As it’s getting to be that spooky time of year, WAMG has the trailer for the horror movie DIE ALONE, written and directed by Lowell Dean, the director of WOLFCOP.
Lost in a world reclaimed by nature and overrun by mysterious creatures, a young man with amnesia teams up with an eccentric survivalist to find his missing girlfriend.
The cast includes Carrie-Anne Moss, Douglas Smith, Kimberly-Sue Murray, Jonathan Cherry and Frank Grillo.
Haed over to the film’s official site to go “behind-the-scenes of DIE ALONE with cast & crew to discover what it takes to create a unique film with mysterious creatures.”
Watch the trailer for the inspirational true story of two-time Olympic Boxing Gold Medalist Claressa Shields THE FIRE INSIDE starring Ryan Destiny and Academy Award® nominee Brian Tyree Henry.
Directed by Academy Award® nominee Rachel Morrison and written by Academy Award® winner Barry Jenkins, THE FIRE INSIDE is the inspirational true story of Claressa Shields, arguably the greatest female boxer of all time. Claressa, a high school Junior from Flint, Michigan, aided by her tough-love coach, Jason Crutchfield, pushes past all limitations to become the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing. But even at the pinnacle of success, Claressa has to reckon with the fact that not all dreams are created equal, and the real fight has only just begun.
The Hollywood Reporter says in their review the film has, “the potential to reap awards accolades ahead of the picture’s release under the Amazon MGM Studios banner, opening wide on Christmas Day.”
“Rachel Morrison’s Boxing Drama Is a Monumental Achievement,” writes the Wrap, while Variety’s Awards pundit Clayton Davis adds “With a relatively thin field in this year’s supporting actor race, Henry could be a strong contender.”
PG-13 for strong language, thematic elements and brief suggestive material
(L to R) Ryan Destiny as Claressa Shields and Brian Tyree Henry as Jason Crutchfield in director Rachel Morrison’s THE FIRE INSIDE.
L to R: (from left) Paddy (James McAvoy) and Ciara (Aisling Franciosi) in Speak No Evil, directed by James Watkins. Courtesy of Universal
In the chilling thriller/horror drama SPEAK NO EVIL, James McAvoy delivers another striking performance as character who shifts between charming and aggressive. No one does this like McAvoy, who has played roles from sweet heroes to madmen, a range that means audiences are never sure which McAvoy they will encounter, creating an edgy tension from the start.
In this story, two couple meet on vacation and hit it off. One couple is American, Louise (Mackenzie Davis) and Ben (Scoot McNairy) who have an 11-year-old daughter, Agnes (Alix West Lefler), and live in London. The other couple are British, Patrick (James McAvoy) and Ciara (Aisling Franciosi), and their shy, mostly mute son Ant (Dan Hough), who live in scenic, rural west England. The Brits are fun, lively, and adventurous, particularly Patrick, who goes by Paddy, a breath of fresh air for the Americans. The two families have a great time in Paris, and the kids seem to hit it off too, despite the age difference and the fact that the boy has difficulty speaking, due a problem with his tongue. “Congenital aglossia,” says the British dad, who tells the Americans that he’s a doctor. When the British couple later send the London-based Americans a postcard with a photo from that trip, and invite them for a weekend visit at their home in the west England countryside, it doesn’t take much to persuade Ben and Louise.
SPEAK NO EVIL is an English-language remake of the Danish horror drama of the same name. In the Danish original, the couples are Danish and Dutch, and meet in Italy instead of France, but the Dutch couple lives in the country and invites the Danes one the visit. Like many such remakes, it varies from the origin – for example, in the original the children are about the same age – but in this case several scenes early on follow the original closely, even down the the dialog, although the last portion diverges.
One thing that is different – very different – from the start, and that is James McAvoy’s character. Rather than a harmless-seeming fellow, very like the other couple, McAvoy’s Paddy is alternately charming and a bit unsettling from the start, put us much more on edge from the start. No one does this kind of character like the talented Mr. McAvoy.
McAvoy is a big reason to see this film, which once it diverges from the original morphs into something that plays on a lot of horror tropes. But McAvoy always keeps us off-balance, being unhinged at times, while even touching at others, charmingly persuasive and rational, but always exuding power and a sense he’s in control – even when he’s not. It is thrilling just to see this actor work.
The tension develops slowly, apart from McAvoy’s character’s occasional flashes of scary. In the original, the couples feel more alike, which is a bit part of the appeal for the Danes. In the remake, it is the differences, the hints of excitement and adventure in the British couple, that is part of what draws in the Americans. Chalk it up to cultural differences.
This remake diverges significantly from the original, so they end up as very different films, although starting from a common premise. In both, the first half of this film feels more like psychological horror but finishes up in more taut thriller territory. For one thing, there are more weapons in this one, although not more gore. The original Danish film is more philosophical, more nihilistic, but this remake adds more rationale motives for what happens. It also adds more complicated relationships for the couples, and how those dynamics interact heightens interest, even when the newer film makes a turn into more conventional horror film territory, with a siege reminiscent of the classic STRAW DOGS. The last half is more rational, and the resolution is different, with the characters in American couple undergoing changes that are the opposite of what happens in the Danish film.
What lifts the film in this turn towards more typical horror is the cast. James McAvoy is splendid but the rest of the cast bring it too. Mackenzie Davis and Scoot McNairy as the American couple struggling in their marriage deliver fine performances as their relationship dynamics shift under the challenges they face. Likewise, the kids are both very good, particularly newcomer Dan Hough who plays a larger role in this version despite his near-muteness. Aisling Franciosi is also good as Paddy’s seemingly harmless wife, and she and McAvoy bring a complexity to their relationship too, none of which appears in the first one.
Ultimately, SPEAK NO EVIL is less groundbreaking and unconventional than the Danish original but it is still a well-made, nail-biting, satisfying thriller, that is mostly elevated by its psychological thriller set-up and the strong performances of the cast, who are good on all levels.
SPEAK NO EVIL opens Friday, Sept. 13, in theaters.
Check out the trailer for the upcoming comedy horror THE RADLEYS starring Damian Lewis, Kelly Macdonald, Harry Baxendale, Bo Bragason, Jay Lycurgo, Siân Phillips and Shaun Parkes.
Award-winning actors Kelly Macdonald (No Country For Old Men) and Damian Lewis (“Billions,” Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood) star in a dark comedy thriller about a seemingly average suburban family with a juicy secret: they are vampires. In the light of day, the Radleys might seem normal, but they can only abstain from their natural cravings for so long until the bloody truth bubbles to the surface and turns their quiet country life upside down.
The film opens in theaters, On Digital and On Demand October 4.
TRANSFORMERS ONE is the untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, better known as sworn enemies, but once were friends bonded like brothers who changed the fate of Cybertron forever. In the first-ever fully CG-animated Transformers movie, TRANSFORMERS ONE features a star-studded voice cast, including Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Steve Buscemi with Laurence Fishburne and Jon Hamm.
Quavo, Ty Dolla $ign, and ARE WE DREAMING (Composer – Brian Tyler) join forces on their new collaborative anthem, “If I Fall,” for Paramount Animation and Hasbro Entertainment’s upcoming motion picture TRANSFORMERS ONE. The three superstars build off one another’s resilient verses, vowing to “take no prisoners” and refusing to give up when the odds are stacked against them. “It’s in my bloodline; I have too much pride,” declares Quavo on the track.
Directed by Josh Cooley, TRANSFORMERS ONE is set to release September 20th.
The special screening is 11AM on Saturday, September 14th @ Marcus Ronnie’s Cine (10AM Suggested Arrival)
Please arrive early as seating is not guaranteed.
FOUR winners will each receive 4 passes to the screening.
“Transformers One” has been rated PG for sci-fi violence and animated action throughout, and language.
Bottom l-r clockwise, Keegan-Michael Key (B-127), Scarlett Johansson (Elita-1), Brian Tyree Henry (D-16), Chris Hemsworth (Orion Pax) star in PARAMOUNT ANIMATION and HASBRO Present In Association with NEW REPUBLIC PICTURES
A di BONAVENTURA PICTURES Production A TOM DESANTO / DON MURPHY Production
A BAY FILMS Production “TRANSFORMERS ONE”
From Blumhouse and visionary writer-director Leigh Whannell, the creators of the chilling modern monster tale The Invisible Man, comes a terrifying new lupine nightmare: Wolf Man.
Golden Globe nominee Christopher Abbott (Poor Things, It Comes at Night) stars as Blake, a San Francisco husband and father, who inherits his remote childhood home in rural Oregon after his own father vanishes and is presumed dead. With his marriage to his high-powered wife, Charlotte (Emmy winner Julia Garner; Ozark, Inventing Anna), fraying, Blake persuades Charlotte to take a break from the city and visit the property with their young daughter, Ginger (Matlida Firth; Hullraisers, Coma).
But as the family approaches the farmhouse in the dead of night, they’re attacked by an unseen animal and, in a desperate escape, barricade themselves inside the home as the creature prowls the perimeter. As the night stretches on, however, Blake begins to behave strangely, transforming into something unrecognizable, and Charlotte will be forced to decide whether the terror within their house is more lethal than the danger without.
Check out the first teaser and see the film in theaters January 17, 2025.
The film co-stars Sam Jaeger (The Handmaid’s Tale), Ben Prendergast (The Sojourn Audio Drama) and Benedict Hardie (The Invisible Man).
Wolf Man is directed by Whannell, whose previous films with Blumhouse include TheInvisible Man, Upgrade and Insidious: Chapter 3. The screenplay is written by Leigh Whannell & Corbett Tuck, Lauren Schuker Blum & Rebecca Angelo (Dumb Money).
The film is produced by Blumhouse founder and CEO Jason Blum and is executive produced by Ryan Gosling, Ken Kao, Bea Sequeira, Mel Turner and Leigh Whannell. Wolf Man is a Blumhouse and Motel Movies production.
While you’re waiting for the film to come out in 2025, check out this list of some iconic werewolf films to watch:
Classic Must-Sees:
An American Werewolf in London (1981): A groundbreaking film that blends horror with comedy, featuring unforgettable transformation scenes and a haunting score.
The Wolf Man (1941): A classic Universal monster movie that introduced the iconic character of the werewolf to the silver screen. PRIME
The Howling (1981): A chilling tale of a woman who discovers a hidden werewolf community.
Modern-Day Thrills:
Ginger Snaps (2000): A coming-of-age horror film that explores themes of sisterhood, sexuality, and transformation.
Dog Soldiers (2002): A British military unit encounters a pack of werewolves in the Scottish Highlands.
Underworld (2003): A vampire-werewolf war epic that combines action, romance, and mythology.
The Wolf Man (2010): Academy Award® winners Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs) and Benicio Del Toro (Traffic) tear up the screen in this action-packed thriller. Lawrence Talbot (Del Toro) is lured back to his family estate to investigate the savage murder of his brother by a bloodthirsty beast. There, Talbot must confront his childhood demons, his estranged father (Hopkins), his brother’s grieving fiancée (Emily Blunt, The Devil Wears Prada) and a suspicious Scotland Yard Inspector (Hugo Weaving, The Matrix Trilogy). When Talbot is bitten by the creature, he becomes eternally cursed and soon discovers a fate far worse than death. Inspired by the classic Universal film that launched a legacy of horror, The Wolfman brings the myth of a cursed man back to its iconic origins.
Unique Takes:
Teen Wolf (1985): A comedic horror film that follows a high school basketball player who discovers he’s a werewolf.
WolfCop (2014): A hilarious and gory horror-comedy about a small-town police officer who turns into a werewolf.
The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020): A darkly comedic horror film about a small-town sheriff who suspects a werewolf is terrorizing his community.
RED ROOMS, a suspenseful character study from Canada, is hard to rate. Some will love it; others will hate it; some will be scratching their heads trying to understand it.
Juliette Gariepy stars as Kelly-Anne, a svelte woman who is the unlikely combination of fashion model and computer genius, using the latter attribute mostly to make big bucks from on-line gambling. Both endeavors give her a lot of discretionary time.
Montreal is mesmerized by the trial of a suspect for the abduction, killing, maiming and snuff-film selling done to three girls in their early teens. There’s ample evidence pointing to him but none to definitively prove he’s the masked monster in the footage that was dealt on the dark web. The title is what the pervs of that ilk call settings for such illegally gruesome displays.
Kelly-Anne is inexplicably obsessed with the lengthy trial, lining up early to get one of the limited gallery seats each day. She starts talking to a fellow follower, Clementine (Laurie Babin). They form a bond based in this mutual interest that seems as unlikely as the horrid crimes that put them in that room.
Kelly-Anne is rich and glamorous, speaking little and more poker-faced about any emotions than an on-line gambler needs to be. Clem is a short, non-stop chatterbox from a small town, with no money to support her intended stay in the city. She’s also firmly and stridently convinced that the defendant isn’t the perp. One is a blank slate; the other is the polar opposite. Even so, Kelly-Anne invites Clem to stay with her for the duration.
The plot from there could go in many directions but winds up doing very little. Neither character has much of an arc. Though there are plenty of references to the content of the films, we never see them and only hear brief snippets. We learn something about why Clem became so obsessed but if that was revealed about Kelly-Anne, I missed it.
The courtroom design is unique. It’s small and all white. That starkness creates a surreal, Kafkaesque atmosphere for all the scenes therein, providing counterpoint to the grisly testimony being presented. There are many moving moments – mostly from the parents of the victims, rather than the two leads. The story also explores media frenzy and societal reactions to such lurid events. Writer/director Pascal Plante holds a mirror up to Western culture but the reflection is open to a wide range of interpretations. The experience is a challenge worth considering.
RED ROOMS opens Friday, Sept 6, at the IFC Center in New York City, with a national roll-out to follow.
“It’s showtime!”…well more like HBO and Max eventually after this brand spankin’ (careful) new sequel to a much-beloved iconic 1980s cinema classic enjoys a healthy stint at the ole’ multiplex. Yup, it’s now been 36 years since that original comedy/fantasy firmly announced the quirky storytelling style of a former animator (though he’d keep a hand in the medium) after hinting at what to come with that “big adventure” with a much-missed movie hero. But can he, along with a new movie generation and fans of the “first”, really “go home” again (and the “great beyond”)? Now all it’ll take is a theatre ticket, along with proclaiming the main character’s name three times, though to be safe the formal title only repeats it twice with BEETLJUICE BEETLEJUICE. Now what’s that “sniff” sulfur smell…?l
After an airborne trek over scenic Winter River, meshed with that bouncy Danny Elfman circus-style march, we meet up with the all-grown heroine of the first flick, Lydia Dietz (Winona Ryder). She’s “tapping” into her past by hosting a reality TV show called “Ghost House” complete with that night-time spooky green photography. The crew has to stop the tape when she’s distracted by an audience member clad in familiar white and black stripes. Nah, it couldn’t be him. Luckily her producer/ beau Rory (Justin Theroux) is there to help and hand her her phone which is blowing up with calls from her stepmom. The duo rushes off to an art gallery hosting her latest “installation”. Delia (Catherine O’Hara) delivers the news of the big family tragedy. They’ll have to return to their old home, but first, they’ve got to convince Lydia’s estranged daughter from a previous marriage Astrid (Jenna Ortega) to join them. The “double-team” of mom and grandmom get her to head away from her boarding school, but not before Lydia sees those stripes again. Down below (way down), that ole’ demonic “fashionista”, Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) is a bored “pencil-pusher” managing a team of “shrunken-head” office drones. Ah, but something shakes things up. In the aftermath of a “janitorial accident” his first wife Delores (Monica Bellucci), a “soul-sucker”, has been “re-assembled” and is on her way for a deadly reunion. This also attracts the attention of the head of “afterlife security”, former movie cop Wolf Jackson (Willem Dafoe). Meanwhile, up above, things are also getting wild as Rory proposes to Lydia at the memorial, insisting that they be married in two days, on Halloween at midnight. The announcement prompts Astrid to dash away into town where she runs into Jeremy (Arthur Conti) a brooding hunky heartthrob. But all is not what it seems as the Dietz family will have to call on that “bio-exorcist” to survive the holiday and put the spirits and “ghosties” back in their place.
After so many years of terrific dramatic roles, I had almost forgotten about Keaton’s formidable comedy “chops”. Well, here’s a big reminder as he truly delivers, not losing a bit of the gravelly delivery nor the superb mugging beneath the makeup. Here he scores by delving into a seminal character from the “first phase” of his career, much as he did by donning the cowl and cape in last year’s ill-fated THE FLASH. Part of that could apply to Ms. Ryder who turns her adored Lydia into a woman of wit and action, returning to the site and source of her teen nightmares, building on her recent resurgence in “Stranger Things”. Speaking of Netflix, kudos for casting the delightfully deadpan “Wednesday” herself, Ortega, as the youngest of the Dietz line. I was getting a bit of a flashback in her early school scenes, but Astrid is more openly passionate over her skepticism of her family’s “gift”. And then there’s the comedic force of nature that is Ms. O’Hara as Delia who mixes her daffy artist spirit with caustic unfiltered wit, verbally giving the others a swift “kick in the past”. Most deserving of such treatment is the movie’s real comedy “find”, the droll devious pompous twit Rory given a snarky sneer (and “man-bun”) by the hilarious Theroux who regurgitates trendy psycho-babble in order to seem hip (you can almost hear Astrid’s eye-rolling). Dafoe appears to be having a blast as the campy action movie star who thinks that he’s the star of another noisy crime thriller while boasting about doing his own stunts (which got him his new gig). Bellucci is sinister and sultry as the seductive stitched-together (a Burton mix of his animated Sally and Corpse Bride with a touch of his Catwoman) siren, while Conti is the teen dream hiding a secret behind his soulful eyes. Another member of the Burton troupe has a nice cameo while newcomer Burn Gorman makes the most of his scant screen time as the verbose and slightly buzzed Father Daman.
Oops, I left the screeching black cat “out of the bag” by revealing that Tim Burton is back behind the camera for his first feature flick in five years. And it could be his most “Burton-y” ever. Perhaps it’s because he’s not adapting a classic kid flick, or a stage musical, or a “loose” biography. I’d go so far as to say this is his best feature film since ED WOOD (which is now 30 years old). He keeps the action zipping along at a brisk pace, but still allows us to savor some striking visuals. At times he seems as giddy as a kid in a candy store since he eschews CGI (used for a bit of touch-up, smoothing, and enhancement) in favor of practical effects (prosthetics, puppetry, and actual shape-shifting sets). It all adds to the lived-in, grungy quality of the afterlife and the wonky world of Winter River. It’s truly a sweet dessert for the eyes, though it veers on gluttony since the story is overstuffed with homage (yes, there’s music but not another Calypso classic) and subplots. There may be enough story for two or more flicks, so you can almost feel as though you’re getting more “bang” (and “boo”) for that ticket price. After a Broadway stage show and a Saturday morning cartoon series (when the TV broadcast networks did that on weekends), the world of the “Juice still feels like the coolest undead underworld place to hang out, even though the surprise of the 88′ original isn’t quite there. Speaking of ‘toons, we even get a nifty flashback told with stop motion figures. So, the off-kilter quirks of Burton, the practical “on-set” VFX, and the comic wizardry of Keaton (not to mention again that Elfman score) add up to a most welcome, though too many years in the making, nostalgic sequel romp, so nice they named him twice, BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE. Now everybody board the Sooouulll Train…
3.5 Out of 4
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE is now playing in theatres everywhere
The Max Original film CADDO LAKE, from producer M. Night Shyamalan and writer-directors Celine Held and Logan George, debuts Thursday, October 10, on MAX.
The cast includes Dylan O’Brien, Eliza Scanlen, Diana Hopper, Caroline Falk, Sam Hennings, with Eric Lange and Lauren Ambrose.
Here’s a look at the brand new trailer.
The inspiration for CADDO LAKE was sparked after filmmakers Celine Held and Logan George came across a photograph of the real Caddo Lake online, leading to many visits to the cypress forest that rests on the border of Texas and Louisiana. The film was shot in late 2021 and 2022 in and around Karnak, Texas.
CADDO LAKE is written and directed by Celine Held & Logan George; produced by M. Night Shyamalan, Ashwin Rajan, Kara Durrett and Josh Godfrey; executive producers Kimberly Steward, Harrison Huffman, and Will Greenfield.
In this fresh coming-of-age story, an 18th birthday mushroom trip brings free-spirited Elliott (Maisy Stella) face-to-face with her wisecracking 39-year-old self (Aubrey Plaza). But when Elliott’s “old ass” starts handing out warnings about what her younger self should and shouldn’t do, Elliott realizes she has to rethink everything about family, love, and what’s becoming a transformative summer.
Written and directed by Megan Park and starring Maisy Stella, Percy Hynes White, Maddie Ziegler, Kerrice Brooks and Aubrey Plaza, MY OLD ASS is in limited theaters September 13.
RATED R.
The St. Louis advance screening is at 7PM, on Wednesday, September 18th, at Marcus Ronnies Cine (5:30PM or earlier Suggested Arrival)
