According to: Selina
20 – Murder
Mystery (6/14)
Production/Distribution:
Vinson Films, Endgame Entertainment, Happy Madison Productions, Tower Hill
Entertainment, Netflix
Director: Kyle
Newacheck
Writer: James
Vanderbilt
Actors: Adam
Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, Luke Evans, Gemma Arterton, Jackie Sandler, Ólafur
Darri Ólafsson, Terence Stamp, Shioli Kutsuna, David Walliams, Sufe Bradshaw,
Victor Turpin, Dany Boon, Erik Griffin
Genre: Action,
Comedy, Mystery
Rated: PG-13
Length: Unknown
IMDb Blurb: A New York cop and his wife go on a European
vacation to reinvigorate the spark in their marriage, but end up getting framed
and on the run for the death of an elderly billionaire.
This film was initially higher on my list, but we just
watched The Week Of (2018) last night
and I was reminded about how badly Happy Madison Productions has been doing
lately. Now, I don’t see it as right to put this as any higher than last place.
Even then, I considered taking it off.
Murder Mystery has
a great concept and that makes me want to see it, but I’m concerned. It’s very
possible that all the good parts of the movie are in the trailer. I notice that
a lot of the Happy Madison Production films tend to have bad editing, so that
could be part of it.
Long story short, it looks like it could be a good movie,
but I’m not going to hold my breath.
19 – Annabelle
Comes Home (6/28)
Production/Distribution: Atomic Monster, New Line Cinema,
RatPac-Dune Entertainment, The Safran Company, Warner Bros.
Director: Gary
Dauberman
Writer: James Wan
Actors: Gary
Dauberman
Genre: Horror,
Mystery, Thriller
Rated: Unknown
Length: Unknown
IMDb Blurb: Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren
keep a possessed doll locked up in an artifacts room in their house. When the
doll awakens the room's evil spirits, it soon becomes a night of terror for the
couple's young daughter and her friends.
Honestly, I haven’t seen any of the previous Annabelle (2014-2019) films. I’ve wanted
to, but I haven’t had the time. When I do have the time, there’s usually
something I want to watch a lot more.
I almost didn’t add this movie to my list. I didn’t want to,
but there wasn’t anything else that could have replaced it. If this were a top
18 instead, I’d have had no second thoughts about leaving Annabelle Comes Home off. That’s not because the series is bad or
anything, just because I haven’t seen it and with this being the third movie, I
don’t really care much about it.
If you love the Annabelle
series, then I hope you like this one.
18 – Nightmare
Cinema (6/21)
Production/Distribution:
Cinelou Films, Cranked Up Films, Good Deed Entertainment, Indy Entertainment, Cranked
Up Films, Stargate Studios, Trimaran
Director: Alejandro
Brugués, Ryûhei Kitamura, David Slade, Joe Dante, Mick Garris
Writer: Sandra
Becerril, Alejandro Brugués, Lawrence C. Connolly, Mick Garris, Richard
Christian Matheson, David Slade
Actors: Various
Genre: Horror
Rated: R
Length: 119
minutes
IMDb Blurb: Five strangers converge at a haunted movie theater
owned by The Projectionist (Mickey Rourke). Once inside, the audience members
witness a series of screenings that shows them their deepest fears and darkest
secrets over five tales.
I love horror anthologies. There’s so much potential. Since
each story is usually written, directed, and acted by different people, you
rarely have to worry about a single bad segment.
Sure, there are projects like The ABCs of Death (2012) that remind you that you ALWAYS have to
worry a little, but that’s kind of rare. One of the directors lined up actually
worked on the sequel to the aforementioned horror anthology, but the other
directors involved look pretty bad ass.
I understand that this looks like a B-movie, and it probably
is, but I like B-movies, too. I think this will likely be a fun step into the
horror world.
17 – Wild Rose (6/14)
Production/Distribution:
BFI Film Fund, Creative Scotland, Fable Pictures, Film4, Neon, Film & TV
House, GEM Entertainment, Entertainment One
Director: Tom
Harper
Writer: Nicole
Taylor
Actors: Jessie
Buckley, Maureen Carr, James Harkness, Julie Walters, Adam Mitchell, Daisy
Littlefield, Louise Mccarthy, Janey Godley, Brian McQuade, Craig Parkinson,
Doreen McGillivray, Sophie Okonedo, Ryan Kerr, Nicole Kerr, David McGowan,
Jamies Sives, Mark Hagen, Bob Harris, Ashley McBryde
Genre: Drama,
Music
Rated: R
Length: 100
minutes
IMDb Blurb: A musician from Glasgow dreams of becoming a
Nashville star.
In a lot of ways, this looks like your basic rags-to-riches
music-based movie. That said, I think there’s enough conflict to really alter
the feel the of the film.
Mixing American Country music with a foreign Irish take –
especially in a time laced with so much xenophobia – is risky. Sure, not as
risky as it could have been, but still. It’s an interesting take on the basic
starry-eyed dream of country girls in the US. It gives a lot of room for
something new to take root.
The addition of the motherhood and criminal storylines could
make things interesting, or they could make things seem a little overdone and
overwhelming.
There’s a balance that the writing will need to reach in order
for Wild Rose to be great – but I
believe the possibility is there.
16 – Late Night (6/7)
Production/Distribution:
3 Arts Entertainment, 30West, FilmNation Entertainment, Imperative
Entertainment, Kaling International, Stage 6 Films, Entertainment One, Amazon
Studios, Ascot Elite Entertainment Group, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions
Director: Nisha
Ganatra
Writer: Mindy
Kaling
Actors: Emma
Thompson, Mindy Kaling, John Lithgow, Hugh Dancy, Reid Scott, Denis O’Hare, Max
Casella, Paul Walter Hauser, John Early, Luke Slattery, Ike Barinholtz, Marc
Kudisch, Amy Ryan, Magalyn Echikunwoke, Blake DeLong, Jia Patel, Bill Maher,
Seth Meyers, Annaleigh Ashford, Halston Sage, Maria Dizzia, Jake Tapper
Genre: Comedy,
Drama
Rated: R
Length: 102
minutes
IMDb Blurb: A late-night talk show host suspects that she may
soon be losing her long-running show.
I’ve never been much of a fan of Mindy Kaling (Ocean’s Eight, The Mindy Project, The Office).
She just plays too much into that ‘empty-headed, but it’s ok because she’s adorable’
character stereotype. I hate that stereotype. So very much. That means I always
get a touch annoyed whenever I watch her for too long.
That said, I can’t deny that there’s a lot of amusement in
the concept for this film. I also know I’m in the minority on how I feel about
Kaling – which is fine.
I think there’s potential for Late Night to be an empowering and funny film. I also really like
John Lithgow (Pitch Perfect 3, Pet
Sematary, Interstellar) and Emma Thompson (Missing Link, Beauty and the Beast, Burnt). So, we’ll see.
15 – Changeland (6/7)
Production/Distribution:
Stoopid Buddy Stoodios, Karivara Films, Living Films, Gravitas Ventures
Director: Seth
Green
Writer: Seth
Green
Actors: Seth
Green, Rachel Bloom, Macaulay Culkin, Brenda Song, Breckin Meyer, Clare Grant,
Rose Williams, Rob Paulsen, Kedar Williams-Stirling, Randy Orton, Andrea
Romano, Monib Abhat, Rita Khori, Somchai Santithayangkun, Kenneth Won, Maop
Seengoen, Dennis Charles Bidwell, Khiri Lowenstein
Genre: Comedy,
Drama
Rated: R
Length: Unknown
IMDb Blurb: While visiting Thailand, two estranged friends
realize there's no rule book for finding purpose and meaning in life.
Who doesn’t love Seth Green (Family Guy, Sexy Evil Genius, Buffy the Vampire Slayer)? He’s
definitely one of those actors that can do no wrong in my mind. He’s great with
comedy – but equally good when there’s some seriousness woven in. Super
down-to-earth, but insanely talented.
As odd as this is going to sound, I feel like this film is a
mix of the funny adventure from Without a
Paddle (2004) and the more serious plot from – of all things – the Sex and the City (2008) movie. I know.
It’s an odd mixture to think of. I might have been able to figure out better
movies to mix in this comparison, but I really do think those two are fine for
this use.
That said, I like both those films and I have faith in Changeland in general.
14 – Say My Name
(6/14)
Production/Distribution:
Electric Entertainment
Director: Jay
Stern
Writer: Deborah
Frances-White
Actors: Lisa
Brenner, Nick Blood, Celyn Jones, Mark Bonnar, Alan Cox, Peter Davison, Grant
Crookes, Jamie de Courcey, Laurence Dobiesz, Gwen Ellis, Abbie Hirst, Tony
Leader, Dafydd Llyr-Thomas, Aled Pugh, Tonya Smith, Sindhu Vee, Melanie Walters
Genre: Comedy
Rated: R
Length: 83
minutes
IMDb Blurb: Mary and Statton's one-night stand at a hotel gets
interrupted by a robbery, and the complete strangers are forced to help each
other navigate the seedy underbelly of a sleepy Welsh island in order to get
back their stolen property.
There’s a lot of casual humor and amusement buried in this
‘wrong place-wrong time’ plot. I’m really looking forward to seeing how the
writer and director handle explaining how two people were arrested for robbing
themselves.
I’m sure it’s something like them being arrested for the
criminal’s previous acts, but it’s more amusing to think about it being about
their own robbery.
Say My Name does
look like it could be a bit trope-filled. I’ll admit that. However, it also
looks like the script might be clever enough to make up for it. We’ll have to
wait and see.
13 – The Last
Black Man in San Francisco (6/7)
Production/Distribution:
A24, Longshot Features, Plan B Entertainment
Director: Joe
Talbot
Writer: Joe
Talbot, Jimmie Fails, Rob Richert
Actors: Jimmie
Fails, Jonathan Majors, Danny Glover, Tichina Arnold, Rob Morgan, Mike Epps,
Finn Wittrock, Thora Birch, Willie Hen, Jamal Trulove
Genre: Drama
Rated: R
Length: 120
minutes
IMDb Blurb: A young man searches for home in the changing city
that seems to have left him behind.
Gentrification has been on my mind a lot lately.
I know, that’s a weird sentence, but let me explain.
I grew up in a one-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn. It wasn’t
the worst neighborhood in the world, but it was mostly low-income families. The
area started to be renovated. New buildings. New businesses. It wasn’t long
before our building was sold to a new landlord who wanted to turn the structure
into condos. Since none of us has the money to pay that kind of rent? He wanted
us OUT.
Little by little people began to trickle out, but he wouldn’t
rent out the empty apartments. Instead, he opted to keep the building as empty
as possible. Once the last of the easy-to-convince tenants left, he started in
on the rest of us that simply didn’t have the money to go somewhere else.
He wouldn’t get refills on fuel during the winter and we’d
go weeks without heat. He stopped doing repairs or upkeep. The exterminator was
never called. Paint peeled. Locks broke. Windows stuck. Walls cracked. Water
damage piled up. At one point, part of our couch fell through the floor and we
had to use a board to hold it up so it wouldn’t fall into the basement.
It took almost a month to get that fixed. A hole. That
nearly dropped our couch into the basement.
My mom is a fighter, so she organized the remaining tenants and
took them to court. Several times. It took almost ten years to finally get the
building fixed up so that it was livable.
Recently, I’ve been looking to move into my own house with
my husband and daughter. We saw a beautiful house in an area of Long Island that
was in the middle of gentrification. It met all our requirements. It had the
right amount of space, low taxes, in our price-range… and there was a great new
shopping area only a few blocks down that had just been erected. A little bit
of work needed to be done, but the price was such a steal that we would have
had no problem saving up for it.
But the tenants were there when we visited. I saw their
faces. I recognized the anger in their eyes. Just judging on that and their
attitudes toward us, I’m certain they weren’t leaving willingly.
I said no.
I knew if we looked long enough, we’d find another house in
our price range that met our requirements. In the meantime? There was no part
of me that would have been capable of being the reason that family had to move.
Everyone, even my mom, told me that if it wasn’t us – it would be someone else.
I understand that. But the few weeks it would take for them to find another
family interested in buying the house might have been the time that family
needed to find other options.
Since then, I’ve avoided areas in the process of
gentrification for our search.
I get that there are two ways to look at the subject, but I’ve
seen it from the wrong side.
This film looks like it explores that side of the story,
while explaining the nostalgia one has for their childhood neighborhood – even if
it wasn’t the best.
I’m aware that I’m bias in favor of The Last Black Man in San Francisco, but it’s not all subjective.
There are some amazing actors involved in it. Rob Morgan (Stranger Things, Daredevil, The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete),
Mike Epps (Acts of Violence, Survivor’s
Remorse, The Hangover Part III), and Danny Glover (Proud Mary, Bad Ass 2: Bad Asses, The Dead Don’t Die) are all
amazing at what they do. I’m not familiar with most of the other actors, but I
have to imagine they have what it takes if they are working alongside those
three.
Single-genre drama isn’t for everyone, but I think this one
has some serious promise.
12 – Vault (6/14)
Production/Distribution:
Dos Dudes Pictures, Verdi Productions, Grindstone Entertainment Group, Film
& TV House, Lionsgate Home Entertainment
Director: Tom
DeNucci
Writer: Tom
DeNucci, B. Dolan
Actors: Theo
Rossi, Clive Standen, Samira Wiley, Chazz Palminteri, Don Johnson, William
Forsythe, Sean Ringgold, Chuck Zito, Vincent Pastore, Eric Lutes, Burt Young,
Antonio Cupo, Dorothy Lyman, John Fiore, Ken Baltin, Gillian Williams, Armen
Garo, Claudio Orefice, Lala Kent, Germán Figueroa, Michael Zuccola, Danielle
Guldin, Johnny Cicco, Bob Dio
Genre: Crime,
Drama
Rated: R
Length: Unknown
IMDb Blurb: Vault tells a story about a group of small time
criminals in 1975 who attempt to pull off the biggest heist in American
history; stealing over $30 million from the Mafia in the smallest state in the
union, Rhode Island.
I don’t think I originally gave this film enough credit. I
had it at 17. After a few follow-up watch-throughs of the trailer, I opted to
push it up on my list.
First of all, this feels like it’s trying to be more of a
classic mob film than a lot of the stuff we’ve gotten in the past couple of
decades. I think the majority of people my age miss those ‘made man’ movies
from our childhood.
Second of all, the cast is insane. I’m a huge Theo Rossi (Luke Cage, Sons of Anarchy, Kill Theory)
fan, and Chazz Palminteri (A Bronx Tale,
Legend, Jolene) is one of the most believable mob-boss actors out there.
When you add in the immense talent of Samira Wiley (Orange is the New Black, Nerve, Social Animals), you get a cast
that you absolutely cannot afford to underestimate.
The trailer also looks a bit understated – but I don’t see
that as a flaw. I think it was meant to be understated.
Vault is a smaller
film, but I expect a lot from it.
11 – Manou the
Swift (6/12)
Production/Distribution:
LUXX Film, Sola Media, Kinostar Filmverleih, Paradiso Entertainment, Turbo
Films, Forefront Media Group
Director: Christian
Haas, Andrea Block
Writer: Axel
Melzener, Andrea Block, Phil Parker, Christian Haas, Gregory Baranes
Actors: Kate
Winslet, Willem Dafoe, Rob Paulsen, Josh Keaton, Julie Nathanson, David
Shaughnessy, Arif S. Kinchen, Friedrich Mücke, Dominik Kuhn, Cassandra Steen
Genre: Animation,
Adventure, Comedy
Rated: Unknown
Length: 88
minutes
IMDb Blurb: The little swift Manou grows up believing he's a
seagull. Learning to fly he finds out he never will be. Shocked, he runs away
from home. He meets birds of his own species and finds out who he really is.
When both seagulls and swifts face a dangerous threat, Manou becomes the hero
of the day.
I’ll admit that the message of this film is done pretty
often. Enough so that I have to say it’s basic. That said, I think this is an
amusing take on it.
The characters shown in the trailer, although they’re
animals, seem relatable. As a child, I would have been all over begging my mom
to let me go see Manou the Swift in
the theater. A basic message with a fun and interesting façade sometimes makes
for a great children’s film.
In this case, there are some decent names behind the
project. Kate Winslet (Triple 9,
Insurgent, The Mountain Between Us) and Willem Dafoe (Aquaman, John Wick, The Grand Budapest Hotel), in particular.
I think it will be worth watching with your kids.
10 – Papi Chulo (6-7)
Production/Distribution:
Treasure Entertainment, Metrol Technology, Head Gear Films, Bankside Films, Blue
Fox Entertainment, Front Row Filmed Entertainment
Director: John
Butler
Writer: John
Butler
Actors: Matt
Bomer, Alejandro Patiño, Elena Campbell-Martinez, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Michael
Shepperd, Tommie Earl Jenkins, Shaughn Buchholz, Tom Beyer, Irene White, Brandon
Kyle Goodman, Blaine Swen
Genre: Comedy,
Drama
Rated: R
Length: 98
minutes
IMDb Blurb: A lonely TV weatherman strikes up an unusual
friendship with a middle-aged Latino migrant worker.
This is such a simple concept with a simple trailer and, for
some reason, I cannot tell you how much I adore it. It puts such a smile on my
face each time I watch.
Matt Bomer (Doom
Patrol, Jonathan, White Collar) is such a warm and inviting personality. It’s
difficult to not want to see more of him.
In this case, the plot examines a friendship that probably
shouldn’t be – at the very least, it’s unexpected. I love that kind of thing.
The world seems so at odds right now. Some days it feels
like everybody hates everybody else – with no room for friendship or love or
anything else. A movie like this reminds us that you really don’t need anything
in common to show friendship to someone. In this case, they don’t even speak
the same language. It’s perfect – exactly what the world needs right now.
9 – The Secret
Life of Pets 2 (6/7)
Production/Distribution:
Illumination Entertainment, Universal Pictures, B&H Film Distribution, Finnkino,
Toho-Towa, Tulip Entertainment, United International Pictures (UIP), Universal
Pictures International (UPI)
Director: Chris
Renaud, Jonathan del Val
Writer: Brian
Lynch
Actors: Patton
Oswalt, Kevin Hart, Harrison Ford, Eric Stonestreet, Jenny Slate, Tiffany
Haddish, Lake Bell, Dana Carvey, Bobby Moynihan, Hannibal Buress, Chris Renaud,
Ellie Kemper, Pete Holmes, Henry Lynch, Nick Kroll, Sean Giambrone, Meredith
Salenger, Scott Mosier
Genre: Animation,
Adventure, Comedy
Rated: PG
Length: 86
minutes
IMDb Blurb: Continuing the story of Max and his pet friends,
following their secret lives after their owners leave them for work or school
each day.
I thought the first Secret
Life of Pets (2016) was adorable. Not incredibly deep, but fun anyway.
This one looks like it’s going to follow suit but, for some reason,
the trailer makes it look so much more epic than it will probably be. Like it’s
going to take some superhero inspiration, from films like The Incredibles (2004). Now, I think that part is pretty much going
to be all semi-parody, or played up for the trailer. Never-the-less, it’s hard
to ignore.
It should, as the very least, be a cute family film that
will be great for kids and tolerable for adults.
8 – Yesterday (6/28)
Production/Distribution:
Etalon Film, Working Title Films, Universal Pictures, United International
Pictures (UIP), Universal Pictures International (UPI)
Director: Danny
Boyle
Writer: Jack
Barth, Richard Curtis
Actors: Himesh
Patel, Lily James, Sophia Di Martino, Ellise Chappell, Meera Syal, Harry
Michell, Vincent Franklin, Joel Fry, Michael Kiwanuka, Karma Sood, Gus Brown,
Sanjeev Bhaskar, Karl Theobald, Alexander Arnold, Ed Sheeran, James Corden
Genre: Comedy,
Fantasy, Music
Rated: PG-13
Length: 112
minutes
IMDb Blurb: A struggling musician realizes he's the only person
on Earth who can remember The Beatles after waking up in an alternate timeline
where they never existed.
I’ve seen a lot about this film in the past couple of
months. Each time I see the trailer I’m convinced it’s more unique and creative
than the last time.
I’m not even a fan of the Beatles.
Sure, we all know how it’s likely to end. It’s probably some
fever or coma dream and the main character will wake up at the end like Dorothy
at the end of Wizard of Oz (1939).
That said, I’m all about imagining that the situation is really happening
throughout the film – and there’s always the chance that they’ll take a sharp
left on the ending and surprise us all with something clever.
I’m willing to put a LOT of faith in Yesterday just based on the concept. The trailer looks great, but even
if it didn’t the movie still would have wound up high on my list.
7 – Child’s Play
(6/21)
Production/Distribution:
Orion Pictures, KatzSmith Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Oddfellows
Entertainment, TF1 Studio, United Artists Releasing, Capelight Pictures, Central
Partnership, Digicine, Dutch FilmWorks (DFW), Elevation Pictures, Forum Film, Garage
Play, Golden Village Pictures, Imagem Filmes, Kinepolis Film Distribution (KFD),
Kino Swiat, Latam Pictures, Midnight Factory, Mis. Label, Mongkol Major, NOS
Audiovisuais, Noble Entertainment, Paramount Pictures, Roadshow Films, Toho-Towa,
United International Pictures (UIP), Vertigo Releasing, Vértigo Films, Ascot
Elite Entertainment Group, GEM Entertainment, Sierra / Affinity
Director: Lars
Klevberg
Writer: Tyler
Burton Smith, Don Mancini
Actors: Aubrey
Plaza, Mark Hamill, Tim Matheson, Gabriel Bateman, Brian Tyree Henry, David Lewis,
Beatrice Kitsos, Trent Redekop, Ty Consiglio, Amber Taylor, Hannah Drew, Nicole
Anthony, Carlease Burke, Kristin York, Zahra Anderson
Genre: Horror
Rated: R
Length: 120
minutes
IMDb Blurb: A mother gives her son a toy doll for his birthday,
unaware of its more sinister nature.
This reboot of the Child’s
Play (1988) series looks amazing. It looks like exactly what I want in a
reboot.
It seems to have the same creepy vibe as the original film,
but it’s brought into this century. You get a robotic toy that can sync up with
the character’s homes, cars, phones, thermostats… it actually makes Chucky so
much creepier in my opinion.
That’s a hell of a feat, because Chucky is fucking creepy even
in the 80s version.
This new version of Child’s
Play has the opportunity to be one of the best reboots created. Of course,
that will depend on how well they balance the script and setting. You don’t
want to lose that humanity and loss-of-innocent aspect the characters had in
the old version, but you also want to go far enough with the update to the era
for it to be worth rebooting. We should see the technological updates work in
harmony with the parts of Chucky that haunted our dreams in the first place.
Personally, I don’t want to see them remove the supernatural
part of Child’s Play. I’m worried
they’ll make it more of a malfunction of technology or virus or something.
There best still be a serial killer’s soul in that creepy-ass doll.
6 – The Dead
Don’t Die (6/14)
Production/Distribution:
Animal Kingdom, Film i Väst, Focus Features, United International Pictures
(UIP), Universal Pictures International (UPI), Universal Pictures
Director: Jim
Jarmusch
Writer: Jim
Jarmusch
Actors: Bill
Murray, Adam Driver, Eszter Balint, Austin Butler, Rosal Colon, Maya Delmont,
Danny Glover, Selena Gomez, Steve Buscemi, Caleb Landry Jones, Carol Kane,
Rosie Perez, Iggy Pop, Chloë Sevigny, Tilda Swinton, Tom Waits, Taliyah
Whitaker
Genre: Comedy,
Fantasy, Horror
Rated: R
Length: 105
minutes
IMDb Blurb: The peaceful town of Centerville finds itself
battling a zombie horde as the dead start rising from their graves.
I have to admit, this looks like my dream film. A zombie
horror B-movie concept with A-list properties. It’s Shaun of the Dead (2004) with a star-studded cast. I’m well in the
belief that we could all use a little more Shaun
of the Dead in our lives so, I’m here for this one.
There’s just something about a horror-comedy that does it
for me. And this one looks insane.
Awesome.
5 – I Am Mother (6/7)
Production/Distribution:
The Penguin Empire, Southern Light Films, Rhea Films (II), Southern Light Alliance,
StudioCanal, Concorde Filmverleih, Netflix
Director: Grant
Sputore
Writer: Michael
Lloyd Green
Actors: Rose Byrne,
Hilary Swank, Clara Rugaard, Luke Hawker, Tahlia Sturzaker, Jacob Nolan, Maddie
Lenton, Summer Lenton, Hazel Sandery
Genre: Sci-fi,
Thriller
Rated: Unknown
Length: 115
minutes
IMDb Blurb: A teenage girl is raised underground by a kindly
robot "Mother" -- designed to repopulate the earth following the
extinction of humankind. But their unique bond is threatened when an inexplicable
stranger arrives with alarming news.
I’ve enjoyed a lot of the Netflix original sci-fi films that
have come out. Now, I expect a lot from them.
The trailer for I Am
Mother encourages my high hopes. We can see a lot of great acting moments
in the trailer, but there’s more than that. By the end, we’re still left not knowing
whether the android or Hilary Swank’s (Logan
Lucky, The Black Dahlia, Million Dollar Baby) character is the antagonist.
That’s a difficult thing for a trailer to do. Normally, even with films that
explore that kind of psychological angle, you’re leaning one way or another by
the end of the trailer (whether or not you’re leaning the right way is not the
point).
I’m looking forward to when this comes out.
4 – Men in Black:
International (6/14)
Production/Distribution:
Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), Amblin Entertainment, Original
Film, Parkes+MacDonald Image Nation, Tencent Pictures, The Hideaway
Entertainment, Galaxy Distributors, Sony Pictures Releasing, United
International Pictures (UIP), Universal Pictures International (UPI)
Director: F. Gary
Gray
Writer: Matt
Holloway, Art Marcum
Actors: Tessa
Thompson, Chris Hemsworth, Rebecca Ferguson, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson, Rafe
Spall, Kumail Nanjiani, Jess Radomska, Viktorija Faith
Genre: Action,
Comedy, Sci-fi
Rated: PG-13
Length: 115 minutes
IMDb Blurb: The Men in Black have always protected the Earth
from the scum of the universe. In this new adventure, they tackle their biggest
threat to date: a mole in the Men in Black organization.
I’m skeptical, but I seriously can’t put Men in Black: International any lower on
my list than this. I LOVE this series. It’s one of those things I can put on and
watch pretty much all the time. It’s just so much fun. That said? I’m skeptical
of sequels when they have a different cast – even if the cast is full of popular
A-listers like this one.
I’m going to miss Will Smith (Suicide Squad, Hancock, The Pursuit of Happiness) and Tommy Lee
Jones’ (Captain America: The First
Avenger, Jason Bourne, The Family) presence, even if this movie exceeds all
other expectations.
Basically? Tessa Thompson (Westworld, Avengers: Endgame, Sorry to Bother You) and Chris Hemsworth
(Avengers: Endgame, Ghostbusters, Red
Dawn) have big shoes to fill. Hopefully they’re working with the kind of
script that will help them do the series justice. With two of the writers credited
on Iron Man involved, Matt Holloway (Transformers: The Last Knight, Punisher: War
Zone, Shadow of Fear) and Art Marcum (Transformers:
The Last Knight, Punisher: War Zone, Shadow of Fear), there’s hope.
3 – X-Men: Dark
Phoenix (6/7)
Production/Distribution:
20th Century Fox Film Corporation, Bad Hat Harry Productions, Donners' Company,
Kinberg Genre, Marvel Entertainment, TSG Entertainment, 20th Century Fox, Forum
Hungary, Press Play Pictures, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Warner Bros.
Director: Simon
Kinberg
Writer: John Byrne,
Chris Claremont, Dave Cockrum, Simon Kinberg, Jack Kirby, Stan Lee
Actors: Sophie Turner,
Jennifer Lawrence, James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, Michael Fassbender, Nicholas
Hoult, Evan Peters, Alexandria Shipp, Tye Sheridan, Kodi McPhee, Evan
Jonigkeit, Hannah Emily Anderson, Ato Essandoh, Daniel Cudmore, Summer Fontana,
Kota Eberhardt, Scott Shepherd, Lamar Johnson, Andrew Stehlin, Aphra Williams,
Gregg Lowe, Joey Coleman
Genre: Action,
Adventure, Sci-fi
Rated: PG-13
Length: 113
minutes
IMDb Blurb: Jean Grey begins to develop incredible powers that
corrupt and turn her into a Dark Phoenix. Now the X-Men will have to decide if
the life of a team member is worth more than all the people living in the
world.
This definitely looks like a potentially epic addition to
the X-Men (2000 -) franchise. It may even
win back some of the fans that were pushed away by earlier films. I’m
cautiously optimistic about Dark Phoenix,
but I’m not naïve. Some great ideas and stories have gotten fucked up in the X-Men series.
I also hear that there’s going to be a connection to the MCU
in the film. Honestly? I think that’s bullshit. This movie was made before the
merger – or nearly made, I’m not entirely sure of the specific timeline. I
wouldn’t expect a connection just yet…
But I’m still going to stay until the end of the credits.
2 – Shaft (6/14)
Production/Distribution:
Davis Entertainment, Khalabo Ink Society, Netflix, New Line Cinema, Warner
Bros. Digital Networks, Warner Bros., New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Digital
Distribution
Director: Tim
Story
Writer: Kenya
Barris, Alex Barnow, Ernest Tidyman
Actors: Samuel L.
Jackson, Alexandra Shipp, Avan Jogia, Regina Hall, Luna Lauren Velez, Richard
Roundtree, Jessie T. Usher, Matt Lauria, Method Man,
Genre: Action,
Comedy, Crime
Rated: R
Length: Unknown
IMDb Blurb: John Shaft Jr., a cyber security expert with a
degree from MIT, enlists his family's help to uncover the truth behind his best
friend's untimely death.
Samuel L. Jackson (Avengers:
Endgame, The Hateful Eight, Kingsman: The Secret Service) was born to play
Shaft. Yeah, sure, he’s a great enough actor that I’d watch a video of him
shopping for an hour and half and still probably be entertained… but my
statements here aren’t based on that. Shaft is his. As much as Wolverine is
Hugh Jackman’s (The Greatest Showman, Pan,
Rise of the Guardians).
I have faith in the film because there’s no way Jackson
would allow it to suck. If you’ve seen any interviews with him then you know,
he’s not exactly shy. He’ll speak up if something in a movie needs to be
changed. I highly doubt this would be the exception.
I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention the amazing
one-liners in the trailer. I want more of that. So much more. It’s going to be
a VERY quotable flick.
The best thing about another Shaft coming out now? The exploitation aspect won’t be a thing. I
have no doubt Sam L. is the highest paid mother(shut-your-mouth) in that film –
as damn well he should be.
One question. How the hell does a production company name a sequel
the exact same thing as the original? I feel like they could have done better
there.
1 – Toy Story 4 (6/21)
Production/Distribution:
Hurwitz Creative, Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney
Studios Motion Pictures, B&H Film Distribution, Cineforum, Forum Hungary, United
International Pictures (UIP), Walt Disney Studios Japan, Walt Disney Studios
Sony Pictures Releasing (WDSSPR)
Director: Josh
Cooley
Writer: Andrew
Stanton, Stephany Folsom, John Lasseter, Martin Hynes, Rashida Jones, Will
McCormack, Valerie LaPointe, Josh Cooley
Actors: Keanu
Reeves, Christina Hendricks, Tom Hanks, Patricia Arquette, Jordan Peele, Jay
Hernandez, Annie Potts, Kristen Schaal, Timothy Dalton, Wallace Shawn, Laurie
Metcalf, Joan Cusack, Tim Allen, Keegan-Michael Key, Tony Hale, Bonnie Hunt,
John Ratzenberger, Don Rickles, Jodi Benson, Ally Maki, Jeff Garlin, Lori Alan,
Estelle Harris, Madeleine McGraw, Blake Clark, Bud Luckey, Lila Sage Bromley,
Jeff Pidgeon
Genre: Animation,
Adventure, Comedy
Rated: G
Length: 100
minutes
IMDb Blurb: When a new toy called "Forky" joins Woody
and the gang, a road trip alongside old and new friends reveals how big the
world can be for a toy.
I know there are some epic films coming out this month, but
how could this not be number 1?
Toy Story (1995-2010)
was an iconic trilogy, and now they’re coming out with a fourth. It’s a film
that most people agree probably wasn’t needed. The third Toy Story had such a sense of finality to the ending that no one
could have predicted another sequel, especially nine years later.
But we’re all going to see it, anyway.
Whether it’s in the theater or when it hits streaming/cable,
we’ll be there. Sure, it’s nostalgic but it’s also an addition to a series that
exceeded all expectations when it first existed. How could we not want to see
the new one?
Hopefully it lives up to its predecessors. I believe it
will. I’m prepared for the feels!
Movies to Look out For
According to: Cat
Wild Rose .20
Vault .19
Hampstead .18
Say My Name .17
Late Night .16
Murder Mystery .15
Nightmare Cinema .14
Changeland .13
Yesterday .12
Shaft .11
Annabelle Comes Home .10
Toy Story 4 .9
Child’s Play .8
Men in Black:
International .7
Ophelia .6
I Am Mother .5
Anna .4
The Secret Life of Pets
2 .3
The Dead Don’t Die .2
X-Men: Dark Phoenix .1
FAQ:
One of the directors lined up actually worked on the sequel to the aforementioned horror anthology
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