have to at the bare minimum have an appreciation of movies and television. After all, we are called “Punch Drunk Critics” for our own love of cinema.
There’s something about the movies that allow us as a society to simply put aside whatever ills are plaguing us at that moment, and get lost into a story for the next two to three hours and get transported into another world. Movies are one of the few American exports that we haven’t shipped overseas and for good reason: movies are the perfect form of escapism and ever since they were silent films, they have been a part of our society. Everyone has their own coming-of-age moment where they say “that” movie that changed something within them. It’s an almost universal appeal that distinctly comes from the viewing, entertainment, and appreciation of movies. David Fincher (Seven, Zodiac, The Social Network, Mank, and countless other classics) continues his partnership with Netflix (House of Cards, Mindhunters, Love, Death, & Robots) teamed up with David Prior (AM1200, The Empty Man, The Offing) to bring VOIR, a 6-part docuseries containing various video essays from many well-known film critics (Walter Chaw, Drew McWeeny, Taylor Ramos, Sasha Stone, and Tony Zhou) in celebration of cinema.
Each episode has a specific critic discuss an idea/topic from a film that changes their perspective either in film or in life overall, and through the next 20-30 minutes allows the critic to explore that topic and why it is so important.
The first episode of VOIR is titled “Summer of the Shark” which explores just exactly what you think it would. The movie that pretty much changed the game Jaws was significantly impactful. Jaws literally invented the “blockbuster” as it was the first time that people were in lines around the block to see Spielberg’s classic film. Film critic/blogger Sasha Stone recounts the impact Jaws had on her life. It was a movie that she has seen countless times in the theater. It was a time when word of mouth (not Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, Twitter, or anything else) was the main driver to get you to go to the movies, and boy did Jaws have an impact not only on her, but our entire culture as a result.
VOIR’s second episode “The Ethics of Revenge” is an essay by Tony Zhou. This episode explores what we like about films where the good guy/gal goes about enacting “justice,” and usually through very brutal means. Such films as John Wick, various Clint Eastwood films, and the main thesis is on Sympathy for Lady Vengeance which was the film that was impactful for Tony Zhou. Through the presentation, Zhou provides details as to the specific tropes that make a revenge film impactful and successful, but his keep eye of Sympathy for Lady Vengeance identifies what makes that type of revenge film rise above the others in great detail. Another cool thing about VOIR, this docuseries will make you want to revisit some of your favorite films with new eyes.
The third episode of VOIR is titled “But I Don’t Like Him,” and explores the notion of our fascination with “heroes” that aren’t necessarily good people. Film critic Drew McWeeny’s go-to movie for this example is Lawrence of Arabia. It’s one of his favorite films, he watches it at least once a year by default, but he really can’t say that he “likes” Lt. Lawrence, because he’s not necessarily a good person. Why do we identify with quote-on-quote heroes that are incredibly flawed and not necessarily good people? Other films explored include The Wolf of Wall Street, The Comedian, The Godfather, and Raging Bull. In fact, there’s a segment just to highlight how martin Scorsese usually has us identify with protagonists in his films that are almost horrible people. But there’s something about them that makes us still interested in their journeys
VOIR’s fourth episode “The Duality of Appeal” is an essay on animation. Narrated by Taylor Ramos, who is himself an animator (both he and Tony Zhou are probably most known for their 28-video essay Every Frame Is a Painting), this episode explores just what makes animation well, animation. It’s not as easy as just drawing over and over. There’s a method and approach that goes into every frame from your favorite animated films. Ramos also showcases the difference between different styles of animation. What works for 2D animation has to be done differently in a 3D or a CGI animation project. This episode works well as helping orient the viewer to the world of animation. While other episodes focus on how movies make us feel, this one specifically is almost a crash course in how these types of movies get made and why they are so great.
In the fifth episode “Film vs Television,” VOIR explores the interesting relationship that has always existed between the movies we see on the big screen and the TV shows we watch in the comfort of our own homes. Taylor Ramos narrates this one as well as he gives us a deep history lesson on how the two industries have been separate, but lately, the lines have been blurred as TV now is capable of the same engaging stories that once only existed on the big screen. Ramos argues that when HBO came out with The Sopranos (personally I think it was HBO’s Oz), that opened the floodgates for new and inventive storytelling that can be seen on the small screen. He breaks down that TV has become great for long and serialized storytelling, but movies still can tell engaging movies in their own way, just not as stretched out.
The final (and most interesting) episode of VOIR is “Profane and Profound.” Narrated by Walter Chaw, this episode explores the impact that 48 Hours had on pop culture. Now we normally don’t think of 48 Hours as having that big an impact, but Chaw makes the case that this movie was one of the first movies to tackle race in the buddy cop genre in a very interesting way. It’s also Eddie Murphy’s first feature film that launched him to become the megastar that he is today. He breaks down all the ways the movie highlighted racism (personal and systemic) throughout the film, and also how Eddie Murphy’s character Reggie Hammond who despite Nick Nolte’s Jack Cates trying to assume racial superiority/dominance throughout the film, was able to turn things in his favor through his intelligence and charisma. One doesn’t normally think of that movie to be as impactful when it comes to examining race, but thanks to the essay in VOIR, you almost certainly will want to rewatch 48 Hours again.
Overall VOIR is a great docuseries. Taking the approach that it is a series of visual essays allows the viewer to listen to the essayist comment on what they love about the topic, with some great visuals, you never feel bored while watching. In addition, kudos to Netflix for not just showing Netflix movies/shows. I’m sure they paid a few bucks to be able to use footage from their friendly competition of HBO, Disney, and others (or films currently not under Netflix licensing agreements) as examples of the themes explored in the essays. Netflix also couldn’t help but get a cheap shot in at HBO for that horrible last season of Game of Thrones though.
Unfortunately, VOIR is made for cinephiles like us, which limits who will probably chick to watch it on the streamer. This probably will have a selective audience of hardcore movie fans: people who simply just love movies, and won’t probably bring anyone who wasn’t already in the bag to opt to watch the docuseries. However, the episode focusing on animation should be watched by anyone who’s interested in becoming an animator as it’s incredibly informative. The rest of the episodes are made for people like us, who love movies and explore their deeper meanings.
Dave Bautista is one of the most in-demand actors around, and his dance card is pretty full with sequels to Knives Out, Dune, and Guardians of the Galaxy on the way. But he’s still got some time on the schedule to fit in a new film from M. Night Shyamalan.
Deadline reports Bautista has agreed to star in Knock at the Cabin, the upcoming thriller from Shyamalan. What do we know about it? Next to nothing, which is probably the best way to take in a Shyamalan flick, considering the number of twists and turns they take. The less we know, the better. But clearly there’s a role for a big, burly dude who knows how to execute a perfect powerbomb.
Banking on Shyamalan has been a good bet for Universal. His latest, the beachside thriller Old, earned more than $90M during pandemic times. Not too shabby.
My only concern is that this might stand in the way of the action flick Bautista and Jason Momoa conjured up into reality. Nothing better stop that from happening.
Before Tom Holland was a big movie star, swinging from walls in a Spider-Man suit for Marvel, he was known for his fancy footwork in a stage production ofBilly Elliot. And he’ll need to show off some of those moves again, as he’s set to play the light-footed actor Fred Astaire in a biopic for Sony.
Holland confirmed to Associated Press his role as Fred Astaire in an upcoming biopic that Sony’s Amy Pascal will produce. The film has been rumored ever since a recent GQ story brought it to attention.
“I am playing Fred Astaire, yeah. The script came in a week ago,” Holland said. “I haven’t read it yet; they haven’t given it to me. I know Amy Pascal has the script. She FaceTimed me earlier. I was in the bath [laughs]. And we had a lovely FaceTime, but I will be playing Fred Astaire.”
Fred Astaire is considered one of the greatest actors ever, of both the screen and stage. He’s especially known for his musical performances, many of which were alongside the great Ginger Rogers. My personal favorite of those is in the film Swing Time, which you can watch below.
It’s unclear what the angle is that this film will take. Astaire was intensely private, and wouldn’t allow depictions of his life on screen. That makes this film a pretty big deal, and you can bet Sony is going to do everything possible to make it a hit, and to possibly earn Holland some awards season love.
Amazon may have huge fantasy shows in The Wheel of Time and Lord of the Rings, but in terms of popularity nothing beats The Boys right now. How do I know? Because not only is the show entering its third season, but a live-action college spinoff is coming up, and now star Karl Urban has announced a “diabolic” new animated series, too.
Titled Diabolical, the new anthology-style animated show will feature a ton of top-tier talent working on episodes, including producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. They’ll be joined by Awkwafina, Garth Ennis, Eliot Glazer, and Ilana Glazer, Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, Simon Racioppa, Justin Roiland, and Ben Bayouth, Andy Samberg, and Aisha Tyler.
Oh yeah, and Garth Ennis, creation of The Boys comic book, is involved, too. And you know his twisted mind has come up with some crazy shit.
So what’s this series about? The Boys takes place in a world where superheroes basically run roughshod over the planet, indulging in their every whim because who’s gonna stop them? That’s where The Boys come in, and they’ve set their sights on The Seven, a corporate-owned superteam that also happens to be the most powerful and most popular.
According to Urban, we should look for Diabolical to arrive next year.
There were a ton of questions surrounding Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings after it was first announced. Would the audience flock to see this relatively unknown character, played by an actor most people have never heard of? In what has been a year full of surprises, one of the biggest is that Shang-Chi turned out to be the highest-grossing Marvel movie…so far, anyway. And so Marvel is going all-in on the director who made it happen, Destin Daniel Cretton.
Deadline reports Destin Daniel Cretton has inked a new multi-year deal with Disney that will encompass its Marvel Studios and Hulu subsidiaries. And as part of that, Cretton will get cracking on a Shang-Chi sequel that he’ll write and direct. On top of that, he’ll also develop a new Marvel series for Disney+. Hmmmm…
“Destin is an amazing collaborator who brought a unique perspective and skill to ‘Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings.’ We had a fantastic time working together on the film and he has so many intriguing ideas for stories to bring to life on Disney+, so we’re thrilled to expand our relationship with him and can’t wait to get started,” said Kevin Feige, President, Marvel Studios and Chief Creative Officer.
The Disney+ series is interesting. Perhaps it’ll have to do with Shang-Chi’s sister Xu Xialing (Meng’er Zhang) who took over the criminal empire previously run by their father? Sounds a bit like The Book of Boba Fett, right? I’m just guessing there, anyway. It could be something completely different.
As for what he’ll do for Hulu, it could be anything. Cretton’s resume is full of great films, including Short Term 12, Just Mercy, and The Glass Castle, all of which featured Marvel star Brie Larson. Perhaps they’ll be reunited on something non-Marvel?
We’re happy to offer our DC readers the chance to attend a free early screening of National Champions, starring Stephan James, JK Simmons, Alexander Ludwig, and Lil Rel Howery.
SYNOPSIS: Three days before the college football national championship game, star quarterback LeMarcus James (Stephan James) and teammate Emmett Sunday (Alexander Ludwig) ignite a player’s strike declaring they won’t compete until all student-athletes are fairly compensated. With billions of dollars at risk and legacies on the line, the stakes could not be higher. Now, with only hours until kickoff, the head coach (J.K. Simmons) and various power brokers (Lil Rel Howery, Tim Blake Nelson, Andrew Bachelor, Jeffrey Donovan, David Koechner, Kristin Chenoweth, Timothy Olyphant, Uzo Aduba) must race against the clock to protect or destroy the prevailing collegiate athletics system.
The screening takes place on Wednesday, December 8th at 7:30pm at Landmark Bethesda Row. If you’d like to attend, simply go to the STX ticketing site here. Please remember all screenings are first come first served and you’ll need to arrive early to ensure seating. Enjoy the show!
