"We're not critics. We're professional fan-girls." --- This blog is dedicated to movies and the entertainment industry. We use random selection to bring into light the best and worst of streaming films and entertainment news.
Production/Distribution: Columbia Pictures, BRON Studios, Ghostcorps, Sony Pictures Entertainment, The Montecito Picture Company, Sony Pictures España, Sony Pictures Releasing Argentina, Sony Pictures Releasing Canada, Sony Pictures Releasing International, Sony Pictures Releasing, United International Pictures, Universal Pictures International
Director: Jason Reitman
Writers: Gil Kenan, Jason Reitman, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis
Actors: Annie Potts, Bill Murray, Bokeem Woodbine, Caillou Pettis, Carrie Coon, Celeste O'Connor, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Finn Wolfhard, Logan Kim, Marlon Kazadi, Mckenna Grace, Oliver Cooper, Paul Rudd, Sigourney Weaver
IMDb Blurb: When a single mom and her two kids arrive in a small town, they begin to discover their connection to the original Ghostbusters and the secret legacy their grandfather left behind.
Selina’s Point of View:
I grew up on Ghostbusters (1984). I was only 1-year-old when it came out, so I don’t know when I first saw it, but I know it was early in life. Nothing was ever going to live up to the original Ghostbusters. I didn’t go into this thinking anything would. Still, Ghostbusters: Afterlife was the absolute best they could have done.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife had all the nostalgia that fans of the original series could hope for, including cameos from the majority of the original cast. They even had Harold Ramis (Stripes, Groundhog Day, Orange County) represented. You can’t really blame them for not getting Rick Moranis (Little Shop of Horrors, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Brother Bear), though. He left acting to be a full-time dad after the death of his wife. (As a side note: He’s talking about getting back into it now that they’re grown.)
Those ‘member berries alone would have floated Ghostbusters: Afterlife. They could have left it at that, and people would have watched. Especially Millennials and Gen Xers. But the creative team didn’t rest there.
There was a lot to the story. On top of that, the group of actors chosen to take over the reins was well-cast.
Finn Wolfhard (The Addams Family, The Turning, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio) is a no-brainer. As one of the kids from Stranger Things, he’s not going to have any trouble getting work. For good reason. On the same note, Paul Rudd (The Fundamentals of Caring, Mute, The Bob's Burgers Movie) was as good as expected. There was no way he was going to flub this performance. He was practically born to play any kind of weird fan-boy part. And I mean that in the best way.
Carrie Coon (Fargo, The Nest, Boston Strangler) acted with the ability of someone with a household name. I never questioned any of her scenes. While Logan Kim’s (Home Movie: The Princess Bride) performance reminded me of Sean Astin (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Stranger Things) as Mikey in The Goonies (1985). I don’t say that lightly. His mannerisms felt inspired by that 80s classic. Mckenna Grace (The Handmaid's Tale, Spirit & Friends, Crater) was the shining star, though. She absolutely transformed into her character. I know her from other works, and I didn’t place her at all. I love it when an actor can cause that effect.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife was all the fun it was meant to be. If you stick around for the mid, and post, credit scenes – it’s even more so. If they make more in the series, I hope they continue from here. We can forget the remake.
Cat’s Point of View:
I absolutely adore the Ghostbusters (1984) franchise. All of it. Watching the original in theaters when I was little was one of my earliest handful of magical theater experiences. I even loved the short-lived cartoon series. (I’m pretty giddy that there’s allegedly another animated series in development, too.) I even have a few of the Ghostbusters comics that were in the same artistic style as the existing cartoon series. I digress…
My point is that this particular IP holds a special nostalgic place in my heart. I will always give something with the Ghostbusters label a chance and hope for the best. Though, after the slight disappointment with the non-primary-canon gender twist installment in the franchise, and the passing of beloved key people, I wondered if it would be possible for Ghostbusters to make a real theatrical comeback. Then I saw the teasers for Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and I swear I got chills.
There was the OG Ecto-1 sitting in a field. I had to know more.
Then, as time went on and I learned that this new movie was helmed by Jason Reitman (Juno, Up in the Air, Tully), son of late and great Ivan Reitman (1946-2022) who brought us the original. Further, Dan Aykroyd (Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return, Get On Up, Hotel Paranormal) was on the writing team. I had faith that this new installment was going to be more grounded in the legacy of the movies we all love from yesteryear.
I wasn’t disappointed.
My only worry, really, was how they were going to handle the passing of Harold Ramis (1944-2014), who played the iconic Dr. Egon Spengler. His character was so central to making the team work - he was their tech guy and the straight-laced no-nonsense heart of the ensemble. The sequel that we had all hoped for over the years seemed out of reach after both Ramis and Reitman were lost.
Well, I can tell you that you can put those worries aside. Ghostbusters: Afterlife handled this tastefully with great respect to both, and with the surviving family’s blessing. Their spirits were alive and well within this continuation of the original story. This was a heartfelt tribute to them as well as a torch-passing.
I cried. So much crying.
Without dwelling further on the past, let’s get on to discussing more of this actual movie.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife was the perfect vehicle to bring these stories forward into a new era. It built from the existing story and seamlessly incorporated a new generation into the fold with Spengler’s estranged family. Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, and especially Mckenna Grace were well cast in those roles. Grace and her character’s buddy Podcast, played by Logan Kim, were my favorites.
In fact, the cast was fairly stacked with talented up-and-comers such as Celeste O'Connor (Freaky, The In Between, A Good Person) as well as well-known veterans like Paul Rudd. Let me tell you - if I had ever had to do summer school, I would have hoped a teacher as cool as Rudd’s character would have been running it. I digress…
It’s hard for me to really sing the praises of the story or get into much detail because I don’t want to spoil anything. There were so many moments where I gasped with recognition and glee as a new piece to the puzzle was put into place.
There were callbacks to the original movies while at the same time, there were new and updated experiences for modern audiences to appreciate.
The effects were as good as expected, if not better; and the location was utilized well. It was strange not seeing the backdrop of the big city - but there was a point.
To sum up - if you love the Ghostbusters franchise, definitely give Ghostbusters: Afterlife a chance. Just keep some tissues handy. For those who haven’t partaken of this particular storyline before - don’t worry, there’s some recap built-in with this narrative so you won’t be lost. Further, my message is: don’t let alternate reality lampoons turn you off of this IP as a whole. I’ve already watched Ghostbusters: Afterlife several times - and I can see myself watching it again easily while I am impatiently awaiting the next installment.
20 – Taz: Quest
For Burger (6/6) Production/Distribution:
Warner Bros. Animation, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Director: Ryan
Kramer Writer: Bryan
Condon Actors: Steve
Blum, Hadley Gannaway, Eric Bauza, Ian James Corlett, Ely Henry Genre: Animation,
Adventure, Comedy Rated: Unrated Length: Unknown IMDb Blurb: After an outlaw abducts her father and steals her
town's food supply, a feisty adolescent bandicoot named Quinn recruits the
Tasmanian Devil to help her find the thief. Taz may be an ill-tempered rogue
with a fearsome reputation, but he and Quinn will have to work together to track
the criminal through the wilds of Tasmania and save her community. The new animation style first Taz, along with his talking
makes me twitch a little bit. Never-the-less, I love me some Tasmanian Devil. I
loved him when I was a kid and now that my Uncle lives in Tasmania I love it a
little more. Feels like a connection to him. We all have that personal TV show or movie that we will go
to see regardless of what the trailers look like. Taz: Quest for Burger
is mine. 19 – The Perfect
Find (6/23) Production/Distribution:
Confluential Films, AGC Studios, I’ll Have Another, Netflix Director: Numa
Perrier Writer: Leigh
Davenport, Tia Williams Actors: Gina Torres,
D.B. Woodside, Gabrielle Union, Aisha Hinds, La La Anthony, Tyler Antonius,
Janet Hubert, Keith Powers, Devale Ellis Genre: Comedy,
Drama, Romance Rated: Unrated Length: 1h 39min IMDb Blurb: After a high-profile firing, Jenna's fashion career
comeback hits a snag when she falls for a charming, much younger coworker - who
happens to be her boss's son. As sparks fly, Jenna must decide if she'll risk
it all on a secret romance. The Perfect Find hits me with a splash of nostalgia,
even though it’s not a remake or based on anything (that I know of). It’s the
feel of it that gives me the ‘member berries. I’m a child of the early 80s. By the time the 90s rolled
around I was watching romantic comedies, and The Perfect Find feels like
it harkens back to that age of rom-com. I think back to stuff like As Good
as it Gets (1997), not in story of course just in the feel of it. My one issue is that I think it’s going to go the way of having
the woman give up her job for the guy, which is not a trope I think should
still be making the rounds. 18 – Shooting
Stars (6/2) Production/Distribution:
Cold Front Productions, SpringHill Entertainment, Tangerine Pictures, Universal
Pictures, Peacock Director: Chris
Robinson Writer: Frank E.
Flowers, Tony Rettenmaier, Juel Taylor, LeBron James, Buzz Bissinger Actors: Dermot
Mulroney, Wood Harris, Caleb McLaughlin, LeBron James, Algee Smith, Natalie
Paul Genre: Biography,
Drama, History Rated: PG-13 Length: Unknown IMDb Blurb: A look at the young life of basketball star LeBron
James. Feature film adaptation of LeBron James and Buzz Bissinger's book 'Shooting
Stars'. I’m not a fan of basketball. Still, I support the idea of
taking an auto-biography and turning it into a full-on Drama, instead of presenting
it as a documentary. If you’ve followed the blog for any length of time, then you
know that neither of us are fans of documentaries. We both have ADHD and we
find that most documentary formats bore us so much that we can’t finish the
films. Even if we’re interested in the topic. Our brain chemistry just doesn’t
work for it. As a drama, though, it’s a lot more likely that we’re going
to learn the history of the players being featured. Even if it does stretch the
truth in a couple of places to make it more interesting to watch. I think this should be done more often. 17 – Esme, My
Love (6/2) Production/Distribution:
Silver Sound, Terror Films Director: Cory
Choy Writer: Laura
Allen, Cory Choy Actors: Audrey
Grace Marshall, Stacey Weckstein Genre: Thriller Rated: Unrated Length: 1h 45min IMDb Blurb: When Hannah notices the symptoms of a terminal and
painful illness in her aloof daughter, Esme, she decides to take her on a trip
to their abandoned family farm in a desperate attempt to connect before they
have to say goodbye. I’m not completely sure where Esme, My Love is going
to go, but I am sure there with be a lot of psychological thrills. Maybe it
will touch of Munchausen syndrome – that’s my best guess anyway. What draws me
to the flick is just how creepy the trailer is. It left just enough in the dark for me to really want to
know more. 16 – Koko: A Red
Dog Story (6/2) Production/Distribution:
Good Dog Enterprises, Screen Australia, ScreenWest, Samuel Goldwyn Films Director: Aaron
McCann, Dominic Pearce Writer: Aaron McCann,
Dominic Pearce, Nelson Woss Actors: Jason
Isaacs, Sarah Woods, Toby Truslove, Felix Williamson, Verity James, Hero,
Tucka, Dodge, Kya, Rufus, Sally Genre: Biography,
Comedy Rated: Unrated Length: 1h 18min IMDb Blurb: An ordinary dog, whose good fortune and ability to
connect with people, catapults him to fame. This dog flick seems to lean more comedy than emotional.
That in itself is weird. Most animal movies that come out from month to month are
heartfelt – even sad at the end. I don’t think that’s what we’re getting from Koko:
A Red Dog Story. Koko: A Red Dog Story looks hilarious and fun, with
just a touch of emotion. I can’t put it any higher than this, though, because I
suspect one of the dogs in the flick dies a horrific death for laughs and I
just don’t see that working for me. 15 – Past Lives
(6/2) Production/Distribution:
2AM, A24, CJ ENM Co., CJ Entertainment, Killer Films Director: Celine
Song Writer: Celine
Song Actors: Greta
Lee, Teo Yoo, John Magaro, Moon Seung-ah, Leem Seung-min Genre: Drama,
Romance Rated: PG-13 Length: 1h 46min IMDb Blurb: Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood
friends, are wrest apart after Nora's family emigrates from South Korea. 20
years later, they are reunited for one fateful week as they confront notions of
love and destiny. Past Lives seems to be a sweet, philosophical story
of two childhood friends and who they become. Woven into that is a tale of ‘what
if’. I think everyone has that question about something, whether it be a lover,
a job, a move… some choice that had more than one option. Past Lives delves
into that. What would have happened? I’m not entirely sure where it will go, and I like that. 14 – Quicksand
(6/23) Production/Distribution:
Dawn’s Light, Elemental Stories, Sangre Films, Two Twenty Two Pictures, AMC+,
Shudder Director: Andres Beltran Writer: Matt
Pitts Actors: Allan
Hawco, Carolina Gaitan, Sebastian Eslava, Andrés Castañeda Genre: Thriller Rated: Unrated Length: Unknown
Length IMDb Blurb: Follows a married couple almost divorcing who
become trapped in quicksand while hiking through a rainforest in Colombia. They
will battle the elements of the jungle and must work together in order to
survive. Did anyone else who grew up in the 80s expect quicksand to
be more of a threat than it actually is? All our movies and shows utilized it. The
Neverending Story (1984) down-right traumatized us with it. Finally, we
have a horror movie that is based completely on it. Quicksand looks interesting and claustrophobic –
despite the fact that it takes place outside. I find that to be an intriguing effect.
I’m looking forward to seeing what they do with it. 13 – Ruby
Gillman, Teenage Kraken (6/30) Production/Distribution:
DreamWorks Animation, Universal Pictures Director: Kirk
DeMicco, Faryn Pearl Writer: Pam
Brady, Kirk DeMicco, Elliott DiGuiseppi, Brian C. Brown Actors: Toni Collette,
Jane Fonda, Ramona Young, Sam Richardson, Lana Condor, Annie Murphy, Colman
Domingo, Will Forte, Liza Koshy Genre: Animation,
Action, Adventure Rated: PG Length: 1h 30min IMDb Blurb: A shy adolescent learns that she comes from a
fabled royal family of legendary sea krakens and that her destiny lies in the
depths of the waters, which is bigger than she could have ever imagined. The feeling of Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken makes me
think back to Turning Red (2022). I suspect it will be pretty similar,
in both story and humor. The changing of the teenager into her proper Kraken
form is a lot like Mae turning into her red panda. The humor still borders on
teenage cringe, also, though most coming-of-age comedies do. It’s a little light on originality, but I do love it when
Dreamworks and Disney pit themselves against each other. We get a lot of decent
movies that way. Either Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken or Turning Red
will come out on top, and history will likely forget the other one. I’m interested in watching the contest play out. 12 – The Angry
Black Girl and Her Monster (6/9) Production/Distribution:
Crypt TV, CAA Media Finance Director: Bomani
J. Story Writer: Bomani J.
Story Actors: Chad L.
Coleman, Laya DeLeon Hayes, Denzel, Whitaker, Reilly Brooke Stith, Beth Felice,
Edem Atsu-Swanzy, Amani Summer Genre: Drama,
Fantasy, Horror Rated: Unrated Length: 1h 31min IMDb Blurb: It tells the story of teenage anti-hero, Vicaria,
who is on a desperate quest to cure death. There have been plenty of retellings of Frankenstein. It’s
been done in TV shows, books, movies, and any other media possible. But there’s
a good reason for that. The idea of convincing someone that they’re a monster is still
relevant today. As unfortunate as it is. And I think The Angry Black Girl and
Her Monster’s interpretation of that story is rooted in some of that. It
looks terrifying and on topic for today’s social climate. I’m going to be watching it as soon as I can. 11 – Peppergrass
(6/16) Production/Distribution:
BLS Productions, Barbet Films Director: Steven
Garbas, Chantelle Han Writer: Steven
Garbas, Philip Irwin Actors: Chantelle
Han, Charles Boyland, Michael Copeman, Philip Williams, Craig Porritt Genre: Thriller Rated: Unrated Length: 1h 34min IMDb Blurb: During a pandemic, a pregnant restaurateur tries to
rob a priceless truffle from a reclusive veteran. I know this movie has a lot to live up to. The last film to
come out that was anything like it was Pig (2021), and that has gotten
some insane reviews. It’s going to be difficult for fans of the Nic Cage (Renfield,
The Old Way, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent) flick to not compare
and contrast. The biggest difference is not the POV, but that Peppergrass
seems to have the slightest edge of comedic relief to it – which Pig did
not have. I’m hoping that’s enough of a difference to keep Peppergrass
from existing in its shadow. The truth of the matter is that the trailer looks great. I
expect to be scared by the film. I have high hopes.
10 – The
Boogeyman (6/2) Production/Distribution:
20th Century Studios, 21 Laps Entertainment, NeoReel, Twentieth Century Fox,
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Hulu Director: Rob
Savage Writer: Scott Beck,
Bryan Woods, Mark Heyman, Stephen King Actors: Sophie
Thatcher, Chris Messina, David Dastmalchian, Marin Ireland, Vivien Lyra Blair,
LisaGay Hamilton, Maddie Nichols, Madison Hu, Daniel Hagen, Mabel Tyler Genre: Horror,
Mystery, Thriller Rated: PG-13 Length: 1h 38min IMDb Blurb: Adaptation of Stephen King's 'The Boogeyman'. It’s important to note that this version of The Boogeyman
is a new adaptation of Stephen King’s (Firestarter, Carrie, Children of the
Corn) story. It is NOT a remake of any of the previous movie versions. That
matters because it’s likely not going to have some of the more questionable
tweaks to the story that the other flicks had. At least, that’s the hope. The trailer looks good. There was even a part that caught me
enough to make me flinch in my seat. I expect some jump scares, like the one
that got me, but I also expect there’s be a lot of psychological thrills as
well. It should be worth the watch for horror fans. 9 – The
Blackening (6/16) Production/Distribution:
Catchlight Studios, Lionsgate, MRC Film, Media Rights Capital, The Story
Company Director: Tim
Story Writer: Tracy
Oliver, Dewayne Perkins Actors: Antoinette
Robertson, Dewayne Perkins, Sinqua Walls, Grace Byers, X Mayo, Melvin Gregg,
Jermaine Fowler, Yvonne Orji, Jay Pharoah, James Preston Rogers Genre: Comedy,
Horror, Thriller Rated: R Length: 1h 36min IMDb Blurb: Seven black friends who go away for the weekend
only to find themselves trapped in a cabin with a killer who has a vendetta.
Will their street smarts and knowledge of horror movies help them stay alive?
Probably not. I’ve been seeing trailers for this film for a while, and I love
it. Meta movies really do it for me. Any flick that makes fun of
the tropes without going full parody is one that I want to see. One of my
favorite horror movies, after all, is The Cabin in the Woods (2011). The Blackening looks hilarious, without going full
stupid. More caricature than parody. I
can’t wait to see how it goes. 8 – Extraction 2
(6/9) Production/Distribution:
AGBO, Filmhaus Films, Netflix, Stillking Films, T.G.I.M Films, Wild State Director: Sam
Hargrave Writer: Joe Russo Actors: Chris
Hemsworth, Olga Kurylenko, Golshifteh Farahani, Daniel Bernhardt, Tako
Tabatadze, Tinatin Dalakishvili, Adam Bessa, Justin Howell Genre: Action,
Thriller Rated: R Length: 2h 2min IMDb Blurb: After barely surviving his grievous wounds from his
mission in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Tyler Rake is back, and his team is ready to take
on their next mission. The first Extraction (2020) was a whole lot of fun. As
good as Chris Hemsworth (Avengers: Endgame, Bad Times at the El Royale, 12
Strong) was as the main character, I attribute the success of the film to
Sam Hargrave (Avengers: Infinity War, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Atomic
Blonde). I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: When someone in
stunts is given the reigns to direct action films they have the capacity to do
better than just about anyone. No one on set knows how to push the limits of
human capabilities better than a stunt person. And Sam Hargrave has a long and successful
stunt history. It’s because of him that we got shots in Extraction like
the one where the camera jumped off a roof with the characters. We got that because
he strapped that equipment onto his own body and did the stunt himself. Hargrave delivered intense action sequences better than the
majority of action films coming out at the same time. He didn’t ask his stunt
people to do anything he wasn’t willing to do himself, and he was on top of the
safety game. It is because of him that Hemsworth looked as cool as he did in
his part as Tyler Rake. Now we have a sequel, and I am still going to put my money
on Sam Hargrave. I don’t like Netflix right now any more than anyone else, so I
can’t put this film any higher on my list. Rest assured, if it was coming out
anywhere else, though, it would be. 7 – The Secret
Kingdom (6/9) Production/Distribution:
Hive Studios Australia, Little Monster Productions, Signature Entertainment Director: Matt Drummond Writer: Matt Drummond Actors: Alyla
Browne, Alice Parkinson, Christopher Gabardi, Sam Everingham, Darius Williams,
Beth Champion, Gabrielle Chan, Rowland Holmes Genre: Adventure,
Family Rated: PG Length: 1h 38min IMDb Blurb: Story of anxious Peter (12) and his sister Verity
(9), taken underground by a garrison of armoured pangolin. The Secret Kingdom seems like a wonderfully epic kid’s
tale. It features dragons, fantastic locations and an army of armored pangolins.
There’s a little something for every kid type. It’s even got a decent run-time
without being too long for tiny attention spans. It definitely has some lower budget qualities to it. You see
it most clearly in the trailer scenes featuring the dragon. Of course, that
could have been added to the coming attractions before they finished it up in
editing. That’s not unheard of. Either way, I don’t think the young ones the
film is geared toward will care all that much. Quite frankly, if the story is good enough, neither will I. 6 – Heroes of the
Golden Mask (6/9) Production/Distribution:
Arcana Studio, CG Bros Entertainment, Trigger Music, Fox VFX Labs, Heroes of
the Golden Mask Films Director: Sean
Patrick O’Reilly Writer: Xiaoming
Yao, John Wilson, Dennis Edwards, Jim Kammerud, Jacob Semans, Brian Smith, Richard
Lasser, Chris Wyatt, Merrill Hagan, Benjamin Townsend, Sean Patrick O'Reilly, Brandon
Violette, Jacob Fox, Patrick Rieger Actors: Ron
Perlman, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, Patton Oswalt, Christopher Plummer, Byron Mann,
Osric Chau, Kiefer O’Reilly, Sean Patrick O’Reilly, Zeus Mendoza, Kingston Chan,
King Lau Genre: Animation,
Adventure, Comedy Rated: Unrated Length: Unknown
Length IMDb Blurb: Charlie, a wise-cracking, homeless, American orphan
is magically transported to the ancient Chinese kingdom of Sanxingdui, where a
colorful team of superheroes need his help to defend the city from a brutal
conqueror. Charlie joins the heroes, and secretly schemes to steal the
priceless golden masks that grant them their powers. Heroes of the Golden Mask is beautiful and seems intense.
Not unlike a Kung Fu Panda (2008) film. Almost surprising in that way. Story-wise
it reminds me of The Forbidden Kingdom (2008) – which is a movie I
really liked. It starred both Jackie Chan (The Karate Kid, The Medallion,
Namiya) and Jet Li (Mulan, The Expendables, The Warlords) – which says
a lot. It’s not the worst comparison that could be made. I think Heroes of the Golden Mask has a lot of
potential. It could wind up being one of those flicks that kids like, but that
adults will as well. 5 – Transformers:
Rise of the Beasts (6/9) Production/Distribution:
Paramount Pictures, Skydance Media, New Republic Pictures, Di Bonaventura
Pictures, Bay Films, Entertainment One, Allspark Pictures, Hasbro Director: Steven
Caple Jr. Writer: Joby
Harold, Darnell Metayer, Josh Peters, Erich Hoeber, Jon Hoeber Actors: Michelle
Yeoh, Pete Davidson, Colman Domingo, Peter Dinklage, Cristo Fernández, Ron Perlman,
Anthony Ramos, Peter Cullen Genre: Action,
Adventure, Sci-Fi Rated: Unrated Length: 1h 57min IMDb Blurb: Plot unknown. Reportedly based on the
'Transformers' spinoff 'Beast Wars' which feature robots that transform into
robotic animals. I have a love-hate relationship with the Transformer films.
I really liked the first one, then I somewhat enjoyed the next two. After 4 and
5 I gave up all hope. Especially since one of them – for the life of me I can’t
remember which – literally copied and pasted a whole section of script from the
first flick. There was one part of the dialogue that was word-for-word the
same. As a result, I’ll admit, I haven’t even seen Bumblebee (2018). A lot of people I trust have told me that Bumblebee was
different. That the profit-over-substance hand of Michael Bay (6
Underground, Pain & Gain, Pearl Harbor) was no longer evident, even
though he was still credited as a producer. I want to believe them, and the
numbers do back them up. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts does look more like Bumblebee
than Age of Extinction (2014). As a result, I’m willing to give it
the benefit of the doubt. Besides, I really do love Anthony Ramos (In the Heights,
Hamilton, A Star is Born) as an actor. I’m cautiously optimistic. 4 – Indiana Jones
and the Dial of Destiny (6/30) Production/Distribution:
Walt Disney Pictures, Lucasfilm, Paramount Pictures, Disney+, Walt Disney
Studios Motion Pictures, Paramount+, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Director: James
Mangold Writer: Jez
Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, David Koepp, James Mangold Actors: Harrison
Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Mads Mikkelsen, Boyd Holbrook, Antonio Banderas,
John Rhys-Davies, Toby Jones Genre: Action,
Adventure Rated: PG-13 Length: 2h 22min IMDb Blurb: Archaeologist Indiana Jones races against time to
retrieve a legendary artifact that can change the course of history. I love the Indian Jones flicks of the past, but the newer
ones don’t really scratch the Indie itch for me. That said, I can’t say the
trailer for this one doesn’t instill enough nostalgia for me to try again. Cat is more of an Indiana Jones fanatic than I am. And that’s
why I’m giving Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny the benefit of the
doubt. I can only hope it will be everything the fans – past and present – are
hoping to get from it. 3 – Asteroid City
(6/13) Production/Distribution:
Focus Features, Indian Paintbrush, American Empirical Pictures Director: Wes
Anderson Writer: Wes
Anderson, Roman Coppola Actors: Jason
Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, Tilda Swinton,
Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Adrien Brody, Lieve Schreiber, Hope Davis, Steve
park, Rupert Friends, Maya Hawke, Steve Carell, Matt Dillon, Hong Chau, Willem
Dafoe, Margot Robbie, Jake Ryan, Tony Revolori, Jeff Goldblum Genre: Comedy,
Drama, Romance Rated: PG-13 Length: 1h 44min IMDb Blurb: The itinerary of a Junior Stargazer convention is
spectacularly disrupted by world-changing events. Wes Anderson (The French Dispatch, Isle of Dogs, The
Grand Budapest Hotel) is a good enough reason to be looking forward to any
film. There’s something so satisfying about the symmetry in his cinematography.
The bright colors. The other-worldly nature of his story telling. And you know
I’m a sucker for dialogue that includes fun banter. Asteroid City seems to have all of that. On top of which
there’s a cast unlike any other we will see this month. It’s not even like
there’s just one or two people involved that draw eyes, they ALL do. If you don’t
like one of them, you probably like another 20. I understand that not all casual movie-goers enjoy Anderson.
He can be a bit too artsy and clean for them. But if you are a fan, this is
going to be a must-see. 2 – Elemental
(6/16) Production/Distribution:
Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Studios Motion
Pictures, Disney+ Director: Peter
Sohn Writer: John
Hoberg, Kat Likkel, Brenda Hsueh, Peter Sohn Actors: Leah
Lewis, Mamoudou Athie, Ronnie Del Carmen, Shila Ommi, Wendi McLendon-Covey,
Catherine O’Hara Genre: Animation,
Adventure, Comedy Rated: PG Length: 1h 43min IMDb Blurb: Follows Ember and Wade, in a city where fire-,
water-, land- and air-residents live together. Pixar is one of those studios that only ever puts out movies
that are worth paying attention to. You can’t even make a top 10 worst Pixar
movie list without going into films that have 60 and 70 percentiles on Rotten
Tomatoes. That makes Elemental a safe choice if you want a guaranteed good
flick to spend your $20 movie ticket on. I, personally, do not love the style of animation they opted
to go for with Elementals, but everything else in the trailer looks
amazing. I’m pretty sure I’ll get over my one ick while I’m actually watching
the film. Which I will be doing. 1 – Spider-Man:
Across the Spider-Verse (6/2) Production/Distribution:
Sony Pictures Animation, Marvel Entertainment, Arad Productions, Lord Miller,
Pascal Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE), Columbia Pictures, Disney+ Director: Joaquim
Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson Writer: Phil Lord,
Christopher Miller, Dave Callaham, Stan Lee Actors: Shameik
Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Oscar Isaac, Jake Johnson, Issa Rae, Brian Tyree
Henry, Luna Lauren Velez, Rachel Dratch, Jason Schwartzman, Daniel Kaluuya, Andy
Samberg, Shea Whigham, Amandla Stenberg, Karan Soni, Jorma Taccone Genre: Animation,
Action, Adventure Rated: PG Length: 2h 20min IMDb Blurb: Miles Morales catapults across the Multiverse,
where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very
existence. When the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles must
redefine what it means to be a hero. Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse (2018) was –
objectively – one of the best non-anime animated films ever made. Anyone who
saw it loved it, or – at the very least – respected it. Everything from the animation
style to the story was absolutely perfect. Across the Spider-Verse had to contend with Covid
during its creation. That said, it has the same animation style, with returning
writer Phil Lord (Clone High, The Mitchells vs the Machines, The Lego Movie),
and a returning cast that includes people like Shameik Moore (Dope,
Samaritan, The Get Down), Hailee Steinfeld (True Grit, The Edge of
Seventeen, Pitch Perfect 3), Brian Tyree Henry (If Beale Street Could
Talk, Bullet Train, Widows), Oscar Isaac (Ex Machina, Moon Knight, Dune)
and Jake Johnson (New Girl, Safety Not Guaranteed, Jurassic World). On top of that we’re getting some all-star additions to that
cast. Those include Issa Rae (Insecure, The Lovebirds, The Photograph),
Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore, The Darjeeling Limited, Moonrise Kingdom),
Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out, Black Panther, Judas and the Black Messiah), and
Amandla Stenberg (The Hunger Games, The Hate You Give, Bodies Bodies Bodies)
– but there is a whole host of others. It is true that there are a few different writers, and
completely different directors. Never-the-less, I can’t help but look forward
to this sequel. It has big shoes to fill, but I’m thinking it’ll meet the
challenge. I can’t wait.
Movies to Look out
For
According to: Cat
Taz: Quest for Burger .20
Hollywood Dreams & Nightmares: The Robert Englund Story .19
