San Diego Comic-Con Announces Digital “Comic-Con At Home” Event

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May 9, 2020

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Denis Poroy/Invision/AP/Shutterstock (9213624n) Fans walk under a Comic-Con logo on day 1 of the 2014 Comic-Con International Convention held in San Diego 2014 Comic-Con - Atmosphere, San Diego, USA - 24 Jul 2014

San Diego Comic-Con has been un-canceled! Sorta! The annual pop culture mecca was waylaid by the coronavirus, causing a cancellation for the first time in its storied history, but now people behind the event have found a way to bring it back, albeit without all of the things that make it…well, Comic-Con.

The Comic-Con Twitter announced yesterday a new initiative, “Comic-Con At Home”, a digital event revealed in a short video touting the benefits of not having to be in a crowded venue with poor seating and bad food…

See you this summer! #ComicConAtHome pic.twitter.com/Sf5UbJkXtE

— San Diego Comic-Con (@Comic_Con) May 8, 2020

Honestly, as much as I complain about Comic-Con this year, all of those things are what make Comic-Con what it is. Maybe I should find some old sweaty socks and pin them to my nose to get the proper smell of the Hall H line?

This announcement is extremely short on details, but we can speculate that there will be video panels with cool guests, maybe some blockbuster trailers, and rare items up for auction? I don’t know. But at least it’s open to everybody, so now nobody can complain that they haven’t been to a Comic-Con before.

More info when available. Color me curious.

M. Night Shyamalan Adds Thomasin McKenzie, Eliza Scanlen, And Vicky Krieps To Next Film

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Travis Hopson

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May 9, 2020

Whatever one thinks of M. Night Shyamalan and his comeback as a low-budget thriller director with Glass, Split and The Visit, his record casting superstar talent is unblemished. And so it will be the same for his next film, which now has a trio of incredible actresses ready to go.

Little Women‘s Eliza Scanlen, Jojo Rabbit‘s Thomasin McKenzie, and Phantom Thread‘s Vicky Krieps have joined Shyamalan’s upcoming film for Universal. Joining the three ladies are Krypton actor Aaron Pierre and Jumanji’s Aaron Wolff.

Of course, there are no story details and even if there were, Shyamalan movies tend to pull the rug from under the audience. With a cast such as this it doesn’t really matter, anyway. Scanlen is a quickly rising star who has an acclaimed performance in Babyteeth coming up; McKenzie has been in everything lately including Leave No Trace, The King, and True History of the Kelly Gang; Krieps will be seen next in The Last Vermeer alongside Guy Pearce, and Wolff is probably best known for his performance in Hereditary and the two recent Jumanji sequels.

No word on when we’ll see Shyamalan’s film as it was recently pulled from the schedule due to the pandemic, but expect an update now that casting is underway. [Variety]

‘The Mandalorian’: Jango Fett Actor Temuera Morrison To Play Boba Fett in Season 2!

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Travis Hopson

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May 8, 2020

Boba Fett is back, and so is the man who played his father, Jango Fett. According to THR, Temuera Morrison will take on the role of Boba Fett in the second season of The Mandalorian on Disney+!

Morrison originated the role of Jango Fett back in 2002’s Attack of the Clones, becoming the physical inspiration for all of the clone troopers. The infamous bounty hunter Boba Fett was actually a clone that Jango decided to raise for himself, so it makes sense that Morrison would return in this way. Boba Fett’s role in The Mandalorian may have been teased in the first season episode, “The Gunslinger”, as a mysterious who comes to revive an unconscious Fennec Shand (Meng-Na Wen).

The New Zealand native has found a ton of roles in some pretty big films during his career. Morrison recently played Thomas Curry in Aquaman, voiced Chief Tui in Moana, and played Abin Sur in Green Lantern. He also voiced all of the Clone Troopers in the Star Wars prequels.

The Mandalorian is expected to return in October.

Review: ‘Spaceship Earth’
Biosphere 2 Documentary Is A Frustrating Deep Dive Into A Good Idea Gone Wrong

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Cortland Jacoby
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Most Americans have been quarantining in their homes for the last month and a half. Imagine trying to do that for two years. Spaceship Earth documents the buildup and fall of a 1990’s experiment, Biosphere 2, where eight individuals lived in worked inside an ecological biosphere. Paid for by billionaire Ed Bass, and headed by a hippie-esque collective, eight human beings lived and worked inside the facility, housing multiple environments, animals and thousands of plants. Causing a media sensation, the good-intentioned project soon turned sour when human nature took over. Director Matt Wolf tries to unravel what exactly happened and who was responsible, with mixed results.

Spaceship Earth is told through archival footage and interviews. Wolf allows the footage to speak for itself, letting sweet orchestration and the well-documented past do the talking. At first, the group behind Biosphere 2 come off as slightly annoying idyllic dreamers, as if theater and philosophy students had access to millions of dollars. This sentiment doesn’t go away and leaders in the project, such as John Allen and his wife Marie Harding, come off as narcissists who can’t admit they made a mistake. As the film progresses, you can’t really root for anyone. The crew is so focused on being right and making sure the experiment worked that they still don’t seem to take responsibility for its outcome.

With its two hour runtime and a very slow pace, Spaceship Earth has fundamental story structure issues. Too much information and details that don’t give the story momentum, slow it down. This could have been solved by adding a narrator or some buffer between its audience and its subjects. It hints at some of the more philosophical problems with the project, such as sexism and how no people of color were included in an experiment rooted in building a better world. Ultimately, Wolf decides to pass those very valid questions over.

It’s a frustrating and at times fascinating documentary about the ego it takes to change the world. In the end, Spaceship Earth is exactly like Biosphere 2, an interesting idea that was executed poorly.

Spaceship Earth is available on Hulu and VOD. For other places and ways to watch click here. Watch the trailer below.

‘Becky’ Trailer: Home Invasion Thriller Turns Kevin James Into A Sadistic Neo-Nazi

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Travis Hopson

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May 8, 2020

There have been few opportunities for Kevin James to do anything but play the goofball, or Adam Sandler’s sidekick. The last time was in the 2015 WWII drama Little Boy, and James was genuinely good in a serious role. Now we’re going to get to see him do something truly different, get sadistic, in the upcoming home invasion thriller, Becky.

James is impressively scary in the new trailer for Becky, which stars Lulu Wilson (Star Trek: Picard) as a young woman who must defend herself against a gang of neo-Nazi prison escapees looking for a missing key. James plays their leader, Dominick, with Joel McHale as Becky’s father and Amanda Brugel (The Handmaid’s Tale) as his girlfriend. Also in the cast? Robert Maillet, known to longtime WWE fans as the wrestler Kurrgan.

The film was directed by Cary Murnion and Jonathan Milott, with Amanda Brugel and Robert Maillet as co-stars.

Becky opens on digital platforms on June 5th, and I’m all in for it. Love seeing actors push themselves, especially the ones I don’t really expect much from.

Check out the trailer followed by the directors’ statement on the film below.

Becky is a twisted coming of age film, an ultra-violent Home Alone, featuring a 13-year-old girl channeling her teen angst to kick some serious ass as she engineers a brutal revenge against the neo-nazi prison escapees who killed her father and dog. It’s the kind of bloody escapist insanity we want to watch. Becky is ultimately confronted with a fork in the road at the climax. The unexpected decision she makes and the moral and ethical ambiguity it expresses is at the heart of what makes this film so unique.

We love challenging actors, and casting them in roles surprisingly different from anything they’ve done before in order to subvert the audiences’ expectations. We all know Kevin James as a lovable and hilarious comic lead in TV and film but no one has ever seen him like this before. As an intimidating, terrifying, neo-Nazi-convict-cult-leader, Kevin’s performance will shock you with not only his character’s unhinged convictions but also with his horrifying and depraved actions. He brings an intensity and physicality to the role that you have to see to believe, especially in contrast to all of his previous work. Joel McHale’s energy, enthusiasm and willingness to do anything was impressive, bringing a sincerity and grounded performance as Becky’s father. Lulu Wilson, who was actually thirteen years old when we filmed, is pure talent. The first day of filming in a particularly traumatic scene, she let out a heart wrenching scream, causing everyone in the room’s jaw to hit the floor. Her instincts and professionalism allowed us to capture complex emotional scenes quickly under strict child labor laws, which cut our set time with her in half.

In collaboration with our cinematographer, Greta Zozula, editor, Alan Canant, and composer, Nima Fakhrara, we crafted a unique fast-paced visual style that highlights this film’s shocking and violent twists and turns. We wanted to explore the challenge of executing a contradictory tone, walking a fine line of making visuals that you can’t take your eyes off, and simultaneously creating viscerally murderous scenes that force you to involuntarily look away. The films intentionally grounded emotionally in order to provide a firm footing for the action scenes that are heightened and borderline outlandish in places. Greta strapped herself to cables – hanging off cliffs, riding ATVs, and ziplines – to bring a sophisticated, elegant, and elevated vision to the cinematic energy. Nima created an outstanding score that utilizes breathing, toddler toy instruments, homemade percussion, including forks, knives and pencils. The sound is the glue that holds this film together.

Intrigue, Violence, and Henry Rollins, OH MY! The ‘Dreamland’ Trailer Has it All

By

John Nolan

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May 8, 2020

There’s confusion that leaves you annoyed and indifferent and then there’s confusion that leaves you desperately wanting clarity, I’d put the trailer for Dreamland in the latter category. Thankfully I knew exactly what to expect when I saw that Bruce McDonald credit come up in the ‘Directed By’ slot. McDonald broke through with a film called Pontypool back in 2008 that I recommend every genre fan see at least once, especially if you’re high on the zombie/outbreak horse. From the start this trailer makes you think you’re getting a standard hitman/mob/gangster type movie but it becomes apparent really quickly that there’s more then meets the eye. Then there’s the inclusion of Henry Rollins, which guarantees a high level of violence, and Juliette Lewis who guarantees something just off from center…it’s safe to say that given the history of those involved and the chaos of this trailer that Dreamland is going to be far from a generic film. Still not convinced? Then I suggest you take a look at the trailer below..though you shouldn’t really need more then the official synopsis:

On the night of the strangest weddings in cinema history, a grotesque gang boss hires a stone cold killer to bring him the finger of a fading, drug-addicted jazz legend.

For more of our latest trailers check out the main page!

Review: ‘Walkaway Joe’
Jeffrey Dean Morgan And David Strathairn Star In A Forgettable Story Of Familial Upheaval

By
Jake Sokolsky
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The bonds between fathers and sons are the focus of Walkaway Joe. Dallas McCarthy (Julian Feder) is a 14-year-old heading down a bad path. Unforutnately, his father Cal (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) is far from a good role model and Dallas idolizes him. Cal is a swindler, going from pool hall to pool hall trying to hustle people out of money. He gets in with a bad crowd and his debts keep racking up. Even worse, Cal loops Dallas into his hustles. Dallas has an innocent demeanor, and this demeanor combined with his age causes other players to underestimate his pool skills.

Cal’s wife Gina (Julie Ann Emery) has had enough. She is sick of Cal not ever acting like Dallas’s father, always just his friend with her always being the bad guy. The troubles for Dallas continue as he starts getting into fights at school and disrespecting his mother. Cal finally reaches his breaking point and walks out on the family via a shitty little handwritten note.

Dallas can’t accept that Cal gave up on his family and left. He decides to runaway and track his father down. There is a big tournament in Baton Rouge, and he knows Cal can’t turn down an opportunity like that. Dallas rounds up any money he has saved, grabs his pool cue, and hits the open road on his bike. On the way he figures he should probably stop by a pool hall and beef up his funds. When a dispute arises over payment, Joe Haley (David Strathairn) is the only one that steps up to defend Dallas. Joe eventually agrees to drive Dallas to meet his father, but is this an act of kindness, or is Joe running away from something himself?

Walkaway Joe has a talented cast – most notably Morgan and Strathairn – but they never reach their full potential. Michael Milillo’s script and Tom Wright’s directing bog down these talents and don’t provide them the ability to shine. We do not get nearly enough character development to truly care about what his happening to anyone on screen. There are a couple heartfelt moments, but few and far between. On top of that, these moments feel forced and awkward. Even when Joe tries to impart wisdom on Dallas, there is no weight to the words, and they ring hollow.

Wright tries to spice things up, adding upbeat music and swinging camera angles to some pool hall scenes. He successfully captures the illusion of fun and excitement in billiards. Of course, this is fleeting as the seedy world Cal and Dallas are living in engulfs any happiness from the game. Wright emphasizes stakes being raised at the tables by adding slow motion and an echoing effect to the shots. This method creates some excitement to the game as the audience braces for the tension of each shot. These moments aside, Walkaway Joe has an overall slow pace to the film – things progress slowly, people talk slowly, and the colors are dull and muted. This decision backfires as the energy is almost completely zapped as the film drags on. When the dust settles, Walkaway Joe does not do enough to distinguish itself, not making it worth seeking out.

Queen Latifah Is ‘The Equalizer’ In CBS’ Reboot Series

By

Travis Hopson

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May 8, 2020

One of the many things to love about Queen Latifah is that she’s tough. Even stretching back to her rap days she always projected this confident “I’ll whoop your ass” attitude. I’d wager to say she’d beat up everybody in the Native Tongue. But is she Equalizer tough? Can she compare to the likes of Edward Woodward and Denzel Washington? We’re about to find out.

Variety reports Queen Latifah will star as The Equalizer in a new series coming to CBS. As with previous iterations of the show, Latifah will play a mysterious badass with a penchant for helping people in their time of need. Most people nowadays know it for the two blockbuster films starring Denzel Washington, which seriously upped the violence to a new level. The Woodward version of the 1980s leaned a bit heavier on his covert skills.

Latifah is joined by Chris Noth, Lorraine Toussaint, Tory Kittles, Liza Lapira and Laya DeLeon Hayes, with Liz Friedlander (Take the Lead) directing the pilot.

This being on CBS, the crime procedural network, I expect it won’t be long before this looks like just another CSI and NCIS, knockoff. Are those shows still on? If so, The Equalizer will probably crossover with them at some point.

Reviews: ‘Driveways’
Hong Chau And Brian Dennehy Breathe Life Into A Quiet, Comforting Drama

By
Cortland Jacoby
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Driveways is the movie we need right now. In a time where Covid-19 keeps us far from each other, the coming of age tale feels like a warm hug. Written by Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen and brilliantly directed by Andrew Ahn, the film provides a warm and sincere sense of relief in these trying times.

The longline could easily make the film seem like a Hallmark movie: A sensitive and lonely boy, helping his mom clean his recently deceased aunt’s cluttered house, bonds with an elderly war vet. Its nuisance is what makes it a home run. Hong Chau (Downsizing) plays Kathy, that single mom trying her best raising a sweet boy and dealing with not only the death of her sister but her sister hoarding habit. Her son Cody (Lucas Jaye), has always had trouble making friends and the transition to his aunt’s neighborhood is no different. On their first day there he receives help turning on the hose from a neighbor, Del. Renowned actor Brian Dennehy (Cacoon, Silverado) who passed away last month, plays him as a vet who has certainly seen some “shit” but still goes with the flow. Slowly over the course of the summer, Cody and Del become closer, talking about Del’s past playing bingo and reading manga. It should be too ordinary for an 80-minute feature, but its grounded reality is what makes it work.

Hong Chau brings out a side of the single mom archetype that we haven’t seen before. Her portrayal of Kathy, one of quiet grief and strength, anchors most of the film. Chau was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for her performance and its easy to see why. Jaye plays Cody as a genuine kid, losing any “overacting” sheen that often comes with overacting. He seems to have chemistry with everything screen, easily keeping up with the two veteran actors beside him.

As one of Brian Dennehy’s final performances, his Del is honest, understated, and yet layered. Like everything in this film, his character is not romanticized yet we feel every emotion as he deals with losing the friends around him to age and bonding with Cody. Every person alive has met someone like Del and you leave the film better off for watching his performance.

Driveways is sweet but not schmaltzy or overdramatic. It’s a quiet slice of life about the relationships that shape us. Ahn handles growing up and growing old with a delicate hand, but not a serious one. He gives each character room to breathe, exploring what it means to be human, in the lives they lived. Where a lesser director could have turned this unlikely friendship story into a hallmark film, filled with forced emotion and melodrama, Ahn gives us a quietly moving story that’s a breath of fresh air.

Driveways is available on iTunes, Prime Video and On-Demand. Watch the trailer below

‘Yes, God, Yes’ Trailer: Natalia Dyer Is Torn Between Catholic Guilt And Her Sexual Awakening

By

Travis Hopson

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May 8, 2020

In the new sex comedy Yes, God, Yes, Natalia Dyer of Stranger Things plays a Catholic girl torn between her faith, and joy she gets out of internet porn and masturbation. If you know anything about the Catholic religion, guilt is a big part of it, and Dyer’s character feels the shame of disappointing God…but at the same time, she’s super horny!

The film marks the directorial debut of Karen Maine, a co-writer on the short film Obvious Child, which became the acclaimed sex-positive comedy starring Jenny Slate. Once again, Maine is exploring a young woman’s sexual awakening, while shedding a humorous light on some of the contradictions of being a person of faith with natural human urges. Like Obvious Child, this also began life as a short.

The cast includes Timothy Simons, Wolfgang Novogratz, Francesca Reale, Susan Blackwell, Parker Wierling, Alisha Boe, and Donna Lynne Champlin.

Based on this trailer I’m reminded of the 2004 comedy Saved! which covered very similar territory.

Yes, God, Yes opens in July. Its world premiere was at SXSW last year, and so far has a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. Might be worth a look.

SYNOPSIS: In the Midwest in the early 00s, sixteen-year-old Alice (Natalia Dyer) has always been a good Catholic girl. But when an AOL chat turns racy, she discovers masturbation and becomes guilt-ridden. Seeking redemption, she attends a mysterious religious retreat to try and suppress her urges, but it isn’t easy, especially after a cute boy (Wolfgang Novogratz) starts flirting with her. Alice’s sense of shame is spiraling when she uncovers a shocking truth about the retreat’s most devout. Desperate and confused, she flees and meets an unlikely ally (Susan Blackwell) who offers an alternative view of what it means to be good. For the first time, Alice realizes she can decide for herself what to believe and finally gets the release she needs.