"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.
I think it’s been pretty obvious that I’m an absolute sucker for 80’s
nostalgia. It makes my inner kid squee – and often that translates to chuckles
from my friends and family when I actually do so aloud. They expect such from
me, anyway… but I digress.
I recently stumbled on a bit of Hollywood buzz that earned an excited
bounce in my chair and a few exclamations. The
Karate Kid (1984) franchise is getting another sequel installment.
Normally, this might have me groaning and rolling my eyes, but this was
different. I’ve watched all of the various incarnations in the series – from
the original trilogy to the gender-bent new generation attempt, and the full-on
reboot of several years ago. They started losing me after the second movie in
the trilogy, really. The series peaked for me there – and then there was that
soundtrack that I still love.
Before I bury the lead here, I’m happy to explain that this new series
is returning to the OG roots of the story and shining a light on the primary
adversaries from the original 1984 movie – Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence
pick up the story 30 years after the infamous tournament.
"Like everyone who grew up in the 1980s, the three of us are enormous fans of The Karate Kid. Cobra Kai will be a true continuation of the original films – packed with comedy, heart, and thrilling fight scenes. We can’t wait to reignite the LaRusso-Lawrence rivalry, and we’re thankful to our partners at YouTube Red, Sony Pictures Television, and Overbrook for their shared enthusiasm in making our dream project a reality." - Sony Pictures Press Release - Heald, Hurwitz, and Schlossberg
The series is currently in production in Atlanta, GA and will be
released for streaming on the YouTube Red subscription service sometime in
2018. YouTube has planned a 10 episode run of 30-minute episodes. That’s a
decent run if you consider Stranger
Things (2016-) episodes number less than that per season (albeit an hour
long each).
What I’ve gleaned from the various articles that have popped up between
the August 2017 Sony Pictures announcement and now is that the plot will be a
little bit ‘where are they now’ looking at the lives of Johnny and Daniel –
and, of course, Ralph Macchio (Ugly
Betty, Hitchcock, The Deuce) and William Zabka (Back to School, Hot Tub Time Machine, How I Met Your Mother) are
reprising their iconic roles. The duo have apparently remained friends over the
years since they took part in the pop culture staple as crane-kicker and
leg-sweeper respectively; and they seem to have become spearheads of this
project. Both are working as co-executive producers in addition to starring in
the series.
JoBlo doesn’t seem to be a very big fan of 80’s Nostalgia, which seems
to be solidifying itself as a bonafide genre of its own; yet they posted a
very informative article with some inside scoop as to some of the plot content
of the new series. It’s possible that it might be a bit of a mild spoiler, so
if you don’t want to leave everything to surprise you at series release, you
can check that article out here.
Getty Images
This new show is a little bittersweet for me. I am decidedly going to
miss Mr. Miyagi, played by Oscar winner Pat Morita (Mulan, Baywatch, Act Your Age). Sadly, he passed in 2005. I do
appreciate the fact that his character will be honored in the new story and
central to part of Daniel’s story as he is trying to balance his life without
his mentor in it. This is something that resonates with me significantly. As I
get older and important mentors from my youth (mostly teachers and friends’
parents) have passed on, it can be a difficult thing to process – in direct
proportion to how significant a role the person played in your life.
Of course that plays right into one of the primary goals of YouTube
when they snagged the series – they’re looking to expand their demographic to
an older audience. Current YouTube watchers tend to be in the younger age-brackets.
I know my daughter is all about her YouTubers. She watches YouTube on her
Kindle more than she actually reads books on the thing. I watch decidedly less,
generally, unless I’m poring through trailers or the occasional music video. It
can be quite the rabbit hole to dive.
I thought it was interesting that the new series was named after the
dojo at the center of all the conflict in the original movie, but YouTube’s
Global Head of Originals, Susanne Daniels, explained the concept behind that.
"If The Karate Kid was Daniel’s story, Cobra Kai is equal parts
Daniel and Johnny’s story. Also because this is a series and not a movie, we
really wanted to reimagine how the story was told. Changing the name made sense
as part of that." - Susanne Daniels via Hollywood Reporter
I can’t wait to see how they infuse the past with the present, how many
thematic elements carry over or differ from the originals, and how well the
comedy plays in to the story. I’m thinking that we might just do a Karate Kid
marathon right before this series is released. This is definitely a reason to
pick up the YouTube Red subscription – if only for a little while.
Here's some of the production details we currently know about the new series:
Official Synopsis: Thirty years after the events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament, a down-and-out Johnny Lawrence (Zabka) seeks redemption by reopening the infamous Cobra Kai karate dojo, reigniting his rivalry with a now successful Daniel LaRusso (Macchio), who has been struggling to maintain balance in his life without the guidance of his mentor, Mr. Miyagi. The show is about two men addressing past demons and present frustrations the only way they know how: through karate.
Genre: Action, Comedy, Drama, Family Production Companies: Hurwitz & Schlossberg Productions, Overbrook Entertainment, Sony Pictures Television Producers: William Zabka, Ralph Macchio, Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, James Lassiter, Caleeb Pinkett, Hayden Schlossberg Directors: Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg Writers: Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg Actors: Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Courtney Henggeler, Ed Asner, Tanner Buchanan, Mary Mouser, Xolo MaridueƱa, Jacob Bertrand, Jonathan Mercedes, Kwajalyn Brown, Vanessa Rubio, Gianni Decenzo, Kylie Delre, Bo Mitchell, Ashton Leigh, Euseph Messiah, Terayle Hill, Luke Donaldson, Onye Eme-Akwari Stunts: Jennifer Badger, Ken Barefield, Nick DeKay, Juliene Joyner, Jonathan Mercedes, Dawson Towery, Jwaundace Candece, Lance Herota, Hiro Koda
P.S. As a little something extra, you can watch a free behind-the-scenes 'rehearsal movie' from the original Karate Kid, released shortly after the original director's passing. I wasn't able to embed it into the article for some reason, but it's available on this article from TheHollywoodNews.
But
I Digress... is a weekly column for trustthedice.com that can't be
pinned down to just one thing. It's our celebration of tangents,
random references, and general fan geekdom that both intertwines with,
revolves around, and diverges from our movie-review core. In homage to
the beloved Brit comedians, we want to bring you something completely
different!
Production Companies:
Habitacion 1520 Producciones, Instituto Nacional de Cine y Artes Audiovisuales
(INCAA)
Producer: Maximiliano
Dubois
Director: Yago
Blanco
Writer: Yago
Blanco, Diego Nunez
Actors: Mariano
Martinez, Eugenia Tobal, Peto Menahem, Maju Lozano, Eugenia Guerty, Ana Yovino,
Gonzalo Suarez, Chema Tena, Gustavo Garzon, Agustina Cordova, Nicolas Condito,
Paula Morales
Stunt Doubles: None
Blurb from Netflix:
When his ex-girlfriend who left the country returns to Argentina for a wedding,
a young psychologist tries to cope with his feelings and win her back.
Selina’s Point of View:
I was not overly fond of the structure of this film.
I can handle fourth wall breaks. In the right moments, done
the right way, they can absolutely make a film. I did not, however, enjoy the
way they made those breaks in this film.
That wasn’t my only issue with Guelcom either. I had a huge issue with the captions.
Now, not all methods of watching Netflix do captions the
same way. Your captions on the computer may be different than the captions you
see through a gaming system. I watch Netflix on an Apple TV. I’m not sure who’s
responsible for the captions I saw, but they were bad.
The captions moved so quickly I had trouble keeping up at
times. Not all the words were translated correctly and, near the hour mark, not
all the lines were captioned in general. I missed roughly five or six lines of
dialogue because there were no captions to go along with them. I can only
imagine what was happening according to what the visuals on screen were.
There were also story breaks that didn’t make sense. The
story paused while the narrator talked about something that was only barely
relevant to anything happening.
Quite frankly, the experience of this film was so ruined for
me, that I don’t actually even care if it was good or not. From what I could
see, it was probably a decent film that was destroyed by bad post-production. Maybe
even some bad directing.
If you are fluent in Spanish, this may be a good film for
you. If you aren’t… skip it.
Cat’s Point of View:
I will admit that I dragged my heels a little in watching
this movie today. I wasn’t so sure that I was in the mood for a rom-com; and
especially one in another language.
This was one of those cases that the film pleasantly
surprised me. I actually enjoyed it for the most part. I did, however, feel
that the pacing was a bit drawn out. There were points I had to check the
progress bar; yet there were spans of time where I didn’t think about it at all
as I sank into the story.
The actress that played Julieta seriously reminds me of
someone and that was a bit distracting for me as I tried to puzzle it out. I
still can’t remember her doppelganger’s name or the movie I last saw her in;
but that only illustrates the fact that while fairly enjoyable, this movie
couldn’t manage to keep my attention entirely. That’s rough when subtitles are
involved.
The humor was subtler and a little more on the cerebral side
than your average comedy. It was clever and witty, and I liked that it wasn’t
quite as in-your-face as most films these days. The cultural differences
highlighted between Argentina and Spain were also interesting.
All told, I didn’t mind this movie, but I wouldn’t choose it
to watch again.
Production Company:
Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU), Babieka Films, Ego Film Arts,
Gigantic Studios, Outpost Digital, Serendipity Point Films
Director: Joe
Berlinger
Writer: Joe
Berlinger, Cy Christiansen
Actors: Shohreh
Aghdashloo, Taner Akcam, Hagop Asadourian, Peter Balakian, Christian Bale, Ian
Bedford, Michael Bobelian, Paul Boghossian, Eric Bogosian
Genre: Documentary
Rated: NR
Length: 115
minutes
IMDb Blurb: Filmmaker Joe Berlinger meets with historians and
scholars to discuss the Armenian Genocide and the continuing denial by the
Turkish government of it ever happening.
This film made the list more because of its importance than
its entertainment value.
Intent to Destroy is
a documentary about the Armenian Genocide. It goes into the way the Turkish
government has continued to attempt to deny it. I can understand the
frustration behind that subject. The idea of holocaust deniers practically
turns my vision red with fury.
I am not sure this film is completely a documentary, even
though that’s what IMDb claims. Judging from the trailer and some of the people
involved, it’s very possible that there are dramatic reenactments of some of
the scenes. I’m not sure how I feel about this subject being delivered in a
half documentary, half drama fashion, but I’m curious enough that it made the
list.
19 – Pokemon the
Movie: I Choose You (11/5)
Tag Line: None
Production Company:
OLM-Animation Studio, Oriental Light and Magic (OLM), Pikachu Project,
Shogakukan, Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions, TV Tokyo
So, I’m not 100% sure exactly what this is. It seems like it
might be a bit of a remake or a reboot. That’s what I’m thinking it might be,
but there are parts of the trailer that indicate that it doesn’t only touch on
the true beginning of Ash’s quest to become the greatest Pokemon trainer of all
time.
I left this film low on the list simply because of that
confusion. I love Pokemon, and I used to watch the series when I was younger
without missing an episode. I’ve enjoyed some of the later games, but nothing
hits me quite like that first series and film.
If you can watch that first movie and not cry during the
final Mewtwo/Pikachu scene… then I don’t think I want to know you.
I’m hoping this is a whole new film designed to help the
original fans – like me – get into the later storylines. It may, however, just
be a reboot/remake. Either way, I’m looking forward to it.
18 – Roman J.
Isreal, Esq. (11/22)
Tag Line: All
Rise.
Production Company:
Bron Studios, Cross Creek Pictures, Culture China, Escape Artists, Imagenation
Abu Dhabi FZ, LStar Capital, MACRO, Topic Studios
Director: Dan
Gilroy
Writer: Dan
Gilroy
Actors: Denzel
Washington, Colin Farrell, Carmen Ejogo, Shelley Hennig, Nazneen Contractor, Brittany
Ishibashi, Pej Vahdat, Tony Plana, Niles Fitch, Kelly Sullivan, James Paxton,
Amanda Warren, Joseph David-Jones
Genre: Crime,
Drama
Rated: PG-13
Length: 129
minutes
IMDb Blurb: Denzel Washington stars as Roman Israel, a driven,
idealistic defense attorney who, through a tumultuous series of events, finds
himself in a crisis that leads to extreme action.
This trailer looked pretty good. Great cast, interesting
story, etc. For some reason, it just didn’t speak to me as much as I would
expect it to. That’s just a personal thing, though.
Clearly, this is going to be the kind of film that draws
people and that ignites emotion. Exactly the kind of thing you want to see.
17 – LBJ (11/3)
Tag Line: None
Production Company:
Acacia Filmed Entertainment, Castle Rock Entertainment, Savvy Media Holdings,
Star Thrower Entertainment
Director: Rob
Reiner
Writer: Joey
Hartstone
Actors: Jennifer
Jason Leigh, Woody Harrelson, Bill Pullman, C. Thomas Howell, Jeffrey Donovan,
Michael Mosley, Michael Stahl-David, Richard Jenkins, Rich Sommer, Travis
Wester, Wallace Langham, Judd Lormand, Gary Grubbs, Joe Chrest, Brian Stepanek,
Doug McKeon
Genre: Biography,
Drama
Rated: R
Length: 98
minutes
IMDb Blurb: The story of U.S. President Lyndon Baines Johnson
from his young days in West Texas to the White House.
The trailer for this film gave me chills. I think the people
chosen to play the various political figures were absolutely perfect. I love
Woody Harrelson (The Glass Castle, The Edge
of Seventeen, Zombieland), on top of that. I think he’s incredibly talented
– whether his roles are comedic or dramatic.
I like the perspective being taken in the trailer, too.
Viewing the JFK assassination through the eyes of his vice president.
I’m not saying it’s never been done before, of course, but
the way the film is approaching it feels fresh anyway.
16 – Angelica (11/17)
Tag Line: Hell hath
no fury like the love of a mother.
Production Company:
Pierpoline Films
Director: Mitchell
Lichtenstein
Writer: Mitchell
Lichtenstein, Arthur Phillips
Actors: Jenna
Malone, Janet McTeer, Ed Stoppard, Tovah Feldshuh, Glynnis O’Connor, Charles
Keating, Henry Stram, Daniel Gerroll, James Norton, Stephanie Inorio, Pela
Kolodziej, Connor Inorio, Vincent Sanchez, Emma Caraman, Angela Dee
Genre: Drama,
Horror, Thriller
Rated: NR
Length: 95
minutes
IMDb Blurb: A couple living in Victorian London endure an unusual
series of psychological and supernatural happenings following the birth of
their child.
At first glance, Angelica
looks like a basic possession-based or psychologically twisted film. I’m not
sure if that’s what it is, but regardless, it seems to be something that would
be incredibly interesting to watch.
Although this film is getting its limited debut on the
seventeenth, it’s hit a few festivals already, mostly in 2015. The rating it
shows on IMDb is above average. That leads me to believe it’s very likely that
there’s some kind of twist that makes Angelica
rise about other similar films.
15 – Amanda and
Jack Go Glamping (11/10)
Tag Line: Love
the one yurt with.
Production Company:
Spiral Films
Director: Brandon
Dickerson
Writer: Brandon
Dickerson
Actors: Amy
Acker, Adan Canto, David Arquette, June Squibb, Nicole Elliott, Daniel Ross
Owens, Gustavo Gomez, Richard Robichaux, Catherine Grady, Sicily Bellia,
Jaytyler Ferretti, Chris Carpenter, Keri Tombazian, Evelyn Hawk
Genre: Comedy,
Drama, Romance
Rated: NR
Length: 94
minutes
IMDb Blurb: With his marriage and career against the ropes,
dejected author Jack Spencer travels with his wife, Amanda, to an isolated
glamping retreat in search of a spark. When a surprise double booking finds
their private retreat anything but private, Jack spins into a comedic
exploration of love, lost dreams, small-town-wisdom, and friendship with a miniature
donkey to get over himself before he loses all he holds dear.
First thing I feel compelled to say is that I HATE the word
‘glamping.’ Hate it. This is not the first time I’ve heard it, probably won’t
be the last… but I wish it would be eradicated from the English language. It’s
an awful word.
That said, this movie looks like it could be somewhat
hilarious.
I barely recognized David Arquette (Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, Once Upon a Time in Venice, Sold)…
but I love Amy Acker (The Gifted, Con
Man, Much Ado About Nothing) and I’m always up to see what she’s working
on. She’s a very underrated actor.
14 – Daddy’s Home
2 (11/10)
Tag Line: More daddies.
More problems.
Production Company:
Paramount Pictures, Gary Sanchez Productions, Huahua Media
Director: Sean
Anders
Writer: Sean
Anders, Brian Burns, John Morris
Actors: Linda
Cardellini, Mark Wahlberg, Mel Gibson, Will Ferrell, John Cena, John Lithgow,
Scarlett Estevez, Alessandra Ambrosio, Owen Vaccaro, Lean Procito, Didi
Costine, Oscar Wahlberg, Susan Garibotto, Yamilah Saravong
Genre: Comedy
Rated: PG-13
Length: 98
minutes
IMDb Blurb: Brad and Dusty must deal with their intrusive
fathers during the holidays.
I don’t like Will Ferrell (Zoolander 2, The Spoils Before Dying, Get Hard) and I have issues
with Mel Gibson (Get the Gringo, Machete
Kills, Signs). The idea that this movie made my list actually makes me very
angry. The two of those guys are pretty well balanced out, however, by Mark Wahlberg
(Deepwater Horizon, The Gambler, Ted)
and John Lithgow (The Accountant, Beatriz
at Dinner, Trial & Error). Then I add the amusement of John Cena (Sisters, The Wall, Trainwreck)… and I
can overlook the actors I’m not fond of.
Against my will, I have to admit the film looks funny. I
avoided the first one, though that looked funny too. That means I don’t know
how this will be as a ‘series’.
When it comes down to it, the big picture of this film seems
to be worth more than its parts.
13 – Last Flag
Flying (11/3)
Tag Line: Their
last mission wasn’t on the battlefield.
Production Company:
Amazon Studios, Big Indie Pictures, Cinetic Media, Detour Filmproduction
Director: Richard
Linklater
Writer: Richard
Linklater, Darryl Ponicsan
Actors: Bryan
Cranston, Laurence Fishburne, Steve Carell, J. Quinton Johnson, Deanna
Reed-Foster, Yul Vazquez, Graham Wolfe, Jeff Monahan, Dontez James, Tammy Tsai,
Richard Robichaux, Cicely Tyson, Samuel Davis, Ted Watts Jr.
Genre: Comedy,
Drama
Rated: R
Length: 124 minutes
IMDb Blurb: Thirty years after they served together in Vietnam,
a former Navy Corpsman Larry "Doc" Shepherd re-unites with his old
buddies, former Marines Sal Nealon and Reverend Richard Mueller, to bury his
son, a young Marine killed in the Iraq War.
There’s a dark comedy to this film that I have to
appreciate. When you mix that with a phenomenal cast that has no weak links and
a great director, and there’s no complaints I can possibly have about this
movie.
Richard Linklater (Me
and Orson Welles, Bad News Bears, Boyhood) is a drama king – and I mean
that in the good way. Of course, he could also be one in the bad way, I don’t
know him personally… but I digress. If he’s at the head of any drama film,
chances are it’s going to be good. Good in a way where you don’t actually need
to be a drama fan to appreciate it.
Linklater is working with some incredibly experienced and
loved cast members in this movie. I really cannot conceive of a world where
this film would fail to meet my standards.
12 – Lady Bird
(11/3)
Tag Line: Time to
fly.
Production Company:
Scott Rudin Productions, Entertainment 360, IAC Films
Director: Greta
Gerwig
Writer: Greta
Gerwig
Actors: Saoirse
Ronan, Odeya Rush, Kathryn Newton, Timothee Chalamet, Laurie Metcalf, Jake
McDorman, Lois Smith, Andy Buckley, Lucas Hedges, Laura Marano, Daniel Zovatto,
Jordan Rodrigues, Kristen Cloke, Tracy Letts
Genre: Comedy
Rated: R
Length: 93
minutes
IMDb Blurb: The adventures of a young woman living in Northern
California for a year.
I was hooked on this trailer from the moment the main
character jumped out of the car. I had one of those moments of total
inappropriate laughter for it. I can’t even explain how many times I’ve been
trapped in a car during an argument and thought of doing that exact same thing.
I see a lot of my relationship with my mom in this trailer.
That tendency to be yelling at each other one moment and gushing over a pretty
dress the next.
So, I guess I relate very heavily to this film – or at least
what this film seems to be. It definitely makes me more interested to see it
than I otherwise would be.
11 – Blade of the
Immortal (aka: Mugen no Junin) (11/3)
Tag Line: To save
her life he will take a thousand others.
Production Company:
Warner Bros., Oriental Light and Magic (OLM), Recorded Picture Company (RPC), GyaO,
Ken-On, KĆ“dansha, Rakueisha, TV Asahi, Toei Kyoto Studios
Director: Takashi
Miike
Writer: Hiroaki
Samura, Tetsuya Oishi
Actors: Takuya
Kimura, Hana Sugisaki, Sota Fukushi, Hayato Ichihara, Erika Toda, Kazuki
Kitamura, Chiaki Kuriyama, Chiaki Kuriyama, Shinnosuke Mitsushima, Ken Kaneko,
Yoko Yamamoto, Ebizo Ichiawa, Min Tanaka, Tsutomu Yamazaki
Genre: Action,
Drama
Rated: R
Length: 140
minutes
IMDb Blurb: Manji, a highly skilled samurai, becomes cursed
with immortality after a legendary battle. Haunted by the brutal murder of his
sister, Manji knows that only fighting evil will regain his soul. He promises
to help a young girl named Rin avenge her parents, who were killed by a group
of master swordsmen led by ruthless warrior Anotsu. The mission will change
Manji in ways he could never imagine - the 100th film by master director
Takashi Miike.
What really caught my eye the first time I watched this
trailer… was the captions.
Clearly, I know the captions likely won’t be like that for
the entire film. They’ll probably be more traditional, on the bottom of the
screen… but for a trailer – it worked well enough.
We see a lot of immortal warriors in cinema, but I really
liked the take Blade of the Immortal
took on the subject. There’s a close up of how his arm reconnects after disarticulation…
and it was fascinating. A little creepy, but fascinating none-the-less.
This looks like a bloody, gory, battle-choreographed bit of
goodness. I’d love to watch it for a Foreign Film Friday. I hope Netflix gets
it.
10 – A Bad Moms
Christmas (11/1)
Tag Line: Merry
is relative.
Production Company:
Huayi Brothers Media, STX Entertainment
Director: Jon
Lucas, Scott Moore
Writer: Jon
Lucas, Scott Moore
Actors: Mila
Kunis, Kirsten Bell, Kathryn Hahn, Christine Baranski, Susan Sarandon, Cheryl
Hines, Jay Henandez, Justin Hartley, Peter Gallagher, Oona Laurence, Emjay
Anthony, Lyle Brocato, Wanda Sykes, Christina Applegate, Cade Mansfield
Cooksey, Ariana Greenblatt, Jacks Dean, Madison Muffley, Kenny G, Phil Pierce
Genre: Action,
Adventure, Comedy
Rated: R
Length: 104
minutes
IMDb Blurb: A Bad Moms Christmas follows our three
under-appreciated and over-burdened women as they rebel against the challenges
and expectations of the Super Bowl for moms: Christmas.
Now, I haven’t yet seen the original Bad Moms (2016), but I’ve heard great things from friends that have
gone to see it. The film has some heavy hitters where actors are concerned, and
the sequel seems to up the ante quite a bit.
Not to mention, the trailer alone sends me into giggle-fits
at times.
I’m nervous about the possibility of sequelitis, but – with any
luck – Jon Lucas (21 & Over, The
Hangover, Mixology) and Scott Moore (The
Change-Up, Mixology, The Hangover) were able to avoid that by concentrating
hard on the funny.
9 – The Man Who Invented
Christmas (11/22)
Tag Line: How
Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol and created a tradition.
Production Company:
Mazur / Kaplan Company, The Mob Film Company, Parallel Films, Rhombus Media
Director: Bharat
Nalluri
Writer: Susan
Coyne, Les Standiford
Actors: Dan
Stevens, Christopher Plummer, Jonathan Pryce, Simon Callow, Miriam Margolyes,
Ian McNeice, Bill Peterson, Cosimo Fusco, Donald Sumpter, Annette Badland,
Morfydd Clark, Justin Edwards, Eddie Jackson, Ger Ryan, Valeria Bandino
Genre: Biography,
Comedy, Drama
Rated: PG
Length: Unknown
IMDb Blurb: The journey that led to Charles Dickens' creation
of "A Christmas Carol," a timeless tale that would redefine the
holiday.
We’re seeing a lot of these biographical fiction films
lately, which means they’re going to start getting very old. As of right now, I’m
still interested, but that may be due to the subject matter.
In this case, we were going to get a Christmas Carol (1901) film. We just were. We always do. Every
year, without fail. If not a theatrical release, then a TV movie. If not a TV
movie, then an episode in a show. It’s tradition. Like department stores
putting out ornaments before Halloween is even over. It’s not a tradition we
particularly need in our lives, but we suck it up because it’s just going to
happen.
At least, this year, we get something a little less on the
nose. It’s still basically a Christmas
Carol… but it’s got a twist to it that makes the old, constantly retold,
story seem a little newer.
I appreciate the fresh take. It was needed.
8 – Three
Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (11/10)
Tag Line: None
Production Company:
Blueprint Pictures
Director: Martin
McDonagh
Writer: Martin
McDonagh
Actors: Frances
McDormand, Caleb Landry Jones, Kerry Condon, Sam Rockwell, Alejandro Barrios,
Jason Redford, Darrell Britt-Gibson, Woody Harrelson, Abbie Cornish, Riya May
Atwood, Selah Atwood, Lucas Hedges, Zeljko Ivanek, Amanda Warren, Malaya Rivera
Drew, Sandy Martin, Peter Dinklage
Genre: Comedy,
Crime, Drama
Rated: R
Length: 115
minutes
IMDb Blurb: In this darkly comic drama, a mother personally
challenges the local authorities to solve her daughter's murder, when they fail
to catch the culprit.
The name of this film is very misleading. At first glance, I
thought it would be some kind of documentary. That’s not what the trailer gave
me. At all.
This film just suffers from Bad Title Syndrome. Basically,
that’s when the concept, cast, crew, and script are about twelve thousand times
better than the title leads you to believe.
In this case, the horrible TV Movie title is forgotten once
you start up the trailer and get a hint of the dark comedic drama that’s in
store for you. Really, I think this movie could be more popular than a lot of
the other films coming out this month – the problem is that the title is so
damn forgettable, that I’m not sure people will remember to see the film even
after the trailer hooks them.
7 – Wonder (11/17)
Tag Line: You can’t
try and blend in, when you were born to stand out.
Production Company:
Lionsgate, Mandeville Films, Participant Media, Walden Media
Director: Stephen
Chbosky
Writer: Stephen
Chbosky, Steve Conrad, Jack Thorne, R.J. Palacio
Actors: Julia
Roberts, Jacob Tremblay, Owen Wilson, Mandy Patinkin, Ali Liebert, Crystal
Lowe, Daveed Diggs, Izabela Vidovic, Nadji Jeter, Emma Tremblay, Sonia Braga,
Steve Bacic, Noah Jupe, Danielle Rose Russell
Genre: Drama
Rated: PG
Length: 113
minutes
IMDb Blurb: Based on the New York Times bestseller, WONDER
tells the incredibly inspiring and heartwarming story of August Pullman, a boy
with facial differences who enters fifth grade, attending a mainstream
elementary school for the first time.
This looks adorable and inspiring.
A lot of kids experience bullying throughout school. This protagonist,
though, has a special case. It will be really easy for kids with visible
physical disabilities or deformities to relate to Auggie. I think it’s
important to have that kind of film out there.
It’s not just an important film, I think it looks
entertaining as well.
There’s enough of a look at Jacob Tremblay’s (Shut In, The Book of Henry, Room)
performance in the trailer for me to believe he’s going to be amazing at his
role – despite his young age. Child actors are not usually my favorite to
watch, but he’s already captivating in a two-minute video. I feel like he’ll be
even more-so in a feature-length film.
Fun Fact: Izabela Vidovic (The Fosters, About a Boy, Homefront), an actor in this film, is
also one of the actors in the #1 Crowdfunding project for the week of
10/22/2017.
6 – Murder on the
Orient Express (11/10)
Tag Line: Everyone
is a suspect.
Production Company:
Twentieth Century Fox, Genre Films, Kinberg Genre, The Mark Gordon Company,
Scott Free Productions, Latina Pictures, The Estate of Agatha Christie
Director: Kenneth
Branagh
Writer: Michael
Green, Agatha Christie
Actors: Daisy
Ridley, Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Penelope Cruz, Judi Dench, Kenneth
Branagh, Willem Dafoe, Josh Gad, Lucy Boynton, Marwan Kenzari, Olivia Colman,
Miranda Raison, Derek Jacobi, Tom Bateman, Leslie Odom Jr., Manuel
Garcia-Rulfo, Sergei Polunin
Genre: Crime,
Drama, Mystery
Rated: PG-13
Length: 114
minutes
IMDb Blurb: A lavish train ride unfolds into a stylish &
suspenseful mystery. From the novel by Agatha Christie, Murder on the Orient
Express tells of thirteen stranded strangers & one man's race to solve the
puzzle before the murderer strikes again.
Murder on the Orient
Express (1974) is a classic tale. It was bound to be remade constantly. The
fact that they went with a grade A cast and experienced project runners just
means that this particular remake will be beyond memorable.
I haven’t seen any of the adaptations, but I did read the
Agatha Christie (ABC Murders, Peril at
End House, Evil Under the Sun) novel when I was younger.
I’m thinking I’ll look up the original film version before I
see this one, but I’m guessing this one is going to hold up more simply due to
the techniques in use.
5 – My Friend
Dahmer (11/3)
Tag Line: None
Production Company:
Ibid Filmworks, Aperture Entertainment, Attic Light Films
Director: Marc
Meyers
Writer: Marc
Meyers, Derf Backderf
Actors: Anne
Heche, Ross Lynch, Vincent Kartheiser, Dallas Roberts, Alex Wolff, Miles
Robbins, Cameron McKendry, Harrison Holzer, Dontez James, Tommy Nelson, Katie
Stottlemire, Liam Koeth, Nancy Telzerow
Genre: Biography,
Drama, Horror
Rated: R
Length: 107
minutes
IMDb Blurb: Before Jeffrey Dahmer became a notorious serial
killer, he was a shy, alcoholic teen who never quite fit in. Based on the
acclaimed graphic novel by Derf Backderf, this is the true, haunting story of
Jeffrey Dahmer in high school.
This film looks super creepy and cringy.
It’s fascinating, because you can get to see what makes this
weird kid into one of the most well-known serial killers of all time. A part of
me is afraid to watch it because there’s going to be a sickening amount of
animal harm in it and that tends to make me queasy.
Still, this film seems like it will be something to watch
with other people. It may be too creepy for solo watching.
4 – Coco (11/22)
Tag Line: None
Production Company:
Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures
Director: Lee
Unkrich, Adrian Molina
Writer: Lee
Unkrich, Jason Katz, Matthew Aldrich, Adrian Molina
Actors: Edward
James Olmos, Benjamin Bratt, Alanna Ubach, Gael Garcia Bernal, John
Ratzenberger, Natalia Cordova-Buckley, Cheech Marin, Gabriel Iglesias, Jaime Camil,
Alfonso Arau, Sofia Espinosa, Lombardo Boyar, Anthony Gonzalez, Selene Luna,
Renee Victor, Daniella Garcia, Luis Valdez, Blanca Araceli, Carla Medina,
Herbert Siguenza, Ana Ofelia Murguia, Denise Blasor, Octavio Solis
Genre: Animation,
Adventure, Comedy
Rated: PG
Length: 109
minutes
IMDb Blurb: Aspiring musician Miguel teams up with charming
trickster Hector on an extraordinary journey through the Land of the Dead.
I was so concerned that the only kid’s movie that would make
this list was Pokemon. Luckily, that’s
not the case. This is a new Disney-Pixar film that looks just as awesome as all
their stuff usually does.
As with most of their later films, it touches on family as
well as some serious subjects that are difficult to approach with kids. In this
case, that subject is death. We’ve all heard someone tell their kid that the
old family pet went to live on a farm, or try to explain why they won’t be
seeing grandma anymore.
This film seems to give an alternate look at the idea that
the dead are still with us as long as we remember them. It’s a nice thought…
and makes the entire subject a little easier to swallow. Especially for a
young, innocent child.
Aside from that, it just looks really entertaining.
3 – I Love You,
Daddy (11/17)
Tag Line: None
Production Company:
None Listed
Director: Louis
C.K.
Writer: Louis
C.K., Vernon Chatman
Actors: Pamela
Adlon, George Aloi, Rose Byrne, Louis C.K., Charlie Day, Venida Evans, Edie
Falco, Helen Hunt, Suzanne Lenz, John Malkovich, Doris McCarthy, Chloe Grace
Moretz, Ebonee Noel, Johnny Otto, Billy K. Peterson, Dan Puck, Souleymane Sy
Savane, Saskia Slaaf, Roger Brenner
Genre: Comedy,
Drama
Rated: R
Length: 123
minutes
IMDb Blurb: When a successful television writer's daughter
becomes the interest of an aging filmmaker with an appalling past, he becomes
worried about how to handle the situation.
Whenever I see a trailer like this, I think about the first
time I gave a black and white comedy a chance. That comedy was Clerks (1994).
Granted, there aren’t many similarities here… but there is
some sexual comedy and this film was written by a hilarious and established
comedian.
I wound up loving everything about this trailer. You can
tell, since it beat out a Disney-Pixar film in this list. It’s got a fantastic
cast and I just have significantly high hopes for the script.
Also, I highly doubt we’ll miss color in this kind of film.
2 – Justice
League (11/17)
Tag Line: Unite.
Production Company:
DC Comics, DC Entertainment, Dune Entertainment, Lensbern Productions, Warner
Bros.
Director: Zack
Snyder
Writer: Chris
Terrio, Joss Whedon, Zack Snyder, Bob Kane, Bill Finger, William Moulton
Marston, Joe Shuster, Jerry Siegel
Actors: Gal
Gadot, Robin Wright, Jason Momoa, Connie Nielsen, Amy Adams, Ben Affleck, Ezra
Miller, Amber Heard, Henry Cavill, Diane Lane, Kiersey Clemons, Billy Crudup,
J. K. Simmons, Ciaran Hinds, Jeremy Irons, Jesse Eisenberg, Daniel Stisen, Ray
Fisher, Erin Eliza Blevins, Lisa Loven Kongsli, Samantha Jo, Eleanor Matsuura
Genre: Action,
Adventure, Fantasy
Rated: PG-13
Length: 121
minutes
IMDb Blurb: Fueled by his restored faith in humanity and
inspired by Superman's selfless act, Bruce Wayne enlists the help of his
newfound ally, Diana Prince, to face an even greater enemy.
After Wonder Woman (2017),
I am cautiously optimistic about Justice
League.
In general, I love me some super heroes. Where comics are
concerned, I enjoy a mix of DC, Marvel, Vertigo, and random indie stuff. TV
shows are also a mix of Marvel and DC… but other media methods I’m pickier on.
The cinematic universe is definitely won by Marvel. DC has my heart where the
animated films are concerned.
This film… is not animated, but it’s DC. And that makes me
nervous. Because Martha. I feel like nothing explains my reasoning better than
that. Wonder Woman was great… but
that doesn’t mean this will be.
I still want to watch it anyway. It helps that Joss Whedon’s
(The Cabin in the Woods, Avengers: Age of
Ultron, Dollhouse) involved. It really does.
1 – Thor:
Ragnarok (11/3)
Tag Line: No
hammer. No problem.
Production Company:
Marvel Entertainment, Marvel Studios, Walt Disney Pictures
Director: Taika
Waititi
Writer: Eric
Pearson, Craig Kyle, Christopher Yost, Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Jack Kirby
Actors: Chris
Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa
Thompson, Karl Urban, Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Hopkins, Benedict Cumberbatch,
Taika Waititi, Rachel House, Clancy Brown, Tadanabu Asano, Ray Stevenson,
Zachary Levi, Luke Hemsworth, Sam Neill, Charlotte Nicdao, Taylor Hemsworth,
Rob Mayes, Matt Damon, Stan Lee,
Genre: Action,
Adventure, Comedy
Rated: PG-13
Length: 130
minutes
IMDb Blurb: Imprisoned, the mighty Thor finds himself in a
lethal gladiatorial contest against the Hulk, his former ally. Thor must fight
for survival and race against time to prevent the all-powerful Hela from
destroying his home and the Asgardian civilization.
If a DC film is number two, then it’s a safe bet Marvel is
my number one.
Thor: Ragnarok
looks fucking amazing. That scene with The Hulk and Thor running into each
other in the coliseum (in the first trailer) is hilarious. First time I saw
that trailer was before another movie (don’t remember which) and I burst out
laughing… along with everyone else in the theater.
There’s so much awesome in this one trailer that it’s almost
impossible to believe that there could possibly be even more in the actual
film.
Production Companies:
Le Bureau, Pandora Filmproduktion, Vamonos Productions, Orange Cinema Series,
Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, Haut et Court, Alamode Film
Actors: Diane
Kruger, Norman Reedus, Gilles Lellouche, Q’orianka Kilcher, Lena Dunham,
Laurene Landon, Trevor Peterson, Joshua Jackson, Lou Diamond Philips, Arnita
Swanson, John Robinson, Michelle Lombardo, Sasha Perl-Raver, Vanessa
Villalovos, Daniel Polo, Andrew Bryniarski, Sal Velez Jr., Raf Mauro, Miles
Hayden
Stunts: Webster
Whinery
Blurb from Netflix:
On vacation in the desert, Romy leaves her abusive husband and winds up in Las
Vegas, where she falls for a rugged loner and carves out a new life.
Selina’s Point of View:
For a drama with only the one genre listed, this film didn’t
feel like it had only the one genre. There were definite romantic tones and a
few moments that I could have sworn I was watching a thriller.
Cat was definitely more into seeing this film than I was.
Aside from the awesome cast, I really didn’t have high expectations. It was a
drama – after all. A drama that looked like it might have some western flavor
to it. I cannot think of two genres I hate more than those.
I think the only western that comes to mind when talking
about films I like is Blazing Saddles (1974).
Most westerns do not follow those footprints.
All the dramas I tend to like are multi-genre.
This film, however, kind of beat the odds for me. I expected
to shrug it off and go back to writing my Top 20 for this month without so much
as a second thought, but I wound up really enjoying it.
Sky had some
moments that I found unbelievable. The character interactions were a little on
the stiff side and I couldn’t see how the story moved from one thing to the
next. It just didn’t seem to make sense. However, that was – for the most part –
just in the first fifteen minutes.
Once the film got into the heart of the story, I was
engulfed.
There was only one cast member I hated – and I always hate
her so that offers no surprise. Everyone else was on point and I loved them.
In the end, the good stuff outweighed the bad for this film.
I’d watch it again.
Cat’s Point of View:
I’ve wanted to watch this movie for a while now. I like to
follow the work of Norman Reedus (Pandorum,
Air, Triple 9). I know it’s totally a fangirl reason to watch a movie, but
color me curious about the roles he takes outside of what he’s known the best
for – The Walking Dead (2010-) and The Boondock Saints (1999).
Of course, this particular character, Diego, isn’t far flung
from his current long-running role. Reedus has the brooding smolder down to an
art, really. I wasn’t disappointed with his performance, even if it felt
similar to other parts he’s played. It was genuine to the situation his
character was in.
The story didn’t exactly go where I thought it would. It
also took its almost painfully slow time in getting there. The chuckle I got
for the brief appearances of Lou Diamond Phillips (SGU Stargate Universe, The 33, Longmire) and Joshua Jackson's (Shutter, Inescapable, Fringe) characters
didn’t offset that, unfortunately.
Even though everything just felt too slow, I still
appreciated Diane Kruger (Inglorious
Basterds, The Bridge, The Infiltrator) in the role of Romy. As an aside, I
feel I need to give the makeup department some real kudos here. It might seem
like such a small thing – but there was a scene where Kruger’s makeup added an
almost magical quality to what was going on.
My inner child is now giggling hysterically that I said
that, given the scene context, but I digress…
While I might have been dragging my feet in semi-boredom as
Romy made her journey through the story, I do have to say that I was hooked
into it all the same. I was invested enough that there were even some tears –
more than once.
I liked the complications of the characters, and the
strength Romy finds in herself to do what she feels she needs to in order to
change her life for the better.
All said, this is a drama that runs deep. There’s not much
to break from that intensity, either. The movie might not be for someone who
avoids the pure drama genre. There really wasn’t enough comedy or even romance
to warrant a dual label.
I’m not sure that this film would come to mind if I were
asked for random recommendations, but I liked the movie well enough – albeit, a
little begrudgingly. I can’t say that I’d watch it again, though. That stems
mostly from the desire to remember the movie fondly rather than put myself
through the wringer again.