"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.
Showing posts with label Voltage Pictures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Voltage Pictures. Show all posts
Streaming Service: Netflix Movie Name/Year: Aftermath(2024) Genre: Action, Thriller Length: 1h 37min Rating: R Director: Patrick Lussier Writer: Nathan Graham
Davis Actors: Dylan Sprouse, Mason
Gooding, Megan Stott, Dichen Lachman, Derek K. Moore, Jason Armani Martinez,
Mark Dancewicz, Daniel Rios Jr., Ashley Pynn, Mark Pettograsso, Shahjehan Khan,
Mark Irvingsen, Joshua Wolf Coleman, Will Lyman, Nick Apostolides, Jared Frenke,
Tanner Zagarino, Kevin Chapman
IMDb Blurb: A returning war veteran,
stricken with PTSD, unwittingly gets trapped with his teenage sister on
Boston's Tobin Memorial Bridge as a heavily weaponized group of ex-military
revolutionists take everyone hostage.
Cat’s Point of View: The trailer for Aftermath intrigued me. It released
in a month where there was at least one other action thriller set on a bridge.
While the other film had action royalty among the cast, Aftermath looked
like it just might be the more relatable of the two in terms of story. Both narratives
seemed a little far-fetched, but entertainment doesn’t always have to make
complete sense, right?
There was also the bonus of checking out the action chops of
Dylan Sprouse (Dismissed, The Duel, Beautiful Disaster). My daughter and
I have enjoyed following the Sprouse twins’ careers, considering we practically
watched them grow up on TV while they worked on their Disney projects. (My
daughter was a massive fan of their shows so I ended up watching it all, too.)
I am also a fan of Dichen Lachman (Altered Carbon,
Jurassic World: Dominion, Severance) and have enjoyed her work, which was
also a good selling point for Aftermath.
I was not disappointed with either of their performances.
This was an interesting departure from the horror genre for
up-and-comer Mason Gooding (Scream VI, Fall, Heart Eyes), as well. His
part in this story was a little more out-there and I think he over-sold it just
a little bit. Leaning into the unhinged bad-guy certainly pushed this plot
along and created tension, so I wasn’t entirely put off by it.
I was surprised to learn that this was the screenwriting
debut for Nathan Graham Davis. I’m interested in seeing the stories he brings
to the screen next. If this was his beginnings, I’d hope things only improve
from here – and this wasn’t a bad place to start.
Was Aftermath the best offering within this genre
I’ve watched in the past year? Not really, but I was buying what they were
selling. The effects and prop/sets departments really did a great job blending
seamlessly the elements shot on sound stages and on location. My untrained eye
couldn’t tell the difference.
While Aftermath likely won’t be a film that sticks out in my memory over time, I was entertained while watching it and didn’t
feel that my time had been wasted.
Streaming Service: Netflix Movie Name/Year: The 2nd (2020) Genre: Action, Drama Length: 1h 33min Rating: Unrated Production/Distribution: Daniel Grodnik
Productions, Front Row Filmed Entertainment, Fury Film Franchise, GEM
Entertainment, Leonine Distribution, Lucid Film, Momentum Pictures, Première TV
Distribution, Source 1 Media, The Movie Partnership, Turbo Panda Productions, Voltage
Pictures, Wonderfilm Media, WOWOW Cinema Director: Brian Skiba Writer: Eric Bromberg, James Bromberg, Paul Taegel Actors: Ryan Phillippe, Casper Van Dien, Jack Griffo, Lexi Simonsen Blurb from IMDb: An Army Delta Force officer
is late picking up his son at college. His son and a Supreme Court Justice's
daughter are the last there. A gang of terrorists are there to abduct her and
force her dad's hand on a Second Amendment vote.
Selina’s Point of View: The
2nd definitely had an
agenda. There was nothing subtle about it. In fact, it bordered on propaganda at
times. This isn’t the
first time we’ve mistakenly scheduled a flick that wound up having a propaganda
feel to it. Usually, we just opt to skip the day and not platform it at all. By
the end of The 2nd, though, I decided it was just preachy and
distasteful instead of full-on propaganda. So, here we go. One of my big actor-related
hot takes, is that I really like Casper Van Dien (Mad Heidi, Daughter, A
Tale of Two Guns). I think he is capable of much better roles than he gets.
I fell for him in Starship Troopers (1997) and my opinion has never changed.
The problem is, where I like him, I very rarely like the movies he’s in. The
2nd was not an exception. I just don’t understand why he can’t seem to land
parts in flicks that are actually good.
Aside from Van Dien,
The 2nd had absolutely nothing going for it. The acting was obnoxious,
you could hear the microphone rubbing against something sometimes, and I cannot
believe anyone approved the script. Nothing about the dialogue was natural. I think they
might have had a ten-year-old watch Die Hard (1988) a few times and then
had him write something as close to it as he could remember. Then they took out
all the good parts and released it. I would not sit
through The 2nd again for any reason. It was absolutely awful.
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 0% Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 11% Metascore – None Metacritic User Score – 4.0 IMDB Score –3.8/10 Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 1/5 Trust-the-Dice’s
Parental Advisory Rating:
R Movie Trailer:
Streaming Services: Hulu Movie Name/Year: Safer at Home (2021) Genre: Thriller, Horror Length: 82 minutes Rating: R Production/Distribution: 7930 Entertainment, Showdown
Productions, Voltage Pictures, Vertical Entertainment, The Searchers, Front Row
Filmed Entertainment Director: Will Wernick Writer: Will Wernick, Lia Bozonelis, John Ierardi Actors: Alisa Allapach, Lia Bozonelis, Adwin Brown, Katie L. Hall,
Jocelyn Hudon, Mark Irvingsen, Dan J. Johnson, Michael Kupisk, Emma Lahana,
Brandon Morales, Daniel Robaire Blurb from IMDb: Two years into the
pandemic, a group of friends throw a wild online party. After taking ecstasy,
things go terribly wrong and the safety of their homes becomes more terrifying
than the raging chaos outside.
Selina’s Point of View: Safer
at Home was not an easy
watch. There was absolutely no escapism involved. Instead, it gave a look at a
possible future based on what is actually happening. Safer
at Home opened with a
montage of real news footage. It then seamlessly shifted into fictional news
from that possible future – one where COVID-19 mutates and keeps us in a full quarantine
until well into 2022. It also pulled from the BLM movement to show how that kind
of police state lock-down would look. Horror flicks are
always much more terrifying when they could really happen. I am not
surprised by this movie’s reception. Critics got their hands on it in early
2021. Vaccines for COVID-19 had been developed and were rolling out at a steady
pace in many countries. It was looking like the pandemic was coming to a close. And we were all
sick of hear about the coronavirus. None of us wanted to sit down in our free
time, when we could finally be out among friends, and watch a movie about what
we endured. I don’t think any
critic could possibly have imagined that this little horror was predicting the
delta variant.
Watching Safer
at Home now, is not the same thing as seeing it then. It hits harder. It’s not a
perfect movie by any stretch of the imagination.
A huge portion of the cast had
nothing to do but stare at a screen for the majority of their part. It was also
an extreme social commentary, which is not for everyone. Especially not for
anyone who is looking to escape current events for a little while. It was also
difficult to not compare it to Host (2020) – which was the first film to
take place during the pandemic through use of webcams. They’re very different movies,
of course. One is supernatural, the other is based completely in realism. Still,
when you compare them – Safer at Home does not hold a candle to Host.
Not only that, but even though Host is set during the pandemic, it still
offers some manner of removal from our situation. Safer
at Home is less a project
of entertainment and more like a creative warning of what we should be trying
to avoid. That’s not what a lot of people are going to be looking for right
now. That said, I do
predict that people are going to have a very different take on this film when
they watch it in the future. Once COVID-19 is over and we’ve stepped into the
light of whatever the world looks like then, people are going to be more open
to movies set in this time. When they start coming across this one, it going to
get better reviews. I don’t think I can say it will be a cult film, but I do
believe it has the potential to become bigger than it currently is.
Cat’s Point of View: When you watch
movies on a regular basis, you never know when one is going to reach out and
rattle you. I certainly didn’t anticipate feeling shook in the wake of the
credits for Safer at Home…and yet here we are. The critics are
tearing into this movie and ripping it to shreds as if someone chummed
shark-infested waters. I don’t get all the hate. Sure, Safer at Home wasn’t the
most amazing thing ever, but it was solid. It just goes to show that you can’t
always go by what all the critics say. There have been a
few films so far that have embraced this new pandemic world and run with the
concept to bring us a whole new genre of horror and thrills. This follows along
those lines but doesn’t dip into the supernatural the way others have. The opening of Safer
At Home actually gave me chills.
I absolutely
believed in the setup here. It felt like current events rather than a piece of
fiction. With variant strains of the coronavirus popping up, it feels like this
will never end sometimes. I want to avoid a political soapbox, though, so I’ll
summarize by saying that the police-state big brother-esque Los Angeles that
was shown in the film felt frighteningly plausible. You can do a lot
with a simple framework. So many of us have experienced the little Zoom meeting
boxes in the last year or so, that it only seems natural that more productions
are going to borrow from this shared experience. I think this treatment was
successful. I felt like I was sitting in on someone’s Zoom feed and watching a
get-together of real friends. The drama was believable. I didn’t care if some
parts were predictable or not. Safer at Home had a solid cast and they
did a great job. The ending
rattled me hard. Screw the
critics, Safer at Home is absolutely worth the watch.
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 7% Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 61% Metascore – 35/100 Metacritic User Score – None IMDB Score – 4.6/10 Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 3/5 Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 3.5/5 Movie Trailer:
Streaming Services: N/A Movie Name/Year: The Marksman (2021) Genre: Action, Thriller Length: 108 minutes Rating: PG-13 Production/Distribution: Cutting Edge Group, Raven Capital Management, Sculptor Media, Stonehouse Motion Pictures, Zero Gravity Management, Voltage Pictures, GEM Entertainment, Leonine Distribution, Madman Films, Open Road Entertainment, Ascot Elite Entertainment Group, Front Row Filmed Entertainment, Kyyba Films, Madman Entertainment, The Searchers Director: Robert Lorenz Writer: Chris Charles, Danny Kravitz, Robert Lorenz Actors: Jacob Perez, Teresa Ruiz, Alfredo Quiroz, Sean A. Rosales, Jose Vasquez, Juan Pablo Raba, Antonio Leyba, Liam Neeson, Alex Knight, Dylan Kenin, Katheryn Winnick, David DeLao, Yediel Quiles, Amber Midthunder Blurb from IMDb: A rancher on the Arizona border becomes the unlikely defender of a young Mexican boy desperately fleeing the cartel assassins who've pursued him into the U.S.
Selina’s Point of View: I may start avoiding Liam Neeson films. Don’t get me wrong, Neeson is a great actor – especially in the parts that he keeps being cast in. The problem is that there is only so many ways I can write about him playing a man with a special set of skills set to inflict violence upon an antagonist. It’s just not fun to write about and, honestly, I’m not sure anyone needs to read it. General audiences, who only see a Liam Neeson film once in a while, will almost always like it. Those films tend to be action-packed and, like I said, he’s a great actor. Meanwhile, for reviewers who see every film he’s in – which is the same thing every other month – will usually dislike it, because it’s basic and we know it.
Going into The Marksman, I knew what I was going to get, and I got it. That’s all there really is to it. The script felt lazy. Like it was written just to type-cast Neeson into. It also felt mis-titled. He only uses the sniper rifle a couple of times, and it never really enters into the narrative that he was actually a marksman when he was a Marine. Which leads me to another problem. The writers asked for a LOT where suspension of disbelief is concerned. I think they relied too heavily on audiences not personally knowing any Marines. They expected me to believe that a highly decorated, and war-hardened, Marine veteran – living in a dangerous zone – would not have a go bag. They also expected me to believe the same veteran, with access to cash, would not ditch his credit card or vehicle while he was being hunted.
I’m sorry, no. I can suspend disbelief for a LOT of bullshit, but I know too many Marines. None of that checks out. The ending tried to give us something significant to hold onto, something poignant. Unfortunately, it came so late in the game that it changed nothing. It even felt unbelievable. This is not a film I would recommend. Once it makes its way to streaming, if you need some brainless Neeson action – then go for it. But don’t waste your money before then.
We keep hearing
that theaters are going to reopen and then finding out there’s been another
postponement. (Wear your damn masks!) We’re going to be optimistic and keep to
our original format for the Top 20. We’re considering all films coming out –
whether digital, straight to DVD, or in theaters – as eligible for this list.
However, we felt the need to still include a disclaimer. (Once theaters are fully opened, this disclaimer will no longer be used.)
There are certain
states that meet all the requirements to reopen, and are doing well. In those
states, we absolutely support people going to the movies, as long as they
remain cautious and the theaters are following all safety precautions.
However, a lot of
states are opening before medical experts believe they should.
If you live in one
of those states, especially those with rising COVID-19 cases, we urge you to
stay home. There are a lot of great movies that continue to be released
digitally, and we hope you stick with those. We understand that cabin fever is setting
in with everyone right now, we’re not immune to it, but put your health and
safety – and the health and safety of your family – first.
That said, all the
release dates mentioned are tentative. Revisit this article
throughout the month, we'll post small updates about postponed films as we are
alerted to the delays.
Thank you for
sticking with us through these strange times.
20 – Evil Takes
Root (9/15)
Production/Distribution:
Elevate Pictures, Genre Labs, UP & AWAY Productions, Distributors, Mill
Creek Entertainment, Carnaby International
Director: Chris
W. Freeman
Writer: Chris W.
Freeman, Aaron Mack
Actors: Nicholas
Gonzalez, Sean Carrigan, Stevie Lynn Jones, John Churchill, Adetokumboh M’Cormack,
Constance Brenneman, Reagan Belhorn, Thomas Downey, Jane Mowder, Laurence
Hokes, Deanna Sherman, Jeffrey R. Newman, Debbie Doebereiner, Meghan Garber,
Chloe Garner, Michael Compton, Frank Sundquist II
Genre: Horror,
Thriller
Rated: NR
Length: 91
minutes
IMDb Blurb: A paranormal investigator arrives in a sleepy
Midwest town to investigate the mysterious loss of his old lover and reconcile
sins of the past. He discovers she fell victim to the Batibat, an ancient evil
that followed her home from the Philippines.
Evil Takes Root looks a little basic. That said, I’m just
really looking forward to horror films lately. Especially the paranormal type.
I want some good, creepy, escapism. I want something I can turn my brain off and
just enjoy, without getting too deep. It looks like this flick meets my
requirements.
I think it’s a bonus that I’m not familiar with the writers/director,
too. That means I get exposed to something that looks a little familiar, but in
a new voice. Who knows? Maybe they can elevate it to become something amazing.
My mind is open, and I’m looking forward to it.
19 – Coastal
Elites (9/12) – HBO Max
Production/Distribution:
Home Box Office (HBO), HBO Max
Director: Jay
Roach
Writer: Paul Rudnick
Actors: Dan Levy,
Sarah Paulson, Kaitlyn Dever, Bette Midler, Issa Rae
Genre: Comedy
Rated: NR
Length: 90 minutes
IMDb Blurb: Five characters make confessions under quarantine
that touch on their lives during the 2020 pandemic and living in a world of
deeply divided politics.
I don’t know how I feel about this socially distanced comedy’s
content… but I do know that I’ve never seen anything quite like it. That’s why
it’s here.
It’s clearly political, it’s clearly topical – but that’s
really all I get from the trailer. I don’t know what the point is. Until I read
more about it, I didn’t even realize it wasn’t a documentary. I don’t know. Is
it anti-trump propaganda? Is it a mockumentary? Is it just a basic slice of
life?
That last option may seem unlikely, but considering all our
lives are mostly isolated and ruled by the pandemic at the moment, it very well
could be. Our new reality is changing art. Cinema was bound to start evolving to
our new circumstances. We saw it in Shudder’s Host (2020). This just
seems to be that evolution attempting to be more high scale and dramatic.
I’m more curious than anything else. I don’t know what to
expect at all.
18 –
Kajillionaire (9/25)
Production/Distribution:
Annapurna Pictures, Plan B Entertainment, Focus Features, Apollo Films, Universal
Pictures International (UPI), Universal Pictures Spain
Director: Miranda
July
Writer: Miranda
July
Actors: Evan
Rachel Wood, Debra Winger, Gina Rodriguez, Richard Jenkins, Adam Bartley, Diana
Maria Riva, Patricia Belcher, Mark Ivanir, Challen Cates, Da’Vine Joy Randolph,
Madeleine Coghlan, Rachel Redleaf
Genre: Crime,
Drama
Rated: R
Length: 106
minutes
IMDb Blurb: A woman's life is turned upside down when her
criminal parents invite an outsider to join them on a major heist they're
planning.
This is another weird trailer that I’m having trouble
pinning down. It’s like a crime, comedy, coming of age film?
Gina Rodriguez (Elena of Avalor, Big Mouth, Jane the
Virgin) makes a face near the end of the trailer that accurately expresses
how I feel about this movie.
Mostly I included this flick because of how the trailer
confused me.
It seems original and different. I have no idea how Kajillionaire
will turn out in the end, because I don’t even know what recipes it might use.
I like that. There’s a huge sense of potential in anything that’s truly new and
different. This is that.
17 – No Escape (9/18)
Production/Distribution:
Escape Productions, Vertical Entertainment, Film & TV House, GEM
Entertainment, Capelight Pictures, Dutch FilmWorks, Polyfilm Verleih, Front Row
Filmed Entertainment
Director: Will
Wernick
Writer: Will
Wernick
Actors: Holland
Roden, Ronen Rubinstein, Keegan Allen, Pasha D. Lychnikoff, Denzel Whitaker,
Emilia Ares, Kimberly Quinn, Ravil Isyanov, Sierra Swartz, Inja Zalta, Dominic
Pace, George Janko, Emily Hinkler, Elizabeth Hinkler, Dimiter D. Marinov,
Daniyar, Stephanie Wong, Siya, Brett Justin Koppel, Travis Caverhill, Andrei
Runtso, Tristan Lee Griffin, Yevgeniy Kartashov, Tia Valentine, Sebastian L
Hunt
Genre: Horror,
Thriller
Rated: R
Length: 88
minutes
IMDb Blurb: A social media personality travels with his friends
to Moscow to capture new content for his successful VLOG. Always pushing the
limits and catering to a growing audience, they enter a cold world of mystery,
excess, and danger.
No Escape looks pretty decent. It’s got some definite
‘torture porn’ aspects to it, along with some clunky dialogue in the beginning
of the trailer, but otherwise it looks like something I’d enjoy.
It’s got an interesting ‘Hostel (2005) on social
media’ feel to it.
Honestly, it’s not the kind of film I’d have been super looking
forward to seeing in theaters, but I’ll definitely take a peek at it once it
hits a streaming service.
16 – Enola Holmes
(9/23) - Netflix
Production/Distribution:
EH Productions, Legendary Entertainment, PCMA Productions, Warner Bros.,
Netflix
Director: Harry
Bradbeer
Writer: Nancy
Springer, Jack Thorne
Actors: Millie
Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, Sam Claflin, Helena Bonham Carter, Fiona Shaw, Adeel
Akhtar, Frances de la Tour, Louis Partridge, Owen Atlas, Gianni Calchetti
Genre: Adventure,
Crime, Drama
Rated: PG-13
Length: 123
minutes
IMDb Blurb: When Enola Holmes-Sherlock's teen sister-discovers
her mother missing, she sets off to find her, becoming a super-sleuth in her
own right as she outwits her famous brother and unravels a dangerous conspiracy
around a mysterious young Lord.
Sherlock Holmes has always been an interesting character to
me. He’s imperfect, but still remembered as the most brilliant detective
character in literary history. The success of shows like House (2002-2012),
indicates that the same type of character would still intrigue audiences today.
Even though the Holmes character was created as long ago as the late 1800s.
Enola Holmes, the sister of Sherlock, is a much newer character.
She was created in 2006 and was represented through a series of books that
portrayed a much more empathetic version of Sherlock.
The trailer looks fun. At the very least, it will make a much-loved
character more accessible to a younger generation. I always think that’s a good
thing. That said, the film is steeped in a bit of controversy.
Netflix and the author of the Enola Holmes books, Nancy
Springer, are being sued by the estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. There are claims
that the Sherlock books the Springer stories come from aren’t part of the public
domain just yet. That means that the creators of the Enola Holmes books, and this
film, might be held accountable for copyright infringement. I don’t know if
that will change anything, and that does put this movie at risk of being
delayed at the last minute. Keep that in mind.
IMDb Blurb: To save her small law firm, earnest lawyer Susan
takes a high-paying case from Nick, a charming new client who wants to sue a
dating website that guarantees love. But as the case heats up, so do Susan and
Nick's feelings for each other.
A lot of the romantic comedies I’ve seen on Netflix have
gone pretty well. They feel more modern than the films I’ve seen from other sources.
They take into account challenges that people are facing today, where dating is
concerned. The stories they bring to the screen include more modern technology
and more relatable characters with flaws that represent modern society better.
I just keep thinking back to Set it Up (2018) which
was one of the most memorable rom-coms I’ve seen in a long time.
My only issue is that the director of this film is the same
that was responsible for Daredevil (2003). That gives me enough cause to
worry.
Basically, I expect that a recipe will be followed here… but
I also think that the humor will be riskier. At the very least, I think it’s
worth a gamble.
14 – The 2nd (9/1)
Production/Distribution:
Fury Film Franchise, Lucid Film, Momentum Pictures, The Wonderfilm Media
Corporation, Turbo Panda Productions, Voltage Pictures, Front Row Filmed
Entertainment, GEM Entertainment, Leonine Distribution, The Movie Partnership
Director: Brian
Skiba
Writer: Eric Bromberg,
Paul Taegel
Actors: Samaire
Armstrong, Casper Van Dien, Ryan Phillippe, William Katt, Richard Burgi,
William McNamara, Jack Griffo, Jennifer Wenger, Chris Jai Alex, Gene Freeman,
Vincent De Paul, Nicole Reddinger, Jacob Grodnik
Genre: Action
Rated: NR
Length: 93
minutes
IMDb Blurb: Secret-service agent Vic Davis is on his way to
pick up his estranged son, Shawn, from his college campus when he finds himself
in the middle of a high-stakes terrorist operation. The daughter of a Supreme
Court Justice, and his son's friend, is the target and this armed faction will
stop at nothing to kidnap her and use her as leverage for a pending landmark
legal case.
The 2nd is just a pure, gratuitous action flick.
I normally enjoy action quite a bit, but at the moment it
may even temporarily be my favorite genre. I have this desperate need to turn
off my brain more and more this year. Between anti-maskers causing this
pandemic to last longer than it should and the perpetual bad news machine – I just
want some fucking explosions and chase scene.
That’s what this is.
I highly doubt that there’s going to be any ginormous twists
or complicated story elements. If anything, it may even just mimic action
scenes of the 80s, which I’m down for.
The trailer looks a fun ride. Ryan Phillippe (Shooter,
Catch Hell, Reclaim) is a good actor, and I love Casper Van Dien (Starship
Troopers, Stripped, G-Loc). Judging by the writers and director, I’d assume
the film will have a somewhat campy tone to it. Which is something I’m also
fine with – but it means that The 2nd might not be for everyone.
13 – Spiral (9/17)
– Shudder
Production/Distribution:
Digital Interference Productions, Hadron Films, Strong Casting, William F.
White International
Director: Kurtis
David Harder
Writer: Colin
Minihan, John Poliquin
Actors: Jeffrey
Bowyer-Chapman, Ari Cohen, Jennifer Laporte, Lochlyn Munro, Chandra West, Ty
Wood, Thomas Elms, Paul McGaffey, David LeReaney, Darius Willis, Aaron Poole,
Darius Savon, Megan Tracz, Jasmine Nagy, Lara Taillon, Michele Wienecke, Jaron
Melanson
Genre: Thriller
Rated: NR
Length: 90
minutes
IMDb Blurb: A same-sex couple move to a small town so they can
enjoy a better quality of life and raise their 16 year-old daughter with the
best social values. But nothing is as it seems in their picturesque
neighborhood. And when Malik sees the folks next door throwing a very strange
party, something shocking has got to give.
Not to be confused with the next part of the Saw
series, Spiral, coming out in 2021. This film is not related.
The clip shows some pretty obvious ties into the story, and
feel, of films like Rear Window (1954). As far as I’m concerned, there’s
nothing wrong with that. I tend to enjoy movies that draw inspiration from that
particular thriller.
This flick was bound to speak to me. I just moved from the
city to a small town in order to provide a better quality of life to my
daughter. That right there is half the blurb. Aside from that, anyone who’s
ever made that kind of move can probably tell you that there’s a serious culture
shock that comes with it.
Every single one of my neighbors seems to be incredibly
sweet. It feels like a pod-people situation after spending over 30-years in
Brooklyn.
It’s because I get how someone could fall to the anxieties
involved in a move like this, that I really am looking forward to it.
Sure, it could just be a basic suburban-cult plot – but there
could easily be some psychological twists involved as well. There’s potential.
I’m seriously looking forward to it.
Actors: Keira
Knightley, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Greg Kinnear, Daniel Tiplady, Kajsa Mohammar,
Stephen Boxer, Justin Salinger, Jessie Buckley, Ruby Bentall, Lily Newmark,
Maya Kelly, John Heffernan, Rhys Ifans, Keeley Hawes, Lesley Manville, Eileen O’Higgins,
Amanda Lawrence, Suki Waterhouse
Genre: Drama,
History
Rated: NR
Length: 106
minutes
IMDb Blurb: A group of women hatch a plan to disrupt the 1970
Miss World beauty competition in London.
I love movies like this that explore two different sides of
an argument.
In this case, we see feminists fighting against the sexism
of beauty contests on one side, with the first black South African contestant
on the other, fighting for representation. I find it pretty difficult to argue
with either one of them.
This is a period piece that takes us back to 1970. It wasn’t
that long ago, but both black representation and respect for women were still
incredibly low.
In 1970, we were still a year away from the blaxploitation
movement that gave us films like the original Shaft (1971). Ignoring the
negative parts of that movement (which there were many, hence the mash-up word
including ‘exploitation’ as an inspiration), that was when black actors started
to take on powerful protagonist parts.
However, the women’s rights movement was still fighting for equal
rights during that time, as well.
In this film we get to see the two subjects clash. It shows
the system/society of the time as the antagonist, but still pits the good guys
against each other.
I think it’s going to be very interesting.
11 – The Owners (9/4)
Production/Distribution:
Blue Light, Logical Pictures, Wild Bunch, XYZ Films, RLJE Films
Director: Julius
Berg
Writer: Julius
Berg, Mathieu Gompel
Actors: Maisie
Williams, Sylvester McCoy, Rita Tushingham, Jake Curran, Andrew Ellis, Ian
Kenny, Stacha Hicks
Genre: Action,
Thriller
Rated: NR
Length: 110 minutes
IMDb Blurb: A group of friends think they find an easy score at
an empty house with a safe full of cash. But when the owners, an elderly
couple, come home early, the tables are suddenly turned.
Any film that features a situation where a crime is flipped
back on the antagonists and causes them to become the victims, makes me happy.
I know it’s become a bit of a trope in recent years, but I don’t care. I like
to see a good revenge fantasy played out. It’s cathartic and enjoyable to me.
In this case, I think the plot will be more complex than
what we’ve seen in previous incarnations of this trope. It doesn’t seem like it’s
just about a couple of older targets being well skilled and more formidable
than expected. It feels like there’s more to it. Maybe there’s a cult situation.
That would be my guess.
Either way, The Owners looks like it will be a good
film that scratches that thriller itch.
10 – Secret
Society of Second Born Royals (9/25)
Production/Distribution:
Disney Channel, Disney+
Director: Anna
Mastro
Writer: Alex
Litvak, Andrew Green, Austin Winsberg
IMDb Blurb: It follows Sam's adventures at a top-secret
training program for a new class of second-born royals tasked with saving the
world.
I expect this film will have a very Descendants (2015)
feel – which I don’t hate.
The movie looks epic.
It’ll undoubtedly have some of that live-action Disney
Channel cringe, but otherwise it should be a decent teen action flick. The graphics
look pretty decent and there’s a good cast behind it. I’m not yet familiar with
a lot of the younger actors, but I’ve always liked Skylar Astin (Ghosts of
War, Acting for a Cause, Pitch Perfect) and I adore Elodie Yung (Daredevil,
Gods of Egypt, Narcopolis).
I don’t have too much to say here. I think the target demographic
for this film is going to flip for it. Whether or not parents will be able to
enjoy it as much, will depend on what kind of humor they put in.
9 – The
Babysitter: Killer Queen (9/10) - Netflix
Production/Distribution:
Boies / Schiller Film Group, Wonderland Sound and Vision, Netflix
Director: McG
Writer: Dan
Lagana, McG
Actors: Bella
Thorne, Leslie Bibb, Ken Marino, Emily Alyn Lind, Robbie Amell, Judah Lewis,
Jenna Ortega, Hana Mae Lee, Amanda Cerny, Andrew Bachelor, Maximilian Acevedo,
Juliocesar Chavez
Genre: Comedy,
Horror
Rated: NR
Length: 101
minutes
IMDb Blurb: Two years after Cole survived a satanic blood cult,
he's living another nightmare: high school. And the demons from his past? Still
making his life hell.
I’ll admit, I chose this flick for the top 10 part of this
list based more on what I thought of the first one more than the coming
attractions.
Sure, the trailer looks alright. It looks campy and kind of
basic. So did the trailer for the first one. I did not expect just how good The
Babysitter (2017) would be. Based on that, I’m going to give The Babysitter:
Killer Queen a little more benefit of the doubt.
Since I already would have wanted to see it because it’s a
sequel to a film I enjoyed, and I would have been interested in it just based
on the trailer alone, I have to consider that the movie might be a lot better
than those facts suggest, based on precedent.
The majority of the cast is returning, which is great.
Though I was a bit disappointed to see the modern-day scream queen, Samara
Weaving (Guns Akimbo, SMILF, Bill & Ted Face the Music), absent from
the cast list. Until I read a little further down.
I don’t think IMDb has the full story.
Although Samara Weaving is not on the cast list, there is a
stunt double listed as “stunt double: Samara Weaving”.
That puts some intrigue into not just the story, but who’ll
be appearing.
I’m looking forward to this film, and hoping to see some of
Weaving in it, even it winds up just being an after-credits scene.
8 – Ava (9/25)
Production/Distribution:
Freckle Films, Voltage Pictures, GEM Entertainment, Belga Films, Impuls
Pictures, Independent Films, Shaw Organisation, Spentzos Films, Front Row
Filmed Entertainment, Joy n Cinema, Madman Entertainment, VVS Films, Vertical
Entertainment
Director: Tate
Taylor
Writer: Matthew
Newton
Actors: Jessica
Chastain, John Malkovich, Common, Geena Davis, Jess Weixler, Ioan Gruffudd,
Diana Silvers, Joan Chen, Colin Farrell, Efka Kvaraciejus, Christopher J.
Domig, Michel Muller, Martin Lee, Simonne Stern, Steve Gagliastro, Joe Sobalo
Jr.
Genre: Action,
Crime, Drama
Rated: R
Length: 96
minutes
IMDb Blurb: Ava is a deadly assassin who works for a black ops
organization, traveling the globe specializing in high profile hits. When a job
goes dangerously wrong she is forced to fight for her own survival.
Most hitmen movies are pretty much the same thing. I’m not talking
about old-guy-in-an-action-flick hitmen films, because in those they’re retired.
I mean the kind where the organization turn against the protagonist and that
person becomes hunted by the people who trained them.
Honestly, this doesn’t look different where that is
concerned. However, I can’t ignore the minor details that I believe could make Ava
worth watching.
The first thing that I think of is how the main character
seems to act. It seems like she may have trained all her life as an assassin, but
knows that something is off with what she does. She needs to rationalize why people
are on her list to be killed, and so she asks questions.
That’s not entirely different than what we’ve seen before.
What instantly springs to mind is Wanted (2008). Of course, the
character that really follows that plot in that film is Angelina Jolie’s (Maleficent,
Come Away, By the Sea)… not the protagonist. I wouldn’t have minded seeing
things from her perspective in another film though – which makes me think this
plot is worth exploring.
You also just cannot ignore this cast: Jessica Chastain (It
Chapter Two, Molly’s Game, Interstellar), John Malkovich (Space Force,
Valley of the Gods, Velvet Buzzsaw), Common (The Kitchen, The Informer,
Ocean’s 8), Geena Davis (GLOW, Grey’s Anatomy, Don’t Talk to Irene),
and Colin Farrell (Widows, Dumbo, The Killing of a Sacred Deer). Those
are some epic names. In fact, the last time I saw Farrell in an assassin flick,
it was In Bruges (2008) and that movie became one of my all-time
favorites. Granted, he’s playing a much different character here, but I’ve decided
it’s relevant (it’s probably not).
I expect a few twists along the way, I highly doubt this will
be a fully ‘turn your brain off’ film. I can’t quite explain why, it’s just a
gut feeling. I think there’s more to the story than is shown in the trailer.
7 – Blackbird (9/18)
Production/Distribution:
Busted Shark Productions, Eclectic Pictures, Millennium Films, SF Studios, Film
& TV House, GEM Entertainment, DeAPlaneta, Dutch FilmWorks, Leonine
Distribution, Eagle Films, Joy n Cinema, Screen Media Films
Director: Roger
Michell
Writer: Christian
Trope
Actors: Mia
Masikowska, Kate Winslet, Sam Neill, Rainn Wilson, Susan Sarandon, Bex
Taylor-Klaus, Lindsay Duncan, Anson Boon
Genre: Drama
Rated: R
Length: 97
minutes
IMDb Blurb: A terminally ill mother arranges to bring her
family together one last time before she dies. A remake of the 2014 Danish film
'Silent Heart'.
I find the subject of this film to be intense and
interesting. Although there are a ton of movies out there exploring the emotion
behind terminal illnesses – not a whole lot go into euthanasia. It’s a
controversial topic to discuss, and I imagine it will be divisive as a film
plot.
I’ve thought about it, I’ve had debates on it, but I’m still
not sure where I stand on the issue. I can understand arguments from both
sides.
I’ve seen people lose themselves to sickness. I knew a
brilliant scientist that suffered a brain injury and stayed conscious and alive
for a few years after, watching himself fade away to the point that he couldn’t
take it. I’ve met people who deal with complete wide-spread pain that keeps
them from thinking straight for days, weeks, or even months at a time. I’ve
also seen people come back from some of the darkest places.
Blackbird is going to examine the different lanes of
thought involved in this difficult topic. At the very least, I expect it to be
fascinating. At the most, it could wind up being a classic – especially considering
the level of talent shown in this star-studded cast.
If you watch it with friends, expect to have something to
debate in the end.
6 – Greenland (9/25)
Production/Distribution:
G-BASE, Anton, Riverstone Pictures, STX Films, Thunder Road Pictures, Truenorth
Productions, STX International, Film & TV House, GEM Entertainment, CatchPlay,
Diamond Films, Elevation Pictures, Golden Village Pictures, Impuls Pictures, Joyncontents
Group, Kinomania, Metropolitan Filmexport, Roadshow Film Distributors, Roadshow
Films, Square Box Pictures, TGV Pictures, The Searchers, Top Film, Vertical
Entertainment, Encore Films, JL Vision Film, The Filmbridge
Director: Ric
Roman Waugh
Writer: Chris Sparling
Actors: Gerard
Butler, Morena Baccarin, Roger Dale Floyd, Scott Glenn, Randal Gonzalez, Rick
Pasqualone, Nicola Lambo, Alan Pietruszewski, Scot Poythress, Claire Bronson,
Madison Johnson, Gary Weeks, Tracey Bonner, Merrin Dungey
Genre: Action,
Thriller
Rated: PG-13
Length: 119
minutes
IMDb Blurb: A family struggles for survival in the face of a
cataclysmic natural disaster.
Even in the middle of a bunch of mini apocalyptic events, I
still really love an apocalypse movie. Yeah, I have a bit more difficulty
sitting through the virus plots right now, but a good, old-fashioned, meteoric
extinction event? Sign me up.
…I mean, it’s going to make me a little more nervous about
the asteroid that’s supposed to hit on November 2, but I think I’m numb enough to
2020 that it shouldn’t matter.
I’ll be the first to admit that there’s very little that
seems to separate Greenland from all other apocalypse flicks. Still, it
looks good and I’m a fan of both Gerard Butler (How to Train Your Dragon:
The Hidden World, Geostorm, London Has Fallen) and Morena Baccarin (The
Flash, Deadpool, Homeland).
The trailer makes it very clear that the action’s going to
be outstanding, even if it does follow a recipe. I’m looking forward to it.
5 – The Devil All
the Time (9/16) – Netflix
Production/Distribution:
Borderline Films (II), Nine Stories Productions, Netflix
Director: Antonio
Campos
Writer: Antonio
Campos, Paulo Campos, Donald Ray Pollock
Actors: Robert
Pattinson, Tom Holland, Haley Bennett, Harry Melling, Bill Skarsgård, Riley
Keough, Sebastian Stan, Mia Wasikowska, Eliza Scanlen, Jason Clarke, Douglas
Hodge, Given Sharp, Drew Starkey, Lucy Faust, Abby Glover, David Maldonado,
Cory Scott Allen, Kristin Griffith, Michael Banks Repeta
Genre: Crime,
Drama, Thriller
Rated: R
Length: 138
minutes
IMDb Blurb: Sinister characters converge around a young man
devoted to protecting those he loves in a postwar backwoods town teeming with
corruption and brutality.
I’ve been hearing bits and pieces about this film since the lockdown
started. I couldn’t really put any of the info into context until recently,
when I saw the trailer.
I had already wanted to see it. I’d heard of the cast and I
just couldn’t look past it. It could have been about anything, and it still
would have been destined to make my list.
As it turns out, the plot seems harrowing and the film looks
gorgeous. Not only that, but I’m thinking a lot of corrupt characters get what’s
coming to them in this film and I’m so looking forward to watching that. There’s
a lot of bullshit in the world lately, and I think it’ll be like watching a
fantasy to see those kind of unscrupulous character-types be brought to
justice.
I’m also a big fan of seeing Tom Holland (Onward,
Spider-Man: Far from Home, Edge of Winter) in a darker role. He’s an
amazing actor and seeing him in more diverse parts tells me that he’s going to
have staying power. I want to see that. In forty years, I want to see him as a
60-year-old in that month’s old-guy-in-an-action-flick. Without stretching
outside his box, like he is here, that’s not something I’ll see.
I have incredible faith in this one. I wish I could have put
it higher, but a lot of really great films have been postponed, until now.
4 – Antebellum (9/18)
Production/Distribution:
Lionsgate, QC Entertainment, BF
Distribution, Bir Film, Central Partnership, DeAPlaneta, Encore Films, Golden
Screen Cinemas, Golden Village Pictures, Intercontinental Film Distributors
(HK), Lark Films Distribution, Meloman, Mongrel Media, Monolith Films, Movie
Cloud, Pro Video Film & Distribution Kft., Roadshow Film Distributors (NZ)
Ltd., Roadshow Films, Splendid Film, Ukrainian Film Distribution (UFD),
Vertical Entertainment, WW Entertainment, Eagle Films
Director: Gerard Bush, Christopher Renz
Writer: Gerard Bush, Christopher Renz
Actors: Janelle Monáe, Jena Malone, Jack Huston, Eric
Lange, Kiersey Clemons, Gabourey Sidibe, Lily Cowles, Robert Aramayo, Marque
Richardson, Tongayi Chirisa, Betsy Borrego, Devyn A. Tyler, Choppy Guillotte,
London Boyce, Grace Junot
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Rated: R
Length: 105 minutes
IMDb Blurb: Successful author Veronica Henley finds herself
trapped in a horrifying reality and must uncover the mind-bending mystery
before it's too late.
I’ve already gone into why I think Antebellum should be
high on my list last month. It was delayed, but my reasonings are all the same.
In fact, it’s position on my list is still the same as well. For a more in-depth
view of why it’s this high, see last month’s Top 20.
3 – Robin’s Wish
(9/1)
Production/Distribution:
Quotable Pictures
Director: Tylor
Norwood
Writer: Scot
Fitzloff, Tylor Norwood
Actors: Robin
Williams, Shawn Levy, David E. Kelley, Rick Overton, Susan Schneider, John R.
Montgomery
Genre: Documentary,
Biography
Rated: NR
Length: 77
minutes
IMDb Blurb: An intimate portrait of Robin Williams and his
invulnerable spirit, Robin's Wish is the story of what really happened to one
of the greatest entertainers of all time - and what his mind was fighting.
Documentaries don’t make my list often. If this movie were
about anyone else, it probably wouldn’t. Really, whatever the trailer looked
like didn’t matter. What matters is that it’s about Robin Williams (Absolutely
Anything, Happy Feet Two, Death to Smoochy).
Williams was a titan in the comedy genre. He almost
single-handedly made dramedy what it’s become. I’m convinced that without him,
there would be a sad lack of comedy in all our dramas.
I grew up on him. His comedy has always been something that
me and my mom could bond over. We’re two very different people and it’s hard to
find something we both enjoy enough to share. Recently, I got to show her one
of my favorite films of his – The Birdcage (1996). I know, it’s an old
film, but my mom doesn’t like movies. She’s super picky about the ones she’ll
tolerate. But if Robin is in the cast, she’ll let me show her anything. (She
wound up really liking the film, and we had a lot of fun watching it.)
I miss Robin Williams. His death was a huge shock. There is
no way I can ignore a documentary based on him. Not with as influential and unifying
as he was.
2 – Mulan (9/4)
Production/Distribution:
Walt Disney Pictures, Jason T. Reed Productions, Good Fear Content, China Film
Group Corporation (CFGC), Blitz Film & Video Distribution, Blitz, Forum
Hungary, Kinomania, Meloman, Disney+, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Argentina,
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Walt Disney Studios Sony Pictures
Releasing (WDSSPR)
Director: Niki Caro
Writer: Rick
Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Elizabeth Martin, Lauren Hynek
Actors: Yifei
Liu, Donnie Yen, Li Gong, Jet Li, Jason Scott Lee, Yoson An, Tzi Ma, Rosalind Chao,
Pei-Pei Cheng, Xana Tang, Ron Yuan, Jun Yu, Chen Tang, Doua Moua, Jimmy Wong,
Nelson Lee, Hoon Lee, Crystal Rao, Elena Askin, Vincent Feng
Genre: Action,
Adventure, Drama
Rated: PG-13
Length: 115
minutes
IMDb Blurb: A young Chinese maiden disguises herself as a male
warrior in order to save her father. A live-action feature film based on Disney's
'Mulan.'
Mulan’s been delayed so often that there’s not much left for
me to say about the film itself. What I do want to talk about is why I’m kind
of angry at it.
If the theaters were all open, and it was being released on
the big screen, there’d be nothing to talk about. Hell, if it was just being
released on Disney+ without any caveats, this would still be a shorter section.
Unfortunately, Disney made a decision here that just doesn’t make any kind of
real sense.
I pay for a Disney+ subscription. I pay the subscription
amount because I want to stream Disney content. Even if I personally didn’t
enjoy watching nostalgic, and superhero, favorites – I have a 2-year-old
daughter that would melt into a puddle of tears if she lost access to Mickey
Mouse Clubhouse (2006-2016), DuckTales (2017- ), and the whole Frozen
collection (2013- ). The point is, I pay what I pay in order to have full
access to their streaming content. Everything from Avengers: Endgame (2019)
to Doc McStuffins (2012- ). Full stop.
So, with Mulan hitting the streaming app this month, I
expected to be able to watch it.
Unfortunately, Disney apparently spent way too much on the
film for that.
After the subscription cost, anyone interested in watching
the film will then need to come up with an extra $29.99 to see it. That is more
than most of us would have had to spend to see it in theaters. I live in New
York. Cost of living here is absolutely insane. One ticket for me would be about
$18.00 (some of the nicer theaters go up to $20/22). That means that Disney
came up with this price by assuming the majority of us are watching with our
entire families. The problem is, that’s not what I think is going to happen.
First of all, the movie is PG-13. That alone means that I’m
not going to be throwing it on for my daughter. I’m sure some parents still
will, but it wasn’t going to be the kind of film parents flock to bring their
non-teen kids to. Secondly, the majority of people who’ve been super excited
for Mulan are kids of the 80s and 90s who are dying to see a live-action, more
honest, portrayal of the Mulan historical figure. The majority of us,
especially because the world is burning around us, have no money.
My husband and I are lucky enough to be able to work from
home. We also work in fields less affected by the lockdown, but even we’ve had
money issues while this is all going on. With the amount of people losing their
jobs, it’s a lot more likely that people won’t be able to afford the extra fee.
They’ll have to choose between eating and watching this film. True, a few
people might choose Mulan in that situation, but not nearly as many as
Disney thinks.
It’s very possible they could have done just as well as they
would have in the theaters if they’d lowered the price. They could have offered
to show Mulan for $29.99 without the subscription and $20.00 with the
subscription, and a LOT more people would have done it. I firmly believe they
screwed up on the pricing. I think that’s going to hurt the opening of Mulan,
and it’s not going to be the movie’s fault at all.
What I’m saying is that Mulan deserves to be on this
list, based on its merits. Unfortunately, because Disney has put it so far out
of reach for the majority of us, I have reservations.
They have, however, just added the option for Disney+
members to watch the film for free, but not until December. Some of us will
just have to wait.
1 – Tenet (9/3)
Production/Distribution:
Syncopy, Warner Bros., Karo Premiere, Kinomania, NOS Audividuais, Warner Bros.
Pictures Germany, Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros. Singapore
IMDb Blurb: Armed with only one word, Tenet, and fighting for
the survival of the entire world, a Protagonist journeys through a twilight
world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something
beyond real time.
Does anyone remember that South Park (1997- ) episode
where Cartman got an amusement park and then put out ads telling people they
weren’t allowed in, so it blew up and became the most popular thing in the
world?
Yeah.
Tenet has always looked like an amazing film. I
remember seeing the trailer for the first time in the theater some time in
March or late February. It was just a teaser, no more than 20 or 30 seconds
long. It showed barely anything and you couldn’t really get a hold on what the
plot would be… and it still looked incredible.
Now that I’ve seen more, and it’s been delayed over several month,
I’m looking forward to seeing it even more than I probably should be.
I want to know everything about this damn film. I want to
understand the time bending, I want to get to know the characters… I’m dying to
jump right into it. Unfortunately, although there are theaters open elsewhere, mine
aren’t. They thought they would be, but they’re not. So, I’m personally going
to have to wait a little longer.
