CRITICS ARE CALLING DROP “WILDLY ENTERTAINING! AN EDGE OF YOUR SEAT THRILLER WITH NONSTOP CLEVER TWISTS AND TURNS.” FROM PRODUCERS OF M3GAN, PRODUCERS OF A QUIET PLACE AND THE DIRECTOR OF HAPPY DEATH DAY.
ONLY IN THEATERS APRIL 11TH. THIS SPRING, EVERYONE’S A SUSPECT.
First dates are nerve-wracking enough. Going on a first date while an unnamed, unseen troll pings you personal memes that escalate from annoying to homicidal? Blood-chilling.
Director Christopher Landon returns to the thriller genre with the playful, keep-you-guessing intensity he perfected in the Happy Death Day films with this of-the-moment whodunnit where everyone in the vicinity is a suspect . . . or victim. Drop is jointly produced by blockbuster genre houses Blumhouse and Platinum Dunes.
Emmy nominee Meghann Fahy, breakout star of White Lotus and The Perfect Couple, plays Violet, a widowed mother on her first date in years, who arrives at an upscale restaurant where she is relieved that her date, Henry (It Ends with Us’ Brandon Sklenar) is more charming and handsome than she expected. But their chemistry begins to curdle as Violet begins being irritated and then terrorized by a series of anonymous drops to her phone.
She is instructed to tell nobody and follow instructions or the hooded figure she sees on her home security cameras will kill Violet’s young son and babysitting sister. Violet must do exactly as directed or everyone she loves will die. Her unseen tormentor’s final directive? Kill Henry.
The film also stars Violett Beane (Truth or Dare) and newcomer Jacob Robinson as Violet’s sister and son; with Reed Diamond (Moneyball), Gabrielle Ryan (Power Book IV: Force), Jeffery Self (Mack & Rita), Ed Weeks (The Mindy Project) and Travis Nelson (The Lake) as the restaurant’s staff and diners.
Drop is directed by acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Landon, the writer-director of last year’s We Have a Ghost and the zeitgeist-rattling Blumhouse hits Freaky, Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones and the Happy Death Day films. The film is written by Jillian Jacobs & Chris Roach, writers of Blumhouse’s Truth or Dare and Fantasy Island.
The film is produced by Jason Blum (Five Nights at Freddy’s, M3GAN) for Blumhouse and by Michael Bay (Transformers films, A Quiet Place franchise), Brad Fuller (A Quiet Place films, The Purge franchise) and Cameron Fuller (The Astronaut) for Platinum Dunes. The executive producer is Sam Lerner.
Baba/Richard the penguins as Juan Salvador, and Steve Coogan as Tom Michel in ‘The Penguin Lessons’ Image: Lucia Faraig Ferrando. Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics
Steve Coogan is terrific in true story-based comedy THE PENGUIN LESSONS which combines a quirky story about an ex-pat English teacher who accidentally acquires a penguin while teaching in 1970s Argentina, just as a dictatorship takes hold. Directed by the FULL MONTY’s Peter Cattaneo, THE PENGUIN LESSONS has some of that same mix of humor and humanity, in a off-beat tale that starts out comedic but ends up being moving, and saying something significant about people in a changing society.
Are penguins and authoritarianism having a moment? Could be. There was MY PENGUIN FRIEND, another true story set in South America, about a grieving man whose life is changed when he is befriended by a lost penguin. And there was the Oscar-winning I’M STILL HERE, about an Argentinian family whose lives are upended by the emergence of authoritarian rule. True, penguins are pretty irresistibly cute but authoritarianism in much on people’s mind right now, although the filmmakers couldn’t know while shooting the film.
Steve Coogan is perfect as a cynical teacher who is disconnected from life and certainly not interested in penguins, who finds a transformative second chance when a penguin joins his classroom, teaching both students and teacher about what is really important in life.
THE PENGUIN LESSONS, based on Tom Michell’s memoir of the same name, centers on an expat British man, Tom Michell (Steve Coogan), who has just accepted a job at a private school in Argentina, just as the political situation is entering a dangerous phase. A bomb goes off in the distance as the new English teach arrives at the stately but rural boarding school, which caters to the children of the wealthy and powerful in Argentina. Michell is greeted by the school’s headmaster, Buckle (Jonathan Pryce), who is nonplussed about the bomb, and quickly leads the new teacher on a tour of the school compound.
As they walk, the headmaster asks the new teacher to recount his resume of teaching positions. Coogan’s Michell describes a list of teaching posts that starts in Britain and prestigious Ivy League schools in the U.S. but then goes through a series of schools of decreasingly impressive schools in Mexico, Central America and South America. “I’m working my way down,” says the new teacher, pauses and adds “Geographically.” Clearly it is more that his location that is going south.
The headmaster points Tom Michell towards the teachers’ residence wing and the new teacher heads for his assigned apartment, which comes with a little balcony and a housekeeper. Michell accidentally surprises the housekeeper, Maria (a delightful Vivian El Jaber), who is partly deaf, who chews him out, establishing herself as a plain spoken person.
Still, the two quickly hit it off, as he does with her out-spoken niece Sofia (Alfonsina Carrocio)who also works at the school. A fellow teacher (Bjorn Gustafsson), who seems never to have heard of boundaries, saunters into Michell’s apartment uninvited, introduces himself, and makes himself right at home, much to Michell’s irritation, although he does not toss the intruder out.
Steve Coogan’s teacher presents a serious face to the headmaster but quickly reveals his true self, as a hard-drinking, cynical, snarky man who is going through the motions of life. His students are spoiled and a bit unruly, but Michell launches into teaching them about the greats of English literature anyway while requiring them to speak only English in class. At one point, he gives the students an assignment to work on, and then leaves the classroom. Outside, we see the real reason for the assignment – to take a break for drinking and lounging in the sun.
When the Argentinian military stage a coup and take over the government, the headmaster decides the students would be safer with their powerful families, and shuts the school for a week, at least. While everyone else is worried, Michell quickly and calmly makes plans to leave the country – for a beach vacation in a neighboring country. Unconcerned, he plans to spend his time drinking in bars, hanging out on the beach, go dancing and picking up women. His clueless colleague invites himself along.
The two do pick up a couple of women at a beach-side bar, and pair off. Strolling on the beach with his date, the couple come across gooey black evidence of an oil spill – and a penguin covered in oil. The woman insists they help the penguin and, hopeful of getting laid, Michell pitches right in. They smuggle the penguin into his nearby hotel and clean it up. But then the woman goes home, leaving Michell frustrated and in possession of a penguin.
His efforts to return the penguin to the sea goes nowhere, as the bird has become attached to him. In a series of comic scenes and confrontations with authorities, Coogan’s character tries to hand off the penguin to someone else, only to be told it’s his problem.
The result is that when the school reopens, the English teacher now has a penguin. With his classroom still unruly, he brings the bird, now named Juan Salvador, into the classroom. The penguin certainly gets their attention.
Steve Coogan is the perfect mix of smart, cynical and slovenly as this well-educated slacker. The cast is great, especially Steve Coogan, but Jonathan Pryce does well too, playing the sincere-seeming headmaster who shows a lack of courage when faced with pressure from the new regime but later redeems himself. Vivian El Jaber and Alfonsina Carrocio are sassy and touching, as Bjorn Gustaffsson provided a bit of goofy comic relief and serves as straight man for Coogan’s quips.
The penguin has a strange effect on everyone at school, who start pouring out their hearts to the silent, attentive little bird. Everyone grows fond of the little penguin, even if he is very smelly and not housebroken.
As the new authoritarian regime takes hold, and people starts getting snatched off the street, Michell finds his cynicism challenged.
What starts out as quirky comedy with a cynical man at its center, gradually becomes something more human and moving, all without falling into the saccharin or into falseness. When the film ends with footage of the real penguin, swimming in the school’s pool, tears may brim, in this surprisingly wonderful, touching, human dramedy.
THE PENGUIN LESSONS opens Friday, Mar. 28, in theaters.
First off, here’s a big warning (or heads-up, if you prefer) to parents looking for family-friendly fantasy flicks: this “ain’t one of those. Yes, I know that “word” in the main title caught your eye, but don’t be misled. The title’s first word should provide a hint, along with the studio producing and releasing it, the “off kilter” current “indie” studio “darling”, A24. No, it’s a satire of current events that involves the mythical title creation, a critter that’s a staple on kids’ clothing and decor (wallpaper, bedding, etc.). And, as with many monster movies, modern-day (wow, 21st century) tech can’t really dominate the magical legends from humanity’s earliest (thousands of years) days. Films have explored this idea in “fairy tale fable fear-flicks” about mermaids and genies (or the djinn). With this week’s release, we find out what kind of carnage ensues after the DEATH OF A UNICORN.
The story begins on a US commercial airliner that’s just landed in the future 51st state, Canada (lil’ joke). On board is a twitchy, nervous middle-aged lawyer and widowed dad Elliot Kintner (Paul Rudd) who’s traveling with his college-age daughter Ridley (Jenna Ortega). Naturally, the plane arrived late, and now there are more complications, something about the exit door ramp, which will delay his arrival for the big meeting that afternoon. They finally get to the airport’s rental car desk and get their deluxe SUV for the drive through the mountains to the private estate of his employers, the Leopolds, scions of a pharmaceutical empire. The drive puts more of a strain of the father-daughter dynamic, especially when the speeding and allergy-plagued Elliot hits some animal on the trail. After parking on the side of the road, the duo is stunned that it’s not a deer or moose, but what appears to be a… unicorn. When Ridley grasps the horn, her mind begins a psychedelic trip full of colorful images and…she’s pulled out of it by a splash of purple blood across her face as her dad tries to “end its suffering” with a tire iron. Out of panic, he puts its body into the rear of the vehicle and proceeds to the mansion. Upon arrival, he meets the Leopold heir, the twenty-something “bro” Shephard (Will Poulter), then his mother Belinda (Tea Leoni), and finally the aging patriarch Odell (Richard E. Grant). After being shown their guest rooms, Ridley stays behind as Elliot makes his presentation to the family of a revised company divisional contract needed since Odell’s health is rapidly failing due to several aggressive cancerous tumors. In her room, Ridley is stunned to see that her skin is now smooth, and the acne is gone. She dashes downstairs to tell Dad, who isn’t sniffling anymore (and he doesn’t need his glasses). Could this stem from the splashes of unicorn blood? And then a noise from the outside startles the group. That unicorn is somehow alive and trying to break out of the vehicle. After the house staff subdues it, the Leopolds call in their security and research scientists, who set up a temporary lab. After a unicorn blood injection, Odell appears to be cured and full of vitality. It’s a new health “goldmine” for the Leopold company. But something’s off, as they hear strange guttural howls emanating from the now glowing woods. Ridley does some internet sleuthing and learns the real legacy of unicorns, which are immortal, nearly indestructible, savage killing machines. And it seems that there are more are their way to retrieve their fallen family member. Despite their wealth and power, can the Leopolds, along with the Kinters, survive the attack of these very real and deadly monsters of myth?
This odd mixing of style and genres has, not surprisingly, attracted quite an eclectic cast. Rudd somewhat pushes back on his ultra cool and charming screen persona making Elliot a jittery “basket case’, espcially in the frenetic opening moments. Yet Rudd balances that awkward “pencil-pusher” with an endearing yearning to reconnect with his daughter and be that perfect “girl dad”. As his “drifting-away princess” Ortega uses a bit of her aloof attitude from “Wednesday”, which adds to the dramatic impact as the “unicorn encounter” energizes her and provides a purpose. It’s then that Ortega’s Ridley becomes the story’s passionate voice of reason and empathy as she sounds an “alarm” that most choose to ignore. Grant brings a sneering gravitas to the callous, calculating “robber baron”, disdainful of nearly everyone, particularly his “fam”, as his new lease on life fuels his greed to acquire “more”. In her first big-screen role in a dozen or so years, Leoni combines snark and a sexy, mature swagger as the “trophy wife” whose brain is mostly a cold “calculator “spitting out a “program” to manipulate and dominate. Once again, Poulter gives a splendid comic performance as a spoiled, dim-witted, motor-mouthed “frat boy” as the “hyper-hustling heel” Shepard. Also adding great comic energy is Anthony Carrigan, best known for HBO’s “Barry” and soon to be the “element-hero” Metamorpho in SUPERMAN, as the Leopold’s fast-thinking, ultra-efficient and abused mansion manservant Griff. His wide-eyed manic “takes” are a terrific commentary on the “fiflthy rich”, making him a superb audience surrogate.
Hard to believe this is the first feature film directed by screenwriter (he did the script, too)/ producer Alex Scharfman, as it has the feel of a film by a seasoned genre veteran. But then, he confidently blends the horror themes with a sharp biting social satire (hmm, I wonder where he got the idea for such a corrupt “pill-producing” family empire, eh). And there are the two, almost polar-opposite family dynamics, with the warmth of the Kinter’s almost destroyed by the avaricious Leopolds. Scharfman also shows a skill for broad slapstick comedy with several terrific visual gags (often with the great Griff) and rapid, bombastic verbal “burns”. Speaking of visuals, much like last year’s THE SUBSTANCE, Scharfman showcases some great “practical effects” along with bits of CGI to bring the title critters to rampaging life, making a film almost an homage to the monster movie mania of the 1980s (complete with Ridley’s “green screen” “head-trip”). Unfortunately he gets a bit too self-indulgent letting the scares and stalkings continue for too many “jump scares’ and multiple endings complete with the old “they’re dead…or not” cliche “twists”. It doesn’t negate the superb comic performances of the actors, or the joy of exposing and eviscerating the “one-percent”, but a tighter edit may have given the flick a greater imapct. This would’ve injected much more laughs and life into the comic chaos ignited by the DEATH OF A UNICORN.
2.5 Out of 4
DEATH OF A UNICORN is now playing exclusively in select theatres
I’m always excited about the opening of a new Jason Statham action flick. A WORKING MAN is directed by David Ayer, who had just collaborated with Jason on last year’s excellent BEEKEEPER thrill-fest. It’s co-written by Sylvester Stallone, who (to my surprise) has 44 feature screenplay credits under his Rocky Balboa title belt, mostly for films he starred in. Them ain’t been none too high on brain fodder, but they reliably delivered the desired level of adrenaline boosting.
In this one, Statham plays a former super-soldier running a construction crew for a cozy family business owned by Joe Garcia (Michael Pena), assisted by his collegian daughter Jenny (Arianna Rivas). When Jenny is snatched from a nightclub for unknown nefarious reasons, Jason has to kick-start his old particular set of skills to rescue the lass.
What follows is the accustomed path of working his way up the criminal food chain to save the girl while wiping out a slew of evildoers along the way. This entails deployment of feet, fists, some big knives, a helluva lotta guns, two grenades and a bomb. Unfortunately, the bomb isn’t IN the script. It IS the script.
For all the rounds of ammo fired, the bullets leave fewer holes than the plot. The details are too aggravating to enumerate. If you see this turkey anyway, take a note pad to keep track of them for some fun. Or wait for the streaming release, gather some pals and make it a drinking game. Down a shot every time something doesn’t make sense. No one will be able to drive home safely.
The action sequences were terrific in BEEKEEPER. But this one isn’t nearly as Statham-y as that was. Too much shooting, without his usual screen time of masterful hand-to-hand. Even worse, the choppy edits and dark settings made those clashes less exciting than one should expect from Ayers and Statham.
A couple of possible explanations come to mind. Perhaps Jason was ill or injured and they couldn’t find a stunt double who could adequately match his looks and moves. Or maybe the lighting crew went on strike, and they had to film without enough illumination. The sound was no bargain, either. Much of the dialog was hard to understand because of mumbling or background noises. That may have been a blessing, because the stuff one could hear wasn’t very engaging.
The structure of the story and the makeup of the eponymous hero were pure Statham – the elements that have made him a long-running star, thriving ever since his trio of TRANSPORTER flicks. But the execution here lets him and his fans down. Badly.
A WORKING MAN opens in theaters on Friday, Mar. 28.
Laia Costa will also star in Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, the Atomic Monster/Blumhouse production for New Line that just started shooting in Ireland. Cronin’s Doppelgängers banner is also producing. Costa joins Jack Reynor, who was recently announced, in the film.
The film, which is still keeping its logline under wraps, is written and directed by Cronin, and marks the first collaboration for the recently combined companies, helmed by James Wan and Jason Blum, with Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group. The film will be released on April 17, 2026.
Laia Costa starred in the critically-acclaimed, single-take film, Victoria, for which she won the LOLA (Germany’s equivalent of the Oscar®) for “Best Actress” and was nominated for a European Film Award for “Best European Actress” and the prestigious BAFTA EE Rising Star Award. Film credits include Only You with Josh O’Connor, Newness with Nicholas Hoult, Miguel Arteta’s Duck Butter, Nicolas Pesce’s Piercing, and Dan Fogelman’s Life Itself. Currently starring in Prime Video’s The Wheel of Time, additional TV credits include Devils for Sky Atlantic, AMC’s Soulmates and HBO Spain’s limited series Foodie Love from creator Isabel Coixet. Costa won the Goya Award for “Best Lead Actress” for Lullaby (aka Cinco Lobitos), which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival. She was nominated the following year for another Goya Award for “Best Lead Actress” for Un Amor.
Costa is represented by Gersh, Anonymous Content and Hamilton Hodell.
Lee Cronin first garnered attention with his debut feature film, The Hole in the Ground, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2019 to critical acclaim. His sophomore feature, Evil Dead Rise, was theatrically released through New Line Cinema in April 2023. The movie made a significant impact, debuting at SXSW and grossing $147 million worldwide, showcasing Cronin’s talent for creating intense and captivating horror films.
Atomic Monster and Blumhouse are co-financing the film. James Wan, Jason Blum and John Keville are producers on the film. Michael Clear and Judson Scott are executive producers. Alayna Glasthal is the executive overseeing the project for Atomic Monster.
The newest chapter in New Line Cinema’s bloody successful franchise takes audiences back to the very beginning of Death’s twisted sense of justice – FINAL DESTINATION BLOODLINES.
Plagued by a violent recurring nightmare, college student Stefanie heads home to track down the one person who might be able to break the cycle and save her family from the grisly demise that inevitably awaits them all.
Check out the new trailer now and see in IMAX and theaters on May 16.
The film is directed by Adam Stein & Zach Lipovsky. The screenplay is by Guy Busick & Lori Evans Taylor, and story is by Jon Watts and Guy Busick & Lori Evans Taylor. It is based on characters created by Jeffrey Reddick.
FINAL DESTINATION BLOODLINES stars Kaitlyn Santa Juana (The Friendship Game, “The Flash”), Teo Briones (“Chucky,” “Will vs. The Future”), Richard Harmon (The Age of Adaline, “The 100”), Owen Patrick Joyner (“Julie and the Phantoms,” “100 Things to Do Before High School”), Anna Lore (They/Them, “Gotham Knights”), with Brec Bassinger (“Stargirl,” “Bella and the Bulldogs”), and Tony Todd (Final Destination franchise, Candyman). The film is directed by Adam Stein (Freaks, Kim Possible) & Zach Lipovsky (Freaks, Kim Possible). The screenplay is by Guy Busick (“Ready or Not,” “Scream”) & Lori Evans Taylor (Cellar Door, Bed Rest), and the story is by Jon Watts (“Spider-Man: No Way Home,” “Cop Car”) and Guy Busick & Lori Evans Taylor. It is based on characters created by Jeffrey Reddick (Final Destination franchise).
FINAL DESTINATION BLOODLINES is produced by Craig Perry (Final Destination franchise, American Pie franchise), Sheila Hanahan Taylor, Jon Watts, (“Atlanta,” “Cop Car”) and Toby Emmerich (“The Flash,” “The Butterfly Effect”). The executive producers are David Siegel and Warren Zide. The behind-the-camera talent includes director of photography Christian Sebaldt (“Resident Evil: Apocalypse,” “House on Haunted Hill”) and production designer Rachel O’Toole (“Upload,” “The 9th Life of Louis Drax”). The film is edited by Sabrina Pitre (“Freaks,” “Love, Death & Robots”). The music is by Tim Wynn (“Freaks,” “Supernatural”). The costumes are designed by Michelle Hunter (“The Butterfly Effect, “Fifty Shades of Grey”). The casting is by Rich Delia (“The Flash,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem”).
The film will be distributed in theaters and IMAX worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, in theaters only nationwide on May 16, 2025, and internationally beginning on 14 May 2025.
A scene from BLOODY AXE WOUND. Courtesy of Shudder
BLOODY AXE WOUND is a darkly comedic gore-fest that may be sporting my favorite title in recent memory. The product, alas, does not reach those heights for the genre. Still, this plays out with enough splatter to feed the beasts within us.
Our star and narrator is Abbie (believe it or not) Bladecut (Sari Arambulo) – a young woman trying to rise in her dad’s failing business. Roger Bladecut (an unrecognizable Billy Burke, behind his character’s scarred, discolored face) runs a shabby little video store that primarily exists on the sale and rental of the vividly gruesome snuff films he makes in their otherwise quiet small town of Clover Falls. All the Bladecut flicks focus on savagely slaying local teenagers, significantly depleting the high school’s population. Roger does the choosing and killing. But Abbie yearns to take up the reins, since daddy’s getting too old and unwell to count on as the slaying star for the long haul.
Writer/director Matthew John Lawrence’s plot both follows and spoofs the genre, as Abbie awkwardly strives to follow in daddy’s maniacal boot steps, but starts feeling conflicted about her career choice. Once she starts getting to know the intended victims by posing as a new student, her devotion to the task begins to waver. Kids are always told not to play with their food. Similarly, wannabe slashers shouldn’t play with their prey, although for different reasons.
The essential killings are done with some clever, often humorous, touches, and plenty of fake blood and viscera. But one must suspend an inordinate amount of disbelief, which I found distracting. They never show who is filming the murders or how they’re toting cameras into all the places where the slayings occur without the victims noticing. Unlike the SCREAM franchise, there’s no accounting for how so many kids from one school could be getting offed without any police or media attention. Or how could they be renting a huge series of videos in the same town as their victims without anyone making a connection? Even though realism isn’t a defining trait of slasher flicks, this one stretches its premise a bit too far.
On the plus side, Arambulo and her new bestie Sam (Molly Brown) deliver very appealing performances. Arambulo evokes empathy despite her vicious aspirations, and shows Abbie’s emotional roller coaster with ease. Her character might star in a reboot of JUNO, playing the title role as psychotic, rather than merely sarcastic. The future looks bright for both actresses. Just don’t let yourself think too much about the logic behind what you’re watching.
BLOODY AXE WOUND streams on Shudder starting Friday, Mar. 21, 2025
Well, they’re at it again (much like the old President Reagan “go to” for impressionists, “There he goes, again”). I’m speaking of the “brain trust” at the “Mouse House” who are diving into the Disney Classics vault once more to remake another one of their animated features. And this is their “deepest dive” yet in this “sub-genre” of “re-imagining” those “2-D”, hand-drawn animated masterpieces into “live-action” films that will hopefully attract a new audience (and enhance the ole’ “I.P.”). It perhaps started nearly thirty years ago with 101 DALMATIANS, and had its biggest success with 2019’s THE LION KING, with spin-offs like the “backstories” of villains MALEFICENT and CRUELLA and the recent prequel/sequel MUFASA: THE LION KING. Now it’s “back to the beginning” with a live “re-do” of what was then jeeringly referred to (by the “Tinseltown” gossips) as “Walt’s Folly” in 1937, as animation formally (there had been a few silent-era experiments) burst out of the six or seven-minute shorts and went well past an hour in length with the timeless tale from the Brothers Grimm all about seven dwarfs and a princess named SNOW WHITE.
And like the original “fairy tale” flicks, this begins with opening up a fancy, gold-gilded story book. The unseen narrator tells us of the kindly king and queen of an unnamed (resembling Eastern Europe) who were inspired by the wintery weather to name their daughter Snow White. All was wonderful and prosperous until a sudden illness took the queen from her adoring family and populace. Soon the grieving king caught the eye of a fetching maiden (Gal Gadot) and remarried. But her beauty masked a greedy, envious spirit, and the new queen built up an army to be led by her new husband. When the King ventures with them to face the forces of a “Southern state”, he is lost and presumed dead. As the years pass, the Queen lets her subjects believe that the princess has also perished, though the now teenaged Snow (Rachel Zegler) wears “rags” while cleaning the castle. One day she sees a handsome young man stealing food from the royal kitchen. Jonathan (Andrew Burnap) is a loyalist to her father who resides in the forests with other “rebels” hoping for the good king’s return. When the guards arrest him, the Queen has him tied to the front gate as punishment…until Snow sets him free. This act, along with the Magic Mirror’s proclamation that she is “the fairest in the land”. prompts the Queen to order the Huntsman (Ansu Kabia) to take Snow into the woods to pick apples, and then murder her. it’s pretty much the classic plot from there, as he shows mercy, and tells Snow to hide in the forest where she eventually happens upon the cottage of the seven dwarfs, who are working their gem-filled mine. When the Queen learns that her death order is not carried out, she sends her guards into the woods, where Snow, the dwarfs, and Jonathan’s rebel crew unite to send them back to the castle. That’s when “her royal majesty, decides to use her “dark magics” to destroy her “rival” once and for all.
Zegler is a dainty darling as she croons several tunes and dances up a storm with the dwarfs, though she brings more compassion to the role along with a healthy amount of spunk (we know, Mr. Grant). This princess isn’t easily swayed by a “dashing rogue” which allows Zegler to also put a “rom-com” spin on the iconic heroine. Burnap proves to be an endearing screen partner, as he tries to convince Snow of the dire conditions in the country, while also engaging in some flirty teasing as the wall between the royal and the commoner begins to crumble. Plus Mr. Burnap is quite the swashbuckler as he dives into battle and taunts the vengeful Quenn. Ms. Gadot appears to be having a grand old time as she leaves that Amazon warrior behind to flare her nostrils, shoot “daggers” from her wide eyes, twirl an “invisible mustache” as she barks out orders, and plans to eliminate that pesky princess. She even gets her own big musical solo.
After guiding Andrew Garfield through two flicks as Spidey, director Marc Webb goes from classic superheroes to classic fairy tales in this remake. He keeps the action moving at a fairly brisk pace, and has some fun with the action sequences, especially the big forest “free-for-all”. Webb excels as he follows the story structure of the 1937 original, but a radical third act detour really derails the momentum, with a finale that lacks the dramatic heft of the “OG”. The script perhaps needed a few more tweaks as it struggles to make the icons more relatable (I won’t say “PC”). with a radical spin of switching out the Prince for a rowdy rascal who’s almost a sibling to Ryder from TANGLED. And some other choices are …odd. Snow’s escape through the woods has always been scary, but here she seems to have wandered into the woods surrounding the EVIL DEAD cabin. This is the film’s first use of some jarring CGI effects leading to the pixel critters (still cute) and the Dwarfs themselves (not so much), who are “mo-cap” CGI creations that recall nightmarish skin-stretched” garden gnomes. The strangest may be Dopey who looks as though he leaped right from the cover of a classic Mad Magazine (or, as another viewer mentioned, an older spin on THE POLAR EXPRESS tyke). And I won’t spoil his radical “shift” in the third act. But this is long after a mine car theme-park-like ride through the underground tunnels (is it near the Temple of Doom). That’s part of a big musical number “Heigh-Ho”, one of two tunes retained from the original, though the new song scribes have added some wonky new refrains (Grumpy tells a dwarf to insert a tool “where the sun don’t shine”…really). So there are new songs from the LA LA LAND team of Benji Pasek and Justin Paul (along with lyricist Jack Feldman), which are fairly forgettable with a grating show tune bounce that pales before the Churchill and Morey standards. That’s especially the case with the Queen’s “All is Fair” which will probably be part of several future drag acts (lots of “vamping and camping” displayed). As I mentioned earlier, there’s a tepid finale that goes well past the near-perfect animated one to offer a big happy musical reprise (smiling and waving). The tiny tots should enjoy it (save for the spooky trees) since it’s not the “train wreck” that the first trailers seemed to promise. It’s not the worst of the remakes (you’re safe DUMBO), but like most, it’s a “cash grab”, though it’s a moot point to criticize its existence. It’s here and Disney will keep doing them until audiences reject them. Happily, we’ll always have that nearly ninety-year-old jewel whose SNOW WHITE is still the fairest in “filmland”.
Lionsgate has released a new trailer and four new BALLERINA images including first looks of Norman Reedus, Anjelica Huston and Ian McShane, as well as a new film still of Ana de Armas.
Wick fan favorites Anjelica Huston and Ian McShane return for the latest installment in the Wick Universe. Ana de Armas and Norman Reedus join the cast of the new film which opens June 6, 2025.
Taking place during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, the film follows Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas) who is beginning her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma.
In theaters June 6, the cast includes Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Lance Reddick, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Norman Reedus, with Ian McShane, and Keanu Reeves.
Keanu Reeves as John Wick in Ballerina. Photo Credit: Courtesy of LionsgateAna de Armas as Eve in Ballerina. Photo Credit: Larry D. HorricksAna de Armas as Eve in Ballerina. Photo Credit: Murray Close
Norman Reedus as Daniel Pine in Ballerina. Photo Credit: Larry D. Horricks/Lionsgate
Gabriel Byrne as The Chancellor and Ana de Armas as Eve in Ballerina. Photo Credit: Courtesy of LionsgateAnjelica Huston as The Director in Ballerina. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) has revealed Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, the second film in the Star Wars trilogy, will open the 16th annual TCM Classic Film Festival on Thursday, April 24th. Celebrating its 45th Anniversary, the gala presentation will bring visionary director George Lucas to present the film. The opening night launches an exhilarating weekend in the heart of Hollywood, showcasing exclusive programming themed around “Grand Illusions: Fantastic Worlds on Film.”
“The Empire Strikes Back is like The Godfather Part II. Yes, technically, they’re sequels, the second movie in a series. But they are so much more. Empire not only dazzled and delighted Star Wars fans, it pushed the boundaries of moviemaking, further deepening its characters and expanding the most popular cinematic universe of all time,” said Ben Mankiewicz, TCM Primetime Anchor and Official Host of the TCM Classic Film Festival. “The first Star Wars picture in 1977 ignited a new era in Hollywood and turned a generation of young people into passionate movie fans for life. Then, somehow, three years later, along comes Empire, which might even be better. It’s a stunning accomplishment and surely stands one of the great achievements in the history of film.”
Widely considered one of the greatest sequels in film history, and winner of two Academy Awards, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back explores themes of reliance, self-discovery, sacrifice, and the consequences of betrayal. The film stars Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, Anthony Daniels, David Prowse, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, James Earl Jones, and Frank Oz. Filled with iconic twists and a shocking cliffhanger; the movie continues to be a major cinematic influence today with a legacy that is undeniable.
TCM previously announced filmmaker and founder of the American Film Institute George Stevens, Jr. as the Robert Osborne Award recipient, which recognizes an individual who has helped keep the cultural heritage of classic film alive for future generations. Stevens will present the Hollywood premiere of the 4K restoration of George Stevens: A Filmmaker’s Journey, the acclaimed film he wrote and directed about his Oscar winning father. Additionally, the festival will pay tribute to director and producer Michael Schultz whose work has left a lasting impact on film.
TCM has also recently announced several additional titles that will screen during the 16th TCM Classic Film Festival including:
THE FABULOUS BAKER BOYS (1989) – with Michelle Pfeiffer
THE RITZ (1976) – with Rita Moreno
BABE (1995) – with James Cromwell
THE LADY EVE (1941) – with Bill Hader
CINDERELLA (1950) – with Mario Cantone and Leonard Maltin
APOCALYPSE NOW (1978) – in 70mm
DAISY KENYON (1947) – nitrate print
SPIRITED AWAY (2001)
MOTHRA (1961)
EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCERS (1956)
PAT AND MIKE (1952)
CAREFREE (1938)
FANTASTIC VOYAGE (1966)
THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN (1957)
The festival will also host the first theatrical screening of the year with a special 50th anniversary presentation of Jaws. Fans across the country can be apart of the celebration over Labor Day weekend when Jaws returns to the big screen on August 29 through September 4.
TCM Primetime Host Ben Mankiewicz will serve as official host of the TCM Classic Film Festival. The festival’s official hotel and central gathering point will be The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, which has a longstanding role in movie history and was the site of the first Academy Awards® ceremony. The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel will also offer special rates for Festival attendees. Screenings and events during the festival will be held at the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX®, the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres, the Egyptian Theatre, and a return to the historic El Capitan Theatre.
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