Leave it to A24 to go wild with their first-ever movie musical! Debuting at TIFF as part of their Midnight Madness lineup is Dicks: The Musical, and yes, that title is just a hint as to what to expect from this raunchy and depraved film that opens with one of the leads singing that his cock is so massive it leaves the women sore.
The film stars its writers Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp as two self-obsessed businessmen, whose boss is Megan Thee Stallion by the way, as they discover they are long-lost twin brothers. In a twist on The Parent Trap, the two scheme to get their divorced parents back together again.
Nathan Lane and Megan Mullally play their parents, with SNL’s Bowen Yang as God. You know that’s going to be funny. The film is directed by comedy vet Larry Charles, known for Seinfeld and Borat. Jackson and Sharp not only wrote the screenplay but all of the original songs with Karl Saint Lucy. The Greatest Showman producers are aboard this, as well.
Dicks: The Musical will hit theaters on September 29th, and it could be a phenomenon. A24 might have something huge on their hands here.
Why are so many movies based on a character’s pursuit of their dreams? Easy. Everyone has dreams, whether stated or not. But also because dreams are powerful things. They can control your life, in good ways and bad. Sometimes, the achievement of one’s dream is the best thing that can ever happen. Other times, it can be a lot more than bargained for. And that’s where we come in with Dreamin’ Wild, a heartwarming biopic based on the improbable but true story of the Emerson Brothers, musicians who saw their dream of creative success fulfilled much later than expected.
The film is directed by Bill Pohlad, who might not be a recognizable name but he probably should be. A few years ago he directed another amazing musical biopic on Brian Wilson, titled Love & Mercy. An Oscar-nominated producer on Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life, Pohlad has a similarly surreal, poetic quality to his filmmaking.
Casey Affleck plays the older version of Donnie Emerson, with Noah Jupe as the younger version, who in the ’70s with his brother Joe, played by Walton Goggins and Jack Dylan Grazer, made a bunch of music from their parent’s farm in Fruitland, Washington. Their music largely went unnoticed, and their dreams of becoming big rock stars were unfulfilled. But then 30 years later their music was rediscovered and became an underground hit, with collectors and music enthusiasts praising it as a hidden gem.
Suddenly, the Emerson Brothers had the fame and respect they were always looking for. But what does that mean when the dream was deferred for so long? Do they still want the same things? How tough is it to carry when you’re middle aged than when you were young and hopeful? In the case of Donnie, the film shows how that initial failure stuck with him throughout life. He carries around a depression, anxiety, and guilt that is unshakeable until his life starts to turn around. Pohlad, who also wrote the script, seems to have a keen eye for troubled musicians with great creative ambitions, who struggle to find some sense of normalcy away from the music.
Affleck, always such a wonderfully ntrospective actor, is at the top of his game here. It reminds me that we don’t get to see him nearly often enough as he tries to stay out of the spotlight. Goggins is a scene-stealer, also, joined by Zooey Deschanel who shines as Donnie’s wife and creative partner.
If it were up to me I’d have Pohlad doing all of the musical biopics. He understands this genre and his subjects better than most filmmakers do. The Emersons’ story is a bit of a fairy tale, and Pohlad wraps things up a bit too neatly to ensure a crowd-pleaser. But that’s okay, because their story, while presented in Dreamin’ Wild with a touch of melancholy, is a genuine case of dreams coming true and we could all do with seeing more of that.
While fans like myself will always be sad to not have a third movie in the Happy Death Day franchise, there is some good news. Director Christopher Landon will have a chance to show what he can do on a much larger platform as the director of Scream 7. The news was first revealed by Bloody Disgusting and confirmed by THR.
Landon takes over from the Radio Silence duo of Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who really brought Scream back to box office prominence by directing the last two movies. So why aren’t they coming back to direct another one? Well, they’re pretty busy with a mystery horror film for Universal that will reunite them with Scream star Melissa Barrera. They will remain aboard the franchise as exec-producers, however, along with the third member of the group, producing partner Chad Villella.
So where does the Ghostface go from here? Perhaps with Scream 7 Neve Campbell can be convinced to come back…and perhaps be under the mask?
How can an action movie with Lucas Till, Tyrese Gibson, Ruby Rose, Mercedes Varnado aka Sasha Banks, Don Johnson, and classic screen baddie Paul Ben-Victor be so damned boring? Tom DeNucci’s The Collective makes this improbability a reality. Grim, dull, and way too serious, the film creaks from one poorly-executed setpiece to the next, wasting a ton of talent that deserve far better than this.
This is an unforunate showcase role for Till, who plays Sam, a new recruit into The Collective, an elite strike force who live by the motto, “May the privileged fall”. These ethical mercenaries are tasked with hunting those criminals deemed untouchable due to their wealth and powerful connections. Sam shows off his killing skills early as he busts through a training exercise, killing the target without breaking a sweat. This is enough to impress The Collective’s leader, Liam (Johnson), who promptly…sends him to HQ to be a desk jockey.
But of course, this won’t last long. Sam is quickly swept up in a mission to stop chatty human trafficker Miro Lindell (Ben-Victor), who has kidnapped a problematic whistleblower worth a lot of money. Ben-Victor is the only actor in the film who seems to be having a good time, frolicking around and repeating his numerous threats like a psycho.
Does anybody pay to see Tyrese Gibson not be a loudmouth wise-ass like he does in the Fast & Furious movies? Definitely not, and they’ll hate his performance here as Hugo, The Collective’s top agent. In a somewhat clever bit, we see Hugo bulldozing his way through an assignment while Sam, who couldn’t be more different, maps out how he’d do things in a polar opposite way. The question the film seems to be asking is which agent’s tactic is most effective?
Unfortunately, when Sam and Hugo link up to stop Miro, all they do is argue. And not like fun buddy-comedy arguing. Sam wants to do one thing, and Hugo, who is usually talking through a radio, tells him it’s a bad idea. This goes on for far too long, none of it even attempting to be humorous or entertaining in any way.
The action is weak and poorly shot, although credit to Till who shows off some decent athletic gifts. The minimal budget does none of them any favors. Sam’s gun literally sounds like a prop weapon from a high school play, and the setpieces are unremarkable.
Varnado and Rose are two of the most legit female badasses in movies right now, but the ex-WWE superstar spends much of her time hiring assassins to do Miro’s dirty work, while Rose talks on the phone and holds a clipboard. Their time on screen is a waste, and probably the biggest offense this movie makes.
Only when a human auction explodes into chaos, with victims running buckwild in vengeful rage, does The Collective embrace the over-the-top tone it should’ve had from the beginning. I felt bad for literally everyone in this movie that they felt compelled to be part of this.
The Collective will open in theaters and VOD on August 4th.
What would a mother do to find out who murdered her child? In the new thriller The Good Mother, Hilary Swank will stop at nothing to learn the truth about the death of her estranged son.
Formerly-titled Mother’s Milk, the film stars features one Hell of a cast. Not only is Oscar-winner Swank leading the way, but she’s joined by Olivia Cooke, Hopper Penn, Norm Lewis, Jack Reynor, and Dilone.
That’s an all-star group assembled by director/co-writer Miles Joris-Peyrafitte, who recently directed the Margot Robbie period thriller Dreamland, as well as the Amandla Stenberg drama As You Are. Solid credentials there.
Here’s the synopsis: Starring two-time Academy Award®-winner Hilary Swank, Olivia Cooke and Jack Reynor, The Good Mother follows journalist Marissa Bennings (Swank) who, after the murder of her estranged son, forms an unlikely alliance with his pregnant girlfriend Paige (Cooke) to track down the killers. Together they confront a world of corruption and drugs in the seedy underbelly of a small city in upstate New York. As they get closer to the truth, they unearth an even darker secret.
The Good Mother opens in theaters on September 1st.
Even non-horror fans know the name George A Romero, the filmmaker behind Night of the Living Dead and therefore the Godfather of all things Zombie (as we know them). His original low budget horror feature was shot on an ultra low-budget and broke ground not just in the realm of horror but also in social concerns and equality. Without sidetracking this whole thing, it would suffice to say the man is an icon worthy of his pop culture status.
Sadly Romero passed away in 2017, and though he had finished 6 different “of the Dead” films there was still one left to do, Twilight of the Dead a film for which he completed a treatment, but passed before completing a script. With Night, Dawn, and Day (as well as Land of, Survival of, and Diary of) Twilight of the Dead would have been the natural closing point of the franchise. It may be hard to believe but there was a 20-25 year period there where Zombie flicks just weren’t popular, making it impossible for Romero to get the funding he needed for that final movie. Thankfully Zack Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead remake, the 28 Days Later franchise, and of course The Walking Dead brought renewed and really newfound interest in the shamblers before Romero passed so he was able to get a few more films made…just not Twilight (of the Dead obviously….not the shiny vampires).
Deadline revealed today that thanks to Roundtable Entertainment we may just see the film Romero outlined before he died. The LA based production firm has teamed up with Romero’s estate (including his wife) to, forgive the pun, flesh out and complete this final film and they are well on their way to doing so. A script has been written by Joe Knetter, Robert Lucas, and Paolo Zelati, the last of which actually worked on the treatment with Romero. Directors have been reviewed and casting notices have gone out, there have even been scouting trips to Puerto Rico to film the tropically set zombie closer. Don’t worry about the strike, being a low budget feature the filmmakers were able to apply for an allowance to let them keep moving forward, though not a guarantee.
There’s still a long way to go until this thing sees the light of day but, if nothing else, it’s good to know there are still folks out there carrying the torch that George himself lit and carried for the better part of half a century.
Critically, 2017’s Wonder Woman remains the best-reviewed movie of the DCEU, with Gal Gadot embodying the role beautifully. While the sequel, 2020’s Wonder Woman 1984 failed to measure up, it’s hard not to see the combined effort as a success. But with the launch of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Studios, it’s been unclear if Gadot would return to the role. While a prequel series following the Amazons is part of the plan, nothing has been set for Wonder Woman 3. Yet.
Gadot hasn’t given up, though, and according to an interview with Comicbook.com (prior to the SAG strike) about her upcoming film Heart of Stone, she has spoken with Gunn and Safran about returning as Diana Prince in the new DCU…
“I love portraying Wonder Woman,” Gadot said. “It’s so close to and dear to my heart. From what I heard from James and from Peter is that we’re gonna develop a ‘Wonder Woman 3’ together.”
That’s pretty straight forward and the best indication yet that Gadot is coming back as Wonder Woman. However, there’s no mention of director Patty Jenkins who Gadot has been tied at the hip to. It’s possible a new film brings in a totally different creative team to match the character’s placement in a new cinematic universe. This is also further proof that the DCU is going to be a mix of old things that Gunn/Safran like and want to keep, such as Peacemaker, Amanda Waller, and apparently Blue Beetle, and brand new stuff like Superman: Legacy and Creature Commandos.
Of course, none of this matters until Gunn makes it official, so keep an eye on his social media for that.
It’s easy to take potshots at Zack Snyder. Hell, even Barbie takes one at ’em, and it was damn funny. He seems like a total bro who makes movies for dudes that are big, loud, and usually lacking in nuance. Even when he does something ostensibly feminist like Sucker Punch, it…well, it really wasn’t. When his movies fail, they fail hard, and people love to rub that in his face.
The thing is, people have a tendency to exaggerate when it comes to Zack Snyder. They look at the failure of Justice League and the Snyderverse in general, and they assume it was all terrible and nothing he did made money. That’s ridiculous to anyone who pays attention, but former WB exec Greg Silverman sets the record straight to someone who claimed 300 was Snyder’s only hit film for the studio. Ridiculous.
Not true. We lost some money on GAHOOLE and a fair amount on SUCKERPUNCH. The rest of his films at WB were very profitable. Very. https://t.co/5WuQMuRriH
Silverman is referring to 2010’s Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole, which is basically Star Wars with feathers. It’s actually a damn good movie that more people should see. Sucker Punch, released a year later, had a lot of buzz considering its scantily-clad cast of ass-kicking ladies, but the film was a critical and box office dud.
Other films Snyder was involved with for WB (as a director, writer, or producer) include Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, Watchmen, 300: Rise of an Empire, Justice League, Aquaman, and Wonder Woman. All of them made money. Doesn’t mean they made as much as they should’ve, and it certainly doesn’t mean they were all good.
Snyder is currently living it up with Netflix who have already invested in his Army of the Dead franchise and the upcoming sci-fi epic Rebel Moon. He’s doing just fine.
Hollywood is at a standstill right now with both the WGA and SAG strikes in full swing, so you’re not seeing any casting news or announcements. However, that hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from grinding, especially when it comes to Marvel’s upcoming Fantastic Four movie. With names such as Adam Driver, Daveed Diggs, and Vanessa Kirby being tossed about to play Marvel’s First Family, a new rumor suggests the role of Mr. Fantastic Reed Richards has already been offered.
According to “scooper” Daniel Richtman (he’s someone who makes guesses, often very bad ones) the role of Reed Richard was offered to Doctor Who and Morbius actor Matt Smith before the SAG strike. Has Smith accepted the role? Who knows? And we probably won’t know anything for quite some time.
Smith’s name has been associated with this film before, so there could be something to this. I doubt it, though. Smith seems like a questionable move and not nearly enough of a big star to lead a franchise Marvel NEEDS to be a success.
Adam Driver has been the name talked about most for the Richards role, but he has supposedly passed on it already. Who knows if that’s even true.
Fantastic Four has a director in WandaVision‘s Matt Shakman and is scheduled for May 2nd 2025, although that could get pushed.
What happens when a fuckboy tries to settle down? Nothing good, and innocent people get caught up in his wake in Ira Sachs’ Passages, about a doomed love triangle that we can’t turn away from. Tomas (Franz Rogowski) is undeniably a prick. A filmmaker, when we first meet him he’s scolding an actor for being unable to walk down a flight of stairs exactly the way he wants to. The bullying is so bad you think the other actors might rebel. But it’s all just a glimpse into the madness that is Tomas. Call it a journey of self-discovery, or just plain old selfishness, but whatever path he’s on ends up being a steamroller to the people around him.
Caught up in Tomas’ wake are his English husband, the soft-spoken Martin (Ben Whishaw), who isn’t interested in the nightly parties (with Tomas inevitably in his tightest crop top) that follow the movie shoots. He’d much rather be at home enjoying a glass of wine and a book in their Paris flat. One night at one of these parties, Tomas meets the sexy Agathe (Adèle Exarchopoulos), who accepts his invitation to the dance floor that Martin denies. There’s an instant animal attraction between Tomas and Agathe, and he ends up going home with her for a night of wild sex.
And this is who Tomas is; impulsive and thoughtless about who he might hurt. He only cares about what he needs in the moment. What he always needs is attention, to feel desired, and in total control. The next morning he returns home and starts off with a little white lie that Martin doesn’t believe. So Tomas tells him the truth about what happened and frames it as a good thing because it’s showing his personal growth. “It’s exciting’, he tells Martin, who is clearly hurt but wants to deal with the issue later. Of course, Tomas doesn’t understand how telling his husband that another person, a woman at that, could be emotionally devastating.
This lack of concern extends to Agathe, as well. He bounces to her crib whenever he wants sex, then comes crawling back home to Martin. The thing about Tomas, besides that he’s a lying, scheming con man of the heart, is that he always wants to have his cake and eat it, too. Nothing will ever be enough for him. Stability is never in his mind. So of course, he escalates things with Agathe by proposing that he loves her, which leads to a separation from Martin. But when Martin tries to move on to the handsome novelist Amad (Erwan Kepoa Falé), Tomas can’t stand not having the adoration of his ex. His extreme acts of jealousy begin to border on scary: he shows up at their former home unannounced, coming up with thin reasons to be there. He makes himself comfortable, kicking his feet up as a show of domination as if planting his flag in marked territory. And this makes things tense with Agathe, as well, the worst of it during a tense lunch with her parents, who are understandably concerned this arrogant, flighty bastard in leopard print pants might not be such a good match for their girl.
While Sachs makes no qualms about portraying Tomas as the dirtbag he is, what keeps Passages feeling real and not like an episode of a bad soap opera, are the characters around him. Exarchopoulos, still stunning as ever and a better actress than she was a decade ago in Blue is the Warmest Colour, delivers a fully-formed portrayal of Agathe. She is no innocent, naive victim in all of this. She goes in willingly, very shortly after a humiliating, public break-up with another man, and sees Tomas for who he is. When the stakes are raised later on, she begins to take stock of what is real and what is her idea of what love should be.
Whishaw’s Martin is so thin and wispy early on that he barely exists. It’s no wonder Tomas thinks that he can use and emotionally abuse this man. But as Tomas’ transgressions get worse, Martin’s spine stiffens. He’s also human and given to weakness, allowing Tomas into his life time and time again to the point where we want to grab him and shake him. This ping-ponging of Tomas into Martin and Agathe’s life does grow tiresome, after a while. It might have been Sachs’ point to show how easily smart, beautiful, and capable people can be repeatedly swayed by a slickster like Tomas, but it feels like procrastination.
This is Rogowski’s film, though, and he is an absolute force of nature. Tomas isn’t the kind of character you like. He’s like someone from a really bad break-up story told by your Tinder date. It’s easy to just despise Tomas for the horrible person he is, but Rogowski does find something buried deep within; a yearning for love an acceptance that will probably never be completely fulfilled. I don’t know if Passsages is the kind of movie you love. I don’t think Sachs makes movies that are quite so simple. But his movies are always complex, devastating, and with the exception of the bloated Frankie, narratively compact. Sachs creates compelling characters, and while Tomas might not be the most complex of them, he’s a car crash you can’t turn away from.
Passages opens in select theaters on August 4th, expanding wide on August 11th.
*NOTE* This review was previously part of our 2023 Sundance Film Festival coverage.*
