“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”, “Warcraft”, “X-Men: Apocalypse”, “Suicide Squad”, “Ghostbusters”(2016), “Independence Day 2”, “Avengers: Civil War” and “Rogue One”. What do these all have in common? They are all big-budget studio films that are built with or on a foundation of a franchise. These ‘tent pole’ films are being produced without an inkling of originality or creativity. Yes, I know that Hollywood is a business but they are at the point of ‘wanting’ money rather than ‘needing’ it. How many remakes, reboots, sequels and prequels do we need before we actually stop going to the theaters and churning out money for an overpriced ticket?
The more films that are watched at home, the less likelihood that there will be those that go out (to the theaters) to see movies like “The Artist” or “Moonlight”. To most, these are not ‘event’ movies to spend ten plus dollars on. Those smaller budgeted movies are at the mercy of limited marketing because studios would rather promote the next superhero movie. Moreover, these ‘event’ movies keep conversations going. Talking “Star Wars” or the latest superhero movie, makes one ‘in the know’, at least pop culturally. More often than not, big budget movies are surface level films that would rather appeal to your eyes rather than your feelings.
The biggest problem actually rests with audiences. They haven’t wised up to this ‘dumbification’. Funny enough, we are at a point where we accept films as good when we are not being critical enough to make films themselves more accountable. I was utterly shocked when there were those (not all) that heralded the narrative mess of “Suicide Squad” and most recently “Rogue One”, the most force fed (no pun intended) nostalgia trip that didn’t bother to provide any character development whatsoever. You may not agree with me but the same rationale applies to the continual release of “Transformers” movies. We want a visual overload without any context and boy, are we getting it. These ‘franchise’ films are scheduled out until 2021. Doesn’t that bother you? It should. The studios are so cocky with their properties. These franchises already have embedded audiences, especially whenever they see “Star Wars” or “Harry Potter” font gracing their movie trailers.
This could be a lose/lose situation ultimately. On one hand, the movie theater experience rivals any home theater option but we are continually getting big-budgeted, uninspired movies. However, should we wise up and hold our films more accountable, the more likely the movie theater experience could vanish all together.
It really comes down to the style versus substance debate. You can marvel at pretty explosions and special effects that help feed your escapism or you can relish in cleverly told stories that are relevant, heartfelt and stand the test of time. For it is the examination of the human condition that propagates the willingness to take upon different perspectives of us and the world in which we live.
Come on, do you really think “Avatar” is a good movie?
The news that there’s going to be a gender swapped “Splash” remake from Disney Studios (Channing Tatum as the merman and Jillian Bell as the girl who is saved by a merman) got me to thinking – just how many Disney movies are in production?! You can likely thank Kenneth Branagh’s “Cinderella” (2015) and Jon Favreau’s “The Jungle Book”, which came out in April 2016, as the beginning of these live action adaptations of animated material.
These films will be coming out whether you like it or not.
“Beauty and the Beast”
Emma Watson (“Harry Potter” franchise) and Dan Stevens (“Downton Abbey”, “The Visitor”) star in this live action adaptation of the 1991 animated film which was the first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. This take has Bill Condon (“Gods and Monsters”, “Chicago”, “Twilight”) in the director’s chair. I remain hopeful. Luke Evans is playing Gaston!
Check out the teaser trailer! Release Date: March 17, 2017
“Dumbo”
Yup, the 1941 animated film is getting the live action treatment with Tim Burton being courted to direct. The only other thing we really know is that the screenwriter is Ehren Kruger (“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”, “Reindeer Games”). Alas, I don’t remain very hopeful for this. I mean, when was the last time Tim Burton made a really ‘good’ movie? Hopefully this idea goes back on the shelves…permanently.
“Splash”
As mentioned above, this will star Channing Tatum and Jillian Bell (“22 Jump Street”, “Workaholics”). The 1984 original had Daryl Hannah as the mermaid who saved Tom Hanks’ character when they were children. The original was nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards. Although this remake will unlikely garner any awards, it still looks like a fun, goofy take on the material. And since both were in “22 Jump Street”, I imagine the ‘tone’ will be similar (maybe I’m hoping).
I should note that the original “Splash” was the first Disney film (under the Touchstone Pictures banner) which aimed at a more mature audience. Touchstone serves as a brand for Walt Disney and not an actual business operation.
“Tinker Bell”
The popular fairy from the “Peter Pan” universe is looking to get her own live action film! Did you know that there’s been six Tinker Bell animated movies since 2008? In fact, Reese Witherspoon was announced late last year to play the titular character. There hasn’t been much released on this project but we do know that Witherspoon is set to also produce and the film is set to be called “Tink”.
Meh, I guess it could be worse. We could get a remake of “Hook”.
“Bangarang Rufio!!!”
“Cruella De Vil”
Yes, the fun villain from the “101 Dalmatians” films will be getting her own film a lot like Maleficent got her own film recently with Angelina Jolie. Anyways, the actress that is in early stages to take on a young version of De Vil is Emma Stone! Surprisingly, I think she’ll own the role. Stone is a supremely talented actress that we are just now seeing come into her own. Not much is known yet regarding script or directors.
“Maleficent 2”
The reluctant anti-hero of Maleficent returns! Well, in this newer iteration of the character that first became known as the evil queen in “Sleeping Beauty”. Angelina Jolie was also confirmed to reprise her role. The original screenwriter (Linda Woolverton) will return but no plot details or a release date has been set. The first film made over $200 million in the US alone. It shouldn’t come as that much of a surprise to have this sequel happen.
“Jungle Book 2”
The Favreau directed film (that was just released in April) has already been announced to get a sequel. The box office for the first film almost made $1 billion worldwide! That’s nuts! Don’t expect these live action remakes to go away any time soon!
“Mary Poppins” sequel
Emily Blunt is set to play the titular character in the Rob Marshall (“Chicago”, “Into the Woods”) directed musical movie (with Lin Manuel Miranda costarring). Actually, even the original stars – Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke (original Poppins and Bert) have been confirmed to appear in the film as well!
Wish you knew some more background about North American wizarding before Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them comes out in theaters this fall? Well, you’re in luck. Because according to Entertainment Weekly, we are now just two days away from more stories from J.K. Rowling. Prepare for Magic in North America.
The new stories will ostensibly touch on Ilvermorny, the American wizarding school that I keep misreading as Livermorny, skinwalkers (people who magically turn into animals, according to Native American legend), the Magical Congress of the United States of America, and the Salem Witch Trials. While I’m most excited to find out more about Ilvermorny, I’m also hoping that maybe these Salem Witch Trial stories will be scarier than The Witch.
These new stories will help fill in some of the North American wizarding background leading up to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, starring Eddie Redmayne on November 18th.
So mark your calendars for March 8th at 9 A.M. ET. That’s when the first story in Magic in North America drops on Pottermore.com. While video embedding is restricted, if you’d like to watch the video that accompanied the announcement, click here.
The Avengers 2: Age of Ultron – The box office smash sequel pits the Avengers against a one-dimensional villain. This has moments of awesome but mostly settles as a bloated super hero movie. Full review here.
October 6th
Magic Mike XXL – Channing Tatum and pals bare it all…again. McConaughey decided to focus on better movies and does not appear in this oversized sequel. Elizabeth Banks, Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, and Jada Pinkett Smith co-star.
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl – This is a movie about two aspiring, young filmmaker friends that end up making a film for a girl that has leukemia. They learn more about their friendship and the fragility of life. The cast includes Hugh “Wolverine” Jackman, Olivia Cooke, Nick Offerman (Parks & Recreation), Molly Shannon (SNL alum) and Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead, upcoming 2nd season of Daredevil).
Manglehorn – A dramedy about a locksmith (Al Pacino) that has trouble living in the present. Can we just get a The Devil’s Advocate sequel already?! Pacino seems to be wasting time on these cutesy movies that have a limited audience. Anyways, the movie focuses on how this locksmith mopes through life in a small Texas town and lives in his tragic, lovelorn past when he desperately needs to change his present. The movie is directed by David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express, Your Highness) and co-stars Holly Hunter.
Insidious: Chapter 3 – In this prequel, a girl tries to contact her late mother so she recruits a reluctant psychic with grave results. For some reason Dermot Mulroney is in this. Why? Rotten Tomatoes: 53%.
Road Hard – This comedy follows a character named Bruce Madsen, a successful actor/comedian, who decides to change things up and go back to his roots and perform in the comedy club circuit. Things don’t turn out as expected which forces Bruce (played by Adam Carolla) to reevaluate his career. This sounds like an auto-biographical snooze fest! Anyways, the movie co-stars David Koechner (Anchorman, Waiting).
Batkid Begins – This follows a five year-old boy, suffering from leukemia that gets a chance to be Batman for a day via the Make a Wish foundation.
10,000 Saints – A group of smugglers learn the hard price of growing up and the value of family in the backdrop of 1980s New York City. The cast includes Ethan Hawke (Boyhood, Gattaca) , Asa Butterfield (Ender’s Game, Hugo) , Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit), Emile Hirsch (The Girl Next Door), and Emily Mortimer. There may be a reason this was released direct to video.
Dark Places – From the author of Gone Girl (Gillian Flynn) comes a story about a woman (Libby) trying to run away from her tragic past and her brother, who she blames for murdering the rest of her family. She is then contacted by a group that specializes in unsolved cases. Libby (played by Charlize Theron) must decide if she wants to accept the past or truly find the killer responsible. This movie came and went in theaters. The movie co-stars Chloe Grace Moretz (Kick-Ass), Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max: Fury Road), and Christina Hendricks (Mad Men). It holds a 39% on Rotten Tomatoes. Proceed with caution!
Escobar: Paradise Lost – Nick and his brother move from Canada to Colombia during the 1980s to set up a surf shop. There, Nick falls for Maria, who happens to be the niece of Pablo Escobar. Things get worse from there as Nick is recruited to stash away Escobar’s assets before he serves a jail sentence. I’m slightly interested in this but I have to say that Narcoson Netflix deals primarily with Escobar’s rise/fall and that seems a lot more interesting. This film features Benicio Del Toro (Traffic, upcoming Sicario) as Escobar and co-stars Josh Hutcherson (The Hunger Games).
Final Girl – Veronica is new in town and becomes a target for a group of boys who hunt and kill women in the woods for sport. The tables are turned when Veronica is actually a trained assassin. Abigail Breslin (Ender’s Game, Maggie) stars alongside Wes Bentley (that creepy video recorder dude from American Beauty, bearded weirdo in The Hunger Games).
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief – This is a riveting documentary that chronicles the rise of the Church of Scientology and the followers and defectors that provide insight into the often shocking inner workings of the fastest growing church. Archival footage and interviews with current and former members (that include many Hollywood stars – Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Paul Haggis, etc.) make this a documentary worth catching. My full review is here.
People Places Things – Flight of the Concords alum, Jermaine Clement, stars in this comedy about a happily married professor with two kids that deals with the affair between his friend and his wife. He finds out that the single life with kids isn’t what he was expecting. I happen to enjoy Clement’s sense of humor and may give this a go.
Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No! – Talk about beating a dead horse. That wasn’t a request. Ian Ziering (Beverly Hills 90210) and Tara Reid (American Pie) try to hold onto their careers in the popular, purposefully bad SyFy original movie. The outlandish, most once famous cast includes: Frankie Muniz, Bo Derek, David Hassehoff and Mark Cuban (as the President). You know what’s better than a purposefully bad movie? An unintentionally bad movie. See: The Room, Birdemic: Shock and Terror.
What We Did On Our Holiday – As Gordy nears his 75th Birthday, his son and his family decide to visit him in Scotland. Things go awry when his son’s kids are brutally honest and are unable to keep any secrets, which makes an already awkward family trip more awkward. The film stars David Tennant (Doctor Who), Billy Connolly, and Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl).
October 13th
San Andreas – Hey, what’s shakin’?! Well, the Rock of course! This is an epic destruction movie for people that enjoy flashy special effects and a sub-par story or…..they just go for the Rock. I don’t blame them. Believe it or not, the movie co-stars Carla Gugino (Watchmen) and Paul Giamatti (Sideways).
Tommorowland – This film probably had the most promise this summer but was an utter disappointment. The marketing was interesting and the director, Brad Bird, has had nothing but success with his earlier films: The Incredibles, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Iron Giant. Check out a full review here.
The Gallows – A group of high school students try to put on a play that failed twenty years earlier and resulted in the death of a student, Charlie. The event is meant to be cathartic for the town on the anniversary of Charlie’s death, but a group of students sabotage the production to help the lead actor avoid stage fright. The group’s actions have grave consequences as Charlie’s story isn’t finished. This story is actually more elaborate than more horror films but still sounds boring.
Dope – We follow a high school student named Butler (Blake Anderson) who tries to stay on the straight and narrow amongst a town (Inglewood, CA) that would rather get by on dealing drugs and making easy money. Butler has aspirations of going to Harvard and leaving the city behind but is tested one night at a party. Lenny Kravitz’s daughter, Zoe Kravitz, costars.
October 20th
Jurassic World – Doctor John Hammond’s future dinosaur world is realized twenty two years later in Jurassic World. Just as any company would do if public interest were waning, they need to innovate new ways to attract people across the world. Of course, if your company happens to be a giant dinosaur zoo, innovation can spell doom in the form of a genetically modified dinosaur, the Indominus Rex. The movie is a lot of fun if you don’t think too much about the story. Check out my full review here.The movie stars Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation, Guardians of the Galaxy), Bryce Dallas Howard (The Village), and Jake Johnson (New Girl, Let’s Be Cops).
Paper Towns – A high school student, Quentin, has always pined for Margo his entire life and when she breaks into his house asking for his help in a revenge plot, he agrees. After their adventure, Margo has disappeared from their school but not without leaving clues for Quentin to follow that will end up changing how he really feels for her. This is based off the book of the same name by author John Green (who also wrote The Fault in Our Stars). The film stars up and comer, Cara Delevingne (upcoming Suicide Squad) and Nat Wolff. You’d have to drag me to see a movie like this. Quirky, romantic movies irritate me because they are highly unrealistic yet pretend they aren’t.
Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’ – I don’t usually cover Japanese anime movies but I guess I’m always a little fond of the Dragon Ball Z tv show (when it aired on Cartoon Network back in the day). This details how big baddie, Frieza, is back after falling to Goku’s Super Saiyan years ago. Frieza is hell bent on revenge, even without an actual body. It’s up to Goku and Vegeta to work together. I’d probably save this for hung over Sunday mornings (before football of course).
The Vatican Tapes – Two Vatican priests are out to exorcise a woman believed to be possessed by the Anti-Christ. They must work to save her soul and for humanity…blah..blah…This uninspired movie stars Dougray Scott (MI: 2), Djimon Hounsou (Amistad) , and Michael Pena (Ant-Man). Rotten Tomatoes score: 13%.
Testament of Youth – Alicia Vikander (Ex-Machina) and Kit Harrington (Game of Thrones) star in this World War I drama. Vera Brittain (Vikander) postpones her studies to become a nurse as her loved ones, including Harrington head to war. Brittain later becomes a writer, feminist, and pacifist. The film doesn’t sound that interesting but is getting decent reviews. Rotten Tomatoes: 81%.
Z for Zachariah – This tale centers on a lone female survivor (Margot Robbie) of the apocalypse and the last two known men alive (Chiwetel Ejiofor and Chris Pine) who try to court for her affections. The three must find a way to work together in order to survive. So, it seems that this is about how two dudes wanna do it with Robbie. I don’t blame them. What if the movie casted Amy Schumer instead of Margot Robbie? I believe both men would rather roam the Earth looking for another lady.
I Spit on Your Grave 3: Vengeance is Mine – Jennifer is a girl that is just trying to overcome the torture she’s experienced and live a normal life. When one of Jennifer’s friends is murdered and those responsible escapes, she turns on revenge mode while the rest of the city erupts with rapists and serial killers. Pass!
The Wolfpack – This is a documentary that follows six brothers that live the majority of their lives in a New York apartment. They rely on movies in order to understand the real world. They all reenact scenes of their favorite movies. As the brothers get older, they desire interactions with the real world and everything begins to change when one of them runs away. Sounds like this may be worth checking out.
October 27th
Pixels – Adam Sandler is trying to fart on the box office again with this sad attempt at appealing to the thirty something group that relishes arcade games. The story involves how aliens receive golden age transmissions of video games being played, interpret the message as the real thing and declare war on Earth in the form of well-known classic games that include Donkey Kong and Pac Man. The President enlists his childhood friend, Sandler, to beat the aliens at their own game. He also enlists a rag tag group that includes Peter Dinklage, Josh Gad, and Kevin James. The film is directed by Chris Columbus (the 1st two Harry Potter movies).
Southpaw – Jake Gyllenhaal gains a ton of muscle to play a left handed boxer who must overcome the death of his wife. After much inner turmoil and with the fate of his relationship with his daughter at stake, he must climb out and be the best boxer he can be so he can be the best father he can be. The movie received mixed reviews but I wouldn’t mind renting this. I mean, it’s Gyllenhaal and after his performance in Nightcrawler, I expect a solid performance.
The Gift – A husband and wife (Simon and Robin) move into a new home and run into an old acquaintance, Gordo, of Simon’s from high school. The couple accepts a gift of wine and invites him to their house for dinner. Gordo begins to leave more gifts and starts to stalk Robin while she’s home alone. Simon tries to tell Gordo that he is not welcome only then to be threatened by a 25 year old secret about Simon. The movie stars Jason Bateman (Arrested Development), Rebecca Hall (The Town) and Joel Edgerton (The Great Gatsby, Exodus: Gods and Kings). The film is also the directorial debut of Joel Edgerton. I really wanted to see this film but had scheduling conflicts. The film has a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. I’ll be sure to rent this.
Max – This is supposed to be an uplifting family drama/adventure that centers around a military dog named Max. After Max’s handler, Kyle, is killed, he is then returned to Kyle’s family and ends up helping them heal from their loss. Thomas Haden Church (Sideways), Lauren Graham (Bad Santa), and Robbie Amell (Flash) star.
The Human Centipede III: The Final Sequence – The outrageous idea of a singular digestive system through multiple people is expanded upon in this latest installment from the Dutch filmmaker, Tom Six. This time, they are attempting to utilize 500 people (which are being sewn together a$$ to mouth) to create the largest, singular digestive system the world has ever known. The creepy actor from the original film, Dieter Laser, reprises his role as the crazed doctor. The movie even co-stars Eric Roberts (Best of the Best, The Dark Knight). Not for the easily grossed out.
Insurgent – The movie cousin to The Hunger Games has a sequel. Based upon the YA(young adult) novel, this sequel focuses on the war between four factions (Amity, Abnegation, Erudite, and Dauntless). Tris is one of the divergents (having all 4 characteristics) as she helps lead the way in a fight for peace or something like that. Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet and the god awful Jai Courtney.
Do You Believe? – A religious movie about how a pastor influences another pastor to be more pastorly. Starring: Mira Sorvino, Sean Astin (Rudy), and Cybill Shepherd.
True Story – This is that James Franco and Jonah Hill movie that was based on a true story. It focuses on the relationship between a writer, Finkel (Hill) and a murderer, Longo (Franco), taking upon Finkel’s identity. Finkel was a writer for the New York Times Magazine and was actually fired for fabricating parts of a news story in 2002.
Child 44 – Tom Hardy plays a Russian Intelligence agent (in the Joseph Stalin era) who takes on a case involving multiple murders of children. Leo Demidov’s (Hardy) case leads to high authorities in the Russian government. Based upon the first in a trilogy of novels by Tom Rob Smith, the story follows Demidov’s exploits. Starring: Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace (Prometheus), Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight, The Professional), Joel Kinnaman (The Killing, upcoming Suicide Squad), Jason Clarke (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes), Vincent Cassel (Trance), and Charles Dance (Game of Thrones, The Golden Child).An incredible cast doesn’t always spell box office success. Still, I am likely to rent this.
A Little Chaos – A movie about competitive garden designers that are tasked to create a one of a kind water fountain on the grounds of le chateau de Versailles. I’m not making this up. Starring: Kate Winslet (The Reader), Alan Rickman (Harry Potter), Stanley Tucci(Transformers 4: Age of Extinction), and Matthias Schoenaerts (Bullhead).
Adult Beginners – A drama about a businessman (Nick Kroll) that loses it all but while staying with his sister (Rose Byrne) learns valuable life lessons. Starring: Nick Kroll (The League), Rose Byrne (X-Men: First Class), Bobby Cannavale (Ant-Man), Joel McHale (Ted) and Jason Mantzoukas (The Dictator, The League).
The Salvation – Mads Mikkelsen stars as a vengeful settler in the American West circa 1870s after the murder of his family. After killing the man responsible, the leader of their gang also seeks revenge. Looks like a decent flick. Starring: Mads Mikkelsen (Casino Royale, Hannibal), Eva Green (Casino Royale), and Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen).
Barely Lethal – This movie follows a 16 year old teenager assassin after she fakes her own death and enrolls in a suburban high school. She quickly learns that school clicks and popularity come at a price. Starring: Jessica Alba (Sin City), Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones), and Samuel L. Jackson (every movie). Yawn!
Madame Bovary – A drama focusing on an adulterous wife as she tries to escape her boring lifestyle. Starring: Mia Wasikowska (In Treatment, Alice in Wonderland), Ezra Miller (Trainwreck, upcoming Flash), Paul Giamatti (Sideways) and Rhys Ifans (The Amazing Spider-Man).
Jackie & Ryan – Katherine Heigl still manages to headline movies, although this one looks straight to video. The story involves two musicians as they find themselves in love. Starring Katherine Heigl, Ben Barnes and Clea DuVall.
August 11th
Hot Pursuit – All of the previews for this mess looked like a rip off of The Heat with Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy. This is a ‘female buddy’ film that has a conservative cop (Reese Witherspoon) and the wife of a drug dealer (Sofia Vergara) that must team up against a drug cartel. If Sofia’s blabbering accent on Modern Family isn’t enough for you, then check this out!
Unfriended – A high school girl that killed herself due to a cruel prank now communicates via Skype in video group chats! Okay, it sounds lame but at least it’s a different way for the genre of horror to reach another generation of kids.
Robot Overlords – Humans are slaves to a race of robots that conquered the world. People are confined to their homes and must wear implants. I’m not sure how this escaped me as it stars Ben Kingsley (Ghandi, Tut) and Gillian Anderson (X-Files). I may watch if the SyFy Channel picks it up.
August 18th
Little Boy – A seven year old boy ventures off to bring his father back home from the World War II. The boy’s innocence incites those embedded in the war. Starring Emily Watson, Kevin James (you read that right), Michael Rapaport, Tom Wilkinson and Ali Landry (that hot Dorito’s commercial girl).
Lambert & Stamp – This documentary chronicles the journey of aspiring filmmakers, Christopher Stamp and Kit Lambert, as they try to produce a movie during the 1960’s underground music scene. The doc also features footage with famous people related to The Who, Richard Barnes, Roger Daltry, and Pete Townshend.
5 to 7 – This is a romantic comedy that follows a woman who writes about falling in love. Things get crazy when the person she is in love with is the French diplomat’s wife! Gasp! Caged Heat sounds better.
Strangerland – A family moves to the Australian outback when a dust storm results in the loss of their children. A search party forms to find the missing children amidst rumors and suspicion. Spooky! Starring: Nicole Kidman (Fur), Joseph Fiennes (Voldemort’s brother) and Hugo Weaving (The Matrix, Lord of the Rings).
The Riot Club – In this thriller, two freshman join an infamous club at Oxford. One day, all of the spoiled, rich students get in over their heads. Based upon the play, Posh. The movie,Skulls, is probably much better than this but that ain’t saying much!
Vendetta – Remember Dean Cain? Well, if you haven’t went out of your way to research where he’s been, you’d still only remember him for playing Superman in the TV series, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Mr. Cain has been playing in direct to video movies for quite some time. In this movie, he plays a cop who must get revenge after his wife is murdered by The Big Show (Paul Wight or WWE fame). This looks like hung-over viewing.
August 25th
Aloha – An all-star cast surrounds this box office disappointment. Brian Gilcrest is a US weapons consultant that becomes disgraced, then later talks to a robot and then eventually heads to Hawaii to oversee the launch of a spy satellite. He must also get permission for the launch from the Hawaiian council as part of his assignment. Directed by fan-favorite Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire) and starring: Bradley Cooper, Emma, Stone, Rachel McAdams, John Krasinski, Danny McBride, Alec Baldwin, and Bill Murray.
Citizenfour – This riveting looking documentary showcases how filmmaker, Laura Poitras (who focuses on gov’t surveillance of private citizens post 9/11) receives an encrypted email by “citizenfour” who claims to have inside knowledge of covert surveillance by intelligence agencies. “Citizenfour” ends up being Edward Snowden. The documentary focuses on key interviews with Snowden and Julian Assange. Looks very interesting.
Where Hope Grows – Holy 1980s! This movie stars Danica McKellar (The Wonder Years) and William Zabka (bad guy from The Karate Kid). The story focuses on a former professional baseball player who retires because of panic attacks. He eventually develops a relationship with a store clerk who has Downs Syndrome. His perspective on life changes and hope is learned…blah…blah…blah….I’ll pass.
Two Days, One Night – Marion Cotillard (Inception, La Vie en Rose) stars in this drama about how working class people who may have been disenfranchised from society. Sandra (Cotillard) tries to return to her job after an episode of depression only to find that her employer no longer needs her. She learns her fate is to be decided by her fellow employees in a vote.
Big Game – A teenager finds the President of the United States in a pod while hunting. Together they must make it through the woods alive as terrorists close in. Starring: Samuel L. Jackson (every movie) and Onni Tommila.
Skin Trade – Dolph Lundgren stars as a detective out for revenge after his family was slain by the mob. The mob is eventually connected to a human trafficking ring and Dolph must work with Tony Jaa (Ong Bak, The Defender), a Thai detective, to destroy them once and for all. Hung-over viewing.
Justice League: Gods and Monsters – Set in an alternate universe, DC’s trinity (Wonder Woman, Batman and Superman) find themselves framed for a bombing. DC’s main guns all have different origin stories and must decide whether they want to save the world or conquer it. Voice actors: Benjamin Bratt, Michael C. Hall, Tamara Taylor, Jason Isaacs and C. Thomas Howell. It’s a comic book animated movie! Count me in.
Lila & Eve – A drama/thriller surrounding a mother, Lila, who loses her son in a drive by shooting. Lila eventually meets Eve, another mother who lost her daughter the same night. Together they go after the criminals responsible. Starring: Viola Davis and Jennifer Lopez. Lifetime should starting making theatrical releases.
October Gale – This follows a doctor who tries to assist an injured man on an island from a man that is hunting him. Starring Patricia Clarkson, Scott Speedman, and Tim Roth.
The Runner – Nicolas Cage is back again as a once idealistic politician that must re-examine his life after a sex scandal destroys his career. Not to be confused with a good movie, this stars Nicolas Cage, Sarah Paulson (12 Years a Slave), Peter Fonda (Easy Rider) and Connie Nielsen (Gladiator). Will Nic Cage ever make a comeback from box office obscurity?
The “Cinderella” movie is coming out, which I’m banking on will actually be a good movie because Kenneth Branagh(Thor, Sleuth, Hamlet, and upcoming Cinderella) is super great as a director. However, yesterday (sorry I’m five hours late!) it was reported, via Hollywood Reporter, that Luke Evans and Dan Stevens have signed on, along with Emma Watson, in a live action take on “Beauty and the Beast”.
Luke Evans (Dracula Untold, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Furious Six) is set to play Gaston, Dan Stevens (Downtown Abbey) is set to play the Beast, and Emma Watson(Harry Potter series) is set to play Belle. The director attached is Bill Condon from the “Twilight: Breaking Dawn” movies. It’s easy to pass off Condon as a sh*tty director but I’d actually blame the source material for “Twilight” being the way it is and the young adult audience it draws. Condon has credibility with the other works he’s directed: “Dreamgirls”, “Gods and Monsters” and “Kinsey”.
Personally, I’m excited to see Gaston on the screen again. He was the best part of the “Beauty and the Beast” animated movie. He’s pompous and interesting. I believe the same logic is used with Prince Humperdinck in “The Princess Bride”. To be sure of this will be the tone that the studio is trying to create. I am hoping for a light, corky and fun take on the source material. They better not make it needlessly dark. It’s best to look at the tone for the upcoming “Cinderella” as indicative of what else is to come.
That brings us to: why is Disney doing this? Money. Look, outside the obvious, there is a young generation that literally has no idea what Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast are about. I also believe that these stories, if modernized, will translate well to today. I’m gonna have to admit that I actually want to see “Cinderella”.
“Cinderella” opens March 13, 2015. “Beauty and the Beast” has yet to announce a date.
Personally, I’m excited to see Gaston on the screen again. He was the best part of the “Beauty and the Beast” animated movie. He’s pompous and interesting. I believe the same logic is used with Prince Humperdinck in “The Princess Bride”. To be sure of this will be the tone that the studio is trying to create. I am hoping for a light, corky and fun take on the source material. They better not make it needlessly dark. It’s best to look at the tone for the upcoming “Cinderella” as indicative of what else is to come.
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