We’re happy to offer our DC readers the chance to attend a free early screening ofSnake Eyes: GI Joe Origins. Henry Goulding stars as the GI Joe team’s popular ninja commando in one of his earliest adventures. The film also stars Samara Weaving, Andrew Koji, Ursula Corberó, Iko Uwais, and Peter Mensah, directed by Robert Schwentke.
SYNOPSIS: Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins stars Henry Golding as Snake Eyes, a tenacious loner who is welcomed into an ancient Japanese clan called the Arashikage after saving the life of their heir apparent. Upon arrival in Japan, the Arashikage teach Snake Eyes the ways of the ninja warrior while also providing something he’s been longing for: a home. But, when secrets from his past are revealed, Snake Eyes’ honor and allegiance will be tested – even if that means losing the trust of those closest to him.
The screening takes place on Wednesday, July 21st at 8:00pm at AMC Tysons Corner. If you’d like to attend, simply register at the Gofobo ticketing site here. Please remember all screenings are first come first served and you will need to arrive early to ensure seating. Enjoy the show!
Life on Mars is quiet and desolate, but it pales in comparison to the desolation of spirit within the few survivors who remain. Wyatt Rockefeller’s Settlersis sci-fi at its most effective, an intense slow burn that teases a vast world beyond its limited borders, but functions as a claustrophobic thriller in which death and secrets are a prison. No matter how far humanity has gone to escape Earth, they’ve brought far too much of it along with them.
Essentially an ensemble of five, Settlers takes place on an isolated desert farm on Mars. Whoever decides to live in this place, which resembles a rundown trailer park, it can’t have been by choice. However, for patriarch Reza (Jonny Lee Miller), matriarch Ilsa (Sofia Boutella), and their nine-year-old daughter Remmy (The Florida Project’s Brooklynn Prince), it’s as close to “normal” life as they’re going to have. For Remmy, it’s the only life she’s ever known. A smart, inquisitive kid who is more curious about the outside world than her parents would like, Remmy suspects that others might exist somewhere out there. Reza assures her that isn’t the case, but when the word “LEAVE” is scrawled in big, bloody letters on their window, it becomes clear that is just one of many lies the child has been told.
For a first-timer behind the camera, Rockefeller shows veteran ability at a number of different styles. A chase sequence early on is sprawling and effectively high-wire, ending with a gut punch that disrupts the balance of the story we had begun to expect. Rockefeller uses this event as a catalyst to switch gears, not to reach outward but to look inward with the arrival of Jerry (Ismael Cruz Cordova), who invades the family unit and takes up uncomfortable residence. What evolves from his arrival is a tenuous, nerve-rattling chamber drama, in which compromises of self are weighed against security and identity. Jerry, who claims the farm is his childhood home, has come to reclaim it and does so with unnerving ease.
A charged three-way-dance emergences, with Rockefeller exploring the ever-shifting power dynamics between the adults. In this world, it’s survival of the fittest and deals need to be struck, things not easily given must be offered up for protection, and sometimes you seek comfort even in those who are the most threatening. Over the course of three chapters, each named after a character vital to Remmy’s existence, Rockfeller teases secrets that when learned will shape the child’s view of the planet and of humanity.
As a big fan of Prince’s exuberant breakthrough performance inThe Florida Project, it’s impressive to see her do basically the polar opposite here. Remmy is quiet, deliberate, and curious, often keeping to herself and existing on the margins watching things she is too young to understand. The role morphs in expected fashion when Servant actress Nell Tiger Free takes over as Remmy, who has grown into a teen insightful beyond her years. It’s Cruz Cordova who you’ll have a difficult time turning away from, though. His presence is scary, even during moments of kindness you can’t help but feel on edge as if something terrible is always just a second away. When he and Boutella are together there’s a raw, dangerous sexual energy that really energizes the middle chapter when momentum begins to drag. Violence is at a minimum, but when it comes it rattles you. There is so little life in this barren land that death’s presence feels overwhelming.
As far as martian films go, Settlers is probably boasting the least in terms of resources. There are no huge, expensive setpieces, no extraterrestrial invasions, no laser rifles, no spaceships. But the limited budget and practical effects work in Rockfeller’s favor as he makes the most from South Africa’s vast Namaqualand desert. The journey Settlers takes us on is intimate and brutal, suggesting that no matter where humanity we can’t escape worst instincts.
With the rave reviews from Cannes pouring in for The French Dispatch, Wes Anderson is already gearing up for what’s next. While we don’t yet have a title or plot details, the film will shoot in Spain and bring back two of Anderson’s favorite players in Tilda Swinton and Bill Murray. And now you can add one more familiar face.
Deadline reports Oscar winner Adrien Brody will also have a role in Anderson’s upcoming project. Brody was not only part of The French Dispatch cast, but he also worked with Anderson on The Darjeeling Limited, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and Fantastic Mr. Fox.
Basically, nobody should be shocked if Anderson dials up more of his pals to be in this thing.
Brody will also be seen later this year in Andrew Dominik’s long-awaited Blonde. The French Dispatch opens October 22nd.
Once a Joss Whedon joint that would hit the big screen, Warner Bros. has made some changes to their upcoming Batgirl movie. Bad Boys for Life duo Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah were brought in to direct a script by Birds of Prey‘s Christina Hodson. And oh yeah, the mid-sized film will debut on HBO Max, not on the big screen. The next thing is lining up someone to suit up in the starring role.
According to Deadline, a number of actresses have already been tested to star in Batgirl. In the running are Isabela Merced, Zoey Deutch, and Leslie Grace, while Haley Lu Richardson may have already been ruled out. Damn, the Columbus star would’ve been fantastic. However, these other options are excellent, too.
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Merced has been rising up the ranks quickly, ever since her role in Transformers: The Last Knight. She recently starred in the live-action Dora and the Lost City of Gold, as well as Sicario: Day of the Soldado. Deutch is a personal favorite, but also a big fan-favorite for films Everybody Wants Some!!, Zombieland: Double Tap, and Vampire Academy. She’s also the daughter of Howard the Duck and Back to the Future actress Lea Thompson. Grace recently won hearts for In the Heights and is a Grammy-winning singer.
There’s still a lot we don’t know about this Batgirl movie. Does it exist within the larger DCEU along with Aquaman, The Flash, Wonder Woman, etc.? Or is it set in the same offshoot universe as The Batman where Jeffrey Wright plays her father Jim Gordon? Perhaps it’s neither, and exists on its own?
When Marvel announced at Comic-Con two years ago that Oscar winner Mahershala Ali would be starring in a new Blade movie, it sent shockwaves among the crowd and fans everywhere. Since then, news on the film has been scarce, but lately there’s been movement. Watchmen writer Stacy Osei-Kuffour was hired to write the script a few months ago, and now Deadline says a director has risen to the top of Marvel’s list.
Bassam Tariq is Marvel’s choice to direct Blade, centering on the day-walking vampire hunter. Tariq is best known for his upcoming film, Mogul Mowgli, which he co-wrote with star Riz Ahmed. He also directed the acclaimed Sundance doc These Birds Walk. A deal with Tariq has yet to be inked.
Tariq’s films have explored the diversity in Muslim culture, and considering Mahershala Ali is also Muslim there could be a unity of purpose here. Perhaps Marvel is considering having Blade be Muslim? To the best of my knowledge his religion has never come up in the comics, but I could be wrong. That would be an interesting wrinkle.
It also makes me wonder if maybe Ahmed can be brought in for a role? Fingers crossed.
Life as a Kevin Smith fan can be full of disappointment. No, I’m not talking about the films that get made. Say what you want about them, but personally I’ve enjoyed something from each. I’m referring to Smith’s propensity to talk about all of the projects he’s got in the pipeline, regardless of how likely they are to go. So many times I’ve been ready to see a film of his only for it to disappear off the radar. It’s a regular thing in Hollywood, the fact is that most flicks don’t get made, but his openness with fans is a double edged sword. Clerks 3 is a film that Smith has been saying was coming for years, but was axed several times. Most recently due to Jeff Anderson (who plays Randal) not wanting to come back for a third film. I’m not sure how, but Silent Bob pulled it off and got everyone back with an official start of shooting on the books for next month on Clerks 3.
Smith announced on his Facebook page today that Lionsgate came through with the funding for the third-installment in his cashier cowboy trilogy and the film many of his fans have been waiting on is green-lit! For anyone that follow’s Kevin Smith, you know he takes a lot of inspiration for his films from his life, Clerks 3 will be no different. Smith suffered a massive heart attack a few years back while on tour for his Q&A style standup. That life changing event is going to be front and center in the plot for the third film.
“In the story this time, I give Randal the heart attack that almost killed me. But rather than succumb to the reality of middle age, Randal rages against the dying light by telling the story of his life in an indie film he shoots with his fellow clerks at Quick Stop!”
As if that wasn’t enough good news, the best thing about Clerks 2, Rosario Dawson, is confirmed to be coming back for the film. For all his madness of media in recent years the iconic director has always known how to mix sentimentality with comedy, I can’t wait to see how he tackles what will be the closing chapter in the story he first started telling 27 years ago.
While Travis is the real Wrestling-head around the PDC, the drama of the (then) WWF and WCW were epic pillars of my upbringing. There was nothing quite like the thrill of seeing your favorite wrestler hit their finisher, no one cared that it wasn’t real (spoiler alert, there’s nothing “fake” about wrestling). The bad guys though, the real draw for most of the drama in the ring, are known as Heels.
Starz is taking that route on their new series, appropriately named Heels to take a look behind the curtain of the independent wrestling world. Anyone that’s followed the news knows that the world of professional wrestling can be a dark and brutal place, so it’s somewhat surprising that we’re just now seeing a TV show that looks to take us to the corner of powerbomb and shooting star press. Honestly, I expected to see a show like this shortly after the success of the Mickey Rourke comeback vehicle, The Wrestler.
Regardless of the timing, Starz has fulfilled those wishes and brought us a serialized dramatic take on a small-town wrestling promoter and his brother, and up and coming wrestler in his own right. Heels stars noted fan and some time wrestler Stephen Amell as Jack Spade and perennially on the cusp of superstardom Alexander Ludwig as his brother, Ace Spade. While Amell’s performances are always hit or miss for me, you can tell the love he has for the sport seeping through what he’s delivering on screen. Starz keeps releasing shows that look super-interesting, but I’ve yet to dive deep on one (Outlander has been in my queue for literally years). Heels, from what I’ve seen in the trailer below, is going to jump onto that list, unlike the rest of the list I think I’ll be making the effort to give this one a go.
We’re happy to offer our DC readers the chance to attend a free early screening of Old, the latest thriller from M. Night Shyamalan. The film stars Gael Garcia Bernal, Vicky Krieps, Thomasin McKenzie, Alex Wolff, Rufus Sewell, Ken Leung, Abbey Lee, and Eliza Scanlen.
SYNOPSIS: This summer, visionary filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan unveils a chilling, mysterious new thriller about a family on a tropical holiday who discover that the secluded beach where they are relaxing for a few hours is somehow causing them to age rapidly … reducing their entire lives into a single day.
The screening takes place on Wednesday, July 21st at 7:00pm at AMC Georgetown. If you’d like to attend, simply register at the Gofobo site here. Please remember all screenings are first come first served and you will need to arrive early to ensure seating. Enjoy the show!
If you haven’t seen the season finale of Loki and have somehow avoided SPOILERS, turn back now!
Some hefty changes are coming to the MCU, and we have last week’s Loki finale to thank for it. The episode not only confirmed the series would return for a second season, it set into motion all of the multiverse craziness we’re going to be seeing in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and most notable for this story, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
Loki gave fans their first taste of Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror, who is revealed to be He Who Remains and the one behind the TVA. When Loki and Sylie confront him, they destroy the Sacred Timeline and unleash the multiverse, which also means many variants of Kang are out there to cause trouble.
We know the character will be showing up in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania; in fact, that was where we first learned about Majors’ casting. But it turns out, Majors was cast for Loki at the same time, with director Kate Herron and Ant-Man‘s Peyton Reed working together on it. Herron told THR…
“Casting was a very surreal experience. When I joined the project, we always knew that Loki and Sylvie were going to go to He Who Remains, and the Multiverse would be released. So I already knew when I got the job that it was going to be a massive undertaking to do that and a big responsibility for Marvel to get it right. And Jonathan Majors is an actor that we were all just blown away by; I think everyone who knows his work is blown away by him. And when I knew we had Jonathan, he and I were solely focused on He Who Remains and this version of the character, this variant.”
“[The ‘Quantumania’ casting] happened at the same time. So basically, [‘Ant-Man’ director] Peyton [Reed] and I were in that discussion with Kevin Feige and the team at Marvel. We knew he was gonna be in [‘Quantumania’], and we knew that a version of him was going to be in [‘Loki’].”
Herron has already said she won’t be returning forLoki‘s second season. While she’ll be away working on other projects, don’t be shocked if she does come back to the MCU, and given that she was involved in Majors’ casting it might be with another Kang. Perhaps a Secret Wars sort of thing?
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania opens February 17th 2023.
If the deluge of promos for Snake Eyes are any indication, Paramount must have very big plans for the GI Joe franchise. The ’80s toy brand has never quite lived up to expectations at the box office, so the gamble now is to focus not on the military team itself, but on its most popular character, in an origin story no less.
With the film opening in just a few days, Paramount has dropped one final trailer that gives us another look at star Henry Goulding as the ninja warrior. The story takes us back to a time before he joins the GI Joe squad, however there are plenty of familiar characters involved. Andrew Koji plays Snake Eyes’ friend/rival Storm Shadow, with Samara Weaving as Scarlett (Snake Eyes’ lover in the comics), Úrsula Corberó as Baroness, Iko Uwais as Hard Master, and Peter Mensah as Blind Master. Haruka Abe plays Akiko, with Tahehiro Hira as Kenta, both new characters.
It’s an interesting move to relaunch GI Joe this way, but you’ve got to come up with avenues to reach different audiences. Here’s hoping it works out because I really need to see some of my favorite Joes, such as Roadblock, Bazooka, Destro, and of course Dr. Mindbender.
Directed by Robert Schwentke, Snake Eyes: GI Joe Origins opens July 23rd.
