"We're not critics. We're professional fan-girls." --- This blog is dedicated to movies and the entertainment industry. We use random selection to bring into light the best and worst of streaming films and entertainment news.
Production Companies:
Notorious Films, 22h22, Canal+, Media Max Productions, Yunnan Film Group
Executive Producer:
Mark Canton, Marc Charette, Jean-Francois Doray, Mike Gabrawy, Andrew Mann, Li
Qiyan, Mark Slone
Director: Nick
Powell
Writer: James
Dormer
Actors: Nicolas
Cage, Hayden Christensen, Fernando Chien, Anoja Dias Bolt, Bill Su Jiahang, Jike
Junyi, Byron Lawson, Shi Lang, Andy On, Yifei Liu
Seeing his death near, a king names his second son his heir
to the anger of his first-born. The heir needs to find a way to be named king
before his older brother can get his hands on him.
Selina’s Point of View:
This movie was a complete mess. I’m not even sure where to
start.
I guess I’ll start at the single most obvious mess in Outcast: accents.
I’m thinking that Hayden Christensen (American Heist, Vanishing on 7th Street, Awake) and Nicolas Cage (Rage, Joe, The Frozen Ground) were supposed
to be speaking in a British accents. I don’t know what accent they were
actually speaking in, but it wasn’t British. I was practically raised by my
very British next door neighbor. I know the accent well. What they were
speaking was some kind of mix of British, Cockney, Irish, Scottish and… dwarven
maybe? Some dialect of Ewok? At one point in the beginning I had to turn on
captions because I had no clue what Christensen was trying to say.
Moving on, I’ll admit that many of the settings and props
used were really well done. The makeup for wounds and scars was amazing. Even
my high definition screen couldn’t find flaw with some of the work done. I want
to meet John L. Healy (X-Men: The Last
Stand, Eragon, True Justice) and his makeup department crew and shake their
hands for what I saw.
Unsung heroes, the behind-the-scene crew of any film. I
should really start mentioning them more. I have a cousin that does back stage
stuff. I should know better.
I digress.
Although most of the settings and props were extremely well
done, there were some… flaws. I mean, as audience members we know the knives in
the scene are made of rubber, but it breaks the illusion to see them flopping back
and forth.
Then there were the characters. Who has a perfectly quaffed Mohawk
in the 12th century during the crusades? Why did Nicolas Cage suddenly turn
into a pirate? Why is everyone in the East made to seem so gullible?
The plot devices were also an issue. We all know when
something is a plot device, but that’s not all it should be. Plot devices lose
their usefulness if the audience can count them as they happen. They’re
supposed to be as seamless as possible as they move the story along.
Despite the many, many, many flaws… I enjoyed the film.
Sure, I was mostly laughing at it, not with it… but enjoyment is still
enjoyment. Watch it with friends, mock the accents, and hilarity is sure to
ensue.
Cat’s Point of View:
I’d seen a few clips from this movie, but not even the full
trailer, prior to its random selection. I thought it looked interesting (and
hey - Hayden Christensen [Jumper, Takers,
Shattered Glass] looks pretty good with that Mohawk, right?!).
Both Christensen and Nicolas Cage (Trespass, The Croods, Pay the Ghost) tend to be wild cards. Some of
their films are fantastic – and the others have us asking ourselves why we’re
watching to begin with.
The movie was laced with beautiful scenery, packed with
action, and sprinkled with emotion and drama. The stunt work here was pretty
cool, and the battle scenes weren’t’ too over-the-top with gore while remaining
realistic.
I bought in to Christensen’s war-weary survivor of the
brutal crusades, and his personal mission to battle his inner demons. I rooted
for his hope of redemption.
There were a few things that bugged me in the film. This was
12th Century in the time of the Crusades – was English really that prevalent
among the common populace in China, a xenophobic society with many dialects of
their own? I know they likely made that choice from a logistics standpoint to
avoid subtitles, but still. Also – king instead of emperor? Maybe I’m letting
little things get to me.
Overall, I still enjoyed the movie and I’d even give it a
recommendation. In the meantime, I’ll
just be over here with this Peter Cetera song stuck in my head.
I found the trailer for this film to be surprisingly
interesting.
Alright, it wasn’t exactly original… but it’s got more than
just a decent cast and the trailer really didn’t spoil all that many of the
scares. Assume there are sufficient scares.
Even if it didn’t look intriguing, I probably would have
added #Horror to my Top 20. I think
it’ll be cool to see Natasha Lyonne (American
Pie, But I’m A Cheerleader, Loitering With Intent) and Taryn Manning (8 Mile, Zombie Apocalypse, A Winter Rose)
starring in a film together. You’ll know them as having both acted in Orange is the New Black (2013-2015).
19 – My All
American (11/13)
Tag Line: Hope
never quits.
Production Company:
Anthem Productions, Paul Schiff Productions
Director: Angelo
Pizzo
Writer: Angelo
Pizo
Actors: Aaron
Eckhart, Finn Wittrock, Robin Tunney, Sarah Bolger, Todd Allen, Brent Anderson
Genre: Drama,
Biography, Sport
Rated: PG
Ok. I hate football. I don’t just dislike football, I hate
it. When I was young, my mom would not tolerate so much as a peep of noise
during the football games and I grew bitter toward it. Still, I’ve enjoyed my
share of football-centric films.
When I was a little girl, one of my favorite films was Little Giants (1994).
This film looks interesting, despite the whole football
thing. Finn Wittrock (Noah, Winter’s
Tale, Unbroken), however, is a big reason why I’d want to see this movie.
Wittrock was one of the best actors last season in American Horror Story (2011-2015). He
was so good, that I’m still having trouble looking at pictures of him without
shivering. Unfortunately, I have very little exposure to him in other projects.
I’d like to see him in a part that isn’t creepy.
18 – Shelter (11/13)
Tag Line: None
Production Company:
Bifrost Pictures, The Bridge Finance Company
Director: Paul
Bettany
Writer: Paul
Bettany
Actors: Jennifer
Connelly, Anthony Mackie, Bruce Altman, Rob Morgan, Kevin Geer, Scott Johnsen
Genre: Drama
Rated: NR
Anthony Mackie (Our
Brand is Crisis, Ant-Man, Avengers: Age of Ultron): great actor. Jennifer
Connelly (Noah, Winter’s Tale, Creation):
great actor. Plot: seemingly original and heart-wrenching.
Shelter looks like
everything a drama should be. It seems insightful, emotional and – if the
trailer is a true indication of what the movie will be like – well written. Of
course, we all know that trailers aren’t always made to represent the movie
well.
I guess we’ll find out.
17 – By the Sea
(Date)
Tag Line: None
Production Company:
Jolie Pas, Pellikola, Plan B Entertainment, Universal Pictures
I have almost no interest in this film. I only want to see
it because I find it interesting that Angelina Jolie (Salt, Wanted, Maleficent) directed Brad Pitt (Fury, World War Z, Fight Club) in it.
I know. I’m a basic-bitch for it. I gobbled up the hype.
Shit happens.
16 – The Peanuts
Movie (11/6)
Tag Line: Dream
big
Production Company:
Blue Sky Studios, Peanuts Worldwide, Twentieth Century Fox Animation
Director: Steve
Martino
Writer: Bryan
Schulz, Craig Schulz, Cornelius Uliano
Actors: Noah
Schnapp, Hadley Belle Miller, AJ Tecce, Noah Johnston, Venus Schultheis,
Alexander Garfin, Francesca Capaldi, Mar Mar, Mariel Sheets, Rebecca Bloom,
William Alexander Wunsch, Anastasia Bredikhina, Bill Melendez
Genre: Animation,
Family
Rated: G
I don’t think this trailer looks interesting at all.
The animation looks choppy and horrible and the voices just
don’t seem right for the characters. The only reason it made the list is due to
nostalgia. I used to read the Peanuts
comics and watch the TV specials. Hell, I think I even have a VHS of the
Christmas special somewhere.
I don’t have a VCR anymore… but still.
15 – Secret in
their Eyes (11/20)
Tag Line: Don’t
look away.
Production Company:
Gran Via Productions, IM Global, Ingenious Media, Route One Films
Director: Billy
Ray
Writer: Billy
Ray, Juan Jose Campanella, Eduardo Sacheri
Actors: Chiwetel
Ejiofor, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, Dean Norris, Michael Kelly, Lyndon
Smith, Joe Cole, Don Harvey, Ross Partridge, Zoe Graham
Genre: Thriller,
Drama, Crime
Rated: PG-13
I’m used to seeing Julia Roberts (Mirror Mirror, Eat Pray Love, Mona Lisa Smile) as the peppy,
beautiful leading lady in romances and dramas. This film portrays her more as
the plain, grieving mother with a thirst for vengeance.
How could I not want to see if she can pull it off?
14 – Legend (11/20)
Tag Line: Power.
Fear. Family.
Production Company:
Anton Capital Entertainment (ACE), Cross Creek Pictures, StudioCanal, Working
Title Films
Director: Brian
Helgeland
Writer: Brian
Helgeland, John Pearson
Actors: Tom
Hardy, Emily Browning, Taron Egerton, Colin Morgan, David Thewlis, Christopher
Eccleston, Paul Anderson, Aneurin Barnard, Tara Fitzgerald, Chazz Palminteri,
Adam Fogerty
Genre: Drama,
Thriller
Rated: R
For this film, my desire to see it is not so much about the
plot as it is about the characters. Each of the characters seems to have an
interesting and deep individual story. It makes me want to see how they wind up
interacting.
I can’t lie, it might also have a little to do with the
involvement of the ninth Doctor, Christopher Eccleston (Doctor Who, Heroes, Thor: The Dark World).
13 – Spectre (11/6)
Tag Line: None
Production Company:
B24, Columbia Pictures, Danjaq, Eon Productions, MGM
Director: Sam
Mendes
Writer: Neal
Purvis, Robert Wade, John Logan, Jez Butterworth, Ian Fleming
Actors: Daniel
Craig, Lea Seydoux, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Ralph Fiennes, Dave Bautista,
Christoph Waltz, Andrew Scott, Monica Bellucci, Rory Kinnearm Jesper
Christensen, Stephanie Sigman
Genre: Action,
Thriller
Rated: PG-13
James Bond. I love James Bond. In fact, when I was young, I
read the James Bond Jr. comics. I just love the characters. Daniel Craig (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The
Adventures of Tintin, Cowboys & Aliens) is not my favorite… but he’ll
do until Mr. Bond “regenerates.”
12 – Victor
Frankenstein (11/25)
Tag Line: Meet
your makers.
Production Company:
Davis Entertainment, TSG Entertainment, Moving Picture Company (MPC), Twentieth
Century Fox Film Corporation
Director: Paul
McGuigan
Writer: Max
Landis, Mary Shelley
Actors: Daniel
Radcliffe, James McAvoy, Jessica Brown Findlay, Andrew Scott, Mark Gatiss,
Louise Brealey, Daniel Mays, Bronson Webb, Freddie Fox, Spencer Wilding
Genre: Thriller,
Horror
Rated: PG-13
Daniel Radcliffe (Harry
Potter, Horns, What If) is playing a very different kind of Igor in this Frankenstein adaptation. Opposite him is
a deranged and high-energy James McAvoy (X-Men:
First Class, Penelope, Wanted) playing Frankenstein. It’s pretty
interesting.
While Harry Potter and Charles Xavier are playing well known
characters, the entire setting and story seems to have had a bit of a face lift.
I’m looking forward to seeing how it works out.
11 – Pali Road (11/16)
Tag Line: None
Production Company:
Crimson Forest Entertainment, Island Film Group, China Film Assist, Beijing
Dadi Century Limited
Director: Jonathan
Hua Lang Lim
Writer: Victoria
Arch, Doc Pedrolie
Actors: Jackson
Rathbone, Sung Kang, Michelle Chen, Elizabeth Sung, Tzi Ma, Henry Ian Cusick,
Lauren Sweetser
Genre: Drama,
Mystery, Romance
Rated: NR
I went into this trailer with no expectations, but came away
wowed.
The writers took a very famous Asian fable and built what
looks like an amazing psychological thriller around it. The actors look as
though they’re really taking their parts seriously, too.
I will be watching this film when it comes out, but I’m
hoping it’s through Netflix.
10 – Man Up (11/13)
Tag Line: Right
time. Right place. Wrong date.
Production Company:
Big Talk Productions, StudioCanal
Director: Ben
Palmer
Writer: Tess
Morris
Actors: Lake
Bell, Simon Pegg, Olivia Williams, Rory Kinnear, Stephen Campbell Moore, Sharon
Horgan, Harriet Walter, Ken Stott
Genre: Romance,
Comedy
Rated: R
Sure, this movie looks cute… but I’m here for Simon Pegg
(Star Trek, Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead).
I’ve only seen one movie starring Simon Pegg that I didn’t
like. So, really, the odds are totally in favor of this film.
9 – Spotlight (11/6)
Tag Line: Break
the story. Break the silence.
Production Company:
Anonymous Content, Participant Media, Rocklin / Faust
Director: Tom
McCarthy
Writer: Josh
Singer, Tom McCarthy
Actors: Mark
Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, John Slattery, Stanley
Tucci, Billy Crudup, Brian d’Arcy James
Genre: Drama,
Thriller
Rated: R
The more I see of Mark Ruffalo (Now You See Me, Thanks for Sharing, Foxcatcher), the more I love
him. I was only introduced to his work when he appeared in The Avengers. Considering his career started with CBS Summer Playhouse in 1989, with his
first full-length film being A Song for
You in 1993, that’s really a shame.
I need to widen my Ruffalo knowledge.
The story itself looks interesting. I’m betting there are
groups that will find it controversial, but that only makes me want to see it
more.
8 – Brooklyn (11/4)
Tag Line: Two
countries, two loves, one heart.
Production Company:
Wildgaze Films, Parallel Film Productions, Irish Film Board, Item 7
Director: John
Crowley
Writer: Nick
Hornby, Colm Toibin
Actors: Saoirse
Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson, Emory Cohen, Emily Bett Rickards, Jim Broadbent, Julie
Walters, Sarah Gadon, Lindsey Elizabeth, Paulino Nunes
Genre: Drama,
Comedy, Romance
Rated: PG-13
There’s something sweet about period pieces made for the time
period this film features. There’s an innocence that no movie about our current
time can obtain. I have to fight at the end to remember that those were times
of greater inequality.
Still, it’s nice to pretend for a while and this romance
looks genuinely interesting.
7 – Love the
Coopers (Date)
Tag Line: You
can’t regift family.
Production Company:
CBS Films, Groundswell Productions, Imagine Entertainment
Director: Jessie
Nelson
Writer: Steven
Rogers
Actors: Anthony
Mackie, Amanda Seyfried, Olivia Wilde, Diane Keaton, Marisa Tomei, Alan Arkin,
John Goodman, Ed Helms, June Squibb, Jake Lacy, Alex Borstein, Jon Tenney
Genre: Drama,
Comedy
Rated: PG-13
Ok. It’s a holiday movie. A family holiday movie. A family
holiday movie involving dysfunction.
Have you had your heart attack from shock? Good, then we can
move passed the recipe-ness of this recipe.
I don’t care, it looks funny. Not to mention, this cast is
ridiculous. John Goodman (Alpha House,
Red State, The Monuments Men), Amanda Seyfried (Ted 2, Epic, Lovelace), Olivia Wilde (Vinyl, House, The Lazarus Effect), Diane Keaton (The Big Wedding, Mama’s Boy, Mad Money),
Anthony Mackie (Captain America: The
Winter Soldier, Runner Runner, Pain & Gain), Marisa Tomei (Crazy Stupid Love, Cyrus, Spare Parts)…
there’s very few people on the cast list that don’t make me want to see the
film. At the very least, I bet it’ll be amusing.
6 – Skiptrace (11/19)
Tag Line: None
Production Company:
Cider Mill Pictures, Dasym Entertainment, InterTitle Films, JC Group
International, Talent International Film Cultural Company, Talent International
Media
Director: Renny
Harlin
Writer: Jay
Longino, BenDavid Grabinski
Actors: Jackie
Chan, Johnny Knoxville, Bingbing Fan, Michael Wong, Eric Tsang, Lily Ji, Tomer
Oz, Eve Torres
Genre: Action,
Comedy
Rated: NR
I keep forgetting what this movie is until I look up the
trailer and immediately I remember how awesome I think it is.
It’s an action/comedy film starring Jackie Chan (The Karate Kid, The Spy Next Door, Chinese Zodiac)
and Johnny Knoxville (The Last Stand,
Nature Calls, Father of Invention).
The only way this movie could go into the ‘not funny’ range
is if the writer plagiarized the dictionary. Even then, I’m not sure the combination
of Chan and Knoxville wouldn’t find a way to make it funny.
5 – Condemned (11/13)
Tag Line: None
Production Company:
Caliber Media Company
Director: Eli
Morgan Gesner
Writer: Eli
Morgan Gesner
Actors: Dylan
Penn, Ronen Rubinstein, Honor Titus, Genevieve Hudson-Price, Johnny Messner,
Shawn Christensen, Jon Abrahams, Jordan Gelber, Anthony Chisholm, Kevin
Kirkwood, Kea Ho, Michael Drayer, Lydia Hearst
Genre: Horror
Rated: NR
Let me be very clear here. This is NOT The Condemned 2 (2015), which is also coming out this month. I
think that film looks like a pale imitation of The Hunger Games (2012) for adults. I’m not really interested in it.
This film is reminiscent of Quarantine, which I remember enjoying to a point. Really, I think
that the story was a good idea, but the shaky cam killed it for me. I’m hoping
the steady cam of Condemned will
elevate the plot to where it should be.
4 – 7500 (11/13)
Tag Line: At
30,000 feet, there’s nowhere to run.
Production Company:
CBS Films, Ozla Pictures, Ozla Productions, Vertigo Entertainment
Director: Takashi
Shimizu
Writer: Craig
Rosenberg
Actors: Amy
Smart, Ryan Kwanten, Leslie Bibb, Nicky Whelan, Jamie Chung, Christian
Serratos, Scout Taylor-Compton, Jerry Ferrara, Alex Frost
Genre: Thriller
Rated: PG-13
First of all, I love the version of Leaving on a Jet Plane they used for this trailer. I thought it fit
remarkably well to add a layer of creepy to what I was seeing.
Second of all, a haunted plane story line seems kind of
interesting to me. The cast is certainly not bad, but in this case it’s the
plot that has me wanting to see the film.
3 – The Night
Before (11/20)
Tag Line: Three
wise men. One wild Christmas.
Production Company:
Columbia Pictures, Good Universe, LStar Capital, Point Grey Pictures
Director: Jonathan
Levine
Writer: Jonathan
Levine, Kyle Hunter, Ariel Shaffir, Evan Goldberg
Actors: Joseph
Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anthony Mackie, Lizzy Caplan, Jillian Bell, Michael
Shannon, Mindy Kaling, Miley Cyrus, Kanye West
Genre: Comedy
Rated: R
Seth Rogen (Steve
Jobs, This is the End, The Interview), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, Looper, Don
Jon) and Anthony Mackie (What’s Your
Number?, The Adjustment Bureau, We Are Marshall) look phenomenally
hilarious in this holiday film. They are the number one reason I want to see The Night Before.
I’m not really expecting the most in depth story line or
originality in plot… but I’d bet body parts that I won’t be able to breathe by
the middle of it, I’ll be laughing so hard. What can I say? I just love Rogen
humor.
2 – Trumbo (11/6)
Tag Line: Are you
now or have you ever been…
Production Company:
Groundswell Productions, ShivHans Pictures
Director: Jay
Roach
Writer: John
McNamara, Bruce Cook
Actors: Bryan
Cranston, Diane Lane, Elle Fanning, Louis C.K., Helen Mirren, John Goodman,
Alan Tudyk, Stephen Root, David James Elliott, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje,
Michael Stuhlbarg, Roger Bart, Dean O’Gorman, Madison Wolfe, Mark Harelik,
Peter Mackenzie
Genre: Biography,
Drama
Rated: R
Bryan Cranston (Breaking
Bad, Rock of Ages, Argo) is an amazing actor. Emulating a person that
really existed in a deep drama is something I have no doubt Cranston can pull
off well.
In this case, he’s acting across from some other amazing
actors: Diane Lane (Jumper, Killshot,
Inside Out), Elle Fanning (We Bought
a Zoo, The Boxtrolls, Low Down), Helen Mirren (Woman in Gold, Brighton Rock, White Nights), Alan Tudyk (Con Man, Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials,
Firefly), John Goodman (Transformers:
Age of Extinction, The Internship, The Hangover Part III), and Louis C.K. (Louie, Blue Jasmine, American Hustle).
Even for people who don’t normally go out of their way to
see drama, I’d suggest this.
1 – The Hunger
Games: Mockingjay Part 2 (11/20)
Tag Line: Nothing
can prepare you for the end.
Production Company:
Color Force, Lionsgate, Studio Babelsberg
Director: Francis
Lawrence
Writer: Danny
Strong, Peter Craig, Suzanne Collins
Actors: Jennifer
Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne
Moore, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, Natalie Dormer, Evan Ross, Sam
Claflin, Robert Knepper, Gwendoline Christie, Donald Sutherland, Jena Malone,
Stanley Tucci, Willow Shields
Genre: Action,
Adventure, Drama
Rated: PG-13
What can I say? If you don’t want to see this movie, you’re
wrong.