‘Run’ Trailer: Merritt Wever And Domhnall Gleeson Make A Break For It

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March 20, 2020

If anybody was going to enter into a marriage pact with Merritt Wever, I would vote for myself and no one else. That said, Domhnall Gleeson in the new HBO series Run is a solid #2 draft pick.

Run stars Wever and Gleeson, two of the most likable actors around, as college sweethearts who made a pact 17 years earlier that if one of them said “run” they would drop everything and run away together to start a new life. Well, with life not really working out as either planned, that’s exactly what they do.

This is the kind of idea that gets a small mention, usually between friends-who-should-be-lovers, in numerous romantic comedies. To see the concept taken and fully-realized is brilliant, and who better to realize it through than Wever and Gleeson? The series comes from creator and writer Vicky Jones, a frequent collaborator of Fleabag‘s Phoebe Waller-Bridge, an exec-producer and co-star. Also in the cast are Archia Panjabi (It’s like they plucked all of my favorite women and put them in one show), Rich Somner, and Tamara Podemski.

Run comes to HBO on April 12th.

Disney Releasing ‘Onward’ On Digital Today
The Pixar Film Comes To Disney+ In April

By
Travis Hopson
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March 20, 2020

This morning saw Disney announce that they were no longer releasing global box office figures while theaters are closed due to the pandemic. That no-brainer move also puts to an end the two-week streak of Onward at the top of the charts, albeit with figures far less than we expect out of Pixar. Instead, it will go on to be a leader in a different way, by hitting digital today, months earlier than expected.

Disney has revealed that Onward will be made available digitally today, similar to what we saw from Frozen II, The Invisible Man, Birds of Prey, and others. Not only that, but the fantastical roadtrip movie will make its way to Disney+ on April 3rd, just one month from its theatrical release.

Look, all of these movies are unprecedented at this point. The COVID-19 outbreak has caused an evolution in the Hollywood model, one that may last long after this situation resolves. But it’s also just a means for these studios to make the best of a terrible circumstance. On that front, it’s also a good way for movie fans to still get the new content they need to help get away from our stressful reality. Good move, Disney, and all others that are taking similar steps.

Review: Netflix’s “The Letter For The King”
Starring: Amir Wilson, Ruby Ashbourne Serkis, Thaddea Graham

By
John Nolan
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While Game of Thrones is the first thing that comes to mind for most people when you mention medieval fantasy TV series the truth is there have been a ton of options over the last decade if you know where to look. Fantasy has never really had the market cornered on media choices but a surprising number of under the radar options show up every year. Letter For The King is, or would be, one of these shows if not for the power and money behind Papa Netflix’s media machine. Tuiri is on the verge of manhood, and life is not exactly perfect. He lives with his mother and adopted father Sir Tiuri the Valiant (played here by the amazing David Wenham), a knight of the kingdom. Young Tuiri and his mother were saved by Sir Tiruri when their village was destroyed and the were left for dead. Young Tuiri is expected to be a knight like his father, but here’s the thing about adoption…ain’t no DNA transferred there. So while Sir Tiruri is the poster boy for wearing plate armor young Tirui has neither the skill or desire of his father, needless to say his journey to knighthood is not going well. He’s destined for nothing special, that is until a message is given to him by a dying knight. The message has information that can stop the darkness coming and it’s up to Tirui and his “friends” (frenemies is probably a more apt description, at least at the start) to deliver the message and save the day.

Regardless of how I felt about this series I can’t help but to be thankful that Netflix is putting money behind stuff like this. Who knows if it’s a chicken or the egg thing but without streaming we would have some really homogenized entertainment options. Coming across like a mix of 1917, The Goonies, and Excalibur Letter for the King is a good enough time, but it certainly has some issues. The first issue comes down to pacing, an issue affecting so many shows in this age of 10-episode 1 hour shows, it’s just not needed. Boiled down to 4-5 episodes would have allowed for the show to tell the story in full and cut out alot of the fat, a move you’ll really be hoping for during the more drawn out parts of the story. These medevial type shows always seem to have production design that’s either epic or public access tv level. With Netflix money in the mix the design here trends more toward epic but it’s missing something…it’s hard to put words to it, it’s got the closed in feeling of a show like Merlin or Camelot but with that closed in space done up to the 9’s.

Truth be told, I’m not really the target demo here. I’m picking Star Wars over Lord of the Rings 10 times out of 10, so for fantasy to really grip me it’s got to be top-level. Letter for the King almost accomplishes that thanks to the adolescent adventure angle which works soley because of the chemistry between the kids, they aren’t on the level of Stranger Things or The Goonies but it’s believable and enough to latch on to you and have you invested in what happens. Here’s a nice little bonus for fans of The Neverending Story, there’s a featured horse! Ardanwen is everything Artax was, without the tragic, child-hood ruining ending. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that damn horse was one of my favorite characters.

Coronavirus: Streaming Alternatives To Films Postponed By The Outbreak
Missing 'No Time To Die', 'Mulan', And More? Check These Out, Instead

By
PunchDrunkCritics
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March 20, 2020

Times are pretty hard right now. We’re all stuck indoors, and likely in need of a good pick-me-up. While it may seem trite to be concerned about movies at a time like this, the simple fact is we all need an escape, and not having our most anticipated movies to look forward to really sucks. So we’re going to do our best to try and help, just a little bit, by giving you alternatives to a movie that has been delayed due to the pandemic. With theaters closed and more movies headed to digital earlier than ever, there will be plenty more options out there in the coming weeks. Here’s just a start. Enjoy, and stay safe!

My Spy– March 13th 2020, moved to April 17th

Travis’ Alternative: Cloak & Dagger

Cloak & Dagger

Available: Everywhere but Netflix

Original Release: July 13th 1984

Director: Richard Franklin

Cast: Henry Thomas, Dabney Coleman

Originally released as a twin bill with The Last Starfighter, which is how I saw it in 1984 at the wide-eyed age of 7, Cloak & Dagger was the first time I had ever seen kids placed in the role of spy. It also featured my lifelong obsession, video games, with E.T. star Henry Thomas playing a young man whose favorite video game becomes all-too-real. Dabney Coleman plays the game’s spy hero, who helps in a dangerous mission with global ramifications. Definitely more violent than My Spy will be (people get killed f’real), Cloak & Dagger manages to be whimsical, adventuresome, and high-stakes.

Disney Will Temporarily Stop Reporting Global Box Office
Sundays Just Got A Lot Quieter

By
Travis Hopson
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March 20, 2020

This should be a no-brainer because, well, if there are no theaters open that means no sales figures, but Disney is the first major studio to suspend reporting of global box office. With no reports, there’s no weekly box office roundup, which makes my Sunday wide open. Yay. Without Disney, that also means nothing from 20th Century Studios and Fox Searchlight.

Again, this was always going to be the case, but Disney acting as a frontrunner on this means the other studios should quickly follow suit. Not only are domestic exhibitors closed, but the global markets, as well. That said, there is some good news and it’s that China may be opening as soon as next weekend. They were at the forefront in tackling the coronavirus outbreak and so are ahead of the recovery effort. To ease the movie market back into gear they’ll start with a handful of popular local titles such as Wolf Warrior 2 and The Wandering Earth, along with American films that did surprisingly well such as A Dog’s Purpose and Green Book.

The last two weekends have been devastating for the Hollywood box office, with numbers reaching two-decade lows. Pixar’s Onward has been #1 for the last two weeks, and that’s despite the film drawing subpar figures for the typically-dominant studio.

Next major film on the horizon? Wonder Woman 1984 on June 5th. It’s possible Disney puts Mulan back on the schedule ahead of it, though. I’ll be personally curious to see if we get any streaming sales figures in the meantime.

‘What We Do In The Shadows’ Season 2 Trailer: Vampires, Football, And Open Mics Make A Hilarious Undead Mix

By

Travis Hopson

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March 20, 2020

One of my many regrets is that I’ve still failed to watch Taika Waititi’s What We Do in the Shadows, either the TV series or the movie it’s based on. Apparently, I’m missing out big time on both fronts because everybody I know swears on them. Other than the hilariously fun exhibit at Comic-Con my exposure is pretty low, but one thing I keep hearing about is the Energy Vampire, Colin Robinson, played by Mark Proksch.

Colin gets some of the biggest laughs in this new trailer for season 2, as he discovers the best way to drain energy is buy telling really bad jokes to large groups of people. The other vampires do their best to fit in to the outside world, either by singing lewd songs at Open Mic Nights, attending football parties, and other silly things we know are doomed to fail.

SYNOPSIS: What We Do in the Shadows follows four vampires who’ve “lived” together for hundreds of years. In Season 2, the vampires will try to find their way in a world of human Super Bowl parties, internet trolls, an energy vampire who gets a promotion and becomes drunk on power and of course, all the ghosts, witches, necromancers, zombies and shadowy cloaked assassins who roam freely in the Tri-State area.

Season 2 of What We Do in the Shadows hits FX on April 15th.

Simon Pegg And Nick Frost Let You In On Their Virus Plans

By

John Nolan

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March 20, 2020

There are some people in this world that you just feel like you need to be friends with. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are definitely two of those guys for me, ever since Shawn of the Dead (and let’s be honest, ever since Spaced) these two have been giving best buds something to aspire to. While it’s been a while since we’ve seen them have a proper team up I would still watch them in anything, even a Coronavirus “Don’t Panic” PSA. Ok, ESPECIALLY a Coronavirus PSA if that PSA is done by recapping the plans that the duo went through in the aforementioned zom-rom-com. Honestly, I know it’s not saving lives but for those people out there that are really and truly freaking out seeing your two best buddies that you’ve never actually met making cautious light of the situation is sure to give you at least a minute and a half of levity in this pseudo-apocalyptic hellscape we find ourselves in (I’m dramatic, sue me).

Check it out below and join me in starting some kind of internet campaign demanding the return of the Cornetto trio, you know what? I’m too lazy…one of you good folks start it and I’ll promise to retweet

‘We Summon The Darkness’ Trailer: Alexandra Daddario Shows Her Satanic Side

By

Travis Hopson

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March 19, 2020

Death metal and Satanists go together like peanut butter and jelly, mix ’em up with horror and you’ve got the new film We Summon the Darkness. Starring a hard rockin’ Alexandra Daddario, it centers on a trio of women on their way to a metal concert, only to be interrupted by news of a series of grisly Satanic murders. Not that it stops them from going to the concert, or inviting the band back to their estate for a dark and devilish afterparty.

Daddario is joined in the cast by Johnny Knoxville, Keean Johnson, Maddie Hasson, Logan Miller, Amy Forsyth, and Austin Swift. Behind the camera is Marc Meyers, who previously helmed the weird serial killer film My Friend Dahmer.

We Summon the Darkness hits VOD on April 10th.

Cannes Officially Postpones This Year’s Festival
Possible Dates In June And July Being Considered

By
Travis Hopson
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March 19, 2020

With so many events being delayed or canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and no clear end to it in sight, we’re beginning to see the impact on events later in the year. The next big shoe to drop? The Cannes Film Festival, which has now been postponed until a later date.

Cannes was due to kick off on May 12th, but the prestigious French festival has been delayed with possible dates in June through July being considered. The benefit to coming later in the year is that Cannes doesn’t need to be canceled as SXSW and Tribeca have done.

This isn’t something Cannes has done lightly. The festival had been steadfast in staying put, even as films fell by the wayside around it. The plan had been to hold out until April to see what the landscape looked like, but obviously a decision needed to be made sooner rather than later with much of Europe on lockdown.

Here is Cannes’ full statement:

“At this time of global health crisis, our thoughts go to the victims of the Covid-19 and we express our solidarity with all of those who are fighting the disease.

“As soon as the development of the French and international health situation will allow us to assess the real possibility, we will make our decision known, in accordance with our ongoing consultation with the French Government and Cannes’ City Hall as well as with the Festival’s Board Members, Film industry professionals and all the partners of the event.

“In the meantime, the Festival de Cannes lends its vocal support to all of those who firmly call on everyone to respect the general lockdown, and ask to show solidarity in these difficult times for the entire world.”

‘Inheritance’ Trailer: Lily Collins Unlocks Dark Family Secrets And An Imprisoned Simon Pegg

By

Travis Hopson

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March 19, 2020

This is shaping up to be a year when Simon Pegg really branches out beyond playing the goofball. While he’s had his share of dramatic roles, lately Pegg has been doing even more. Most recently he played a schizophrenic in Lost Transmissions (review here), and now in the trailer for Inheritance it’s tough to even recognize him.

Inheritance reunites Pegg with Terminal director Vaughn Stein. While that flick was pretty terrible, this looks far more promising. It stars Lily Collins as young district attorney whose wealthy father leaves her a mysterious key that unlocks a sinister past and a captive who thinks of himself as one of the family.

The cast includes Connie Nielsen, Michael Beach, Marque Richardson, Patrick Warburton, and Chace Crawford.

Inheritance comes to DirecTV in April, then theaters on May 22nd.

SYNOPSIS: Lauren Monroe (Lily Collins) is a rising young district attorney who has dedicated her life to being a public servant despite the expectations of her wealthy and powerful New York family. When her mogul father suddenly dies, he leaves her a flash drive and set of keys that lead to a shocking secret hidden beneath her family’s estate. Torn between protecting her father’s sinister past and exposing the truth in the name of justice, Lauren finds herself in an endless web of lies and deceit, uncovering secrets from her father’s life that threaten to destroy the very fabric of her influential family.