Tag: Caleb Landry Jones

DRACULA – Review

French director Luc Besson’s English-language DRACULA transforms Bram Stoker’s gothic horror novel into a sort of fairy tale-like gothic romantic fantasy, about a 15th century prince cursed by God for renouncing him after the death of his beloved wife, who is doomed to an eternal life searching for his lost love. Besson, know for LA FEMME NIKITA and THE FIFTH ELEMENT, also wrote the screenplay for DRACULA and certainly knows how to create thriller entertainment. With a score by Danny Elfman and Christoph Waltz in a supporting role, the film is silly fun, although it has some unevenness in tone.

However, this Dracula tale is not for everyone, certainly not purists, and so some people are likely to hate it while others find it amusing. The original title, apparently, was DRACULA A LOVE STORY, so that’s a tip off. It mixes brooding gothic romance with action sequences and some bloody, while sprinkling in dark humor and references to other Dracula movies. It’s not particularly horror and, reportedly, it was created by Besson less out of a fascination with the Dracula novel and more out of a wish to work again with Caleb Landry Jones, with whom the director/writer worked in his 2023 film DOGMAN.

In 15th century Wallachia, in the Carpathian Mountains, Prince Vlad II (Caleb Landry Jones), also known as Count Dracula, is madly in love with his princess Elisabeta (Zoe Bleu), but is pulled away from their bedroom romps by the arrival of the Ottoman Turks on the border. Worried for the princess, he sends her off to another castle for safety but just to be sure, he threatens his bishop, to extract a guarantee: Since the prince is going to be God’s defender of the faith, then bishop must make God promise that his princess will not be killed.

The princess never makes it to the other castle and, heartbroken and enraged, denounces God. As a punishment, God condemns Vlad to eternal life, as a vampire. The rest of the film follows the grieving immortal prince across the centuries, as he searches for the reincarnation of his lost princess. His search takes him across centuries and to the royal courts of Europe (in a series of visually lush scenes) until he decides to send out minion vampires instead to search for this princess.

Besson does get around to including part of Bram Stoker’s novel, although things are turned on their head in this version. Four hundred years later after the death of Princess Elisabeta, Jonathan Harker (Ewens Abid), a Parisian lawyer in this version, comes to visit Count Dracula in his decaying Romanian castle, with an offer to buy one of the Count’s real estate holdings. That visit is how Vlad spots a photo in a locket, of Harker’s fiancee Mina, who looks exactly like the princess. Locking up Harker, Vlad sets off for Victorian-era Paris.

This Dracula’s quest is for the lost Elisabeta rather than fresh victims, but still, a vampire’s gotta eat. He has to fuel up and restore his good looks before he meets her, but Vlad has found a clever way to ensure an endless supply of fresh blood, by creating an irresistible perfume that draws women to him. Silly stuff, of course, but delivered with a winking sense of fun.

In Paris, things get lively, with Matilda De Angelis chewing up some scenery among other things as Vlad’s servant vampire Maria. Maria is lock up in an asylum after attacking a priest, where she is tended by Dr. Dumont (Guillaume de Tonquedec) who calls in a specialist, a priest/detective (Christoph Waltz) from the Vatican, to solve the case. We also meet Maria’s unsuspecting nobleman fiance Henry Spencer (David Shields) and, of course, Mina (Zoe Bleu again).

Plenty of other vampire movies get referenced along the way, with a good measure of tongue in cheek. This certainly isn’t the first Dracula comedy, or even the first Dracula romance. Christoph Waltz is a standout, in a kind of van Helsing role as the droll, clever, unconventional priest/detective, who is called in to treat Maria, played by a very entertaining Matilda De Angelis.

Waltz gets plenty of scenes and provides a lot of the fun in this film, and gets the best lines, but Caleb Landry Jones as Prince Vlad is the star. This Dracula is less a figure of pure evil than a cursed, violent man filled with regrets and grief. Jones varies between grieving widower and a coolly clever vampire with penchant for swiftly violence. There are plenty of fight scenes, both sword battles and martial arts fights, as many as there are blood-sucking ones. There is some blood but less gore than you might expect.

Again, all pretty silly but entertaining, and Landry Jones often plays it with a winking smugness. His looks vary too, going from handsome medieval prince or Victorian hand-kisser to a crumbling pale thing in an enormous white wig. Caleb Landry Jones is a good choice for this part, as his looks are unconventional enough that he can play romantically handsome in some scenes or just weird-looking in others.

Although the film is in English, everyone sports some kind of accent, which often makes the dialog difficult to discern. Danny Elfman’s score adds a bit of fun, and reminds us not to get to serious here. While the film has nice costumes and sets, scenery is more variable, from some well-done, even beautiful CGI scenes but others using cheesy low-budget backdrops.

Luc Besson’s DRACULA is no Dracula classic. But, despite it’s flaws and silliness, it is kind of fun to watch, if you don’t take it seriously and can get past the violence it does to Bram Stoker’s novel.

DRACULA opens in theaters on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026.

RATING: 2.5 out of 4 stars

Watch the Trailer For NITRAM starring Caleb Landry Jones and Anthony LaPaglia – In Theaters/Digital/AMC+ on March 30th

Caleb Landry Jones, Judy Davis, Essie Davis, and Anthony LaPaglia in NITRAM will be In Theaters, on Digital Rental and AMC+MARCH 30

Here’s the trailer:

Directed by Justin Kurzel (TRUE HISTORY OF THE KELLY GANG, SNOWTOWN MURDERS, MACBETH) and written by Shaun Grant (TRUE HISTORY OF THE KELLY GANG, BERLIN SYNDROME), NITRAM stars Caleb Landry Jones (THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING MISSOURI, GET OUT, HEAVEN KNOWS WHAT), Essie Davis (THE BABADOOK, TRUE HISTORY OF THE KELLY GANG), Oscar Nominee Judy Davis (HUSBANDS AND WIVES, BARTON FINK, NAKED LUNCH), and Anthony LaPaglia (EMPIRE RECORDS, WITHOUT A TRACE).

Nitram (Caleb Landry Jones) lives with his mother (Judy Davis) and father (Anthony LaPaglia) in suburban Australia in the Mid 1990s. He lives a life of isolation and frustration at never being able to fit in. That is until he unexpectedly finds a close friend in a reclusive heiress, Helen (Essie Davis). However, when that relationship meets a tragic end, and Nitram’s loneliness and anger grow, he begins a slow descent that leads to disaster.

First Look At FINCH, Starring Tom Hanks – Premieres On AppleTV+ On November 5

Apple Original Films announced today that the highly anticipated film “Finch” will debut on Apple TV+ on Friday, November 5. “Finch” stars Tom Hanks and Screen Actors Guild Award winner Caleb Landry Jones (“Get Out,”“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”), who recently won best actor at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival.

Hanks’ follow up to the blockbuster Apple Original Film “Greyhound” comes from cutting-edge filmmaker Miguel Sapochnik (“Game of Thrones,” “True Detective”), with an original screenplay by Craig Luck, making his feature-film writing debut, and Ivor Powell (associate producer of “Blade Runner” and “Alien”).

The film is produced by Kevin Misher (“Coming 2 America,” “Fighting With My Family”), Jack Rapke (“Cast Away,” “Flight”), Jacqueline Levine (“Witches,” “Allied”), and Ivor Powell. The executive producers are Academy Award winner Robert Zemeckis, Luck, Sapochnik, Andy Berman, Adam Merims and Jeb Brody. Apple Original Films’ “Finch” is an Amblin Entertainment and Reliance Entertainment presentation, in association with Walden Media. “Finch” is an Imagemovers and Misher Films production.

In “Finch,” a man, a robot and a dog form an unlikely family in a powerful and moving adventure of one man’s quest to ensure that his beloved canine companion will be cared for after he’s gone. Hanks stars as Finch, a robotics engineer and one of the few survivors of a cataclysmic solar event that has left the world a wasteland. But Finch, who has been living in an underground bunker for a decade, has built a world of his own that he shares with his dog, Goodyear. He creates a robot, played by Jones, to watch over Goodyear when he no longer can. As the trio embarks on a perilous journey into a desolate American West, Finch strives to show his creation, who names himself Jeff, the joy and wonder of what it means to be alive. Their road trip is paved with both challenges and humor, as it’s as difficult for Finch to goad Jeff and Goodyear to get along as it is for him to manage the dangers of the new world.

Momentum around Apple Original Films continues to build with the upcoming premiere of history-making “CODA,” the first film to win all top prizes at Sundance Film Festival; “Emancipation” from director Antoine Fuqua and starring and produced by Academy Award nominee Will Smith; Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro; the Mahershala Ali and Naomie Harris’-starred “Swan Song”; Joel Coen’s “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” starring Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand, in partnership with A24; “Sharper,” from A24, Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka, starring and produced by Academy Award winner Julianne Moore; upcoming YA adaptation “The Sky is Everywhere,” directed by Josephine Decker and starring Grace Kaufman, Cherry Jones and Jason Segel, and more. Apple’s also has feature deals with A24, Imagine Entertainment, Skydance Animation and Adam McKay’s Hyperobject Industries.

THE OUTPOST (2020) – Review

Last year in the times of opulent movie showcase palaces with big wide screens and thundering digital sound (yes, the “before times”) two major studio features focused on the last century’s two world wars: 1917 and MIDWAY. This holiday weekend sees the release of a major battle film from a more recent conflict. Without the big theatres to bask in the epic scope, this film goes for a more intimate approach. Instead of hopping from country to country, we’re embedded right there with the warriors as the world seems to explode all around them. Even with modern tech, the danger is just as abrupt and deadly. And for the last couple of decades, the hottest of the world’s hot spots (in nearly every way) was Afghanistan. As we celebrate our freedom on this patriotic holiday, it may be the perfect time to look back at another incident concerning those who gave everything for us to enjoy our cookouts and fireworks, those soldiers who valiantly defended THE OUTPOST.

The story actually begins in 2006 as Staff Sergeant Clint Romesha (Scott Eastwood) and several other new additions arrive at their new assignment, Combat Outpost Kamdesh (later renamed Keating) in the dead of night (the Taliban forces haven’t acquired night-vision tech, valuable since the mountain block-outs the moonlight and most stars). Upon landing they are immediately taken to the C.O.1st Lieutenant Benjamin Keating (Orlando Bloom) who re-states their purpose there to support counterinsurgency efforts against the flow of weapons from nearby Pakistan into neighboring towns like Kamdesh in the Nuristan Province of Eastern Afghanistan. One way to win the locals’ “hearts and minds” is by funding local constructions (roads, schools) and recruiting the younger men as “peacekeepers” (lured by some “financial aid”). Keating himself meets with the village elders to convince them of the US military’s just intentions. Prior to the “sit-down”, Romesha and the new men get a taste of the daily routine there as the outpost is suddenly under attack from shooters high up in the mountains surrounding them. It’s then that we meet the main ammo supply “runner” Specialist Ty Michael Carter (Caleb Landry Jones) who evades machine gun fire as he delivers the much-needed supplies (bullets, etc.). The men return fire until the mortar launcher finds its target, scattering (or destroying) the attackers. As the years pass, the men try to adjust to rigors of downtime while being alert to the constant threat of the insurgents. The base officers come and go until one of the “long-timers” is put in charge until the base’s rumored shutdown (after the local elections in October). But then the tension amps up. The village intel man’s warnings about incoming Taliban troops become more frantic. Then the elders head into the camp demanding immediate payments for destruction and “insults to their honor”. Not long after, the early morning sunrise reveals waves and waves of heavily armed Taliban troops descending down the mountainside. The outpost’s location in the valley surrounded by high ground makes them a “sitting duck” with no real escape option. Luckily the communications aren’t cut off. But the air firepower (mainly Apache helicopters) is a couple of hours away. Can these 53 soldiers possibly survive against the hundreds all around them until back-up from above helps to “even the odds”?

With his work as real-life hero Romesha, Eastwood continues to build an impressive resume on his way to big screen hunk/ action star (some cowboy romance in THE LONGEST RIDE, switched with the fantasy of THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS franchise). He’s required to be a steely-eye (easy considering his DNA) man in charge, which he excels at, particularly as he barks out strategy and instructions to his often overwhelmed “band of brothers”. It’s not until the high-energy third act do we see some of that tough exterior begin to soften as frustration over the whole “boxed-in” scenario begins to wear on him seeming to cause him more pain than the oozing shoulder wound (he dismisses countless offers for a “patch-up’). While he’s solid in battle, Jones excels in expressing the “inner fight” inside the mind of the complex Carter. He shows us a man barely given the respect of a “service animal” by his squad (you can almost see him wince as they basically scream “Run! Fetch!”, then berate him for mixing up any ammo numbers). Nobody appears to appreciate his “zig-zagging” through the firefights in order to load up and repeat over and over. During the “downtime” he softly seethes as the others bond and joke, even brushing off digs at his odd resume (from school to the Marines, then a stateside gig at a “big-box’ store before jumping into the Army). His opinion, much as his mortality, doesn’t seem to matter to anyone, especially when he expresses his concerns about the new C.O. to an officer ( a verbal “slap-in-the-face” is his “reward”). Jones isn’t concerned about making Carter “likable” even as that attack brings out his inner “protector”, a turn that will no doubt lead to many sleepless nights. He delivers the film’s best performance. As for the film’s first act, Bloom is most impressive as the “papa bear’ trying to protect his men while carrying out conflicting orders from the top that require him to humble himself to the locals who would take advantage of their “deep pockets”. He’s noble in his desire to be right alongside “his guys” in the dirt and dust, though he’ll pay the ultimate price for his compassion.

Though perhaps best known for his political dramas like THE CONTENDER, Rod Lurie proves to be an effective action director. He expertly captures the sweaty panic of the near-daily attacks and ramps up the disorienting chaos of the big battle. Unfortunately, the long stretches of everyday aggravation and monotony quickly become repetitive with petty squabbles and booze (and pot) fueled revelry (what’s the deal with the two naked guys mumbling “I love you” to each other as they slow dance). Still, there are scenes of great suspense with a nighttime convoy trek over crumbling roads of the mountain that recalls the nail-biting moments of SORCEROR. But aside from the surprisingly abrasive Jones as Carter, the rest of the troops soon adhere to the old war film stock characters (at least none of them is nicknamed “Brooklyn”). Perhaps the screenplay by Eric Johnson and Paul Tamasy, adapting Jake Tapper’s lauded non-fiction book, needed a bit more ‘tightening’. And though combat sequences feel authentic, they also seem too similar to the now-standard “desert battles’ from recent films like AMERICAN SNIPER, LONE SURVIVOR, 13 HOURS, and even the flashbacks of HBO’s series “Barry”. But aside from such familiar trappings, the film is respectful of those sacrifices, even getting in a jab at the “higher-ups” for establishing a base in such a dangerous, “hemmed-in” locale. Be sure and stick around for the end credits to see the real faces of those heroes of THE OUTPOST, before you resume your Fourth festivities. After all, they picked up “the tab”.

Two and a Half Out of Four

THE OUTPOST screens at select theatres. Beginning Friday 7/3 it will be available as a Video On Demand via most cable and satellite systems along with many streaming apps and platforms.

THE DEAD DON’T DIE – Review

Jim Jarmusch lets us know right off the bat that THE DEAD DON’T DIE, his take on the zombie genre is not to be taken seriously. It plays the film’s irreverent title song (by Sturgill Simpson) over the opening credits. Minutes later the song is playing in the squad car of Police Chief Cliff Robertson (Bill Murray), prompting him to wonder why it sounds so familiar. “It’s the film’s theme song,” his deputy Ronnie Peterson (Adam Driver) matter-of-factly replies, in the first of several meta moments (mostly delivered by Driver) that include references to the script and “Jim”, the director. There have been zombie comedies before, but Jarmusch puts the ‘dead’ in ‘deadpan’ with THE DEAD DON’T DIE, a quirky zombie parody featuring what’s justifiably been billed as ‘the greatest cast ever assembled for a zombie film’: Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton, Chloë Sevigny, Steve Buscemi, Danny Glover, Caleb Landry Jones, Rosie Perez, Iggy Pop, Sara Driver, RZA, Selena Gomez, Carol Kane, Austin Butler, Luka Sabbat and Tom Waits.

In an environmental twist to the zombie legend, it seems the Earth has spun off its axis by something called “polar fracking” causing the dead to spring to life in the one-stoplight town of Centerville, PA and go on the hunt for blood, brains, coffee, wi-fi, chardonnay, and cable TV, things they desired during their living days. THE DEAD DON’T DIE should be enjoyed by everyone who loves Jarmush’s particular low-key style of comedy, but it probably won’t win many converts. Jarmush’s self-conscious, often silly script and absurdist tone makes it hard to fully indulge in its horrific elements, but as director he shows a surprising eye for foggy graveyard atmosphere. Even if the laughs are muted, the cast makes it worthwhile. Highlights include Tom Waits as a woods-dwelling recluse, Steve Buscemi as a racist blowhard who sports a “Make America White Again” hat, and Chloë Sevigny as the only cop on the small force who seems concerned that the citizenry are dining on each other. Tilda Swinton spoofs the sword-wielding philosophical oracle shtick she’s been doing in films lately. She’s terrific, but the heart of THE DEAD DON’T DIE is the dialog between Murray and Driver. “This isn’t going to end well”  the deputy repeats, in a running joke with a big pay-off. THE DEAD DON’T DIE meanders in its second half, and eventually runs out of steam but its still recommended.

3 1/2 of 5 Stars

Check Out The Hilarious Francis McDormand In Red Band Trailer For THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI

Three Billboards Key Sheet

From the director who helmed the brilliant IN BRUGES, SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS, Martin McDonagh, comes the first trailer for Fox Searchlight Pictures’ THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI.

Full disclosure – I’m a huge fan of this McDonagh and SEVEN PSYCHOPATHS and IN BRUGES were two of the best films of 2012 and 2008. See both if you missed them in the cinemas!

In the meantime, watch the red-band preview below.

THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI is a darkly comic drama from Academy Award winning filmmaker McDonagh.

After months have passed without a culprit in her daughter’s murder case, Mildred Hayes (Academy Award winner Frances McDormand) makes a bold move, painting three signs leading into her town with a controversial message directed at William Willoughby (Academy Award nominee Woody Harrelson), the town’s revered chief of police. When his second-in-command Officer Dixon (Sam Rockwell), an immature mother’s boy with a penchant for violence, gets involved, the battle between Mildred and Ebbing’s law enforcement is only exacerbated.

The movie also features Abbie Cornish, Lucas Hedges, Željko Ivanek, Caleb Landry Jones, Clarke Peters, Samantha Weaving with John Hawkes and Peter Dinklage.

https://www.facebook.com/ThreeBillboardsOutsideEbbing/

https://twitter.com/3billboards

https://www.instagram.com/threebillboardsmovie/

GET OUT – Review

getout

The first few months of the year seem to be prime territory for the studios to unleash new horror flicks. Perhaps the thinking is to get out of the way of most of the action blockbusters of the Spring/Summer and steer clear of those serious “message” prestige films near the end of the year. Well, maybe this “chiller” could be close to the later category. It’s got lotsa’ scares and some not-so-subtle bits of social commentary, a message horror flick. But it’s really not something new to ‘sinister cinema”. Many interpret the vampire legend as a commentary on female sexuality while others see zombie stories as metaphors for the struggle in the class system (the walking dead as the lower classes rising up to consume…). Perhaps the most famous example of this “mixing” is 1956’s iconic INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (and its three remakes), which some interpret as an attack (or is it an endorsement?) of that era’s anti-communist paranoia. Other recent genre films like IT FOLLOWS and THE WITCH have these extra layers. But this new release blends the frights with a “take” on race relations. maybe more so than those 1990’s gems CANDYMAN and TALES FROM THE HOOD. And it’s the feature film directing debut of Jordan Peele, yes one half of that celebrated comedy duo. I’m sure he hopes you’ll go out and see GET OUT.

After a truly spooky abduction scene opens the film, we’re introduced to the story’s main focus: professional gallery photographer Chris Washington (Daniel Kaluuya). He’s got a pretty great life in the city sharing a place with his gorgeous girlfriend Rose Armitage (Allison Williams). But on this day he’s a bit nervous since he’ll soon be meeting her folks for the first time. It’s a tense time for any couple, but the “race thing” worries him. Has she told her folks that he’s black? Rose insists that they’ll be fine (“My dad will tell you he would’ve voted for Obama a third time”). After leaving their pooch with his pal, TSA agent Rod (LilRel Howery) they hit the road. Then the road “hits back” when a charging deer streaks past them (causing some damage, but they proceed). When they arrive at the lush Armitage home, tucked away far from civilization, the first person they spot is the beefy, reserved groundskeeper Walter (Marcus Henderson). The front door flings upon as Chris and Rose park the dinged-up car. It’s Papa Dean (Bradley Whitford), a renown surgeon, and Mamma Missy (Catherine Keener), a successful psychiatrist. Dean grabs Chris in a warm embrace (“We’re huggers!”) and takes them into the house.

That night they’re joined by Rose’s vaguely confrontational kid brother Jeremy (Caleb Landry Jones). Over dinner, she’s reminded that a big family gathering will take place over the weekend. Chris is rattled by this and by the odd, passive (almost from another earlier era) behavior of the black housekeeper Georgina (Betty Gabriel). More strange sh…er..stuff.. occurs overnight when Chris is almost run down by the charging Walter (doing his exercises), then has a weird encounter with Missy in the dining room (did she put him in a hypnotic trance?). More bizarre awkward encounters happen the next day at the big Armitage family get-together. Chris meets a blind gallery owner, Jim (Stephen Root), who’s a fan of his work. Then he meets another “brother”, a man around his age married to an Armitage matron nearly 30 years older. But he acts and dresses like a man in his sixties. Then when Chris snaps a cell phone pic of him (with a flash bulb), the man (Lakeith Stanfield) lurches toward him and yells, “Get Out!!”. Chris agrees, but is it too late for the couple to escape?

Kayuuya delivers a great nuanced, subtle performance as the “stranger in a strange land”, a terrific take on the horror hero determined not to be a victim. Chris rises to the occasion, becoming pro-active when he’s plunging into this “bizzarro-land”. But we also see his vulnerable side when forced to confront the horrors of the past by the horrors of the now. We’re on his side every step of the way. Williams is quite the dream girl, the stabilizing force during this strange trip. But she’s conflicted, trying to support Chris while staying loyal to the family. We’re curious about her real allegiance. Bradford has a gregarious clumsy charm as the patriarch, seeming too eager to become Chris’s buddy, a surrogate daddy even as he awkwardly calls him “my man”. As the matriarch, Keener goes in nearly an opposite direction, her Missy is an intellectual, a tad reserved and frosty as she coolly observes every interaction. We get that this “iron lady” really runs the “show”, especially when she must deal with Jones as her “loose cannon” son. Jeremy appears to really enjoy shaking up this “picture perfect” home, coming off as a passive aggressive variation of Christopher Walken as Annie Hall’s twisted brother. As creepy as he is, ole Jere’ is nothing compared to “the help”. Henderson is all slow quiet menace as the lumbering Walter, while Gabriel, as the nearly always smiling Georgina, makes her the stuff of nightmares. Her scenes with Chris as she unravels are riveting and unnerving. We’re on the edge of our seats as we wonder when she’ll eventually snap. She makes us relish the story’s energetic comedy relief, the scene-stealing Howery as Chris’s best pal and confidant. The phone calls that convince him that things are “hinky” provide huge laughs as his Rod becomes an “audience surrogate”. He has no filter and says the things we feel we’d say (a TSA agent hero, not a bumbling doofus!). The only problem is that the audience laughter nearly drowns out his great line delivery.

The very talented Mr. Peele makes a spectacular debut as feature director and writer, with no platoon of story and screenplay aides. Many have tried to describe this work via other films, calling it a modern mix of MEET THE PARENTS, GUESS WHO”S COMING TO DINNER, and THE STEPFORD WIVES, but that can’t really capture its unique vision and originality. We’re expecting a comedy from this vet of TV and improv, and, as I mentioned, the Howery character is hysterical, but the strong dramatic tone and striking visuals are a wonder. Peele’s restrained use of special effects make the sequences inside Chris’s head very powerful. He’s endlessly, slowly plunging into an overwhelming pitch black chasm while the window through his eyes slowly blurs and darkens (great use of his point of view), showing his helplessness. He’s fighting back to little effect. Plus there’s the overall atmosphere orchestrated by Peele. Chris and Rose aren’t just out of the city, they’ve left sanity behind. From the deer encounter, through the welcoming, and particularly the family “gathering”, a sense of uneasy dread oozes from every frame. Then Peele throws us a curve by delivering a nail-biting action-packed finale that will have audiences cheering, despite the underlying bits of parody and satire (unlike the recent CURE FOR WELLNESS, Peele knows when to end the story). On so many levels, Jordan Peele’s “message monster movie”, GET OUT, is outstanding.

4 Out of 5

GetOutposter

Win Passes To The Advance Screening Of GET OUT In St. Louis

get-out-GTT_WebArt1Sht_RGB_1003_2_rgb

In Universal Pictures’ GET OUT, a speculative thriller from Blumhouse (producers of The Visit, Insidious series and The Gift) and the mind of Jordan Peele, when a young African-American man visits his white girlfriend’s family estate, he becomes ensnared in a more sinister real reason for the invitation.

Now that Chris (Daniel Kaluuya, Sicario) and his girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams, Girls), have reached the meet-the-parents milestone of dating, she invites him for a weekend getaway upstate with Missy (Catherine Keener, Captain Phillips) and Dean (Bradley Whitford, The Cabin in the Woods).

At first, Chris reads the family’s overly accommodating behavior as nervous attempts to deal with their daughter’s interracial relationship, but as the weekend progresses, a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries lead him to a truth that he could have never imagined.

Equal parts gripping thriller and provocative commentary, GET OUT is written and directed by Peele (Key and Peele) and produced by Blumhouse’s Jason Blum, as well as Sean McKittrick (Donnie Darko, Bad Words), Edward H. Hamm Jr. (Bad Words) and Peele. The film also stars Caleb Landry Jones (X-Men series), Stephen Root (No Country for Old Men), Milton “Lil Rel” Howery (The Carmichael Show), Betty Gabriel (The Purge: Election Year), Marcus Henderson (Pete’s Dragon) and Lakeith Stanfield (Straight Outta Compton).

GET OUT opens in theaters February 24, 2017.

WAMG invites you to enter for the chance to win TWO (2) seats to the advance screening of GET OUT on FEBRUARY 21 at 7PM in the St. Louis area.

Answer the following:

Which POPULAR TV show was Peele a cast member for five seasons?

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.

Rated R for violence, bloody images, and language including sexual references.

Visit the official site: www.getoutfilm.com

Film Title: Get Out Film Title: Get Out

Watch The First Trailer For GET OUT

get-out-gtt_webart1sht_rgb_1003_2_rgb

The first trailer for GET OUT has debuted online. The latest collaboration between Blumhouse Productions and Universal Pictures hits theaters in February.

In Universal Pictures’ GET OUT, a speculative thriller from Blumhouse (producers of The Visit, Insidious series and The Gift) and the mind of Jordan Peele, when a young African-American man visits his white girlfriend’s family estate, he becomes ensnared in a more sinister real reason for the invitation.

Now that Chris (Daniel Kaluuya, Sicario) and his girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams, Girls), have reached the meet-the-parents milestone of dating, she invites him for a weekend getaway upstate with Missy (Catherine Keener, Captain Phillips) and Dean (Bradley Whitford, The Cabin in the Woods).

At first, Chris reads the family’s overly accommodating behavior as nervous attempts to deal with their daughter’s interracial relationship, but as the weekend progresses, a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries lead him to a truth that he could have never imagined.

Equal parts gripping thriller and provocative commentary, GET OUT is written and directed by Peele (Key and Peele) and produced by Blumhouse’s Jason Blum, as well as Sean McKittrick (Donnie Darko, The Box), Peele and Edward H. Hamm Jr. (The Box, Bad Words). The film also stars Caleb Landry Jones (X-Men series), Milton “Lil Rel” Howery (The Carmichael Show), Betty Gabriel (The Purge: Election Year), Marcus Henderson (Pete’s Dragon) and Keith Stanfield (Straight Outta Compton).

GET OUT opens in theaters February 24, 2017.

ANTIVIRAL – Fantastic Fest Review

As an avid fan of the works of filmmaker David Cronenberg, I found myself fully committed to absorbing the feature film debut from his son, Brandon Cronenberg… for better or for worse. Fortunately, it paid off and I can honestly say that the Cronenberg name is becoming synonymous with daring, experimental film of a high caliber, beyond that of the founding father. ANTIVIRAL is a mesmerizing science-fiction film of one possible societal shift of the not-so-distant future.

Whether or not Brandon wishes to admit or acknowledge the influence of his father’s work on his own, this influence is clearly evident in ANTIVIRAL. I want only to point this out up front, but will refrain from making this the focus of my case for the film. From the elements of body horror, to the use of a fever dream and even distorted video displays of the human form, the truth lies in the film itself. However, Brandon doesn’t merely settle with making a film reminiscent of his father’s legacy, but expands upon it, making it his own. Brandon’s concept is his own, revealing his voice for the first time as a feature film writer and director with a bizarre bravado.

As writer, Brandon Cronenberg tackles some intriguing — even controversial — subject matter, transporting us into a society so utterly engrossed in celebrity worship that fans pay good money to a corporate clinic to be infected by a strain of viral illness collected directly from their celebrity of choice in an effort to become intimately closer on a biological level. This is the central product upon which the film revolves, but audiences get a broader taste of this twisted trend as the story progresses.

Caleb Landry Jones (X-MEN: FIRST CLASS) plays Syd March, a young salesman of sorts for Lucas Clinic, pushing the latest of celebrity viruses on demanding fans, willing to feed their obsession. Hannah Geist, played by Sarah Gadon, is Lucas Clinics’ biggest money maker, but her most recent viral illness is proving far more serious than anyone expected. This becomes a significant problem for Syd, not just because she’s the Clinic’s cash cow, but because Syd has been skimming off the top to bank some cash on the side. This is particularly troubling as his method of smuggling consequently brings himself closer to the celebrity whose virus he is smuggling.

ANTIVIRAL features a sterile, white-washed corporate atmosphere while Syd is at the clinic, set against the grimy underbelly of the black market with which he is tangled smuggling the celebrity contraband to his fence, the owner of a delicatessen of the strangest order who deals in distributing exclusive viral illnesses to the masses. E.C. Woodley provides a fitting score to accompany the visual dynamics of cinematographer Karim Hussain.

Caleb Landry Jones truly captures the enigmatic nature of Syd, complete with the internal struggle that infects both his conscience and his body. Syd is clearly not a devoted supporter of the industry within which he works, nor is he rebelling against it. As Arvid (Joe Pingue), his delicatessen fence points out, perhaps Syd is in denial of his own deep-seeded obsession with Hannah. This peculiar imperfection in his master plan of making his own way drives Syd down a less certain and far more nefarious path as he uncovers a hidden agenda put into play by certain players.

Visually, ANTIVIRAL engages the viewer on multiple layers, including some impressive but low-key special effects and a unique use of flesh and the human cellular material in only a handful of creative applications. These scenes, however, particularly the final scene, may warrant a word of caution for the squeamish regarding human blood, not in excess, but in context. Perhaps the only thing I can legitimately make a case for improving would be a slight tightening of the pace, but not much, and the absence of any further fever dreams beyond the one and only example involving Syd becoming one with machine.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars