DC Readers: Attend A Free Early Screening Of ‘The Creator’

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September 25, 2023

We’re happy to offer our DC readers the chance to attend tomorrow’s free early screening of The Creator, an epic sci-fi experience from director/co-writer Gareth Edwards (Rogue One, Godzilla). The film stars John David Washington, Ken Watanabe, Gemma Chan, Allison Janney, Sturgill Simpson, and Madeleine Yuna Voyles.

SYNOPSIS: From director/co-writer Gareth Edwards (“Rogue One,” “Godzilla”) comes an epic sci-fi action thriller set amidst a future war between the human race and the forces of artificial intelligence. Joshua (John David Washington), a hardened ex-special forces agent grieving the disappearance of his wife (Gemma Chan), is recruited to hunt down and kill the Creator, the elusive architect of advanced AI who has developed a mysterious weapon with the power to end the war…and mankind itself. Joshua and his team of elite operatives journey across enemy lines, into the dark heart of AI-occupied territory, only to discover the world-ending weapon he’s been instructed to destroy is an AI in the form of a young child (Madeleine Yuma Voyles).

The screening takes place on Tuesday, September 26th at 7:00pm at AMC Tysons Corner. If you’d like to attend, RSVP at the Gofobo site here. Please remember all screenings are first come first served and you’ll need to arrive early to ensure seating. Enjoy the show!

The Creator opens in theaters on September 29th.

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‘Rogue One’: Gareth Edwards Addresses Rumor Tony Gilroy Took Control During Reshoots

By

Travis Hopson

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September 25, 2023

Many, and you can consider me in this camp, consider Rogue One to be the best modern Star Wars movie. This was director Gareth Edwards’ next huge film after Godzilla, and let’s just say the process did not go smoothly. It’s well-documented that future Andor filmmaker Tony Gilroy stepped in during multiple rounds of reshoots and rewrites to “save” the movie, and rumors are he basically took full control. But how much of that is true?

Edwards, whose new film The Creator opens this weekend, addressed the topic of Rogue One with Variety, and reading between the lines, it seems he did in fact lose significant control to Gilroy…

“The way you make a film is as important as its screenplay. I would take full control over the process and a mediocre screenplay over a really good screenplay and zero control over the process.”

A situation like that could make a filmmaker bitter about the studio process, but Edwards seems to have come out on the other side with a positive outlook.

“Look, the only thing I can say is I was incredibly lucky. I got to make a Star Wars film. I won the lottery, in that sense. The idea of someone as privileged as me in any way implying that it was anything other than the amazing experience that it was to some extent – like, I don’t have any empathy for that person, and I don’t want to be that person either.”

While he’s not saying it here, it’s safe to say that Edwards’ experience in the Lucasfilm system led to The Creator, a fully original sci-fi project that he directed and co-wrote with Rogue One writer Chris Weitz.

Box Office: ‘The Nun II’ Possesses Top Spot As ‘Expend4bles’ Shoots Blanks

By

Travis Hopson

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September 24, 2023

The Nun II– $8.4M/$69.2M

Proving to be quite a resilient demon, The Nun II held on to the top spot with $8.4M, despite a close threat by Expend4bles. But once again horror fans turned out where action fans haven’t of late. The latest entry in The Conjuring Universe now has $204M worldwide, $69M of that stateside after three weeks.

2. Expend4bles (review)- $8.3M

The only thing more expendable than Expend4bles is the space this unwanted sequel occupies in the minds of moviegoers. At just $8.3M, this is the lowest grossing debut for the franchise, and it shouldn’t come as a shock. Sylvester Stallone, who has been the face of it since the first movie in 2010, publicly tried to exit it but came back on the stipulation it would be his last. So the pivot was made to co-star Jason Statham, putting the focus on him at the expense of the cast, which no longer boasts the old school heroes that were always the major draw. You’re not going to attract folks with 50 Cent, Megan Fox, and Andy Garcia, sorry. And with a reported $100M budget, this could be a significant “L” for Lionsgate to eat. It should also be noted this is the lowest opening for Stallone since the abysmal Bullet to the Head in 2012.

3. A Haunting in Venice– $6.3M/$25.3M

Kenneth Branagh’s third Hercule Poirot mystery, A Haunting in Venice. slid to third with $6.3M and $25M domestically. Worldwide, the $71M total seems a bit low, especially considering its predecessor, Death On the Nile, legged it out to $131M during pandemic times.

4. The Equalizer 3– $4.7M/$81.2M

5. Barbie– $3.2M/$630.4M

Ya’ll know it’s been on digital for a while, right? Then again, Barbie is also being re-released into IMAX theaters for a week so this number might go up some more. As of right now, it stands at an incredible $1.4B worldwide.

6. My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3– $3M/$23.8M

7. It Lives Inside (review)- $2.6M

NEON has found another buzzy indie to turn into a hit. The Bishal Dutta-directed horror It Lives Inside about an Indian-American teen whose shunning of her cultural identity unleashes a demon into existence opened with $2.6M in just over 2000 theaters.

8. Dumb Money (review)- $2.5M/$2.8M

Cashing in on an additional 600 theaters is the Gamestop stock drama Dumb Money with $2.5M. The star-studded film led by Paul Dano, Pete Davidson, Seth Rogen, America Ferrera, and more will see a further expansion beginning next week, and could be driven by awards season buzz.

9. Blue Beetle– $1.8M/$69.8M

10. Oppenheimer– $1.6M/$321.2M

Review: ‘Neither Confirm Nor Deny’
A Cold War Era Submarine Documentary That Comes Up A Bit Short

By
Jake Sokolsky
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The late 1960s and early 70s featured some of the most heightened tensions of the Cold War. Neither Confirm Nor Deny scratches the surface about one of the lesser known and memorialized events during this era. In 1968 a Soviet nuclear sub sunk and came to rest 3 miles down on the ocean floor. A loss of communication occurred before it sank causing the Soviet Union to not know the ship’s location. However, the United States did and immediately went into action. Finding a Soviet ship like this could provide extremely valuable information on their technology and capabilities.

Coming up with a plan to lift a submarine from the ocean floor that was 3 miles down was not an easy feat. David Sharp was a CIA operative who was put in command of a task force to lead the effort. The plan was to build a surface ship which guised as an ocean mining operation. The ship would be equipped with a giant mechanism to lift the submarine and store it inside the ship. Secrecy was imperative and with all the moving parts, almost impossible as well. The CIA had to work closely with Curtis Crooke and his off-shore drilling business, Global Marine to build the ship. Another CIA agent, Walter Lloyd, created a cover story – convincing everyone that billionaire Howard Hughes was breaking into ocean mining. The Soviets getting wind of this operation could lead to World War 3, so the stakes could not have been higher.

Philip Carter directed the film. Carter has directed factual content pieces in the past and brought this experience to Neither Confirm Nor Deny. The film is based on David Sharp’s book “The CIA’s Greatest Covert Operation: Inside The Daring Mission To Recover a Nuclear-Armed Soviet Sub.” Many of the key figures involved in this story have since passed, but having David Sharp as a resource was invaluable. Not only did he write the book, but he was involved in the project since the beginning. His views and insights provide a new level of detail and scope to the mission that strengthened the documentary.

Neither Confirm Nor Deny’s subject matter is truly shocking and quite the story. Yet the film doesn’t do it justice. There is a sense of excitement and gravitas that seems to be missing. An operation like this is unbelievably daring by the CIA. It’s hard to fathom something like this occurring, and yet the documentary can’t fully capture that. The mission itself seems straight out of a sci-fi novel. Couple that with involving an eccentric billionaire like Howard Hughes in an elaborate coverup only adds to the mystique. There is inherent value in the documentary shedding light on such an unknown, yet monumental mission. For those documentary lovers simply interested in learning more, it is worth a watch. However, Neither Confirm Nor Deny is missing that extra magic and may not be for the casual documentary viewer.

Streaming now on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Review: ‘Nightsiren’
A Strange Journey Into Folklore And Superstition

By
Ronny Sharpes
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In a remote mountain town where superstition permeates every inch of the wood, a legend about a witch takes seed. Sarlota (Natalia Germani) returns, decades after the accidental death of her younger sister caused her to flee, answering the call to accept an inheritance. Surrounded by the traumatic memories of her childhood, Sarlota begins to settle into her Mother’s abandoned home. After being awoken by strange midnight banging she has an odd encounter in the fields surrounding the property. There she befriends kindred spirit Mira (Eva Mores). Together they try to unravel the mysteries surrounding the events of Sarlota’s childhood and the mysterious witch Otyla (Iva Bittova) while navigating a town full of people accusing her of being a witch herself.

There’s an eerie juxtaposition going on in Nightsiren, coupling the modern tribulations women experience and the ancient persecution of what’s different from the norm by way of witches. The commonality is uncanny. The primitiveness of the townsfolk, clinging to ancient superstition, causes them to view the return of Sarlota as an omen. A nurse by trade, she is perceived as a witch and trying to do harm whenever she tries to help, fighting back after being assaulted brands her as a “slut” and her friendship with Mira generates whispers of homophobic fear from the villagers. This all culminates into a hate-filled mob tracking down Sarlota and Mira when some local children go missing, all but confirming the legends of the witch. With an ending that’s left up to interpretation, there is definitely something larger at play here that I’m not entirely sure I understand but I’m here for it.

Broken into chapters, this strange trek involves everything from the drama of small town minds distrusting of outsiders to ancient Midsomer rites and ritualistic orgies in the woods. There are white robed women dancing among the trees, naked bodies writhing in the dark lit up by glowing blacklight paint, snakes (lots of snakes), ancient customs clashing with the modern world and herb induced psychedelic trips. It runs the gamut and at times left me completely confused but enthralled. I was immersed in the folklore and regardless of the language barrier was invested in unraveling the twisted story Nvotova was weaving. With so much going on, she was able to present a compelling folklore driven narrative without having any moments of drag. Before this sophomore effort, I wasn’t familiar with Nvotova’s work but I am now and I will be digging further.

Nightsiren from director Tereza Nvotova is a strange journey into folklore and superstition, where women are persecuted just for being “different” and not following antiquated societal norms. The acting was well played from all around. Germani, Mores, Bittova and the supporting cast drew me in and had me glued to the screen. The hauntingly gorgeous location coupled with the skillful cinematography makes this film stand out as a recent favorite of mine. You can find this one in select theaters and probably VOD soon to follow.

Review: ‘My Sailor, My Love’
A Daughter Grapples With Her Elderly Father's New Relationship In This Irish-Set Melodrama

By
Cortland Jacoby
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In Finnish director Klaus Härö’s English debut, a man’s past and future collide with the arrival of a new housekeeper. Exploring redeeming love and a drought father-daughter relationship, the emotional tones of My Sailor, My Love feel like two separate movies, despite strong performances from leads James Cosmo, Brid Brennan, and Catherine Walker.

The film opens with various women explaining their stories of abuse in a group therapy session. When we finally get to who turns out to be Grace (Catherine Walker), she is unable to tell us more than her name. The next scene cuts to a sweeping shot of the Irish coastline before we are introduced to the source of Grace’s grievances, her father, Howard (James Cosmo).

A surly and cantankerous widower, Howard purposely antagonizes his daughter, leaving his house a mess, giving her short curt answers, and washing his filthy clothes in the kitchen sink. It’s clear early on, that this is taking a toll on Grace. Exasperated and short with her husband, all her time and energy is spent minding her aging father.

When she hires Anne (Brid Brennan) as a housekeeper, her life continues to deteriorate as her focus is still on Howard. Despite a rocky meeting, Howard and Anne begin to grow closer. Director Härö cuts between these two storylines, spending much more time and effort on the at-times trite love story.

Of the two, Grace’s journey is much more interesting. She is unable to healthily separate from her dad and still wants to please him. Actress Catherine Walker shows this through her physicality and her breathing. It’s clear that abuse and a toxic father/daughter relationship linger under the surface for her. But Härö does little to explore her story the way it needs to be told. The fallout of her choices at the expense of her job and personal life seems forgotten in parts. The storylines feel separate instead of flowing into one another.

My Sailor, My Love doesn’t go far enough in answering whether or not Howard deserves redeeming love, especially in relation to his daughter. Though Brennan and Cosmo have a sweet, quiet chemistry, its not enough to save the script from melodrama, something amplified by the barren cliffscape and Irish sea.

My Sailor, My Love is playing in theaters. Watch the trailer below.

Review: ‘It Lives Inside’
A Moody And Atmospheric Coming-Of-Age Immigrant Story

By
Ronny Sharpes
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I’m fast becoming a fan of cultural horror if that’s even an already established sub-genre. Any film featuring another culture’s mythology is something that I’m currently seeking out and so far haven’t been disappointed. I’ve dipped my toe in everything from the standard Japanese fare, Korean horror, Irish horror and more recently Jewish faith based mythology hitting everything in between and have yet to find one that didn’t affect me in some way but Indian-based horror is one that hasn’t crossed my desk yet. Based on the rich mythology that country offers, it seems like it would be right up my alley.

Bishal Dutta’s It Lives Inside is the story of an Indian-American teenager Samidha (Megan Suri) as she struggles to navigate high school, balancing her cultural heritage with the desire to fit in. After an incident involving her former best friend Tamira (Mohana Krishnan) unleashes a murderous demon that feeds on loneliness, a much larger problem arises.

As you might have gathered from the synopsis, this is a story of cultural identity wrapped in the subtle guise of a horror movie. We have Sam, torn between wanting to fit into Western society with an overbearing mother attempting to keep her tethered to her Indian roots. All this while a bloodthirsty demon stalks the shadows. This film handles the former well, showing Sam’s reluctant journey to embrace her ancestry but is somewhat formulaic in its approach to the horror aspects falling back on well-established tropes. In the opening scenes we are shown the fairly brutal aftermath of tangling with the Pishach (soul-eating demon) but things quickly change gears to the tension between Sam and her traditional Indian mother (Bajwa) causing the horror element to almost take a backseat. I enjoyed the underlying story of an angsty teen rebelling and a mother trying to keep her bound to their cultural roots but wished Dutta would have leaned a little harder on the horror. I was really hoping it would have taken more of a deep dive into Indian mythology. The small bits where the audience is filled in on the background of why Puja Day is celebrated and how that ties into the soul-eating demon currently stalking them were fascinating and should have been explored further given the rich source material. That being said, when the horror elements were present, they were done fairly well. Everything from the moody atmosphere to the practical creature design was well executed, even the few jumpscares (although a trope I’m not a fan of) played its role. As some of you know, I’m a huge fan of practical effects and the way we’re introduced to the entity, going from glowing eyes in the shadows to full-on realized demon on the screen was nicely done and a little reminiscent of Pumpkinhead (one of my guilty pleasures). Suri was impressive as the lead with Krishnan and Bajwa lending strong support. Even Vik Sahay as the kind-hearted father helping to bridge the gap between mother and daughter brought a smile to my face.

Is this the next big horror sensation? Probably not, but for a feature debut Dutta made a solid attempt and I’m looking forward to whatever he has coming down the pipe next. Judge for yourself as It Lives Inside is in theaters now.

‘V/H/S/85’ Trailer: Scott Derrickson, David Bruckner, And More Return With More Horror Shorts With A Touch Of Nostalgia

By

Travis Hopson

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September 22, 2023

The long-running V/H/S horror franchise returns tomorrow with the world premiere of V/H/S/85 at Fantastic Fest. Bringing the scares and the nostalgia are The Black Phone director Scott Derrickson, Hellraiser filmmaker David Bruckner, and more, with the latest round of shorts glimpsed in a brand new trailer.

Gigi Saul Guerrero (Bingo Hell), Natasha Kermani (Lucky), and Mike P. Nelson (Wrong Turn remake) direct the remaining films in the horror anthology, which stars Freddy Rodriguez, James Ransone, Jordan Belfi, Chelsey Grant, and Dani Deetté. Radio Silence (Scream) are aboard as producers.

Here’s the synopsis: An ominous mixtape blends never before seen snuff footage with nightmarish newscasts and disturbing home video to create a surreal, analog mashup of the forgotten 80s.

Shudder streams V/H/S/85 beginning on October 6th.

‘Sicario’ Producers Say A Third Film Is Coming, Tease Benicio Del Toro’s Return

By

Travis Hopson

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September 22, 2023

Denis Villeneuve’s 2015 drug war thriller Sicario helped catapult his career, and that of screenwriter Taylor Sheridan. Three years later, Stefano Sollima directed the less critically-acclaimed sequel, Day of the Soldado, which saw Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro reprise their roles as CIA officer Matt Graver and deadly assassin Alejandro Gillick, respectively. The sequel’s lack of success led to a lack of interest in a third Sicario, but producers Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee say one is indeed coming, and it seems Del Toro is coming back.

“Oh yeah,” Iwanyk told The Messenger about doing Sicario 3.

Lee added, “When we can continue writing it. It was pencils down, but the idea is awesome.”

“I can’t wait for “Sicario 3,”” Iwanyk continued before teasing Del Toro’s return. “I could watch Benicio play that guy forever. I mean, I can watch Benicio in anything, but with that character, it doesn’t get old.”

Of course, any progress on a script had to be halted due to the WGA strike, so who knows when we’ll hear more. The first Sicario starred Emily Blunt as a novice FBI agent dragged into a CIA mission to stop a powerful drug cartel. The sequel followed Graver and Alejandro as they teamed up to start a war between rival cartels, with predictably bloody results. Who knows where the third film would go, but it would be a shame if only Del Toro returned and no Brolin. Hopefully, that changes because I see a definite conclusion to their arc if we can get one more movie with them.

Review: ‘No One Will Save You’
Kaitlyn Dever Faces Deadly Quiet In Brian Duffield's Tightly Wound Alien Invasion Thriller

By
Travis Hopson
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It might be pretty deep into Brian Duffield’s alien home invasion thriller No One Will Save You before you realize something pretty big about it. The lead character, Brynn, hasn’t said a word. As extraterrestrials bust into the isolated home where the young woman lives alone, the lack of dialogue adds an extra layer of creepiness to an enjoyable sci-fi horror from a filmmaker who has proven to be one of the best at it.

There aren’t many actors expressive enough to do an entire movie without saying a word. Fortunately for Duffield, he’s got Kaitlyn Dever, who can say more with the slightest facial expression than most can with their entire bodies. Duffield doesn’t screw around, either. He puts her through the emotional wringer early and often. Dever plays Brynn, who has just moved into her childhood home, where she spends the days alone making dresses, playing with a model village, eyeballing her neighbors, and writing to an old friend. It’s clear that Brynn is hiding a terrible secret. The people of this community seem to hate her for some reason. At one point, Brynn even gets spat on simply trying to get some help.

Help from what? Well, the extraterrestrial that has broken into her home. It does it rather matter-of-factly, too. One night it just busts right in and starts freaking Brynn out. This thing will make your skin crawl, too. It has long skinny legs and toes, and can contort its body in grotesque ways. The screechy gurgling noise it makes sounds worse when you consider the lack of human dialogue.

Now, you might be thinking the dialogue-free thing is just a gimmick. But I assure you it isn’t. That you don’t really notice it for so long, and don’t miss it once you do, proves that Duffield knows what he’s doing. In fact, he continually finds ways to maintain the status quo that don’t feel cheap. You don’t find yourself asking why people aren’t talking. It all makes sense, and you’re too preoccupied with the alien threat to notice.

As for that alien menace, Duffield continually expands it until things grow out of control. Of course, Brynn can’t get help because the people won’t even speak to her, so she has to survive on her own. Dever is excellent in capturing Brynn’s isolation, fear, but also her resolve and the guilt she’s carrying. The mystery surrounding Brynn unfolds neatly without becoming overbearing. We learn just enough when we need to know it, and the more we learn it affects our perception of everything Brynn has endured.

The only beef I could find with No One Will Save You is a pretty significant one, although something totally out of Duffield’s control. It’s clear this movie is running on a tight budget as some of the creature effects are weak, and the bland suburban setting doesn’t help. This is only Duffield’s second directorial effort, having mostly worked as a screenwriter on fun genre mash-ups such as personal favorite Love and Monsters, plus The Babysitter and the Kristen Stewart thriller, Underwater. His work is always slightly offbeat, reminding me to a lesser extent of Happy Death Day filmmaker Christopher Landon. Duffield’s a star on the rise and I for one can’t wait to see what he does next. Even as things get pretty insane in the final act, I was willing to see his choices through. No One Will Save You is a little bit A Quiet Place, a little bit War of the Worlds, and it should be top of your radar to watch from the comfort of home as Halloween comes around.

No One Will Save You is streaming now on Hulu.