‘How To Build A Girl’ Trailer: Beanie Feldstein Transforms Herself Into A Rock Music Critic

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April 8, 2020

pdc_howtobuild1 — Beanie Feldstein as “Johanna Morrigan” and Cast in Coky Giedroyc’s HOW TO BUILD A GIRL. Courtesy of IFC Films. An IFC Films Release.

Remember when Beanie Feldstein was just another raucous member of the sorority in Neighbors 2? She’s come a long way since then, with funny performances in Booksmart, Lady Bird, and FX’s What We Do in the Shadows. She’s branching out taking on more interesting projects, and the TIFF award-winner How to Build a Girl definitely looks to be one.

An adaptation of the book by co-writer Caitlin Moran, How to Build a Girl sets Feldstein as a creative, quirky young woman who uses her vast imagination to escape a boring life, reinventing herself into a rock music journalist. Feldstein is joined by a tremendous cast that includes Alfie Allen, Emma Thompson, Paddy Considine, Frank Dillane, Jameela Jamil, Chris O’Dowd, Sharon Horgan, Michael Sheen, Lucy Punch, and more.

Behind the camera is Coky Giedroyc, known for her work on Penny Dreadful, Gypsy, and The Killing. This is her first feature since 1999’s Women Talking Dirty.

How to Build a Girl hits VOD on May 8th.

SYNOPSIS: Johana Morrigan (Beanie Feldstein) is a bright, quirky, 16-year-old who uses her colorful imagination to regularly escape her humdrum life in Wolverhampton and live out her creative fantasies. Desperate to break free from the overcrowded flat she shares with her four brothers and eccentric parents, she submits an earnestly penned and off-beat music review to a group of self-important indie rock critics at a weekly magazine. Despite being brushed off initially, Johana clamors to the top of the ’90s rock music scene by reinventing herself as Dolly Wilde – a venerable, impossible-to-please music critic with an insatiable lust for fame, fortune, and men. It isn’t long before the rapid pace at which Johana’s life is changing becomes overwhelming and she runs face-first into a devastatingly real, existential crisis: Is this the type of girl she wants to become? Or does she need to start over and build again from the ground up? Based on the best-selling novel by Caitlin Moran, How to Build a Girl is a sassy, sexy, and a profoundly touching coming-of-age comedy that traces the rocky road to womanhood through the lens of a unique and wildly hilarious protagonist.

Dave Bautista’s ‘My Spy’ Heads To Amazon Prime, Will Skip Theatrical

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Travis Hopson

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April 8, 2020

The Dave Bautista comedy My Spy was the last movie I saw in theaters before the coronavirus shut everything down. It was interesting because under the circumstances I think it was nice to just have an easy, inoffensive comedy. The film has had its share of troubles finding a release date over the last year, so that when it got delayed once again due to the pandemic, most of us didn’t think much about it. Well, now we know it’s getting a release, but theatrical won’t be in the cards.

Deadline reports Amazon Prime has picked up the distribution rights to My Spy from STX Entertainment, who had already released it internationally back in January and the UK in March. Amazon’s domestic plan is to skip theatrical and go straight to streaming on Amazon Prime, but a date hasn’t been established. Add this to a growing number of theatrical films headed exclusively to digital, such as The Lovebirds, Artemis Fowl, and Trolls World Tour.

My Spy stars Bautista as a violent CIA spy who gets in over his head when his cover is blown by the 9-year-old girl he’s been assigned to shadow. The film is directed by Peter Segal and stars Chloe Coleman, Kristen Schaal, Parisa Fitz-Henley, and Ken Jeong.

‘The Trip To Greece’ Trailer: Steve Coogan And Rob Brydon Are On Another Comic Odyssey

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Travis Hopson

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April 8, 2020

If you’re a fan of Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, chances are you’ve already gone on The Trip, The Trip to Italy, and The Trip to Spain. The comedic road trip films, all directed by Michael Winterbottom, give the duo a chance to be funny at their leisure. And now they’re going on another trip, this time to Greece.

The Trip to Greece sets Coogan and Brydon on another historical and culinary journey, cracking jokes at one another’s expense the whole way. The plan is to retrace the path of Odysseus on his decade-long journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan War. Okay, sure, whatever, just do the Michael Caine impression, willya?

SYNOPSIS: When Odysseus left Troy it took him ten years to get back to his home in Ithaca. Steve and Rob have only six days on their own personal odyssey in THE TRIP TO GREECE. On the way they argue about tragedy and comedy, astronomy and biology, myth, history, democracy and the meaning of life! Featuring locations such as: Temple of Apollo at Delphi, the Ancient Agora of Athens, the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, the unique island of Hydra, the Caves of Diros, Nestor’s Palace, Niokastro Fortress in Pylos, and Ancient Stagira, as well as a lot of shooting in restaurants and hotels in Athens, Hydra, Lesvos, Chalkidiki, Pelion, Kavala, and at the Peloponnese.

The Trip to Greece hits theaters (?) and VOD on May 22nd.

Bankruptcy Looms For AMC Theaters, But The End For Theatrical Isn’t Near

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Travis Hopson

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April 8, 2020

The theatrical experience constantly on the verge of extinction, or so we are told. But in the case of AMC, the largest theater chain in the world, it’s damn close to becoming a reality. Due to the shutdown caused by COVID-19, AMC is losing out on revenue, furloughing its staff, and may be forced to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Deadline adds that the rumors of AMC running out of cash are likely to be true. But even if they were to file for bankruptcy, the chain isn’t going anywhere. Well, they aren’t vanishing, let’s put it that way. But there may be a reorganization, including the closure of some locations. This is actually a good thing, considering the nearly $5B in debt they’re carrying. Restructuring may be exactly what AMC needs.

Also working in AMC’s favor is that they’re likely to be considered a “critical vendor”, which “is one with a specialized skillset, mandatory safety certification or proprietary product whose discontinuation of service would have a significant negative impact on a debtor’s operations.” Basically, you take away movies from AMC and their other avenues of revenue, such as concessions, become obsolete.

So claims of AMC’s doom, and thus that of the theatrical experience, are overblown In fact, AMC is already preparing for a possible reopening in May. That seems ambitious and highly unlikely at this stage, but they’re digging through the catalog of titles to see what’s available. Remember, this is what China did a few weeks ago, reopening theaters with beloved films to lure in audiences. They may not get a chance to put that strategy into effect, however. With weeks, possibly months of closure ahead, the lack of revenue is forcing AMC to back out on rent payments to landlords. Here’s an exerpt from a letter AMC recently sent out to landlords…

“Without revenue from its theatres, AMC will cease paying rent and charges under the lease effective as of April, 2020.

AMC asks for your patience and understanding during this difficult time. AMC intends to reopen its theatres as soon as possible after it is safe to do so. AMC looks forward to getting back to business as usual.”

If theaters reopen in full next month, we could see AMC bounce back fairly soon. If not, and this outbreak lasts through the summer, they could be in deep trouble.

Nicole Kidman Scarer ‘The Others’ Is Getting A Modern Remake

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Travis Hopson

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April 8, 2020

The early 2000s were a particularly strong stretch for Nicole Kidman, and one of the brightest stars in her filmography was 2001’s The Others. The horror film from Spanish filmmaker Alejandro Amenabar was set in the 1940s and starred Kidman as a mother who keeps her two children, both afflicted with a rare sensitivity to light, locked away in their darkened home. It’s terrifically moody, scary stuff, and of course, it’s getting a remake.

Deadline reports that a remake is in the works from Sentient Entertainment. The plan is to a modernized take on the story, which according to Sentient’s Renee Tab is her favorite horror of all-time…

“I am honored to be able to work on my favorite horror film of all time, The Others, and to bring this reimagining to the big screen for new audiences. It is almost eerie and uncanny how timely the themes are today: self-isolation, paranoia and fear, and of course the intense desire to protect our children and ourselves from harm. We look forward to unraveling the layers behind lead character Grace, whose pain and demons draw viewers into a truly compassionate journey.”

So far that’s all we know. There’s no cast, no director, no writer, and not even a crew at this point. With the COVID-19 situation as it is, it may be a while before The Others finally gets going. But we shouldn’t dismiss this offhand. Sentient has done some good stuff in the past, including David Cronenberg’s Maps to the Stars and the Emmy-nominated series Feud: Bette and Joan.

‘Walkaway Joe’ Trailer: Jeffrey Dean Morgan Gambles In The Poolhalls Of Life

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Travis Hopson

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April 8, 2020

It may be a while before fans of Jeffrey Dean Morgan see him again as Negan on The Walking Dead. Fortunately, he keeps plenty busy making smaller films like Walkaway Joe. The road movie takes a son through the poolhalls of America in search of his absent father. The film is directed by Tom Wright, with David Strathairn and Julian Feder co-starring.

SYNOPSIS: WALKAWAY JOE is the story of an unlikely friendship between a young boy searching for his father in pool halls across the country, and a wandering loner hiding from his past. In each other they experience the power of a second chance, and a shot at redemption.

Walkaway Joe hits digital and VOD on May 8th.

‘Space Force’: Steve Carell Seeks Space Dominance In Photos From Netflix’s Workplace Comedy

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Travis Hopson

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April 8, 2020

Steve Carell is back in charge of the workplace. Only instead of paper sales, he’s in the business of making America first in the space race. Space Force is the new Netflix comedy, sprung from the President’s idiotic off-the-cuff idea, that the streamer hopes will replicate the success of The Office. Considering they lose the rights to that series soon, the timing couldn’t be better.

New photos have emerged featuring Carell as four-star general Mark Naird, and his team of scientists stationed at a remote Colorado base. The series was co-created by Carell and The Office‘s Greg Daniels, with a cast that includes Lisa Kudrow, Jimmy O. Yang, John Malkovich, Diana Silvers, Tawny Newsome, Ben Schwartz, Noah Emmerich, Alex Sparrow, Fred Willard, Jessica St. Clair, and Don Lake.

SYNOPSIS: A decorated pilot with dreams of running the Air Force, four-star general Mark R. Naird (Steve Carell) is thrown for a loop when he finds himself tapped to lead the newly formed sixth branch of the US Armed Forces: Space Force. Skeptical but dedicated, Mark uproots his family and moves to a remote base in Colorado where he and a colorful team of scientists and “Spacemen” are tasked by the White House with getting American boots on the moon (again) in a hurry and achieving total space dominance.

Netflix launches Space Force beginning May 29th. I assume a trailer will be out shortly. We’ll update this post once that happens.

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You Won’t Believe What You See In The New Clip From ‘Butt Boy’

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John Nolan

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April 8, 2020

So earlier this year there was a somewhat classy indie flick called Swallow which detailed the life of a woman addicted to eating things…like non-food things. I guess you could say that Butt Boy is a mystery following a guy with an…opposite addiction. I’ll let you check out the clip below and you can pull your own conclusions about what I mean. I can tell you one thing, you won’t see another movie like this anytime soon. You wanted original? You got it!

‘The Night Of The Hunter’ Remake In The Works From ‘Operation Finale’ Writer

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Travis Hopson

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April 7, 2020

I’ll be honest, most of the classic films everybody loves I find to be vastly overrated. That is not the case with The Night of the Hunter. The 1955 film featured an absolutely killer performance by Robert Mitchum as corrupt preacher/serial killer Harry Powell, as he tries to charm a widow and her kids to learn the location of $10,000 in hidden cash. The movie was so dark it caused quite a controversy and was met with mixed reviews at the time. Messing around with classics is a tough deal, but Variety reports a remake is indeed in the works. T

Ex-Sony producer Amy Pascal is on board developing a Night of the Hunter remake, with a script by Operation Finale writer Matt Orton. This is expected to be a contemporary take on the story, which is based on the 1953 novel by Davis Grubb that drew inspiration from the real-life case of convicted murderer Harry Powers.

No director is in place yet, but more important than that is who will play Harry Powell. It’s going to take somebody who has a legit creep factor, but can also be pretty slick. Maybe a Tom Hardy or Josh Brolin would work?

‘Betty’ Trailer: HBO’s ‘Skate Kitchen’ Spinoff Takes It To The Streets

By

Travis Hopson

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April 7, 2020

Released in 2018, Crystal Moselle’s Skate Kitchen is one of those films praised to the moon by critics (including us), but sadly went criminally-underseen. It showed a slice of New York life we’ve never seen on the big screen, following a female skater as she tries to break in the male-dominated skate culture. Well now HBO is making that movie relevant again, and introducing it to a new audience with the spinoff series, Betty.

Directed by Moselle, co-written by Lesley Arfin (Love), and featuring much of the Skate Kitchen cast, Betty again centers on female skaters in New York City. There’s a bit more comedy to this, probably due to Arfin who also worked on HBO’s Girls, but the Moselle’s realistic, street-level style remains fully intact. I can’t wait for this.

Fortunately, I won’t have to wait long. HBO will premiere Betty on May 1st.

SYNOPSIS: Opinionated and loyal, Janay (Lovelace) is strong willed and stubborn in ways that both help and hurt her. Honeybear (Moonbear) is a quiet storm. Her flagrant style is a ruse; an armor she wears to hide her emotional struggles. Kirt (Moran) is a lover (to the ladies), a fighter (to the rest of the world), and a little kid in the body of a woman. She’s the funniest person alive, but even if she knew it, she wouldn’t care. Meanwhile, Indigo (Russell) is a street-savvy hustler trapped in the body of a well-to-do art school drop-out. On the edge of the group is Camille (Vinberg), guarded, perceptive, intelligent and awkward. She wants to be down with the dudes in the skate park and has fought hard for the small space she’s carved out with them, but she needs to realize that cool points don’t actually add up to the sum of anything, especially in the eyes of the other girls.