Trailers come along so often that you sometimes get numb to them. But every now and then one pops up that is just so…weird, promoting a film that you don’t understand how it possibly exists, much less who it could ever appeal to. That’s the way I feel about When I’m a Moth, a Hillary Clinton “un-biopic” that reimagines the year she spent in Alaska in 1969.
Why would anybody want to reimagine such a thing? Well, I was confused about it, too, and then the viewpoint of filmmakers Zachary Cotler and Magdalena Zyzak (the duo directed border drama The Wall of Mexico) comes through. The film is a dark satire, borderline Election-esque, and has Clinton claiming herself to be a radical Marxist (She’s definitely not!) while engaging in a sexual relationship with a Japanese man. She’s also oddly guarded about herself, refusing to even give her last name.
The trailer begins with this odd declaration: “What follows is a work of fiction. So is the United States political system. Any resemblance, in either fiction, to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental.”
Right.
Addison Timlin, who I’m always going to be a fan of, plays a young Hillary Rodham, joined by co-stars TJ Kayama and Toshiji Takeshima.
When I’m a Moth played in festivals back in 2019 without generating much positive buzz. The film will hit VOD on August 27th.
A parable on the ambiguity of political narratives. Possibly an “un-biopic” of Hillary Rodham (Addison Timlin) set in 1969 Alaska. Possibly a collective dream about a young woman with only the most abstract connection to the politician. Possibly both.
There are certain things you can do to instantly grab my attention to your project. Put Melanie Lynskey and Christina Ricci in it, have Destroyer and Jennifer’s Body director Karyn Kusama on the pilot, and give it a Lord of the Flies-esque premise. The Showtime series Yellowjackets has all of that and the new trailer has convinced me it’s time to get a network subscription.
Yellowjackets stars Lynskey, Ricci, Tawny Cypress, Juliette Lewis, Sophie Nélisse, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Sophie Thatcher, and Sammi Hanratty, and centers on the survivors of a plane crash 25 years earlier. Each was a member of a female high school soccer team, and had to go to terrible lengths to survive the harsh elements and the wilderness.
The series takes place both in the past and the present, and features some very suggestive imagery. Are we looking at Alive2.0 here?
Showtime debuts Yellowjackets on November 14th.
Equal parts survival epic, psychological horror story and coming-of-age drama, YELLOWJACKETS is the saga of a team of wildly talented high school girls soccer players who become the (un)lucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the remote northern wilderness. The series chronicles their descent from a complicated but thriving team to savage clans, while also tracking the lives they’ve attempted to piece back together nearly 25 years later, proving that the past is never really past and what began out in the wilderness is far from over.
If you’ve been looking for Jake Gyllenhaal, well, he can’t be found in the newSpider-Man: No Way Home trailer (Although I have my Mysterio suspicions!), and the actor has largely kept quiet during the pandemic. But that is changing fairly soon with a bunch of upcoming projects, and now he’s added another that will keep him in the comic book space. Only this time it’s not for Marvel, but for The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman.
New Republic Pictures has announced the acquisition of Kirkman and artist Lorenzo De Felici’s graphic novel Oblivion Song, and will adapt it into a feature film starring Gyllenhaal. The story follows Nathan Cole, a man who journeys into the apocalyptic hellscape of Oblivion, a lost part of Philadelphia, in hopes of rescuing those trapped there. Gyllenhaal will produce the film as well as star.
Next up for Gyllenhaal is Antoine Fuqua’s The Guilty, which hits Netflix on October 1st. He’ll also star in Michael Bay’s action flick Ambulance, opening next year.
Melissa McCarthy and Chris O’Dowd are reuniting for Netflix’s The Starling. The duo play grieving parents trying to move on individually and together after the death of their child. The trailer was released Tuesday.
The Starling also boasts Kevin Kline, Timothy Olyphant, Daveed Diggs, Skyler Gisondo, Lorettea Devine, Kimberly Quinn, and Rosalind Chao. McCarthy and O’Dowd worked together on Bridesmaids and St. Vincent. The latter was also directed by Melfi, who directed Hidden Figures.
The official synopsis is as follows:
After Lilly (Melissa McCarthy) suffers a loss, a battle with a territorial bird (The Starling) over dominion of her garden provides an unlikely avenue for her grief and the courage to heal her relationships and rediscover her capacity for love.
Animation directors don’t typically become big stars the way live-action filmmakers do, but my personal hope is that it happens for Jorge R. Gutiérrez. In 2014 he directed The Book of Life, a visual and emotional masterpiece that Pixar’s Coco would try and emulate years later. He has continued to make winning stuff, such as the Emmy-winning series El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera. But now he’s back with the star-studded Netflix show Maya and the Three, and it looks incredible.
Take a look at this incredible voice cast: Zoe Saldaña, Gabriel Iglesias, Allen Maldonado, Stephanie Beatriz, Diego Luna, Gael García Bernal, Alfred Molina, Kate del Castillo, Danny Trejo, Cheech Marin, Rosie Perez, Queen Latifah, Wyclef Jean, Jorge R. Gutiérrez, Sandra Equihua, Isabela Merced, Chelsea Rendon, Joaquín Cosío, Carlos Alazraqui, Eric Bauza, and Rita Moreno.
Damn.
The series follows 15-year-old Maya, a warrior princess in a magical land who must spend her birthday on an arduous quest to battle the gods and save her family. I’m so down for this.
Maya and the Three hits Netflix this fall!
In a fantastical world, where magic turns the world and four kingdoms rule the lands, a brave and rebellious warrior princess named Maya is about to celebrate her fifteenth birthday and coronation. But everything changes when the gods of the underworld arrive and announce that Maya’s life is forfeit to the God of War — a price she must pay for her family’s secret past. If Maya refuses, the whole world will suffer the gods’ vengeance. To save her beloved family, her friends, and her own life, Maya embarks on a thrilling quest to fulfill an ancient prophecy that foretells the coming of three great warriors who will help her defeat the gods and save humankind.
Netflix may have had their summer of fear with a trilogy of Fear Street films, but its Amazon and Blumhouse who own Halloween. Last year, they teamed up for the Welcome to the Blumhouse horror anthology, announcing a total of eight films, four of which have already been released. And now the remaining four are coming this October to Amazon, leading with the colorfully-titled Bingo Hell.
Bingo Hell will have its world premiere as part of Fantastic Fest before hitting Amazon on October 1st. That film stars acclaimed Mexican actress Adriana Barraza (Babel) and the always-creepy Richard Brake (3 From Hell) and is directed by Gigi Saul Guerrero.
That will be followed by Black as Night, directed by Maritte Lee Go; Madres which stars Forever Purge and future Black Panther 2 actor Tenoch Huerta, and The Manor led by the great Barbara Hershey and it sounds like a clear riff on her 1982 classic The Entity.
Check out a new teaser featuring footage from all four movies, followed by a breakdown of each!
BINGO HELL
October 1, 2021
Short Synopsis
When a sinister figure threatens the residents of a low-income community, a feisty senior citizen tries to stop him in Bingo Hell, a wickedly original horror movie with a fiendishly funny twist. After 60-something neighborhood activist Lupita (Adriana Barraza) discovers that her beloved local bingo hall has been taken over by a mysterious businessman named Mr. Big (Richard Brake), she rallies her elderly friends to fight back against the enigmatic entrepreneur. But when her longtime neighbors begin turning up dead under grisly circumstances, Lupita suddenly discovers that gentrification is the least of her problems. Something terrifying has made itself at home in the quiet barrio of Oak Springs, and with each new cry of “Bingo!” another victim falls prey to its diabolical presence. As the cash prizes increase and the body count steadily rises, Lupita must face the frightening realization that this game is truly winner-takes-all.
Directed by: Gigi Saul Guerrero
Written by: Shane McKenzie, Gigi Saul Guerrero, Perry Blackshear
Starring: Adriana Barraza, L. Scott Caldwell, Richard Brake, and Joshua Caleb Johnson
Executive Produced by: Jason Blum, Lisa Bruce, Jeremy Gold, Marci Wiseman, Raynor Shima, and Lauren Downey
BLACK AS NIGHT
October 1, 2021
Short Synopsis
A resourceful teenage girl leaves childhood behind when she battles a group of deadly vampires in Black as Night, an action-horror hybrid with a strong social conscience and a biting sense of humor. Fifteen years after Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans, a new threat leaves its mark on the Big Easy in the form of puncture wounds on the throats of the city’s vulnerable displaced population. When her drug-addicted mom becomes the latest victim of the undead, 15-year old Shawna (Asjha Cooper) vows to even the score. Along with three trusted friends, Shawna hatches a bold plan to infiltrate the vampire’s mansion in the historic French Quarter, destroy their leader, and turn his fanged disciples back to their human form. But killing monsters is no easy task, and soon Shawna and her crew find themselves caught in a centuries-old conflict between warring vampire factions, each fighting to claim New Orleans as their permanent home.
Directed by: Maritte Lee Go
Written by: Sherman Payne
Starring: Asjha Cooper, Fabrizio Guido, Mason Beauchamp, Abbie Gayle with Craig Tate and Keith David
Executive Produced by: Jason Blum, Jeremy Gold, Marci Wiseman, Lisa Bruce, Maggie Malina, and Guy Stodel
MADRES
October 8, 2021
Short Synopsis
Beto (Tenoch Huerta) and Diana (Ariana Guerra), a young Mexican-American couple expecting their first child, move to a small town in 1970’s California, where Beto has been offered a job managing a farm. Isolated from the community and plagued by confusing nightmares, Diana explores the rundown company ranch where they reside, finding a grisly talisman and a box containing the belongings of the previous residents. Her discoveries will lead her to a truth that is much stranger and more terrifying than she could have imagined.
Directed by: Ryan Zaragoza
Written by: Marcella Ochoa & Mario Miscione
Starring: Tenoch Huerta, Ariana Guerra, Evelyn Gonzalez, Kerry Cahill, and Elpidia Carrillo
Executive Produced by: Jason Blum, Jeremy Gold, Marci Wiseman, Lisa Bruce, Sanjay Sharma, and Matthew Myers
THE MANOR
October 8, 2021
Short Synopsis
A malevolent force preys upon the residents of a sleepy nursing home in The Manor, a gothic tale of terror with a modern twist. When a mild stroke diminishes her ability to care for herself, Judith Albright (Barbara Hershey) moves to Golden Sun Manor, an assisted living facility with a sterling reputation. But despite the best efforts of the staff and a budding friendship with fellow senior Roland (Bruce Davidson), strange occurrences and nightmarish visions convince Judith that a sinister presence is haunting the massive estate. As residents begin to die mysteriously, Judith’s frantic warnings are dismissed as fantasy. Even her devoted grandson Josh (Nicholas Alexander) thinks her fears result from dementia, not demons. With no one willing to believe her, Judith must either escape the confines of the manor or fall victim to the evil that dwells within it.
Written and Directed by: Axelle Carolyn
Starring: Barbara Hershey, Bruce Davison, Nicholas Alexander, Jill Larsen, Fran Bennett, and Katie Amanda Keane
Executive Produced by: Jason Blum, Jeremy Gold, Marci Wiseman, Lisa Bruce, Sandy King, and Richard J Bosner
Who doesn’t love Bob Ross? The guy who soothed us with his public access painting show and made painting look incredibly easy with such a calm demeanor was an instant cultural icon for many years. His hosting of “The Joys of Painting” during the 80s and 90s ran for 31 seasons for a Muncie, Indiana public access show spawned into a global phenomenon, mostly in part to Bob Ross’ charisma and how easy he made painting a masterpiece look. And of course, who could forget that pitch-perfect afro? Especially for a dude who wasn’t black, he definitely knew how to perm it up! Unfortunately, there’s a dark side of his painting business that director Joshua Rofé explores in Netflix’s Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed.
Don’t worry, you don’t have to cancel the lovable Bob Ross. Other than the exposure that he was all too human and had an extramarital affair, he can remain the patron saint we all know and love. However, those around him (specifically his business partners the Kowalskis) were incredibly greedy, corrupt, and took advantage of him to rake in millions. Bob Ross pretty much just loved the idea of painting, especially as a means of calming oneself, but the Kowalskis just simply saw dollar signs. To make matters worse, after his death, Ross’ family haven’t made a single cent off of his image and likeness, which is still raking in millions to this day.
As much as the documentary is about Bob Ross, it’s told from the perspective of his son Steve Ross, who is mad as hell, and you absolutely cannot blame him. As the documentary explores, the Kowalskis pretty much got into this partnership to make as much money as possible for themselves, and pretty much could care less who got in their way. In addition to the television show, the marketing and selling of the paint, paintbrushes, and other art supplies that Bob Ross used was the real money maker.
Now to be fair, the Kowalskis did not participate in the documentary, soBob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed is pretty one-sided. It’s pretty much told by people who have a good reason to hate them. In the end credits, the producers state that as per the Kowalskis, they had a great relationship with Bob Ross and deny the allegations. However, the allegations are downright despicable. As Ross went from public access guy to a global brand, they tried to cut corners on products, something Ross fought them on. Towards the end of Ross’ life, that’s where things get messy. As Bob Ross was diagnosed with lymphoma, he knew he didn’t have long. The Kowalskis tried to get him on his deathbed to sign his likeness and image over to them so that they could continue to make money off of him through Bob Ross Inc. They tried not only to keep his death from lymphoma a secret (only 30 people actually attended his funeral because no one knew he actually died), but then they launched scorched earth litigation against anyone who could possibly also benefit from him, mainly his son Steve. Steve himself was a great painter, that Bob wanted to continue in the family business, but Steve can’t even use his own last name for his own business, because the Kowalskis own the name “Ross.”
While Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed goes in deep detail abut the terribleness of the Kowalskis and how they swindled everyone around them for the sake of getting extra money, a significant amount of the documentary is dedicated to Bob Ross’ origins, his family, and his impact across the world. Towards the end of the documentary, there’s a beautiful montage of countless people who stated that Ross’s “art therapy” caused them not to commit suicide, get over miscarriages, and overall, simply improved countless people’s lives by his sheer presence. Ross himself probably didn’t know how great his impact was, but it definitely was and continues to be impactful. And that’s the type of “happy accident” that’s beautiful.
Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed is available on Netflix Wednesday August 25th.
So much to do and so little time, this week on Cinema Royale! It’s fists flying and gun’s blazing in the first half of this week’s show with an early look at Marvel’s latest Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings and Maggie Q’s awesome actioner The Protégé. From deadly to terrifying the second half of our show ventures into dark territory review the latest in horror with Rebecca Hall’s The Night House and Neil Blomkamp’s Demonic, along with the mind-bending Reminiscence! All this PLUS news on Riri Williams debut as Iron Heart in Black Panther 2: Wakanda Forever, and a possible Expendables spinoff!
All of this and more!
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When social media blew the Hell up with the leaking of Marvel’s Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer, it was inevitable they’d drop an official version right away. And after a few hours of letting the rumors about what’s in it fly around, here it is and geezus there’s a lot to take in. Still, there’s only one Spider-Man and that seems like an announcement in and of itself.
The reason is that you can’t fire a web bomb without hitting a rumor that Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield will be reprising their Spider-Man roles from previous franchises. But in this No Way Home trailer all we’ve got is Tom Holland. I know, cue the disappointment! However, the Multiverse is definitely going to play a role. That much we knew from the moment JK Simmons’ J. Jonah Jameson showed up at the end of Far from Home. Here, we also get a look at Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus, and even Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin is teased. Expect to see Jamie Foxx as Electro, as well, and Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange is all up in this joint helping Peter Parker take on baddies from other realities.
All of this, and Peter Parker is still wanted for murder and his identity has been exposed to the world. How can one movie contain so much? We’ll find out on December 17th
We’re happy to offer our readers the chance to attend a very special event for Netflix’s upcoming film, Worth, starring Michael Keaton, Amy Ryan, and Stanley Tucci! On Tuesday, August 31st you can take part in a free virtual screening of the film followed by a Q&A with Ken Feinberg, Camille Biros and Screenwriter, Max Borenstein, moderated by DC Film Society Director, Michael Kyrioglou!
SYNOPSIS: Following the horrific 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, Congress appoints attorney and renowned mediator Kenneth Feinberg (Michael Keaton) to lead the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. Assigned with allocating financial resources to the victims of the tragedy, Feinberg and his firm’s head of operations, Camille Biros (Amy Ryan), face the impossible task of determining the worth of a life to help the families who had suffered incalculable losses. When Feinberg locks horns with Charles Wolf (Stanley Tucci), a community organizer mourning the death of his wife, his initial cynicism turns to compassion as he begins to learn the true human costs of the tragedy.
Based on true events, Worth is a moving reminder of the power of empathy and the value of human connection. The film is directed by Sara Colangelo, written and produced by Max Borenstein and produced by Marc Butan, Anthony Katagas, Michael Sugar, Bard Dorros, Sean Sorensen, and Michael Keaton. Tate Donovan, Shunori Ramanathan, Talia Balsam, Laura Benanti, Marc Maron, Ato Blankson-Wood, Chris Tardio, Carolyn Mignini and Victor Slezak also co-star.
To attend, simply RSVP to the event here. RSVPs will be accepted until end-of-day on August 25th so get them in now and enjoy the show!
