“The critic is the only independent source of information. The rest is advertising.” – Pauline Kael
The Neon Demon (2016) D: Nicolas Winding Refn. DP: Natasha Braier. W: Nicolas Winding Refn, Mary Laws, and Polly Stenham. Starring: Elle Fanning/Jena Malone/Abbey Lee/Bella Heathcote/Keanu Reeves/Karl Glusman/Alessandro Nivola/Christina Hendricks/Desmond Harrington. All aglow with glitter and gold arrives The Neon Demon. This is the newest feature from Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn whose recent films…
The audience in the hallowed halls of Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con were delivered the first trailer for DC Comics / Warner Brother’s Wonder Woman. Gal Gadot’s superhero was introduced in this year’s Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and to some pretty rad music. The trailer looks dark, kick-ass, and feminist and hits…
The Legend of Tarzan (2016) D: David Yates. DP: Henry Braham. W: Adam Cozard & Craig Brewer (based on characters created by Edgar Rice Burroughs). Starring: Alexandar Skarsgard/Margot Robbie/Christoph Waltz/Samuel L. Jackson/Djimon Hounsou. The summer is officially in full swing (see what I did there). The Legend of Tarzan arrives to greet us, eight pack…
When the anniversary of a film hits it is always nice to revisit why it remains a classic. Yet sometimes its a bit more fun to randomly happen on a film again organically. This is what happened to me with Pretty in Pink, the John Hughes penned 1986 film now turning the big 3-0. Directed by…
From Damien Chazelle, the young writer/director of Whiplash, comes La La Land starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. It is 100% musical and I am 100% excited. Here is the first trailer: La La Land
Swiss Army Man (2016) D/W: Dan Kwan & Daniel Scheinert. DP: Larkin Seiple. Starring: Paul Dano/Daniel Radcliffe/Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Premiering at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Swiss Army Man quickly divided its audiences. Receiving either high praise for its inventiveness and unique story, others apparently left the screening early in disgust or perplexity. This sort…
Finding Dory (2016) D: Andrew Stanton. W: Andrew Stanton & Victoria Strouse. Starring the voice talents of: Ellen DeGeneres/Albert Brooks/Ed O’Neill/Hayden Rolance/Idris Elba/Kaitlin Olsen/Ty Burrell/Diane Keaton/Eugene Levy/Dominic West. Such a highly anticipated sequel like Disney and Pixar’s Finding Dory has a huge mountain to climb. Like its younger siblings, the Toy Story trilogy, the film…
Here we go again. From humdrum to hero and against all odds here is Miles Teller (The Spectacular Now, Whiplash, Fantastic Four) as World Champion Boxer Vinny Pazienza in the first trailer for Bleed for This. No need to tell you the story as the trailer for the biopic tells all. Also starring Aaron Eckhart, Katay Sega,…
Another Cannes Film Festival participant emerges as the Hell or High Water trailer is here. Out in August in the US and the UK, the film was written by Sicario screenwriter Taylor Sheridan. If that isn’t enough to get you there then one of my favorites, Ben Foster, also stars. Foster plays one of two brothers (partnered here with…
Adult Life Skills (2016) D/W: Rachel Tunnard. DP: Bet Rourich. Starring: Jodie Whittaker/Lorraine Ashbourne/Brett Goldstein/Rachael Deering/Eileen Davies/Ozzy Meyers/Edward Hogg/Alice Lowe. The next little British film that could has arrived. Adult Life Skills is now out in the UK after a promising reception at the Tribeca Film Festival. Predominately funded by British money, the film centers on Anna (Jodie…
The first trailer is here for the film adaptation of Philip Roth’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel, American Pastoral. This will be the directorial debut of Scottish actor Ewan McGregor who stars as the father, partnering with Jennifer Connelly, of a troubled teen played by Dakota Fanning. The trailer gets the trendy treatment of a song over…
Gods of Egypt (2016). D: Alex Proyas. DP: Peter Mezies Jr. W: Matt Sazama & Burk Sharpless. Starring: Gerard Butler/Nikolaj Coster-Waldau/Brenton Thwaites/Courtney Eaton/Elodie Yung/Chadwick Boseman/Rufus Sewell/Geoffrey Rush. Ever since the arrival of Zack Snyder’s 300 in 2006, studios have been chasing the next sword and sandal epic for modern audiences. Based on a graphic novel,…
Disney is raking in the cash this summer with The Jungle Book still out in theaters, its Marvel properties like Captain America: Civil War, and Finding Dory about to take off. Here is another one to add to it all. The first full trailer for Pete’s Dragon is now here. In cinemas August 12th, the…
With early reviews of Disney/Pixar sequel Finding Dory hitting the web here is the first teaser for Disney Animation Studios new feature, Moana. Hitting theaters Thanksgiving weekend in the States and December 2nd for the UK, Moana looks a little Lilo & Stitch (2002) to me. Here’s hoping Broadway treasure Hamilton musical creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda…
It is the final countdown as it is a week away from Disney/Pixar’s new film Finding Dory hitting theaters in the US on Friday, June 17th. Here in the UK we will have to wait until July 29th! A travesty that it is not an international release date, but here is the full length trailer to…
Money Monster (2016). D: Jodie Foster. DP: Matthew Libatique. W: Jamie Linden. Starring: Julia Roberts/George Clooney/Jack O’Connell/Caitriona Balfe/Dominic West/Christopher Denham/Condola Rashad/Giancarlo Esposito. Hot off the boat from its Cannes Film Festival premiere arrives the Jodie Foster directed thriller Money Monster. With star wattage in front and behind the camera the film works well to engross…
Another trailer has been released for Warner Brothers’ upcoming film The Legend of Tarzan. Impressive Swedish hunk Alexander Skarsgard (HBO’s True Blood and Diary of a Teenage Girl) plays Tarzan opposite Jane played by Australian actress Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street and the upcoming Suicide Squad). Lots of rain and violence await the…
Me Before You (2016). D: Thea Sharrock. DP: Remi Adefarasin. W: Jojo Moyes (based on her novel of the same name). Starring: Emilia Clarke/Sam Claflin/Janet McTeer/Charles Dance/Stephen Peacocke/Jenna Coleman/Samantha Spiro/Brendan Coyle/Matthew Lewis/Vanessa Kirby. Usually obtaining the rights to a highly profitable bestselling novel is a coup. With the adaptation of Me Before You by the…
Love & Friendship (2016). D/W: Whit Stillman. DP: Richard Van Oosterhout. Starring: Kate Beckinsale/Xavier Samuel/Morfydd Clark/Emma Greenwell/Justin Edwards/Tom Bennett/Jemma Redgrave/James Fleet/Chloe Sevigny/Stephen Fry. (Based on Jane Austen’s epistolary novel Lady Susan) Writer and Director Whit Stillman’s newest venture, Love & Friendship, is out in theaters just in time to save us from the comic book…
X-Men: Apocalypse (2016). D: Bryan Singer. DP: Newton Thomas Sigel. W: Simon Kinberg. Starring: James McAvoy/Michael Fassbender/Jennifer Lawrence/Oscar Isaac/Nicholas Hoult/Evan Peters/Rose Byrne/Sophie Turner/Tye Sheridan/Kodi Smit-McPhee/Lucas Till/Olivia Munn/Ben Hardy/Alexandra Shipp/Josh Helman. Where does one begin? X-Men: Apocalypse is the sixth installment in 20th Century Fox’s ownership of the Marvel comic book rights to the characters of…
Everybody Wants Some!! (2016). D/W: Richard Linklater. DP: Shane F. Kelly. Starring: Blake Jenner/Glen Powell/J. Quinton Johnson/Temple Baker/Wyatt Russell/Ryan Guzman/Tyler Hoechlin/Juston Street/Will Brittain/Zoey Deutch. The summer movies are here and the next one on the list is Richard Linklater’s Everybody Wants Some!! (please note the irritating exclamation points). This is Linklater’s follow up to 2014’s…