Punch Drunk DVDs: ‘Fifty Shades Freed”, “Batman Ninja”, And More!

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May 9, 2018

NEW THIS WEEK

Fifty Shades Freed

Based on the best selling novels, this exciting conclusion to
the romantic thriller trilogy is more captivating than ever. Believing all
their darkness to be in the past, Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) and Anastasia
finally get married and begint o settle down in the luxurous new life together.
Unfortunately for the Greys, just as
they’ve begun to grow accostomed to their happy ending, sinister events come to
light and jeopardise their idylic lifestyle.

We Said: “The least
incompetent of the adaptations of E.L. James’s mommy porn wish fulfillment
novels ties up the kink-heavy romance of Anastasia Steele (Dakota Johnson) and
her billionaire lover/dominant Christian Grey (Jamie Dornan) tighter than a zip
knot in his infamous Red Room. While still wildly improbable and unintentionally
funny more often than not, this third chapter finally gives Ana a voice in this
relationship other than to call out her safe word. […] Even at its best Fifty
Shades Freed is still dopey, but you won’t be embarrassed for giving this one a
pass ” Rating: 3 out of 5

BUY NOW

Batman Ninja

Batman, along with his allies and adversaries, finds himself
transported from modern Gotham City to feudal Japan, in this dark new animated
take on the Batman mythos.

BUY NOW

Also Available: Paradox, The Sinner: Season One, Vazante, Human Flow, The Wedding Invitation, and Dead Bullet

Mel Gibson May Replace Director Damian Szifron On ‘The Six Billion Dollar Man’

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John Nolan

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May 9, 2018

Uh oh, looks like The Six Billion Dollar Man may have to go in for repairs. The big screen update of the 1970s TV series was set to shoot this summer with Mark Wahlberg in the lead role and Wild Tales director Damian Szifron behind the camera and co-writing the script. But now the whole thing has been derailed as Szifron has suddenly departed the project.

This is the latest hurdle for a film that has been in the works for years. Originally it was Wahlberg reteaming with his Lone Survivor director Peter Berg, but Berg would eventually drop out, only to be replaced by Szifron who was coming off Wild Tales’ Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film.

Could this have something to do with the recent reports that Wahlberg was pushing hard to have Mel Gibson join the film? It’s possible, and THR thinks Gibson could ultimately replace Szifron as director while also co-starring as Oscar Goldman, the government agent overseeing part man/part machine Steve Austin. Gibson is currently developing WWII naval film Destroyer which Wahlberg is eyeing the lead role in.

The plan is to stick with the summer start date but if the director search takes too long expect that to change.

Amber Heard, Cara Delevingne, And Dan Stevens Join ‘Her Smell’ With Elisabeth Moss

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John Nolan

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May 9, 2018

Alex Ross Perry whiffed hard with his last film, Golden Exits, but it’s worth noting it was one of the rare times he didn’t work with Queen of Earth and Listen Up, Philip star Elisabeth Moss. She’s coming back for his next project, the punk rock drama Her Smell, which now has an impressive cast surrounding her.

Joining Moss will be Cara Delevingne, Dan Stevens, Amber Heard, Eric Stoltz, Virginia Madsen, and Ashley Benson in the film about Becky Something, a self-destructive punk rocker whose unpleasant demeanor pushes everyone around her to the limit. While she battles against sobriety she also tries to recapture the creative magic that led her band to crossover success. Delevingne will play the leader of a new young band Becky takes mentorship over. Heard plays Becky’s former best friend now a superstar rocker, while Stevens is her estranged husband.

Perry will write and direct, setting production for this spring after Moss wraps up this season of The Handmaid’s Tale.

Quentin Tarantino Adds Burt Reynolds, Kurt Russell, And More to ‘Once Upon A Time In Hollywood’

By

John Nolan

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May 9, 2018

This won’t come as a surprise but Quentin Tarantino is putting together quite the cast for his Manson era film, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, including a lot of very familiar faces. The latest to join the cast are screen legend Burt Reynolds, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, and Kurt Russell. They’ll be appearing alongside a cast led by Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Margot Robbie.

Described by Tarantino as the closest thing to Pulp Fiction that he’s done, the film centers on a former TV star (DiCaprio) who, along with his best friend and stunt double (Pitt), attempt to break into the movie business. When his neighbor Sharon Tate (Robbie) is murdered by the Manson Family things only get more complicated. Reynolds will take on the role of George Spahn, the ranch owner who allowed Charles Manson to live on his property. It’s on Spahn’s ranch that the Mansons’ plot to kill Tate was supposedly hatched.

Roth, Russell, and Madsen’s roles are unclear at this point. All three are Tarantino regulars at this point. Roth starred in Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight, Pulp Fiction, and Reservoir Dogs alongside Madsen, who also had a key role in both Kill Bill movies. Russell played Stuntman Mike in Tarantino’s Death Proof and also starred in The Hateful Eight. As for Reynolds, this is the biggest role he’s had since Boogie Nights in 1997. He can be seen now in The Last Movie Star available on VOD.

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood opens August 9th 2019.

Jordan Peele Reveals New Film ‘Us’ With Lupita Nyong’o, Elisabeth Moss, And Winston Duke

By

John Nolan

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May 9, 2018

The success of Jordan Peele’s Get Out went far beyond its $200M+ box office. The film was a cultural phenomenon that changed the discussion on race, in particular how its depicted on the big screen by black filmmakers. And ever since Peele has been on fire, developing the racially-charged BlacKkKlansman for Spike Lee to direct, with an eye towards bigger projects down the line. Well now we know what is coming up next, and it’s a doozy.

Peele tweeted the poster for a new thriller titled Us, that will star Lupita Nyong’o, Elisabeth Moss, and Winston Duke assuming their deals come together. Black Panther reunion!! The script comes from Peele and he will direct, as well, but details are being kept under wraps. The only thing known is that it’s to follow two couples, one black and one white.

Universal released a statement and confirmed a release date of March 15th 2019, which I think sets the stage for a Sundance premiere just like Get Out had. The tactic worked to start a groundswell of buzz and there’s every reason to think it will work again. [THR]

pic.twitter.com/6j43s9YC8e

— Jordan Peele (@JordanPeele) May 9, 2018

‘American Animals’ Trailer: Evan Peters & Barry Keoghan Attempt The Boldest Art Heist In History

By

John Nolan

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May 8, 2018

There have been a few trailers for Bart Layton’s crackin’ good heist thriller, American Animals, which opened to rave reviews at Sundance. It was one of my favorites out of the festival, for more than just the performances by Barry Keoghan, Evan Peters, Blake Jenner, Jared Abrahamson, Ann Dowd and Udo Kier although they were a big part of it. The reason was the way Layton blends reality and fiction with a unique of flashback, an aspect that has been hidden in every trailer released.

That aspect is hidden yet again here, and I fear that without it people will feel this is just another heist movie they can wait to watch on Bluray. Nah, you should go see it in theaters on June 1st. The story centers on a pair of middle-class Kentucky kids who set off to make their mark by stealing the local college’s rare collection of books, including John James Audobon’s The Birds of America, one of the most valuable books in the world.

Coincidentally, that book is going up for auction in June and may fetch $12M or more.

Do yourself a favor and check out American Animals if it’s in your town next month.

Laika Unveils ‘Missing Link’ As Next Film, Full Voice Cast And First Image Revealed

By

John Nolan

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May 8, 2018

A few weeks ago we learned of the fifth film by Laika, the incredibly talented artists and filmmakers behind stop-motion gems Coraline, ParaNorman, The Boxtrolls, and Kubo and the Two Strings. The voice cast of Hugh Jackman, Zoe Saldana, and Zach Galifianakis was revealed, but now we know the film will be titled Missing Link, and Laika is promising it will be their most ambitious project yet.

Here’s what Laika president and CEO Travis Knight had to say in a press release out of Cannes…

“Laika has once again blended fine art, craftsmanship, and cutting-edge technology to achieve something we’ve never tried before: a raucous comedy entwined with a swashbuckling epic, underscoring the universal need to find belonging. Commingling keenly felt emotion, madcap humor, and retina-bursting visuals, ‘Missing Link’ is a kaleidoscopic cinematic experience unlike any other. It’s the most striking thing we’ve ever done.”

The first photo (seen above) was revealed at Cannes where the project came together. Chris Butler (ParaNorman) will direct, with Emma Thompson, Stephen Fry, Timothy Olyphant, Matt Lucas, David Walliams, Amrita Acharia, and Ching Valdes-Aran joining the voice cast.

And Knight isn’t overselling to say this is something wholely different from Laika, as they’ll be using a whopping 110 sets with 65 unique locations. This isn’t going to be a simple story that can be told in one setting, it’s going to reach far and wide. As for that story, it centers on the charismatic Sir Lionel Frost (Jackman), a disgraced paranormal investigator who seeks redemption by traveling to the Pacific Northwest to prove the existence of the Missing Link. What he finds is Mr. Link (Galifianakis), who turns out to be a funny and soulful beast looking for companionship, not the foul monster Frost had expected. Together they join with adventurer Adelina Fortnight to locate Mr. Link’s long-hidden relatives in the fabled land of Shangri-La.

Laika has partnered up with Annapurna Pictures who have planned Missing Link to open in Spring 2019.

‘Bill & Ted 3’ Is Officially On With Keanu Reeves And Alex Winter Ready To Rock

By

John Nolan

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May 8, 2018

I can’t believe after all of these years, nearly three decades, Bill & Ted 3 is finally a real thing. Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter have been talking up the sequel pretty much the entire time, but at no point did it ever seem to be moving any closer to reality. But now the Wyld Stallyns will be reunited in Bill & Ted Face the Music.

The plot for the film has been known for a long time, as well. Bill and Ted are now middle-aged and past their prime, but they continue to write songs together. Just nothing good, much less the greatest song ever written as they were prophesied to do. But when the fabric of time and space beings to tear, the duo are warned by a traveler from the future that only their song can save the universe. So they set out on a time travel adventure to find the missing song that will restore harmony, joined by their young daughters and a new group of historical figures.

The script will be written by franchise creators Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon, with Dean Parisot (Galaxy Quest) directing. On board to exec-produce? None other than Steven Soderbergh. Damn. And I’m guessing whoever lands the daughter roles will be eyed to continue on with more sequels, assuming this one is a hit. It’s expected there will be some kind of tribute to the late George Carlin, who played the time-traveling Rufus in the two earlier movies.

Here is what Reeves and Winter had to say about the news…

“We couldn’t be more excited to get the whole band back together again. Chris and Ed wrote an amazing script, and with Dean at the helm we’ve got a dream team!” [THR]

DC Readers: Attend A Special Early Screening Of ‘Show Dogs’

By

John Nolan

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May 8, 2018

We’re happy to offer our DC readers the chance to attend a special free screening of the new family comedy, Show Dogs, featuring the voices of Will Arnett, Ludacris, Natasha Lyonne, Shaquille O’Neal, and more.

SYNOPSIS: Starring Will Arnett, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Natasha Lyonne, Jordin Sparks, Gabriel Iglesias, Shaquille O’Neal, Alan Cumming, and Stanley Tucci, SHOW DOGS is a family comedy about the unlikely pairing of a human detective (Arnett) and his canine partner (voice of Chris “Ludacris” Bridges), who has to go undercover at the world’s most exclusive dog show and recruit an all-star cast of animal helpers to solve his biggest case yet.

The screening takes place this Saturday, May 12th at 2:00pm at Regal Majestic in Silver Spring. This is a special event for you and your family, and there will be fun family activities including a photo booth. If you’d like to attend, simply register at the Gofobo ticketing site here and download and Admit-Two pass. Please remember all screenings are first come first served and you will need to arrive early to ensure receiving a seat. Enjoy the show!

Show Dogs opens on May 18th.

Comcast Disrupts The Fox/Disney Deal With Huge All-Cash Offer

By

John Nolan

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May 8, 2018

A day doesn’t go by that someone doesn’t talk to me as if the Disney/Fox deal has already gone through. It’s far from over, which is why you don’t have anybody at Marvel openly talking about what will happen when/if the X-Men and Fantastic Four join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There still remains one major contender that may swoop in and disrupt the whole thing and it’s Comcast, who now have their most serious offer on the table yet.

Comcast, routinely voted as one of the most hated companies in the world (shitty customer service, super high prices), is looking to make a huge all-cash offer to buy 21st Century Fox, which would blow up your hopes of ever having Wolverine and Captain America sharing the screen. Here’s what Reuters had to say…

U.S. cable operator Comcast Corp is asking investment banks to increase a bridge financing facility by as much as $60 billion so it can make an all-cash offer for the media assets that Twenty-First Century Fox Inc has agreed to sell to Walt Disney Co for $52 billion, three people familiar with the matter said on Monday.

I’m not going to get into the weeds on this because it’s boring, but what you need to know is that nothing is set in stone. The similarly-massive AT&T/Time Warner deal factors into this, and if the U.S. government approves the acquisition that’s when Comcast will make their move for Fox. But they still need to get the money and hope Disney doesn’t just top them, as they did the last time they were outbid by Comcast. And then they need to hope Fox is willing to agree to the terms of the deal.

Ultimately none of us care about that stuff. We just need to know how long it’ll be before we get the Silver Surfer hanging out with the Guardians of the Galaxy. Maybe it happens, maybe not. Look on the bright side, though. If Comcast does win out, then you’ll be able to see the Fantastic Four crossover with….Fast and the Furious?