Here’s your first look at the brand new trailer for Charlie Day’s FOOL’S PARADISE.
The movie stars Charlie Day, Ken Jeong, Kate Beckinsale, Adrien Brody, Ray Liotta, Jason Sudeikis, Edie Falco, John Malkovich, Common, and Jillian Bell.
A satirical comedy about a down on his luck publicist, who gets his lucky break when he discovers a man recently released from a mental health facility looks just like a method actor who refuses to leave his trailer. With the help of a powerful producer, the publicist helps the man become a huge star, even marrying his beautiful leading lady. Their adventures lead them to cross paths with drunken costars, irreverent unhoused action heroes, unpredictable directors, super-agent, and power-mad moguls. Fame and fortune are not all they’re cracked up to be, and the two men must fight their way back to the things that matter the most.
Written and directed by Charlie Day in his directorial debut, the “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” actor stars alongside an all-star comedy cast. Featuring one of the final screen performances of Ray Liotta, the cast includes Ken Jeong, Kate Beckinsale, Oscar® winner Adrien Brody, Jason Sudeikis, Edie Falco, Jason Bateman, Common, Jillian Bell, Dean Norris, Jimmi Simpson, and John Malkovich. The film is produced by John Rickard (“Peacemaker” Rampage), along with Tim Zajaros and Christopher Lemole (The Peanut Butter Falcon, Mudbound), Alex Saks (Red Rocket, The Florida Project), and Rick Dugdale (Zero Contact). The executive producers are Kirk Michael Fellows, Rob Gough, Manu Gargi, and Bob Shapiro.
Roadside Attractions will release FOOL’S PARADISE only in theaters May 12, 2023.
Charlie Day and Adrien Brody in FOOL’S PARADISE / Courtesy of Roadside Attractions
Vertical Entertainment presents AVA, Tate Taylor’s thrilling tale of espionage. Jessica Chastain, John Malkovich, Common, Geena Davis and Colin Farrell star in this suspenseful drama. Here’s a clip from the film:
With an all star cast, AVA brings us into the world of a deadly mercenary with a sordid history. Ava (Jessica Chastain) is a trained assassin with a moral quandary who works for a black ops organization, traveling the globe executing high-profile hits. When a job goes dangerously wrong, she is forced to fight for her own survival.
Vertical Entertainment will be releasing AVA in select physical cinemas, drive-ins, virtual cinemas and on digital and VOD platforms on Friday, September 25, following its exclusive release on DIRECTV on Thursday, August 27.
Ava (Jessica Chastain) is a deadly mercenary who works for a black ops organization and specializes in high profile hits. When a conspicuous job goes haywire, Ava’s career and life are put into jeopardy. Ava is ordered to take a hiatus until the heat blows over and returns to her hometown of Boston in the attempts to mend relationships with her mother and sister; but years of estrangement have created resentment. As she unpacks the questionable morality of her life choices, Ava finds herself rushing to save her family and herself from inner demons and very real threats.
Okay film fans, buy your ticket, settle into your seat, and grab the armrests as you prepare to submerge! Dive, dive, dive into the murky depths of another underwater adventure (and just hope you don’t become “Spam in the can”). This subset of the war film genre has been cruising the cinemas for well over 75 years, longer if you count the movie adaptations of Jules Verne’s Captain Nemo. The gold sub flick standard might have been the two torpedo blasts from 1958’s RUN SILENT RUN DEEP and 1961’s SF-themed VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA (which spawned a weekly TV series soon after). Things were quiet beneath the waves (well after THE INCREDIBLE MR. LIMPET scuttled the U-boat menace) until the Cold War set 1989 smash THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER which began a 13-year wave of ocean thrillers including CRIMSON TIDE, U-571, and K-19: THE WIDOWMAKER. After some time away, those atomic leviathons are churning up some more water-spouts in the new, post-U.S.S.R. northern oceans in HUNTER KILLER. Oh, the title designates the type of vessel, if you were wondering.
As the film begins, we’re zipping over some truly brutal snow-capped terrain. Ah, but the real story is in the Bering Straight, beneath the floating chunks of ice. A US submarine, the Tampa Bay, is silently following a Russian sub (they better be quiet since they’re in Russian territory). Without warning the Russian sub explodes. As the Tampa Bay scrambles, they realize that a missile is headed there way. The blast echoes all the way to Navy HQ in the states. CJCS Donnegan (Gary Oldman) wants an immediate rescue/investigation. RA Fisk (Common) informs him that the closest sub, the Arkansas is missing its usual Captain. However, an untested but fully cleared captain, Joe Glass, is nearby. Donnegan gives the OK, and Glass (Gerald Butler) cuts his hunting vacation short. Soon Fisk is briefed by NSA chief Norquist (Linda Cardellini) who informs him that a Navy seal team led by Bill Beaman (Toby Stephens) are parachuting into Russia to observe the meeting between President Zakarin and his main naval Admiral, Durov (Michael Gor). The Arkansas returns to the scene of the “incident”, and after evading a Russian sub, finds the remains of the Tampa Bay and the original sunken Russian sub. Video from a drone reveals that the explosion came from the inside. And just what’s that banging sound? Survivors? Glass brings aboard the nearly frozen Russian sub Captain Andropov (Michael Nyqvist) and two of his crew. Back on land, the Special Forces quartet observe more than a meeting. The images sent back to the states reveal Durov staging a coup and kidnapping Zakarin. Donnegen tells the US president that they should go to “Def-Con 4” which could lead to another world war. Fortunately, Fisk and Norquist sell her (that’s right) on another plan: the Seal Team rescues Zakarin and escapes with him via the Arkansas. But the plan hinges on whether Glass can persuade Andropov to guide them past the numerous mines that surround the naval base. Can they form an alliance and pull off this truly impossible mission before the crazed Durov lights the fuse to pulverize the planet?
Perhaps due to the confined sub set, Butler’s usual action flick swagger is thankfully subdued (not the case earlier this year, where his “mucho-macho” attitude stunk up a fairly decent “B” movie-style heist flick DEN OF THIEVES). Still, his growling, pre-mission “pep talk” (“I didn’t go to Annapolis, but I’ve done all of yer’ jobs”) is pretty grating. But he can still believably bark out commands as though he ‘s leading another 300-type charge into battle. And his glowering focus helps direct our attention from all the flashing monitors in the busy control room. In another screen-filled space, Oldman tosses away all his Churchill subtlety to give us another “angry man in command”, a star-studded bully who’s always throwing a tantrum along with insults when folks don’t see things his way (Yosemite Sam with his finger on the big red button). Much calmer (almost to the point of napping) is Common, who is far too tightly wrapped for, well, a rapper (his role in THE HATE U GIVE strikes a better balance in fewer scenes). It’s always a pleasure to see Cardellini pop up on screen (last time was just a few weeks ago as the tough artist in A SIMPLE FAVOR), though she has little to do besides sharing too many secrets and dazzling the guys with her computer skills. Stevens, so good in the Netflix reboot of “Lost in Space”, does more of that tough guy machismo as Beamen who’s a modern take on the Marvel Comics GI Sgt. Fury (minus several “howlers” and the half cigar jutting from the corner of his clenched jaw). The late Nuqvist, unfortunately, has little to do in one of his last screen roles, while Gor elicits a bit of Lugosi-like madness to his role as the power-hungry Durov.
Director Donovan Marsh checks off the list of submarine movie standards (playing all the “hits”) with workman-like proficiency. Steady-cam dashing POV through the tight, crowded corridors? Check. Multiple leaks with spraying bursts of water. Double check, augmented with sparks and sailors bounced from side to side. Plus there’s the “ping…ping’ off of sonar screens, along with countless count-downs (“20 seconds to impact…15”). In addition, we experience some solid tension as the sub navigates some narrow route while evading lotsa’ floating mines. Some of them are sound sensitive, so the crew must try to be silent (while sweating buckets, of course). Guess the mines don’t pick up on the “whirring” motors. Marsh tries to break up the undersea scenes with frequent cuts to US Navy HQ (mainly lots of arguing and staring at screens) and the quartet who can observe all of Durov’s schemes from a tower just a few hundred yards away, an unmanned tower that the bad guys either ignore or just forgot (sensors couldn’t warn of the activity). That’s not the least of the absurdities. Two different characters take bullets to the mid-section, then dive into the cold water, with little discomfort (one is up and about within minutes). These “war games” make for a bloated two hours, but the effects work is pretty solid, with CGI replacing the miniature work of most previous submarine sequences (underwater explosions are darned cool). If you’re a fan of the genre HUNTER KILLER should “float your boat”. For more discerning fans, well for undersea thrills, Mr. Curry AKA AQUAMAN will be making waves in a couple months.
ALL ABOUT NINA focuses on a woman trying to break into the male-dominated world of stand-up comedy, but Eva Viva’s feature film debut is really about a woman living with the legacy of abuse. One of the odd things about this film is that it is essentially built like a romantic comedy about the gifted but struggling comic, but then makes turns that are neither comic nor romantic but raw and real. What rescues this uneven, head-twisting film is Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s wickedly funny yet heartbreaking performance as the comedian, Nina.
There is good and bad in ALL ABOUT NINA but the intentions are good. It starts out more dryly comedic but switches to darker tones as we learn more about Nina.
On stage, Nina is bold, with bitingly-funny, frankly-sexual routines delivered with bravura. Off stage, she is more of a mess, throwing up after every performance and being very guarded in her interactions with people. Her sexually-charged stand-up draws men to her but she rebuffs them all, avoiding commitment and even conventional dating, preferring to simply pick up unsuspecting partners for one-night hookups. Despite that, she is nonetheless harassed by an abusive ex-lover (Chace Crawford). Struggling in her career and personal life in New York, Nina relocates to Los Angeles, to audition for a spot on a TV comedy show, Comedy Prime, a move that is supposed to be temporary.
Her agent finds her a place to stay with another client, Lake (Kate de Castillo), a very California, Reiki-practicing author. The film has a little fun with the culture shock of the native New Yorker in LA but it soon turns its attentions to romance, when Nina meets Rafe (Common), who is a man unlike any she has met before. However, this film has larger ambitions than romantic comedy, which into gets to shortly after these two connect.
A major strength of the film is the ensemble work of Winstead and Common, who together have a believable, warm chemistry. There is a quirky charm to the both of their characters, as they start to explore the possibility of a relationship. They both have their issues to deal with, and a large cultural divide to bridge, but the appealing connection they make has us rooting for them.
Another strength is Winstead’s stand-up routines, which are gritty, sexy, and acidly funny. Her ability to balance that on-stage persona with Nina’s more reticent off-stage one in a thoroughly convincing fashion is much of what makes the film watchable.
Honesty is a big theme in stand-up, with comedians and producers pushing for more honest, raw and edgy material. Everyone in this film talks about being honest, and Nina does too, but in fact, she has things she doesn’t want to share – deep, dark things. The film uses what happens to explore how much honesty we really want and the line between a kind of “truth or dare” honesty and real, sometimes shattering truth.
Some of what this film contains is very hard to watch but Winstead’s strong performance helps ALL ABOUT NINA say what Vive’s film is there to say. But the major reason to see ALL ABOUT NINA is the remarkable Mary Elizabeth Winstead.
ALL ABOUT NINA opens, Friday, Oct. 12, at AMC Chesterfield.
(L-R): Megan Lawless, Amandla Stenberg, and Sabrina Carpenter in Twentieth Century Fox’s THE HATE U GIVE. Photo Credit: Erika Doss. Courtesy of Fox (c)
THE HATE U GIVE tackles serious issues about race with heart and honesty through the experiences of a black teen girl from a poor neighborhood trying to fit in at a mostly-white private high school, a balancing act upended when she witnesses the killing of a black friend by a white cop.
This is a powerful, engaging drama that everyone should see, for its effective balanced handling of some of society’s most difficult topics in our present society, as well as it’s moving story and wonderful performances, particularly by young Amandla Stenberg. It is particularly essential viewing for white audiences, for the insights and perspectives it offers.
Based on Angie Thomas’ young-adult novel, THE HATE U GIVE rises far above other movies based on young-adult novels. There are no star-crossed lovers with one suffering a fatal disease, no dystopian world saved by teens, and the problems young Starr Carter (Amandla Stenberg) grapples with are far bigger than the usual high school ones of popularity and budding romance.
The film is different from the typical young adult movie from the start, opening with Starr’s father giving his three children “the talk” about how to behave when stopped by the police. The initials of the film’s title spell “THUG,” and are drawn from lyrics by Tupac Shakur describing in raw terms how hate harms children.
Starr lives life in two worlds, constantly “”code-switching” between them: one the poor, mostly black neighborhood where her family lives and the other the mostly white, affluent to rich private high school to which her devoted parents send her.
At school, she is “Starr 2,” an easy-going popular teen who smiles a lot and does her best to fit in through “code-switching.” While her white friends use terms they know from hip-hop, Starr never does because, as she tells us, white kids using black slang makes the feel cool while if she used the same words, it would make her seem “ghetto.” She ignores small slights and racist micro-aggressions to fit in at school, smiling and shrugging them off. She has a white boyfriend (KJ Apa) but refuses to let him know where she lives.
At home, she reverts to just Starr, fitting in with the other black people in the neighborhood, a place where her business-owner father is a respected figure. She is surrounded by family and friends but also poverty and crime, where one of the few ways to make money is working for the local drug lord King (Anthony Mackie). In her neighborhood, Starr code-switches to cover up her school persona, while not feeling entire comfortable in either world.
That balancing act is upended when Starr witnesses the killing of her childhood friend Khalil (Algee Smith), an unarmed black teen, at the hands of a white policeman during a traffic stop. Starr faces pressure from all sides as she grapples with doing the right thing.
The story, which reflects recent real-world events including Ferguson, allows the film to explore a number of sociopolitical topics in an organic way through characters and their interactions. Early on, the film has a certain lightness and humor, particularly around the warmth of the family, before the tale is turned darker by tragedy. Director George Tillman Jr. handles both brilliantly, working from Audrey Well’s script. and is greatly aided by the fine cast. Because this is a young-adult story, the focus is on its strong moral message about family, community and doing the right thing, rather than just the violent moments, which are kept more at arm’s length.
Amandla Stenberg glows as Starr, her innocent wounded gaze and sensitive nature making her tug at our hearts. As her parents Lisa and Maverick, Regina Hall and Russell Hornsby are also wonderful, fierce in their protectiveness and commitment to their children. They paint a compelling portrait of ideal parenting while still allowing room for human foibles and even humor. Common, who plays Lisa’s policeman brother, offers the unique viewpoint of a black cop, as well as the perspective of a black man who made the choice to move out of the neighborhood into suburbia.
THE HATE U GIVE is a unique film, both moving and thought-provoking while thoroughly engrossing, and one that everyone should see, teen and adult, black and white. It may well be a star-making turn for Amandla Stenberg, an inspiring tale of courage and family that may be both an awards contender and a popular hit – which is quite a combination.
The hilarious film, A Happening of Monumental Proportion comes to DVD, Digital and On Demand October 23 from Lionsgate. A school day is turned around as a dead body turns up on school premises! Watch what happens as the kids and school administrators decide to do everything else about the body except the right thing.
The hilarious and incredibly talented Judy Greer steps behind the camera for her directorial debut when A Happening of Monumental Proportions arrives on DVD, Digital, and On Demand October 23 from Lionsgate. Featuring an all-star cast including Common, Bradley Whitford, Anders Holm, and Allison Janney, the film takes place over the course of one day and follows a group of school administrators as they find themselves caught up in a plot of sex, lies, and dead bodies. The A Happening of Monumental Proportions DVD includes a behind-the-scenes featurette, “A Sneak Peek at A Happening of Monumental Proportions,” and will be available for the suggested retail price of $19.98.
An L.A. public school becomes a hotbed of sex, lies, and hilarity in this star-powered comedy directed by Judy Greer. It’s Career Day, and two school administrators have just made a shocking discovery: the dead body of the groundskeeper! They decide to hide the body, sparking a series of wildly comic misadventures for teachers and students on a Career Day that no one will ever forget—no matter how hard they try!
DVD SPECIAL FEATURES
“A Sneak Peek at A Happening of Monumental Proportions” Featurette
CAST
Common John Wick: Chapter 2, Suicide Squad, Barbershop: The Next Cut
Bradley Whitford Get Out, The Post, Saving Mr. Banks
Anders Holm TV’s “Workaholics,” The Intern, How to Be Single
with Allison Janney I, Tonya, The Help, TV’s “Mom”
Starr Carter is constantly switching between two worlds: the poor, mostly black, neighborhood where she lives and the rich, mostly white, prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Now, facing pressures from all sides of the community, Starr must find her voice and stand up for what’s right. THE HATE U GIVE is based on the critically acclaimed New York Times bestseller by Angie Thomas and stars Amandla Stenberg as Starr, with Regina Hall, Russell Hornsby, Issa Rae, KJ Apa, Algee Smith, Sabrina Carpenter, Common and Anthony Mackie.
Opens Friday, October 12 in St. Louis.
WAMG has your free passes to the advance screening of THE HATE U GIVE in St. Louis.
Date: October 10, 7pm in the St. Louis area.
ENTER FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A PASS GOOD FOR TWO!
Add you name and email in our comments section below.
NO PURCHASE REQUIRED. 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.
Brace for Impact. HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER, CRIMSON TIDE, DAS BOOT, U-571… all great submarine films. Now comes the latest entry into the fleet. HUNTER KILLER.
Check out the official trailer and first poster for Summit Premiere’s HUNTER KILLER starring Gerard Butler, Gary Oldman, Common and Linda Cardellini.
Amid heightened tensions between the US and Russia, a new generation of highly sophisticated nuclear attack subs called hunter killers prowl the murky depths. When the Russian president is captured by his rogue general, an untested American submarine captain (Butler) teams up with an elite group of Navy SEALs to save him. Now the Americans and Russians must work together to avoid worldwide disaster.
Deep under the Arctic Ocean, American submarine Captain Joe Glass (Gerard Butler, Olympus Has Fallen, 300) is on the hunt for a U.S. sub in distress when he discovers a secret Russian coup is in the offing, threatening to dismantle the world order. Captain Glass must now assemble an elite group of Navy SEALs to rescue the kidnapped Russian president and sneak through enemy waters to stop WWIII.
Also starring Oscar® winner Gary Oldman (Best Actor, Darkest Hour, 2017), Common (John Wick: Chapter 2), Linda Cardellini (Avengers: Age of Ultron) and Toby Stephens (Die Another Day), HUNTER KILLER is a high-stakes thriller that unfolds both on land and at sea.
Directed by Donovan Marsh and written by Arne L. Schmidt and Jamie Moss, HUNTER KILLER is based on the book Firing Point written by retired naval officer George Wallace and author Don Keith.
The production of HUNTER KILLER was also fully supported by the United States Navy.
Only In Theaters Nationwide October 26th
Visit the official site: https://hunterkiller.movie/
20th Century Fox has released a powerful first trailer and new photos for THE HATE U GIVE. Directed by George Tillman, Jr. and based on the New York Times bestseller by Angie Thomas, the film stars Amandla Stenberg, Regina Hall, Russell Hornsby, KJ Apa, Algee Smith, Lamar Johnson, Issa Rae, Sabrina Carpenter, with Common and Anthony Mackie.
Starr Carter is constantly switching between two worlds: the poor, mostly black, neighborhood where she lives and the rich, mostly white, prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Now, facing pressures from all sides of the community, Starr must find her voice and stand up for what’s right.
Tillman directed the 2015 romantic drama THE LONGEST RIDE, based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks.
THE HATE U GIVE arrives in theaters on October 19, 2018.
Bleecker Street & LD Entertainment have joined forces with AT&T THANKS, Regal Cinemas and MovieTickets.com to bring the true life story, MEGAN LEAVEY, directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite to service members ahead of the June 9, 2017 nationwide release of the film.
AT&T THANKS, Regal Cinemas and MovieTickets.com will generously sponsor over 190 screenings of the film on May 30th as part of National Military Appreciation Month at participating Regal Cinemas. Active and retired service members will be invited to attend a free screening of the film in advance through AT&T THANKS and Regal Cinemas. MovieTickets.com will facilitate ticket fulfillment.
Tyler DiNapoli, President of Marketing, Media and Research for Bleecker Street, said, “We’re proud to work with AT&T THANKS, Regal Cinemas and MovieTickets.com to honor our nation’s service members with this program. It’s a small way to give back to those, who like the real-life Megan Leavey and her service dog Rex, sacrifice so much for our country.”
Neil Andrews, Director, Product Marketing Management, of AT&T THANKS said, “We can never say thank you enough to the people who are defending, and have defended our freedom. We hope this small token of appreciation creates a meaningful moment for all servicemen and women and their families as well as honoring the animals that support them.”
“I am thrilled to welcome military services personnel to our Regal theatres, and to offer this great opportunity to show our appreciation to the families who have made sacrifices for us all,” said Steve Bunnell, Chief Content and Programming Officer at Regal Entertainment Group.
Greg Sica, Vice President of Business Development for MovieTickets.com, said, “We are honored to support this screening of Megan’s brave story for America’s finest heroes. As a company, MovieTickets.com is extremely proud of our military members and their contributions to protect and maintain our freedom. MEGAN LEAVEY is a film that captures their courage and we are proud to be a part of sharing that narrative along with our collaborators at AT&T and Regal.”
The film recounts Megan Leavey’s life following the death of her best friend to enlisting in the ranks of the U.S. Marine Corps. When she is assigned to clean up the K9 unit after a disciplinary hearing, she identifies with a particularly aggressive dog, Rex, and is given the chance to train him. Over the course of their service, Megan and Rex completed more than 100 missions until an IED explosion injures them, putting their fate in jeopardy. Starring Kate Mara, Ramón Rodríguez, Tom Felton, Bradley Whitford, Will Patton, Sam Keeley with Common and Edie Falco.
Directed by Cowperthwaite (BLACKFISH) from a screenplay by Pamela Gray and Annie Mumolo & Tim Lovestedt, MEGAN LEAVEY was produced by Mickey Liddell, Pete Shilaimon and Jennifer Monroe.
