We’re happy to offer our DC readers the chance to attend a free early screening of Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain!
SYNOPSIS: Anthony Bourdain, the gifted chef, storyteller and writer said: “If I’m an advocate for anything, it’s to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. The extent to which you can walk in someone else’s shoes – or at least eat their food – it’s a plus for everybody. Open your mind. Get up off the couch. Move.”
ROADRUNNER: A FILM ABOUT ANTHONY BOURDAIN, is an extraordinarily moving documentary by Academy Award-winning director, Morgan Neville. It will open in movie theaters on July 16th. Anthony Bourdain inspired people through his books (including Kitchen Confidential), his work as a chef (at Les Halles in New York), and his television shows (including “No Reservations” and “Parts Unknown”.) Anthony Bourdain died by suicide in 2018. ROADRUNNER: A FILM ABOUT ANTHONY BOURDAIN chronicles his life as a culinary icon and inveterate adventurer. It also shines a light on his mental health issues. In April 2021, his long-time associate, Laurie Woolever, published a book, co-authored with Bourdain, called World Travel: An Irreverent Guide. ROADRUNNER: A FILM ABOUT ANTHONY BOURDAIN is produced in partnership with CNN Films and HBO Max.
The screening takes place on Wednesday, July 14th at 7:00pm at Regal Gallery Place. If you’d like to attend, simply go to the Focus Features ticketing site here. Please remember all screenings are first come first served and you will need to arrive early to ensure seating.
Casanova, Last Love is a french film (with English subtitles) depicting the brief but passionate affair of Giacomo Girolamo Casanova and Marianne de Charpillon, who seduced his womanizing heart. The trailer immediately peaks my curiosity as I am drawn to 18th century European culture, the costumes, and scenes of steamy, hot sex. A real life lotus den for an era still prominent to this day. Director and screenwriter Benoît Jacquot is the man behind camera. His other films include La désenchantée, A Single Girl, Farewell,My Queen, and Three Hearts. Jacquot co-writes this film with Chantal Thomas and Jérôme Beaujour.
Casanova is a famous Italian adventurer known for his affinities for sexual pleasure, gambling, and escaping prison among many other things. He arrives in London, England having been recently exiled from Paris, France. Living in a new city completely foreign to him, Casanova (Vincent Lindon) finds the English life repulsive. He observes residents openly engaging sexual activity in carriage rides and use park pathways as an outhouse. Sticking to his Parisian upbringing, he refuses to speak very little English. Being new, he attends social gatherings with the few acquaintances he knows in town. It’s at a few of these events Casanova sets his eyes on a beautiful young prostitute, Marianne de Charpillon (Stacy Martin).
Despite warnings from friends already scammed by her, Casanova becomes infatuated with Marianne. It gets to the point where he loses interest in all other women. Disregarding the orgy’s and affairs with “princesses” that are easily attainable. The legendary lover is willing to do anything to have her. Charpillon is aware of his eagerness and with plans of her own, toys with his advances. He reluctantly complies with her challenges. Casanova greatly anticipates to ravage the woman he so lustfully desires. He recounts the notable affair at presumably during the time he is writing his infamous memoir, Histoire de ma vie (Story of My Life). As told in flashbacks, Casanova admits to a decades long secret that Charpillon was the one true love of his life.
The production design behind Casanova, Last Love is amazing. The color, style, design of the costumes are stunning. Every house, business, ballroom, park and garden presented are rich with exquisite architecture and props that embody the films euphoric era. Scenes are reminiscent of images brought to life from the masterpieces of french painters Claude Monet and Edouard Manet. Shuffling dresses, the squeak of shoes, horses trotting on gravel and stone, clinking dishware, to the simple notes played on a harpsichord are prominent yet subtle. A song sung by opera star, La Cornelys (Valeria Golino), the orchestra of stringed instruments, and an all blind Irish band is the musical soundtrack that reflect the setting and cast’s emotions. These elements are very pleasing to observe and appreciate throughout the film.
Casanova, Last Love has little dialogue that hangs primarily on white noise for mood. Long pauses and the over use of white noise can be underwhelming and drag on too long. Casanova is a man who’s entire life thrives on his deepest ambitions and desires. A man rich in his 30’s with experience who’s high on life and full of…intent. With that being said, I would have expected Vincent Lindon to bring out those aspects when playing Casanova. His character portrayal fell flat and felt empty. There are uncomfortable moments that looked as if he was unsure of how to properly channel those qualities. An unfortunate drawback that displays Casanova looking invisible at times.
Stacy Martin is perfect as Marianne de Charpillon. She knows exactly who she is and what her truest intentions are. Charpillon is quite business savvy for a 17 year old girl of her trade and a badass in her own way. Martin (and as Charpillon) make Lindon and his Casanova persona look like amateurs. She refuses to be the mouse in the proverbial “cat vs. mouse” game, choosing to be the lion instead. Martin steals the show as she fully embodies the lover’s quest to the fullest detail. She is of a wonderful talent that extends way beyond her years.
It’s no spoiler that Casanova’s heart is broken and still pines for the woman he couldn’t have. I get it but I’m not entirely sold on his melancholy. Here’s the gist..who’ve got a 30 year old man who’s mastered the art of womanizing vs. a young woman already used to being the pawn (on the game board of) ladies who’ve ALWAYS been womanized. Is he genuinely upset for losing her the way he did? Or is he really upset with himself for playing a game he’s spent his entire life mastering AND lost to a woman who played it (and him) better? Based on my observations, my opinion leans to the latter part of the two questions asked. Who knows, it could be yes to both. I recommend watching the film, where you can decide for yourself.
Casanova, Last Love opens in select theaters and on Bastille Day, July 14th.
The crossing over of cultures is a theme Justin Chon (yes, the Twilight actor, he’s quite the filmmaker now) explored with his breakout 2017 feature, Gook. He further heads into that territory with Blue Bayou, which again sees him write, direct, and star. A major difference is that he now stars opposite an Oscar winner, Alicia Vikander, and the film is getting a major World Premiere slot at Cannes.
Chon and Vikander star as a married couple in small-town Louisiana, whose lives are thrown into chaos when he gets arrested and could be deported because of his immigration status, having been brought to the U.S. at the age of three.
Also in the cast are Mark O’Brien, Linh Dan Pham, Vondie Curtis-Hall, and Emory Cohen.
I would say that Chon has been knocking at the door of becoming a top-tier filmmaker and Blue Bayou could be what does it. Focus Features will release it into theaters on September 17th, but we’ll know the early reviews before then.
An official selection of the 2021 Cannes Film Festival from award-winning writer/director Justin Chon, Blue Bayou is the moving and timely story of a uniquely American family fighting for their future. Antonio LeBlanc (Chon), a Korean adoptee raised in a small town in the Louisiana bayou, is married to the love of his life Kathy (Alicia Vikander) and step-dad to their beloved daughter Jessie. Struggling to make a better life for his family, he must confront the ghosts of his past when he discovers that he could be deported from the only country he has ever called home.
Want to know something Marvel Television was never able to do before now? Despite the many years Agents of SHIELD, Agent Carter, and other shows were on the air, they weren’t able to rack up any Primetime Emmy nominations other than Creative Arts. Well, if Kevin Feige wanted to put his stamp on Marvel TV he’s definitely done that now with a whopping 28 Emmy nominations announced today.
We’re not going to get into the details because, personally, I don’t give two good God damns about the Emmys, but The Crown and The Mandalorian were tied with 24 nominations each. That’s a ridiculous number.
But it’s Marvel that really cemented its status as a major small-screen player with 28 nominations combined between WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Those are the only two shows they had that qualify, so don’t start bugging out about Loki, alright?
It was WandaVision that really killed it with an incredible 23 nominations, including big ones such as Best Limited series, Best Actress for Elizabeth Olsen, Best Actor for Paul Bettany, and Best Guest Actress for Kathryn Hahn.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier chipped in with 5 total nominations, including a surprising one for Don Cheadle who was in there for maybe 3 minutes and never even suited up as War Machine. You couldn’t have given that nomination to Carl Lumbly?
Here’s the thing: Marvel has Loki, What If?, Ms. Marvel, Hawkeye, and more either here or coming up soon. How dominant a force could they be in the Emmys next year? Damn.
So you wanted to see all of your Marvel favorites under one roof, eh? Well, you reap what you sew. Now that Disney owns, well, pretty much every damn thing, crossover, some good some bad, were inevitable. So not only do we get a Marvel-themed The Simpsons short, but now superhero corporate synergy that unites Thor: Ragnarok‘s Korg and Deadpool to promote Ryan Reynolds’ new film, Free Guy.
On the one hand, at least it isn’t another damn trailer because it feels like they’ve been promoting Free Guy for a bazillion years.
On the other hand, Free Guy doesn’t have shit to do with Marvel other than it has Ryan Reynolds and Taika Waititi in it. I guess that’s enough? There are much cooler ways to formalize the Marvel Studios/20th Century Fox union than this, is all I’m saying.
The festival circuit has been the home of some wild animated offerings this year, such as The Spine of Night which debuted at SXSW, and preceded by Dash Shaw’s Cryptozoo at Sundance. The latter is a little bit like an adventure movie, a little bit Fantastic Beasts, a little bit espionage, and all of it presented in fantastical fashion. Really, it was quite unlike anything I’ve seen this year and now the trailer is here so you can delight in its strangeness, too.
Featuring the voices of Lake Bell, Michael Cera, Angeliki Papoulia, Zoe Kazan, Peter Stormare, Grace Zabriskie, Louisa Krause, and Thomas Jay Ryan, Cryptozoo follows cryptozookeeper Lauren Grey as she sets out to save a legendary dream-eating bird known as a Baku. The film deals with this myriad of wonderfully weird creatures and whether they should be kept on display, a subject we face in reality about animals meant for the wild.
In my review from earlier this year I called Cryptozoo “Fantastic Beasts for the Adult Swim audience”. If you’re looking for animation that’s off the beaten path a bit more high-minded, this is something to get into.
Cryptozoo opens on August 20th.
Visionary comic book writer/artist/filmmaker Dash Shaw’s vibrant, fantastical animated feature follows cryptozookeepers through a richly-drawn hallucinatory world as they struggle to capture a Baku (a legendary dream-eating hybrid creature) and begin to wonder if they should display these rare beasts in the confines of a zoo, or if these mythical creatures should remain hidden and unknown. Featuring the voice talents of Lake Bell, Zoe Kazan, Michael Cera, Louisa Krause, Peter Stormare, Thomas Jay Ryan, Grace Zabriskie, and Angeliki Papoulia, CRYPTOZOO is written and directed by Shaw, with Jane Samborski directing the stunning animation.
Fin is a documentary film revealing the horrific magnitude of inhumane and excessive practices used by the global fishing industry of sharks throughout the world. Horror filmmaker Eli Roth (Cabin Fever, Hostel, Death Wish) is equally fearful yet intrigued by the shark world. The ultimate goal is to uncover and scare viewers into social action, inspiring them to save the shark species and populations that are rapidly depleting.
Roth wrote, directed, and executive produced this documentary with the assistance of a professional group of scientists, researchers, and activists. They meet around the globe to unveil the brutal truth behind the deaths (accounted for) of over 100 million sharks per year. Hoping to expose the criminal enterprise while investigating the detrimental impact that’s leading to the extinction of these majestically misunderstood creatures.
Fin will stream globally on Discovery+ as part of the company’s much celebrated, “Shark Week”. Photography work is provided by Michael Muller. Environmental organizations such as Oceana, Sea Shepherd, and WildAid express major support and also contribute to the making of this film. Oscar® winnerLeonardo DiCaprio executive produces as well as, actor, producer and shark activist Nina Dobrev and President of Lionsgate Nonfiction Television, Pilgrim CEO, and Chair Craig Piligian.
Eli Roth visits places that are highly affected by shark fishing and how it impacts their location and economy. He travels to Mexico where he meets with Regina Domingo. Regina is a dive instructor, sailor, conservationist, producer, photojournalist, campaigner, and passionate researcher behind the documentary Game Over Fishing. She and Roth join local fishermen on a shark hunt with small boats, fishing rods, and a metal bat used to stun or rather, kill the sharks. Roth travels to Hong Kong, meeting with Gary Stokes of Sea Shepherd Asia. He informs Roth of the hard truth of how Hong Kong is the shark capital of the world. Stokes shows how fins are collected, dried and sold before it even reaches the stomachs of buyers. Believe you me, it’s fucking gross!
California (Malibu), Liberia, and The Bahamas are other major areas traveled by Roth. He speaks with Asian Food Blogger, Daniel Chung. He takes Roth into the kitchen to see and taste the infamous soup. A soup favored by one guy, an emperor. Two hotels, later in a rival marketing race, claimed that one could eat just like the emperor. The desire and demand for shark fin soup soared simply to feel like royalty. Hotels catered to elite wedding parties where the fin soup was regarded a luxurious delicacy. Chung, being of the younger generation, called the practice passe.
In his journey, Roth also speaks with several researchers and activists including biologist Boris Worm and campaign manager for WildAid, Alex Hofford. WildAid released a commercial in 2013 publicizing the morbidity entailed for that ridiculously expensive bowl of soup. I vividly remember that commercial and even thought then that I hope some good would come from it. Shark “Finning” was banned but not without further repercussions for the shark. An unexpected backfire that was not intended to happen.
Roth’s documentary, Fin has a rocky start. He’s in Liberia boarding a well known shark hunting ship with National Guard and security people. At first, it’s assumed that the purpose of the search pertains to illegal shark fishing. However, the real reason comes to light much later in the film. Camera shots fumble around in the beginning that had me wondering what the hell was going on. His timeline eventually settles down and is steadily fluent for the remainder of the film. The background music sticks to simple melodies feeding the loom to catastrophic feel of the data and experiences provided. Roth even includes ASMR type sound effects that are more reminiscent of type-B horror films. The intent is to accentuate the darkness of the problematic ways of how shark food and products are used. Although effective, it did come across a bit cheesy.
Shark Week is celebrated by several networks and watched by millions of viewers all over the world. Shark Week originally aired July 17th, 1988 on the Discovery Channel. Think about it. We have been educated and have grown to love sharks for over 30 years. For a world that fears yet, idolizes such a beloved creature..how the hell did we ever get to the point that the shark species and their populations could be completely wiped out less than 20 years from now?! Fin is the exact documentary that needs to be seen! Eli Roth and the other people involved provide detailed information unveiling the threats and dangers of the depleting ocean life. He adds ways that viewers can contribute to prevent further destruction and protect the shark world.
Congress is set to vote on a ban that would make it illegal to sell or buy shark fins in the U.S. If people do not voice their concern, sharks may be lost forever. Sharks have amazingly survived 5 mass extinctions. Roth’s documentary conveys that at the current rate, sharks will not survive a 6th extinction caused by humans. If you find the time to watch Shark week because you are intrigued, love sharks, or whatever your reason may be, I recommend watching Fin to truly understand just how important they really are to the planet.
Fin will begin streaming globally on Tuesday, July 13th exclusively on Discovery+
Domee Shi won an Oscar in 2018 for her animated short film, Bao, which made empty nest syndrome and hot steamed buns a heartwarming treat. Now she returns to Disney/Pixar with her feature-length debut, Turning Red, which is like Bruce Banner turning green as the Hulk, but a lot cuter.
Turning Red centers on 13-year-old Mei Lee, voiced by young actress Rosalie Chiang, who poofs into a furry, red panda whenever she gets too excited…which happens quite a lot. Golden Globe winner Sandra Oh voices Mei Lee’s overprotective mother who is never far away.
The plan is to release Turning Red on March 11th 2022, so there’s still quite a long time to wait. This trailer doesn’t do much but spell out the plot, which looks like it should be quite a fun riff on the mother/daughter relationship and budding adolescence, all topics Pixar has handled quite deftly in the past. We should expect the same here.
Young actress Rosalie Chiang lends her voice to Mei Lee, a 13-year-old who suddenly “poofs” into a giant red panda when she gets too excited (which is practically ALWAYS). Sandra Oh (“The Chair,” “Killing Eve”) voices Mei Lee’s protective, if not slightly overbearing mother, Ming, who is never far from her daughter—an unfortunate reality for the teenager.
Joseph Kosinski, director of Tron: Legacy, Oblivion, and the upcoming Top Gun: Maverick, has found his latest potential blockbuster movie. Deadline reports he’ll direct Chariot, a graphic novel adaptation of a spy story with a really cool hook: it centers on a top secret state-of-the-art sports car.
Chariot has a script from Julian Meiojas (Jack Ryan, The Flash) and was picked as a sci-fi thriller cross between True Romance and The Matrix, which sets some damn lofty expectations. The story follows a top secret Cold War era project known as The Chariot, a state-of-the-art sports car designed for a star agent. But the car and the agent both sank into the ocean, only to be discovered by a petty criminal looking to turn his life around. He soon discovers that the deceased agent’s consciousness is still controlling the vehicle.
Warner Bros. won the film in a high-stakes bidding war, and they’re going to throw a lot behind it. The two lead roles are said to be perfect for a pair of A-list actors. Every single one of Kosinski’s movies has been loaded with star power, so why would this be any different?
The film is based on the comic by Bryan Edward Hill (Bitter Root) and artist Priscilla Petraites, with editing by Axel Alonso, a name that should be familiar to Marvel fans. The studio’s Zack Studin will exec-produce the film version.
Kosinski has two major projects already shot and ready to go. The first is obviously Top Gun: Maverick, but he also has the star-studded Escape from Spiderhead with Chris Hemsworth, Miles Teller, and Jurnee Smollett that hits Netflix later this year.
A girls trip goes all wrong for Anna Kendrick in Alice, Darling, a new femme psychological thriller she’ll be starring in for Lionsgate. This marks her return to the studio after scoring one of her biggest hits with 2018’s dark comedy A Simple Plan.
Deadline reports Alice, Darling will mark the directorial debut of Mary Nighy, and stars Kendrick as a deranged woman who goes on a trip with her two best friends, only to have dark secrets emerge when a local girl goes missing and her mercurial boyfriend shows up unannounced.
The cast includes Loki star Wunmi Mosaku and Kaniehtiio Horn as Alice’s besties, and Charlie Carrick as Alice’s boyfriend.
A female-led production team includes a script by Alanna Francis.
“Alice, Darling is a subtle, nuanced story about coercion and control,” said Nighy. “As a director, I couldn’t wish for a better cast of talented actors and creatives to bring this important story to life. The chemistry between Anna Kendrick, Wunmi Mosaku, and Kaniehtiio Horn as the three friends is a joy to see.”
Kendrick is coming off the recent Netflix thriller, Stowaway. She also scored one of the early pandemic success stories with her voice role in Trolls World Tour.
