On this week’s show, John and Travis review John Turturro’s horny BIG LEBOWSKi spinoff comedy, THE JESUS ROLLS, IFC horror THE WRETCHED, and more. Plus, Paramount and Hasbro are rolling the dice on new TRANSFORMERS and GI Joe movies, and we talk about the impact of the late actor Irrfan Khan, who passed away just days ago.
Anybody know what’s going on with Deadpool since Disney acquired Fox? No? Well, you can add Ryan Reynolds to the list of folks uncertain of the next move for the Merc with a Mouth.
Speaking with Total Film, Reynolds says he’s still trying to get the lay of the land at Marvel, and has no idea when there will be a Deadpool 3…
“Oh, man, I really don’t know,” Reynolds said. “It’s just all so new with it being over at Marvel now, and, you know, figuring out the ins and outs as much as I can, from where I sit. We’ll see.”
Reynolds continued by saying that he doesn’t have any inside knowledge just because he’s part of the Disney/Marvel family now…
“I don’t feel like an insider at all. I think once I’m more intimate with it – if we get to make a Deadpool 3… if or when we get to make a Deadpool 3, I’ll probably have a better perspective on that. But I’m a huge fan of Marvel, and how they make movies. So when Disney bought Fox, I only saw that as a good thing. Deadpool hopefully being allowed to play in that sandbox, I think is just a win for everyone involved. But we’ll certainly see.”
What’s the hold up? Well, any number of things, really. Marvel still has to figure out what they’re going to do with all of the Fox properties, not just Deadpool. What will they do about the X-Men, who Deadpool has obvious close connections to. Do they introduce mutants into the MCU first? Do they even bother bringing Deadpool into the MCU, or spin him off into his own solo universe? Will there even be a sequel, or perhaps a complete reboot? A lot to ponder, but rest assured when Deadpool does return it’ll be Reynolds under the mask.
Sorry, the Keanu vs. Keanu battle between The Matrix 4 and John Wick 4? It ain’t happenin’. Lionsgate isn’t stupid, and among a ton of release date changes the biggest move of all sees the John Wick sequel headed to 2022. Finally, something has managed to scare off the Baba Yaga.
John Wick 4 had been set for May 21st 2021, which would’ve been an epic matchup Keanu Reeves blockbusters. Instead, the deadly assassin will seek his vengeance on May 27th 2022, a full year later. Damn. There have been rumblings this may happen for a while, led mostly by director Chad Stahelski who is going to be busy helping out on…what else, The Matrix 4.
Meanwhile, Lionsgate has also set a new release date for Spiral: From the Book of Saw. The unusual Chris Rock-led spinoff was to open later this month, but it too has slid a full year to May 21st 2021, the date previously occupied by John Wick 4.
An almost-forgotten movie for later this year, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, the sequel to the hit Ryan Reynolds/Samuel L. Jackson action flick, has also felt the sting of the coronavirus. Once set for August 2020, the film will now arrive on August 20th 2021. Reynolds, Jackson, and Salma Hayek are all returning, joined by Antonio Banderas, Frank Grillo, Richard E. Grant, and Morgan Freeman. [THR]
Power moves are being made between Paramount and Hasbro, when it comes to the toy company’s biggest franchises. Not only are we seeing a reinvigorated GI Joe franchise, led by this October’s Snake Eyes movie and a newly-announced followup, but Transformers is on the rise again after the success of Bumblebee. And now we know when the Robots In Disguise will be seen next on the big screen.
One is the reported Beast Wars flick from writer James Vanderbilt (The Amazing Spider-Man). The other is written by Joby Harold (King Arthur: Legend of the Sword) and is set in the same rebooted universe from 2018’s Bumblebee movie. It could be either one of these films, or perhaps something else we don’t know about yet.
Suffice it to say, this is Paramount’s way of moving far beyond the Michael Bay era, which saw them tremendous box office success but waned down the stretch.
Paramount’s GI Joe franchise has laid dormant since 2013’s GI Joe: Retaliation, which piled on bigger names (Dwayne Johnson, Bruce Willis) but didn’t do anything to extend interest in the Real American Heroes. But there’s a definite comeback in the works, with Hasbro essentially relaunching with a Snake Eyes movie this fall, and already they’re looking to build the GI Joe universe beyond that with a followup.
According to THR, Seberg writers Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse are in talks to pen a new GI Joe movie that will be a followup to Snake Eyes. The film is being described as “not quite a sequel but rather an expansion to take audience goers deeper into the world of Joe.” Shrapnel and Waterhouse are familiar with the material, having done some uncredited work on Snake Eyes, as well.
Lorenzo di Bonaventura, the guy who has basically been spearheading the creative direction of GI Joe and Transformers, is on board as producer. The duo of Shrapnel and Waterhouse most recently penned Seberg, which starred Kristen Stewart as the famous actress Jean Seberg. They’re currently working on The Great Machine, an adaptation of Brian K. Vaughan’s Ex Machina comic.
As for Snake Eyes, it’s set to star Henry Goulding (Crazy Rich Asians) as the mysterious ninja and most popular member of the Joe squad. That film opens October 23rd 2020.
“Recklessly extravagant.” It’s a term that comes up a lot in the new film, Inside the Rain. Instead of describing a Jay Gatsby or Marie Antoniette type, the film’s lead uses it to describe himself; a well-meaning, hard-living man with bipolar disorder. Written, directed, and starring first time director Aaron Fisher, Inside the Rain explores what it means to be “recklessly extravagant” and how bipolar disorder affects one’s life.
When Ben (Fisher), a bipolar young man, is expelled from college for a “misunderstanding,” he goes against the advice of his parents, his psychiatrist, and his school and decides to prove his innocence by making a film about it. He finds his leading lady in Emma (Ellen Toland), a naked sushi model/cam girl. As they work together to find funding, Ben must juggle his illness, his expectations, and those around him as he tries to navigate what to do next.
Fisher creates some very interesting cinematic beats, not afraid to wallow in the awkward and in real life’s quiet moments. The dialogue doesn’t always feel natural, especially when Ben interacts with women. However, the pacing is so fast that the wincingly uncomfortable doesn’t last too long.
At points, witty and trite quips weigh the film down. This takes away authenticity that might have been established by its accurate depiction of bipolar disorder. Patients with it can go off their meds, be obstinate, obsessive, and have illogical thought patterns, all of which the film captures fairly well. It’s not that the topic of mental illness has to be taken with kid gloves, but to be so brazen and brash about it can be disarming for the viewer. As the action progresses and we venture farther into Ben’s treatment and desire to make this film, the easier it gets to watch.
Working in his favor is a very strong troupe of performers behind him. Rosie Perez shines as the truth-telling psychiatrist, providing Ben with stability and sense. Eric Roberts pops in and out as a very convincingly shady film producer. Two of the strongest performances go-to character actors Paul Schulze (Nurse Jackie) and Catherine Curtain (Stranger Things) as Ben’s parents. Though they each have limited screen time, they give very complex and moving performances that show the difficulty and love that goes into parenting a bipolar son.
It’s rare that a film feels lived in, that a character would exist if the viewer was watching or not. To reach that distinction, despite some very glaring flaws, is no easy feat for a first-time filmmaker. As writer, director, actor, and even co-editor, Fisher seems to have complete control over the film’s voice. There’s a reason Inside the Rain feels so personal, whether that’s a good or bad thing.
Now available on Amazon Prime. You can watch the trailer below.
It’s the Blue Iguana reunion nobody asked for! Well, in this case the pairing of Sam Rockwell and Ben Schwartz is pretty great, regardless of how bad things went the first time. THR reports Rockwell will star in an upcoming Fox Searchlight comedy penned Schwartz, who sounds an awful lot like Sonic the Hedgehog.
There isn’t much in the way of details yet, but we know Rockwell and Schwartz will co-star together, with the latter writing the script. If you’re fans of both actors, chances are the plot doesn’t really matter. Rockwell is an Oscar-winner who continues to do great work, most recently in Jojo Rabbit, Richard Jewell, and the FX series Fosse/Verdon. Schwartz did actually just voice Sonic the Hedgehog for the recent hit movie, and was part of that Parks & Rec reunion special which just aired.
So yeah, the Blue Iguana thing. Rockwell and Schwartz starred in the 2018 crime comedy together, and it’s not good. The fault isn’t entirely theirs, and surely what they do next will be much better.
Macon Blair is best known for his starring roles in Blue Ruin and Green Room, both directed by his pal Jeremy Saulnier. But since then, Blair has also become one Hell of a filmmaker, penning the script for Saulnier’s thriller Hold the Dark, and making his directorial debut with 2017’s underrated I Don’t Feel at Home in this World Anymore. Now he’s joining with Legendary for what may be his biggest movie yet, with two A-list stars already signed up.
Variety reports Blair will write and direct Brothers, a Twins-esque comedy led by Josh Brolin and Peter Dinklage. It sounds like Hella fun already. No other plot details are available, but with those two on board it promises to be something special.
What I like about both Brolin and Dinklage is they project an air of toughness, but which often gives way to a sillier side. In Brolin’s case I would point to his role as Cable in Deadpool 2 as just one of many examples. Dinklage has that same talent, as well, with Tyrion Lannister delivering some of the most killer laugh lines in Game of Thrones.
As for whether they’d gel like Twins stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito? Well, we’ll just have to wait and see.
The Half Of It - Leah Lewis, Alexxis Lemire - Photo Credit: Netflix / KC Bailey
Though we are a month away from pride month, it’s always nice to see LGBTQ representation on film. The Half Of It, a teen love story with a lesbian lead, hits Netflix today. In it, writer and director Alice Wu creates a really intimate story of a LGBTQ teen struggling to connect to the world around her. Despite a very talented cast, the film’s over-reliance on teen troupes detracts from the wonderfully authentic relationships developing on film.
Ellie Chu (Leah Lewis of CW’s Nancy Drew) is a quiet band nerd content living in her small town. She spends her days alone, writing everybody else’s English papers and crushing on popular girl Aster. Paul (newcomer Daniel Diemer), unknowingly shares that crush and asks Ellie to help him write Aster. As the pair gets closer and the letter-writing seems to work, things get complicated and Ellie starts to question her identity and her future.
Story-wise, the film derives itself from Cyrano de Bergerac, the 19th-century play, written by Edmond Rostand. In it, a man writes love notes to a girl on behalf of his friend. He loves her himself as well but feels that his nose is too big and therefore won’t like him. In The Half of It, the big nose is switched to being LGBTQ, and with it a very sweet coming of age story forms.
Despite covering a love story not commonly seen in modern media, the film overly relies on tired teen tropes. There’s the talent show that doesn’t quite go as planned, paired with a secret musical talent. The film does touch upon the “dumb jock/mean girl” troupes, though very lightly, and like a lot of other things in the film, doesn’t fully commit to it. Some of the religious undertones don’t work as well as they should, especially in a film about falling in love as an LGBT individual in a small town. Because of its inability to fully commit, the film feels tonally uneven for a majority of its 104-minute runtime.
The film heavily relies on voiceover, especially early on. Text messages are just read aloud for several minutes. Can I please watch one teen movie that that doesn’t rely on voice over? The constant back and forth is grating, not innovative, and detracts from the story.
The film works best when it focuses on the friendship between Ellie and Paul. The chemistry between Diemer and Lewis is palpable and makes you want to watch them interact all day. As the lovable doofus, Diemer brings a charming and naïve quality to the dumb jock troupe, making it seem fresh and new. Lewis is truly endearing and sweet as Ellie, capturing the complex emotions that come with figuring out your sexuality. Collin Chou, who plays Ellie’s father, sneaks up on you as the immigrant father who doesn’t quite know how to interact with his daughter.
When The Half of It gives into teen movie troupes it falls flat. However, when it diverges into something original and authentic, it’s magic to watch. A genuine friendship between the gay girl and the straight guy is something that isn’t explored often in modern media. Through brilliant casting and a focus on real emotion, the film manages to save itself from being a mediocre teen movie with a gay lead.
The Half of It is available on Netflix now. Watch the trailer below.
I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the content on the DCU app, it’s definitely in the lower tier of subscriber-ship but that back catalog is amazing and their original content is some of the best out there. Doom Patrol and Titans are must-watch for genre fans and everything I”m hearing about the R-rated Harley Quinn animated series has been overwhelmingly positive. Obviously from that you can assume that I haven’t seen the show yet but desperately want to get it on my list after catching this tweet from the DCEU page. In the next episode which apparently starts streaming tomorrow, Harley does exactly what Harley would do if she were real and takes aim at toxic fandom. The r-rated format really makes this intriguing as they can go FULL South Park and really do some lampooning. I tried to deny the existence of these toxic fans for a while but, regardless of their number, their voices have been loud enough to elicit change (negative change, but change nonetheless) so it serves to say that it’s high time they got put in their place, who better then the clown princess of crime to do it….especially when the gloves are off!
