‘Blast Beat’ Trailer: The American Dream Gets A New Look In Esteban Arango’s Coming-Of-Age Film

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April 14, 2021

Another standout film from last year’s Sundance, Esteban Arango’s Blast Beat was one that everyone said I needed to check out. Sadly, I couldn’t make it work, but now that this unconventional coming-of-age story is opening next month that can change

Starring Mateo Arias, Moises Arias, Daniel Dae Kim, Kali Uchis, Ashley Jackson, Diane Guererro, and Wilmer Valderrama, Blast Beat follows a Colombian family who flee to the United States in search of the American Dream, only to find the reality isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.

The story being told here is one that we’ve seen many times before, but Arango, who also co-wrote the script, seems to have added enough personal touches to make it unique. How many movies about metalheads with a dream of becoming a NASA aerospace engineer do you know?

Blast Beat opens in theaters and digital on May 21st.

On the cusp of the year 2000, Colombian brothers Carly (Mateo Arias) and Mateo (Moises Arias) prepare to move to the United States for their last years of high school. Metalhead Carly has his heart set on attending the Georgia Aerospace Institute and working for NASA, while his supportive parents (Diane Guerrero and Wilmer Valderrama) seize the chance to escape the political turmoil in Colombia and chase the American Dream. At first, Mateo is the only one to express any cynicism, but when the reality of their new life sinks in, the family struggles to adapt as their expectations are shattered. When events threaten to derail their future, Carly’s dream becomes his only lifeline.

‘The Water Man’ Trailer: David Oyelowo’s Directorial Debut Is An Oprah-Produced Fairy Tale Adventure

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Travis Hopson

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April 14, 2021

Considering the wealth of amazing dramatic performances we’ve seen from David Oyelowo over the years, you might expect his directorial debut to be much the same. But the refined actor has chosen something we haven’t seen a lot from him, which is an Amblin-esque fantasy tale in The Water Man, produced by his good friend Oprah Winfrey.

Oyelowo also stars in the film alongside Lonnie Chavis, Rosario Dawson, Maria Bello, Amiah Miller, and Alfred Molina. The story follows a boy who seeks to help his sick mother by finding the key to immortality, kept by a mythical figure known as the Water Man.

The script is by Emma Needell, who has worked on various projects but is now making her feature writing debut. Not bad catching the eyes of folks like Oyelowo and Winfrey.

The Water Man opens on May 7th, having made its world premiere at TIFF just last year.

Gunner (Lonnie Chavis) sets out on a quest to save his ill mother (Rosario Dawson) by searching for a mythic figure who possesses the secret to immortality, the Water Man. After enlisting the help of a mysterious local girl, Jo (Amiah Miller), they journey together into the remote Wild Horse forest — but the deeper they venture, the stranger and more dangerous the forest becomes. Their only hope for rescue is Gunner’s father (David Oyelowo), who will stop at nothing to find them.

‘F9’ Trailer: Vin Diesel And John Cena Settle Some Family Business

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Travis Hopson

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April 14, 2021

As they’ve been telling us ad nauseum since the franchise started two decades ago, The Fast and the Furious is all about family. That makes it a little weird that Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) hasn’t mentioned his brother Jakob, who happens to be the world’s deadliest assassin. We get to see this awkward family reunion in the imaginatively titled F9, which finally arrives this summer after a year-long delay.

The latest F9 trailer is exactly what fans of these movies, of which I am definitely one, expect. Gravity-defying car stunts (magnet cars!!), logic-defying returns from the grave (Hello, Sung Kang’s Han!!), and maybe even a trip into space. Charlize Theron is back as the villain Cipher, who continues to be a thorn in the team’s side, except now she’s got Jakob as her muscle. And since he’s played by John Cena those muscles are considerable.

Also coming back into the fold are Lucas Black, Jason Tobin, and Bow Wow from the franchise’s greatest entry, Tokyo Drift. Helen Mirren returns as Magdalene Shaw, as well, with Cardi B and Michael Rooker making their debuts. That Rooker guy gets around, doesn’t he?

F9 hits theaters on June 25th.

Vin Diesel’s Dom Toretto leads a quiet life off the grid with Letty and his son, little Brian, but they know that danger always lurks just over their peaceful horizon. This time, that threat will force Dom to confront the sins of his past if he’s going to save those he loves most. His crew joins together to stop a world-shattering plot led by the most skilled assassin and high-performance driver they’ve ever encountered: a man who also happens to be Dom’s forsaken brother, Jakob (John Cena, next year’s The Suicide Squad).

Cinema Royale: Talking ‘Thunder Force’, ‘Voyagers’, And Captain America Goes To The Dark Side!

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Travis Hopson

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April 14, 2021

This week on Cinema Royale we intend to make it short and sweet, and fail miserably as we always do. It’s not our fault, Wrestlemania and Colin Farrell distracted us! Other than that we cover reviews of the Lord of the Flies in space sci-fi film Voyagers, Netflix’s plus-sized superhero comedy Thunder Force with Melissa McCarthy and Octavia Spencer, and that AMAZING episode 4 of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier!

All this and more! You can subscribe to Cinema Royale wherever you get your podcasts! Follow the Punch Drunk Critics and Cinema Royale!

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‘Black Adam’: Dwayne Johnson’s Superhero Film Adds Two In Key Roles

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Travis Hopson

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April 14, 2021

Dwayne Johnson recently confirmed that shooting is underway on his long-awaited Black Adam film, but there was still time for a couple of important additions at the last minute. First up, THR reports 13-year-old actor Bodhi Sabongui has joined in a “key” role. Meanwhile, Deadline adds that comedian and Ramy actor Mo Amer is on board in a role that is being kept under wraps.

In the case of Sabongui we at least can speculate a little bit. The Canadian-American actor and Egyptian activist is said to be playing a “key role in the Black Adam-DC canon”, which means he could be the younger version of Johnson’s Black Adam/Teth-Adam character. It’s also possible he’s the son to Black Adam’s counterpart Isis, played by Sarah Shahi.

Amer, whose role is being kept a mystery, will have a role in the upcoming comedy series Americanish. He also has a Netflix stand-up comedy special Mo Amer: Vagabond.

They join a cast that includes Pierce Brosnan as Dr. Fate, Aldis Hodge as Hawkman, Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher, Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone, with Marwan Kenzari as a villain, and current Tony Award nominee James Cusati-Moyer.

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, Black Adam opens July 29th 2022.

‘Don’t Make Me Go’: John Cho Joins Hannah Marks’ New Road Trip Drama

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Travis Hopson

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April 14, 2021

Hannah Marks has evolved her acting career into an impressive filmmaking run, writing the surprisingly hilarious girlfriends comedy Banana Split, and directing a pair of films in After Everything and the upcoming Mark, Mary & Some Other People. Not wasting any time, Marks has already lined up her next film and found her lead actors, which includes Star Trek and Searching‘s John Cho.

Deadline reports Marks will direct father/daughter road trip drama Don’t Make Me Go, which will star John Cho and Mia Isaac. The story centers on a dad who goes on a journey with his teen daughter to find her estranged mother. There will be life lessons and all of that in the script penned by Vera Herbert.

This is a bit of new ground for Marks, who has mostly focused her career on comedies.

Cho, on the other hand, is pretty much a veteran of everything at this point. However, Isaac is a bit of a newcomer, with her biggest role prior to this the pilot episode of Lovestruck. Next up for Cho is Netflix’s live-action Cowboy Bebop series.

‘Cliff Walkers’ Trailer: Zhang Yimou’s First Spy Thriller Hits Theaters This Month

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Travis Hopson

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April 13, 2021

It’s always exciting when Chinese director Zhang Yimou has a new film in the works, and fortunately for us he’s been rather prolific of late. So we didn’t have to wait long for his next one, the spy thriller Cliff Walkers, which has just debuted its trailer ahead of a stateside release later this month.

Formerly-titled Impasse, Yimou’s first spy movie “follows four Chinese special agents who embark on a secret mission in the 1930s puppet state of Manchukuo. After being sold out by a traitor, the team find themselves surrounded by threats on all sides.” The cast is led by Zhang Yi, Yu Hewei, Qin Hailu, and Zhu Yawen.

Yimou is probably best known internationally for acclaimed films such as Hero, House of Flying Daggers, and Curse of the Golden Flower. His first major Hollywood effort came a few years ago with The Great Wall, which he followed up with the amazing wuxia film Shadow. His films are colorful, and balance high-flying action with high-stakes drama, so it’ll be interesting to see how he does in a completely different genre.

Cliff Walkers arrives in theaters on April 30th.

‘Renfield’: Universal’s Dracula Film Lands ‘Lego Batman’ Director Chris McKay

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Travis Hopson

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April 13, 2021

Universal’s taking an unconventional approach to their upcoming Dracula film, Renfield, much as they did with last year’s The Invisible Man. And that might be why they’ve decided on an unconventional choice to direct the film: The Lego Batman Movie and The Tomorrow War‘s Chris McKay.

THR reports McKay will direct and produce Renfield, which will center on Dracula’s unhinged, bug-eating servant R.M. Renfield, who believes he will be granted eternal life. The Walking Dead‘s Robert Kirkman developed the story but it’s likely to get a rewrite now that McKay is on board.

Different versions of Renfield have appeared in many different Dracula adaptations. He was played by Tom Waits in Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and most memorably by Dwight Frye in the 1931 Dracula film directed by Tod Browning.

McKay takes over Renfield from the previously-attached director, Rocketman and Bohemian Rhapsody‘s Dexter Fletcher.

Next up for McKay is the sci-fi action flick The Tomorrow War starring Chris Pratt, which Amazon Studios recently picked up for release this summer. He was also the guy tapped to direct a Nightwing movie for Warner Bros. and DC Films but that seems to have gone nowhere, as well as a Jonny Quest project based on the classic cartoon.

‘Lisey’s Story’: First Look At Julianne Moore, Clive Owen & More In Apple’s Stephen King Drama Series

By

Travis Hopson

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April 13, 2021

If there’s a Stephen King adaptation out there that hasn’t been adapted into a TV show or movie yet, trust that someone’s already got their eye on it. The author’s works are more popular around Hollywood than ever, and Apple has amassed some impressive talent for their upcoming drama series Lisey’s Story, with the first looks arriving ahead of its debut in June.

Julianne Moore, Clive Owen, Dane DeHaan, Joan Allen, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Ron Cephas Jones are all seen in these first images from Lisey’s Story. The miniseries centers on the wife of a famous author, who experiences a series of unsettling events two years after his death that jog the repressed memories she had about the man he really was.

Along with the extraordinary acting talent, the series is directed by Pablo Larrain, best known for his Jackie biopic, as well as films such as The Club, No, and the upcoming Princess Diana film Spencer. JJ Abrams is producing through his Bad Robot label, as well.

Apple TV+ will debut Lisey’s Story on June 4th.

SYNOPSIS: “Lisey’s Story” is a deeply personal, pensive thriller that follows Lisey Landon (played by Julianne Moore) two years after the death of her husband, famous novelist Scott Landon (played by Clive Owen). A series of unsettling events causes Lisey to face memories of her marriage to Scott that she has deliberately blocked out of her mind.

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‘The Days Of Abandonment’: Natalie Portman To Star In HBO Film From Director Maggie Betts

By

Travis Hopson

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April 13, 2021

Natalie Portman to star in Lena Dunham's GOOD SEX

Natalie Portman is currently shooting her MCU return as Jane Foster in Thor: Love & Thunder, but the Oscar-winning actress has already lined up her next film. No, it’s not a Mighty Thor movie. Everything can’t be superheroes.

Deadline reports Natalie Portman will star in The Days of Abandonment, an HBO film based on the bestselling book by Elena Ferrante. The story centers on Tess (named Olga in the novel, you can see why the name change), who must pick up the pieces of her life when her husband of 15 years suddenly leaves for another, much younger woman.

Maggie Betts, best known for acclaimed films The Carrier and Novitiate, will write and direct. Portman is on board to produce, as well. No word yet on a timetable for this one, but it’s a big deal any time Portman is attached to something. Her most recent film was 2019’s Lucy in the Sky, which was panned pretty hard. Previous to that, she had a busy year with Annihilation, Vox Lux, and The Death and Life of John F. Donovan.