Don’t Worry! There’s More Borat To Come With Amazon’s ‘Borat Supplemental Reportings Retrieved From Floor of Stable Containing Editing Machine’

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April 16, 2021

It really shouldn’t come as a surprise that there was enough footage left over after Borat Subsequent Moviefilm to make a whole new movie. Ok, not a whole new movie, more like extended/deleted scenes +, in any event we have the trailer for Borat Supplemental Reportings Retrieved From Floor of Stable Containing Editing Machine (Yes, that’s really the title). From the trailer below it looks like it will be mostly more narrative scenes, which is awesome, but not what I want. I’m holding out hope that we’ll get to see the behind the scenes craziness, it looks like we get at least some of that. The now infamous escape from the town fair, during which Sasha Baron Cohen really feared for his life, seems to be featured in full. Wouldn’t that be more interesting? Seeing two hours of the setup that goes into these amazing set pieces? Ok, it sounds boring when I say it out loud, but all you need to do is watch the recent Bad Trip (which was fine) to know that there’s something special going on behind the scenes on a Cohen production that results in these unforgettable setups.

Borat Supplemental Reportings Retrieved From Floor of Stable Containing Editing Machine is coming soon to Amazon Prime!

Check out the trailer below and let us know what you think in the comments.

‘The Lord Of The Rings’: How Much Amazon Is Spending On Just One Season Is Absolutely Nutty

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Travis Hopson

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April 16, 2021

We talk a lot about the money Netflix throws around, and they do spend a lot to acquire their gigantic library of films and TV shows. However they’re seriously slacking compared to Amazon and the cheddar they’re dropping on the Lord of the Rings series. While we had heard early reports of maybe $1B across two guaranteed seasons, the actual amount for season has been revealed and it’s friggin’ mind-blowing.

In a recent interview (via THR), New Zealand’s Minister for Economic Development and Tourism, Stuart Nash, spilled the beans on those big spenders at Amazon…

“But what I can tell you is Amazon is going to spend about $650 million [in New Zealand currency] in season one alone. I think what we have got out of Amazon in terms of the MOU and the industry and how we’re going to train people and our ability to use footage for tourism, the ability to leverage off a lot of what Amazon is doing, is fantastic.”

Doing the math, the exchange rate on $650M in New Zealand currency equals about $465M in U.S. dollars. Damn. That buys a lot of Dwarven treasure. I bet the New Zealand suits’ eyes lit up with desire like Boromir when he got his hands on the One Ring…

So yeah, and that’s just for one damn season, making it the most expensive show ever. That $1B figure is well in reach, because you know Jeff Bezos is going to want to ramp shit up for that second season.

The Lord of the Rings has no official release date but you can bet it’ll be on Amazon Prime before too long. Gotta recoup that investment!

’12 Mighty Orphans’ Trailer: Feel-Good Football Drama Has Luke Wilson Teaching Kids To Win On And Off The Field

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Travis Hopson

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April 16, 2021

Sometimes, all you need is an uplifting feel-good sports movie. 12 Mighty Orphans is a film you might not have heard of before now, but it looks to deliver on the well-worn, proven formula, and with a cast that includes Luke Wilson, Robert Duvall, Vinessa Shaw, and Martin Sheen.

When we say this thing has all of the comforts of the underdog sports drama, just check out the story. Wilson plays a superstar coach who gives it up to coach a bunch of misfit kids on a Fort Worth football team, turning them into winners both on the field at the game of life. Did I mention this was based on a true story? What’s not to like?

The film is directed by Ty Roberts (The Iron Orchard) who also co-wrote the script. Others in the cast include Wayne Knight (“Newman!!!”), Jake Austin Walker, Treat Williams, and Ron White.

12 Mighty Orphans opens in select theaters on June 11th.

12 MIGHTY ORPHANS tells the true story of the Mighty Mites, the football team of a Fort Worth orphanage who, during the Great Depression, went from playing without shoes—or even a football—to playing for the Texas state championships. Over the course of their winning season these underdogs and their resilient spirit became an inspiration to their city, state, and an entire nation in need of a rebound, even catching the attention of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The architect of their success was Rusty Russell, a legendary high school coach who shocked his colleagues by giving up a privileged position so he could teach and coach at an orphanage. Few knew Rusty’s secret: that he himself was an orphan. Recognizing that his scrawny players couldn’t beat the other teams with brawn, Rusty developed innovative strategies that would come to define modern football.

Kristen Wiig And Annie Mumolo Are Writing A ‘Cinderella’ Evil Stepsisters Project For Disney

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Cortland Jacoby

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April 16, 2021

It looks like Barb and Star are going to Disney! Deadline is reporting that Bridemaids and Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar masterminds Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo are working together once again. This time the comedic duo will work with Disney to make a live action evil stepsisters film.

The upcoming musical comedy “re-imagines the Cinderella classic from the point of view of her infamous evil stepsisters. Spanning their early childhood through the marriage of their universally beloved stepsister and beyond, we follow Anastasia and Drizella Tremaine as they struggle to uphold their family’s legacy.”

Disney is keeping mum whether or not Wiig or Mumolo will appear in the film, though the stepsisters themselves will be played by younger actresses. The pair first worked together in the Groundlings Theater before eventually writing the Oscar nominated script for Bridesmaids. In February, the pair wrote and starred in the critically acclaimed Barb and Star Go To Vista Del Mar.

This Week’s ‘Falcon And The Winter Soldier’ Cameo Was Supposed To Be In ‘Black Widow’ First

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Travis Hopson

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April 16, 2021

First off, let me apologize for the lack of a Falcon and the Winter Soldier recap this morning. It couldn’t be helped, but it will return next week. On the plus side, you’ll get to hear my thoughts on another terrific episode on the next Cinema Royale podcast, which you should already be subscribed to.

Anyway, we’ve known for a bit that episode 5 was going to be a big one. Obviously, it’s the penultimate episode so a lot of story needed to be moved forward, and showrunner Marcus Spellman had promised a really big cameo played by a recognizable face. Well, he wasn’t lying.

Obviously SPOILERS ahead, in case you missed it in the headline.

So, Julia Louis-Dreyfus of all people makes her MCU debut as Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. And yes, she’s as snooty as her name implies. She arrives shortly after John Walker (Wyatt Russell) has been court-martialed for his public murder of a Flag-Smasher last episode, and what does she do? Besides being a total asshole to Walker’s wife? She enables all of his worst instincts, tells him he was right to do what he did, then gives him her phone number because he’s “very valuable” to a lot of people.

So who is the Contessa, anyway? In Marvel Comics she’s a lot of things, but the route Marvel Studios seems to be taking is the Russian sleeper agent version of the character. She has also worked for HYDRA and SHIELD at various points, and was even Nick Fury’s gal for a while. But it seems she’s now setting up a means of controlling John Walker, in what looks like his evolution into the USAgent, as evidenced by the post-credits scene where he’s fashioning a brand new shield.

But here’s the thing about the Contessa in the MCU. Vanity Fair says the character was supposed to appear first in the upcoming Black Widow movie, which reinforces the idea that she is somehow connected to the Russian spy network. There are apparently “big plans” in the works for her, too. Since that movie is coming out later now,it’s safe to say Contessa has some part to play in it and it likely involves Florence Pugh as the new Black Widow. Could we be seeing a set-up of the Thunderbolts or a Dark Avengers team?

‘Solos’: First Look At Anne Hathaway, Anthony Mackie, Constance Wu & More In Amazon’s Anthology Series

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Travis Hopson

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April 16, 2021

There’s still a lot that Amazon is keeping from us about its upcoming anthology series, Solos. But when you look at the cast, and the premise of several stories centered on a single character in a room, what more do we need? Anne Hathaway, Nicole Beharie, Helen Mirren, Uzo Aduba, Anthony Mackie, Constance Wu, Dan Stevens, and Morgan Freeman star in the series, and they’re all seen in first look photos released by EW.

Created by David Weil, Solo is said to explore the depths of human connection. How does Weil plan to do that with one character in one room?

“I remember films by their monologues, I remember TV series by those great epic speeches, and so I’ve always been yearning to do a piece that was one person in one room,” Weil said. “How do you engage an audience for that long of a time, and take them on a journey when you don’t have explosions and act breaks? It’s really on you, the writer, to create a story that’s compelling, that’s narratively thrilling, and that’s emotionally deep.”

“These are some of the most masterful actors [to] have been on screen ever,” Weil continued. “And I think that what’s so exciting and consistent about each of them is that they always want to challenge themselves. They always want to do something different, and ‘Solos,’ I think, presented an opportunity for them that was unlike anything they’ve done before.”

Solos is expected to arrive on Amazon Prime this spring.

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‘The Last Of Us’ HBO Series Casts ‘Agents Of SHIELD’ Actor Gabriel Luna As Tommy

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Travis Hopson

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April 16, 2021

He’s been Ghost Rider, he’s even been a Terminator, and now Gabriel Luna will play Tommy in HBO’s adaptation of bestselling video game, The Last of Us.

Variety reports Luna will join Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in The Last of Us series, based on the hit Naughty Dog video games. He’ll play Tommy, the younger brother of Pascal’s character Joel, and a key figure in both of the games, particularly the recent sequel. The story is set after the outbreak of a fungal infection that turns people into enraged zombie-like creatures. Survivors are kept in quarantine, but there are those fighting back against it. Meanwhile, a cure could be found in Ellie, and it’s Joel’s job to escort her to a rebel group known as the Fireflies, of which Tommy was one.

Luna is best known for his role as Ghost Rider in Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD, and for playing the Rev-9 droid in Terminator: Dark Fate.

The Last of Us is written and exec-produced by Craig Mazin (Chernobyl), with the game’s creative director Neil Druckman on board as well. Filming begins this July and wraps up next year.

Review: ‘Trigger Point’
Brad Turner and Barry Pepper Prove a Familiar Story Can Still Be Exhilarating

By
John Nolan
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The retired covert operative is pulled back into the life for one last mission. That’s got to be in the top 5 action movie plots of all time, right? If you’ve followed this site or my reviews for any period of time, you’ll know that I’m a firm believer in the “execution is everything” theory. It does not matter a single bit that your basic plotline has been used repeatedly, the devils in the details as they say, and director Brad Turner fills those details with silenced shots from a hi-powered .45 caliber handgun in his new film Trigger Point.

Barry Pepper, easily one of the top character actors of his generation, plays retired special operator Nicolas Shaw. After a disastrous mission that ended with him captured, forced to break, and giving up the identities of other covert operators Shaw is now hiding out in small town USA. That is until his former cohort Elias Kane (played by another great character actor, Colm Feore) seeks his help, revealing that Kane’s daughter has been kidnapped. You see, Shaw’s the only one who knows the identity of mysterious kingpin Quinton. It’s not a simple kidnapping mission though, as Quinton has apparently dispatched assassin Fiona Shaw (Laura Vandervoort) to eliminate all of the operatives revealed by Shaw during his capture and “interrogation”. At least that’s Elias’s story, and the one that Shaw will have to trust as he launches his one-man war against those who seek to hurt.

Yes, very familiar story. It’s the same basic plot followed by any one of 100 straight to video action films of the 90s. It’s also the same basic plot of a movie like John Wick, which folks will inevitably compare this film to. They shouldn’t, however, as the details differ and make for a much different feel so save those comparisons for the recent Nobody and take Trigger Point as it’s own thing.

The primary positive in the film must be adding Barry Pepper as your lead. Here is a guy who’s been killing it in smaller side roles since the mid-90s but has never really got his stand in the spotlight. Even when he gets to the lead it’s in films where he nails it but the movie is forgotten for any number of reasons. Knockaround Guys is a prime example, do yourself a favor and check that movie out if you haven’t seen it. Pepper has a unique look that allows him to be both menacing and sympathetic all in the same scene. He plays the part of secret agent/assassin with ice-cold ease and presents a hero that I want to see win. Brad Turners direction is standard enough to be familiar but has an added level of sophistication to it that makes it stand out, with action scenes that are more covert than the standard “save the girl/one man army” faire.

Trigger Point is well worth a quiet night home, while it won’t be listed on any ‘Best of’ action movie lists it’s not something you’ll regret having watch. While I can’t say I’m a huge fan of the lack of resolution, with the ending being a transparent setup for a franchise…or at least a sequel, it’s on the strength of Barry Pepper that you’ll stick through and enjoy the watching Nicolas Shaw deliver that sweet, sweet justice down the barrel of his silenced hand cannon.

Review: ‘Beast Beast’
A Quaint Coming Of Age Drama Shows How Worlds Collide For Three Students

By
Khalil Johnson
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When we think of the current generation in pop culture, we often think of them as either hypersexual drug users (like in such shows like Euphoria), or self-obsessed narcissists (like… everywhere on the Internet, have you seen Tik Tok???). However, like every generation before them, being a teenager is, well being a teenager. You want to be the popular kid, have fun, and meet someone attractive to connect with. Of course, the advent of the internet (and primarily social media) has made being a young teen nowadays even more chaotic. Writer-director Danny Madden tries to capture a little bit of what being a high-schooler in our current age in Beast Beast.

Beast Beast follows the lives of three separate high school kids in a small nameless southern town. The first one that we get to meet is Krista (Shirley Chen). She’s a theater kid who has had the acting bug ever since she was a tiny tot. In her local drama class, they begin class by doing a chant to pep them up for acting “Beast Beast, ready to act,” hence the title. Krista seems like she has her head on her shoulders. As a young teen, she’s incredibly isolated from her parents, to the point that they may have five lines together throughout the film. She explains to her friend that her parents go to bed at 8:00 as she gets ready to sneak out to a party. Most of her passion and her drive are with her acting, but of course, she can be just as angsty as any other teen, especially when she keeps getting hit on by the local douchebag.

Also in Beast Beast is Nico (Jose Angeles). He comes across as a loner who often is skateboarding in his apartment complex. While we never get to see either his mother or father, it’s clear that whoever he lives with (probably some guardian), he doesn’t have a strong relationship with, to the point that we only see Nico talk to the man through a closed door. If you’re seeing a parental alienation problem, then you guessed one of the themes of Beast Beast. Nico does keep himself busy by posting Youtube videos of himself doing some sick skateboarding moves, which catches the attention of Krista and her friends. Nico meets a guy in his apartment complex and they strike up a friendship. The friend like partying, drinking, smoking weed, and robbing stores after hours, so of course, Nico starts to pick up that habit as well.

Nico and Kristen’s paths collide a little early in Beast Beast as they are both at a local house party. While they are doing the usual friendly flirting, when the cops arrive to break up the party, the douchebag she keeps trying to get away from tries to assault her. Nico pretty much dons his Superman cape and comes to save her. After the cops arrest him for beating up the guy, he’s now her knight in shining armor and the pair start to have a courtship.

The third person that Beast Beast follows is Adam (Will Madden). Adam is not in high school, but a recent graduate who is a little aimless in what he wants to do for the next stage of his life. He is a super gun nut, so he decides to become a YouTube personality and have a channel about his love of guns. And he’s got A LOT of guns. If his demeanor didn’t scream “school shooter” when you first meet him, the film hammers that idea down a lot through the numerous videos he makes. By the way, Beast Beast also shows a little bit into the “content creator” side of social media and what goes into trying to become an “influencer” of some sort. Adam thinks he has what it takes to become a big YouTube celebrity for his gun vlog, and he’s pretty good with videos and editing. Of course, he’s not prepared for “the comments,” which feeds his rage. He and Kristin are next-door neighbors and both participated in acting when they were young, but now he’s turning towards guns, and like, religiously. To the point that his parents are worried about him. The difference between Adam and the other two is that he has active parents, he just doesn’t care for their love and prefers isolation.

Towards the end of Beast Beast, there’s a predictable turn where the three collide in a not so pleasant way. While it may come across as a little preachy, but then there’s a twist to the twist that actually in interesting and creative. It’s something that is incredibly subtle, but rewards the viewer for paying attention to the film. While the twist is predictable (as is most of the plot), the filmmaking style is very good. It comes across as a documentary style of filmmaking that makes you at first wonder if this is real and not a made-up drama.

The other big plus for Beast Beast is the performances, especially by Shirley Chen as Krista who is the heart of the film. Both Adam and Nito have moments of goodness, they are both morally gray characters but Krista is truly a nice and wonderful person who just wants the best in everyone. All three of the main performances are acted well by the cast. The only real criticism is that while the nameless town is billed as “Southern,” nothing really jumps out that this is a story told in the south, except that Adam is a gun nut. This story could have been told in any Small-Town America location without trying to scream out loud that it’s in the South. Overall Beast Beast is a good tale of interconnectedness, loneliness, and being a young teen in our current age.

Beast Beast Is currently available in select theaters and will be On-Demand May 4th

Beast Beast

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‘The Underground Railroad’ Trailer Offers Best Look Yet At Barry Jenkins’ Anticipated Amazon Series

By

Travis Hopson

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April 16, 2021

Each teaser for Barry Jenkins’ upcoming Amazon series The Underground Railroad has been more beautiful than the last. This latest one, arriving before the premiere next month, is just as gorgeous but offers more of a look at what it will actually be about. The story follows runaway slave Cora Randall as she makes a desperate bid for freedom, in hopes of finding the long-rumored Underground Railroad.

What’s different about the adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s book is the Underground Railroad is quite literal, with railways, conductors, and more connecting those in need of it to the freedom they seek.

Following his Oscar-winning Moonlight and acclaimed followup If Beale Street Could Talk, none of us should’ve expected Jenkins to have trouble gathering a starry cast. Even so, this is impressive even for him. Thuso Mbedu, Chase W. Dillon, Joel Edgerton, Aaron Pierre, William Jackson Harper, Sheila Atim, Amber Gray, Peter De Jersey, Chukwudi Iwuji, Damon Herriman, Lily Rabe, Irone Singleton, Mychal-Bella Bowman, Marcus “MJ” Gladney, Jr., Will Poulter, and Peter Mullan star in the series which hits Amazon Prime on May 14th.

The Underground Railroad chronicles Cora Randall’s (newcomer Thuso Mbedu) desperate bid for freedom in the antebellum South. After escaping a Georgia plantation for the rumored Underground Railroad, Cora discovers no mere metaphor, but an actual railroad full of engineers and conductors, and a secret network of tracks and tunnels beneath the Southern soil. Over the course of her journey, Cora is pursued by Ridgeway (Joel Edgerton), a bounty hunter who is fixated on bringing her back to the plantation she escaped; especially since her mother Mabel is the only one he has never caught. As she travels from state to state, Cora contends with the legacy of the mother that left her behind and her own struggles to realize a life she never thought was possible.