chris messina – We Are Movie Geeks

THE BOOGEYMAN – Review

(L-R): Sophie Thatcher as Sadie Harper, Chris Messina as Will Harper, and Vivien Lyra Blair as Sawyer Harper in 20th Century Studios’ THE BOOGEYMAN. Photo by Patti Perret. © 2023 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

By Marc Butterfield

THE BOOGEYMAN opens with a scene that will give any parent the heeby-jeebies, and sets your skin on edge right away. From there, we quickly move to the movie’s main protagonists adjusting to their new lives after a tragic death in the family of the mother. We find that the oldest daughter, 16-year old Sadie, is having the hardest time with it, going so far as to borrow a dress from her mother’s closet to wear to school, in an effort to still feel some connection to her mother. The father, Will Harper (Chris Messina), a psychiatrist, seems unable to address the new family situation, avoiding talking about his recently departed wife even with his kids. His youngest child, 10-year-old sister, Sawyer, is dealing with it in her own way, although she is too young to make much sense of it as yet. This is all of the setup you get, and all the setup you need. Director Rob Savage (DASHCAM, HOST) doesn’t waste a lot of time with unnecessary detail of their lives, and you only find out the details of the mother’s passing later in the story, as they become necessary.

It’s at this point that a mysterious new patient, Lester Billings (David Dastmalchian), unexpectedly shows up at their home desperate to unload his grief over the deaths of his children and leaves behind an evil presence that dwells in the shadows and feeds on the suffering of its victims.

If you caught the photograph of him as the father of the child in the opening scene, you’ll know that this can’t be good, but he starts talking, you find out that it is way worse than you even saw at the beginning of the movie. From this point on in the movie, the pace picks up to a sprint, and continues until the very end.

“The Boogeyman” was first published in Cavalier Magazine in 1973. It was then included in Stephen King’s book of short stories, Night Shift, which was published in 1978. His interpretation of the creature hiding in the closet became a template for the genre moving forward. Screenwriters Scott Beck, along with his childhood friend and writing partner, Bryan Woods, came up with the idea for the movie, and co-wrote the initial screenplay. The duo also wrote A QUIET PLACE and the sci-fi thriller 65.

The movie is dark most of the time, setting up the ambience and mood, but is never so dark that you can’t tell what’s going on, and it really plays up that feeling of seeing things just out of the corner of your eye, hearing things, and the heart-pounding score by composer Patrick Johnson is absolutely flawless for putting you on the edge of your seat. The talented team behind the camera helping Savage’s vision come to life includes director of photography Eli Born (“Hellraiser”), production designer Jeremy Woodward (“Antebellum”), film editor Peter Gvozdas (“The Purge”) and costume designer Kari Perkins (“Boyhood”).

Savage lets the audience decide if it’s a monster story or an allegory for confronting grief by creating just the right atmosphere. Robert Redford’s 1980 masterpiece, ORDINARY PEOPLE, expertly captures the heart-wrenching disintegration of an American family, whose inability to talk about their grief rends them apart. It’s almost the same of the Harper family and Savage’s terrific film says if the Boogeyman never showed up, this family might have completely dissolved, but because it did, they have to work together and they have to address what’s going on.

The true star of the movie is Sophie Thatcher, who carries most of the movie as Sadie, and does a great job of portraying a daughter disappointed with her father for shutting her out of his feelings, all the while caring for her baby sister (Vivian Lyra Blair) who begins to see the manifestations of the boogeyman shortly after the visit by grieving father Lester Billings.

It’s here where we discover The Boogeyman is an ancient, predatorial entity that’s been around since the dawn of time, it’s attracted to pain, and it preys on fear. It literally sees fear. That is what feeds the Boogeyman. It finds people in distress and cultivates dread, growing it until it’s ready to harvest, and then it moves in for the kill.

The film has its fair share of jump scares, most of which are completely enjoyable, and keeps viewers on the edge of their seat, especially for the entire second half. It’s also fair to say that while all of the actors here pull their weight and give great performances, Marin Ireland as the widow of Lester brings the real heat of showing a woman who has lost everything and is now consumed with vengeance.

In the end it’s a tale of dealing with grief and acceptance, and all of the emotions that can haunt a person who suffered a great loss, while putting maximum scare into the viewer. Anyone thinking you can’t get a really good horror film with a PG-13 rating will be delighted to find out how much so if they go to see this. THE BOOGEYMAN is that unique scary movie that does give us the monster in the closet. This is why we go to the movies… for that thrill, that scare… that thing that makes our heart race and maybe gets a scream out of us.

3.5 Out Of 4 Stars

THE BOOGEYMAN is playing in theaters now.

Contributed by Michelle Hannett

AIR – Review

Matt Damon as Sonny Vaccaro and Viola Davis as Deloris Jordan in AIR Photo: COURTESY OF AMAZON STUDIOS © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC

Wow, the last few weeks at the multiplex could almost be summed up in a slight twist on the title of the signature tune of the movie’s most popular singing cowboy, “We’re Back in the 80s Again”. Who’d have thought that the “go-go” decade would be such fertile ground for current filmmakers? Now, there was music with SPINNING GOLD (though much of it covers the late 70s), and the toy/game trifecta of D&D, the Mario Bros., and TETRIS. Well, this new release concerns a big fashion item, though it has similar themes to that last film. Like that story, its main focus isn’t the “product”, but the hustling guy (like Henk) who will risk everything for a “piece of the pie” (as in that 80s TV sitcom). So, here’s an “inspired by true events” modern fable of an “average Joe” whose big dreams could, at any second, evaporate into thin AIR.

The “Joe” in question is actually nicknamed Sonny, Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon), who is the high school basketball scout for Nike in 1984. This was the era of the big athlete star endorsement “war” in the footwear industry. At that time Nike, headquartered in Washington state, was a force in running shoes, but lagged far behind Converse and Addidas in basketball shoes (barely in the double-digit market share). Back at “home base”, Sonny attends a frustrating strategy meeting led by frazzled marketing director Rob Strasser (Jason Bateman). With the top 4 NBA future stars scooped up, the remaining prospects are bleak. Late that evening at his modest pad, Sonny pops in several VHS tapes full of college highlights which convince him that the “star of tomorrow” is Michael Jordan. He’s in that elite four, but Rob insists that Addidas has him almost locked up. Sonny then goes to former Olympic basketball coach George Raveling (Marlon Wayans) for insight into MJ, then confers with co-worker exec Howard White (Chris Tucker) for further advice. Unfortunately Sonny’s boss, Nike head Phil Knight (Ben Affleck) doesn’t share his dream and refuses to increase his quarter-million dollar signing budget. Plus MJ’s cutthroat agent David Falk (Chris Messina) jeers at their meager offer and won’t grant Nike access to his client. But then Sonny does a “Hail Mary” and travels out to North Carolina, to the Jordan home for a brief face-to-face “sit-down” with the family matriarch, Michaels’s mama Deloris (Viola Davis). When word leaks out Sonny’s Nike pals and Falk are horrified at his hubris. But it works, and the Jordans agree to a meeting in only a few days. It’s “crunch time”, so Sonny, Rob, and design leader Peter Moore (Matthew Maher) make Nike HQ their weekend home to create a “sales pitch” and most importantly, come up with the shoe that will bear the superstar’s name, the Air Jordan. But will all their hours of sweat be for naught after the shoe giants meet with the family?

Add Sonny to the growing list of affable movie everymen played with charm and charisma by the dependable Damon. he gets us rooting for this underdog from the start, even as we watch his “lifeforce” leave his body during a soul-draining staff meeting. His Sonny formulates his goal and Damon, despite his extra “heft” will push through every obstacle, and we’re riding by his side. And how great is it having him back sharing scenes with his BFF and Oscar-winning screenwriting partner, Affleck? It may seem like he’s not putting much into playing Mr. Nike. but Ben conveys the mogul’s spacy, often detached, Zen mantra spewing “big boss”. Still, the passion explodes, showing that Affleck can be quite intimidating if you “poke the bear”, which Sonny frequently does. But he’s an ocean of calm compared to the manic “rageaholic” unleashed by Messina as the vitriolic furious Falk. He’s a take-no-prisoners ultra-caffeinated spin on Jeremy Piven’s Ari Gold on “Entourage”. Also solid is Bateman, who tweaks his usual snarky “attitude-dude” to make Rob a real partner to Sonny, though he doesn’t hesitate in putting his pal back on the right track. The film’s real MVP is Davis as the steely head of the Jordan household and financial future. She is surprisingly friendly to Sonny but is quick to silence him when she detects a hint of BS in his bravado. The scene late in the third act, in which she phones Sonny and tells him “how it will be” is almost a master class in acting (her FENCES Oscar could be getting a sister next year). Wayans scores in a wonderful scene with Damon, while Tucker shows us that his engaging motor-mouthed persona is missed (he’s been away for seven years).

In addition to his work as the Nike head “honcho”, Affleck makes a most welcome return to the director’s chair. Sure, we all know the outcome of all the wheeling and dealing, but he is still able to wring suspense from this modern-day shoe saga. Credit must also go to screenwriter Alex Convery’s witty, sharp script that really gives each great actor a moment or two to truly “shine”.Right from the superb 80s montage, Affleck takes us back nearly 40s years with authentic fashion, vehicles, and a splendid pop soundtrack. And what a smart move to keep the great Michael a peripheral character, much like Spielberg not showing us Bruce the shark until the JAWS hunt. But perhaps it was a “nod” to classic Hollywood films that would show the president (or the holy figures in religious films) only with shots from the back or closeups of his hands. It really adds to the drama and the mythic stature of MJ and the whole legend. As I said, we know the history, but Affleck and the cast make us really care about the people. And in the era of noisy franchise blockbusters, well it’s truly a breath of fresh AIR.

3.5 Out of 4

AIR is now playing in theatres everywhere and is streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime Video

Win Passes To The St. Louis Advance Screening Of AIR – In Theaters April 5

From award-winning director Ben Affleck, AIR reveals the unbelievable game-changing partnership between a then rookie Michael Jordan and Nike’s fledgling basketball division which revolutionized the world of sports and contemporary culture with the Air Jordan brand. This moving story follows the career-defining gamble of an unconventional team with everything on the line, the uncompromising vision of a mother who knows the worth of her son’s immense talent, and the basketball phenom who would become the greatest of all time.

AIR features an all-star cast, including Matt Damon as maverick Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro, Ben Affleck as Nike co-founder Phil Knight, and Viola Davis as Deloris Jordan. Additional cast includes Jason Bateman as Rob Strasser, Chris Messina as David Falk, Marlon Wayans as George Raveling, Chris Tucker as Howard White, Matthew Maher as Peter Moore, Gustaf Skarsgård as Horst Dassler, and Julius Tennon as James Jordan.

AIR reunites Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, marking the first time Affleck has directed his longtime friend and collaborator.

Amazon Studios will release AIR exclusively in theaters globally on Wednesday, April 5th

The Advance Screening is on Tuesday, April 4th, 7pm at AMC Esquire 7.

The screening will be filled on a first come first served basis, so we encourage you to arrive early. Seats will not be guaranteed. Rated R.

Enter at the link below.

http://amazonscreenings.com/main/sweepstakes/WAMGair

Matthew Maher as Peter Moore, Matt Damon as Sonny Vaccaro and Jason Bateman as Rob Strasser in AIR Photo: ANA CARBALLOSA © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC

Ben Affleck, Matt Damon And Viola Davis Star In Big Gam Spot For AIR – The Story Of Michael Jordan And Nike’s Air Jordan

Ben Affleck as Phil Knight in AIR Photo: COURTESY OF AMAZON STUDIOS © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC

From award-winning director Ben Affleck, AIR reveals the unbelievable game-changing partnership between a then-rookie Michael Jordan and Nike’s fledgling basketball division which revolutionized the world of sports and contemporary culture with the Air Jordan brand. This moving story follows the career-defining gamble of an unconventional team with everything on the line, the uncompromising vision of a mother who knows the worth of her son’s immense talent, and the basketball phenom who would become the greatest of all time.

Check out the brand new AIR spot from the Big Game and see the movie courtside April 5.

AIR features an all-star cast, including Matt Damon as maverick Nike executive Sonny Vaccaro, Ben Affleck as Nike co-founder Phil Knight, and Viola Davis as Deloris Jordan. Additional cast includes Jason Bateman as Rob Strasser, Chris Messina as David Falk, Marlon Wayans as George Raveling, Chris Tucker as Howard White, Matthew Maher as Peter Moore, Gustaf Skarsgård as Horst Dassler, and Julius Tennon as James Jordan.

AIR reunites Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, marking the first time Affleck has directed his longtime friend and collaborator.

Viola Davis plays Deloris Jordan, Michael’s mother, who was a fierce advocate for her son, was instrumental in negotiating this unprecedented deal, and was committed to ensuring her son’s legacy.

AIR will be distributed by Amazon Studios exclusively In Theaters April 5, 2023.

Chris Tucker as Howard White in AIR Photo: COURTESY OF AMAZON STUDIOS © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC

I CARE A LOT – Review

This recent worldwide health crisis has been more than a “bump in the road” for increased lifespans. But let’s be a bit more optimistic…for now. If the vaccines do their intended job, and we adjust our social behavior, for the time being, the human race could be “back on track” to stick around longer than any time in recorded history. As I recall, one of the national newsweekly magazines from 2015 ran a baby photo on its cover and stated that the lil’ cutie could live to 142 years. So, that’s a good..no great thing, right? Oh yes, but there’s the dark side, mainly the failing functions of the mind and body. And, unfortunately, there’s no end of human vultures looking to swoop in and scoop up, unlike the animals it’s cash rather than flesh. One such scavenger is at the heart of this new, somewhat satirical, comedy/thriller. Of course, she denies her villainy, insisting that it’s not about that loot, and declaring that I CARE A LOT.

The caring lady in question is Marla Grayson (Rosamund Pike) who runs a nice little for (big) profit business as a court-appointed guardian for several (her office wall has thirty or so 8 by 10 photos tacked up) senior citizens who have been deemed by their doctor (“bought off” by Marla) unable to care for themselves. In the opening moments of the story, she squashes the court challenge of a man who has been denied seeing his mother who’s in a “skilled care” facility (also in cahoots with guess who). Naturally, Marla has taken over this lady’s finances, emptying his bank accounts and selling her car, house, and everything inside it. There’s no time to celebrate after the court victory, though. She gets a call from the “home” telling her that one of her “wards” has passed, so there’s a plum vacancy open (but Marla has to give him 2 grand to “hold” it for her). Time to call her pal Dr. Amos (Alicia Witt), who just happens to have a seventy-something “cherry”: a widowed lady with no relatives and a paid-off house in a prized neighborhood. Just a note from her is enough for Judge Lomax (Isiah Whitlock Jr.) to assign Marla as her legal guardian. Before the ink is barely dry, she and her (very) personal assistant Fran (Eiza Gonzalez) are escorting a sad and confused Jennifer Peterson (Dianne Wiest) out of her cherished home and checking her into her room at the “care facility” (after taking her cell phone, for safety matters naturally). As Fran and her helpers are emptying out and painting the Peterson place a bewildered cab driver shows up looking for Jennifer. Fran informs him of her hasty relocation. Ah, but this isn’t your regular transport “hack”. He conveys this to a powerful man surrounded by armed “muscle’ in his plush high-rise office. That shady individual, Roman Lunyov (Peter Dinklage) is most unhappy that his visit with Jennifer has been canceled. After getting a bit more intel, he sends his legal “shark” Dean (Chris Messina) to visit Marla, toss off some casual threats, and offer a case of cash (150K). But Marla declines, sensing that someone with very deep pockets is “on the hook”. Thus begins an all-out war, as Jennifer becomes an addled pawn in a most dangerous game. But just which type of criminal mastermind will triumph? And what of the sweet quiet lady in the middle?

Marla may be the most morally complex role that the gifted Ms. Pike has taken on since her breakthrough work as the “Amazing” Amy in 2014’s GONE GIRL. Early in the story’s ongoing narration, she states that “You’re either predator or prey.”, And though I’ve mentioned the feathered scavengers, Marla is most definitely a shark, an alpha one at that. She’s constantly moving, seeking out another tasty ‘ward” to gobble up. And in a couple of scenes, we see her strike back when the threatened males attempt to push her into a corner (she alludes to a brutal childhood). Somehow Pike makes her more compelling than repugnant with her confident body language and staccato line delivery. Luckily her passions are not all wrapped up in acquisitions, illustrated by her affection for Fran. Gonzalez makes her more than dangerous “eye candy”, though still exuding the same sultry siren call from her BABY DRIVER diva. Fran and Marla have a deep loving bond, perhaps united by their shared “hard knock” past and the thrill of being just inches (clients, really) away from the “sweet life”. The two make quite a dynamite duo. And they need that explosive energy when dealing with Dinklage’s sinister crime kingpin (from a one-sided phone call over “mules’ we know he’s just as exploitive and evil). Roman is a tight compact ball of fury whose can be “set off” with the most delicate announcement of bad news, really whatever blocks his path. And this raging monster is giving a heart due to his devotion to Wiest’s Linda. She grabs our sympathies immediately as she’s prodded and hustled with all manner of condescending attitude and physical interaction. With her furrowed brow and “welling up” gaze, Linda’s all of our dearest matriarchal figures, debased by the evils of the world. But then Wiest shows us her dark, dark side. Through the haze of the home’s forced medications, Linda spits venom at the startled Marla. Wiest shows us that the “cherry” is far from a helpless patsy. And though he’s only in a few scenes, Messina makes a strong impression as the smooth “mouth-piece” Dean Ericson, who’s quick to toss out a business card, while biding his time to formulate a subtle threat of violent retaliation. His perfectly coiffed exterior can’t quite disguise the tough street fighter who’ll slash you as you dart into an alley. He’s a formidable sparring partner for Pike’s Marla and their scenes in and out of the courtroom crackle with tension.

Writer/director J Blakeson has whipped up a most imaginative and unpredictable cautionary tale that’s a call to action and a rollercoaster thrill ride. In the first act, we’re nudged to feel outraged at the legal (in appearance) exploitation of the elderly by the “ice queen”-like Marla. But then she almost becomes an “anti-heroine” in the mode of WALL STREET’s Gordon Geeko using lives as commodities in a dark satire of modern avarice. Then the plot takes a near “U-turn” with the introduction of Roman (though the Russian mobsters are now a too easy “go-to” bad guy cliche), as we hope for Linda’s rescue and Marla’s comeuppance. But somehow Blakeson gets us rooting for Marla and Fran, as though they’re a modern, wealthier take on THELMA AND LOUISE. Then it’s apparent that the two opposing forces are united in their anger with society’s attitudes toward them (Marla and Fran for their gender, Roman for his size). It’s quite an impressive feat to completely steer audience allegiances so often over the story. Aside from the typical action flick Russian mob, Marla’s constant vaping (now film shorthand for “jerk”) almost veered the film into “parody-town” (guess it’s a modern take on the big macho Cuban cigars). Still when it works (the handling of Linda is blood-boiling fuel), you’re grateful for this inventive take on the crime/action “pot-boilers”. And though the “tacked-on” epilogue feels a bit like an ending that the 1930s Hayes Office (a film decency group) would have insisted on, I’m guessing that Blakeson, like his complex creation Marla, would tell all of us that, “I CARE A LOT”. And his passion shows.

3.5 Out of 4

I CARE A LOT streams exclusively on Netflix beginning Friday, February 19, 2021

Margot Robbie And BIRDS OF PREY Cast Take Over Hollywood & Highland With A Night of Music and Mayhem In “Harleywood”

On Thursday evening Warner Bros. Pictures took over Hollywood & Highland with A Night of Music and Mayhem in “Harleywood,” hosted by the cast of BIRDS OF PREY (AND THE FANTABULOUS EMANCIPATION OF ONE HARLEY QUINN) with after party at The Dream Hotel.

The ‘Harleywood and Highland’ promotion will be an interactive space with, ‘stunning visuals, courtyard activations, photo and video opportunities for all’ on Friday, January 24 and Saturday, January 25 from 10 AM to 10 PM each day.

The movie is set to hit theaters and IMAX on February 7.

Robbie looked gorgeous in a little back dress with hot pink pumps and a sparkling diamond choker.

Robbie, who reprises the role as well as produces the film, says, “The most exciting thing for an actor is to have choices with your character, and you can really do anything when you’re playing Harley Quinn. With some roles, you can react one or two ways; with Harley, it’s more like 20, and every one of them makes sense for the character. That is really liberating and creatively stimulating.”

For that reason, among others, even while she was still filming her first turn as the fanfavorite anti-heroine in “Suicide Squad,” she recalls, “I knew that I definitely wasn’t ready to stop playing her, that there was still so much yet to be discovered and explored on screen.”

The night also featured musical performances by Birds of Prey soundtrack artists Charlotte Lawrence, Doja Cat and a DJ set by Whipped Cream.

Doja Cat, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Charlotte Lawrence, Ella Jay Basco, Megan Thee Stallion, Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead

Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Ella Jay Basco

Preorder the soundtrack, available on February 7, now: https://birdsofprey.lnk.to/PREORDER

You ever hear the one about the cop, the songbird, the psycho and the mafia princess? “Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)” is a twisted tale told by Harley herself, as only Harley can tell it. When Gotham’s most nefariously narcissistic villain, Roman Sionis, and his zealous right-hand, Zsasz, put a target on a young girl named Cass, the city is turned upside down looking for her.

Harley, Huntress, Black Canary and Renee Montoya’s paths collide, and the unlikely foursome have no choice but to team up to take Roman down. In the Warner Bros. Pictures film, Margot Robbie (“I, Tonya”) returns as Harley Quinn, alongside Mary Elizabeth Winstead (“10 Cloverfield Lane,” TV’s “Fargo”) as Huntress; Jurnee Smollett-Bell (HBO’s “True Blood”) as Black Canary; Rosie Perez (“Fearless,” “Pitch Perfect 2”) as Renee Montoya; Chris Messina (“Argo,” TV’s “Sharp Objects”) as Victor Zsasz; and Ewan McGregor (upcoming “Doctor Sleep,” the “Trainspotting” films) as Roman Sionis. Newcomer Ella Jay Basco also stars as Cassandra “Cass” Cain in her feature film debut.

Directed by Cathy Yan (“Dead Pigs”) from a script by Christina Hodson (“Bumblebee”), the film is based on characters from DC. Robbie also produced, alongside Bryan Unkeless and Sue Kroll. The film’s executive producers are Walter Hamada, Galen Vaisman, Geoff Johns, Hans Ritter and David Ayer. Joining Yan behind the scenes was a creative team comprised of director of photography Matthew Libatique (“A Star Is Born,” “Venom”); production designer K.K. Barrett (“Her”); editor Jay Cassidy (“American Hustle,” “Silver Linings Playbook”) and editor Evan Schiff (“John Wick Chapters 2 & 3”); and costume designer Erin Benach (“A Star Is Born”).

The music is by Daniel Pemberton (“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse”).

This film is rated R for strong violence and language throughout, and some sexual and drug material.

birdsofpreymovie.com

Contributed by Melissa Thompson and Michelle Hannett

THE SWEET LIFE Screens in St. Louis Wednesday, March 22 at the AMC Creve Coeur 12

There will be a one-time-only screening of THE SWEET LIFE Presented by KUTO & Friends on Wednesday, March 22, 2017 6:30pm at at AMC Creve Coeur 12 — 10465 Olive Blvd., in Creve Coeur. A Q&A will follow the screening. Ticket information can be found HERE
https://www.tugg.com/events/the-sweet-life-xgft

THE SWEET LIFE is an edgy and unconventional dramedy starring Chris Messina (Live By Night, The Mindy Project) and Abigail Spencer (Rectify,Timeless) as Kenny and Lolita, who meet by chance on the La Salle Street bridge in Chicago. The awkward, disillusioned and hopeless pair agree to travel cross country to San Francisco. Along the way, lives are changed and lives are saved as they come to realize life can be sweet. Directed by TV veteran Rob Spera (Criminal Minds).

Kenny is a disillusioned and apathetic ice cream vendor. He meets Lolita, a quick-witted, downtrodden insurance actuary, on a Chicago bridge. Lolita invites Kenny to travel with her to San Francisco, where they will jump off the Golden Gate Bridge. Along the way, they meet a host of characters, and as their relationship deepens, they include each other in final connections with people they have known intimately: the woman who left Kenny at the altar, as well as Lolita’s ailing mother. Kenny and Lolita are guarded — and even combative — with each other at first (as they are with most everyone in their lives). But as they continue their journey, small details about each of them emerge and they soften. They begin, reluctantly, and certainly without having had proper practice in the art, to fall in love. As they reach San Francisco, and Lolita’s resolve to end her life intensifies, Kenny begins to waver. He knows that he is the only human who can stop Lolita from jumping … and he is finally ready to embrace that challenge, and all the ones that will naturally follow in the course of a life lived fully.

Win Passes To The Advance Screening Of Ben Affleck’s LIVE BY NIGHT In St. Louis

Opening in cinemas on January 13, 2017 is the new film LIVE BY NIGHT. Oscar winner Ben Affleck (“Argo”) directed, produced and stars in Warner Bros. Pictures’ dramatic crime thriller. The screenplay is by Ben Affleck, based on the novel by Dennis Lehane.

Starring with Affleck are Elle Fanning, Brendan Gleeson, Chris Messina, Sienna Miller, Zoe Saldana, and Oscar winner Chris Cooper (“Adaptation”).

Behind the scenes, Affleck collaborated with three-time Oscar-winning director of photography Robert Richardson (“JFK,” “The Aviator,” “Hugo”), Oscar-nominated production designer Jess Gonchor (“True Grit,” “Foxcatcher”), Oscar-winning editor William Goldenberg (“Argo”), and Oscar-nominated costume designer Jacqueline West (“The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “Argo”). The score was composed by Harry Gregson-Williams.

LIVE BY NIGHT was produced by Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson under the Appian Way banner; and Ben Affleck and Jennifer Todd for Pearl Street Films. Chris Brigham, Dennis Lehane and Chay Carter served as executive producers.

What you put out into this world will always come back to you, but it never comes back how you predict. Taking fatherly advice is not in Joe Coughlin’s nature. Instead, the WWI vet is a self-proclaimed anti-establishment outlaw, despite being the son of the Boston Police Deputy Superintendent. Joe’s not all bad, though; in fact, he’s not really bad enough for the life he’s chosen. Unlike the gangsters he refuses to work for, he has a sense of justice and an open heart, and both work against him, leaving him vulnerable time and again—in business and in love.

Driven by a need to right the wrongs committed against him and those close to him, Joe heads down a risky path that goes against his upbringing and his own moral code. Leaving the cold Boston winter behind, he and his reckless crew turn up the heat in Tampa. And while revenge may taste sweeter than the molasses that infuses every drop of illegal rum he runs, Joe will learn that it comes at a price.

WAMG invites you to enter for the chance to win TWO (2) seats to the advance screening of LIVE BY NIGHT on TUESDAY, JANUARY 10 at 7PM in the St. Louis area.

Answer the following:

Ben Affleck made his directorial debut with what crime thriller?

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 R for strong violence, language throughout, and some sexuality/nudity.

livebynight.movie

New Trailer from Gia Coppola’s PALO ALTO Stars Emma Roberts And James Franco

Check out Emma Roberts, James Franco, Jack Kilmer, Nat Wolff, Zoe Levin, Chris Messina & Val Kilmer in the new trailer from writer-director Gia Coppola’s feature film debut PALO ALTO.

(Yahoo! Movies)

Coppola (granddaughter of Francis Ford Coppola) captures the complicated ties, heightened emotions, and romantic highs and lows of adolescence. Based on several linked stories by James Franco, PALO ALTO is a teenage movie for the ages, made indelible though its ensemble cast featuring some of the most gifted up-and-coming young actors working today.

Shy, sensitive April (Emma Roberts) is the class virgin -a popular soccer player and frequent babysitter for her single-dad coach, Mr. B. (James Franco).

Teddy (Jack Kilmer – son of actors Val Kilmer and Joanne Whalley) is an introspective artist whose best friend and sidekick Fred (Nat Wolff) is an unpredictable live wire with few filters or boundaries. While April negotiates a dangerous affair with Mr. B., and Teddy performs community service for a DUI – secretly carrying a torch for April, who may or may not share his affection – Fred seduces Emily (Zoe Levin), a promiscuous loner who seeks validation through sexual encounters. One high-school party bleeds into another as April and Teddy finally acknowledge their mutual affection, and Fred’s escalating recklessness spirals into chaos.

PALO ALTO will be in select theaters on Friday, May 9th and in St. Louis on May 23rd at the Landmark Plaza Frontenac Cinema.

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First Look Photo of Al Pacino in David Gordon Green’s MANGLEHORN, Co-Starring Holly Hunter

Here’s a first look at Al Pacino in David Gordon Green’s MANGLEHORN, which also stars Holly Hunter, Chris Messina and Harmony Korine.

AJ Manglehorn (Pacino) is an aging, ordinary guy in a small town. He nurses his sick cat, squeezes out a conversation with the local bank teller every Friday, and eats at the same place every day. But there is more to Manglehorn than meets the eye: he’s an ex-con who, 40 years ago, gave up the woman of his dreams for a big “job.” He now obsesses daily over the choices he made. After a dramatic effort to start over, Manglehorn faces a terrifying moment and is unmasked as a guy with a very, very dark past.

WestEnd Films is handling international sales at the European Film Market in Berlin starting this week. Producers are Lisa Muskat, David Gordon Green and Derrick Tseng alongside Worldview CEO, Christopher Woodrow, and COO, Molly Conners. Worldview and Dreambridge Films also serve as executive producers.

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