‘Miss Juneteenth’ Trailer: Nicole Beharie Is An Ex-Beauty Queen Who Wants More For Her Daughter

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May 22, 2020

Beauty pageants have gotten a bad rap, and they’ve frequently been a target of movies, including one of my all-time favorite comedies, Drop Dead Gorgeous. But Miss Juneteeth seeks to change the narrative a little bit. The competitions are also a means of empowerment for some women, others a way to pass on a family legacy, and further still a chance at a better life.

Debuting at Sundance where it was met with critical acclaim (I regret passing it up), Miss Juneteenth stars Nicole Beharie as a Texas single mother and former beauty queen preparing her teen daughter to win the same pageant she did years earlier. Because of the struggles she’s had just getting by, she will do anything to help her daughter win and have a chance at a better life.

The cast includes Kendrick Sampson, Alexis Chikaeze, and Liz Mikel. Making her feature directorial debut is Channing Godfrey Peoples, best known for her work on drama series Queen Sugar.

Miss Juneteenth hits VOD and select theaters, when else, on June 19th.

Review: ‘The Trip To Greece’
Consider A Staycation Rather Than Joining Steve Coogan And Rob Brydon's Poorly-Timed Food Tour

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Jake Sokolsky
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Actors/comedians Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon are back at it. The duo has teamed up with director Michael Winterbottom once again for yet another trip. Each chapter of the ‘trip’ series begins as a miniseries that is then merged together to make a film. The fourth and final installment of this series is The Trip To Greece.

Starting in 2010 with The Trip, Steve and Rob find themselves on cross-country food tours every three to four years. From their home country of England to Italy, Spain, and now Greece (plus a bit of Turkey) – following Odysseus’s footsteps. The journey that took Odysseus ten years to complete, the two of them will conquer in six days. Not only will the trip be shorter than Odysseus’s, it will also be safer and include much better cuisine. Steve is quick to point out that the entire series has been their own ten-year journey, just like Odysseus’s.

Steve and Rob begin in Troy with Ithaca as their destination. At each stop the friends take in historical sites before enjoying delicacies at various restaurants. Whether they have a plate of delicious food in front of them or a pile of ruins, the banter doesn’t seem to stop.

Each location follows a very similar pattern – Steve begins discussing the historical significance of where they are going or where they just were. Rob quickly finds some way to loosely connect a word, thought, idea to a ridiculous impression. Steve tries to ignore Rob and keep chugging along with his history lesson. Eventually Steve succumbs to Rob and they go back and forth with impressions, or noises, or singing…or all the above. Rinse and repeat for a little under two hours and there you have it, The Trip To Greece.

The Trip To Greece does have some funny moments between the travel buddies, however they are few and far between. Throughout the film I was having trouble thinking of a more annoying table to be next to at a restaurant. At one point, Steve and Rob are literally acting out the noises a dentist’s drill makes. That left me to wonder…why take a bunch of obnoxious conversations, film them, and turn it into a movie? I really was struggling to answer that question. Maybe Coogan and Brydon’s conversation will strike as comedic gold to some, but I am certainly not in that group.

On top of the above, there is a storyline that keeps popping up which seems incredibly misplaced. Winterbottom also mixes in sad melodic music which only further adds to the strangeness of the film. I haven’t seen the first three films in the series, and after The Trip To Greece, have no desire to. If you are a fan of them, I’d imagine The Trip To Greece is your cup of tea. If you are like me and haven’t gone on a vacation with Coogan and Brydon yet, I think you’re better off anywhere else.

‘You Don’t Nomi’ Trailer: New Doc Explores 1995’s ‘Showgirls’ And Its Rise From Flop To Cult Classic

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Travis Hopson

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May 22, 2020

Paul Verhoeven’s Showgirls is one of those movies everybody has a strong take on. Released in 1995, the erotic drama, which starred Saved By the Bell’s Elizabeth Berkley in a career-destroying role as a Vegas stripper who struggles to become a renowned showgirl, the fairly-expensive film was a dud at the box and a veritable army of critics absolutely killed it. But in the years since, something has changed, and Showgirls has emerged as a dark-comedy cult classic, inspiring stage shows and packing midnight screenings across the country. And that unlikely journey from box office flop to masterpiece is what the documentary You Don’t Nomi is all about.

You Don’t Nomi charts the fall and unexpected rise of Showgirls, seen through the eyes of its greatest detractors and most adoring fans. The film features Adam Nayman (Vice Guide to Film), April Kidwell (I, Nomi), and Peaches Christ (Milk), as well as archival footage of the crew and cast, which included Gina Gershon and Kyle MacLachlan. Also included is our friend and GoldDerby.com film critic Susan Wloszczyna, who was one of the few to give Showgirls a mild thumbs up. Maybe we should invite her on the show to talk about that?

Personally, I find Showgirls to be beautifully stupid, a garbage movie that I will watch any day of the week. It falls into the so incredibly bad it’s good territory, and for pure entertainment value, especially with a crowd, it’s pretty tough to beat. But for those who just completely write the movie off, you have to remember this is Paul Verhoeven, the guy who gave us edgy satires Robocop and Starship Troopers. Understand the wavelength he’s working on. It doesn’t explain the horrid acting and questionable camerawork, though.

You Don’t Nomi hits digital and VOD on June 9th.

‘Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead’ Remake In The Works From Writer of ‘Dear White People’

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Travis Hopson

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May 21, 2020

Apparently, not even a viral outbreak can slow down the rate of remakes in Hollywood. One that has been frequently talked about a lot, but up to this point has never happened, is 1991’s Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead. The poorly-reviewed comedy went a long way in establishing Christina Applegate beyond her time on Married with Children, and went on to become a dark comedy cult-favorite. Well, it’s coming back and with a bit of a twist.

This new version of the film will be sent in the present-day and center on a black family. The original centered on a 17-year-old teenager who gets more than she bargained for while babysitting her four rambunctious siblings after the sitter mom hired dies.

The script will be written by Chuck Hayward (Dear White People) and directed by Bille Woodruff of Beauty Shop and I think every single one of the Honey films.

No cast has been announced yet, but I hope there’s a spot for Little star Marsai Martin. She’d be fantastic in something like this. Honestly, I don’t remember much about Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead, other than Applegate was super hot and the girl who played her sister wore a Thor costume. But people absolutely love that movie and I’m surprised it’s taken this long for a new take on it. [Deadline]

Some Light Is Shed In The New Trailer for “Tenet”

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John Nolan

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May 21, 2020

If you pay attention to cinema at all in the past 20 years there are two things that you associate with Christopher Nolan, Batman and bat shit crazy story-lines that sound like they were thought up in Snoop Dogg’s personal toke circle. Dude…like, what if you could go inside your dreams while in a dream and steal other peoples dreams? (See what I mean) This isn’t to minimize the man’s filmmaking, they are the BEST of stoner thoughts made gloriously beautiful through Nolan’s mastery of the art of film making. His films have become events, and we are on the cusp of that next event, a film that we had precious little detail about until today when the second trailer for Tenet dropped. There was talk that the story revolved around time-travel, which turns out wasn’t completely off. John David Washington stars and is front and center in this trailer as a new recruit to a pseudo-government agency that thwarts evil using “time reversion” which, as is pointed out in the trailer specifically, is definitely not time travel. While I wasn’t lying when I said some light was shed in the trailer, hopefully I didn’t give the impression that you’d know exactly what was going on. I’m still not totally sure, but I am sure about one thing…I need to see this movie.

Make sure to catch up on all of our Tenet coverage right here!

Spider-Man Spinoff ‘Jackpot’ In The Works From ‘Green Lantern’ Writer Marc Guggenheim

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Travis Hopson

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May 21, 2020

Sony is NOT screwing around at building out their Spider-Man cinematic universe. It’s almost like they’re making up for lost time after everything went south from the Andrew Garfield era. Just yesterday we saw a significant step forward on a possible Madame Web film, and now comes word of another female Spidey hero, Jackpot, who is getting their own title.

Deadline reports Marc Guggenheim will write the script for a Jackpot movie. Who the heck is Jackpot? Well, she’s a minor character but a pretty popular one, having been created back in 2007. Jackpot, aka Sara Ehret, was a pregnant scientist whose DNA gets mixed up with an experimental virus that puts her into a coma for months, but also gives her superhuman abilities such as strength, agility, and durability. In the comics, Sara has no desire to be a hero and sells her costumed identity to another, with disastrous results.

Guggenheim is definitely the right guy for this job. Not only did he write many of Jackpot’s comic book adventures, but he co-created Arrow and has been a major contributor to the CW’s Arrowverse TV shows. He also wrote the Green Lantern movie Ryan Reynolds can’t get far enough away from.

So add Jackpot to a growing group of Marvel films from Sony, including a Venom sequel, Morbius, Silver & Black, Kraven the Hunter, Silk, and more.

‘The Outpost’ Trailer: Scott Eastwood And Orlando Bloom Battle A Taliban Insurgency

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Travis Hopson

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May 21, 2020

The incredible true story of the Battle of Kamdesh in the Afghanistan War comes to life in the first trailer for The Outpost. Based on Jake Tapper’s acclaimed bestselling book, the film stars Scott Eastwood and Orlando Bloom, but it also marks the return of director and West Point grad Rod Lurie, his first film since 2011’s remake of Straw Dogs.

Penned by the duo of Eric Johnson and Paul Tamasy (The Fighter), The Outpost covers the Hellish 2009 Battle of Kamdesh, a 13-hour assault by 400 Taliban insurgents on Combat Outpost Keating, which held only 53 U.S. soldiers.

Bloom and Eastwood are joined by Caleb Landry Jones, Milo Gibson, Jack Kesy, Taylor John Smith, Cory Hardrict, and Will Attenborough.

SYNOPSIS: In this military thriller, based on The New York Times best-selling non-fiction book, The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor from CNN’s Jake Tapper, a tiny unit of U.S. soldiers, alone at the remote Combat Outpost Keating, located deep in the valley of three mountains in Afghanistan, battles to defend against an overwhelming force of Taliban fighters in a coordinated attack. The Battle of Kamdesh, as it was known, was the bloodiest American engagement of the Afghan War in 2009 and Bravo Troop 3-61 CAV became one of the most decorated units of the 19-year conflict.

The Outpost hits theaters and VOD on July 3rd.

‘Relic’ Trailer: Emily Mortimer And Bella Heathcote Star In The Breakout Haunted House Film

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Travis Hopson

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May 21, 2020

Sundance has become the de facto launching ground for numerous horrors that have achieved critical acclaim. This year, one of the top films to emerge at the festival was Relic, a haunted house story that could mark the emergence of debut director Natalie Erika James.

Relic stars Emily Mortimer, Bella Heathcote, and Robyn Nevin, taking place in a creaky country home where three generations of women face all sorts of spooky happenings. This may be James’ feature directorial debut, but crafting horror shorts has been her thing for years and the experience has clearly paid off.

SYNOPSIS: When elderly mother Edna (Robyn Nevin) inexplicably vanishes, her daughter Kay (Emily Mortimer) and granddaughter Sam (Bella Heathcote) rush to their family’s decaying country home, finding clues of her increasing dementia scattered around the house in her absence. After Edna returns just as mysteriously as she disappeared, Kay’s concern that her mother seems unwilling or unable to say where she’s been clashes with Sam’s unabashed enthusiasm to have her grandma back. As Edna’s behavior turns increasingly volatile, both begin to sense that an insidious presence in the house might be taking control of her. All three generations of women are brought together through trauma and a powerful sense of strength and loyalty to face the ultimate fear together.

Relic hits VOD and select theaters on July 10th.

Nicholas Hoult Out, Esai Morales In As The ‘Mission: Impossible 7’ Villain

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Travis Hopson

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May 21, 2020

An unusual change has just been made at the top of Mission: Impossible 7. Earlier this year, we learned Nicholas Hoult would be joining Tom Cruise in the action blockbuster. But a few months later and he’s now out, and replaced by veteran character actor Esai Morales. Say what?

Deadline has the news of Hoult’s departure, but doesn’t have any info on what caused it. Probably it has something to do with production delays caused by COVID-19, but that’s unconfirmed.

Nothing against Morales, who is a recognizable actor with some terrific performances in La Bamba, American Family, NYPD Blue, and as Deathstroke on Titans. That last role might be what led him to this, actually. However, he and Hoult couldn’t be more different if they tried. Morales is a 57-year-old of Puerto Rican descent, while Hoult is English and 30-years-old. Either Christopher McQuarrie is overseeing a big rewrite for the character, or he’s going to be so thinly-drawn that literally anybody of any ethnicity could play him.

Probably the latter. These movies are really about Tom Cruise, anyway.

Mission: Impossible 7 opens November 19th 2021.

Peter Dinklage & Jason Momoa Teamup For Van Helsing Flick ‘Good Bad & Undead’

By

Travis Hopson

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May 21, 2020

It’s about to be a Game of Thrones reunion, ya’ll. Khal Drogo and Tyrrion Lannister never shared screen time together on the HBO series, but the actors who played them will have an entire movie together very soon. Jason Momoa and Peter Dinklage are starring in Good Bad & Undead, in which one of them will play famous vampire hunter Van Helsing.

It’s Dinklage who plays Van Helsing, the last in the long line of vampire hunters, with Momoa as his vampire partner. Together they scam towns by pretending to rid them of a vampire threat, only to have a bounty placed on the vampire’s head, attracting a dangerous world of monsters and magic against them.

The film is directed by Max Barbakow and written by Mark Swift and Damian Shannon. Barbakow is on a roll. His film Palm Springs was a smash at Sundance, and sold to Hulu/Neon for a whopping $22M.

Considering all of the studio projects they’ve done it’s surprising Dinklage and Momoa haven’t been paired up sooner. Momoa will be seen next in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune, while Dinklage just signed on for Netflix’s Last Sons of America. [Deadline]