Between Marriage Story and Malcolm & Marie, perhaps you’re exhausted of watching beautiful actors play couples in disintegrating relationships? Well, then maybe Scenes from a Marriage isn’t for you, although when the lovers are played by Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain how could anybody turn this HBO miniseries away?
As if it wasn’t enough to see the reunion of A Most Violent Year duo Isaac and Chastain, Scenes from a Marriage is written and directed by The Affair creator Hagai Levi, also known for HBO’s In Treatment. The limited series will take Ingmar Bergman’s steamy 1973 Swedish series (which was turned into a 3-hour movie starring Liv Ullman and Erland Josephson) and follow the cycle of destruction and reconciliation of an affluent American couple. Of course, one of them just has to be a divorce lawyer, too.
Also in the cast are Sunita Mani, Nicole Behari, Corey Stoll, and Tovah Feldshuh.
HBO will debut Scenes from a Marriage this September.
Adapted from Ingmar Bergman’s 1973 Swedish classic, and starring Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain, Scenes from a Marriage re-examines the show’s iconic depiction of love, hatred, desire, monogamy, marriage, and divorce through the lens of a contemporary American couple.
Well, it didn’t take long for us to learn a lot more about Matthew Vaughn’s post-Kingsman spy movie, revealed just yesterday. Because now we know the title, Argylle, but three huge additions to the cast joining Bryce Dallas Howard, Samuel L. Jackson, and Sam Rockwell.
THR reports Superman himself Henry Cavill, John Cena, pop star Dua Lipa, Bryan Cranston, and Catherine O’Hara are on board. The film is based on Argylle, the upcoming novel by Ellie Conway about the titular world’s greatest spy.
There are big plans for this, too, as Argylle is expected to be the first in at least a three-movie franchise set in the U.S., London, and other locations worldwide. Filming begins in August.
That’s a lot of star power Vaughn is bringing to bear, but he’s got the resume to demand that sort of thing. Cavill’s spy movie experience is pretty vast with The Man from UNCLE and Mission: Impossible-Fallout. Cena ventured into the world of espionage recently with F9, and will suit up as Peacemaker in The Suicide Squad. Cranston is a mult-time Emmy winner for Breaking Bad, a Tony Award winner, and an Oscar nominee to boot. He and O’Hara, the latter coming off an acclaimed run on Schitt’s Creek, bring a wealth of acting cred to the table. As for Lipa, the British pop sensation will be making her screen acting debut.
How different would the Marvel Cinematic Universe be if T’Challa was stolen away by the Ravagers instead of Peter Quill? Or if Peggy Carter took the Super-Soldier serum and not Steve Rogers? And Marvel Zombies, what if they were a thing? These are just a few of the questions explored in Marvel’s What If? series on Disney+, which has dropped a new trailer.
For fans of the live-action movies, part of what’s great about What If is having the original actors voicing their characters. That brings some added weight to the scenes with T’Challa, who is voiced by the late Chadwick Boseman.
The curious part is where exactly does What If fit in the overall scheme of things? With so much talk of the Multiverse going on, is this show just a one-off that will mean nothing when all is said and done? Or is this going to have a lasting impact that we just can’t see yet?
What If? debuts on Disney+ on August 13th, and is the fourth original Marvel Studios series to hit the network.
Disney+ unveiled a new trailer and poster today for Marvel Studios’ “What If…?,” showcasing the compelling series that reimagines famous events from films in the MCU. Creating a multiverse of infinite possibilities, “What If… ?” features fan-favorite characters, including Peggy Carter, T’Challa, Doctor Strange, Killmonger, Thor and more. The new series, directed by Bryan Andrews with AC Bradley as head writer, features signature MCU action with a curious twist.
Hollywood, you really never cease to amaze me. I never would have thought that on my list of “Must-See” films there would be a movie about two women running a scam coupon ring…honestly, I didn’t even know that was a thing.
It is, or was, a thing though. Queenpins, starring Kristen Bell, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Paul Walter Hauser, and Vince Vaughn, is based on a true story. Apparently, two women who were fed up with how life treated them decided to help others while helping themselves. They stole coupons for free merchandise from a warehouse and sold them on the internet. Honestly, doesn’t sound like a big deal but apparently they did this ALOT. It’s mentioned in the trailer that it cost companies 10’s of millions of dollars.
Thankfully, they chose to tackle this subject on a comedic angle and damn does it look funny. Bell and Howell-Baptiste have great chemistry and most exciting of all Vince Vaughn is back at his Vaughn-iest. I’m sure we’ll see all kinds of comparisons to Pain and Gain but this seems like something altogether different and I can’t wait to see it.
Check out the trailer below and look for Queenpins September 10, 2021 in theaters!
Official Synopsis:
Couponing goes criminal in the new trailer for Queenpins. From writer-directors Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly, the film stars Kristen Bell, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Paul Walter Hauser, Vince Vaughn and Bebe Rexha. In theaters September 10th and coming soon to Paramount+
Inspired by a true story, QUEENPINS is an outrageous comedy about a bored and frustrated suburban homemaker, Connie (Kristen Bell) and her best pal JoJo (Kirby Howell-Baptiste), a vlogger with dreams, who turn a hobby into a multi-million dollar counterfeit coupon caper. After firing off a letter to the conglomerate behind a box of cereal gone stale, and receiving an apology along with dozens of freebies, the duo hatch an illegal coupon club scheme that scams millions from mega-corporations and delivers deals to legions of fellow coupon clippers. On the trail to total coupon dominance, a hapless Loss Prevention Officer (Paul Walter Hauser) from the local supermarket chain joins forces with a determined U.S. Postal Inspector (Vince Vaughn) in hot pursuit of these newly-minted “Queenpins” of pink collar crime.
Film Info:
Cast: Kristen Bell, Kirby Howell – Baptiste, Paul Walter Hauser, Joel McHale, with Bebe Rexha and Vince Vaughn
Writer-Directors: Aron Gaudet & Gita Pullapilly
Producers: Linda McDonough, Nicholas Weinstock
Release Date: September 10, 2021
One of the things that makes Amazon’s adaptation of the widely popular comic series The Boys so popular is the effectiveness of their efforts to show parallels to our world. A scary thought considering the content of the show. Now, we may not have homicidal superhero’s, but we DEFINITELY have crooked politicians and propaganda pushing “news” programs.
As you can probably imagine Vought International, the company that controls “The Seven” and has commercialized super heroism nation-wide, isn’t about to let news of their company and associated superhero’s out into the world without a flattering spin. That is the concept behind Seven on 7 on VNN.
Vought’s very own news program complete with programmed talking head, Cameron Coleman. Amazon will be releasing new installments of the gap-bridging digital series on the 7th of each month until the season 3 premier (which we don’t have a date for yet).
The first installment dropped yesterday, and I’m happy to report it’s a bit more then just fluff intended to keep us interested. It looks like there are bits of story in there that will end up being relevant to next season. For instance, big time politicians are taking a more active role and it appears ‘lil Hughie got a bit of a promotion. In a quick statement at around 3:43 it’s announced that Hughie has been hired as a senior analyst by Victoria Newman, a congresswoman overseeing superhuman affairs.
Ground breaking? No, a fun way to remember that we have a whole new season of this awesome show happening soon? Absolutely.
Official Description: Bringing you the latest news from the world of Vought. Today on Vought News Network: » An update on America’s favorite hero, Homelander » Meet the new man: Victoria Neuman announces FBSA hire » Where is Alastair?: Church of the Collective head missing amidst new allegations Sponsored by Our Sheet
Netflix is known for throwing big money around, but Red Notice? They threw more money getting that blockbuster film made than anything else in the streamer’s history. And you can see why with a cast led by the incredible trio of Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot, and Ryan Reynolds. The number of hit franchises they’ve all been a part of speak for themselves, and now Netflix has set a date for when we can see them team up for the first time.
Red Notice will hit Netflix on November 12th. That’s around the same time that Netflix dropped one of their biggest films ever, Bird Box, and the expectation is this will do even better.
The film Johnson’s Skyscraper director Rawson Marshall Thurber follows a heist that brings together the FBI’s top profiler (Johnson), the world’s most wanted art thief (Gadot), and the greatest con man (Reynolds).
To coincide with the news, Netflix has also revealed a new image showing the starry trio looking suave as Hell. All three tweeted about the info, as well, with Reynolds having something funny to say, naturally.
?You’re officially on notice?@Netflix’s biggest movie ever #REDNOTICE premieres in your living rooms around the globe on NOV 12??
Remember when it seemed for a while that Joseph Gordon-Levitt was everywhere, being primed to be Hollywood’s next big thing? This may come as a shock, but that wasn’t the most creatively fulfilling time for him, and Gordon-Levitt set off to make his own projects, starting with 2010’s Don Juan, and others that he’s backed as part of his HitRecord label. And now he turns his career back to where it all started, on the small screen, with the Apple TV+ series Mr. Corman, which Gordon-Levitt created, wrote, directs, and stars in.
Gordon-Levitt explores millennial anxiety in the half-hour comedy/drama series, playing a failed musician coming to grips with the idea that this sucky life he leads might be all there is for him. The series also stars Arturo Castro, Debra Winger, Juno Temple, and rapper Bobby Hall aka Logic in his acting debut.
Mr. Corman debuts on Apple TV+ beginning August 6th.
“‘Mr. Corman’ follows the days and nights of Josh Corman, played by Gordon-Levitt, an artist at heart but not by trade. A career in music hasn’t panned out, and he teaches fifth grade at a public school in the San Fernando Valley. His ex-fiancé Megan has moved out and his high school buddy Victor has moved in. He knows he has a lot to be thankful for, but finds himself struggling nevertheless through anxiety, loneliness and a sinking suspicion that he sucks as a person. Darkly funny, oddly beautiful and deeply heartfelt, this relatable dramedy speaks for our contemporary generation of 30-somethings – rich with good intentions, poor with student loans and yearning to become real grown-ups sometime before they die.”
After making a big splash at Cannes in 2015 with Macbeth, Justin Kurzel returns to the festival with a chilling new thriller. Nitram will be the first Australian film to compete for the Palme d’Or in over a decade, and the first trailer is here to show why it might be a major player this year.
Starring Caleb Landry Jones, Nitram is based on the real-life Port Arthur massacre, in which 35 people were murdered and 23 injured by a single killer. It was the worst mass shooting in Australian history and led to the passage of historic gun control laws.
The film doesn’t name Jones’ character, although he looks to be a version of real-life killer Martin Bryant. Also in the cast are Judy Davis, The Babadook‘s Essie Davis, Anthony LaPaglia, and Ben O’Toole.
Kurzel most recently directed The True History of the Kelly Gang. He broke out with the 2011 crime thriller Snowtown, and took a stab at Hollywood blockbusters with Assassin’s Creed. Nitram, which was written by frequent collaborator Shaun Grant, looks right in his wheelhouse.
Nitram will have its world premiere at Cannes on July 16th and I expect a U.S. date will follow.
Nitram (Caleb Landry-Jones) lives with his mother (Judy Davis) and father (Anthony LaPaglia) in suburban Australia in the Mid 1990s. He lives a life of isolation and frustration at never being able to fit in. That is until he unexpectedly finds a close friend in a reclusive heiress, Helen (Essie Davis). However when that friendship meets its tragic end, and Nitram’s loneliness and anger grow, he begins a slow descent into a nightmare that culminates in the most nihilistic and heinous of acts.
Lin-Manuel Miranda has already worked magic for Disney in both Moana and Mary Poppins Returns, and now he’s doing even more with Encanto. The film marks Disney’s 60th animated feature, and tells an enchanting story set in the mountains of Colombia.
Miranda composed eight brand new songs for Encanto, which centers on the Madrigal family. They live in a small Colombian town and everyone in their enchanted household has been granted unique powers, all except one. Mirabel (voiced by In the Heights‘ Stephanie Beatriz) realizes that all magic is being threatened, and despite being powerless, she may be the only one who can save it.
Also in the cast are María Cecilia Botero, Wilmer Valderrama, Diane Guerrero, Angie Cepeda, Adassa, and more. The film is directed by Zootopia duo Byron Howard and Jared Bush.
Fans have been asking for a solo Black Widow movie for years, and Marvel has paid lip service to it for much of that time. The character has come a long way from her cheesecake debut in Iron Man 2, with Scarlett Johansson making the most of being a background character to the flashier Avengers. But now that the film is here, coming on the heels of her heroic sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame, Black Widow delves into Natasha Romanoff’s past, the “red in her ledger’, in an action-packed thrill ride that provides the character depth that we’ve become accustomed to in the Disney+ shows. The wait was definitely worth it.
Given what we know of Natasha’s fate, Black Widow is a prequel set in a very specific time in the MCU, during the gap between Captain America: Civil War and Infinity War. The Avengers have split up, and with her superhero family gone, Natasha gets pulled into a deadly plot involving the only other family she’s ever known. The film actually kicks off in the 1980s, with a young Natasha living in a middle-class Ohio suburb with her young sister Yelena (later played by Florence Pugh), father Alexei (David Harbour), and mother Melina. All appearances to the contrary, this family unit is neither a family or a unit. They’re Russian spies on a mission, and with that completed and their cover blown, it’s time to escape to the Motherland. Uprooted from their stable home lives, the girls are thrown into a harrowing chase with SHIELD right on their trail.
While the opening montage, set to an annoyingly slowed-down rendition of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is exciting, what it also does is introduce a human trafficking component into the MCU for the first time. We see glimpses of the Black Widow program and the infamous “Red Room”, run by Russian big-wig Drekov (Ray Winstone) who takes young girls literally off the street and indoctrinates them to become assasins. Natasha and Yelena are thrown into this fire, as well, to be used up as assets for the government. Not only are their childhoods taken away, but as we learn later, any hope of creating a real family of their own.
In the present, Natasha is on the run from SHIELD yet again, only this time due to the Sokovia Accords. But going off the grid only somehow gets her entangled with now grown-up sis Yelena, who has been freed from the chemically-induced brainwashing of the Red Room and seeks to free the other Widows. She can’t do it without her big sister, and ultimately her father, the former super-soldier Red Guardian, and mother who is a former Widow herself.
Black Widow is an unstable mix of twisted family drama and big superhero action, with the latter closer in tone to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, or even Mission: Impossible. It’s a tough combo for writer Jac Schaeffer and director Cate Shortland to nail, and sometimes one can get lost in the other. But the interactions between this makeshift family are priceless, and explore the strangeness that keeps them bound together. They were basically living one giant lie, and yet they need to believe what they went through together was real, because without it they’ve got nothing.
And of course, they bicker like any real family would. Natasha and Yelana have sibling and professional rivalry to literally fight over. They know exactly how to punch the other’s buttons, too. A great running gag has Yelena mocking Natasha for her sexy superhero poses, which the younger sis both mocks and emulates. Alexei, a great bear of a Russian patriot, clings to the notion that he and Captain America are contemporaries. Melina has her own complications, juggling her maternal instincts with a desire to serve the country.
It can look at times like Natasha gets lost in her own movie. Her redemptive arc, which finally tells us about that thing she went through in Budapest (something hinted at in previous movies) is distinct but is sidetracked often by the need to highlight Yelena, who will conceivably be sticking around for a while. There’s also a very heavy theme about female autonomy, and fighting back against powerful, toxic men who seek to control women. Drekov is the closest thing the MCU has ever had to a mustache-twirling bad guy; he’s purely grotesque in his motivations, and it makes him a little bit bland even with an actor like Winstone playing him.
In what is likely to be her final Marvel movie, Johansson slips easily into the role she’s played for more than a decade. There’s more humor for her to chew on, though, trading back-and-forth with Pugh whose comic timing is impeccable. What’s great about Yelena is she’s similar to Natasha but has her own unique personality. She’s cynical about the world, ambivolent towards the Avengers, and yet eager to live a life finally able to make her own decisions. The real scene-stealer is Harbour, however, who as Red Guardian mostly offers comic relief as the out-of-shape former hero. But there’s depth to him, as well, having been left behind by the government he fought so valiantly for. He, too, must decide what the value of family is to him.
The chief physical threat comes in the form of Taskmaster, who I’ll admit is one of my favorite characters in the Marvel comics. A soldier who can copy the fighting techniques of any opponent, Taskmaster is more of a mysterious, cold adversary here but looks badass when firing arrows like Hawkeye, hurling a shield like Captain America, or fighting with finesse similar to Natasha. Part of me wishes they had stuck with a more traditional approach to the character, rather than changing Taskmaster to fit with the overall theme. I also quite liked The Handmaid Tale‘s O-T Fagbenle as Rick Mason, a charming private contractor whose business relationship with Natasha edges pretty close to friendship.
Of course, this being a Marvel movie, all of that character-building stuff comes crashing down in the final act, along with buildings, helicopters, a super secret spy base, etc. Shortland’s taut direction in previous films Berlin Syndrome and Lore inform her approach here, and fans of the acclaimed director will be pleased she hasn’t been chewed up by the Marvel machine. Fights are mostly hand-to-hand and realistically brutal similar to Atomic Blonde, with the environment playing a vital role in every battle. An early close-quarters scrap between Yelena and Natasha, in which they throw insults and fists in equal measure, is a real highlight.
Black Widow leaves a lot left on the table, and can’t help feeling like its purpose is to set up the next new thing. And you know what? I’m okay with that when the next thing has so much potential for awesomeness. Some might argue that Johansson’s swan song should have been more of a tribute to Natasha, but what better way to show how meaningful she was than to see her impact on others?
Black Widow is available in theaters and Disney+ Premier Access on July 9th!
