STAR WARS REBELS - "The Lost Commanders" - Ahsoka sends the Rebel crew to find and recruit a war hero to their cause, but when they discover it is Captain Rex, trust issues put the mission at risk. This episode of "Star Wars Rebels" airs Wednesday, October 14 (9:30 PM - 10:00 PM ET/PT) on Disney XD. (Disney XD)
SABINE
Considering Ahsoka Tano’s major role to play in Star Wars Rebels, it always made sense that more characters from that show would show up for her live-action solo series. While much of the attention has been on Ezra Bridger, THR confirms that Lucasfilm is also on the hunt for an actress to play Mandalorian warrior Sabine Wren. Furthermore, we may have an idea who is on their radar.
Now take this next bit with a grain of salt considering the source. Cinelinx writer Jordan Maison and Slashfilm’s Adam Frazier say To All the Boys star Lana Condor, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina‘s Tati Gabrielle, and model/actress Havana Rose Liu, who was really good in Maydayearlier this year, are being eyed to play Sabine Wren. All of the actresses are of Asian heritage.
Sabine Wren was part of Ahsoka’s mission to locate the missing Ezra, so it makes sense for her to be part of the Ahsoka series, too. As for this group of possible contenders, all of them are incredibly talented, but personally I’d love to see Gabrielle get this shot. She was a constant scene-stealer on Sabrina and would be a great addition to the Star Wars universe.
Part psychological thriller, part metafiction comedy, part mock-doc, The Nowhere Inn is a film that isn’t easily defined. So IFC Films has smartly decided to focus on its stars, musician Annie Clark aka St. Vincent, and her real-life pal, Carrie Brownstein. Given the success of Brownstein’s series Portlandia on the network, this new trailer is tailored exactly for that audience.
Put simply, the film centers on Brownstein and Clark’s attempts to make a documentary about the latter’s life and career. Naturally, this does not turn out well at all and more about the singer becomes public than she wanted.
Also in the cast is Dakota Johnson, but I feel like if this movie is up your alley it’s probably for Brownstein and Clark. Behind the camera is Bill Benz, the Portlandia filmmaker making his directorial debut.
The Nowhere Inn opens in theaters and VOD on September 17th.
From real-life friends, Annie Clark (a.k.a. GRAMMY award-winning recording and touring artist St. Vincent) and Carrie Brownstein (Portlandia, Sleater-Kinney, the best-selling Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl) comes the metafictional account of two creative forces banding together to make a documentary about St. Vincent’s music, touring life, and on-stage persona. But they quickly discover unpredictable forces lurking within the subject and filmmaker that threaten to derail the friendship, the project, and the duo’s creative lives. From first-time filmmaker Bill Benz (Portlandia, At Home With Amy Sedaris) comes a densely woven, laugh-out-loud funny and increasingly fractured commentary on reality, identity, and authenticity. A story of two close friends who attempt to wrestle the truth out of a complex subject before the hall of mirrors that is their artistic lives devours them.
Netflix’s upcoming series Clickbait may seem like an episode of Black Mirror at first glance, but the truth is actually much more relatable and because of that infinitely more scary. Let’s start with the tagline:
A collection of stories that show how people’s uncontrolled impulses are fueled in the age of social media.
Regardless of what side of any argument you fall on the one thing we can all agree on is that we’ve become entirely too reactionary thanks to the uncontrollable barrage of misleading headlines, social media, and…well, Clickbait. That is where this show dials in and digs, uncovering raw nerve and, hopefully, making some of us give a little more thought to how we interact with the world in our day to day lives.
While Clickbait is listed as a series, the trailer we have today only features one story, Nick Brewers. Nick is nowhere to be found until a video shows up on the internet showing Nick, obviously having been abducted, and holding a sign that says “At 5 Million Views, I Die”. That right there is enough to pull me in because the sad truth is that the knowledge of impending death wouldn’t be enough to stop anonymous sociopaths from tuning in just so they could feel like they were a part of what was going on. Unfortunately for Nick, that’s not where it stops. Soon he’s holding more signs that seem to uncover his dark secrets including the abuse of women. The world surrounding Nick’s wife and son begin to unravel as now, not only is there husband/father in mortal danger, but he’s also going from victim, to victimizer in the eyes of the public.
While there’s no indication of how things turn out for Nick, I can tell you that I’ll be watching this with anxiety medication at the ready. Part of me feels this may just be too real to enjoy knowing how much of our daily lives are influenced by unfounded reactions to the latest hot take. Hey! At least Vinnie Chase is back on TV!
We’re happy to offer our DC readers the chance to attend a free early screening of The Night House, a new psychological horror starring Rebecca Hall!
SYNOPSIS: Reeling from the unexpected death of her husband, Beth (Rebecca Hall) is left alone in the lakeside home he built for her. She tries as best she can to keep it together – but then nightmares come. Disturbing visions of a presence in the house calling to her, beckoning her with a ghostly allure. Against the advice of her friends, she begins digging into her husband’s belongings, yearning for answers. What she finds are secrets both strange and disturbing – a mystery she’s determined to unravel.
The screening takes place on Monday, August 16th at 7:00pm at AMC Tysons Corner. If you’d like to attend, go to the Searchlight screening site here. Please remember all screenings are first come first served and you will need to arrive early to ensure seating. Enjoy the show!
How can you have Spider-Man and Venom movies on the big screen at the same time without these two rivals eventually fighting one another? It’s just…unnatural. There will continue to be questions about an eventual crossover between the two franchises until one finally happens, and with Tom Hardy out there promoting Venom: Let There Be Carnage, he’s the target.
Speaking with Esquire, Hardy first talked about prospects for a third Venom movie, making it clear that Sony needs to see how this sequel does first…
“I’m thinking about the third movie as well, because I think you need to write that at the same time. A third won’t be greenlit until the second is successful, but the studio were really, really pleased with number two.”
When the conversation turned to a possible Venom/Spider-Man confrontation, Hardy said he was all for it, while noting that it’ll take some work for Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures to cross that bridge…
“I would be remiss if I wasn’t trying to steer any kind of connectivity,” Hardy said. “I wouldn’t be doing the job if I wasn’t awake and open to any opportunity or eventuality or be excited by that. Obviously, that’s a large canyon to leap, to be bridged by one person alone, and it would take a much higher level of diplomacy and intelligence, sitting down and talking, to take on an arena such as that.”
“Should both sides be willing, and it be beneficial to both sides, I don’t see why it couldn’t be. I hope and strongly, with both hands, push, eagerly, towards that potential, and would do anything to make that happen, within what’s right in business. But it would be foolish not to head towards the Olympic Games if you were running 100 metres, so yeah! I want to play on that field.”
Hmmmm…I think this situation gets worked out after Venom: Let There Be Carnage opens on September 24th and Spider-Man: No Way Home opens December 17th.
In terms of director/actor combos, few have greater potential than Denzel Washington and Michael B. Jordan. That’s why there was so much buzz surrounding A Journal for Jordan when it was announced back in 2018. The romantic drama is now set to arrive this Christmas, right in the thick of awards season when it is certainly to be a major factor.
In Washington’s first directorial effort since Fences five years ago, Jordan stars alongside Chante Adams (Roxanne Roxanne) as soldier Charles Monroe King, who began keeping a journal for his young son while stationed in Iraq. The film is based on the memoir by Dana Canedy, played by Adams in the film.
Adding to the film’s cred is a screenplay by Mudbound writer Virgil Williams. Also in the cast are Robert Wisdom (Bunny!!!), Tamara Tunie, and Johnny M. Wu.
A Journal for Jordan opens in theaters on December 10th.
Those familiar with Japanese filmmaker Sion Sono will appreciate his bizarre Sundance film, Prisoners of the Ghostland. They’ll also understand why Nicolas Cage was a perfect fit to star in this crazy concoction about a notorious criminal, ironically named Hero, who ventures into a twisted supernatural land to rescue a corrupt official’s daughter.
As seen in the new trailer, genres are mashed-up in nutty ways. You’ve got your samurai epic stuff and a little bit of Mad Max-style apocalyptic desolation. It’s all par for the course for the provocative Sono, and a damn sight different than Cage’s recent dramatic acclaim for Pig.
Also in the cast are Sofia Boutella, Ed Skrein, Nick Cassavetes, Yuzuka Nakaya, plus Bill Moseley of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Devil’s Rejects. This thing is a cult movie lover’s dream, and yet it didn’t sit well with me at all.
Prisoners of the Ghostland opens in theaters and VOD on September 17th.
PRISONERS OF THE GHOSTLAND is set in the treacherous frontier city of Samurai Town where a ruthless bank robber is sprung from jail by wealthy warlord The Governor, whose adopted granddaughter Bernice has gone missing. The Governor offers the prisoner his freedom in exchange for retrieving the runaway. Strapped into a leather suit that will self-destruct within three days, the bandit sets off on a journey to find the young woman—and his own path to redemption.
Martin Scorsese has been shooting Killers of the Flower Moon for a few months, and yet the cast keeps growing. There has been a lot of buzz surrounding the recent addition of Brendan Fraser (who is quite choked up about it) to a cast that already has Leonardo DiCaprio, Jesse Plemons, Robert De Niro, and Lily Gladstone. And now you can add John Lithgow to the big-budgeted Apple TV+ feature.
Lithgow joins a film set in 1920s Oklahoma where members of the oil-rich Osage Nation are systematically murdered in a series of crimes known as the Reign of Terror. The investigation was instrumental to the formation of the FBI. This will be Lithgow’s first time working with Scorsese, which seems sorta incredible they’ve never crossed paths.
Killers of the Flower Moon hits Apple TV+ in 2022. By that time Lithgow could be an Emmy winner as he’s currently nominated for his performance in HBO’s Perry Mason series.
When we first meet Aretha Franklin in Liesl Tommy’s accomplished biopic of the Queen of Soul, she’s still just a little girl. Played by Skye Dakota Turner, Aretha, or “Ree-Ree” as her family and close friends (many of them huge stars like Smokey Robinson, Martin Luther King Jr., and Sam Cooke) call her, just wants to entertain. Her voice already powerful enough to incur the jealousy of jazz great Dinah Washington (a ferocious Mary J. Blige), the young singer is a jewel in the eye of her powerful father, minister C.L. Franklin (an intimidating but vulnerable Forest Whitaker). And yet, as one of the attendees of another star-studded get-together begins to abuse the child, we get the sense that Aretha will always be fighting to break free from the controlling grip of others.
That is, essentially, what Respect is all about; Aretha using her music and her faith to discover who she truly is. While the particulars of the film are well-worn tropes of the genre: the troubled childhood, the rise to fame, the inevitable collapse due to substance abuse, and the reemergence, what makes Aretha’s story special and personal is how much her faith and family contribute to every detail.
Oh, and of course, Jennifer Hudson. While the decision to have Hudson play Aretha from her teenage years on up is a bit confusing, there’s no question the right choice was made the moment she begins to sing. Hudson’s commitment to the role is staggering, and her voice is dynamic enough to send chills. The same goes for her young co-star Turner, who plays Aretha from ages 10-to-12. When a guest comments that Ree-Ree “has a voice going on 30” it isn’t hyperbole; this child can belt one out! She also has the challenging burden of depicting Aretha’s many early traumas, which caused her to be mute for a stretch of time.
It was the church that brought Aretha out of her quiet spell, and through the film we see how big a role church played in her growth. But even as she inspires the parishioners with one soulful hymn after another, there’s the sense that even these moments of happiness are manipulated. Aretha’s father is a constant, looming presence, managing her career with an iron grip matched by his control of her personal life. When a shady Ted White (Marlon Wayans) enters Aretha’s life, C.L. ain’t havin’ it. And when C.L. lands Aretha a recording contract with Columbia Records, even that feels like something of his doing and not because of her overwhelming talent.
But the film is called Respect for more than just her hit single. Penned by Tracey Scott Wilson, Respect is about a uniquely-talented black woman finding her voice at a time of great racial turmoil, overcoming personal demons and abuse by men who wanted to keep her quiet while cashing in on her voice. The film doesn’t truly take off until Aretha starts to make that turn, beginning with the introduction of Marc Maron (Is he Hollywood’s go-to record producer dude?) as legendary producer Jerry Wexler. When he takes Aretha down to Alabama to work with the funky white dude musicians at Muscle Shoals, much to Ted’s chagrin, she finally finds her true sound. At this point, the film really digs into her catalog of amazing hits to emerge from this unlikely union, becoming a truly rousing crowd-pleaser that will lift you out of your seat!
Still, one can’t help but feel there’s a lot left on the table. Aretha’s struggles with alcohol are a blip on the radar, even though they help lead her on the path back to Jesus. Also, the sexual abuse she endured as a child, which led to her becoming an extremely young mother (one of the most shocking images is of a pregnant Ree-Ree) are teased and whispered about, but never truly confronted. And speaking just for me, I sorta wanted to see the movie stay with Aretha as she discovered her sound with the Muscle Shoals guys. The blast of diverging personalities and styles in that room is just so enjoyable that it’s a drag to get pulled back down into Aretha’s marital turmoil (Ted is in full Ike Turner mode), identity issues, and doomed friendship with MLK.
Those looking for a complete life biopic of Aretha Franklin aren’t going to get that here. Respectis focused on one of her many struggles and her overcoming of that is as heart-swelling as Jennifer Hudson’s vocals are soaring. Sure, the film is simply playing the hits, so to speak, but those hits have rarely sounded better.
*NOTE: This review was originally published as part of our 2021 Sundance Film Festival coverage. CODA opens in theaters and Apple TV+ on August 13th.*
CODAis the kind of heartwarming crowdpleaser that Opening Night at Sundance is made for. However, this coming-of-age dramedy about an anxious teen girl eager to leave her tiny New England fishing village is fresh with new perspectives, tensions, and loves. The title refers to Children of Deaf Adults, and the lead character, Ruby Rossi, played in a truly breakout performance by Emilia Jones, must balance her passion for singing with her family’s need of her as an employee and, most importantly, interpreter.
For a festival that prides itself on inclusiveness, CODA reminds us that Sundance can stick to what it does best even in the midst of so much change. The film is undeniably charming and grabs you early, even though the trappings of it feel very familiar. There’s a little bit of everything here: high school angst, first love, musical comedy, and more. But what writer/director Sian Heder’s sophomore effort, after the 2016 Sundance film Tallulah, is a unique look at the complications of a mixed-ability family, and how that adds a different spin on universal issues.
17-year-old Ruby has been communicating with her family, mom Jackie (Marlee Matlin), dad Frank (Troy Kotsur) and older brother Leo (Daniel Durant), all three deaf, through sign language as long as she’s been able to talk. A family of fishermen, their struggling way of life is being infringed on by an excess of government regulations. Further, they don’t really feel like part of the fishing community due to their disabilities. Ruby acts as their bridge to the hearing world, but also as a deckhand, running herself ragged between early mornings at work, then school, then caring for her family’s needs.
But there’s more to Ruby than just school and fishing boats. She also loves to sing, and the film begins with her belting out the sounds of Etta James’ “Something’s Got a Hold on Me.” At this point, we’re blissfully unaware that her father and brother, working steadily, can’t hear a note of it. Once we do, the sadness of that realization settles in, and only deepens as Ruby’s true talent begins to emerge.
A crush on Miles (Sing Street‘s Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) has Ruby signing up for choir at school, where she’s guided by eccentric, stern music teacher Bernardo “Mr. V” Villalobos (Eugenio Derbez). He sees something truly great in Ruby, and pairs her up with Miles to sing a duet of “You’re All I Need”, followed by an endorsement for her to attend music school in Boston.
The beats of Miles and Ruby’s tentative, puppy love are sweet and unremarkable. It’s Ruby’s interactions with her family where CODA really stands out. Ruby’s true passion is in song, not fish, but her parents might not be able to get by without her. Sure, as her brother scolds one day, “they got along fine” before she was born, but the business depends on her and it becomes clearer that Ruby is the glue that holds them all together.
More to the point, music is one of those things Ruby can never truly share with them. That need to be around others who can appreciate her singing is a longing that she feels deeply. Each of the family deals with this growing recognition in different ways. Her father, something of a jokester who farts and curses in exaggerated ASL, tries to be sympathetic. Jackie feels the growing divide with her daughter more acutely, while Leo is eager for the chance to shoulder more of the burden.
Heder has a lot of tones to juggle, and wisely chooses to go with a light, gentle approach that will leave you smiling. The singing scenes at school are pretty low-key, not at all on the level of anything by Ryan Murphy, thank goodness. They sound like teens, who show talent but are still coming into their voices. The exception is Jones, whose voice is powerful and soulful, booming over the others her age. As Ruby, she delivers a performance of stunning maturity, apt for a character who has been forced to grow-up long before her time. It’s also just a joy to see Marlee Matlin, the Oscar-winning Children of a Lesser God actress, back in a film that treats the deaf like real, complex people, rather than making them impossibly kind-hearted or objects for sympathy. Ruby’s parents are just as clueless, concerned, and embarrassing as hearing parents. A recurring gag about Frank and Jackie’s horniness threatens to wear out its welcome but Heder keeps it cool. Not so much with Derbez, whose over-the-top flamboyance has made him a favorite in many hit comedies both here and in Mexico, but it almost feels like he’s working on a different wavelength as the other actors.
Moving easily and confidently between speaking and sign, including moments of intense quiet, Heder never fears alienating her audience. In fact, a few minutes of silence in the final act, during a life-changing recital, lead to a moment of such sincerity it’ll make your heart swell. CODA‘s one of those unassuming films, nothing particularly flashy about it, that takes you by surprise and makes you want to sing.
While Clickbait is listed as a series, the trailer we have today only features one story, Nick Brewers. Nick is nowhere to be found until a video shows up on the internet showing Nick, obviously having been abducted, and holding a sign that says “At 5 Million Views, I Die”. That right there is enough to pull me in because the sad truth is that the knowledge of impending death wouldn’t be enough to stop anonymous sociopaths from tuning in just so they could feel like they were a part of what was going on. Unfortunately for Nick, that’s not where it stops. Soon he’s holding more signs that seem to uncover his dark secrets including the abuse of women. The world surrounding Nick’s wife and son begin to unravel as now, not only is there husband/father in mortal danger, but he’s also going from victim, to victimizer in the eyes of the public.
