‘Miranda’s Victim’ Trailer: Abigail Breslin Must Face Her Attacker In Courtroom Drama Based On True Events

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September 18, 2023

Michelle Danner has pretty much done it all in her Hollywood career. Actress, acting coach, producer, and director of multiple films. Her biggest film yet arrives next month with the star-studded crime drama, Miranda’s Victim, based on the true story of one woman’s iconic fight for personal justice.

Abigail Breslin, Ryan Phillippe, Luke Wilson, Emily VanCamp, Mireille Enos, Taryn Manning, Sebastian Quinn, Kyle MacLachlan, Andy Garcia, Enrique Murciano, and Donald Sutherland star in the film that centers on Patricia “Trish” Weir, who was kidnapped and sexually assaulted in 1963 at the age of 18. Her attacker was captured and confessed, but when his confession is overturned two years later, Trish must stand up for herself once more.

Danner said, “This is a story about courage and justice. Within the court of law, it was a case of personal justice, but what makes it fascinating is that it ends up becoming iconic justice.”

Here’s the synopsis: Based on true events, in 1963 eighteen-year-old Trish Weir (Abigail Breslin) is kidnapped and sexually assaulted. Her assailant, Ernesto Miranda (Sebastian Quinn), confesses without legal representation and serves a two-year sentence, only to have the verdict later overturned. In the resulting retrial, a determined prosecutor (Luke Wilson) seeks to hold Ernesto accountable for his crimes, despite grueling opposition from Ernesto’s defense attorney (Ryan Phillippe). What follows is a legal proceeding that forever changes the nation’s justice system.

Miranda’s Victim hits select theaters and VOD on October 6th.

‘Last Straw’ Teaser: The Night Shift Turns Into A Fight For Survival In New Horror-Thriller

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Travis Hopson

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September 18, 2023

You’ve probably seen it. A late night conversation over a slice of pie at a roadside diner can be a beautiful thing. Or it can turn into a nightmare, as it does in Last Straw, the debut feature of director Alan Scott Neal that will have its world premiere at Sitges this month, followed by a U.S. premiere at Beyond Fest.

Described as “a raw & relentless twist on the home-invasion thriller”, the film stars American Horror Story‘s Jessica Belkin as Nancy, a waitress working the late shift at a roadside diner. When chaos erupts, Nancy must fight to survive against a group of masked attackers.

Also in the cast are Jeremy Sisto (Clueless) and Taylor Kowalski (Snowfall).

The newly released teaser is pretty short, but it already looks right up my alley. I love simple, compact movies with pressure cooker tension and high stakes. This looks like it fits the bill.

Here’s the synopsis: Set over one night in a dusty roadside diner, LAST STRAW follows Nancy (Belkin), a young waitress working alone on the late shift. As a series of chaotic events spiral out of control, Nancy finds herself in a fight for her life when she is terrorized by a group of masked assailants. No one is who they appear to be, and with nowhere to turn, she must do everything she can to survive the night.

Donald Glover’s ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ Series With Maya Erskin Pushed To 2024 By Prime Video

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Travis Hopson

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September 18, 2023

The two strikes going on in Hollywood continue to create havoc for studio releases, many of which have been pushed to 2024. And now you can add Prime Video’s anticipated Mr. & Mrs. Smith series to that list, based on Doug Liman’s hit 2005 film that starred Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

This series version will feature Donald Glover and Maya Erskine as spies who are undercover posing as a married couple. It gets pretty complicated, to say the least.

Here’s the synopsis: Meet the Smiths: Two strangers, John and Jane, who have given up their identities to be thrown together as partners — in espionage and in marriage. Matched by a mysterious agency, each episode follows them on a new mission and new milestone in their relationship. When the cracks begin to show through, they must fight to stay together. Because in this marriage, divorce is not an option.

Like a few others, Glover’s current deal with Amazon has been suspended while the strikes are ongoing. That’s not uncommon. Glover is still aboard this series as star and exec-producer, continuing his working relationship with Amazon, who is moving the series to reduce the impact of a lack of projects in production.

So when Glover and Erskine are finally seen trading marriage vows and bullets, it’ll be early in 2024. [THR]

‘Story Ave’ Trailer: Luis Guzmán Reaches Out To Asante Blackk In Hopeful New Bronx Tale

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Travis Hopson

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September 18, 2023

People are more connected than ever, and yet we’ve never been more divided. Perhaps if we all could just have the chance to share a meal and talk with one another, the world would be a better place. It’s an idea proposed in Story Ave, the feature debut by Aristotle Torres that recently won the SXSW special Jury award for cinematography.

Starring Luis Guzmán and Asante Blackk, the story centers on a gifted South Bronx kid who loses his way following his brother’s death. When he drifts into the dangerous world of graffiti gangs and makes a failed attempt to rob an MTA conductor, rather than turn the kid over, the man invites him to a conversation over a meal, leading to an unexpected friendship.

Guzmán has probably been in one of your favorite movies he gets around so much. But he’s probably best known for his role in Boogie Nights. Blackk’s breakout role was in Ava DuVernay’s When They See Us. He recently starred in the quirky sci-fi film Landscape with Invisible Hand. Also in the cast are Alex Hibbert, Melvin Gregg, Coral Peña, Cassandra Freeman, and Hassan Johnson. Jamie Foxx is aboard as a producer, as well.

Torres is another filmmaker who got his start in the world of music videos. He has worked closely with longtime friend J. Cole, and started the music collective By Any Means, which has directed videos for Justin Bieber, Busta Rhymes, Ludacris, and more. Story Ave is actually based on a 2018 short created by Torres at the Sundance Lab.

Here’s the synopsis: South Bronx teen Kadir (Asante Blackk) is a gifted visual artist who loses his way following the death of his younger brother. Overcome with grief and struggling with the pressures of school and family, he escapes into the thrilling yet dangerous world of graffiti gangs. To prove himself and join his neighborhood’s ruling gang, Kadir tries to rob no-nonsense MTA conductor Luis (Luis Guzmán) but is caught off guard when Luis agrees to give Kadir cash if he’ll sit down to have a meal with him. Following their conversation and the delicate, transformative friendship that grows out of it, Kadir sees for the first time how his artistic talent could lead to a better life.

Story Ave opens in theaters on September 29th.

DC Readers: Attend A Free Early Screening Of ‘EXPEND4BLES’

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Travis Hopson

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September 18, 2023

We’re happy to offer our DC readers the chance to attend tomorrow night’s free screening of EXPEND4BLES. The action-packed sequel stars Jason Statham, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Megan Fox, Dolph Lundgren, Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, Randy Couture, Jacob Scipio, Levy Tran, with Andy Garcia, and Sylvester Stallone.

SYNOPSIS: A new generation of stars join the world’s top action stars for an adrenaline-fueled adventure in Expend4bles. Reuniting as the team of elite mercenaries, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, and Sylvester Stallone are joined for the first time by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Megan Fox, Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, Jacob Scipio, Levy Tran, and Andy Garcia. Armed with every weapon they can get their hands on and the skills to use them, The Expendables are the world’s last line of defense and the team that gets called when all other options are off the table. But new team members with new styles and tactics are going to give “new blood” a whole new meaning.

The screening takes place on September 19th at 7:00pm at Regal Majestic. If you’d like to attend, RSVP at the Lionsgate 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 Expendables 4 opens on September 22nd.

‘Radical’ Trailer: Eugenio Derbez Drastically Changes The Education System In Heartwarming True Story

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Travis Hopson

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September 18, 2023

Movies about teachers who change the lives of underprivileged students are universally popular and often critically acclaimed. Films such as To Sir, With Love, Stand and Deliver, and Dangerous Minds are just a few examples; the formula changing only slightly for each new generation. Well, now there is Radical, which stars CODA actor Eugenio Derbez as real-life teacher Sergio Juárez Correa, who sought to improve the education of students in a Mexican slum.

In the new trailer, we see Correa as he implements a minimally invasive form of education created by Sugata Mitra. It involves removing barriers to the students’ curiosity and intuition, allowing them to learn freely of their own will.

Christopher Zalla wrote and directed the film based on the 2013 Wired article, “A Radical Way of Unleashing a Generation of Geniuses” by Joshua Davis. Reviews were wildly positive after its world premiere at Sundance earlier this year, where it won the “Festival Favorite” award.

Here’s the synopsis: In a Mexican border town plagued by neglect, corruption, and violence, a frustrated teacher (Eugenio Derbez) tries a radical new method to unleash the curiosity and potential of his students … and maybe even their genius. Based on a true story.

Radical opens in theaters on November 3rd.

Box Office: ‘A Haunting in Venice’ Aims for the Top Spot But Can’t Surpass ‘The Nun II’

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John Nolan

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September 17, 2023

1. The Nun II – $14.7M/$56.5M

A quiet weekend in theaters and the dropping temperatures seemed to have inspired folks to start Spooky Season early, turning out for the second week in a row to jump scare filled horror flick The Nun II giving the film an unlikely second week at the top spot .

2. A Haunting in Venice (review)- $14.5

This one has to hurt Hercule Poirot to the core. Not the total mind you, as the $14.5M take his latest adventure, A Haunting in Venice, nabbed still outpaces the last outing for Agatha Christie’s famed hero Death on the Nile. No, it has to hurt because 200k is such a small small amount to miss out on your opening weekend top spot. One would think this would have done better, obviously people are seeking out Halloween themed films, since The Nun II did so well and I would assume that there are a lot more viewers out there who’d prefer this lighter style of spooky to the more horrific Valak.

3. The Equalizer 3 – $7.2M/$73.6M

4. My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 – $4.7M/$18.5M

5. Barbie– $3.9M/$626.1M

She’s still chugging along! Sure, a little under 4 million is far from the heights of her success but Barbie continues stacking the weekly accolades, this week being the lowest drop of any film in the top 10 at 30%.

6. Jawan– $2.4M/$12.1M

I mentioned my delight at this Indian action films entry into the US top 10 last week, but what I neglected to mention was how few theaters the film was showing in. This week, while showing in just 776 theaters (A Haunting in Venice was in 3,305 theaters for comparison) the film still managed to pull in enough dough to get a spot in the top 10 for the second week in a row.

7. Blue Beetle – $2.4M/$67.2M

8. Gran Turismo – $2.3M/$39.4M

9. Oppenheimer – $2.1M/$318.6M

10. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem– $2M/$114.1M

Review: ‘A Million Miles Away’
Michael Peña Heads To Space In An Inspiring Biopic

By
Cortland Jacoby
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Who better to go to space than a migrant farm worker raised by immigrant parents? This question is at the heart of Amazon’s newest cinematic venture A Million Miles Away, starring Michael Peña as real-life astronaut, José Hernández who started out working with his family in the fields of California and ended up amongst the stars.

The film first opens as José and his family are picking up to leave to go to their next seasonal farm work destination. They keep coming back to a small town where the young man thrives in school and his teacher, Miss Young (Michelle Krusiec) takes notice.

The film picks up pretty quickly after Miss Young convinces his family to stay in the area. We see him graduate from college, get his first engineering job, and meet his wife. Throughout this time he never gives up his dream of being an astronaut, eventually making huge sacrifices to achieve it after applying twelve times.

Michael Peña, who plays Hernández from college graduation on, doesn’t get the opportunity often to play a leading man. A Million Miles Away proves he should get top billing more often. He balances comedy and drama well, without being trite or too precious. This is not the first time Peña has been to space cinematically as he was also in Moonfall and The Martian. But the third time proves to be the charm and he delivers a compelling performance.

Rosa Salazar who plays wife Adela, has mainly been in genre and action films for most of her career. Since her break out in dystopian teen films like Maze Runner: The Death Cure and The Divergent Series: Insurgent, she has picked mostly sci-fi and horror projects like Brand New Cherry Flavor, Bird Box, and Alita: Battle Angel. Though she has played comedic and dramatic characters in films such as the underrated Night Owls and Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, A Million Miles Away showcases what a talent she is. She plays off Peña so well, crafting a character many women will relate to, while still filling out the “supportive wife role.” There aren’t many actresses who can add substance to an archetype but Bettina Gilois, Hernán Jiménez, and director Alejandra Márquez Abella’s script give her more to work with than just a one-note character.

The script may rightfully give Salazar her due, but it is not perfect. In the middle of the first act, when we meet Jose as a young adult working as an engineer, we lose any momentum gained from the beginning of his story. While we learn about the racial adversity and everyday minutiae that comes by working in the science and defense industry, it doesn’t serve the film’s greater purpose and should have been condensed. The story also attaches itself to two sentimental moments involving a CGI butterfly that seems tonally out of place, falling into the saccharine traps that many biopics fall into.

Despite this, José Hernández’s story is compelling. The first migrant farmworker to become an astronaut is one that is filled with tender and surreal moments of sacrifice. For the most part, director Abella skillfully handles the film’s tone, using humor and montages that actually show the passage of time beautifully.

A Million Miles Away stumbles at times but overall Abella sticks the landing for the most part showing this real-life Cinderella Story without being too sweet.

A Million Miles Away is on Prime Video now. Watch the trailer below.

DC Readers: Attend A Special Early Screening Of ‘Flora And Son’

By

Travis Hopson

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September 15, 2023

We’re happy to offer our DC readers the chance to attend a very special screening of Flora and Son, the latest musical romantic-comedy from Once director John Carney. The film stars Eve Hewson, Orén Kinlan, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Jack Reynor.

SYNOPSIS: Single mom Flora (Eve Hewson) is at a loss about what to do with her rebellious teenage son, Max (Orén Kinlan). Encouraged by the police to find Max a hobby, Flora tries to occupy him with a beat-up acoustic guitar. With the help of a washed-up LA musician (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Flora and Max discover the transformative power of music. From the musical mind of John Carney, “Flora and Son” explores the bond between a mother and son on a journey toward a new harmony.

The screening takes place on Monday, September 18th at Alamo Drafthouse DC Bryant Street. The film begins at 7:30pm, but attendees are invited to attend a special reception beginning at 5:30pm. You can RSVP to the event and screening at the Apple site here.

Enjoy the show! Flora and Son opens in select theaters and streaming globally on Apple TV+ on September 29th.

James Wan Talks ‘Aquaman And The Lost Kingom’, Possible Sequel, Future In The DCU, And More

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Travis Hopson

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September 15, 2023

The long-awaited trailer for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom debuted yesterday, and honestly, I think it looks pretty great. That said, there are tons of rumors flying around about James Wan’s superhero sequel. What were all of those reshoots about? Has Amber Heard’s role as Mera been reduced? Is Michael Keaton or Ben Affleck returning as Batman? But the bigger mystery is whether this franchise will survive as part of James Gunn’s DCU?

Wan addressed many of these questions recently with EW, beginning with the reveal that Gunn “weighed in” on the film, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. Gunn is going to be taking over the entire division, so of course he’d have opinions. But Wan does promise that it is still his movie, done his way.

“I’ve known James since way back, right?” said Wan. “We’re horror guys, and so I’m definitely open to ideas. But, at the end of the day, this is my movie.” But Wan also said the creative shifts within DC indirectly affect his production. “Obviously, I have to be mindful,” Wan continued. “If I’m living in a house, and the house is getting renovated around me, it’s hard for me to not take notice, because the roof, the ceiling’s missing, right? But the beauty of this movie, this “Aquaman” world, is that, very early on, we always said that we are our own separate universe. My goal was always: If we could spin off a Seven Kingdoms universe, that would be my ideal dream. So, what we do, ultimately, doesn’t get affected by all that stuff, all that noise.”

The simple fact of the matter is that any possibility of a third Aquaman movie will depend on how this one performs. Wan doesn’t have any answers, but he does have a very clear plan for Momoa as Arthur Curry that he wants to see play out…

“Oh, buddy, I don’t know. This film has taken up so, so much of my life, so much of my time, all I can think about now is taking a long break…What I like between this one and the first one is, you really do see the growth of Arthur. He starts off as this kind of wanderer, and in the second one he finally has more of a direction of what he wants to do with his life. If and when there is a third one, that’s what it should be; it should be growing these characters because I think we’ve set up certain things in a good place in the second movie that you can definitely draw upon in a third. I don’t have any stories, but growing the characters is the biggest thing that I think the next “Aquaman” movie should be about.”

If you look around you’ll find rumor after rumor saying opposing things about the presence of Batman in ‘The Lost Kingdom’. Some say it’s happening, some say it’s not. As for Wan, he’s not revealing anything…

“That’s a ‘no comment,’ right now. You’re going to have to wait for the movie to come out.”

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom opens on December 20th.