Thursday, May 31, 2018

Top 20 Movies to Look Out For In June (2018)

According to: Selina


20 – Leave No Trace (6/29)


Tag Line: None
Production Company: Bron Studios, Harrison Productions, Topic
Director: Debra Granik
Writer: Debra Granik, Peter Rock, Anne Rosellini
Actors: Ben Foster, Jeff Kober, Dale Dickey, Thomasin McKenzie, Isaiah Stone, Dana Millican, Ayanna Berkshire, Alyssa McKay, Michael Draper
Genre: Drama
Rated: PG
Length: 109 minutes

IMDb Blurb: A father and his thirteen year-old daughter are living in an ideal existence in a vast urban park in Portland, Oregon, when a small mistake derails their lives forever.

The concept of this film is fascinating to me. There’s a morality debate that really comes into question with a story like this. The problem is that it’s entirely possible that this film could wind up being very boring for anyone not interested in that debate – which would be understandable.

That could just be the way I look at it because I’m not the biggest fan of single genre dramas.

19 – Adrift (6/1)


Tag Line: None
Production Company: Huayi Brothers, Lakeshore Entertainment, RVK Studios, STX Entertainment
Director: Baltasar Kormakur
Writer: Aaron Kandell, Jordan Kandell, David Branson Smith
Actors: Shailene Woodley, Sam Claflin, Grace Palmer, Jeffrey Thomas, Elizabeth Hawthorne, Tami Ashcraft, Kael Damlamian, Luna Campbell, Zac Beresford, Siale Tunoka
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
Rated: PG-13
Length: Unknown

IMDb Blurb: Based on the true story of survival, a young couple's chance encounter leads them first to love, and then on the adventure of a lifetime as they face one of the most catastrophic hurricanes in recorded history.

I flopped back and forth on whether I should add this film to the list or not. In the end, it was a lack of better movies to consider that had me put it on.

It’s not that it looks bad, it’s just been done to death. The trailer feels a little slow to me, but that could be bad editing. The movie itself could wind up being much better. Especially considering the cast involved.

18 – Incident in a Ghost Land (6/22)


Tag Line: You would be frightened.
Production Company: 5656 Films, Inferno Pictures Inc., Logical Pictures, Mars Films
Director: Pascal Laugier
Writer: Pascal Laugier
Actors: Crystal Reed, Mylene Farmer, Anastasia Phillips, Emilia Jones, Taylor Hickson, Kevin Power, Rob Archer, Mariam Bernstein, Alicia Johnston, Ernesto Griffith, Adam Hurtig, Denis Cozzi, Sharon Bajer
Genre: Horror
Rated: Unknown
Length: Unknown

IMDb Blurb: The story follows a mother of two who inherits a home from her aunt. On the first night in the new home, she is confronted with murderous intruders and fights for her daughters' lives. Sixteen years later when the daughters reunite at the house, things get really strange.

I’m a sucker for stories that seem to suggest a writer’s work is coming to life. I know it’s a huge trope and super over-done, and I’m STILL a sucker for it.

As the trope goes, this one looks terrifying. I think it’s worth a watch.

17 – 211 (6/8)


Tag Line: Your life can change in an instant.
Production Company: Millennium Films, 211 Productions, Nu Image Bulgaria
Director: York Alec Shackleton
Writer: York Alec Shackleton
Actors: Nicolas Cage, Sophie Skelton, Michael Rainey Jr., Dwayne Cameron, Weston Cage, Cory Hardrict, Ori Pfeffer, Mark Basnight, Amanda Cerny, Michael Bellisario
Genre: Action, Drama, History
Rated: R
Length: Unknown

IMDb Blurb: Bank heist movie in the vein of "End of Watch" meets "Black Hawk Down".

Nicolas Cage (Looking Glass, Mandy, The Humanity Bureau) movies are VERY hit or miss. The thing is, this one looks like a hit.

The story itself is interesting and thrilling. Not to mention that it’s supposedly based on a true story and is written/directed by a young documentarian.

I have faith in this film. I hope it doesn’t let me down.

16 – Ocean’s 8 (6/8)


Tag Line: Every con has its pros.
Production Company: Smokehouse Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures
Director: Gary Ross
Writer: Gary Ross, Olivia Milch, George Clayton Johnson, Jack Golden Russell
Actors: Cate Blanchett, Olivia Munn, Matt Damon, Dakota Fanning, Sarah Paulson, Anne Hathaway, Sandra Bullock, Helena Bonham Carter, Richard Armitage, Jaime King, Katie Holmes, Mindy Kaling, James Corden, Awkwafina, Rihanna, Hailey Baldwin, Kylie Jenner, Robbie DeRaffele, Kim Kardashian West, Carl Reiner, Kendall Jenner, Adriana Lima, Anna Wintour, Zac Posen
Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime
Rated: PG-13
Length: 110 minutes

IMDb Blurb: Debbie Ocean gathers an all-female crew to attempt an impossible heist at New York City's yearly Met Gala.

I want to be more interested in this film than I am. It’s got a great cast and I have no doubt that there’s going to be a lot of amazing moments.

Problem is, I also have no doubt that it’s going to be pretty much exactly like all the others just with less testosterone.

Do I want more female-led films in action/adventure genres? Hell yeah. But I’d like those movies to be original instead of riding the coattails of a random series. Ocean’s 8 is just all the other Ocean films with a dash of pandering.

And it still manages to look good, which makes me grumble.

15 – Set it Up (6/15)


Tag Line: Finding love takes some assistants.
Production Company: Treehouse Pictures
Director: Claire Scanlon
Writer: Katie Silberman
Actors: Zoey Deutch, Lucy Liu, Pete Davidson, Glen Powell, Taye Diggs, Tituss Burgess, Shyrley Rodriguez, Meredith Hagner, Jon Rudnitsky, Evan Parke, Jacqueline Honulik, Kate Middleton
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Rated: Unknown
Length: Unknown

IMDb Blurb: Two corporate executive assistants hatch a plan to match-make their two bosses.

There’s not much to say about this one. It looks like a basic-bitch tropey-ass rom-com. It also looks adorable as hell.

If it’s made right, it could be the easy choice for a guilty pleasure or date night. Probably won’t be winning any awards, though.

14 – Hover (6/29)


Tag Line: Fear what flies.
Production Company: Snowfort Pictures
Director: Matt Osterman
Writer: Cleopatra Coleman
Actors: Cleopatra Coleman, Shane Coffey, Craig muMs Grant, Fabianne Therese, Rhoda Griffis, Leo Fitzpatrick, Beth Grant, Rhonda Johnson Dents, Kasandra Bandfield, Don Henderson Baker, Jim Gleason, Cailey Flemind, Caleb Tourres, Dre Starks, MacArthur Hewitt
Genre: Sci-Fi
Rated: Unknown
Length: Unknown

IMDb Blurb: HOVER takes place in the near future, where environmental strain has caused food shortages around the world. Technology provides a narrow path forward, with agricultural drones maximizing the yield from what land remains. Two compassionate care providers, Claudia (Coleman) and her mentor John (Craig muMs Grant), work to assist sick farmland inhabitants in ending their lives. After John dies under mysterious circumstances, a group of locals helps Claudia to uncover a deadly connection between the health of her clients and the technology they are using.

There’s quite a bit of technology-based plots on my list this month.

This one is a bit more trope-y, but I still find the trailer captures my interest.

There are some possibilities that the story might go a very different direction than I think… but I have a minor concern about that. Syfy is known to distribute some absolutely ridiculous stuff. Not all of it resides in the ‘so bad it’s good’ category. Quite a bit of it is just… bad.

Of course, the Asylum doesn’t have its fingers in this pie, so there’s hope for it yet.

13 – Alex Strangelove (6/8)


Tag Line: Love can be confusing.
Production Company: Mighty Engine, Red Hour Films, STX Entertainment
Director: Craig Johnson
Writer: Craig Johnson
Actors: Ayden Mayeri, William Ragsdale, Isabella Amara, Antonio Marziale, Madeline Weinstein, Daniel Doheny, Joanna Adler, Nik Dodani, Bj Gruber, Annie Q., Daniel Zolghadri, Aidan Pierce Brennan, Jesse James Keitel, Morgan Page, Sophie Faulkenberry, David Fierro, Edward Sass III, Fred Hechinger, Kaydence Frank
Genre: Comedy
Rated: Unknown
Length: 99 minutes

IMDb Blurb: Alex Truelove (Daniel Doheny) is a well-rounded high school senior with a wonderful girlfriend Claire (Madeline Weinstein) and a bright future ahead of him - and with plans to achieve his last teenage milestone by losing his virginity. But things get complicated when he meets Elliot (Antonio Marziale), a handsome and charming gay kid from the other side of town, who unwittingly sends Alex on a rollercoaster journey of sexual exploration, kicking off a hilarious and moving adventure of love, sex and friendship in our liberated and confusing modern times. Written and directed by Craig Johnson (The Skeleton Twins, Wilson), produced by Ben Stiller, Nicky Weinstock, and Jared Ian Goldman.

I’m cautiously optimistic about this film.

During my time here on this Earth, the ideas and prejudices surrounding sexuality have changed. Even going back just to when I was in high school, being bisexual was like being put in the corner for me. I caught issues from people who were both heterosexual and homosexual. I was deemed either greedy, faking it for attention, or just using it as a step stool to becoming attracted to only one or the other. Girls thought it was risky to date me because I might just be curious and not actually interested. Boys thought it was risky because entertainment media had them convinced bisexuals couldn’t remain faithful.

However, even with that, it was a simpler time (not necessarily better, just simpler). There were three sexualities. There were two genders. Now, there’s more elasticity for everyone to just BE.

I recently learned the term “relationship anarchist,” and after reading through various sources on the subject – I figured out that I was exactly that. A relationship anarchist. I’ll sum that up by saying that relationship anarchy is basically believe that whatever consenting adults choose to do or be, it’s all good. Don’t include anyone that is incapable of consent, or without their uncoerced consent, and you’re fine in my book.

Alex Strangelove seems to delve into this new dynamic of sexuality. I think it’s important, not just because the older generation needs to start seeing things for the way they are now, but also because it’s important for kids to know that everyone is fucking confused at their age.

Of course, there’s always the possibility that the film is going to turn into another bullshit ‘bisexuals can’t remain faithful’ trope.

It seems like a movie that’s got better intentions, but I’ll be pissed if they fuck up.

12 – Hereditary (6/8)


Tag Line: Every family tree hides a secret.
Production Company: PalmStar Media
Director: Ari Aster
Writer: Ari Aster
Actors: Toni Collette, Gabriel Byrne, Alex Wolff, Milly Shapiro, Ann Dowd, Mallory Bechtel, Zachary Arthur, Jake Brown, Brock McKinney
Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery
Rated: R
Length: 127 minutes

IMDb Blurb: When the matriarch of the Graham family passes away, her daughter's family begins to unravel cryptic and increasingly terrifying secrets about their ancestry.

I don’t feel like this is the most original film on the list. In fact, it looks a lot like The Omen (1976).

When I say it looks like The Omen, I mean it seems to share that same ‘creepy kid’ feel. It’ll likely make us wonder what kind of supernatural forces are at play with the girl. I’m not saying it seems to have the exact same story at all. I’m just saying that I think the feel is similar.

The trailer is decent enough to make me want to see what differences there might be.

11 – Izzy Gets the F*ck Across Town (6/22)


Tag Line: Life's a journey. Hers is an obstacle course.
Production Company: Amateur Detective Films, Aspire Talent Management, Izzy Gets The Eff Across Town
Director: Christian Papierniak
Writer: Christian Papierniak
Actors: Haley Joel Osment, Mackenzie Davis, Sarah Goldberg, Lauren Miller Rogen, Lakeith Stanfield, Annie Potts, Alia Shawkat, Carrie Coon, Ryan Simpkins, Alex Russell, Melinda McGraw, Rob Huebel, Brandon T. Jackson, Dolly Wells, Kyle Kinane, Sheldon Bailey, Luka Jones
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Rated: Unknown
Length: 86 minutes

IMDb Blurb: A woman at rock bottom must find her way across Los Angeles in order to crash her ex-boyfriend's engagement party.

This looks like a raunchy, R rated version of My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997).

There’s a decent cast attached to this project, but I’m mostly interested in the project itself. The trailer looks hilarious.


10 – Damsel (6/22)


Tag Line: None
Production Company: Strophic Productions Limited
Director: David Zellner, Nathan Zellner
Writer: David Zellner, Nathan Zellner
Actors: Robert Pattinson, Mia Wasikowska, David Zellner, Nathan Zellner, Robert Forster, Joseph Billingiere, Morgan Lund, Ray Kelleher
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Western
Rated: R
Length: 113 minutes

IMDb Blurb: It's the Wild West, circa 1870. Samuel Alabaster, an affluent pioneer, ventures across the American frontier to marry the love of his life, Penelope. As his group traverses the west, the once-simple journey grows treacherous, blurring the lines between hero, villain and damsel.

Although I’m not the biggest fan of Robert Pattinson (The Lost City of Z, Life, Cosmopolis) or Westerns, I still found myself grudgingly drawn to this movie.

There’s something unspeakably charming about the way things are acted out in it and the subject matters they seem to touch on. I’m kind of looking forward to it.

9 – Woman Walks Ahead (6/29)


Tag Line: Defy your times.
Production Company: The Bedford Falls Company, Black Bicycle Entertainment, Potboiler Productions
Director: Susanna White
Writer: Steven Knight
Actors: Jessica Chastain, Sam Rockwell, Ciaran Hinds, Bill Camp, Michael Nouri, David Midthunder, Michael Greyeyes, Chaske Spencer, Sharon Anne Henderson, Luce Rains, Brenda Wehle, Rulan Tangen
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Rated: R
Length: 101 minutes

IMDb Blurb: Catherine Weldon, a portrait painter from 1890s Brooklyn, travels to Dakota to paint a portrait of Sitting Bull and becomes embroiled in the Lakota peoples' struggle over the rights to their land.

I don’t like westerns usually… and this month two of them made my list.

This one hits me a little harder than the other. I loved reading about Native American culture when I was growing up. And that meant looking into certain aspects of history. In this case, very sad and enraging histories.

Hate isn’t new… neither did it end long ago like many people seem to believe. This movie looks into the existence of Native Americans, as well as a woman who rebelled against her time and refused to hate. Despite the genre, this is the kind of film I can really get behind… and hope to hell will stand up to what it could be.

I want Woman Walks Ahead to succeed.

8 – Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (6/8)


Tag Line: A little kindness makes a world of difference.
Production Company: Tremolo Productions
Director: Morgan Neville
Writer: None listed
Actors: Joanne Rogers, Fred Rogers, McColm Cephas Jr., Francois Scarborough Clemmons, Kailyn Davis, Yo-Yo Ma, Joe Negri, David Newell
Genre: Documentary, Biography
Rated: PG-13
Length: 94 minutes

IMDb Blurb: An exploration of the life, lessons, and legacy of iconic children's television host, Fred Rogers.

Mister Rogers Neighborhood (1968-2001) was the best kid’s show ever.

Fred Rogers was all about teaching kids to be themselves, stay informed, and not be scared of the simple things. He was my absolute favorite as a child. I watched his show even more than I watched Sesame Street (1969) or anything Muppet related. In fact, I’m going to make sure it is available for my daughter to watch as she grows up.

I was immediately interested in this film. There’s a dose of nostalgia in it for me, but I feel like it’s more important than that.

The newer generation of kids doesn’t have an equivalent of this show. Not to the best of my knowledge, anyway, and that’s a shame. Hopefully this film can show that there’s a gaping hole in our children’s entertainment that needs to be filled.

7 – Distorted (6/22)


Tag Line: Don’t fear the lies. Fear the truth.
Production Company: Bridgegate Pictures, Minds Eye Entertainment
Director: Rob W. King
Writer: Arne Olsen
Actors: Christina Ricci, John Cusack, Brendan Fletcher, Vicellous Shannon
Genre: Action, Mystery, Thriller
Rated: R
Length: Unknown

IMDb Blurb: A 32-year-old woman suffering from bipolar disorder comes to suspect the proprietor of the state-of-the-art ''smart apartment'' she and her husband just moved into is using the building's residents as unwitting guinea pigs for a ''synthetic telepathy'' brainwashing plot with dire global ramifications.

When did John Cusack (Chi-Raq, Dragon Blade, Adult World) become underrated? He was the biggest of the teenage stars in my day. Now when I bring him up in conversation, people “eh” at me. Well, I think those people are wrong. I still love the hell out of him.

I think this film looks like a mind-fuck and a half. Personally, I really enjoy that kind of story. I’m betting that Christina Ricci (Mothers and Daughters, Around the Block, Pan Am) and Cusack will work great together, as well.

My one issue is that I don’t know how Arne Olsen (Grizzly Rage, Hybrid, Here’s to Life!) has held up as a writer. Not just because he used to write spectacular stuff and then had some time off and worked on this… but because he used to write relatively mediocre stuff and then the rest of it happened.

Regardless of that, I’m not willing to give this movie too much crap. It could be that Olsen hasn’t been allowed to write what he really wants because it wasn’t what production companies wanted. I’m definitely willing to see how this goes.

6 – Animal World (6/6) UK/Limited Only


Tag Line: None
Production Company: Beijing Ruyi Xinxin Film Investment, Enlight Pictures
Director: Yan Han
Writer: Nobuyuki Fukumoto, Yan Han
Actors: Yi Feng Li, Dongyu Zhou, Michael Douglas, Alberto Lacellotti, Archibald C. McColl
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Rated: NR
Length: 120 minutes

IMDb Blurb: None listed.

Animal World seems to be only partially in English. I’m not sure which language the other one is, I’m guessing it’s Chinese, but I could be wrong.

I was hooked on this trailer the moment I saw it. It seems to be like Men in Black (1997) meets some kind of kung fu meets It (2017). Even aside from the fact that I’m dying to know why that clown is kicking SO much ass, I’m also interested in the way the filmmakers meshed cultures.

Normally, from my experience, when a foreign film includes anything English-based, they use little-known actors, or actors that you kind of expect corn from. Not Michael Douglas (Ant-Man, Haywire, Solitary Man) types. I’m greatly looking forward to seeing how the film incorporates both cultures.

Judging from the trailer? I think it’s going to be a hell of a ride.

5 – Upgrade (6/1)


Tag Line: Not Man. Not Machine. More.
Production Company: Blumhouse Productions, Goalpost Pictures
Director: Leigh Whannell
Writer: Leigh Whannell
Actors: Logan Marshall-Green, Richard Cawthorne, Linda Cropper, Michael M. Foster, Betty Gabriel, Renah Gallagher, Harrison Gilbertson, Benedict Hardie, Clayton Jacobson, Sachin Joab, Christopher Kirby, Simon Maiden, Melanie Vallejo
Genre: Action, Comedy, Horror
Rated: R
Length: 95 minutes

IMDb Blurb: Set in the near-future, technology controls nearly all aspects of life. But when Grey, a self-identified technophobe, has his world turned upside down, his only hope for revenge is an experimental computer chip implant called Stem.

I originally watched the basic trailer for Upgrade. I was already impressed with that one, but the red band version played before Deadpool 2 (2018) and I just wound up looking forward to it even more.

The idea of AI taking over the world really isn’t new. I’ll give you that. But I still find this plot to be worth looking at as more than just a meshing of tropes.

Upgrade looks a little like what you would get if you mixed Knight Rider (1982-1986) with John Wick (2014). There are clearly also some unique camera angles that are likely meant to show the disorientation involved for a person being taken over by an implant.

It seems like it will be an immersive, bloody, and humorous ride. With a creator like Leigh Whannell (Cooties, Insidious, Saw) at the helm, what else could you expect?

I just hope it doesn’t go bad and end with a robotic apocalypse trope. It doesn’t need that. Give me the working-together-under-protest angel. I’m much more interested in that.

4 – Incredibles 2 (6/15)


Tag Line: It's been too long, dahlings.
Production Company: Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures
Director: Brad Bird
Writer: Brad Bird
Actors: Samuel L. Jackson, Sophia Bush, Holly Hunter, Catherine Keener, Jonathan Banks, Craig T. Nelson, Brad Bird, Bob Odenkirk, Isabella Rossellini, Sarah Vowell, John Ratzenberger, Huck Milner, Kimberly Adair Clark, Toya Turner
Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure
Rated: PG
Length: 118 minutes

IMDb Blurb: Bob Parr (Mr. Incredible) is left to care for Jack-Jack while Helen (Elastigirl) is out saving the world.

Like the majority of the people who saw the original Incredibles, I was very impressed. I wouldn’t, however, list it among my favorites. That’s why the sequel isn’t higher on my list.

However, the trailer looks pretty damn epic as it is. I particularly enjoy the part where Mr. Incredible goes off about the new way schools are doing math… but that’s just because I’ve gone on that exact rant. Recently.

Aside from that, we get to see how Jack-Jack developed at the same time as watching the other kids enter the more difficult-to-parent years. Plus, Elastigirl takes center-stage as the head superhero in the crew, for whatever reason. There’s nothing to dislike about the trailer.

Whether or not you got to see the original film, shouldn’t matter. Still, I recommend giving it a watch just to refresh your memory.

3 – Tag (6/15)


Tag Line: Based on a True Story. We're Not Kidding.
Production Company: Broken Road Productions, New Line Cinema
Director: Jedd Tomsic
Writer: Rob McKittrick, Mark Steilen, Russell Adams
Actors: Annabelle Wallis, Jeremy Renner, Isla Fisher, Rashida Jones, Leslie Bibb, Jake Johnson, Jon Hamm, Ed Helms, Hannibal Buress, Brian Dennehy, Nora Dunn
Genre: Comedy
Rated: R
Length: Unknown

IMDb Blurb: A small group of former classmates organize an elaborate, annual game of tag that requires some to travel all over the country.

I have some skepticism as to whether or not this film really is a true story… but I want to believe it so much. It looks like so much fun, both in practice and on screen.

Though, if someone had tried to tag me at my wedding…

Actually, it would have fit in with everything else that happened at my wedding. So much stuff went wrong. Including the alarm going off in the middle of my ceremony. Still fun. The alarm going off is one of my favorite parts. I just about dropped dead laughing when it happened.

But I digress.

Tag looks like it’s going to be a hell of a lot of fun to watch. There are some fantastic actors involved. I’m also intrigued by the fact that Rob McKittrick (It Has begun: Bananapocalypse, Mancrush, Still Waiting…), the writer/director of Waiting… (2005), is involved. That movie was fucking hilarious and I expect a lot out of McKittrick here, too.

2 – Hotel Artemis (6/8)


Tag Line: No guns. No cops. No killing the other patients.
Production Company: Marc Platt Productions, Point of No Return, The Ink Factory
Director: Drew Pearce
Writer: Drew Pearce
Actors: Sofia Boutella, Dave Bautista, Sterling K. Brown, Jodie Foster, Jenny Slate, Jeff Goldblum, Brian Tyree Henry, Charlie Day, Zachary Quinto, Evan Jones, Kenneth Choi, Ramses Jimenez
Genre: Action, Crime, Sci-Fi
Rated: R
Length: Unknown

IMDb Blurb: Set in riot-torn, near-future Los Angeles, 'Hotel Artemis' follows the Nurse, who runs a secret, members-only emergency room for criminals.

This film looks kind of futuristic, kind of American Horror Story (2011-), kind of heist-y… it’s a mishmash of a bunch of pretty awesome stuff. The action sequences even seem somewhat overshadowed by the phenomenal acting portrayed in the trailer.

The only concern I have is that my expectations could be way too high. They are going to be incredibly hard to live up to for Hotel Artemis.

I’m definitely looking forward to finding out.

1 – Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (6/22)


Tag Line: Life finds a way.
Production Company: Amblin Entertainment, Apaches Entertainment, Legendary Entertainment, Perfect World Pictures, Universal Pictures
Director: J.A. Bayona
Writer: Colin Trevorrow, Derek Connolly, Michael Crichton
Actors: Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Pratt, Jeff Goldblum, Ted Levine, Toby Jones, James Cromwell, BD Wong, Rafe Spall, Daniella Pineda
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Rated: PG-13
Length: 128 minutes

IMDb Blurb: When the island's dormant volcano begins roaring to life, Owen and Claire mount a campaign to rescue the remaining dinosaurs from this extinction-level event.

Jurassic Park (1993) is one of my all-time favorite movies. I know that people who’ve read the book might look at it differently, but I don’t care. I love the hell out of it. When I was in college, whenever I had to write a paper I played Jurassic Park in the background on repeat.

I don’t know why I did that, but I always got my work done quicker so… who cares?

I really enjoyed Jurassic World (2015). Not as much, but I still liked it. Then again, I still enjoy the two movies the production company has decided to retcon. Sure, I consider them guilty pleasures… but still.

The point I’m trying to arrive at is that I’ll literally watch anything with the Jurassic Park branding. So, this film being number 1 for this month shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone.

I also can’t fully express how happy I am to see Jeff Goldblum (Isle of Dogs, Thor: Ragnarok, Portlandia) involved again. It just makes my heart feel good.

Movies to Look out For
According to: Cat

Boundaries .20
Ideal Home .19
A Kid Like Jake .18
Hearts Beat Loud .17
Woman Walks Ahead .16
The Yellow Birds .15
211 .14
Damsel .13
Leave No Trace .12
Hereditary .11
Distorted .10
2036 Origin Unknown .9
Under the Silver Lake .8
Set it Up .7
Hotel Artemis .6
Adrift .5
Ocean’s 8 .4
Upgrade .3
Incredibles 2 .2
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom .1

Monday, May 28, 2018

Deadpool 2 (2018)



Movie Name/Year: Deadpool 2 (2018)
Tagline: You never forget your second time.
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
Length: 119 minutes
Rating: R
Production Companies: Donners' Company, Kinberg Genre, Marvel Entertainment, Maximum Effort, TSG Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox
Producer: Simon Kinberg, Stan Lee, Jonathon Komack Martin, Kelly McCormick, Rhett Reese, Ryan Reynolds, Lauren Shuler Donner, Ethan Smith, Aditya Sood, Paul Wernick
Director: David Leitch
Writer: Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Ryan Reynolds
Actors: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Morena Baccarin, Julian Dennison, Zazie Beetz, T.J. Miller, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni, Brianna Hildebrand, Jack Kesy, Eddie Marsan, Shioli Kutsuna, Stefan Kapicic, Randal Reeder, Rob Delaney, Lewis Tan, Bill Skarsgard, Terry Crews, Brad Pitt, Alan Tudyk, Matt Damon
Stunt Doubles: Lloyd Cunningham, Louise Hradsky, Irma Leong, Tom McComas, Tammy Nera, Jackson Spidell, Andre Tricoteux

Blurb from Netflix: Foul-mouthed mutant mercenary Wade Wilson (AKA. Deadpool), brings together a team of fellow mutant rogues to protect a young boy with supernatural abilities from the brutal, time-traveling cyborg, Cable.


THIS REVIEW IS SPOILER-FREE

Selina’s Point of View:
I got to see Deadpool 2 yesterday. I was so looking forward to what I expected to be a weird-ass awesome film.

My expectations were met.


To start off, the beginning almost seems to pull the rug out from under you. There were more serious moments that changed the game up a bit. For my husband, it was like he was on a treadmill and someone changed the speed while he wasn’t looking. It didn’t feel quite as bad to me. I followed it pretty easily… especially since there were PLENTY of Deadpool moments to break up the tone.

Ryan Reynolds really upped his game in this film. Where there were a ton of fourth-wall breaks in the first one, and ridiculous references, this movie absolutely exploded with them. It FELT more like the comics… and the first one was already pretty good with keeping that feel.


There were a lot of references to the first movie. I think maybe one too many of them. They got a little tiring after a bit… a little too obvious. I feel like it could have been made better if Deadpool just broke the fourth wall at that point to make fun of the film for doing that. It was a missed opportunity.

All-in-all, I think this movie was a great follow-up to the original Deadpool (2016). Josh Brolin (Avengers: Infinity War, Only the Brave, Sicario) made a bad-ass Cable and, even though she deviated greatly from the comics, I thought the interpretation of Domino was phenomenal. Zazie Beetz (Atlanta, Dead Pigs, Geostorm) was relatively flawless in the part as well.

I want a stand-alone movie for Domino, now. It doesn’t have to be an origin story or anything, either. I just want two straight hours of Beetz luckily kicking some serious ass.


There IS an after credits scene that’s incredibly worth it. I was dying with laughter to such a level that I thought I was going to pee myself.

If you liked the first film, you’ll like this one. It’s not better than the first, but it’s not worse, either. That makes it special, in my eyes. No sequel-itis for Deadpool. Not yet, anyway.

Let’s not jinx it.


Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 82%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 86%
Metascore - 66/100
Metacritic User Score – 7.9/10
IMDB Score – 8.2/10

Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating5/5

Movie Trailer: