"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.
Actors:
Brandon Auret, Thandi Sebe, Cord Newman, Naima Sebe, Tapiwa Musvosvi,
Chris Fisher, Meghan Oberholzer, Jonathan Pienaar, Nikita Faber,
Caitlin Harty, Charlie Keegan, Jessica Cloete, Marie Cavanna, Paul
Gardyne, Wilco Wilkens
IMDb
Blurb: Attendees of a marriage
boot camp on a remote island have to fight a 6-headed shark that
attacks the beach.
Selina’s
Point of View:
First of all, Amazon Prime Video made me watch SEVEN ads before starting 6-Headed Shark Attack. SEVEN. That is excessive. Also, the movie is definitely not worth that many. I wouldn’t even watch that many in a row for most of my favorite films.
That’s all besides the point, and more my review of Amazon Prime Video. Now, on to 6-Headed Shark Attack.
Honestly, I didn’t hate the start of it. At least the start of the part with the main cast. We see the couples starting a marriage-strengthening activity and some tension building. In that moment it seemed like the acting might not be all that rough. It wasn’t the most amazing story start, but it was certainly better than I expected from the many-headed shark attack series. I even wrote in my notes: “ok acting?”
That feeling didn’t last long, though. Soon enough, it devolved into exactly what I thought I’d be getting.
The story took a couple of minor interesting turns, but most of it was about as formulaic as it could get, and everyone involved took the whole movie so seriously.
Movies that get the “so bad, it’s good” label get it because the people involved know exactly what they’re part of and have fun with it. The people involved in 6-Headed Shark Attack seemed to think they were making the next Jaws (1975).
All that said, it wasn’t the worst of the series. I wouldn’t immediately run to shut it off if someone threw it on during Shark Week or Halloween, it just wouldn’t be me throwing it on.
Cat’s
Point of View:
I will admit that when we landed on
6-Headed Shark Attack as our #6 in this month's Killer
Countdown, I groaned a bit... okay, a lot. I might have grumbled,
even. I instantly had a reasonable expectation for this movie that I
wasn't entirely thrilled about. I knew right away that this was going
to either be a golden “so bad, it's good” moment for B-movies or
it was going to be a cringeworthy shipwreck of sharksploitation.
We've seen the multi-headed shark flicks before, but this one has
more than the others. I don't remember being all that impressed with
this film's predecessors.
Another major factor on my internal
balance sheet for my anticipation of 6-Headed Shark Attack was that The Asylum made this movie. We have a bit of a
love/loathe relationship with that particular production company. On
the one hand, they've delivered B-movie golden classics like the
Sharknado (2013) franchise. They've also produced well-received series' such as Black Summer (2019-2021).
Unfortunately, they're most well-known for offerings such as Mega
Shark vs. Mecha Shark (2014) and Attack of the Meth Gator
(2023).
The Sharknado movies captured a
bit of that proverbial lightning in a bottle, though. Anything that
crazy and cobbled together doesn't work without the iconic
nostalgia-driven cast and epic cameos. Unfortunately, for 6-Headed
Shark Attack, lightning didn't strike twice... for the 6th
time.
I promise that I really did try to give
this movie a fair chance. I always go in with my optimism on high and
as blank a slate as I can when I watch a film for review. Many people worked really hard to put each production
together, after all. It feels disrespectful to instantly write something off or outright trash it, even if it falls short
of basic expectations.
What's the verdict on the movie with the slogan “Don't Mix with the Six!” on its poster? It was better
than I originally feared.
What surprised me was that the cast
actually... well, for the most part... pulled this off without adding
the acting to the list of things that needed to be corrected. Honestly,
6-Headed Shark Attack struck gold when they brought Brandon
Auret (Tremors 5: Bloodlines, Rogue, Rebel Moon - Part One: A
Child of Fire) on board. He's been in supporting roles and
background characters in enough reasonably known movies that he's got
a subtle recognizable factor – but Auret also sold his character. I
went on a little emotional journey with him.
I didn't hate it.
6-Headed Shark Attack was a TV movie made for the Syfy Channel, and it plays out exactly how their schlocky B-movies generally do. This isn't one to take seriously at
all – however, if you're looking for something fun in the
background to turn into a drinking game or something like that (take a shot for every Sharksploitation film trope), this might be a great candidate. (Just maybe set yourself some limits so you
don't end up with alcohol poisoning, and please have a designated
driver on hand.)
Actors: Joe Thomas, Hammed Animashaun, Claudia O’Doherty, Jemaine Clement, Hannah Tointon, Kurt Yaeger, Noel Fielding, Nick Frost, Theo Barklem-Biggs, Leigh Williams, Lizzy Connolly, Hugh Coles, Chris Geere
Genre: Comedy
Rated: NR
Length: Unknown
IMDb Blurb: After Nick's girlfriend dumps him, his best mate Shane has the perfect antidote to his break-up blues: three days at an epic music festival.
I feel the need to explain that there’s a credit mentioned on IMDb for a “Smurf Maid of Honor” part. I just want to know what the fuck that’s all about.
Aside from that, The Festival looks like a funny and amusing look at a pretty basic post-break-up cheer-him-up plot. I don’t actually see a possible love interest in the trailer, either. There most likely is… but if the creators really did turn away from the romantic aspect of this kind of plot, that could make The Festival something new and interesting.
I imagine it will be cringy, though. I have a low cringe limit. I’d still be willing to risk it, though.
19 – Slender Man (8/24)
Tag Line: None
Production Company: Mythology Entertainment, Madhouse Entertainment
Director: Sylvain White
Writer: David Birke, Victor Surge
Actors: Joey King, Javier Botet, Annalise Basso, Julia Goldani Telles, Jaz Sinclair, Kevin Chapman, Michael Reilly Burke, Taylor Richardson, Kallie Tabor, Jessica Blank, Kayla Caulfield, Angela Hope Smith, Alex Fitzalan, Miguel Nascimento
Genre: Horror
Rated: PG-13
Length: Unknown
IMDb Blurb: Slender Man tells the story of a tall, thin, horrifying figure with unnaturally long arms and a featureless face, who is reputed to be responsible for the haunting and disappearance of countless children and teens.
At this point, everyone has heard of the Slender Man creepypasta. At least some version of it. Maybe you played the game, watched any of the films, or read the stories. Maybe you just read/watched the news when those girls named Slender Man as the reason they killed their friend. Whatever the source, I’m sure you’ve heard of this particular boogey-man.
The problem with turning this popular of a creepypasta into another movie is that there will always be a subsect of the fans that think it got screwed up. It doesn’t matter how well this film is done, there will be people who hate it on principle.
I’m not one of them.
Frankly, I’ve got an open mind here. As much as there is that could go wrong, there’s just as much that can go right.
The only reason it’s this low on the list is because I suspect – according to the trailer – that we’re going to wind up getting something a little more on the recipe side than we should.
18 – The Last Sharknado: It’s About Time (8/19)
Tag Line: History’s biggest disaster comes to an end.
Production Company: Syfy, The Asylum
Director: Anthony C. Ferrante
Writer: Thunder Levin, Scotty Mullen
Actors: Tara Reid, Ian Ziering, Vivica A. Fox, Jonathan Bennett, Cassandra Scerbo, Charles Hittinger, Lucia Oskerova, Roxanna Bina, Raine Michaels, Alexandre Ottoni
Genre: Action, Comedy, Horror
Rated: NR
Length: 90 minutes
IMDb Blurb: Fin must unlock the time-traveling power of the Sharknados in order to save the world.
On paper, this film really couldn’t get any worse. Between being the sixth installment of a series called Sharknado (2013) and being produced by The Asylum… why would anyone want to watch this travesty?
I hate to say just how much I enjoy this series.
Oh, it’s not good. Absolutely not. But it’s so terrible that watching it with friends is just a really fun time. I mean, this one is about time travel. We’ve already had sharks in space.
Will it be the very last of the series as it seems to suggest? I couldn’t tell you that. But I can tell you that I’m getting a few friends together to watch it. I even bought my daughter a shark costume. It’s going to be a lot of fun.
Production Company: STX Entertainment, Closest to the Hole Productions, Film 44, The Hideaway Entertainment
Director: Peter Berg
Writer: Graham Roland, Lea Carpenter
Actors: Mark Wahlberg, Lauren Cohen, Ronda Rousey, John Malkovich, Iko Uwais, Poorna Jagannathan, Terry Kinney, Sala Baker, Alexandra Vino, Nikolai Nikolaeff, Sam Medina, Emily Skeggs, Carlo Alban, Elle Graham, Kate Rigg, Brandon Scales
Genre: Action
Rated: NR
Length: Unknown
IMDb Blurb: An elite American intelligence officer, aided by a top-secret tactical command unit, tries to smuggle a mysterious police officer with sensitive information out of the country.
I waffled on the positioning of this film.
On one hand, it’s got a pretty badass cast. Not just great actors, but people who are just generally badass in real life as well: like Ronda Rousey. When someone starts putting real fighters alongside actors at the top of their game in action films… they are definitely working on another level.
On the other hand? A lot of the trailer looks very basic.
If the cast was different, this film wouldn’t have caught my attention even a little bit. It looks like I should expect it to be a recipe movie. Granted, recipe films can be good… but they need something remarkable about them to really stand out. I believe this cast could elevate Mile 22 above that basic base.
16 – To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (8/17)
Tag Line: The letters are out.
Production Company: All The Boys Productions, Awesomeness Films, Overbrook Entertainment
Director: Susan Johnson
Writer: Sofia Alvarez, Jenny Han
Actors: Noah Centineo, Isreal Broussard, John Corbett, Lana Condor, Janel Parrish, Emilija Baranac, Andrew Bachelor, Trezzo Mahoro, Madeleine Arthur, Jordan Burtchett, Anna Cathcart, Christian Michael Cooper, Hunter Dillon, June B. Wilde, Kelcey Mawema, Isabelle Beech, Rhys Fleming, Joey Pacheco, Pavel Piddocke
Genre: Drama, Romance
Rated: NR
Length: Unknown
IMDb Blurb: A teenage girl's secret love letters are exposed and wreak havoc on her love life.
Who doesn’t remember the intense little crushes we all got when we teenagers? This film speaks easily to the younger generations, but also to the nostalgia in the older audience.
It looks like a semi-original coming-of-age film. I’m unfamiliar with a lot of the cast, but I am familiar with the director.
Susan Johnson (Destiny Stalled, Call My Name, Second Coming) directed Carrie Pilby (2016) – a film that I reviewed for the blog and, if you remember correctly, I fucking LOVED it. Johnson is still a new director when it comes to full-length feature films, which is the only reason this film isn’t higher on the list… but I have absolute confidence in her abilities.
It’s also a Netflix original, and I believe Netflix has shown a significant amount of sense in the films its allowed its name to be attached to – in this case as distributor.
15 – Support the Girls (8/24)
Tag Line: None
Production Company: Burn Later Productions, Houston King Productions
Director: Andrew Bujalski
Writer: Andrew Bujalski
Actors: Regina Hall, Haley Lu Richardson, Dylan Gelula, Zoe Graham, Ann McCaskey, Elizabeth Trieu, Krista Hayes, Victor Isaac Perez, Jesse Marshall, Luis Olmeda, Shayna McHayle, Jermichael Grey, Christopher Weimer, John Elvis, Lea DeLaria, Lindsay Anne Kent, Sam Stinson, Jonny Mars, Steve Zapata, Carlos Pina, Gerald Brodin, Laura Frances, Pete O. Partida, Sam Slater, Nicole Onyeje, James Le Gros, Bill Wise, Lawrence Varnado, Willita Mahone, AJ Michalka, Brooklyn Decker, AnnaClare Hicks
Genre: Comedy
Rated: R
Length: 90 minutes
IMDb Blurb: The general manager at a highway-side ''sports bar with curves" has her incurable optimism and faith, in her girls, her customers, and herself, tested over the course of a long, strange day.
This film looks incredibly relatable. That alone would have made me pay attention to the trailer, but the main actress featured in it, took things up a notch.
The thing is, I’ve seen Regina Hall (Scary Movie, Superhero Movie, Naked) in some crap movies. I don’t think I can judge her by that alone, though. Especially since the films I’ve seen her in were all much less serious than this part seems to take her in. Yes, Support the Girls is labeled a single-genre comedy, but the trailer suggests there’s some drama thrown in… and Hall seems to be rocking the part pretty hard from what I can see.
The biggest thing I can say about Support the Girls is not only that it looks like it could be an engaging tale, but that it’s the kind of film that I really want to succeed.
14 – Destination Wedding (8/31)
Tag Line: Check your baggage.
Production Company: thefyzz, CISS, Chapman-Leonard, Company 3, GreenSlate, Lee & Thompson, Paso Catering, Ramo Law, Service Fish, Snap Sound, Steve Martin's Working Wildlife, Tunnel Post
Director: Victor Levin
Writer: Victor Levin
Actors: Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder, Dj Dallenbach, Greg Lucey, D. Rosh Wright, Ted Dubost, Sean Sullivan, Donna Lynn Jones, Curt Dubost, Scott Andrews, Michael Mogull, James Gallardo
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Rated: R
Length: 90 minutes
IMDb Blurb: The story of two miserable and unpleasant wedding guests, Lindsay and Frank, who develop a mutual affection despite themselves.
Ok, go ahead, laugh at me. Destination Wedding looks like your basic bullshit rom-com. It probably will be, too. Still, I’m ALL about what this trailer looks like.
I’m going to call this the Set it Up (2018) effect.
If you remember correctly, I grossly underestimated Set it Up when I saw the trailer, mainly because it looked like your basic run-of-the-mill rom-com. It wound up being a really great film with scenes that absolutely shattered my expectations.
My Set it Up effect hypothesis notes that there’s potentially a few minorly special notes in a rom-com trailer that are easy to overlook, but that could actually indicate that it’s anything but a basic film.
In this case, those special notes are in the banter between the two main characters. It doesn’t show that the plot will deviate from what we expect, of course, but it DOES give the idea that there will be a few scenes that are out of the norm and incredibly worth the watch.
If Destination Wedding turns out to prove my point, I might start paying more attention to new rom-coms. We could be looking at a shift in the kind of attention paid to the genre.
13 – Alpha (8/17)
Tag Line: Leaders are born from survival
Production Company: Studio 8
Director: Albert Hughes
Writer: Albert Hughes, Daniele Sebastian Wiedenhaupt
Actors: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Natassia Malthe, Leonor Varela, Jens Hulten, Johannes Haukur Johannesson, Mercedes de la Zerda, Priya Rajaratnam, Spencer Bogaert, Marcin Kowalczyk
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama
Rated: PG-13
Length: Unknown
IMDb Blurb: A story of survival set 20,000 years ago during the last Ice Age.
THIS is the origin story I’ve been dying for. My favorite superhero. The dog.
I’m sure this is not even remotely the true story of how we domesticated dogs, but it’s the story I’m being given and I’m damn well going to take it.
Dogs rule.
12 – Beautifully Broken (8/24)
Tag Line: Three families. Two worlds. One incredible true story.
Production Company: Big Film Factory, Film Incito, Red Entertainment Group, All Entertainment
Director: Eric Welch
Writer: Brad Allen, Chuck Howard, Mark E. McCann, Martin Michael
Actors: Benjamin A. Onyango, Scott William Winters, Emily Hahn, Caitlin Nicol-Thomas, Ditebogo Ledwaba, Sibulele Gcilitshana, Bonko Khoza, Michael W. Smith, Eva Ndachi, Toby McKeehan, Jessica Obilom, Frans Cronje, Maxwell Haynes, Eugene Khumbanyiwa, Alan Powell, Eric Roberts, Felicia Mahambehlala, Patrick Bokaba, Christopher Morrissey, Zimkitha Kumbaca, Welile Nzuza, Eddie Matthews, London Hibbs
Genre: Drama
Rated: PG-13
Length: 108 minutes
IMDb Blurb: A refugee's escape, a prisoner's promise, and a daughter's painful secret converge in this inspiring real-life story of hope. As three fathers fight to save their families, their lives become intertwined in an unlikely journey across the globe, where they learn the healing power of forgiveness and reconciliation.
I’m in love with the basic idea of the underlying plot of this film. In a world so incredibly split as ours? Beautifully Broken is necessary.
From what I can tell from the trailer, it takes a look at three families in drastically different settings, from drastically different backgrounds, and lets you see that none of them are without problems. The movie shows how the families intersect in order to tell a single story that belongs to them all.
Any film that promotes unity and hope is going to catch my eye right now.
11 – Running for Grace (8/1)
Tag Line: Love is worth going the distance.
Production Company: Kona Snow Pictures, Public House Films
Director: David Cunningham
Writer: David Cunningham, Christian Parkes
Actors: Ryan Potter, Jim Caviezel, Matt Dillon, Juliet Mills, Olivia Ritchie, Nick Boraine, Stelio Savante, Peyton Dilweg, Cole Takiue, Sara Naby Kim, Derek Hall, Jon Sakata, Rumi Oyama, Dann Seki, Shiro Kawai
Genre: Romance
Rated: TV-14
Length: 110 minutes
IMDb Blurb: A timeless tale that takes place against the backdrop of the segregated coffee fields in 1920s Hawaii - a coming-of-age journey about a young man who transcends the boundaries of race and class in pursuit of a forbidden love.
Although this is another romantic story, it’s more the story of the main character that I’m interested in. His entire story seems to be imbued with hope and diverting the expectations of others.
Ryan Potter (Big Hero 6, Titans, Underdog Kids) already seems like a force to be reckoned with in the trailer. I’m dying to see what he does with the entire plot of his character.
10 – The Little Mermaid (8/17)
Tag Line: A new twist on the classic tail.
Production Company: Conglomerate Media, Kingsway Productions (II)
Director: Blake Harris, Chris Bouchard
Writer: Blake Harris, Hans Christian Anderson
Actors: Gina Gershon, William Moseley, Jared Sandler, Poppy Drayton, Shirley MacLaine, Lexy Kolker, Loreto Peralta, Jo Marie Payton, Shanna Collins, Hunter Gomez, Armando Gutierrez, Claire Ryann, Tom Nowicki, Melissa Collazo, Antares Davis, Peter Groverman, Chris Yong, Alexis Balliro, James Bernstein
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Rated: PG
Length: 82 minutes
IMDb Blurb: A young reporter and his niece discover a beautiful and enchanting creature they believe to be the real little mermaid.
This looks like an awesome adaptation of the mermaid mythology. Granted, it’s likely not as close to the original stories of mermaids as I would like to see, but I don’t think it’s going to be a basic retelling of the Disney version, either. It seems to be mystical, but somewhat darker than Mickey’s version.
There are a lot of ways this can go wrong, but I don’t care. Mythology has my heart. I’m absolutely willing to give a new version of The Little Mermaid a chance.
9 – The Meg (8/10)
Tag Line: Opening wide.
Production Company: Apelles Entertainment, Di Bonaventura Pictures, Flagship Entertainment Group, Gravity Pictures, Maeday Productions
Director: Jon Turteltaub
Writer: Dean Georgaris, Jon Hoeber, Erich Hoeber, Steve Alten
IMDb Blurb: After escaping an attack by what he claims was a 70-foot shark, Jonas Taylor must confront his fears to save those trapped in a sunken submersible.
I’m so happy that the creature feature is starting to peek out of the B-Movie trap it’s been stuck in. Granted, I’ll watch all the dumbass Pterodactyl/Piranha/Shark/Mecha-Croc films that the weirder productions companies put out, but that doesn’t mean anything. I’ll watch pretty much anything at least once.
However, since Jurassic World (2015) came out, creature features have been peeking out into A-territory a little more. We get big, reliable actors up against ridiculous creatures that shouldn’t exist and that makes me so happy.
Much like Cat, I’ve been super looking forward to The Meg. I may even see it in theaters if only so that my money can encourage more production companies to go this route.
8 – The Happytime Murders (8/24)
Tag Line: No Sesame. All street.
Production Company: Black Bear Pictures, Henson Alternative, Huayi Brothers Media, On The Day Productions, STX Entertainment, The Jim Henson Company
Director: Brian Henson
Writer: Todd Berger, Dee Austin Robertson
Actors: Melissa McCarthy, Elizabeth Banks, Joel McHale, Maya Rudolph, Leslie David Baker, Brian Henson, Jimmy O. Yang, Fortune Feimster, Bill Barretta, Cynthy Wu, Colleen Smith, Pamela Mitchell, Mitch Silpa, Dorien Davies, Julianne Buescher, Drew Massey, Brekkan Spens, Allison Bills, Victor Yerrid, Ryan Tran, Ted Michaels
Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime
Rated: R
Length: Unknown
IMDb Blurb: When the puppet cast of an '80s children's TV show begins to get murdered one by one, a disgraced LAPD detective-turned-private eye puppet takes on the case.
This trailer is just… I can’t… there are no words.
It’s a rated-R Muppet film that is likely going to make Avenue Q (2003) look tame. Just remember, these Muppets are NOT kid-friendly despite it being a Henson production.
7 – The Spy Who Dumped Me (8/3)
Tag Line: They got this.
Production Company: Imagine Entertainment, Lionsgate
Director: Susanna Fogel
Writer: Susanna Fogel, David Iserson
Actors: Justin Theroux, Mila Kunis, Kate McKinnon, Lolly Adefope, Dustin Demri-Burns, David Iserson, sam Heughan, Hasan Minhaj, Mirjam Novak
Genre: Action, Comedy
Rated: R
Length: 116 minutes
IMDb Blurb: Audrey and Morgan are best friends who unwittingly become entangled in an international conspiracy when one of the women discovers the boyfriend who dumped her was actually a spy.
I originally wrote this film off. It was on the list, but much lower. As I continued to re-watch the trailer, though, I changed my mind.
Mila Kunis (Boot Camp, Ted, That 70s Show) is always a win, without a doubt. And, in this case, the majority of the trailer had me laughing – or at least chuckling – throughout. I think, even if the plot winds up being too basic, the actual comedy portrayed in it will still be special.
It’s not likely to change the cinematic landscape of our movie-watching future or anything, but I have faith that it’ll be at least enjoyable.
6 – BlacKkKlansman (8/10)
Tag Line: Infiltrate hate.
Production Company: 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, Blumhouse Productions, Legendary Entertainment, Monkeypaw Productions, Perfect World Pictures, QC Entertainment
Director: Spike Lee
Writer: Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kavin Willmott, Spike Lee, Ron Stallworth
Actors: John David Washington, Alec Baldwin, Topher Grace, Adam Driver, Ryan Eggold, Laura Harrier, Jasper Paakkonen, Robert John Burke, Paul Walter Hauser
Genre: Biography, Comedy, Crime
Rated: R
Length: 135 minutes
IMDb Blurb: Ron Stallworth, an African-American police officer from Colorado, successfully managed to infiltrate the local Ku Klux Klan and became the head of the local chapter.
Spike Lee (Chi-Raq, Rodney King, Pass Over) is a brilliant artist.
BlacKkKlansman looks like an amazing call-back to the blaxploitation era, but it’s got a project head that’s so active in equality politics that it flips the whole idea of blaxploitation on its head. It brings the style into the current-day era and takes the exploitation out of it. What we’re bound to get from this film is something that feels kind of throw-back-ish, but with a social statement about the state of racial relations today.
I’m really looking forward to this.
5 – Searching (8/3)
Tag Line: He just missed his daughter's final call.
Production Company: Bazelevs Entertainment, Bazelevs Production
Director: Aneesh Chaganty
Writer: Aneesh Chaganty, Sev Ohanian
Actors: John Cho, Debra Messing, Joseph Lee, Michelle La, Sara Sohn
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Rated: PG-13
Length: 102 minutes
IMDb Blurb: After his 16-year-old daughter goes missing, a desperate father breaks into her laptop to look for clues to find her.
I believe Searching could wind up reinventing the wheel where missing persons plot films are concerned. The way the movie is presented makes it feel like something you’re not really meant to watch on the big screen. It feels like you’re meant to watch it on your computer, or your phone. Doing that could actively put you into the story with the main character as he searches for his daughter.
We have seen this format for movies before, primarily in horror films, but we’ve also seen it in video games such as Sara is Missing (2016). It’s a format that is very good at immersing the viewer in the world.
In this case, we have some reliable actors dipping their toes into the new genre. This could mark the beginning of something big if it works out well… though the fact that it’s likely to work better on smaller screens makes me think that any success it sees with be of the cult variety.
4 – Papillon (8/24)
Tag Line: The greatest escape adventure ever told.
Production Company: Czech Anglo Productions, FishCorb Films, Red Granite Pictures
Director: Michael Noer
Writer: Aaron Guzikowski, Dalton Trumbo, Lorenzo Semple Jr., Henri Charriere
Actors: Rami Malek, Charlie Hunnam, Eve Hewson, Tommy Flanagan, Roland Moller, Michael Socha, Christopher Fairbank
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Rated: R
Length: 133 minutes
IMDb Blurb: A prisoner detained on a remote island plots his escape. A remake of the 1973 film 'Papillon'.
This is simply a solid crime/mystery/thriller kind of remake with great actors. There are some unique aspects to the plot as we see in the trailer, but it’s the cast that really stands out.
3 – Kin (8/31)
Tag Line: No force is stronger than family.
Production Company: 21 Laps Entertainment, Lionsgate, No Trace Camping
Director: Jonathan Baker, Josh Baker
Writer: Daniel Casey, Jonathan Baker, Josh Baker
Actors: James Franco, Zoe Kravitz, Carrie Coon, Dennis Quaid, Jack Reynor, Myles Truitt, Jonathan Cherry
Genre: Action, Sci-Fi
Rated: PG-13
Length: Unknown
IMDb Blurb: Chased by a vengeful criminal, the feds and a gang of otherworldly soldiers, a recently released ex-con and his adopted teenage brother are forced to go on the run with a weapon of mysterious origin as their only protection.
Kin looks like a great film. It has some interesting cast members, but this movie definitely made the list based on the merit of the story.
It’s about a big badass gun lost by some weird alien creatures or Area 51-type government people and found by a teen that is experiencing a lack of control in his own life? I see where this is going and I absolutely love it.
Child actors make me nervous, but Miles Truitt (Queen Sugar, Jay, Black Lightning) seems to have it under control. He definitely owns the part in the trailer.
2 – The Darkest Minds (8/3)
Tag Line: If you're one of us, come find us.
Production Company: 21 Laps Entertainment
Director: Jennifer Yuh Nelson
Writer: Chad Hodge, Alexandra Bracken
Actors: Bradley Whitford, Mandy Moore, Amandla Stenberg, Gwendoline Christie, Harris Dickinson, Mark O’Brien, Wallace Langham, Patrick Gibson, Wade Williams
Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller
Rated: PG-13
Length: 105 minutes
IMDb Blurb: Imprisoned by an adult world that now fears everyone under 18, a group of teens form a resistance group to fight back and reclaim control of their future.
This film would be number one but there’s some issue with the trailers for me. One looks incredibly awesome and the other looks like a teen love story that could have it compared to Twilight (2008).
For the purposes of this list, I’ve decided to assume that The Darkest Minds is going to be more like the awesome version of the trailer than the teen-angsty one. If I’m right, then this is a film would be worth seeing in the theaters.
1 – Christopher Robin (8/3)
Tag Line: Out of the Wood. Into the City.
Production Company: 2DUX², Walt Disney Pictures
Director: Marc Forster
Writer: Alex Ross Perry, Tom McCarthy, Allison Schroeder, Greg Brooker, mark Steven Johnson, A.A. Milne, Ernest Shepard
Actors: Ewan McGregor, Hayley Atwell, Bronte Carmichael, Mark Gatiss, oliver Ford Davies, Ronke Adekoluejo, Adrian Scarborough, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Ken Nwosu, John Dagleish, Brad Garrett, Nick Mohammed, Peter Capaldi, Sophie Okonedo, Sara Sheen, Toby Jones
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Rated: PG
Length: 104 minutes
IMDb Blurb: A working-class family man, Christopher Robin, encounters his childhood friend Winnie-the-Pooh, who helps him to rediscover the joys of life.
Oh. My. God. The nostalgia. It’s too much. I’m drowning in it. And it still looks so good that I don’t give a fuck. I want my Winnie the Pooh (1977) story for adults that need a reminder to never stop being a kid! Gimme!
IMDb
Blurb: Set in Hiroshima during
World War II, an eighteen-year-old girl gets married and now has to prepare
food for her family despite the rationing and lack of supplies. As she
struggles with the daily loss of life's amenities she still has to maintain the
will to live.
This story
really got my attention. Sure, it’s not as polished of an animation style as,
say Studio Ghibli’s work; but it’s beautiful in its simplicity. I thought it
fitting that the trailer shows the main character painting, since that’s what
this reminds me of – a living painting telling a story through the soft hues
often ascribed to water colors.
While it may
be animation, the story deals with some pretty heavy things – war-torn Japan in
the midst of WWII and set in Hiroshima, no less. The significance of that very
fact juxtaposed with the tale of this young girl’s life is compelling and
certainly makes this film something not to miss.
19 – Pilgrimage
(8/11)
Tag Line:
A Legendary Relic, An Ancient Brotherhood, A Journey Across a War-Torn World
Actors:
Tom Holland, Richard Armitage, Jon
Bernthal, Stanley Weber, John Lynch, Ruaidhri Conroy, Hugh O'Conor, Tristan
McConnell, Diarmuid de Faoite, Gary Byrne, Tony Condren
Genre:
Adventure, Drama
Rated:
Unrated
Length:
96 minutes
IMDb
Blurb: In 13th century Ireland,
a group of monks must escort a sacred relic across an Irish landscape fraught
with peril.
Right on the
heels of his Spiderman: Homecoming
(2017) success, Tom Holland (How I Live
Now, In the Heart of the Sea, Lost City of Z) is right back on the
big-screen. Not only that, he’s in a dream trifecta of talent with Jon Bernthal
(Fury, Sicario, Baby Driver) and Richard
Armitage (Captain America: The First
Avenger, Strike Back, Brain on Fire) as well. I already want to see even
before taking into consideration all the medieval action & adventure. The
fact that it is an Irish movie is really icing on the cake.
18 – Annabelle:
Creation (8/11)
Tag Line:
You don't know the real story.
Production
Companies: Atomic Monster, New Line Cinema
Director:
David F. Sandberg
Writer:
Gary Dauberman
Actors:
Stephanie Sigman, Miranda Otto, Talitha Bateman, Alicia Vela-Bailey, Anthony
LaPaglia, Lulu Wilson, Grace Fulton, Philippa Coulthard,. Kerry O'Malley, Adam
Bartley, Samara Lee, Brad Greenquist
Genre:
Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Rated:
R
Length:
109 minutes
IMDb
Blurb: Several years after the tragic death of their little girl, a
dollmaker and his wife welcome a nun and several girls from a shuttered
orphanage into their home, soon becoming the target of the dollmaker's
possessed creation, Annabelle.
Who doesn’t
love a good origin story? I could have sworn that the origins of the Annabelle doll were already explained in
one of the several movies the creepy creation has already appeared in. I guess
I was wrong. I’m a bit on the fence with this one, which is why it’s as low as
it is on the list. Normally, it would likely have ranked far higher, but I
think I’m getting a bit tired of this particular franchise.
Possessed
dolls are also nightmare fuel of some of the creepiest variety – at least ones
like this. I could deal with Chucky from Child’s
Play (1988) a lot easier. Porcelain dolls that are just inanimate (or are
supposed to be!) just sitting there staring at you have a lot more scare factor
than knife-wielding mobile ones. All told, my curiosity dictates that I’ll want
to watch this anyway.
17 – Polaroid
(8/25)
Tag Line:
Beware This Camera...Once You Take It, It Takes You.
Production
Companies: Dimension Films, Eldorado Film, Vertigo Entertainment
IMDb
Blurb: High school loner Bird Fitcher has no idea what dark secrets are
tied to the mysterious Polaroid vintage camera she stumbles upon, but it
doesn't take long to discover that those who have their picture taken meet a
tragic end.
Quite often,
I enjoy films that are a director’s passion project. While I don’t have
concrete verification that this movie’s director feels that way about this
production – the odds are in favor of that guess considering it’s based on one
of his own short-films. When a short inspires a bigger and more expansive
treatment stretching beyond the confines of its original format, it’s usually
worth a watch. In this case, the director also has a background in photography,
so it’s easy to see that this story resonates from a personal place.
While this
movie doesn’t appear to be entirely original, borrowing elements from films
such as Final Destination (2000) and the like; this particular blend of recipes
just might yield a winner.
I like that
it seems to be playing on the common fear of old, around the time that cameras
were brand new technology – having your picture taken steals a part of your
soul. Put that together with the instant-gratification of the
instant-developing Polaroid photos and you’ve got something there that breathes
life into that old superstition. That makes it worth a watch in my book.
16 – Dave
Made a Maze (8/18)
Tag Line:
He thought of everything but a way out.
Production
Companies: Butter Stories, Dave Made An LLC, Foton Pictures
Director:
Bill Watterson
Writers:
Steven Sears, Bill Watterson
Actors:
John Hennigan, Kirsten Vangsness, Nick Thune, Stephanie Allynne, James
Urbaniak, Meera Rohit Kumbhani, Adam Busch, Scott Krinsky
Genre:
Adventure, Comedy, Horror
Rated:
Unrated
Length:
80 Minutes
IMDb
Blurb: Dave, an artist who has yet to complete anything significant in
his career, builds a fort in his living room out of pure frustration, only to
wind up trapped by the fantastical pitfalls, booby traps, and critters of his own
creation.
This movie
looks insane in the best of ways. It appeals to childhood imagination which
whispered that every giant cardboard box was a cavern of wonders to be
explored. I know I built my share of cardboard forts, and it’s something my
daughter enjoys, too.
I’m
fascinated by this particular flight of fancy which blends both horror and
comedy. Just from the trailer, I see influences from things like Time Bandits (1981), Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005),
and even mythology; and that makes me giddy. I can’t wait to watch and see what
paper-craft shenanigans can be found within the cardboard labyrinth.
15 – Overdrive
(8/11)
Tag Line:Think Fast, Drive Faster.
Production
Companies:Kinology, Sentient
Pictures, Umedia
Director:Antonio Negret
Writers:Michael Brandt, Derek Haas
Actors:Ana de Armas, Scott Eastwood, Gaia Weiss,
Freddie Thorp, Clemens Schick, Simon Abkarian, Moussa Maaskri, Frederic
Anscombre
Genre:Action, Thriller
Rated:PG-13
Length:93 minutes
IMDb
Blurb:Two car thief brothers,
who journey to the south of France for new opportunities, wind up in the cross
hairs of the local crime boss.
I almost
didn’t put this one on my list because the release situation makes me a bit
nervous. We really try not to duplicate our Top 20 entries, and sometimes when
a movie has a string of overseas release dates it can take a while before it’s
released in the US. I liked the trailer, actors, and general premise enough to
proverbially roll the dice. If it ends up not hitting screens in the US this
month, just keep your eyes peeled for it sometime in the near future. This
looks like it’s a fun thrill-ride worth the wait.
Fans of
high-speed action the likes of the Fast & Furious (2009) franchise should
get a lot of mileage out of this one. It’s got cool cars, high-risk stunts,
cheeky wit, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
14 – Starship
Troopers: Traitor of Mars (8/21)
Tag Line:
None
Production
Companies: Lucent Pictures Entertainment, Sola Digital Arts, Sony Pictures
Entertainment (SPE), Stage 6 Films
Directors:
Shinji Aramaki, Masaru Matsumoto
Writer:
Edward Neumeier
Actors:
Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer, DeRay Davis
Genre:
Animation, Action, Sci-Fi
Rated:
R
Length:
100 minutes
IMDb
Blurb: Federation trooper Johnny Rico is ordered to work with a group
of new recruits on a satellite station on Mars, where giant bugs have decided
to target their next attack.
Finally.
That was my first thought when I watched the trailer for this animated movie.
Here we have the sequel that many of the original movie’s fans have longed for,
utilizing the same characters and expanding on their story. I’m practically chomping
at the bit to find out more of Dizzy Flores’ story! I am also curious to see if
they stayed with the same storytelling format which was employed in the first
film. Would you like to know more?
When the
original hit theaters in 1997, it was during the time I was working at an AMC
theater. Aside from the story being cool (if a bit grisly), it evokes quite a
bit of nostalgia for me.
13 – Birth
of the Dragon (8/25)
Tag Line:
The fight that created the legend.
Production
Companies: Groundswell Productions, Kylin Pictures
Director:
George Nolfi
Writers:
Stephen J. Rivele, Christopher Wilkinson, Michael Dorgan
Actors:
Billy Magnussen, Philip Ng, Terry Chen, Yu Xia, Ron Yuan, King Lau, Darren E.
Scott, Yee Jee Tso, Simon Chin. Simon Yin
Genre:
Action, Biography, Drama
Rated:
PG-13
Length:
103 minutes
IMDb
Blurb: Set against the backdrop of 1960s San Francisco, BIRTH OF THE
DRAGON is a modern take on the classic movies that Bruce Lee was known for. It
takes its inspiration from the epic and still controversial showdown between an
up-and-coming Bruce Lee and Kung-Fu master Wong Jack Man - a battle that gave
birth to a legend.
When someone
says Kung-Fu movie or even just martial-arts movie; there’s one master of both the
sport and the genre that pops immediately to mind for quite a few of us – Bruce
Lee (Marlowe, The Big Boss, The Way of the Dragon). He was a fascinating
individual whose time was cut too short. Watching him is truly putting art in
the martial arts. He had an amazing philosophy, as well; encouraging people to “be
like water.”
Needless to
say, this movie is worth the ticket price for both the spectacle and the story.
12 – Fun
Mom Dinner (8/4)
Tag Line:
Every Mom Deserves a Time Out
Production
Companies: Gettin' Rad Productions, June Pictures, Voltage Pictures
Director:
Alethea Jones
Writer:
Julie Rud
Actors:
Katie Aselton, Toni Collette, Molly Shannon, Hart Denton, Gerald Dewey, Leigh
Dunham, John Early, Bridget Everett, Adam Levine, Paul Rudd
Genre:
Comedy
Rated:
R
Length:
89 minutes
IMDb
Blurb: Four moms whose only common ground is their kids' preschool
class, decide to get together for a harmless "fun mom dinner."
This movie
resonates with me on so many levels. I think it looks hilarious and relatable.
Sure this seems to be following the bandwagon of the latest trend of buddy
ensemble movies where a group runs into crazy issues while just trying to
unwind.Even saying that, it still looks
like a lot of fun!
11 – Ingrid
Goes West (8/11)
Tag Line:
She'll follow you.
Production
Companies: Star Thrower Entertainment, 141 Entertainment, Mighty Engine
Director:
Matt Spicer
Writers:
David Branson Smith, Matt Spicer
Actors:
Aubrey Plaza, Elizabeth Olsen, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Wyatt Russell, Billy
Magnussen, Pom Klementieff, Hannah Pearl Utt, Angelica Amor
Genre:
Comedy, Drama
Rated:
R
Length:
97 minutes
IMDb
Blurb: An unhinged social media stalker moves to LA and insinuates
herself into the life of an Instagram star.
I am
absolutely adoring Aubrey Plaza (The Driftless Area, Dirty Grandpa, The Little
Hours) in Legion (2017-). Sufficed to say, I’m really looking forward to more
loony madcap from this new character.
Buried in
the comedic romp seems to be a bit of a social commentary targeted to those
that put all the details of their lives out there on social media. Of course,
this seems to go a bit to extremes – but I’m glad it sticks to the comedic
aspect for this film. The same premise could easily turn into a horror movie –
I’d want to watch that one, too!
10 – Detroit
(8/4)
Tag Line:
It's Time We Knew
Production
Companies: Annapurna Pictures, First Light Production, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
(MGM), Page 1
Director:
Kathryn Bigelow
Writer:
Mark Boal
Actors:
John Boyega, Will Poulter, Anthony Mackie, Algee Smith, Jacob Latimore, Jason
Mitchell, Hannah Murray, Jack Reynor, Kaitlyn Dever, Ben O'Toole, John
Krasinski
Genre:
Crime, Drama, History
Rated:
R
Length:
143 minutes
IMDb
Blurb: Amidst the chaos of the Detroit Rebellion, with the city under
curfew and as the Michigan National Guard patrolled the streets, three young
African American men were murdered at the Algiers Motel.
Considering
this movie is based on a true story, and considering the societal climate of
the US today; this movie strikes me as significant – even important to watch.
It won’t be something comfortable, and it’s a decidedly heavy topic. We need to
be put out of our comfort zones now and again.
With school resuming
right around the corner, this is the usual time period of summer blockbusters
with a lot of flash and dazzle. It’s time for the last hurrahs before everyone
returns to their ‘regularly scheduled programming’ that generally takes place 9
months out of the year. Pair that with the fact that I would much rather have a
good laugh than squirm in my seat, and you find my inner tug-of-war which
landed this movie here on my list.
9 – Good
Time (8/11)
Tag Line:
Directed by the Safdie Brothers
Production
Companies: Elara Pictures, Rhea Films
Directors:
Ben Safdie, Joshua Safdie
Writers:
Ronald Bronstein, Joshua Safdie
Actors:
Jennifer Jason Leigh, Robert Pattinson, Barkhad Abdi, Ben Safdie, Lucas Elliot
Eberl, Buddy Duress, Rose Gregorio, Souleymane Sy Savane, Phil Cappadora,
Taliah Webster
Genre:
Crime, Drama
Rated:
R
Length:
100 minutes
IMDb Blurb:
A bank robber finds himself unable to evade those who are looking for him.
This doesn’t
seem like the typical role you’d find Robert Pattinson (The Rover, Queen of the
Desert, Life) in. That being said, I have pretty much thrown my preconceived
notions about Pattinson right out the window. He has proven that he has far
more substance than the role that made him infamous. After watching Remember Me
(2010) for a review recently, that dropkick to the feels changed a lot of my
perception.
That being
said, I think this seems to be a gritty movie where you feel the grind of the
streets with a dash of dark humor. The trailer promised something outstanding,
so I hope the movie delivers.
8 – Kidnap
(8/4)
Tag Line:
Vengeance is a Mother
Production
Companies: Di Bonaventura Pictures, Gold Star Films, 606 Films, Ingenious
Media, Lotus Entertainment, Rumble Entertainment, Well Go USA Entertainment
Director:
Luis Prieto
Writer:
Knate Lee
Actors:
Halle Berry, Sage Correa, Chris McGinn, Lew Temple, Jason George. Christopher
Berry, Arron Shiver, Kurtis Bedford., Carmella Riley, Brice Fisher, Timothy
Fannon, Andy Wagner
Genre:
Thriller
Rated:
R
Length:
94 minutes
IMDb
Blurb: A mother stops at nothing to recover her kidnapped son.
This movie
is going to give me heart palpitations, I just know it. It’s every parent’s
worst nightmare to have their child disappear right from under their noses.
There have been a few times my daughter wandered off from me in a store when I
looked away for a nanosecond – and I remember the near panic attack that ensued
like it was yesterday.
Nightmares
play out where a kid gets taken from a public place where they should be safe –
or even the false security of their own backyard.
So what if
the worst happened? This movie takes a look at that very question and gives it
an action thriller spin. I am intending to give this one a watch, but I
probably should give my daughter a heads up that she’ll be expecting some big
hugs afterwards.
7 – Wind
River (8/4)
Tag Line:
Nothing is harder to track than the truth.
Production
Companies: Acacia Filmed Entertainment, Film 44,Ingenious Media, Savvy
Media Holdings, Star Thrower Entertainment, Synergics Films, Thunder Road
Pictures, Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana, Voltage Pictures, Wild Bunch
Director:
Taylor Sheridan
Writer:
Taylor Sheridan
Actors:
Kelsey Asbille, Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Julia Jones, Teo Briones,
Apesanahkwat, Graham Greene, Tantoo Cardinal, Eric Lange, Gil Birmingham,
Tokala Clifford
Genre:
Action, Crime, Mystery
Rated:
R
Length:
107 minutes
IMDb
Blurb: An FBI agent teams with a town's veteran game tracker to
investigate a murder that occurred on a Native American reservation.
I find the
premise of this movie interesting. It takes a look at a crime mystery from an
angle that isn’t done very often, if at all.
It’s also
very hot this summer and I want to live in the snow vicariously for a few hours
with the bonus of being entertained at the same time. Just saying.
6 – Logan
Lucky (8/18)
Tag Line:
See How The Other Half Steals
Production
Companies: Trans-Radial Pictures, Free Association
Director:
Steven Soderbergh
Writer:
Rebecca Blunt
Actors:
Katherine Waterson, Sebastian Stan, Channing Tatum, Daniel Craig, Adam Driver,
Riley Keough, Katie Holmes, Seth MacFarlane, Hilary Swank, David Denman, Dwight
Yoakam, Jack Quaid, Brian Gleeson
Genre:
Comedy, Crime, Drama
Rated:
PG-13
Length:
119 minutes
IMDb
Blurb: Two brothers attempt to pull off a heist during a NASCAR race in
North Carolina.
So when I saw
the trailer for this movie, the description for this movie that popped into my
head immediately was ‘doofus heist comedy.’ Here we have Channing Tatum (The
Lego Movie, Foxcatcher, Hail Caesar!), Daniel Craig (The Golden Compass, The
Adventures of Tintin), and Adam Driver (Lincoln, Midnight Special, Silence) in
roles we’re not used to seeing them in.
This film
looks like it’s going to be a lot of laughs – and a lot of face-palming. I love
it when actors completely break out of the roles that are their ‘niche.’ This
isn’t a movie that exploits sex appeal and debonair charm that Tatum and Craig
are known for. Though, this does seem to be slightly closer to the wheelhouse
for Driver – outside of his lightsaber wielding skills, he tends to be found in
quirky projects. I think this movie will be perfect to turn your brain off and
have a good giggle. In the trailers it’s obvious this film isn’t taking itself
too seriously, so neither should we.
5 – Sharknado
5: Global Swarming (8/6)
Tag Line:
Make America bait again.
Production
Companies: The Asylum, Syfy
Director:
Anthony C. Ferrante
Writers:
Thunder Levin, Scotty Mullen
Actors:
Tara Reid, Dolph Lundgren, Olivia Newton-John, Ian Ziering, Masiela Lusha,
Cassandra Scerbo, Dan Fogler, Jena Sims, Gilbert Gottfried, Chris Kattan,
Charo, Cody Linley, David Naughton, Ross Mullan, Margaret Cho, Fabio
Genre:
Horror, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Rated:
TV-14
Length:
90 minutes
IMDb
Blurb: With much of America lying in ruins, the rest of the world
braces for a global sharknado, Fin and his family must travel around the world
to stop them.
Normally
this movie would be higher on my list – because I love this series. I just felt
it appropriate to list the 5th installment of this franchise as #5.
Call me crazy. That’s just how I roll.
Sure, it’s
campy and ridiculous, and occasionally mind-numbing… but that’s part of what
makes these movies special. I love the over-the-top acting, the cameos coming
out of the woodwork, and the pure entertainment value of it. It’s always fun to
see what they’ll come up with next. The series has already (sort-of) been to
space. Now the airborne toothsome weather anomalies are going worldwide. What’s
next after this? How will they top this particular caper? Will there be a #6?
(Between you and me, I hope so!)
Get your
friends together and throw a shark-themed party so you can share in the
hilarity when this movie airs on the Syfy Channel Sunday, August 6th,
at 7pm. Don’t worry about the time zones there – they’re showing the movie
twice back-to-back, so if you miss the first one, you can catch it on the second showing.
4 – The
Hitman’s Bodyguard (8/18)
Tag Line:
The world's top protection agent has a new client: His worst enemy.
Production
Companies: Campbell Grobman Films, Cristal Pictures, East Light Media,Millennium Films, Nu Boyana Film Studios,
Skydance Media, Tom de Mol Productions
Director:
Patrick Hughes
Writer:
Tom O'Connor
Actors:
Gary Oldman, Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Salma Hayek, Elodie Yung,
Richard E. Grant, Kirsty Mitchell, Joaquim de Almeida
Genre:
Action, Comedy
Rated:
R
Length:
118 minutes
IMDb
Blurb: The world's top bodyguard gets a new client, a hit man who must
testify at the International Court of Justice. They must put their differences
aside and work together to make it to the trial on time.
I watched
the Red Band trailer for this movie, just to see what the difference was.
F-bombs. I think there has to be some limit as to how many they can show in a
non-restricted trailer, because I swear that it comes across as being every-other
word. I’m exaggerating, of course, but still.
That being
said, I think this movie looks amazing and absolutely hilarious while at the
same time giving its audience some really hard-hitting action. I am an
adrenaline junkie only vicariously through movies. Just saying.
So why did I
mention all the cursing? Because if you don’t want your kid to hear 9,999,999
utterances of some version of ‘fuck,’ this is probably not a movie to let them
watch. Aside from that, I want to see this in the theater, if I can, and get
more bang for my buck with the bigger screen.
Writers:
Bob Barlen, Cal Brunker, Scott Bindley, Peter Lepeniotis, Daniel Woo
Actors:
Will Arnett, Katherine Heigl, Maya Rudolph, Jackie Chan, Isabela Moner, Peter
Stormare, Bobby Cannavale, Tom Kenny, Kari Wahlgren, Gabriel Iglesias, Bobby
Moynihan, Jeff Dunham
Genre:
Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Rated:
PG
Length:
91 minutes
IMDb
Blurb: Following the events of the first film, Surly and his friends
must stop Oakton City's mayor from destroying their home to make way for a
dysfunctional amusement park.
There is one
reason I want to watch this movie so badly that I’d stand in line now if I
could - Jackie Chan (Police Story:
Lockdown, Skiptrace, Railroad Tigers). I mean, come on! I can’t wait to see
him lend his voice to the kung-fu mouse that joins forces with all the other
nutty park animals for this sequel.I
don’t need another reason. That’s it.
2 – Death
Note (8/25)
Tag Line:
On August 25th, Justice is Coming.
Production
Companies: Netflix, Lin Pictures, Vertigo Entertainment
Actors:
Lakeith Stanfield, Margaret Qualley, Willem Dafoe, Shea Whigham, Nat Wolff,
Masi Oka, Michael Shamus Wiles, Paul McGillion, Matthew Kevin Anderson, Paul
Nakauchi
Genre:
Fantasy, Horror, Mystery
Rated:
Unrated
Length:
101 minutes
IMDb
Blurb: Light Turner, a bright student, stumbles across a mystical
notebook that has the power to kill any person whose name he writes in it.
Light decides to launch a secret crusade to rid the streets of criminals. Soon,
the student-turned-vigilante finds himself pursued by a famous detective known
only by the alias L.
I absolutely
adore the anime series that this movie is based on. Of course, that animated
series was based on a popular Manga in Japan. It’s a little odd to consider the
casting for this movie in relation to the anime characters – but I’ve decided
that preconceptions along those lines should probably just be thrown right out
the window. There are a few reasons why.
Primarily,
this movie has Willem Dafoe (John Wick, Finding Dory, A Family Man) playing
Ryuk. I don’t care about the rest of the casting because they knocked that one
right out of the park. Dafoe IS Ryuk. Are you kidding me? I just think back to
all his crazy quirky roles over the years and then picture the mischievous and
curious Shinigami featured in this film and there couldn’t be a more perfect
person on the planet to play that role. I can’t wait.
Aside from
that, it looks like quite the visual treat. There seems to be a bit more action
alluded to in the trailer than I recall in the series, but that can be expected
with a live action treatment. I'm so excited that this is being released by Netflix - you can bet I'll be watching it on Day 1.
1 – The
Dark Tower (8/4)
Tag Line:
In a world of superheroes, there is only one gunslinger.
Production
Companies: Sony Pictures Entertainment, Media Rights Capital, Imagine
Entertainment, Weed Road Pictures
Director:
Nikolaj Arcel
Writers:
Akiva Goldsman, Jeff Pinkner, Anders Thomas Jensen, Nikolaj Arcel, Stephen King
Actors:
Katheryn Winnick, Matthew McConaughey, Idris Elba, Jackie Earle Haley, Abbey
Lee, Dennis Haysbert, Alex McGregor, Nicholas Hamilton, Claudia Kim, Fran Kranz
Genre:
Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Rated:
PG-13
Length:
95 minutes
IMDb
Blurb: The last Gunslinger, Roland Deschain, has been locked in an
eternal battle with Walter O'Dim, also known as the Man in Black, determined to
prevent him from toppling the Dark Tower, which holds the universe together.
With the fate of the worlds at stake, good and evil will collide in the
ultimate battle as only Roland can defend the Tower from the Man in Black.
Stephen King (IT, The Stand, Cujo)
is The Man. I love his books immensely. I have some really wonderful memories
associated with some of his work – both on page and on screen. I also love how
he takes an active role with any production of his work, and even cameos in
most projects. I wonder if he’ll make an appearance in this adaptation of one
of his best-known series.
I do have a confession to make. I know the gist of what The Dark Tower
series is about – and it has long been on my to-read list. I just haven’t yet.
That will change, I assure you, as I continue to whittle books off of my list.
I’m afraid I get a little distracted by new and shiny things and it takes just
that much longer to get around to it.
That being said, I know enough about the story to weigh in that Matthew
McConaughey (Interstellar, The Sea of
Trees, Gold) and Idris Elba (Beasts
of No Nation, Zootopia, Star Trek Beyond) are superb for the roles of The
Man in Black and Roland, respectively. I don’t want to hear any of the haters
that have created a brouhaha over Elba’s selection, either. My answer to all
that noise is to shut it until you actually see it. I, for one, am loving the
glimpses that we’ve been given so far in the trailers.
The book series first hit my radar back in my freshman year of high
school. We were on a bus driving from Louisiana to Colorado for a choir trip
during Spring Break, and one of the guys sitting near me was reading the first
book in the series. We had an interesting discussion about King’s books, and I’ve
been fascinated with the story and series ever since. Seeing this hit the big
screen now is a wish 20-plus years in the granting.
