Month: September 2022

Listen To The BLACK ADAM Theme From Composer Lorne Balfe

WaterTower Music has released the first music to be heard from the upcoming New Line Cinema action adventure “Black Adam,” starring Dwayne Johnson. The first-ever feature film to explore the story of the uncompromising DC antihero comes to the big screen under the direction of Jaume Collet-Serra (“Jungle Cruise”). The Black Adam Theme (from “Black Adam”) by highly respected Grammy Award-winning and Emmy-nominated composer Lorne Balfe (“Mission Impossible: Fallout,” “The Lego Batman Movie,” “Black Widow”) has just been released – in advance of the film and soundtrack release. “Black Adam” smashes into theaters and IMAX internationally beginning 19 October 2022, and in North America on October 21, 2022.

Balfe’s vision for the music of Black Adam encompasses an exploration into the back stories that define the characters. The composer commented on that approach. “It was exciting to get into the Black Adam theme, and I really wanted to capture his essence as the DC comic book world’s anti-hero. We had a large brass section across the score to give the weight and power of the main character’s past, which I balanced out with high tempo, more melodic sounds to give the audience that more familiar heroic feel. We also experimented a lot with choir on this project, which was able to contribute a unique and classical sound that ties in nicely with Black Adam’s story.”

Consistently receiving accolades for his musical compositions, he received critical acclaim for his score in the most successful film of the Mission: Impossible franchise, Writer/Director Christopher McQuarrie’s MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FALLOUT (Paramount Pictures) and has been announced as the composer of MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 7 & 8.

Other notable credits include TOP GUN: MAVERICK (Paramount), BLACK WIDOW (Disney/Marvel), AMBULANCE (Universal), JUNGLELAND (Paramount), THE LEGO® BATMAN MOVIE (Warner Bros), and the Oscar nominated film THE FLORIDA PROJECT (A24). Coming up Lorne’s work will be heard in ARGYLLE, directed by Matthew Vaughn.

In addition to his work with Christopher McQuarrie, Lorne has worked with many of the most prestigious directors in the industry, including Christopher Nolan, Ron Howard, Michael Bay, Cate Shortland, Ang Lee, Christophe Waltz, Jerry Bruckheimer, Sean Baker, and Chris McKay.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FALLOUT Interview: https://www.wearemoviegeeks.com/2019/01/composer-lorne-balfe-discusses-mission-impossible-fallout-game-awards-six-underground/

TERMINATOR GENISYS Interview: https://www.wearemoviegeeks.com/2015/07/composer-lorne-balfe-talks-score-for-terminator-genisys/

In ancient Kahndaq, the slave Teth Adam was gifted the almighty powers of the gods. But he used those powers for vengeance and was imprisoned. Now, 5,000 years later, he is freed and once again wields his dark sense of justice onto the world. Refusing to surrender, Teth Adam is challenged by a team of modern day heroes known as the Justice Society— Hawkman, Dr. Fate, Atom Smasher and Cyclone—who seek to return him to eternal captivity.

Johnson stars alongside Aldis Hodge (“City on a Hill,” “One Night in Miami”) as Hawkman, Noah Centineo (“To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”) as Atom Smasher, Sarah Shahi (“Sex/Life,” “Rush Hour 3”), Marwan Kenzari (“Murder on the Orient Express,” “Aladdin”), Quintessa Swindell (“Voyagers,” “Trinkets”) as Cyclone, Mo Amer (“Mo,” “Ramy”), Bodhi Sabongui (“A Million Little Things”), and Pierce Brosnan (the James Bond and “Mamma Mia!” franchises) as Dr. Fate.

Collet-Serra directed from a screenplay written by Adam Sztykiel and Rory Haines & Sohrab Noshirvani, based on characters from DC created by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck. The film’s producers are Beau Flynn, Hiram Garcia, Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia, with Toby Emmerich, Richard Brener, Dave Neustadter, Chris Pan, Walter Hamada, Adam Schlagman, Geoff Johns, Eric McLeod and Scott Sheldon executive producing.

The director’s behind-the-scenes creative team includes Oscar-nominated director of photography Lawrence Sher (“Joker”), production designer Tom Meyer (“Real Steel, ”Finch”), editors Mike Sale (“Red Notice,” “Skyscraper”) and John Lee (“Anyone Home?”), costume designers Kurt and Bart (“Deadpool 2,” “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 & 2”), Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor Bill Westenhofer (“Life of Pi,” “Wonder Woman”), and composer Lorne Balfe (“Black Widow”).

New Line Cinema Presents a Seven Bucks/Flynn Picture Co. Production, A Jaume Collet-Serra Film, “Black Adam,” distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.

https://www.dc.com/BlackAdam

SMILE – Review

Caitlin Stasey in a Paramount Pictures Presents, in Association with Paramount Players, A Temple Hill Production “SMILE.” Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

October is the perfect month for scary movies, and horror fans can get their fix with SMILE, a creepy tale in the style of haunting “contagion” horror flicks like THE RING. While the horror film SMILE might make scary-movie audiences happy, seeing this particularly sinister smile is not a happy thing for the unfortunate characters in this new horror genre offering.

This horror film is getting some buzz among horror fans, and SMILE deserves credit for a being fresh scare and not just another horror-movie sequel (how many HALLOWEENs are there, anyway?). But to be clear, this near-October release is basic entertainment, not a high-concept chiller like HEREDITARY but SMILE does offer some good jolts although it breaks no new horror ground.

Now, full disclosure, this reviewer is not a fan of the modern horror genre, preferring psychological thrillers and more classic monster movies, so serious horror fans may have a different take on this one. That said, SMILE did offer some scares, with jumps and some blood, but without more the gruesome “torture porn” scenes of some horror. Further, it deserves extra credit for offering something different from the endless sequels. SMILE should please those who like a good popcorn-tossing jump for most of its nearly 2-hour running time, although its failure to pick up the pace and tension in the second half makes the film feel longer than it actually is.

There are no big names in this scare-fest, apart from Kal Penn who appears briefly as the main character’s boss. Dr. Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) is a dedicated psychiatrist who works long hours in a mental health hospital that takes in patients in crisis, instead of running a cushier private clinical practice with more regular hours. The film opens with a unsettling scene that gives us insight on the good doctor’s dedication, as she awakes from the nightmare sparked by her childhood memory of finding her drug-addicted mother, who died from an overdose. We see Dr. Colter in a therapy session with a frequent patient, Carl (an excellent Jack Sochet), who obsessively repeats that everyone will die. Carl is a “regular” at the hospital, considered harmless, as his morbid litany just part of his periodic manic phase.

But a new patient Laura Weaver (Caitlin Stasey) comes in who presents something different. When the therapist enters the room, the patient is cowering in a corner, terrified. She had witnessed a gruesome suicide a few days earlier, and the assumption is that she is reacting to that trauma. But the frightened patient is a young woman, a graduate student, who insists she is rational, but that she is being harassed and attacked with a being that takes the shape of people around her, revealing that it is the creature by smiling the creepiest of smiles. The patient becomes angry and hysterical when the doctor makes the reasonable assumption that what the patient is seeing is a hallucination. The young woman vehemently insists that what she is seeing is real and a danger that threatens not just her, but everyone. Then she screams as she sees the presence. The doctor turns, seeing nothing there, but when she turns back to the young woman, she is smiling, a remarkably creepy smile, and then a gruesome suicide takes place.

While there is little realistic in this hospital scene, it sets the pattern for the what unfolds, with the “infection” of the thing that was haunting the young woman now “transferred” to the therapist. After her rough day, the doctor goes home to her modern house in the country, where she is greeted by her purring cat. When her live-in fiance Trevor (Jessie T. Usher) comes home, she is somehow startled and drops the glass of wine she has poured herself. It is not the only broken glass in this scary movie.

Jump-inducing scares like that happen throughout this movie, and writer/director Parker Finn has a little extra fun throwing in little scares with camera shots and weird angles, including some clever ones, plus a nerve -jangling musical soundtrack.. The little scares sent waves of nervous laughter through the audience at the preview screening, although there is little direct comic relief here. There are some bloody scare scenes but it has more psychological jumps, as neither we or the character can be sure what is seen is real.

Another thing the film gets right is rejecting the usual Victorian haunted house or cabin in the woods settings, going instead for an isolated and run-down low-cost mid-century ranch house for some spooking doings, which is both refreshing and more believable.

Despite the disturbing things she is experiencing, Rose is determined to figure out what is really happening to her. Most of the people around her have to same reaction to her seeing things that most people would – they believe she is delusional. But like in a classic 1940s film noir, she does find one ally who believes her and she is able to uncover some facts about the smiling “entity.”

Sosie Bacon, who is in nearly every scene, does a nice job as the distressed doctor, alternatively vulnerable and confused or masterful and determined to find a solution. Kal Penn isn’t called on to much more than look alarmed but other actors get more of a chance to show off their stuff. Caitlin Stasey, in her brief scene, gets things rolling with a big splash as the troubled patient haunted by the smile. Gillian Zinzer is a scene-stealer as Rose’s neurotic sister, adding a touch of comic relief along with Nick Arapoglou as her sister’s equally hysterical husband. Young Matthew Lamb is touching as their young son.

Jessie T. Usher underplays as Rose’s emotionally cool fiance and Robin Weigert has a more pointed presence as Rose’s ex-therapist. Kyle Gallner plays a cop who is also Rose’s ex, with a mix of romantic longing and detective efficiency. Jack Sochet shines as death-obsessed patient Carl, and Rob Morgan makes a memorable impact as a prison inmate with some insight into what is happening to Rose.

SMILE is a moderately entertaining scary movie that might satisfy the itch for horror fans. While it stays within the lines of the genre, it has the bonus of not being a recycled story or another sequel.

SMILE opens Friday, Sept, 29, in theaters.

RATING: 2 out of 4 stars

THE GREATEST BEER RUN EVER – Review

This week’s new film release may seem like more of a Summer escapist flick with an average Joe traveling across the globe and acting like the ole comic trope “the fish out of water”, That notion is somewhat re-enforced by the film’s star, who’s mostly known for musicals and comedies, and by the movie’s marketing team, who are ‘selling it” as a zany romp, Much as with DOG from earlier this year, don’t judge a flick by its cast or ads. That’s because the story’s protagonist is headed to Vietnam… in 1967, the definition of a “hot spot”. Now if this mix of whimsy and social/political upheaval in the “swingin’ 60s”, sounds a bit like the recent Best Picture Oscar winner THE GREEN BOOK (which was set five or six years before this), well you’re pretty perceptive because this is from the same filmmaker who hopes to entertain and enlighten us once again with this true story all about THE GREATEST BEER RUN EVER.

The “run” actually starts in a neighborhood bar in Manhattan on that fateful year. The “mainstays’ are telling tales and busting…chops, as John “Chickie” Donohue (Zac Efron) cajoles the owner/bartender, known affectionately as “The Colonel” (Bill Murray) to put a brew on his “tab”. The spirits are deflated a bit when the TV spews out more images of the deadly combat overseas. Cut to late the next morning as Chickie is rousted out of bed by his bombastic “old man”. Since Chickie’s a merchant marine, and unmarried, he’s crashing with his family since he’s often out to sea for months. The only thing that Pops insists on is that he attended weekend mass. The local church is an oasis of calm after he endures the heated arguments between his folks and his college-age sister Christine (Ruby Ashbourne Serkis). She actually protests the US involvement “over there” at the nearby park, which is the scene of a brawl involving Chickie and a “pub pal”. Back at said “watering hole”, the Colonel wishes he could do something for “the boys” awww, even if he could just bring them a beer. Suddenly an idea pops into Chickies’ pickled brain. He’ll bring the neighbor gang beers since he can work on a cargo ship headed to Nam. He finds out a vessel is shipping out, then fills a battered gym bag full of PBR (Pabst Blue Ribbon) cans, along with some cash, letter, and other trinkets from “service families” and dashes to the docks. Before ya know it, he’s in the harbor pleading with his CO for a multi-day leave. Begrudgingly, Chickie gets 72 hours. From there he’s checking names off his list, giving out “not-so-cold ones”, and grabbing truck and copter rides from staffers that think he’s CIA (he is wearing a plaid Sear short-sleeve shirt and jeans). But as Chickie gets farther “in-country”, the horrors of battle may take him down, despite the help of a grizzled news “photog” named Coates (Russell Crowe). Can Chickie get back to his boat in time, or will this “goodwill trip” cost him his life?

With great energy and physicality, Efron dives into this character role in an attempt to break out of the “teen dream’ matinee idol parts. And he often succeeds. His Chickie has goofy charm to spare as he fumbles to express his often conflicting motivations. He truly wants to help the “guys from the block”, but his enthusiasm colors his world view. Chickie thinks that the fellas only need to be shown that their hometown’s behind them. Of course, the guys he finally finds, think that he’s misguided and reckless (“too stupid to get killed”). Efron conveys that sweaty panic as his eyes are fully “opened” to the dirty deeds done in the name of “country”. Doing much to pry those “lids” is Crowe who has the necessary gravitas to “spill the beans” while dodging the bombs to deliver the unvarnished story. Unlike his array of action heroes, Coates is content to click the camera rather than a pistol, as he adopts Chickie almost as a pet or a naive son who must be sent back. Of course, Chickie may not get the neighborhood guys to listen, men like The Colonel, who Murray embodies with none of his snarky attitude. Rather, he’s as straight and unwavering as his impressive silver “buzzcut”. As for the gangs at his pub, the funniest might be Hal Cumpston as Leary, a doofus who switches his opinion with lightning speed (“a flip-flopper”). Lighting up the screen is Kristen Carey as the mother of one of Chickie’s best pals who is MIA. Her inner light for him glows brightly, though we can see that she is braced for the worst.

The aforementioned director is Peter Farrelly, who also co-wrote the adaptation (with Pete Jones and Brian Hayes Currie) of the book the real Chickie wrote with Joanna Molloy. He keeps the story flowing fairly smoothly, though a few of the brief flashbacks tend to slow down the tale’s progression (blips of Chichie with his MIA bud). Plus he goes deep into the heated family dinner table verbal battles that seem to be sparking back up in more recent political and philosophical “showdowns”. But, unlike 2018’s THE GREEN BOOK (four years, really), there’s little time for character interaction. Chickie’s time with the old NYC guys feels truncated as he has to keep moving, and any chemistry with Coates is drowned out by the bombs and bullets. And frankly, the GIs make few impressions as some wonder if they can ever really return home. Some of the “pencil-pushers” who think that Chickie is an “undercover” provide a bit of levity, but it’s scarce. And despite the “R” rating, much of the conflict feels too “tidy” as Chickie can easily reconnect with folks on the way. It feels less DEER HUNTER” and more GOOD MORNING VIETNAM, as the horrors force Chickie into an awareness (maybe a bit “woke”). As Mr. Joel sang, “the good ole days weren’t all that good”, but this is a tune that’s been played too often making this feel like a slightly elevated basic cable dramedy. Perhaps a few brews from the bag would’ve made THE GREATEST BEER RUN EVER go down easier, but it just leaves the viewer with a throbbing movie hangover.

2.5 Out of 4

THE GREATEST BEER RUN EVER opens in select theatres and streams exclusively on AppleTV+ beginning Friday, September 30, 2022

HOCUS POCUS 2 – Review

(L-R): Kathy Najimy as Mary Sanderson, Bette Midler as Winifred Sanderson, and Sarah Jessica Parker as Sarah Sanderson in Disney’s live-action HOCUS POCUS 2, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Disney Enterprises, Inc. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Many of us look forward to the end of the year because those Winter holidays are a time to reunite and reconnect with dear old friends. But what if you don’t want to wait out those eight weeks or so for the month between Thanksgiving Day and Christmas? I mean, Halloween is the big Fall holiday, the perfect one to visit with a few movie buddies we haven’t seen for (gasp) thirty years. That’s what the fine folks at Disney+ are thinking. So, make sure you’ve got an extra large punch bowl, light the jack o’ lanterns, and save the big sofa for those Sanderson sisters as they conjure up lots of new supernatural antics in HOCUS POCUS 2. Oh, and pick up a trio of new brooms, too.


In a big switcheroo from the first outing, this story begins in 1653, not 1693, in ole’ Salem, Mass. A big group of hostile citizens, led by the town leader Reverend Traske (Tony Hale) arrive at the Sanderson house to confront the pre-teen trio of sisters. Traske is planning an arranged marriage for young Winifriid, though she only has eyes for that handsome, hunky Billy Butcherson. Escaping the mob, she and her sisters Mary and Sarah, dash into a place where nobody will follow: the Forbidden Woods. While they rest in a clearing, a huge bird swoops down and transforms into the Mother Witch (Hannah Waddingham). She gives Winnie the Book of Spells (ya know, with that creepy eyeball) and warns them not to enact the incantation of “Magicae Maxima”. Then, poof, we’re in modern-day Salem as the high school prepares for the town’s Halloween celebration. BFFs Becca (Whitney Peak) and Izzy (Belissa Escobedo) have their usual plans despite the loss of their other, now ex-BFF, Cassie (Lilia Buckingham), who is attached at the hip to her jock beau Mike (Froy Gutierrez), and is planning a big party at her place, since her dad, Mayor Traske (Hale, natch’) will be at the town square festivities. Becca and Izzy go ahead to the old village recreation attraction and pick up some spooky stuff from Gilbert ( Sam Richardson) who runs a magic shop in the former Sanderson shack. In the dark woods, the duo lights a candle, which (uh oh) produces a black flame that brings back Winifred (Bette Midler), Mary (Kathy Najimy), and Sarah ( Sarah Jessica Parker). Ah, but this time they’ve got bigger plans than merely draining the town kids of their youth. No, Winnie wants to unleash the Magicae Maxima, so they can rule forever. They’ve just got to gather all the needed ingredients like the blood of their enemy (Traske), and the head of a lover (Billy, perhaps). Can Becca and Izzy thwart their scheme and send the trio back to the netherworld?

Speaking of the terribly terrific trio, how can they so effortlessly sashay into their roles as if the last film wrapped 29 days ago rather than 29 years? The grand dame is of course Midler, as she curls a sinister smile around those bunny-like phony fake “choppers”. Her Winifred is regal, menacing, and can belt out a tune that leaves everyone spellbound (oh, you bet we get a song). Just as funny is Najimy as Mary with her “nobody’s home” vacant stare and lop-sided grimace as she “sniffs out the young ones”. And rounding out (oh, those slinky curves) is Parker who still projects a kittenish wink while indulging her “appetites” as she croons the “enchantment” tune to lure the throngs. But there’s a new trio of young women who share an interest in the dark arts. It’s the old “are you a good witch or a bad witch?” conflict led by the compelling Peak as the determined foe of Winifred. Her main aide is the fluttery Escobedo who gives Izzy a frazzled, but endearing warmth. The “third wheel” Cassie doesn’t have quite as much screentime, as she’s off partying with her guy and the “cool kids”, though Buckingham jumps right back into the battle with energy and a renewed appreciation for her “kiddie pals” in the final act. Jones as Billy has a silent movie clown physicality while expertly tossing off great retorts (“Hey, I’m a good zombie!”). Hale is equally doltish in his dual roles, but with some major twists. The Reverend is pompous and devious, while the Mayor’s a jovial “glad-hander”, who only drops his “man of the people” persona when his candy apple mania is denied. Also bringing the laughs is Richardson, who tries to be a friendly magic mentor to Becca and Izzy, but hides his sinister agenda. A bonus treat, though her role is brief, is the dazzling Waddingham, majestic and gorgeous as the “supplier to the Sandersons”.

Taking the reigns (or would broom be more apropos) is director/choreographer Anne Fletcher who embraces the spirit of campy chaos from the initial flick. She deftly handles the slapstick visuals (the trio updates their transports), the musical set pieces (a still fun bit of late 70s pop this time), and the teen clashes on the “social ladder”. The script from Jen D’Angelo, Blake Harris, and original co-creator David Kirschner even have some fun with the “legacy” of the 1993 flick as the sisters have become “drag icons” of the Fall holiday. The only glaring fault of this entry is a bit of “retcon”, an irritation in many sequels. The best example of this is how being called a chicken became a “trigger word” for Marty McFly in BACK TO THE FUTURE PART II (no mention in the original). Here, the main goal of the trio is the “Magicae Maxima”, which is “news to us”. Plus it often feels as though this may be a “try-out” for a possible “spin-off” to continue the franchise with the three younger women, perhaps as more of a “nice teen riff on THE CRAFT or a junior “Charmed”. Of course, the massive fan base that can quote the now cult classic will devour this like a heavy bag of trick-or-treat candies (and no rocks inside, Charlie Brown). Plus the newest audiences (the kiddies) will really love the pre-teen sisters in the flashback opening. No doubt that Jack Skellington, Casper, and the first Sanderson sister romp will be joined as a Halloween staple with HOCUS POCUS 2. No boos from me.

Three Out of Four

HOCUS POCUS 2 streams exclusively on Disney+ beginning on September 30, 2022

BROS – Review

So what if Valentine’s Day is nearly five months away, any time of the year can work for the right romantic comedy (or “rom-com’, its modern genre term). Actually many moviegoers would enjoy seeing an engaging couple meet cute as they try to keep warm on a blustery Fall afternoon. And that’s just what happens with this weekend’s big film release. Oh, things are a bit, no a lot, different this time. It’s not “boy meets girl”, but rather boy, no “man meets man”. Yup, it’s a gay rom-com, though they’ve been supporting players in past flicks, often the next-door neighbor (nuzzling a kitty) or the co-worker who’s cheering on the leading lady (“You go, girl!!”). Not this time. and as one of the film’s co-stars (and co-writers) has been telling talk show hosts and showbiz reporters, there’s a lot riding on this. The major studios are curious to see how the audience will react to a funny love story centered on two very mismatched BROS.

The first part of the duo we meet is the story’s narrator, a pessimistic outspoken podcaster (he’s the host of “The 11th Brick”, a reference to Stonewall), Bobby Lieber (Billy Eichner). He’s got many friends, but aside from late-night phone app “hook-ups”, he’s not found that special “one” (though he denies that he’s looking). And then he saw Aaron Shepard (Luke Macfarlane) dancing shirtless at a club, looking as though he just arrived from Mt. Olympus. Their first encounter is a bit awkward, But Bobby detects a “spark”, though Aaron seems to vanish like Claude Rains (look him up, kids). Eventually they exchange digits and begin a long series of texts to “feel each other out” while acting casual and indifferent. They both continue on with their lives as Bobby is one of the planners and organizers of a soon-to-open LGBTQ+ museum if the board of directors will agree on anything. And if they can score some big cash donations. Meanwhile, Aaron suits up for his 9 to 5 job as an estate planner. Eventually, the two spend the day together as Aaron enjoys Bobby’s snarky wit, while Bobby is dazzled by Aaron’s cocky confidence and that “eight pack”. Their relationship soars during a trip to Provincetown, then almost crashes when Aaron’s school days crush “comes out”. But can the couple survive the biggest “test”, the dreaded Christmas visit with Aaron’s somewhat stuffy parents?

In his feature lead acting debut, Eichner shows that there’s much more to his considerable talents than verbally “ambushing” unsuspecting New Yorkers (though that does take a lot of talent and chutzpah). Sure we’re expecting him to bring the laughs, which he does by the truckload, with scathing asides and gattling-gun barrages of “burns”. But his Bobby’s not merely a joke dispensing machine, he’s a man looking for love, and more importantly perhaps, respect. Eichner delivers a heart-wrenching monologue, offset by a lovely beach, all about growing up with folks who wanted him to “tone it down” and conform to the “norm” leading him to frustration as those with fewer gifts got much farther. There’s the professional longing offset with the personal ones, as he hesitantly decides to offer his heart to Aaron, played by Macfarlane, who also proves that he’s more than a handsome face atop an “etched in granite” body. This guy must project an aura of aloof “coolness”, but he too wants more than the “pleasures of the flesh” to just “hang” with someone interesting. But Macfarlane shows us that the “perfect ten” has his own inner battles, too. Aaron thinks he can’t keep up with Bobby intellectually, plus he has to deal with a touch of “self-loathing’ as he suppresses his true “career calling’ for fear it would re-enforce gender stereotypes. Happily, the duo is surrounded by a wonderful group of great comic actors. Bobby must deal with a terrific but bickering ensemble that makes up the museum’s board, with Oscar-winning screenwriter Jim Rash grabbing lots of chuckles as Robert, who thinks that bisexuals are short-changed (“Not enough ‘B’ in the LGBTQ!”). Then there’s the scene-stealing SNL star Bowen Yang as a petulant, flighty filthy-rich TV producer. Oh, and we’re treated to several stars playing themselves and having a great time skewering their public personas (I won’t spoil the surprise delights).

Oh, did I forget to mention that Eichner co-wrote the screenplay with director Nicholas Stoller (the NEIGHBORS flicks)? Well, consider that slight undone. Stoller keeps the energy flowing smoothly, avoiding the deadly mid-section “lull” of so many comedies. And he confidently hits the comedic “beats”, knowing when to cut in for a superb reaction glare from Bobby, and when to cut in with a quick satiric aside (Bobby’s disastrous audition to be part of a beloved TV quintet). But somehow the comedy doesn’t drown out the tenderness of the romance, perhaps due to that clever screenplay that teases but really embraces all the “romcom” standards: the swooning “meet”, the trepidation, the “city stroll”, the near “bust-up”, and the “declaration”. The terrific jabs at basic cable TV romcom were made better when I learned that Macfarlane had roles in so many of them. Some moviegoers may be more than a tad skittish with this new “twist” on the beloved genre, but considering the tepid recent entries, this new spin is just the thing to recharge the staple. Those who take a chance will be richly rewarded with the engaging and really funny love story all about these BROS.

3.5 Out of 4

BROS is now playing in theatres everywhere

THE GOOD HOUSE – Review

With the temps falling and the leaves slowly changing, lots of folks may be thinking of taking a trip to New England. Perhaps you could “hunker down” in a quaint old house by the water. Hey, if you’ve got the moola, maybe you could just buy the place, and make it your getaway, or permanent “digs”. Oh but most of us would have to do this vicariously, maybe at the movies. But who would you contact about such a fantasy home, say in a rustic lil’ village? And that is answered in this week’s star-powered release. Surely such a spot would be free of worries, “no hassles, no hustles”, right? Not really, as this film’s focus finds out. It seems you’re never safe from those “inner demons”, not even at THE GOOD HOUSE.


That person living in such a primo place is the town’s number one realtor Hildy Good (Sigourney Weaver). Well, former number one, since that title is held by her former assistant Wendy (Kathryn Erbe), who “poached ” the top clients when she went out on her own. This was just after Hildy “went away” for a time, a year ago after an intervention. Hildy was ambushed by her two daughters, Emily and Tess, along with her ex-husband Scott (David Rasche), and trusted aide Wendy. This prompted a stay in a rehab facility and a promise that she’ll attend “meetings” (she bailed after the first couple). Sure the real estate market is tough, but luckily she can call on her childhood crush, surly, grizzled, laid-back Frankie Getchell (Kevin Kline) to send out one of his work crews, or even himself, to make a house more “homey”. Also taking the edge off the “job” is the box of vino that Hildy keeps hidden in her house’s “work shed” (just a glass or two…or three with her two doggies). Of course, she’s slipping into her “old ways”, so when work frustrations are paired with her knowledge of an affair between her new best pal, bored rich housewife and drinking buddy (she’s unaware) Rebecca (Morena Baccarin) and upstairs from her office shrink Peter (Rob Delaney), Hidly runs to the arms of Frankie, after more of “the grape”. Is there any way this rekindled romance can sober up (in more ways than one) Hildy and free her from her family’s cycle of self-medication?

This story of remorse and regret is an engaging showcase for Weaver’s powerful performance. Her steely intelligence shines through, and the decision to have her “break the fourth wall” and talk directly to us through the camera lens lets us relish her superb comic timing. It’s also a better way to “get inside her head” as she engages in near-constant “bargaining” (“I’ll only have a glass or two when I’m home, at night, with the pups”) and her denials, tempered with a “Yankee stubbornness”. She can “handle it” and keeps all the “plates spinning”…until she lets them fall and crash, one after another. In their third screen outing, Weaver has a “chemistry shorthand” with the always charming Kline, whose Frank tries to project an aura of casual coolness, a free-spirited rambler. However, he can’t mask concern about his spiraling former fling. Baccarin excels as the small-town bombshell “trophy wife” whose dazzling smile can’t hide her loneliness. Delaney (so good in “Catastrophe”) is the passive-aggressive intellectual desperate to conceal his wrecked marriage. Plus there are a couple of brief turns by two acting vets. Paul Guilfoyle (“CSI”) is Hildy’s irritating reminder of her family’s deception as he tells her that they miss her at the “meetings”. And Beverly D’Angelo oozes star power as the local beauty queen who’s always around for the part, and to be the lil’ devil on Hildy’s shoulder.

A directing “tag team tackled this film with Maya Forbes and Wally Wolodarsky sharing the reigns and also joining Thomas Bezucha in adapting the novel by Ann Leary. They expertly set up the “picture perfect” town of Wendover, MA (though shot in gorgeous Nova Scotia), then slowly peels back its layers to reveal the sadness and scandals. It’s not PEYTON PLACE, but it’s not what Hildy is trying to sell to the rich “city folk”. They wisely limit her “talks to us” so as to not overdue the whimsy and get precious or cloying. It’s a slow, steady, simmering pot of drama with dashes of comedy and romance before it almost boils over into suspense and tragedy in the final act. Sure, we’ve seen those battling the booze many times before, but Weaver puts a fresh spin on Hildy’s struggles, making us root for her even as the vino flips a switch and she’s in full belligerent b*#l-buster mode. She’s the reason to “close the deal” on THE GOOD HOUSE.


3 Out of 4

THE GOOD HOUSE is now playing in theatres everywhere

Production Beginning On Wes Ball’s KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

20th Century Studios’ “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” starring Owen Teague (“It”), Freya Allen (“The Witcher”) and Peter Macon (“The Orville”), will begin production next month under the direction of Wes Ball (“The Maze Runner” trilogy). This film starts an all-new chapter in the “Planet of the Apes” saga, picking up many years after the conclusion of 2017’s “War for the Planet of the Apes.”

The screenplay is by Josh Friedman (“War of the Worlds”), Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver (“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”), and Patrick Aison (“Prey”). Joe Hartwick Jr. (“The Maze Runner” trilogy), Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver and Jason Reed (“Mulan”) are the film’s producers. Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping are the executive producers.

Read our 2011 interview with Jaffa and Silver HERE.

Steve Asbell, President 20th Century Studios said, “’Planet of the Apes’ is one of the most iconic and storied science fiction franchises in film history, as well as being an indelible part of our studio’s legacy. With ‘Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes’ we are privileged to continue the series’ tradition of imaginative, thought-provoking cinema, and can’t wait to share Wes’ extraordinary vision for this new chapter with audiences in 2024.”

“Planet of the Apes” is one of 20th Century Studios’ most popular and enduring franchises, amassing more than $1.7 billion worldwide. Based on a novel by Pierre Boulle, the first film in the series was released by Twentieth Century-Fox in 1968 and went on to become one of the year’s biggest hits, winning a special Academy Award® and followed by four theatrical sequels and two television series.

A remake, “Planet of the Apes,” directed by Tim Burton, was released in 2001, then a 2011 reboot, “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” was followed by two sequels, 2014’s “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” and 2017’s “War for the Planet of the Apes.”

Ryan Reynolds Is Back As Deadpool And Hugh Jackman Returns As Wolverine In DEADPOOL 3 – Hitting Screens September 6, 2024

DEADPOOL 3 at long last got an update from its star… and co-star.

Ryan Reynolds: Hey Hugh, you wanna play Wolverine one more time?

Hugh Jackman: Yeah, sure Ryan.

And with that DEADPOOL 3 is officially announced and the “Merc with the Mouth” will be back in theaters next year on September 6, 2024.

The announcement appeared on all of Reynolds and Jackman’s social feeds.

Reynolds appeared as Deadpool/Wade Wilson/Weapon XI in Jackman’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine in 2009.

The original 2016 DEADPOOL film was a huge and unexpected hit with fans, critics and audiences. Based upon Marvel Comics’ most unconventional anti-hero, DEADPOOL tells the origin story of former Special Forces operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson, who after being subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers adopts the alter ego Deadpool. Armed with his new abilities and a dark, twisted sense of humor, Deadpool hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life.

And if the excitement of the announcement wasn’t enough, John Krasinski went on Twitter and asked:

On August 31 Krasinksi (A QUIET PLACE 1 and 2) announced on Instagram the beginning of his film, IF. The film is an upcoming American fantasy comedy film written, directed, and produced by John Krasinski. It features an ensemble cast consisting of Krasinski, Ryan Reynolds, Steve Carell, Alan Kim, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fiona Shaw, Cailey Fleming, Louis Gossett Jr., and Bobby Moynihan.

Director Shawn Levy (REEL STEEL, THE ADAM PROJECT and FREE GUY) chimed in…

DEADPOOL 3 be rated R like its predecessors and will be set in the MCU. “Deadpool,” “Deadpool 2,” and “Logan” arrived on Disney+ in the U.S. on July 22. DEADPOOL 1 & 2 brought in $1.6 billion globally.

Other Marvel films opening in 2024 are “Thunderbolts” in theaters July 26, 2024, “Captain America: New World Order” hits theaters May 3, 2024, and “Fantastic Four,” opens on November 8, 2024. Kevin Feige, producer and president of MARVEL STUDIOS, discussed the recent announcements, including the Multiverse Saga—the conclusion of Phase 4, the Phase 5 slate and the Phase 6 titles that include “Fantastic Four” and two new Avengers films: “The Kang Dynasty” and “Secret Wars,” during D23.

Watch The Final Face-Off In HALLOWEEN ENDS Trailer – In Theaters And Streaming Only On Peacock October 14

Final Girl. Final Face-off. This is Laurie Strode’s last stand. 

After 45 years, the most acclaimed, revered horror franchise in film history reaches its epic, terrifying conclusion as Laurie Strode faces off for the last time against the embodiment of evil, Michael Myers, in a final confrontation unlike any captured on-screen before. Only one of them will survive. 

Icon Jamie Lee Curtis returns for the last time as Laurie Strode, horror’s first “final girl” and the role that launched Curtis’ career. Curtis has portrayed Laurie for more than four decades now, one of the longest actor-character pairings in cinema history. When the franchise relaunched in 2018, Halloween shattered box office records, becoming the franchise’s highest-grossing chapter and set a new record for the biggest opening weekend for a horror film starring a woman. 

Watch the final trailer now.

Four years after the events of last year’s Halloween Kills, Laurie is living with her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) and is finishing writing her memoir. Michael Myers hasn’t been seen since. Laurie, after allowing the specter of Michael to determine and drive her reality for decades, has decided to liberate herself from fear and rage and embrace life. But when a young man, Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell; The Hardy Boys, Virgin River), is accused of killing a boy he was babysitting, it ignites a cascade of violence and terror that will force Laurie to finally confront the evil she can’t control, once and for all. 

Halloween Ends co-stars returning cast Will Patton as Officer Frank Hawkins, Kyle Richards as Lindsey Wallace and James Jude Courtney as The Shape.  

https://www.halloweenmovie.com/

From the creative team that relaunched the franchise with 2018’s Halloween and Halloween Kills, the film is directed by David Gordon Green from a screenplay by Paul Brad Logan (Manglehorn), Chris Bernier (The Driverseries), Danny McBride and David Gordon Green, based on characters created by John Carpenter and Debra Hill. Halloween Ends is produced by Malek Akkad, Jason Blum and Bill Block. The executive producers are John Carpenter, Jamie Lee Curtis, Danny McBride, David Gordon Green, Ryan Freimann, Ryan Turek, Andrew Golov, Thom Zadra and Christopher H. Warner. 

Universal Pictures, Miramax and Blumhouse present a Malek Akkad production, in association with Rough House Pictures. 

HALLOWEEN ENDS opens in theaters & streaming only on Peacock October 14.

TEN TRICKS – Review

Lea Thompson in comedy-drama TEN TRICKS. Courtesy of Cinedigm and Fandor

The darkly-comic movie TEN TRICKS is a real head-scratcher for several reasons. The title refers to two kinds of tricks – the bordello business kind and the type in a magician’s act – woven together in a sequence of overlapping snippets. Then, casting against type, the madame of the former is played by the chronically (in a good way) wholesome Lea Thompson (you know, Marty McFly’s mom; CAROLINE IN THE CITY, etc.), who could still play a cute ingenue at age 60. And it’s shot in black-and-white with a mostly unknown cast (some of whom play multiple roles) by first-time writer/director Richard Pagano, apparently on a budget so limited that “craft services” probably meant everyone brown-bagging it. The script mixes comic elements with a lot of sadness and frustration surrounding the assortment of sexual transactions we see.

The hookers (several women and one guy) are shown sympathetically, mostly enduring the whims and kinks of their patrons, and the disdain of society in general for their career choices. Thompson is fed up with her lot in life and has decided to have a baby with any guy who can deliver promising genetic traits. The magician (Albie Selznick, who really is one, in addition to his many acting gigs) is even more tired of endlessly trotting out his tricks, as shown in his nihilistic performance patter. Others depict a fairly full spectrum of life’s vicissitudes and coping mechanisms, mixing wry humor with pathos – more of the latter than the former. There is enough nudity (mostly topless women) and sexual activity to warrant an R rating, but there’s nothing particularly lurid about the context.

The film seems longer than its 88 minutes because it plays hopscotch among many encounters, in and out of the sack, without adding up to any conclusions. The script is as adrift as most of the people within it. That may be intentional, but it falls short on storytelling. It’s like walking through a gallery, seeing paintings that each provide some moment of meaning or emotional impact, but don’t add up to a whole of anything. As long as you’re ready for sequential slices of life without the customary thematic convergence most films provide, you might enjoy what they’re offering on their terms.

TEN TRICKS is available streaming and in digital format starting Tuesday, Sept. 27, exclusively on Fandor.

RATING: 2 out of 4 stars