Before Kong takes on Godzilla in a rematch next year, the king of the apes returns first in Legendary and Netflix’s animated series, Skull Island! Set after the events of Kong: Skull Island, it takes us to the most dangerous place on Earth where Kong rules over an entire island of dangerous prehistoric creatures.
But there can be only one ruler on Skull Island, and King Kong is it. Created by Brian Duffield, whose experience on the underrated rom-com Love & Monsters should come in handy, the anime-inspired series finds a group of explorers answering a distress call, only to become shipwrecked on the worst possible island.
Duffield also directs each episode and wrote the screenplays. Nicolas Cantu, Mae Whitman, Darren Barnet, Benjamin Bratt, and Betty Gilpin provide the voices.
Optimus Prime and the Autobots rolled out to a narrow victory of the second weekend of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. With $60.5M to start, and $170M worldwide, it’s a great deal better than the $21M launch of Bumblebee in 2018, even though that film had far better critical response. It can be credited to that nostalgic, light-hearted “reboot” that Rise of the Beasts got off to such a strong start. Will it continue beyond this and into a much bigger batch of sequels that Paramount and Hasbro already have mapped out?
2. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse– $55.4M/$225.4M
Nobody’s complaining over at Sony, as Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse fell just 54% and earned another $55M, bringing its domestic total to $225M. That’s already better than the stateside total of the Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse with $190M. Worldwide, the numbers get even better with $313.3M. Don’t be surprised if Spidey bests Transformers next week, although both will have to deal with The Flash taking up lane space.
3. The Little Mermaid– $22.7M/$228.8M
At $414M worldwide, Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid remake is a definite hit. Will it be the highest-grossing movie of the year like I stupidly predicted? No. This is why I’m not in that business.
4. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3– $7M/$335.4M
5. The Boogeyman– $6.9M/$24.7M
6. Fast X– $5.1M/$138M
That domestic number for Fast X is definitely not good, ranking among the lowest of the franchise. But the rest of the world continues to love watching Vin Diesel flex his muscles, as $652M is the global haul so far.
Sliding into the top 10 with the highest per-site-average of the week is Celine Song’s acclaimed drama, Past Lives. The A24 release jumped to 26 total theaters for a $20K average. The film stars Greta Lee, John Magaro, and Teo Yoo, centering on a reunion between childhood friends and their complicated relationship given the paths their adult lives have taken.
I feel kind of bad for any animated movie (or even live-action far that matter) that comes out in the shadow of Across The Spider-Verse, because the bar has been set very high forcing whatever comes out this year to have to be graded on a curve. That said, Arcana Studios’ latest film Heroes of the Golden Mask, while visually beautiful, leaves us desperate for a strong story and exquisite writing as it does not pass the smell test.
Heroes of the Golden Mask is joint Canadian/Chinese production that explores the mythology and iconography of ancient China as it creates a world where a group of heroes with golden masks are tasked with defending the ancient Chinese kingdom of Sanxingdui from invading enemies. When one of the heroes meets their unfortunate end, the mask “chooses” a new champion. The mask chooses Charlie (Kiefer O’Reilly), a homeless kid who is simply scratching and surviving in our present-day on behalf of a local mobster “Uncle” Rizzo (Christopher Plummer in his final role), and he becomes magically transported thousands of years into the past where he is tasked with learning to become a hero. Of course, he’s a young selfish kid who has only learned hardship throughout his life. Can he become a hero?
In Heroes of the Golden Mask, Charlie inherits a magical mask that gifts him with telepathy from the group’s former leader Jiahao (Byron Mann). Jiahao’s daughter Li (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) with her own mask that helps her conjure magical bows and arrows is tasked with finding Charlie and teaching him how to be a hero. Also on their team is Aesop (Patton Oswalt), who has a Thor-like magical hammer, Zhu (Osric Chau), who can shapeshift into animals, and Zuma (Zeus Mendoza), who can conjure up Hadoken-styled energy balls.
These “Heroes of the Golden Mask” are charged with defending Sanxingdui from Kunyi (Ron Perlman), who has come from another realm in search of a magical sword that would render the powers of the Golden Mask team unnecessary and take over the kingdom. Why? Who knows! All we know is they have to stop them, and Charlie needs to learn to be a hero and reject his own selfish needs and become the hero he needs to be.
The animation and the world-building in Heroes of the Golden Mask are a worthy effort. The film is visually impressive and the notion of giving each hero their own unique powers proves to be a good idea, especially when they have their Avengers-like hero moments. However, the story itself proves to be weak and predictable. Despite an impressive list of well-known actors providing their voices for the heroes, it reeks of stunt-casting as they don’t necessarily deliver outside of lending their voices to a weak script. The film is also very lean but even at a little bit more than an hour, feels a little too long as the storyline could have been covered in a 30-minute of episodic television. This will probably be good for young kids, but beyond that, this will be a big chore for parents.
Heroes of the Golden Mask is currently available On Demand.
As many of our Middle East wars are drawing down, Hollywood is continuing its trend of capturing the experience soldiers had while in that war, but more importantly, telling intimate stories of the brave men and women as they adjust back to civilian life once their tours of duty are over. Last year’s Causeway explored the notion of trauma from coming back home and displayed just how versatile actors Jennifer Lawrence and Brian Tyree Henry really are (even netting Henry his first of probably many Oscar nominations). This year’s latest film from director Joshua Caldwell: Mending The Line also explores the ramifications of war, survivor’s guilt, and the need to heal from trauma to move forward, and it also gets to teach you a whole bunch about fly-fishing.
While Mending The Line is a story about war, we only get to really see the notion of “war is hell” in the first few opening minutes, as the rest of the film is quiet, methodical, and really takes its time to explore the human condition and the need to move beyond the pain. John Colter (Sinqua Walls) is a soldier in Afghanistan who volunteers his unit for “one last mission” prior to them getting shipped back home. Unfortunately, things go awry as his unit is ambushed and most of his squad that he leads are killed by insurgents. In the aftermath, Colter is dealing with many injuries, both physical and more importantly, mental.
His time at a local VA hospital doesn’t bode well for him. His primary focus is faking it to be approved to go back “home” to the Marines, even though his doctor Dr. Burke (Patricia Heaton) has her work cut out for him. At the same time, Vietnam Veteran Ike Fletcher (Brian Cox) has been a recluse and spends most of his time fly-fishing in isolation. However, after passing out on his own, Dr. Burke forbids him from fishing on his own as he could possibly pass out with no one to look out for him. With Colter and Ike both needing a radical change in their lives, Dr. Burks proposes an idea: Ike must teach Colter fly-fishing as a form of therapy to help him heal and both soldiers will be able to do what they love.
Of course, at first, this odd couple doesn’t really want to interact with each other. Ike doesn’t even really care to take on his young ward, but thanks to an injury for his current fishing buddy Harrison (Wes Studi), Ike takes Colter on as his “apprentice.” First acting like Mr. Miyagi, Ike has Colter doing basic tasks, which of course are prepping him for fly-fishing or as Ike calls it “recon work.” Colter takes his assignment seriously and goes as far as to the library to learn all he can about fly-fishing, where he meets Lucy (Perry Mattfeld), a local librarian who is also navigating her own trauma, as her fiancé died a few years ago and she is also stuck in a mental rut.
The trio is interlocked by trauma, and also their separate bonds with Colter. Ike becomes a reluctant father figure to Colter while Lucy and Colter grow close. Mending The Line has Colter and Lucy’s relationship as romantic, however, the two never even share a kiss, which is an odd choice. As Mending The Line continues, they share with each other details of their past traumas and through fly-fishing and interacting with each other, they allow themselves to heal from their traumas.
Mending The Line is fairly predictable (except for the choice of one of the characters), but what really stands out in the movie is the performances. Everyone really brings their A-game throughout the film and delivers some strong performances. Perry Mattfeld who has been delivering on The CW’s In The Dark (who reminded me that she’s not really blind in real life as she’s so good on that show) as she stands out as someone also “stuck” in her grief until Colter comes in her life. A scene where she and Sinqua Walls have a true heart-to-heart about both of their PTSD issues showcases how well the two act in concert with each other and emotionally resonate. And of course, Brian Cox is friggin Brian Cox! The life lessons his Ike Fletcher imprints on Walls’ Colter display a wisdom beyond his years and his monologues about life and fly-fishing are pitch-perfect writing. Another outstanding achievement of Mending The Line is the cinematography and filming on location in Montana once again reminds us that there is some outstanding scenery throughout our landscapes.
The ending of Mending The Line leaves a little to be desired. As stated, it’s somewhat predictable, but the fate of one of the characters felt a little out of place and I thought that it should have gone in a different direction. The film was also made with the supervision of the Department of Defense, so there’s no criticism of any of the United State’s foreign policy that probably led these characters to their fates. Instead, it makes their trauma a personal one and not a political one, which is them having their cake and eating it too.
But that doesn’t take away from the overall message of Mending The Line of finding a way to explore your guilt, trauma, and grief and finding a way to move beyond it. Being a soldier is but one chapter in a soldier’s life and the key is to find out what to do next to be happy and comfortable with yourself with the time you have. And it really makes you want to go fly-fishing!
Mending The Line is currently available in theaters.
Well, this is an unexpected pairing, and it’s not Apple and Skydance who have been kicking ass together for a while. It’s Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh, who are set to star in the action-adventure film Mayday. Even better, the film has Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves duo John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein aboard to direct.
Details on the plot are being held back for now, but the original pitch is by Daley and Goldstein. As for the screenplay, it was completed before the WGA strike so won’t be affected by that. The project had been developing at Skydance for the past year before Apple came along.
It was Reynolds’ interest in the project that got it moving back in April. He previously worked with Apple on the holiday musical, Spirited, and with Skydance on The Adam Project, both big streaming hits. It’s possible that Mayday will be next for Reynolds after he wraps up Deadpool 3.
As for Branagh, he’ll be seen next in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, followed by his latest Agatha Christie mystery, A Haunting in Venice, which arrives in September. [Deadline]
After three successful seasons, numerous Emmys, and a whole lot of laughs, Ted Lasso is hanging up its cleats – at least for the time being. Last week the show ended its three-year run with its titular character saying goodbye to AFC Richmond and England and returning to Kanas to be with his son.
The last episode was controversial among fans, who criticized star and showrunner, Jason Sudeikis for his restrained and “emotionless” performance. This comes on the heels of a disjointed season, marred by production and writing interruptions.
I sat down with friend of PDC, Karen Peterson, who spoke about what’s missing from its current criticism, what’s next for the show, and why we love the show.
This is going to be very interesting how the third season of The Witcher plays out. With star Henry Cavill playing Geralt of Rivera for the final time before being replaced by Liam Hemsworth next season, will fans continue to be as wild about the show? Or will they begin fleeing in droves to show dissatisfaction with the change?
I’m not going to pretend to know squat about this show. I don’t. Cavill fights monsters. Carries a big sword. Hangs out with princesses. Here’s the synopsis:
As monarchs, mages, and beasts of the Continent compete to capture her, Geralt takes Ciri into hiding, determined to protect his newly-reunited family against those who threaten to destroy it. Entrusted with Ciri’s magical training, Yennefer leads them to the protected fortress of Aretuza, where they hope to uncover more about the girl’s untapped powers; instead, they discover they’ve landed in a battlefield of political corruption, dark magic, and treachery. They must fight back, put everything on the line – or risk losing each other forever.
Volume one of The Witcher season three hits Netflix on June 29th, with Volume two on July 27th. The season runs for eight total episodes.
The joke used to be that by the time a trailer for a new Takashi Miike film came out, he had already finished his next three movies. The Japanese filmmaker known for taking violence and sexual depravity to the extreme with films such as Audition, Ichi the Killer, and Dead or Alive, has finally begun to slow down a bit and has just one movie coming in 2023. That would be Lumberjack the Monster, and based on this trailer it’s right in the Miike wheelhouse.
The story involves a remorseless lawyer who is attacked by a masked assailant, and engages in a violent game of cat and mouse to get revenge before the cops can get in the way.
Yep, classic Miike.
Starring Japanese singer, model, and actor Kazuya Kamenashi, along with Nanao, Riho Yoshioka, Shota Sometani, and Shido Nakamura, the film is an adaptation of Mayusuke Kurai‘s novel Kaibutsu no Kikori.
Lumberjack the Monster doesn’t have a U.S. date yet but we’ll stay on the look out!
Akira Ninomiya (Kamenashi) is a remorseless lawyer who doesn’t hesitate to eliminate anyone who stands in his way. One night he is brutally attacked by an unknown assailant wearing a “monster mask.” Although he miraculously survives the assault, Ninomiya becomes fixated on finding the attacker and getting revenge. Meanwhile, a series of gruesome murder occur where the victims are found with their brains removed from their bodies. While police conduct an intensive investigation, Ninomiya seeks revenge against the assaulter. Who will uncover the truth first?!
It’s not a guarantee that winning Best Picture will make you a household name here in America. Case in point: Michel Hazanavicius, who won the honor in 2011 with The Artist, a film that is now looked at as…well, sortof a gimmicky choice. Even the film’s star and Hazanavicius’ frequent collaborator, Jean Dujardin, who won Best Actor that year, has failed to catch on. And so after a couple of middling efforts in The Search and Redoubtable (ugh), Hazanavicius is back with his latest, zombie remake Final Cut.
Even this arrives with a bit of baggage. A remake of Shin’ichirô Ueda‘s cult favorite One Cut Of The Dead, it was originally meant to debut at Sundance 2022 but was pulled at the last moment when in-person screenings were canceled due to the pandemic. The film ultimately debuted at Cannes, but has taken its sweet time getting a domestic release.
The film stars Romain Duris, Bérénice Bejo, Matilda Lutz, Finnegan Oldfield, Grégory Gadebois, Sébastien Chassagne, Raphaël Quenard, Lyès Salem, and Yoshiko Takehara who also had a role in Ueda’s version.
Here’s the synopsis: Oscar® winner Michel Hazanavicius’ remake of Shin’ichirô Ueda’s cult hit One Cut of the Dead follows a chief (Romain Duris, L’Auberge Espagnole) charged with making a live, single-take, low-budget zombie flick in which the cast and crew, one by one, actually turn into zombies. Featuring hysterically unhinged performances from Oscar® nominee Bérénice Bejo (The Artist), Matilda Lutz (Revenge), and Finnegan Oldfield (Corsage), Final Cut is a sly love letter to the art of filmmaking and a blood-soaked, hilarious genre farce with a meta-to-the-max premise.
Final Cut hits theaters on July 14th, preceded by a run at Tribeca.
Even if you don’t like your snack foods all that spicy, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos are pretty damn tasty. And like them, Eva Longoria’s directorial debut Flamin’ Hot is an easily snackable treat, although not a totally fulfilling one. The origin story of the Frito Lay favorite by Mexican laborer Richard Montañez (Jesse Garcia) is…well, let’s say it’s up for debate. But the film works better when taking a broader view of his rags to riches story, and how access to the American Dream isn’t necessarily equal, that hard work doesn’t always equate to success especially in the corporate world, and how one brand of hot pepper makes a better Flamin’ Hot Cheeto than another.
Montañez’s accomplishments may have been embellished, but they still make for a crowd-pleasing underdog story. Even as a young Mexican boy, Richard’s gift for salesmanship was evident, turning racist bullies into customers by introducing to the burritos his mother would make for lunch. Years later as an adult with his ride-or-die wife Judy (Annie Gonzalez), Richard struggles to make ends meet with no diploma, little work experience, and a criminal background. It isn’t until he convinces a former drug dealer pal to get him into the door at Frito Lay, finding work as a janitor, that Richard’s life starts to turn around.
Dennis Haysbert stars as Clarence C. Baker, a respected Frito Lay engineer who, like Richard, had to claw his way up within the company while facing blatant discrimination. Clarence agrees to take Richard under his wing, teaching him on the job about more than just fixing the corn chip distributor. Times are hard for everyone. The film shows how Reagan’s drastic cuts in the ’80s disproportionately affected poor families and people of color. By the ’90s, the economic downturn left in its wake has Frito Lay on the verge of collapse. Drastic layoffs have impacted everyone, including Richard’s family and friends. His job is on the line, too.
You know whose jobs aren’t on the line? The rich Frito Lay execs who do none of the work but reap all of the benefits. Flamin’ Hot wears its politics on its sleeve. None of this meant to be particularly nuanced, but it is definitely relatable. Those same corporate big-wigs try to drive home the idea that Richard’s culture, his way of life, have no value. So it’s refreshing to see Richard and his family come together on his dream, using household Mexican spices to create a new flavor of Cheetoh that appeals to their community. Everyone gets in on it, with Judy helping on the business side and their children testing out the various levels of heat to find the “good spicy”. Richard has to overcome feelings of worthlessness, instilled in him at an early age by his abusive father who has now “found God” and pretends the past didn’t happen. The personal hurdles that Richard had to overcome are what make his story feel grounded.
Longoria’s long career in television is evident in Flamin’ Hot‘s construction, with the narrative feeling very commercial-ready and slight, with Richard’s plucky voiceover guiding us from vignette to vignette. You don’t get the impression that Flamin’ Hot Cheetos were some great achievement, however, despite the screenplay’s attempts to make this feel like a cultural milestone. Perhaps it’s because we’ve seen so many movies lately about the weird ‘n wild origins of major products, such as in the movies Air, Blackberry, and Tetris. By comparison, Flamin’ Hot doesn’t really measure up.
Frito Lay has disputed Richard Montañez’s claim to having invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Perhaps bracing for the inevitable backlash, the screenplay acknowledges that a similar product was already in development by the time Richard started pitching it to the company, although it does so by proposing that only Richard’s specific cultural background could’ve made such a thing successful. Perhaps that’s correct. Who knows? It doesn’t really matter how truthful the movie is about who invented a spicy snack food. Richard’s commitment to family, his hard work and belief in himself, pulling himself up from nothing to the heights of the corporate world and doing it by staying true to his heritage, are all the flavor that Flamin’ Hotneeds to be worthwhile viewing, even if it’ll leave you hungry for something more substantial.
Flamin’ Hot debuts on Hulu and Disney+ on June 9th.
