Friday, June 3, 2022

Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022)

 

Streaming Service: Disney+
Movie Name/Year: Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022)
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Length: 1h 37min
Rating: PG
Production/Distribution: Mandeville Films, Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Disney+
Director: Akiva Schaffer
Writers: Dan Gregor, Doug Mand, Tad Stones, Alan Zaslove, Kathleen Shugrue
Actors: Andy Samberg, Anthony Molinari, Chris Parnell, Dennis Haysbert, Emil Beheshti, Eric Bana, Heather Dragulescu, J.K. Simmons, James Joseph Pulido, James M. Black, John Mulaney, Julian Graham, Juliet Donenfeld, Keegan-Michael Key, Kenzo Lee, KiKi Layne, Mason Blomberg, Matt Cook, Paula Abdul, Ryan Alosio, Seth Rogen, Sophie Fatu, Tim Robinson, Tress MacNeille, Victor Turpin, Will Arnett
 
IMDb Blurb: In Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers, Chip and Dale are living amongst cartoons and humans in modern-day Los Angeles, but their lives are quite different now. It has been decades since their successful television series was canceled, and Chip has succumbed to a life of suburban domesticity as an insurance salesman. Dale, meanwhile, has had CGI surgery and works the nostalgia convention circuit, desperate to relive his glory days. When a former castmate mysteriously disappears, Chip and Dale must repair their broken friendship and take on their Rescue Rangers detective personas once again to save their friend's life.
 
Cat’s Point of View:
I was so excited for Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers to hit Disney+. My daughter was even eagerly anticipating watching this movie as a family – and she really hadn’t gotten into the animated series. I, on the other hand, had watched it every day when it originally aired 1989-1990 on Fox’s afternoon cartoon block. I was 11 at the time and adored every bit of the after-school cartoon fare. I’m hoping that, in the wake of this film, she might want to watch the old series with me for a good giggle. I digress…

 
In my #3 entry for my Top 20 Movies to Look Out for in May article, I anticipated a lot of feelings of nostalgia from Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers along the lines of Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) with live-action characters mingling with animated ones throughout the story. It’s a fascinating world to imagine, where animations are just as real as anyone else and are shown in and out of character for the productions they’re known for.
 
That sort of element also helped sell some of the casting differences between the original voice actors for the roles and those in this new movie. A prime example of this was Zipper, who was voiced by Dennis Haysbert (24, Ted 2, Fist Fight). In the series, Zipper really didn’t “talk” in a way people could understand as cohesive language for the most part. His voice was high-pitched and fast-paced. Haysbert’s voice is the exact opposite of that and the deep resonating tones were initially odd to hear, but reinforced that this Zipper was outside of his role in the old show and living his normal life.


None of the performances or new character voices did any disservice to the characters – there was just a clear line of demarcation between their in-character personas for the show and their regular selves. It’s another case of the high squeaky voice for the show for the chipmunks and decidedly otherwise voices for the majority of the Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers movie. I felt John Mulaney (Saturday Night Live, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Dickinson) and Andy Samberg (The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Hotel Transylvania 4: Transformania) were believable in their respective roles as modern-day Chip and Dale. Not everyone got a revised vocal performance, though. Tress MacNeille (The Simpsons, Animaniacs, Futurama) reprised her role as Gadget and also gave us the traditional high-pitched chipmunk voice for at least one of the primary duo.
 
All of the Easter Eggs, laced throughout this Rescue Rangers adventure, were a lot of fun. Some were obvious and jumped right out at me. Others took a second viewing to pick up on. I think fans of animation should get a kick out of spotting them throughout the feature.

 
The story was actually more interesting and had a bit more heart than I originally gave it credit for from watching the trailer a few times. Honestly, it didn’t really matter to me since I was in it for the nostalgia and sharing something I loved when I was younger with my daughter – but those who might need more to take away from this Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers would find a bit of substance here beneath the silly cartoon veneer.
 
That actually brings me to the elephant in the room. There has been a bit of controversy swirling around some character decisions made in Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers – specifically regarding the story’s villain. I’m afraid there’s not much I can specifically address without spoilers, but the crux of the situation is that the ‘bad guy’ strongly resembles a former child star who was let go by Disney as they aged and their lives took a decidedly tragic turn. Some have found that this choice was in poor taste as a story element here. I can’t entirely disagree, but at the same time Disney is putting egg on their own face with this plot element. The story doesn’t mock the individual outright. It’s unfortunate, but not something egregious enough for me to outright cancel the whole production over. It did, however, affect my rating somewhat.

Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers was everything I wanted it to be, and then some. The different styles of animation and the running gag on bootleg animations certainly hit the mark. If you have access to Disney+, this would be a fun movie for summer viewing. You can bet I’ll be watching something related to the Rescue Rangers again soon, myself. The theme song is currently on loop in my head. 


Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 82%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 82%
Metascore – 66%
Metacritic User Score – 6.5/10
IMDB Score – 7.1/10
 
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 4/5

P.S. - There is a brief additional scene during the closing credits.
 
Movie Trailer:

Wednesday, June 1, 2022

Top 20 Movies to Look Out For In June (2022)

According to: Selina
 

20 – The Janes (6/8)
 

Production/Distribution: HBO Documentary Films, Pentimento Productions
Director: Tia Lessin, Emma Pildes
Genre: Documentary
Rated: Unrated
Length: 1h 41min
 
IMDb Blurb: Police arrested seven women who were part of a clandestine network. Using code names, blindfolds and safe houses, they built an underground service for women seeking safe, affordable, illegal abortions calling themselves JANE.
 
I’m not one for documentaries, but I think The Janes is exceptionally important right now. A lot of people my age, or younger, weren’t exposed to what it was like for women when abortion was illegal. I don’t think people realize how many women died from the kind of abortions that legality makes obsolete.
 
With Roe vs. Wade in jeopardy, we’re looking at a future that mirrors the past. The Janes shows us what to expect. It’s not about left vs. right – it’s about life vs. death.
 
The Janes is a must-see. I only put it at #20 because I knew that’s where it would be the most visible. Not everyone reads the whole article, but everyone who clicks the link sees #20. If you’re going to have an opinion on an abortion, you should know the whole story.
 
19 – Cryo (6/24)
 

Production/Distribution: Saban Films, Ten Letters
Director: Barrett Burgin
Writer: Barrett Burgin, Mason D. Davis
Actors: Jyllian Petrie, Emily Marie Palmer, Mason D. Davis, Curt Doussett, Morgan Gunter, Michael Flynn
Genre: Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Rated: PG-13
Length: 1h 58min
 
IMDb Blurb: In an underground facility, five scientists wake from cryosleep with no memory of who they are or how long they've been asleep. They soon make a shocking realization: a killer is hunting them down there, and may even be hiding among them.
 
Cryo feels like a horror version of Passengers (2016). There are some very obvious differences, but that was my first thought when watching the trailer.
 
Mixing that kind of flick with a slasher vibe is interesting to me. I will admit that I’m not overly sure how well it will work. It is, however, written and directed by new voices – and the trailer does intrigue me. So, I think it’s worth trying.
 
18 – Dashcam (6/3)
 

Production/Distribution: Blumhouse Productions, Shadowhouse Films, Momentum Pictures, Laterna, M C Twist
Director: Rob Savage
Writer: Gemma Hurley, Rob Savage, Jed Shepherd
Actors: Annie Hardy, Amar Chadha-Patel, Angela Enahoro, Seylan Baxter
Genre: Horror
Rated: R
Length: 1h 17min
 
IMDb Blurb: Two friends on a horror-fueled road trip and livestream the most terrifying night of their lives.
 
Ok, Dashcam looks completely basic and, based on the trailer alone, it likely wouldn’t have made the list. So why is it here?
 
Rob Savage (Strings, Britannia, Soulmates) is why.
 
Way back in the beginning of the pandemic we saw Host (2020). It looked like it wasn’t going to be much of anything. I thought it was going to be this low-budget shaky-cam nonsense. It was new, though, and we weren’t going to be seeing much new for a while, so I put it on our schedule.
 
What we got was something that felt almost revolutionary. With the cast and crew all safely separated, Rob Savage had given us a horror movie that was effective, well-edited, and fast-paced. He took something that could have been super basic and shaped it into one of the best horror movies of that year. (I feel it’s important to note that I feel it could have stood up to the horror movies that came out on a busier movie release year as well.)
 
I said that day that I wanted to watch him. I wanted to see more from him.
 
Here we have another basic-looking film… with his name attached. I am not going to judge it on its trailer. I want to see what he does with it. He’s taken a lump of coal and offered a diamond back before.
 
I’m ready for it.
 
17 – The Righteous (6/10)
 

Production/Distribution: Panoramic Pictures, Arrow, Arrow Video, Vortex Media
Director: Mark O’Brien
Writer: Mark O’Brien
Actors: Henry Czerny, Mimi Kuzyk, Mark O’Brien, Mayko Nguyen, Kate Corbett, Nigel Bennett
Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery
Rated: Unrated
Length: 1h 37min
 
IMDb Blurb: A burdened man feels the wrath of a vengeful God after he and his wife are visited by a mysterious stranger.
 
Taking The Righteous on story only, it might seem a bit basic. I’m not judging it on the plot, though. It’s the visuals that make me feel like The Righteous has a place on this list.
 
I think doing a religious horror like this in black and white is a stroke of genius. It adds a striking contrast to a story that is very much about good vs. evil – and paying for one’s own evil.
 
I’m also interested in what Mark O’Brien (Ready or Not, Arrival, Perry Mason) can do as a writer/director. I’m familiar with him as an actor, and I’m excited to see his career evolve.
 
16 – The Lost Girls (6/17)
 

Production/Distribution: Ingenious Media, Lipsync Productions, Pelgo Films, Altitude Film Entertainment, Vertical Entertainment, Lifetime Television, Photon Films and Media, Vertical Entertainment
Director: Livia De Paolis
Writer: Laurie Fox, Livia De Paolis
Actors: Vanessa Redgrave, Joely Richardson, Iain Glen, Louis Partridge
Genre: Drama, Fantasy
Rated: Unrated
Length: 1h 40min
 
IMDb Blurb: Like her grandmother and her mother Jane before her, Wendy must escape Pan's hold on her and the promise he wants her to keep.
 
This trailer is not at all what I expected from a Lifetime film. That worries me a bit, as it could mean that the movie is being misrepresented. It could, however, also mean that Lifetime is branching out. Only the flick itself will be able to tell us.
 
That said, The Lost Girls is an interesting take on the Peter Pan story. Instead of viewing Pan through the eyes of a fantasizing child, we see how the grown Wendy might see her promise to never grow up as more of a prison. It looks to show us the desire to move on while being held back by a childhood story.
 
I think Hook (1991)touched on that a little bit, but it still kept its inner child alive and well. In The Lost Girls I think we’re going to see more of a shrugging off of childish things in order to move into a new stage of life.
 
I’m interested in seeing what adventure this fantasy is going to take us on.
 
15 – Press Play (6/16)
 

Production/Distribution: CJ Entertainment, Splendid Film, The Avenue Entertainment
Director: Greg Björkman
Writer: Greg Björkman, James Bachelor
Actors: Lewis Pullman, Danny Glover, Clara Rugaard
Genre: Music
Rated: PG-13
Length: 1h 25min
 
IMDb Blurb: A young woman has a chance to save the love of her life, when she discovers that the mix-tape they made together can transport her back in time.
 
Time travel is a concept that is getting a bit old for me. There’s been a whole lot of it in movies throughout the past few years, but this is a special case. Especially this month.
 
I think everyone eventually loses someone that they wish they could go back and talk to just one more time. I know that I have. And if I could get to them through a song we shared and stop the tragic event from occurring, I would do it in a heartbeat. Even if I couldn’t change it, just to see them one more time would be something.
 
Maybe my pick is colored by recent events, as my husband lost his brother in May, but I think any of us who’ve lost someone will be able to relate to Press Play.
 
It’s not going to be an easy watch, though. There will be an undoubtedly high amount of heartbreak.
 
14 – Cha Cha Real Smooth (6/17)
 

Production/Distribution: Picturestart, Endeavor Content, TeaTime Pictures, Apple TV+
Director: Cooper Raiff
Writer: Cooper Raiff
Actors: Cooper Raiff, Dakota Johnson, Evan Assante, Vanessa Burghardt, Leslie Mann, Brad Garrett, Raúl Castillo
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Rated: R
Length: 1h 47min
 
IMDb Blurb: A young man who works as a Bar Mitzvah party host strikes up a friendship with a mother and her autistic daughter.
 
The trailer for Cha Cha Real Smooth makes it seem more like a dramatic romance than a traditional dramedy. That said, it has a lot going for it as a coming-of-age style story.
 
All of us have had that moment where we need to decide who, or what, we want to be. This kind of story touches on that, but most of them target a younger demographic. Here we have a person starting their adult life for us to relate to. It’s a nice change.
 
I enjoy Dakota Johnson (Wounds, Our Friend, Am I OK?) as an actor in most cases and Leslie Mann (The Other Woman, Motherless Brooklyn, This is 40) is an absolute treasure. I’m not familiar with Cooper Raiff (Shithouse, Madeline & Cooper, I Would Have Kissed You), but he gives off some David Tennant (Good Omens, Final Space, DuckTales) vibes, so I’m more than willing to give him a chance.
 
Cha Cha Real Smooth might not be my first choice for a theater trip, but I wouldn’t turn down going to see it with a friend.
 
13 – Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (6/17)
 

Production/Distribution: Genesius Pictures, Align, Cornerstone Films, Searchlight Pictures, MK2 Mile End, Lionsgate, Wild Bunch Germany, Arna Media, Ascot Elite Entertainment Group, Front Row Filmed Entertainment, Hulu, Wild Bunch
Director: Sophie Hyde
Writer: Katy Brand
Actors: Emma Thompson, Daryl McCormack
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Rated: R
Length: 1h 37min
 
IMDb Blurb: Follows Nancy Stokes, a 55 year-old widow who is yearning for some adventure, human connection and some sex, good sex.
 
Something about this trailer was just exceptionally charming. It’s a story about finding oneself that includes a celebration of female sexuality.
 
Emma Thompson’s (Dolittle, Cruella, How to Build a Girl) character feels relatable, or at least accessible. While Daryl McCormack’s (Peaky Blinders, Pixie, How to Fake a War) title character gives off an air of calm. In a movie like Good Luck to You, Leo Grande the actors are what make it. And the chemistry between Thompson and McCormack gives me a lot of hope toward the final product.
 
When it’s just the two of them on screen for an hour and a half, any small cracks will seem HUGE. But, in this case, I really believe it will work.
 
12 – Hustle (6/8)
 

Production/Distribution: Happy Madison Productions, Kirschenbaum Productions, Roth Films, Roth/Kirschenbaum Films, SpringHill Entertainment, Netflix
Director: Jeremiah Zagar
Writer: Will Fetters, Taylor Materne
Actors: Adam Sandler, Ben Foster, Robert Duvall, Queen Latifah, Jaleel White, Juancho Hernangomez
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Sport
Rated: R
Length: 1h 57min
 
IMDb Blurb: A washed-up basketball scout discovers a phenomenal street ball player while in Spain and sees the prospect as his opportunity to get back into the NBA.
 
I’m the first to admit that Adam Sandler’s (Punch-Drunk Love, The Wedding Singer, Funny People) more recent films have been crap. Most of them, anyway. You know which of his newer films wouldn’t stand up to that descriptor? Uncut Gems (2019).
 
The fact is, as a comedian, Sandler never grew up. His style of comedy is VERY 90s, and he has no interest in progressing with the rest of the world. That’s simply the kind of humor he prefers, I guess. And that’s fine. People can like whatever comedy they want to like. The problem is that there’s very little room left for that kind of humor in our current cinematic landscape. It’s not what audiences want anymore.
 
As a dramatic actor, however, Adam Sandler is so much better than people give him credit for. They get stuck on the comedy and expect the worst. If you look at his history in the drama genre, though, there’s very little that gives cause to doubt him.
 
Hustle does have a tinge of comedy, but it is first, and foremost, a drama. I think that means we can expect great things from Sandler here.
 
The trailer looks interesting and reminds me a bit of the kind of dramedy we might see Robin Williams (Mrs. Doubtfire, One Hour Photo, Good Will Hunting) star in if he was alive today.
 
11 – Interceptor (6/3)
 

Production/Distribution: Ambience Entertainment, Foryor Entertainment, Netflix
Director: Matthew Reilly
Writer: Stuart Beattie, Matthew Reilly
Actors: Elsa Pataky, Luke Bracey, Aaron Glenane, Mayen Mehta, Paul Caesar, Belinda Jombwe, Marcus Johnson
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
Rated: Unrated
Length: 1h 36min
 
IMDb Blurb: One Army captain must use her years of tactical training and military expertise when a simultaneous coordinated attack threatens the remote missile interceptor station she is in command of.
 
There are parts of this film that look a bit basic. I’ll admit to that. Still, it seems like a perfectly solid claustrophobic action flick. I expect some explosions and bad ass fight scenes.
 
Will it be a thinker? No. Still, if your past month has been as bad as mine? A turn-your-brain-off shoot-‘em-up is probably going to hit the spot.
 
I’m currently stuck at home with Covid, so this seems like a fun little gift from Netflix to me.
 

10 – Elvis (6/24)
 

Production/Distribution: Warner Bros., Bazmark Films, Roadshow Entertainment, The Jackal Group, Whalerock Industries, HKC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Pictures Germany, Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros. Singapore
Director: Baz Luhrmann
Writer: Baz Luhrmann, Sam Bromell, Craig Pearce Jeremy Doner
Actors: Austin Butler, Dacre Montgomery, Olivia DeJonge, Tom Hanks
Genre: Biography, Drama, Music
Rated: PG-13
Length: 2h 39min
 
IMDb Blurb: A look at the life of the legendary rock and roll star, Elvis Presley.
 
Whether or not you love Elvis, it’s impossible to overlook his influence. In the context of films, that means Hollywood has covered just about every aspect of his life. There’ve been biographies, cameos, alternate histories… it’s difficult to find something about his life that movies have not covered. Real or imagined.
 
Elvis does actually take a different perspective, though. It seems to focus more on his manager, Colonel Tom Parker – played by Tom Hanks (Toy Story, The Post, Sully), and the state of the world as Elvis rose to fame. I think that gives the film a bit of an interesting edge.
 
It’ll still be most appealing to fans of the man himself, but the trailer looks good.
 
9 – Jerry and Marge Go Large (6/17)
 

Production/Distribution: Landline Pictures, Levantine Films, Media Rights Capital (MRC), Paramount+, Paramount Pictures
Director: David Frankel
Writer: Brad Copeland
Actors: Bryan Cranston, Annette Bening, Michael McKean, Anna Camp, Rainn Wilson, Jake McDorman
Genre: Biography, Comedy, Drama
Rated: PG-13
Length: Unknown
 
IMDb Blurb: Based on true story about couple Jerry and Marge Selbee, who won lottery and uses the money to revive their small town.
 
Bryan Cranston (Your Honor, Breaking Bad, The One and Only Ivan) is enough of a reason to want to see just about anything. In this case, he’s mixed with a cute, and amusing, plot.
 
I can see this flick going a heartwarming route. The conflict aspect does suggest that there’ll be some infuriating moments, but I believe it will all amount to something that makes us smile. Which, I know I definitely need right now.
 
8 – Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (6/24)
 

Production/Distribution: Cinereach, Chiodo Brothers Productions, A24, Elevation Pictures
Director: Dean Fleischer-Camp
Writer: Dean Fleischer-Camp, Elisabeth Holm, Nick Paley, Jenny Slate
Actors: Jenny Slate, Dean Fleischer-Camp, Isabella Rossellini, Joe Gabler, Lesley Stahl, Thomas Mann, Rosa Salazar
Genre: Comedy
Rated: PG
Length: 1h 29min
 
IMDb Blurb: Feature adaptation of the animated short film interviewing a mollusk named Marcel.
 
Although I don’t tend to enjoy documentaries, mockumentaries are a different story. Most of the time, they tend to be hilarious. In this case, I see some of that, and a whole lot of adorable. That said, I also think it offers a perspective that many people don’t consider on a day-to-day basis.
 
Marcel the Shell with Shoes on follows a mollusk as it travels the world looking for its family. It shows how significant they are in their own story and, yet, how small they are in the world.
 
I have a lot of faith in this picture – and I think it will be deeper than one might expect.
 
7 – Lightyear (6/17)
 

Production/Distribution: Pixar Animation Studios, Pixar, Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Forum Hungary, HKC Entertainment, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Argentina, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Germany
Director: Angus MacLane
Writer: Jason Headley, Angus MacLane, John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton, Joe Ranft
Actors: Chris Evans, Keke Palmer, Dale Soules, Taika Waititi, Peter Sohn, Uzo Aduba, James Brolin, Mary McDonald-Lewis, Efren Ramirez, Isiah Whitlock Jr.
Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure
Rated: PG
Length: 1h 40min
 
IMDb Blurb: The story of Buzz Lightyear and his adventures to infinity and beyond.
 
I think everyone was little nervous when Lightyear was announced. Someone other than Tim Allen (Home Improvement, Galaxy Quest, The Santa Claus) voicing Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story (1995)? We all thought the production studio was collectively high.
 
Luckily, there’s a reason for that. Chris Evans (Knives Out, Free Guy, The Red Sea Diving Resort) isn’t voicing the toy from the movie; he’s voicing the real person from the flick the toy was based on – which makes it a whole lot more acceptable.
 
Lightyear is a cute idea that gives more depth to the Toy Story universe, without giving us another sequel. Instead, we get to see a film that exists in that world. A little meta, but pretty cool.
 
I enjoy the idea of this project, and I’m hoping it lives up to expectations.
 
6 – Spiderhead (6/17)
 

Production/Distribution: Conde Nast Entertainment, Grand Electric, Reese Wernick Productions, Screen Arcade, The New Yorker, The Rebel Fleet, Netflix
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Writer: Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, George Saunders
Actors: Miles Teller, Chris Hemsworth, Charles Parnell, Jurnee Smollett
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
Rated: R
Length: 1h 46min
 
IMDb Blurb: In the near future, convicts are offered the chance to volunteer as medical subjects to shorten their sentence. One such subject for a new drug capable of generating feelings of love begins questioning the reality of his emotions.
 
This movie looks amazing. There’s an originality to it that I don’t get from a lot of trailers that we see from month to month. I’m usually able to pick out a previous film that the coming attraction reminds me of. I can’t do that here.
 
Since it’s an adaptation with a new feel, it’s not easy to make predictions about the quality. Especially since Netflix originals can go either way. There is some reliable talent involved in it, though, that leads me to believe that there’s a chance it will go very right.
 
The obvious talent would be the faces involved. Chris Hemsworth (Extraction, Thor: Ragnarok, Blackhat), Miles Teller (Whiplash, Allegiant, War Dogs), Charles Parnell (Top Gun: Maverick, A Million Little Pieces, The Venture Bros.), and Jurnee Smollett (Underground, True Blood, Birds of Prey) have all proven their abilities in various projects. I’m not overly familiar with the director, but the writers are another story. Rhett Reese (Deadpool, Zombieland, Deadpool 2) and Paul Wernick (Deadpool, Zombieland, Deadpool 2) are known for their action/adventure films that boast a comedic thread. Following them to a film like Spiderhead is a given.
 
This one is absolutely going to be worth checking out.
 
5 – Gatlopp (6/16)
 

Production/Distribution: Tea Shop Productions, American Pantheon, Particular Crowd, Signature Films, The Knights Young Productions, XYZ Films, Signature Entertainment
Director: Alberto Belli
Writer: Jim Mahoney
Actors: Jim Mahoney, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Jon Bass, Sarunas J. Jackson, Shelley Hennig, John Ales, Amy Davidson
Genre: Comedy, Horror
Rated: Unrated
Length: 1h 20min
 
IMDb Blurb: A group of old friends reunites for a nostalgic evening of fun and games after a decade apart. After one too many, they decide to play a drinking game, but it's quickly revealed that this game comes with supernatural stakes. Mischief leads to mayhem, and the group realizes that if they can't come together to win the game by sunrise, they will be forced to play for eternity - in hell.
 
A couple of years ago we watched Uncanny Annie (2019). It was a Hulu original that basically had the feel of a low-budget horror rendition of Jumanji (1995). The trailer for Gatlopp reminds me a bit of that.
 
I enjoyed Uncanny Annie for what it was, but Gatlopp feels like it has a lot more promise than that film did.
 
First of all, the plot has always been a bit on the ridiculous side, keeping it a single-genre horror called for a great deal of suspending disbelief. Adding the comedy genre to the mix allows the absurdity to just be. Besides, horror-comedy has always been a favorite of mine.
 
Add to that the writer. Jim Mahoney (The Main Event, 8 Steps to Buying, Hey Babe…) doesn’t have a whole lot of full-length feature films to his name, but what he does have is Klaus (2019).
 
Klaus was a holiday flick put out by Netflix and it was absolutely phenomenal. I am dying to see how the person who wrote that handles something for an older crowd – especially with horror elements.
 
The trailer also looks amazing. There’s a certain realistic tone to the conversations between the characters that I think a lot of horrors lack. A realistic response to unbelievable occurrences is often missing. I always appreciate that, and it makes me look forward to seeing how they react to the rest of the events.
 
I’m super excited for this.
 
4 – Jurassic World Dominion (6/10)
 

Production/Distribution: Amblin Entertainment, Latina Pictures, Perfect World Pictures, Universal Pictures, B&H Film Distribution, United International Pictures (UIP), Universal Pictures Argentina, Universal Pictures International (UPI), Starz!
Director: Colin Trevorrow
Writer: Emily Carmichael, Derek Connolly, Michael Crichton
Actors: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Laura Dern, Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum, Mamoudou Athie, BD Wong
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Rated: PG-13
Length: 2h 26min
 
IMDb Blurb: Four years after the destruction of Isla Nublar, dinosaurs now live--and hunt--alongside humans all over the world. This fragile balance will reshape the future and determine, once and for all, whether human beings are to remain the apex predators on a planet they now share with history's most fearsome creatures in a new Era.
 
The Jurassic series is my ultimate guilty pleasure.
 
The first Jurassic Park (1993) is, of course, a classic… but I even like the bad ones. Yes, even the dinosaur dream one. I can watch them all back-to-back without stopping. They could put out 87 films in the series, and each one would still wind up on my list.
 
I get that not everyone has the same love of dinosaurs, but it’s hard to argue with the trailer for Jurassic World Dominion. It looks pretty damn good.
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Plus, Laura Dern (F is for Family, Little Women, Marriage Story), Sam Neill (Rams, Blackbird, Peter Rabbit), and Jeff Goldblum (The Fly, Dark Dice, Isle of Dogs) are returning. That says good things.
 
3 – Crimes of the Future (6/2)
 

Production/Distribution: Argonauts, Bell Media, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), Coficiné, Ekome, Ingenious Media, Serendipity Point Films, The Harold Greenberg Fund, Téléfilm Canada, Wiffle Films, MK2 Mile End, Metropolitan Filmexport, Neon, Capella Films, Front Row Filmed Entertainment, Movie Cloud, Rocket Science, The Searchers, Weltkino Filmverleih
Director: David Cronenberg
Writer: David Cronenberg
Actors: Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux, Kristen Stewart, Don McKellar, Scott Speedman
Genre: Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
Rated: R
Length: 1h 47min
 
IMDb Blurb: Humans adapt to a synthetic environment, with new transformations and mutations. With his partner Caprice, Saul Tenser, celebrity performance artist, publicly showcases the metamorphosis of his organs in avant-garde performances.
 
Body horror is not for everyone. That is the very first thing I need to acknowledge. That said, for those of us that do enjoy a good body horror film, David Cronenberg (The Fly, Dead Ringers, Rabid) is a legend. And, as his first movie in 8 years, Crimes of the Future is an absolute must-see.
 
The trailer is giving off everything one would expect from a Cronenberg project. It’s gross and horrendous – and it is clearly only the tip of a very bone and skin-twisting story.
 
I highly recommend that you not watch this one if you can’t stomach a basic torture-horror… because this will be much, MUCH, harder to swallow.
 
2 – The Black Phone (6/24)
 

Production/Distribution: Universal Pictures, Blumhouse Productions, Crooked Highway, B&H Film Distribution, United International Pictures (UIP), Universal Pictures Argentina, Universal Pictures International (UPI)
Director: Scott Derrickson
Writer: Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill, Joe Hill
Actors: Ethan Hawke, Jeremy Davies, James Ransone, Madeleine McGraw
Genre: Horror
Rated: R
Length: 1h 42min
 
IMDb Blurb: After being abducted by a child killer and locked in a soundproof basement, a 13-year-old boy starts receiving calls on a disconnected phone from the killer's previous victims.
 
I have been waiting for The Black Phone for years. Since the first images of Ethan Hawke (Moon Knight, Tesla, Ten Thousand Saints) in that mask surfaced. I’m a huge fan of supernatural horrors and an even bigger fan of things like Criminal Minds (2005-2020). This film seems like the perfect mix of the two.
 
It makes me giddy that this flick seems to have great reviews from the festivals it appeared in. That news gives me so much hope that it’s going to live up to expectations.
 
That alone would be a feat because my expectations are HIGH.
 
1 – Mad God (6/16)
 

Production/Distribution: Tippett Studio, Shudder
Director: Phil Tippett
Writer: Phil Tippett
Actors: Alex Cox, Niketa Roman, Satish Ratakonda, Harper Taylor, Brynn Taylor
Genre: Animation, Fantasy, Horror
Rated: Unrated
Length: 1h 23min
 
IMDb Blurb: A corroded diving bell descends amidst a ruined city and the Assassin emerges from it to explore a labyrinth of bizarre landscapes inhabited by freakish denizens.
 
As good as Mad God looks, it’s the story behind it that made me put it as high as my number one slot for June 2022.
 
Creator Phil Tippett (Starship Troopers, Willow, Dragonslayer) doesn’t have a whole lot of experience in the writing or directing credits, but what he does have is experience with visual effects. He’s the man behind the effects in films such as Jurassic Park (1993), RoboCop (1987), and Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983). He brought those stories to life for us in a time when CGI couldn’t do the things it can today.
 
For the past 30-years, he’s been working on Mad God as a passion project. When a person with that kind of talent takes on a passion project that takes that long to complete, there’s no way to ignore it.
 
He took his significant experience with visual effects and stretched it into a full movie. There’s no audible dialogue, just a visual feast of stop motion. I think this film will prove that there’s still more than just a small place in our CGI Hollywood for older effects.
 
Mad God is going to be absolutely insane.
 
Movies to Look out For
According to: Cat
 
The Janes .20
Dashcam .19
Hustle .18
The Walk .17
Gatlopp .16
Cryo .15
Blowback .14
Watcher .13
Mad God .12
Crimes of the Future .11
Eraser Reborn .10
Sewer Gators .9
Interceptor .8
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On .7
Spiderhead .6
Elvis .5
The Black Phone .4
Man vs. Bee .3
Lightyear .2
Jurassic World Dominion .1
 
FAQ:
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