Anya Taylor-Joy – Page 3 – We Are Movie Geeks

THE WITCH Cast Its Spell Midnights This Weekend at The Tivoli

THE WITCH screens this Friday and Saturday nights (September 14th and 15th) at midnight at the Tivoli Theater as part of their ‘Reel Late at the Tivoli’ Midnight series.

When Michael Haffner reviewed THE WITCH here at We Are Movie Geeks in 2015, he wrote: “…..THE WITCH drips with dread. What it lacks in scares, it makes up for in genuine fear. It’s the fear of the unknown; the fear of losing your family’s trust; and the fear of living in a world where religious rule is just as terrifying as what’s lurking deep in the woods.” (read all of Michael’s review HERE)

THE WITCH, one of the most original horror films in a decade unleashes its unholy curse on the big screen this weekend at The Tivoli. A Puritan family banished to the edge of the known wilderness suspects an unseen, unspeakable evil is at work after the disappearance of one of their five children. Drawing from actual accounts of witchcraft and possession in New England, the critically acclaimed film features authentic settings and a creepy atmosphere. From debut writer-director Robert Eggers,THE WITCH stars Anya Taylor-Joy (Viking Quest), Ralph Ineson (Kingsman: The Secret Service) and Katie Dickie (TV’s “Game of Thrones”).

The Tivoli’s located at 6350 Delmar Blvd., University City, MO. Admission is a mere $8!

A facebook invite for this event can be found HERE

https://www.facebook.com/events/328108097729294/

The Tivoli’s website can be found HERE

http://www.landmarktheatres.com/market/st.louis/tivolitheatre.htm

THOROUGHBREDS – Review

Patricide is served with a side of angry satire in writer/director Cory Finlay’s audacious debut THOROUGHBREDS. It’s a well written and acted film that ultimately doesn’t add up to much, but it manages to tell a compelling story of teen angst and murder with style and confidence. Anya Taylor-Joy stars as Lily, a privileged high school senior preparing for upcoming tests and college entrance exams. She begins tutoring the equally well-healed Amanda (Olivia Cooke), a troubled acquaintance from childhood. “I have a healthy brain. It just doesn’t contain any feelings” claims Amanda, who has been struggling to fit in after murdering a prized race horse (a startling, though non-graphic scene that opens the film). Lily has her own problems including a recent expulsion from boarding school after being caught plagiarizing an essay. Grieving the recent loss of her father, she cries herself to sleep at night in the Connecticut mansion she shares with her mom (Francie Smith) and new stepfather Mark (Paul Sparks), a coldhearted bully she can’t stand and would love to see out of the picture. After some initial awkwardness, the girls ease into a close friendship as the restless Lily finds she can share with Amanda her desire to kill Mark without fear of judgement. Their talks about following through with the murder turn to plans and eventually, action.

While the interactions between the two girls goes down some dark paths, Finlay’s script has a clever sense of humor and a decent understanding of the fury that can build up inside a teenager. Some may find THOROUGHBREDS too cold and calculated, with Finlay directing the actresses to deliver much of his dialog in a detached, deadpan delivery that may have seemed radical in HEATHERS thirty years ago but long ago lost its edge. What makes THOROUGHBREDS watchable is the ruthless and devious manner that the pair goes about planning their crime. The film’s best moments involve Tim, a philosophical, slightly older drug dealer the girls hook up with at a party. Tim, wonderfully played by a manic Anton Yelchin (in his final role), quickly regrets getting involved with the girls after they awkwardly attempt to blackmail him into committing the murder. THOROUGHBREDS is a good showcase for the two females leads, both appealing. Olivia Cooke as Amanda combines an emotionless stare with impressive comic timing, as when she teaches Lily how to fake smile and her ‘technique’ to shed instant tears. Taylor-Joy, in the less-flashy role provides suitable contrast, though Lily becomes a more dangerous and manipulative presence as the story progresses. I appreciate the material’s take on teen violence but I also felt as if I’d seen this story before and that the script’s rote psychological hang-ups and the oversimplified stepfather-daughter dynamic never felt real. Mark is a jerk, but so are a lot of people and the audience doesn’t exactly root for his demise. THOROUGHBREDS may not have as much bite as it needs to be a classic, but it is recommended.

3 1/2 of 5 Stars

THOROUGHBREDS opens in St. Louis today at The Hi-Pointe Theatre

Win Passes To The Advance Screening Of THOROUGHBREDS In St. Louis

Childhood friends Lily and Amanda reconnect in suburban Connecticut after years of growing apart. Lily has turned into a polished, upper class teenager, with a fancy boarding school on her transcript and a coveted internship on her resume; Amanda has developed a sharp wit and her own particular attitude, but all in the process of becoming a social outcast. Though they initially seem completely at odds, the pair bond over Lily’s contempt for her oppressive stepfather, Mark, and as their friendship grows, they begin to bring out one another’s most destructive tendencies. Their ambitions lead them to hire a local hustler, Tim, and take matters into their own hands to set their lives straight.

Directed by Cory Finley, the film stars Olivia Cooke, Anya Taylor-Joy, Anton Yelchin, and Paul Sparks.

Focus Features will release THOROUGHBREDS in theaters on March 9, 2018.

Enter the link below for the chance to win TWO (2) seats to the advance screening of THOROUGHBREDS on March 6, at 7:00 pm in St. Louis.

https://focusfeaturesscreenings.com/index.php/main/sweepstakes/Qwhmc76404

Winners will be chosen Sunday morning and notified automatically.

OFFICIAL RULES:

1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.

2. No purchase necessary. A pass does not guarantee a seat at a screening. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis. The theater is overbooked to assure a full house.

Rated R for disturbing behavior, bloody images, language, sexual references, and some drug content.

Visit the official site: focusfeatures.com/thoroughbreds

Check out the New Poster for THOROUGHBREDS Starring Anya Taylor-Joy

Focus Features will release THOROUGHBREDS in select theaters on March 9, 2018. Check Back at We Are Movie Geeks next week for the debut of the teaser trailer.

Childhood friends Lily and Amanda reconnect in suburban Connecticut after years of growing apart. Lily has turned into a polished, upper-class teenager, with a fancy boarding school on her transcript and a coveted internship on her resume; Amanda has developed a sharp wit and her own particular attitude, but all in the process of becoming a social outcast. Though they initially seem completely at odds, the pair bond over Lily’s contempt for her oppressive stepfather, Mark, and as their friendship grows, they begin to bring out one another’s most destructive tendencies. Their ambitions lead them to hire a local hustler, Tim, and take matters into their own hands to set their lives straight.

THOROUGHBREDS is written and directed by Cory Finley and stars Olivia Cooke, Anya Taylor-Joy, Anton Yelchin, and Paul Sparks.

M. Night Shyamalan’s SPLIT Number One Film In North America With $46 Million

M. Night Shyamalan’s suspense thriller SPLIT was the number one movie in North America, scaring up an impressive $46 million in its debut for the 3rd weekend in January.

Shyamalan returns to the captivating grip of The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable and Signs with Split, an original thriller that delves into the mysterious recesses of one man’s fractured, gifted mind. Following 2015’s breakout hit The Visit, Shyamalan reunites with producer Jason Blum (The Purge and Insidious series, The Gift) for the film.

While the mental divisions of those with dissociative identity disorder have long fascinated and eluded science, it is believed that some can also manifest unique physical attributes for each personality, a cognitive and physiological prism within a single being.

Though Kevin (James McAvoy) has evidenced 23 personalities to his trusted psychiatrist, Dr. Fletcher (Betty Buckley), there remains one still submerged who is set to materialize and dominate all the others. Compelled to abduct three teenage girls led by the willful, observant Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy, The Witch), Kevin reaches a war for survival among all of those contained within him—as well as everyone around him—as the walls between his compartments shatter apart.

Read Tom Stockman’s review here.

Back Lot Music has released the soundtrack album for Universal Pictures’ SPLIT. The soundtrack includes new music from composer West Dylan Thordson, and the digital soundtrack release coincides with the film’s domestic release today. A vinyl version of the album is planned for later this year.

Check it out now on Spotify.

Thordson is a composer and bandleader who got his start in the Twin Cities music scene before moving to New York and developing his career as a composer of film scores.

After leading the band, A Whisper in the Noise for many years, he caught his first big break when Shyamalan featured Thordson’s version of Bob Dylan’s classic “The Times They Are A-Changin'” at the end of Shyamalan’s film Lady in the Water.

Though Thordson’s move to New York was meant to be temporary, until the end of working on the film Foxcatcher, his rise in the ranks of film composers continued in 2015 when he scored every episode of the HBO hit series The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst. It was this series that lead Thordson to working on Split, after Shyamalan and team became fans of his score from the series.

Discussing his work with Shyamalan on the film, Thordson says, “Night was meticulous as a director on SPLIT, seeing the score’s role as shadowing the emotional journey of the characters on screen as the story unfolded. As for the sonic colors, we heavily focused on keeping the timbre animalistic and raw.”

www.splitmovie.com

Tracklisting:

Opening
What’s Wrong With Barry?
Dr. Fletcher in Philadelphia
A Way Out
Dr. Fletcher and the World
What Are You Up to, Dennis?
Casey Tells the Truth
Somebody Save Us
Last Rites
I Know You Want to Tell Me Something
There Are Things That Are Hard to Believe
I’m Really Sad You Feel That Way
Arrival
Meeting the Others
The Beast is On the Move
Dr. Fletcher’s Death
Casey Meets the Beast
Kevin Wendell Crumb
The Standoff
The Rise of the Beast
Rejoice
The Beast (Bonus Track)

Purchase the soundtrack: http://smarturl.it/SplitOST

SPLIT – Review

They showed the trailer for SPLIT at a screening a few months back. When the words ‘from the Director of THE SIXTH SENSE’ popped up, there was an audible groan from the audience. Such was the state of the beleaguered director, but after last year’s fun THE VISIT, and now the wicked and witty thriller SPLIT, his best in years, M. Night Shyamalan’s fortunes are looking up. After minimal set-up involving a parking lot abduction, three teen girls wake up in a locked, windowless room. Two of the girls (Haley Lu Richardson and Jessica Sula) are friends, while the third, Casey (Anya Taylor Joy) is an outsider. Their captor is Kevin (James McAvoy), who proceeds to both terrify and confuse them. One minute he’s Barry, a fey Brit, the next he’s a woman named Patricia, then he’s Hedwig, a nine-year-old boy, and then he’s Dennis, a slow janitor. Kevin has 23 of these personalities and since this is an M. Night, there’s a twist, and that has to do with Kevin’s 24^th identity, one he’s preparing for and will reveal near the film’s climax, sorta like Derek Zoolander’s Blue Steel. Kevin visits Dr. Fletcher (Betty Buckley), his psychologist who delivers important background information. Is Kevin a psychopath holding these girls captive toward his own degenerate ends or is he saving them for something else?

Best enjoyed with a minimum of foreknowledge, SPLIT is not a great movie but it’s a well-plotted story that takes chances, goes in clever directions, and ratchets up tension. Some may find where it goes to be a silly place, but all the pieces nicely fit together, such as the clever way the reveal of both Mr. 24 and the mysterious locale tie together. McAvoy’s gives a committed, technical performance, kind and innocent one moment, intimidating and creepy the next. He never goes over-the-top like I feared he would (he was less disciplined as last year’s VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN) in a ridiculous role that could have been ruinous cast with the wrong actor (Shia LeBeouf for example!). The problem is that, as convincing as McAvoy is in pulling off all of these characters, they’re just not that interesting. Since we only see 5 or 6 of these personalities, perhaps the script could have better fleshed out the cast that existed in Kevin’s head. Also, I kept wonderiing why all these different identities were so comfortable with trussed-up teens in the house!

Anya Taylor Joy is solid as the resourceful final girl. Flashbacks to Casey as a child deer hunting with her dad and pervy uncle are well-integrated, showing how surviving an earlier trauma honed her survival skills. Haley Lu Richardson and Jessica Sula are given little to do besides lose some of their clothes, steeling the audience for sex crimes that never happen. Betty Buckley (also in Shyamalan’s delirious THE HAPPENING) is good in a large role delivering copious amounts of psychobabble and plot explication (Sally Field in this role would have been a nice nod to SYBIL). A single flashback to Kevin abused as a child by his wire hanger-wielding mom is as obvious as the scene at the end of PSYCHO when the psychologist gives his overt explanation of the Norman/Mother divide, but less necessary. If SPLIT as a whole doesn’t quite hang together, it works in isolated set pieces. There are a number of bravura moments, including some lengthy, complex tracking shots through the bowels of this mysterious compound, while a shot of a dead victim yanked suddenly off-camera as if momentarily alive is as startling as a similar moment in Mario Bava’s BLOOD AND BLACK LACE. Shyamalan throws in one last surprise at the end, not a twist but a goofy fanboy nod that has nothing to do with the events that have just transpired, but I’m glad it’s there.

4 of 5 Stars

Win Passes To The Advance Screening Of SPLIT In St. Louis

Writer/director/producer M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN returns to the captivating grip of The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable and Signs with Split, an original film that delves into the mysterious recesses of one man’s fractured, gifted mind.

Following last year’s breakout hit THE VISIT, Shyamalan reunites with producer JASON BLUM (The Purge and Insidious series, The Gift) for the thriller being hailed as “Shyamalan’s most terrifying film to date.”

Though Kevin (JAMES MCAVOY, X-Men series, Wanted) has evidenced 23 personalities—each with unique physical attributes—to his trusted psychiatrist, Dr. Fletcher (Tony Award winner BETTY BUCKLEY, TV’s Oz), there remains one still submerged who is set to materialize and dominate all the others.

Compelled to abduct three teenage girls led by the willful, observant Casey (ANYA TAYLOR-JOY, The Witch), Kevin reaches a war for survival among all of those contained within him—as well as everyone around him—as the walls between his compartments shatter apart.

For the film The Guardian calls “a masterful blend of Hitchcock and horror,” Shyamalan and Blum reassemble their core team from THE VISIT, their wildly successful 2015 collaboration.

SPLIT opens in theaters on January 20, 2017.

WAMG invites you to enter for the chance to win TWO (2) seats to the advance screening of SPLIT on TUESDAY, JANUARY 17 at 7PM in the St. Louis area.

Answer the following:

The director penned the part of Dr. Fletcher with seasoned stage and screen star Betty Buckley in mind. “Night is full of joie de vivre and mischief, and I love mischief,” says Buckley. She also appreciates how Shyamalan taps actors with strong theater backgrounds. “Night is smart to use actors like James McAvoy who have roots in theater,” she commends. “Artists in that arena have an understanding of storytelling and discipline, and Night brings that craft to his filmmaking.”

What film did Buckley and Shyamalan previously collaborate on?

TO ENTER, ADD YOUR NAME, ANSWER AND EMAIL IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.

OFFICIAL RULES:

1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.

2. No purchase necessary. A pass does not guarantee a seat at a screening. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis. The theater is overbooked to assure a full house. The theater is not responsible for overbooking.

This film has been rated PG-13 for disturbing thematic content and behavior, violence and some language.

Visit the official site: www.splitmovie.com

Universal Pictures Debuts New Trailer For M. Night Shyamalan’s SPLIT

Watch the new trailer for director M. Night Shyamalan’s SPLIT starring James McAvoy.

Writer/director/producer M. Night Shyamalan returns to the captivating grip of THE SIXTH SENSE, UNBREAKABLE and SIGNS with SPLIT, an original film that delves into the mysterious recesses of one man’s fractured, gifted mind. Following last year’s breakout hit THE VISIT, Shyamalan reunites with producer Jason Blum (The Purge and Insidious series, The Gift) for the thriller being hailed as “Shyamalan’s most terrifying film to date.”

Though Kevin (James McAvoy) has evidenced 23 personalities—each with unique physical attributes—to his trusted psychiatrist, Dr. Fletcher (Betty Buckley), there remains one still submerged who is set to materialize and dominate all the others. Compelled to abduct three teenage girls led by the willful, observant Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy, The Witch), Kevin reaches a war for survival among all of those contained within him—as well as everyone around him—as the walls between his compartments shatter apart.

For the film The Guardian calls “a masterful blend of Hitchcock and horror,” Shyamalan and Blum reassemble their core team from THE VISIT, the No. 1-grossing horror film of 2015. Their fellow collaborators on SPLIT include producer Marc Bienstock and executive producers Ashwin Rajan and Steven Schneider.

Visit the official site – www.splitmovie.com

MORGAN – Review

Many storytellers have used science fiction to question human existence. Even if you haven’t read Mary Shelley’s iconic novel, you know the story of Dr. Frankenstein and his creation. You know of a scientist – I’ll leave calling him “mad” up to you – and his search to understand life and in doing so how he magically creates new life. You know of a tragic creature who is thrust into a world that is both fascinated and yet repelled by it. Though many would call the Frankenstein creature a him instead of an it, Kate Mara’s character Lee Weathers would be quick to correct you. Apparently artificial life should not be given proper pronouns, and while Luke Scott’s feature film debut seems ready to address the contemporary concerns over gender labels and life existing outside male and female labels, MORGAN regresses into yet another forgettable attempt at breathing life into the Frankenstein mythos, failing to spark new ideas in a story you have heard before.

Lee Weathers (Kate Mara) is assigned to examine the collateral damage of a violent attack that occurred in her company’s research laboratory and gauge the risk of a future incident. When she arrives, she is met with apprehension from those that have been raising Morgan (Anya Taylor-Joy from this year’s THE WITCH). Morgan is said to be only 5 years old, but has evolved quickly enough to have the appearance of an 18 year old but with the mental powers of something far beyond human ability. Things go even more awry when Lee and a psychiatrist begin questioning the motives and actions of this advanced creature. Can she… it be trusted?

Right from the opening shot where a surveillance camera from high above the action shows a meeting between Morgan and a scientist played by Jennifer Jason Leigh, there is instantly a sense of cold distance placed between the film and the audience. This sense of detachment continues throughout the duration of the film – and not just because of the blue and grey color scheme of the film – despite attempts to get to know the people in the lab. Luke Scott (Ridley Scott’s son) has gathered a talented cast even if they aren’t given much material. And how could they. With such a brief running time that is mainly spent showing the creature striking back at its creators, there isn’t time to connect with the characters as much as we probably should. Paul Giamatti, in a sequence that shows him playing an overly antagonizing psychiatrist, is the only one that makes the most of what little screen time he is given.

Located behind a musty Victorian home, the lab where most of the action takes place is all too familiar looking, but when juxtaposed with this old house in the middle of a field, it enhances the dichotomy that Luke Scott occasionally plays with. You have the clear divide between subject and scientists with the glass wall separating them; the interview and interviewee during a central scene in the film; even the focus that is put on the romantic entanglements of the scientists. However, these binary male and female lines are intentionally blurred when looking at Morgan, dressed in a nondescript grey hoodie shrouding her makeup-less features. The character of Lee furthers this with her own androgynous haircut, demeanor, and buttoned-up suits. She exemplifies zero signs of the tradition idea of femininity. Both characters even bear names that could be either male or female. Elements such as these where you see Scott making purposeful decisions to start an interesting dialogue are wasted by adhering to the typical Hollywood model of how these stories should be told. B-movie blood and theatrics are the eventual focus instead of subverting what audiences are already expecting.

Given the lo-fi, futuristic, dream-like quality of Luke Scott’s previous short film LOOM, it’s puzzling that he would settle on Seth W. Owen’s pedestrian script for his feature debut. Although a film is assembled by incorporating many parts, the whole is not greater than the sum of its parts. In fact, MORGAN is more or less cobbled together with ideas that we have seen in far more memorable films, such as last year’s EX MACHINA and the under-seen SPLICE, to name a few. Dull, stale, and lifeless aren’t what you want from the first feature that you create; especially when there was potential trying to grow in some of its parts.

Overall rating: 2 out of 5

MORGAN opens in theaters on September 2, 2016

Win Passes To The Advance Screening Of MORGAN In St. Louis

A corporate troubleshooter (Kate Mara) is sent to a remote, top-secret location, where she is to investigate and evaluate a terrifying accident. She learns the event was triggered by a seemingly innocent “human,” who presents a mystery of both infinite promise and incalculable danger.

That mystery is Morgan, the next step in human evolution and a bioengineered being with synthetic DNA. At one month, she (it) was walking and talking; at six months, she exceeded her creators’ wildest expectations. Morgan is enigmatic and unpredictable—a lab-created being with emotional capacity and conflicting traits that blur the line between being human and synthetic.

But what happens when the creation surpasses the creator? And what’s more dangerous—this genetically engineered wonder or the corporation that is overseeing its development?

From producer Ridley Scott and director Luke Scott, MORGAN offers a thrilling, visceral and intense movie-going experience. The film also stars Anya Taylor-Joy, Toby Jones, Rose Leslie, Boyd Holbrook, Michelle Yeoh, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Paul Giamatti.

MORGAN opens in theaters on September 2.

WAMG invites you to enter for the chance to win TWO (2) seats to the advance screening of MORGAN on August 24 at 7PM in the St. Louis area.

Answer the following:

In 2015 Kate Mara had a supporting role as astronaut Beth Johanssen in which Ridley Scott sci-fi film?

TO ENTER, ADD YOUR NAME, ANSWER AND EMAIL IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.

OFFICIAL RULES:

1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.

R for brutal violence, and some language.

Visit the official site: http://www.foxmovies.com/movies/morgan

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