“Our lives are not fully lived if we’re not willing to die for those we love, for what we believe.”
SELMA (2014) starring starring Oprah, Carmen Ejogo, Tim Roth and David Oyelowo as Martin Luther King will be back in theaters beginning Friday January 14th. MLK Day is Monday the 17th. In St. Louis, SELMA will be showing at The Marcus Ronnies and The Marcus St. Charles. Read the We Are Movie Geeks interview with actor David Oyelowo HERE
SELMA is the unforgettable true story chronicles the tumultuous three-month period in 1965, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led a dangerous campaign to secure equal voting rights in the face of violent opposition. The epic march from Selma to Montgomery culminated in President Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965, one of the most significant victories for the civil rights movement. Director Ava DuVernay’s “Selma” tells the story of how the revered leader and visionary Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and his brothers and sisters in the movement prompted change that forever altered history.
Okay film fans, back to the bar. No, we’re not going to meet at the local pub after the multiplex (although many may want to run there after the big holiday meal). I’m referring to the setting of many a drama and even a few comedies (MY COUSIN VINNY for example), the courtroom. In and out of that “hallowed ground” , the role of attorney can be a showcase for actors as they deal literally with matters of life and death (Raymond Burr achieved iconic status for his TV law superstar Perry Mason). The trial based thrillers of John Grisham have given several such roles for many, while several veteran thespians have earned acclaim (Paul Newman in THE VERDICT) with cross-examinations and closing statements. Now another of today’s most celebrated actors approaches the bench as ROMAN J. ISRAEL, ESQ., a most unusual “legal eagle”.
We meet Mr. Israel (Denzel Washington) as he lumbers into his law office, on what he thinks will be a typical morning. He’s stunned when the receptionist/secretary informs him that the head of the law firm, William “Bulldog” Jackson has suffered a heart attack and is in critical condition at the hospital. Roman must attend to his clients in several cases, but is told to ask the judges for continuances (until Jackson can return). Israel is thrilled to be out in the “field” rather than doing research in his cluttered office, and decides to argue the cases. Unfortunately his abrasive behavior eventually earns him a contempt of court fine. Reporting back to the firm the next morning, he sees Jackson’s daughter Lynn (Amanda Warren) who introduces him to George Pierce (Colin Farrell). The elder Jackson is in a coma with little hope of waking, so according to his will, former student Pierce, now the head of his own successful high-priced law firm. will handle pending cases and close up the office. He’ll get a hefty severance, but Israel is determined to land another legal job. He applies at a neighborhood law center, but most work there as unpaid volunteers. He does make a connection with the service’s idealistic director Maya (Carmen Ejogo). Luckily Pierce recognizes Israel as a legal “savant” (he can rattle off case file numbers and decisions with eerie accuracy and speed), and thinks he can handle the lower profile clients. But when Israel botches a plea deal discussion, he violates ethics laws in order to go after the “big bucks”. He’s riding high, but sometime he’ll have to pay the price for his new way of life.
The title character is not one we would immediately associate with Washington’s previous works. It’s certainly miles away from the forceful orator advocate in PHILADELPHIA. And unlike his recent work in FENCES and even TRAINING DAY, there’s none of that confident swagger that fills any room he enters. Israel retreats into himself, reciting ordinances and wolfing down peanut butter sandwiches (his kitchen looks like a Jif warehouse). He goes beyond the quirky, socially awkward, or eccentric to veer into compulsive behavior or one who’s at the “end of the spectrum”. With his baggy clothes, ever-present Walkman headphones (like a certain Starlord), and fluffed-out “perm”, Israel appears to be a man out of time, still trying to fight the “good fights” of the 60’s and 70’s like a legal Don Quixote with US court system as his windmill. He’s a flawed man full of good intentions until his seduction, his craving for all the “good things” denied him (or that he’s never embraced). But when that “postman returns” his Israel alternates between self loathing and self-preservation. Perhaps his main inspiration for the lush life is Ferrell as the impeccably tailed and coiffed Pierce. Despite his too slick demeanor, Pierce has a soft spot for the misfit Israel, maybe as a nod to their mutual mentor Jackson. Pierce goes from aggravated boss to protector of the “savant” in the film’s final act. Ejogo also inspires Israel to enter into the world. Her Maya sees the nobility in him and is attracted to his old school idealism, a trait many of her peers have jettisoned. Her emotional outpouring during an awkward dinner with the distracted Israel is powerful.
In his follow-up feature to the lauded NIGHTCRAWLER, writer/director Dan Gilroy has created a compelling critique of the modern legal system and an intriguing character study. It’s easy to chuckle at the out of touch Israel, but Gilroy makes him a sympathetic, even tragic unlikely hero. Unfortunately the film tends to drag around the midpoint, delving into too many quirks, while assuming the audience can make several legalize leaps to propel the thriller elements. A good 15 or 20 minute trim would have kept the timeline tense and taut. Still, this is an essential for fans of the ever surprising Washington. He’s the real reason to enter the skewed weird world of ROMAN J. ISRAEL, ESQ.
Ridley Scott returns to the universe he created, with ALIEN: COVENANT, a new chapter in his ground-breaking ALIEN franchise. The crew of the colony ship Covenant, bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise, but is actually a dark, dangerous world. When they uncover a threat beyond their imagination, they must attempt a harrowing escape.
Set ten years after the events depicted in Scott’s 2012 hit Prometheus, ALIEN: COVENANT returns to the roots of the director’s groundbreaking saga with a uniquely terrifying tale filled with white-knuckle adventure and monstrous new creatures. With this, the sixth installment in the blockbuster series, the visionary director edges ever closer toward revealing the mysterious origins of the mother of all aliens, the lethal Xenomorph from the original film.
ALIEN: COVENANT stars Michael Fassbender (Prometheus, 12 Years a Slave), Katherine Waterston (Steve Jobs, Inherent Vice), Billy Crudup (Almost Famous, Mission: Impossible III), Danny McBride (Pineapple Express, Eastbound & Down) and Demián Bichir. The film is directed by Ridley Scott (The Martian). The screenplay is by John Logan and Dante Harper, from a story by Jack Paglen and Michael Green. The producers are Ridley Scott, Mark Huffam, Michael Schaefer, David Giler and Walter Hill; and distributor is 20th Century Fox. The score is by Jed Kurzel.
ALIEN: COVENANT opens in theatres worldwide on May 19, 2017.
WAMG invites you to enter for the chance to win TWO (2) seats to the advance screening of ALIEN: COVENANT on May 10 at 7PM in the St. Louis area.
Answer the following:
What was the name of the spaceship in the original ALIEN?
Which Swiss surrealist was behind ALIEN’s frighteningly original Xenomorph?
What was the name of the cat in the 1979 sci-fi classic?
TO ENTER, ADD YOUR NAME, ANSWERS 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.
R for sci-fi violence, bloody images, language and some sexuality/nudity.
Totally digging the awesome new poster for the upcoming sci-fi film ALIEN: COVENANT. The marketing folks over at 20th Century Fox have kicked it into high gear with their campaign for Ridley Scott’s return to the universe he created with a new chapter in his groundbreaking ALIEN franchise. The previous posters have been been genius, with their taglines of “RUN” and “HIDE”. This latest one is truly inspired!
Check out the poster now before ALIEN: COVENANT hits theaters May 19, 2017.
The crew of the colony ship Covenant, bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise, but is actually a dark, dangerous world. When they uncover a threat beyond their imagination, they must attempt a harrowing escape.
ALIEN: COVENANT stars Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Demián Bichir, Carmen Ejogo, Amy Seimetz, Jussie Smollett, Callie Hernandez, Nathaniel Dean, Alexander England, Benjamin Rigby and Danny McBride.
“It is unacceptable that they use their power to keep us voiceless.”
SELMA (2014) starring David Oyelowo, Carmen Ejogo, and Tim Roth screens Wednesday March 29 at The Washington University School of Law Anheuser-Busch Hall (1 Brookings Dr. St. Louis, Missouri 63130) at 6:30pm. The movie will be followed by a panel discussion with historian and law professor, David Konig, psychologist, Dr. Marva Robinson, Ferguson Commissioner and Activist, Rasheen Aldridge, Social Justice Activist, Megan Betts and Dr. Christi Griffin. This is a FREE event. More information can be found HERE
SELMA, the unforgettable true story chronicles the tumultuous three-month period in 1965, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led a dangerous campaign to secure equal voting rights in the face of violent opposition. The epic march from Selma to Montgomery culminated in President Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965, one of the most significant victories for the civil rights movement. Director Ava DuVernay’s “Selma” tells the story of how the revered leader and visionary Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and his brothers and sisters in the movement prompted change that forever altered history.
THE ETHICS PROJECT and PROJECT RAISE THE ROOF host the screening.
Please bring a new or gently used book of any genre written by an African American author. All books will be presented to the Rev.Dr. C.T. Vivian who was a primary catalyst in securing voting rights in Selma. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._T._Vivian for more information on his incredible life of service and courage during the height of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement and beyond. Donated books will be a part of the library he’s establishing in the name of his wife, Octavia Vivian who was a civil rights activist in her own right.
20th Century Fox has debuted a new trailer for ALIEN: COVENANT. The film stars Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Demián Bichir, Carmen Ejogo, Amy Seimetz, Jussie Smollett, Callie Hernandez, Nathaniel Dean, Alexander England, Benjamin Rigby and Danny McBride.
Ridley Scott returns to the universe he created, with ALIEN: COVENANT, a new chapter in his groundbreaking ALIEN franchise.
The crew of the colony ship Covenant, bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise, but is actually a dark, dangerous world. When they uncover a threat beyond their imagination, they must attempt a harrowing escape.
ALIEN: COVENANT hits theaters everywhere on May 19, 2017.
20th Century Fox has released another great poster for ALIEN: COVENANT in advance of a brand new trailer debuting tomorrow, March 1st.
This latest one-sheet is very reminiscent of the one released for director Ridley Scott’s original 1979 masterpiece.
Ridley Scott returns to the universe he created, with ALIEN: COVENANT, a new chapter in his groundbreaking ALIEN franchise.
We fans can’t wait for the upcoming film! So many questions left unanswered from the 2012 film PROMETHEUS. Who were the Engineers, where did Noomi Rapace (Elizabeth Shaw) and Michael Fassbender (David) rocket off to, why were the Xenomorphs originally created?
If you’re in need of more ALIEN goodness before May, check our Steve Perry’s trilogy of novels that deal with events on Earth and in other locations in space set a number of years after the movies Aliens and Alien 3. Earth Hive is the first novel in the Aliens book trilogy, followed by Nightmare Asylum and concluding with The Female War.
Additionally, fans are still mourning the loss of ALIEN co-star John Hurt (Kane) and ALIENS Bill Paxton (Private Hudson).
In ALIEN: COVENANT the crew of the colony ship Covenant, bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise, but is actually a dark, dangerous world. When they uncover a threat beyond their imagination, they must attempt a harrowing escape.
In case you missed it, meet the crew in a clever prologue for the sci-fi thriller.
ALIEN: COVENANT hits theaters everywhere on May 19, 2017.
The official prologue to ALIEN: COVENANT introduces the crew of the mission as they gather for a final meal before entering cryosleep.
Set aboard the Covenant, a colonization ship on its way to a remote planet to form a new human settlement, the main crew (all couples) and their android, Walter, enjoy their final meal together before cryosleep.
Conceived by Ridley Scott and 3AM, directed by Luke Scott, and produced by RSA Films.
Ridley Scott returns to the universe he created, with ALIEN: COVENANT, a new chapter in his groundbreaking ALIEN franchise.
The crew of the colony ship Covenant, bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise, but is actually a dark, dangerous world. When they uncover a threat beyond their imagination, they must attempt a harrowing escape. (Trailer)
ALIEN: COVENANT stars Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride, Carmen Ejogo, Amy Seimetz, Jussie Smollett, Callie Hernandez, Nathaniel Dean, Alexander England, Benjamin Rigby and Demián Bichir.
Introducing the ALIEN: COVENANT crew. 20th Century Fox has unveiled this brand new photo from the upcoming film. Watch Legion on FX tomorrow, February 22, for an exclusive ALIEN: COVENANT debut.
In the meantime, watch the trailer for director Ridley Scott’s latest ALIEN movie starring Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride, Carmen Ejogo, Amy Seimetz, Jussie Smollett, Callie Hernandez, Nathaniel Dean, Alexander England, Benjamin Rigby and Demián Bichir.
Ridley Scott returns to the universe he created, with ALIEN: COVENANT, a new chapter in his groundbreaking ALIEN franchise.
The crew of the colony ship Covenant, bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise, but is actually a dark, dangerous world. When they uncover a threat beyond their imagination, they must attempt a harrowing escape.
20th Century Fox has released the first trailer for ALIEN: COVENANT.
Directed by Ridley Scott, the film stars Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride, Carmen Ejogo, Amy Seimetz, Jussie Smollett, Callie Hernandez, Nathaniel Dean, Alexander England, Benjamin Rigby and Demián Bichir.
ALIEN: COVENANT hits theaters everywhere on May 19, 2017, 38 years to the day when ALIEN was released upon audiences the weekend of May 25, 1979. Audiences were told “In Space No One Can Hear You Scream.” Jump forward almost four decades later and “Witness the Creation of Fear.”
Ridley Scott returns to the universe he created, with ALIEN: COVENANT, a new chapter in his groundbreaking ALIEN franchise.
The crew of the colony ship Covenant, bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise, but is actually a dark, dangerous world. When they uncover a threat beyond their imagination, they must attempt a harrowing escape.
