Category: Movies

Cinema St. Louis and St. Louis Public Radio Present Free BEST OF SHORTS Program Saturday February 20th

Cinema St. Louis and St. Louis Public Radio are proud to co-present a free virtual screening of a selection of the award-winning short films from the 2020 Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF) and 2020 Whitaker St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase. In addition to the films, the event will feature an interview with Jon Alston, director of “Augustus,” which won the Essy Award (which honors films with St. Louis connections) for Best Narrative Short at both the Showcase and SLIFF.

The program will be streamed at 7 pm Saturday, Feb. 20, on St. Louis Public Radio’s Twitch channel.

Twitch is a livestream video platform owned by Amazon. It’s like YouTube, but all the videos are live, so the experience is different at any given time.

More information can be found on St. Louis Public Radio’s Events page: stlpublicradio.org/events. Participants can register for the event here.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has long sanctioned SLIFF’s shorts competition as a pre-screening event for the Academy Awards. The winners in four categories of SLIFF’s juried shorts programming (Best of Fest, Best Animation, Best Live Action, and Best Documentary) are eligible to submit their films directly to the Academy for Oscar consideration.

St. Louis Public Radio is an award-winning news organization and NPR member station, providing in-depth news, insightful discussion, and entertaining programs to more than a half-million people per month on-air and online. With a large, St. Louis-based newsroom and reporters stationed in Jefferson City and Rolla, Mo., and Belleville, Ill., the station’s journalists find and tell important stories about communities across the region and help people to become deeply informed about the issues that affect their lives. Broadcasting on 90.7 KWMU FM in St. Louis, 90.3 WQUB in Quincy, Ill., 88.5 KMST in Rolla, and sharing news and music online at stlpublicradio.org, St. Louis Public Radio is a member-supported service of the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

The following short films will be screened during this event:

Always Coming Back (Noah Readhead & Nate Townsend, U.S.,  2020, 9 min., English): SLIFF Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary Short. Webster Groves rallies around a man with a mental disability to support his greatest passion.

Augustus (Jon Alston, U.S., 2020, 16 min., English): SLIFF and Showcase Essy Award for Best Narrative Short. Augustus, a literate carpenter and family man who is living free as a fugitive slave, is faced with a decision to speak or die when denied the wages he’s earned.

Black Goat (Yi Tang, Nepal/U.S., 2019, 12 min., Nepali): SLIFF Best Live Action Short. A new girl at a nunnery has her first period after hearing a late-night ghost story and believes that she has been cursed, requiring her to sacrifice a black goat to avoid further misfortune.

Colette (Anthony Giacchino, France/Germany/U.S., 2019, 24 min., French & German): SLIFF Best Documentary Short. Colette Catherine, now 90, revisits the terrors of her childhood, when she fought the Nazis as a member of the French Resistance.

I Want to Make a Film about Women (Karen Pearlman, Australia, 2019, 12 min., English & Russian): SLIFF Essy Award for Best Documentary Short. A speculative love letter to Russian constructivist women in the 1920s Soviet Union.

Josiah (Kyle Laursen, U.S., 2019, 20 min., English): SLIFF Best of Fest Short. A Black actor auditions for a part in a period television series.

R.A.S. (Lucas Durkheim, France, 2019, 5 min., French): SLIFF Best Short Short. For months now, a group of five bored young soldiers have been stuck on a mission in the middle of the Afghan mountains, but the routine is finally broken during a support mission.

To the Dusty Sea (Héloïse Ferlay, France, 2020, 12 min., French): SLIFF Best Animated Short. Left alone in the summer, Malo and Zoe try their best to catch their mother’s elusive eye.

IFC Films Debuts A Nightmarish Trailer For COME TRUE

Opening in theaters and VOD March 12, check out the trailer from IFC Films for COME TRUE from writer/director Anthony Scott Burns.

Inspired by the work of Nicolas Roeg, William Friedkin, Stanley Kubrick, and David Cronenberg, as well as sleep studies conducted by Berkeley University, COME TRUE seeks to ask what would happen if we could see other people’s dreams? What would we see? What would we discover about ourselves? What if these shadows from our collective dreams saw us looking back at them?

High school student Sarah is at her lowest point yet when she runs away from home and finds herself with no one to rely on and struggling with recurring nightmares. She chances upon a university sleep study that offers the promise of safety and money and brings her an unexpected friend and confidant in the overseeing scientist Jeremy. But there’s something curious about proceedings and being under observation seems to make Sarah’s disturbing dreams even worse. As the darkness begins to close in, it’s soon clear that Sarah has unknowingly become the conduit to a horrifying, new discovery…

The score for COME TRUE was composed by celebrated synth-pop duo Electric Youth and electronic artist Pilotpriest and encapsulates a dark, dreamworld landscape that carries viewers across the journey of the film with pulsing urgency.

Trailer Watch: See Emma Stone In CRUELLA On May 28, 2021

Emma Stone as Estella in Disney’s live-action CRUELLA. Photo by Laurie Sparham. © 2021 Disney Enterprises Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Here’s your first look at the upcoming movie CRUELLA.

Academy Award® winner Emma Stone (“La La Land”) stars in Disney’s all-new live-action feature film about the rebellious early days of one of cinemas most notorious – and notoriously fashionable – villains, the legendary Cruella de Vil. “Cruella,” which is set in 1970s London amidst the punk rock revolution, follows a young grifter named Estella, a clever and creative girl determined to make a name for herself with her designs. She befriends a pair of young thieves who appreciate her appetite for mischief, and together they are able to build a life for themselves on the London streets. One day, Estella’s flair for fashion catches the eye of the Baroness von Hellman, a fashion legend who is devastatingly chic and terrifyingly haute, played by two-time Oscar® winner Emma Thompson (“Howards End,” “Sense & Sensibility”). But their relationship sets in motion a course of events and revelations that will cause Estella to embrace her wicked side and become the raucous, fashionable and revenge-bent Cruella.

The Walt Disney Company will be releasing CRUELLA on May 28, 2021.

Our thoughts on the upcoming film?

Jim says: And that trailer earns a resounding “meh” from me. Disney is so determined to create another “universe” with their animation legacy to
match Marvel and Star Wars that they’re squeezing the last juice from
those flicks by now going “retro” and ‘prequel”. The only true Cruella
is the hand-drawn version by the “nine old men” and not Close and
certainly not the talented Ms. Stone.

Michelle: I’m glad it’s not another Disney reimagination trying to make the bad guy misunderstood, like with Maleficent. The villain is the villain, and with the original animated features, they were pure evil from the beginning… however I really want to see the film when it’s released in May.

Over on Twitter, there were comparisons to JOKER.

Emma Stone as Cruella in Disney’s live-action CRUELLA. Photo by Laurie Sparham. © 2021 Disney Enterprises Inc. All Rights Reserve
Emma Stone as Cruella in Disney’s live-action CRUELLA. Photo by Laurie Sparham. © 2021 Disney Enterprises Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Emma Thompson as the Baroness in Disney’s live-action CRUELLA. Photo by Laurie Sparham. © 2021 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Disney’s “Cruella” is directed by Craig Gillespie (“I Tonya”) from a screenplay by Dana Fox and Tony McNamara, story by Aline Brosh McKenna and Kelly Marcel & Steve Zissis. It was produced by Andrew Gunn (“Freaky Friday”), Marc Platt (“Mary Poppins Returns”) and Kristin Burr (“Christopher Robin”), with Emma Stone, Michelle Wright, Jared LeBoff and Glenn Close serving as executive producers. Two-time Oscar®- winning costume designer Jenny Beavan (“Mad Max: Fury Road,” “A Room with a View”) creates the dazzling and imaginative costumes, which take on a life of their own.

Giveaway: Win A Free Pass To The Virtual Screening of THE MAURITANIAN On February 24

In WAMG’s review of THE MAURITANIAN, writer Cate Marquis says the upcoming movie, “is a good film, a sincere film with a worthy subject, and one that features a powerful central performance by Tahar Rahim.”

Captured by the U.S. Government, Mohamedou Ould Slahi (Tahar Rahim) languishes in prison for years without charge or trial. Losing all hope, Slahi finds allies in defense attorney Nancy Hollander (Jodie Foster) and her associate Teri Duncan (Shailene Woodley). Together they face countless obstacles in a desperate pursuit for justice. Their controversial advocacy, along with evidence uncovered by formidable military prosecutor, Lt. Colonel Stuart Couch (Benedict Cumberbatch), eventually reveals a shocking and far reaching conspiracy. Based on the New York Times best-selling memoir, this is the explosive true story of a fight for survival against all odds.

Photo Credit: Graham Bartholomew / STXFilms

Based upon the Book: “Guantanamo Diary” by Mohamedou Ould Slahi

The film stars Jodie Foster, Tahar Rahim, Zachary Levi, Saamer Usmani with Shailene Woodley and Benedict Cumberbatch and directed by Academy Award winner Kevin Macdonald. http://www.stxfilms.com/themauritanian/

In theaters now, on demand March 2.

The film features score music composed by Tom Hodge for the inspiring true story of Mohamedou Ould Slahi’s fight for freedom after being detained and imprisoned without charge by the U.S. government. Nominated for two Golden Globe® Awards.

Enter for your chance to win passes to the Virtual Screening on Wednesday February 24th at 7pm.

Leave your name and email address in the comments section below.

No purchase necessary. Open to U.S. residents only.

Photo Credit: Graham Bartholomew / STXFilms

Frances McDormand in NOMADLAND Opens in St. Louis Friday at The Hi-Pointe – The Critics Call It “Brilliant”!

The Hi-Pointe Theater, at 1005 McCausland Ave in St. Louis, is the best place to see movies. Frances McDormand in NOMADLAND opens this Friday February 19th at The Hi-Pointe. The Hi-Pointe’s site can be found HERE. Read Jim Batts’ We Are Movie Geeks review of NOMADLAND HERE

Following the economic collapse of a company town in rural Nevada, Fern (Frances McDormand) packs her van and sets off on the road exploring a life outside of conventional society as a modern-day nomad. The third feature film from director Chloé Zhao, NOMADLAND features real nomads Linda May, Swankie and Bob Wells as Fern’s mentors and comrades in her exploration through the vast landscape of the American West. 

ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE Trailer Features Steppenwolf, Darkseid And Joker

In 31 days, there’s a war coming in.

In ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE, determined to ensure Superman’s (Henry Cavill) ultimate sacrifice was not in vain, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) aligns forces with Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) with plans to recruit a team of metahumans to protect the world from an approaching threat of catastrophic proportions. The task proves more difficult than Bruce imagined, as each of the recruits must face the demons of their own pasts to transcend that which has held them back, allowing them to come together, finally forming an unprecedented league of heroes. Now united, Batman (Affleck), Wonder Woman (Gadot), Aquaman (Jason Momoa), Cyborg (Ray Fisher) and The Flash (Ezra Miller) may be too late to save the planet from Steppenwolf, DeSaad and Darkseid and their dreadful intentions.

Watch the brand new trailer now.

With the release of the trailer today, viewers were shocked to hear an original conversation with Batman, when Joker says, ‘We live in a society where honor is a distant memory.’ It had social media and the internet buzzing on Sunday.

Stream ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE on HBO Max in 4K UHD, HDR10, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos on supported devices.

Enter the world of ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE and stay up to date with the latest news, trailers, activities and more on the dedicated microsite here! As our heroes, now united, prepare to protect the world from Steppenwolf, DeSaad and Darkseid’s dreadful intentions, we’ll have everything you need to get ready for the March 18th premiere on HBO Max.

The ZACK SNYDER’S JUSTICE LEAGUE screenplay is by Chris Terrio, story by Chris Terrio & Zack Snyder and Will Beall, based on characters from DC, Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The film’s producers are Charles Roven, Deborah Snyder, with executive producers Christopher Nolan, Emma Thomas, Wesley Coller, Jim Rowe, Curtis Kanemoto, Chris Terrio and Ben Affleck.

Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/snydercut SnyderCut

Ryan O’Neal and Ali MacGraw to Receive stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame February 12th – Ceremony Coincides with 50th Anniversary of Their Beloved Film LOVE STORY

Footage and photos of Ryan O’Neal and Ali MacGraw receiving their stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame February 12th will be provided immediately following the virtual ceremony and will be accessible HERE

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of LOVE STORY, actors Ryan O’Neal and Ali MacGraw will be honored with stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the first virtual double-star ceremony in history on February 12, 2021, just in time for Valentine’s Day. O’Neal’s star will be between MacGraw’s and his real-life love, Farrah Fawcett. 

O’Neal and MacGraw both received Oscar nominations for their starring roles in LOVE STORY, which was nominated for seven Academy Awards®, including Best Picture. The film became a cultural phenomenon, earning over $100 million at the domestic box office and becoming the top-grossing movie of the year. In 2002, the AFI named it as #9 on its list of the 100 greatest love stories of all time. A timeless classic about the highs and lows of young love, the film remains as impactful as ever, 50 years after its original release. Newly restored for its anniversary, LOVE STORY is available in a limited-edition Blu-ray with collectible packaging, commentary by director Arthur Hiller, a look at the film’s impact, and more. 

MY BLOODY VALENTINE Date Night One Night Only at The Darkness in St. Louis – Saturday, February 13th

PUT A LITTLE FRIGHTINTO YOUR VALENTINE’S DATE NIGHT ! TAKE YOUR “GHOULFRIEND” TO ‘MY BLOODY VALENTINE‘ – OPEN ONE EVENING ONLY AT THE DARKNESS IN SOULARDSATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 20217 to 10 P.M. Ticket info can be found HERE. Located next to Soulard Market at 1525 S. 8th St., St. Louis, MO 63104.  Here’s a preview of the event:

It’s been a very frightening year, so The Darkness haunted house has created the perfect Valentine’s celebration we all need right now. 
The Darkness, America’s scariest haunted house, will open for one night only during the season of love for a special My Bloody Valentine’s Date Night event on Saturday, February 13 from 7 to 10 p.m. 


Admission to this perfectly horrifying Valentine’s event is $25 and tickets can be purchased at https://scarefest.fearticket.com.


Tickets include Valentine’s candy treats, free photo ops with The Darkness monsters and the scariest date night in history. A crowd-avoiding Speedpass can be added for $10. Tickets are limited and timed to allow for social distancing.


At St. Louis’ most horrifying Valentine’s celebration, guests will encounterboo-tiful brides, gruesome grooms, ill-fated lovers and frightening surprises around every creepy corner, re-themed for Valentine’s 2021.
The Darkness is located in the Soulard neighborhood, directly north of the historic Soulard Market at 1525 South 8th Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63104. More information is available at www.Scarefest.com.

This Valentine’s Day, Watch SciFi Romance LITTLE FISH Starring Olivia Cooke & Jack O’Connell

“They say you can’t forget feelings,and I still believe that.”

In LITTLE FISH, newlyweds Jude (Jack O’Connell) and Emma (Olivia Cooke) find themselves amidst a global pandemic where memories begin to fade without warning. When Jack’s memory starts to deteriorate, the two will stop at nothing to hold on to the life they know and remember the love they share. 

Writer/director Chad Hartigan is best known for his award-winning feature films THIS IS MARTIN BONNER and MORRIS FROM AMERICA. Hartigan won the John Cassavetes Award at the 2014 Independent Spirit Awards, as well as the “Best of NEXT” Audience Award at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, for THIS IS MARTIN BONNER. Hartigan won the Waldo Scott Screenwriter Award at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival for his film MORRIS FROM AMERICA. LITTLE FISH marks the third collaboration between childhood friends Hartigan, composer Keegan Dewitt (HEARTS BEAT LOUD) and cinematographer Sean McElwee (THE INCREDIBLE JESSICA JAMES). Based on Aja Gabel’s short story, the film is written by up and coming screenwriter Mattson Tomlin who co-wrote the latest Batman film, THE BATMAN, and wrote the Netflix hit PROJECT POWER. 

LITTLE FISH is produced by Lia Buman, Rian Cahill, Tim Headington, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones and Mattson Tomlin and was an official selection of the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival.

TCM Big Screen Classics Series Continues With the 30th Anniversary of BOYZ N THE HOOD on February 28th and March 3rd

The seventh annual TCM Big Screen Classics continues on Sun., Feb. 28 and Wed., Mar. 3 when Turner Classic Movies and Fathom Events bring Boyz n the Hood 30th Anniversary to select cinemas nationwide.

 In honor of Black History Month, this classic film returns to cinemas and includes exclusive insights from Turner Classic Movies. 

Written and directed by John Singleton, Boyz n the Hood is the critically acclaimed coming-of-age story of growing up in a South Central Los Angeles neighborhood. It is a place where harmony co-exists with adversity, especially for three young men growing up there: Doughboy (Ice Cube), an unambitious drug dealer; his brother Ricky (Morris Chestnut), a college-bound teenage father; and Ricky’s best friend Tre (Cuba Gooding, Jr.), who aspires to a brighter future beyond “The Hood.” In a world where a trip to the store can end in death, the friends have diverse reactions to their bleak surroundings. Tre’s resolve is strengthened by a strong father (Larry Fishburne) who keeps him on the right track. But the lessons Tre learns are put to the ultimate test when tragedy strikes close to home, and retaliation seems the only recourse.

Tickets are available now at www.FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices. For a complete list of events in the series, visit the Fathom Events website.

The lineup for the 2021 TCM Big Screen Classics series is: 

  • The Maltese Falcon 80th Anniversary          
  • Boyz n the Hood 30th Anniversary               
  • The Ten Commandments 65th Anniversary
  • La Bamba                             
  • Fried Green Tomatoes 30th Anniversary                 
  • The Birdcage 25th Anniversary                    
  • The African Queen 70th Anniversary                       
  • Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory 50th Anniversary   
  • Citizen Kane 80th Anniversary                      
  • The Silence of the Lambs 30th Anniversary                       
  • West Side Story 60th Anniversary                
  • On Golden Pond 40th Anniversary               

 Since its start in 2015, the TCM Big Screen Classics series has proved to be an annual fan favorite. Many events in the series achieved rave reviews and were top performers at the box office.