In a futuristic world that imposes a cosmetic surgery at 16, Tally is eager for her turn to join the rest of society. But when a friend runs away, Tally embarks on a journey to save her that upends everything she thought she wanted.
UGLIES stars Joey King, Chase Stokes, Brianne Tju, Keith Powers, Charmin Lee, Jan Luis Castellano and Laverne Cox.
Directed by McG, watch the brand new trailer.
Uglies was first published in 2005, but King believes its power has only grown over the years. “I think it is super relevant that we’re making this now,” King said.
McG agrees, telling Tudum, “The film’s really about beauty as interior,” he said. “It’s a commentary on what we’re experiencing today, where so many people can’t just take a photograph and post it on social media. You’ve got to put it through the filter, you’ve got to edit it, you’ve got to do the thing to present this idealized version of beauty. And this is a moment to say, ‘Take a deep breath, work on your inner game, love people for who they are, and accept yourself for who you are,’ and strangely, it’s a much more fruitful way to live.”
As we approach the big extended (four days) holiday weekend the big Summer movie season dashes past its halfway point with a new entry in a fourteen-year-old film franchise. No big surprise, but this one is hoping to “ride the wave” generated by a sequel that caused an unexpected near-seismic tsunami at the box office, only a few weeks ago. Oh, did I mention that both flicks are animated? Yes, INSIDE OUT 2 exceeded all the financial forecasters to be the first billion-dollar movie of 2024. So, will “lightning strike” again, as this is the first installment of the series in seven years, not counting a couple of prequel spin-offs. Perhaps Gru and his gang, including lotsa’ manic Minions, can lure some families at the multiplex away from another visit in Riley’s noggin with DESPICABLE ME 4.
The story does start with the “DM’ himself, Gru (voice of Steve Carell) as he attends, with a trio of Minions, a class reunion at his old “alma mater”, Lycee Pas Bon. But he’s not there to “catch up’, rather he’s on a mission for the Anti-Villain League (ATL) to capture an old classmate and rival, Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell). When he receives a special award, Maxime reveals that he has harnessed the power of cockroaches, even fusing parts of them into his body, to make himself an unstoppable mastermind. This nearly derails Gru’s plans to arrest him until his backup ATL team arrives. Soon Gru is back home with his loving family: wife Lucy (Kristen Wiig), daughters Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier), Agnes (Madison Skyy Polan), and baby son Gru Junior. But just as things are getting back to normal they get a surprise visit from the ATL director Silas Ramsbottom (Steve Coogan) who tells them that Maxime, with the help of his GF Valentina (Sofia Vergara) has busted out and is on his way for revenge. The family Gru is quickly whisked away to a new locale with new identities as part of a protection “program”. While all but three of the Minions are taken to the secret ATL lab, the family is sent to cozy suburban Mayflower. Gru tries to become friends with snooty neighbor Perry Prescott (Steven Colbert), which leads to his association with his pre-teen daughter Poppy (Joey King). She recognizes him as a former super-villain and threatens blackmail unless he aids her in a high-risk “heist”. Meanwhile, at the lab, five of the Minions are chosen for a special experiment to give them super powers (flying, strength, laser-ray eye, etc.) creating the Mega-Minions. All this as Maxime and Valentina track down their prey. Can Gru and his family triumph over their bug abilities and weapons or will Gru Jr. become Maxime’s new son?
The veteran voice cast reunites to bring plenty of star power to their now-familiar roles. Carell brings a lot of energy and his expert comic timing to Gru’s endearing accent (perhaps near Boris Badenov’s hometown). Wiig is the most prominent of the SNL vets as the perky affable Lucy with a “sing-song” TV sitcom housewife delivery. The other big “get” has a connection to her and to Carell with the introduction of the new “big baddie” Maxime voiced by SNL icon and that ANCHORMAN himself, Ferrell, who seems to be enjoying his over-the-top French accent. Vergara is a good bored, petulant vamp as Valentina. And Coogan has the right tone of cultured stuffiness as Silas. Oh, there are two more TV vets involved. Lariane Newman, an OG SNL founder, is the angry matron Melora while current SNL “mimic marvel” Chloe Fineman is the bubbly Southern belle next door, Patsy. Colbert is pure waspy privilege as her hubby Perry. King affects a nice snarky “mean girls” riff as their daughter Poppy. And kudos to the mix of new and veteran voices as the daughters.
The director’s chair is shared by Chris Renaud (the man behind so many Illumination flicks) and Patrick Delage (in his feature debut). Perhaps this team-up happened to somehow shoehorn the three (maybe more) plot elements into a coherent and cohesive film. And they don’t really get there as the plot will suddenly stop any momentum to “switch over” to “story B” (hey, we need some Minion slapstick) dividing our focus. Maybe another “pass” was needed on the script from Mike White ( a lauded live-action scribe) and one of the original DM writers, Ken Daurio. Another stumble is the lack of a really interesting villain in Maxime, whose “reason for revenge’ via a cutesy flashback, isn’t that engaging. Plus the script “falls back” on too many pop culture riffs and “shout outs” topped by a “burn” on the live-action superhero “tentpoles”. Yes, over-powered heroes causing havoc trying to help is as old as the concept (“Snafuperman” and “Stuporduck” shorts from the 40s and 50s). The scenic backdrops are very colorful and dynamic, but the character design is often derivative with almond-shaped heads, big “floopy” hair, and spindly legs that shouldn’t support the bulky torsos (and what’s with Maxime’s puffy “hotel carpet” coat). By the time the film lumbers along to its “city demolition” climax, we’re exhausted despite its 95-minute runtime. Hardcore fans of the series will be happy to have the old gang back complete with lots of Minions schtick as they spew gibberish while bouncing about, but after seeing the superb sequel from Pixar last month maybe the Gru family and friends (and fiends) should retire into cinema “witless protection” after squandering the comic talent ‘at the mike” in DESPICABLE ME 4.
2 Out of 4
DESPICABLE ME 4 is now playing in theatres everywhere
In the first Despicable Me movie in seven years, Gru, the world’s favorite supervillain-turned-Anti-Villain League-agent, returns in Illumination’s DESPICABLE ME 4. Featuring the voice cast of Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Will Ferrell, Pierre Coffin, Joey King, Sofia Vergara, Stephen Colbert, Miranda Cosgrove, Chloe Fineman, Steve Coogan, Chris Renaud, Dana Gaier, Madison Polan and Will Ferrell, THIS SUMMER, IT’S A BOLD NEW ERA OF MINIONS MAYHEM!
DESPICABLE ME 4 opens only in theaters July 3rd!
The special screening is Monday, July 1st at The Galleria 6 Cine at 7PM (6PM Suggested Arrival)
Please arrive early as seating is not guaranteed.
FOUR winners will each receive 4 passes to the screening.
Following the 2022 summer blockbuster phenomenon of Illumination’s Minions: The Rise of Gru, which earned almost $1 billion worldwide, the biggest global animated franchise in history now begins a new chapter as Gru (Oscar® nominee Steve Carrell) and Lucy (Oscar® nominee Kristen Wiig) and their girls —Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier) and Agnes (Madison Polan)—welcome a new member to the Gru family, Gru Jr., who is intent on tormenting his dad.
Gru faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal (Emmy winner Will Ferrell) and his femme fatale girlfriend Valentina (Emmy nominee Sofia Vergara), and the family is forced to go on the run.
The film features fresh new characters voiced by Joey King (Bullet Train), Emmy winner Stephen Colbert (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert) and Chloe Fineman (Saturday Night Live). Pierre Coffin returns as the iconic voice of the Minions and Oscar® nominee Steve Coogan returns as Silas Ramsbottom.
Packed with non-stop action and filled with Illumination’s signature subversive humor, Despicable Me 4 is directed by a co-creator of the Minions, Oscar® nominee Chris Renaud (Despicable Me, The Secret Life of Pets), and is produced by Illumination’s visionary founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and by Brett Hoffman (executive producer, The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Minions: The Rise of Gru). The film is co-directed by Patrick Delage (animation director Sing 2 and The Secret Life of Pets 2), and the screenplay is by the Emmy winning creator of White Lotus, Mike White, and the veteran writer of every Despicable Me film, Ken Daurio.
ILLUMINATION and UNIVERSAL PICTURES have unveiled the new all-star cast and first trailer of DESPICABLE ME 4.
The biggest global animated franchise in history returns with the first DESPICABLE ME film in seven years.
In the first Despicable Me movie in seven years, Gru, the world’s favorite supervillain-turned-Anti-Villain League-agent, returns for an exciting, bold new era of Minions mayhem in Illumination’s Despicable Me 4.
Following the 2022 summer blockbuster phenomenon of Illumination’s Minions: The Rise of Gru, which earned almost $1 billion worldwide, the biggest global animated franchise in history now begins a new chapter as Gru (Oscar®nominee Steve Carrell) and Lucy (Oscar® nominee Kristen Wiig) and their girls —Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier) and Agnes (Madison Polan)—welcome a new member to the Gru family, Gru Jr., who is intent on tormenting his dad.
Gru faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal (Emmy winner Will Ferrell) and his femme fatale girlfriend Valentina (Emmy nominee Sofia Vergara), and the family is forced to go on the run.
The Minions in DESPICABLE ME 4, from Illumination
The film features fresh new characters voiced by Joey King (Bullet Train), Emmy winner Stephen Colbert (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert) and Chloe Fineman (Saturday Night Live). Pierre Coffin returns as the iconic voice of the Minions and Oscar® nominee Steve Coogan returns as Silas Ramsbottom.
Packed with non-stop action and filled with Illumination’s signature subversive humor, Despicable Me 4 is directed by a co-creator of the Minions, Oscar® nominee Chris Renaud (Despicable Me, The Secret Life of Pets), and is produced by Illumination’s visionary founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and by Brett Hoffman (executive producer, The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Minions: The Rise of Gru). The film is co-directed by Patrick Delage (animation director Sing 2and The Secret Life of Pets 2), and the screenplay is by the Emmy winning creator of White Lotus, Mike White, and the veteran writer of every Despicable Me film, Ken Daurio.
DESPICABLE ME 4 arrives in theaters July 3, 2024.
DESPICABLE ME 4, from IlluminationHoney Badger and Baby Gru in DESPICABLE ME 4, from Illumination
Many of you might be wanting to take a break from the big studio action blockbusters with wall-to-wall bone-crunching stunts and feats of physical derring-do. Well, if you see this title popping up on your streaming services, you might believe that it’s a sweet bit of fairy tale fantasy and a relaxing change of pace for your movieviewing. Um…think again, becuase, this royal heir would stun and surprise at a tea party for the “Disney divas’. After watching this you’ll know that there are few medieval movie heroines quite like THE PRINCESS.
Now, when we first meet her, she’s doing the whole “Sleeping Beauty” bit as she sleeps on a fancy feather bed in a room at the top of a castle tower. At least it’s not a glass coffin like Snow White. Ah, but as soon as she awkens,we realize such a fate could be in the cards for the Princess (Joey King). She recalls an altercation ending with her being forced to inhale some form of sleeping salts (no, not a magic potion). Before she can gather her memories she hears heavy footsteps outside the door. When they enter, the Princess transforms into a whirling dervish of punches and kicks, using every object at hand to take down this deadly duo even though her hands are in manacles. Somehow she has to evade all the guards at every level in order to return to the rest of her royal family. many many feet below her. Mother, father, and kid sister Violet are being watched over by the evil schemer Julius (Dominic Cooper). He’s a diplomat from another country (we’re never given exact locations) who decides that the best way to take the throne is by marrying the Princess. And thanks to his secret army of goons led by his deadly “consort” Moira (Olga Kurylenko), he pressures the royals into a last minute wedding, which ends when the bride, the Princess, refuses (leading to the gassing and imprisoning). As she works her way down, flashbacks show us how the daughter of one of the king’s foreign advisors, Linh (Veronica Ngo), trained her in all manner of self-defence skills, which horrifies the King. He had been hoping for a son to take the throne, which inspired the master plan of Julius. But even with her considerable fighting knowledge, can the Princess save her family, and defeat the army of killers that infests the once peaceful kingdom?
Previously known for her work in teen romcoms and a few horror flicks, Ms. King can now add action star to her fairly long film resume. She flings herself into combat with wild abandon, bouncing from one attacker to another as though she’s changing dance partners in a most intricate musical number. Which she is, in a way. Since the settings aren’t especially vast, King needs to be in view, though I’m sure the stunt team really “earned their fees”.Sure, she seems super-human at times, but King shows us the panic in her eyes as she scans the area for a possible weapon. And those eyes water and her mouth contorts in agony when the punches hit their target. Cooper doesn’t have nearly as much to do as his Julius twirls his mustache while screaming orders at his endless henchmen supply, but he does the whole usurper role well, with a a true mania for deviltry. The real “dirty work’ is left to Kurylenko who’s the proper “flipside” of King as the sneering dominating dispenser of pain as she becomes more of a “tigress with a whip”, which packs an extra ‘sting’ when a sharp hook emerges from its tip. Ngo is also quite impressive as the mentor turned partner in the big kitchen “rumble” and during the frenetic finale.
Vietnamese filmmaker Le-Van Kiet keeps the film moving at a break-neck pace almost from the opening moments, only occasionally slowing down to give us a bit of backstory via flashbacks and the Princess peering in on Julius and Moira from the labyrinth of walkways behind the castle’s chambers. In favor of the big fights and escapes, the screenwriters have eschewed much of the period and historical details. As I mentioned, no countries are named along with the monikers of the royal family (other than Violet). the lead is always her royal title. The look of the film balances the decorative with the deadly, especially the weaponry. Aside from the whips’ spring hook, there’s a great spin on the classic crossbow. Along with the swords and spears, the guards use a long-handled sledgehammer device with one end looking like a steel fist. Of course, the story requires a big suspension of disbelief as the heroine has an endless supply of energy coursing through her petite frame, as the film often resembles a medieval KILL BILL or JOHN WICK, as countless cuts and punctures barely slow her down. For the viewer, well it gets a bit exhausting and mind-numbing even at a taut 90 or so minutes. But for the action enthusiast, they’ll get their kicks (and punches and swordplay) here watching THE PRINCESS, a lady in no need of a Prince Charming to rescue her, though it’d be great if he brought some bandages and linament.
InBULLET TRAIN, Brad Pitt stars as Ladybug, an unlucky assassin determined to do his job peacefully after one too many gigs gone off the rails. Fate, however, may have other plans, as Ladybug’s latest mission puts him on a collision course with lethal adversaries from around the globe – all with connected, yet conflicting, objectives – on the world’s fastest train…and he’s got to figure out how to get off. From the director of Deadpool 2, David Leitch, the end of the line is only the beginning in a wild, non-stop thrill ride through modern-day Japan.
Check out the brand new trailer and look for BULLET TRAIN to open in theaters on August 5.
The cast also includes Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Andrew Koji, Hiroyuki Sanada, Michael Shannon, Benito A Martínez Ocasio and Sandra Bullock.
The film is produced by Kelly McCormick, David Leitch and Antoine Fuqua. Dominic Lewis (The Man in the High Castle, Peter Rabbit, Money Monster, Monsters at Work, Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween) is the composer on BULLET TRAIN.
Watch the brand new trailer for SLENDER MAN now. The film stars Joey King, Julia Goldani-Telles, Jaz Sinclair, Annalise Basso and Javier Botet.
In a small town in Massachusetts, four high school girls perform a ritual in an attempt to debunk the lore of SLENDER MAN. When one of the girls goes mysteriously missing, they begin to suspect that she is, in fact, HIS latest victim.
Some facts before you see the film:
Victor Surge is the original creator of Slender Man, the mythical Internet character who inspired Wisconsin 12-year-olds Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier to stab their friend in Waukesha woods on Sunday. Surge was the first to make a Photoshopped image of Slender Man, submitting it to a forum called Something Awful (SA) in 2009. From there, Internet users created backstories and more manipulated images of the character, and it grew to become an Internet pop-culture sensation. (heavy.com)
Knudsen Didn’t Intend for Slender Man to Go Viral:
http://youtu.be/YUT5rjZVgcw In an interview with a Slender Man blogger, Knudsen seems shocked by how popular Slender Man grew to be. The interview took place on August 31, 2011, a time when Surge had recently started reviewing fan’s contributions to the Slender Man legacy. He admitted that he threw together the original Slender Man photos in about 15 minutes.
Directed by Sylvain White and written by David Birke, the latest horror film hits theaters on May 18, 2018.
Joey King (Independence Day: Resurgence, “Fargo”) must be careful what she wishes for in the terrifying thriller WISH UPON, also starring Ryan Phillippe (Crash, “Shooter”), Emmy® nominee Shannon Purser (“Stranger Things”), Ki Hong Lee (The Maze Runnerfranchise, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”), Mitchell Slaggert (Moss), Alice Lee (“Gap Year”), Sidney Park (“Instant Mom”), Kevin Hanchard (“Orphan Black”), Sherilyn Fenn (“Twin Peaks”) and Elisabeth Rohm (American Hustle, “Law & Order”). WISH UPON debuts on Digital HD, Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, DVD and VOD on October 10. The Blu-ray Combo Pack also includes the Director’s Unrated Cut, featuring footage not seen in the theatrical release. Bonus materials on WISH UPON include “I Wish: The Cast Share What They Would Wish” (all formats except VOD), “Attic Tour with Joey King” (all formats except VOD), “Directing Darkness: John Leonetti and Cast Talk About Developing a Horror Film” (Blu-ray and Digital exclusive), and “Motion Comics: Lu Mei’s Curse and Arthur Sands Reveal The Stories Behind The Previous Owners Of The Box” (Blu-ray and Digital exclusive).
After her father (Ryan Phillippe) presents her with a mysterious music box, Clare Shannon (Joey King) is surprised to find her every wish coming true. Her joy slowly morphs into terror as she begins to realize the bloody price of each new wish. WISH UPON (BLU-RAY, DVD, VOD and DIGITAL HD)
Director: John R. Leonetti
Cast: Joey King, Ryan Phillippe, Shannon Purser, Ki Hong Lee, Mitchell Slaggert, Alice Lee, Sydney Park, Kevin Hanchard, Sherilyn Fenn
Writer: Barbara Marshall
Producer: Sherryl Clark
Rating: Rated PG-13 for violent and disturbing images, thematic elements and language
Runtime: 90 Minutes (Theatrical Version), 91 Minutes (Unrated Version)
Facebook: www.facebook.com/wishuponmovie
Twitter: @WishUponMovie
Instagram: @WishUponMovie
We’re nearly halfway through July, but somehow, here at the ole’ multiplex, there’s a distinct chill. No, it’s not somebody tinkering with the thermostat. It could be this new horror flick, perhaps. Although it’s not the good chill as in a memorable “spine-tingler”. No, it’s as if this wannabe’ thriller somehow escaped the dumping ground of mid-January, or a Friday-the-thirteenth weekend, or sometime close to Halloween. It’s squarely aimed at the pre-teen and teen set since it’s got the PG-13 rating, so it’s a bit scary, just not too intense or “gory gross”. And it features a cast from other young adult flicks and TV shows for audience identification. And what’s the added incentive at the top of the poster, the nudge that’ll put behinds in the seats? “From the director of Annabelle”…really. That’s something to boast about? Oh, and there’s fairy tale elements to the story, too. It’s about a magic gizmo that grants your every desire, but, of course, the film’s heroine has to learn the hard way to, everybody now, “Be careful what you wish for” when you decide to WISH UPON (and not upon a star, Mr. Cricket).
The story begins with a gruesome, traumatic childhood memory that makes high-schooler Claire (Joey King) wake up screaming, bolt upright, her eyes nearly popping out of her head. Ah, but it’s time to head for school as she bids goodbye to her pop Jonathan (Ryan Phillippe) and jumps on her rickety bicycle. As she helps her wealthy uncle retrieve his morning paper at the driveway of his ritzy estate, Claire is nearly run down by school diva, that mean blonde b..witch, Darcie (Josephine Langford), who’s taking her fawning “squad” to school. But things don’t get better for Claire once her trek is done. Right outside the campus, she spots her dad “at work”. He may call himself a “professional recycler”, but to his daughter (and her classmates), Jonathan and her bud Carl are “dumpster divers”. Luckily Claire has her own support team, BFFs Meredith (Sydney Park) and June (Shannon Purser). But Darcie is not through taunting Claire, and the two get into a brawl in the school cafeteria (where were the faculty lunch monitors, visiting another district?). That night, Jonathan tries to cheer up Claire with an unusual gift, something he grabbed during the day’s ‘scavenging’. It’s an octagonal wooden box, about the size of a..well..breadbox, decorated with Chinese characters carved into its sides. Claire thinks into weird and cool. As she gets ready for bed, Claire recalls her arch-nemesis, and (while holding the box) says, “I wish Darcie would just…rot!”. Naturally Darcie wakes up the next day and is horrified by the divot in her check and her decaying leg. Word travels fast later at school as Claire learns of Darcie’s “medical emergency”. Meanwhile in Claire’s bedroom, the top of the box opens up and emits a musicbox-like tune. Then the family dog goes missing. Luckily Claire is taking a Chinese language course, so she asks her platonic pal Ryan (Ki Hong Lee) to decipher the box. He consults his aunt who says that the box promises to grant seven wishes from its owner. However (and isn’t there always an “however”), a blood ‘debt’ must be paid. Someone close to Claire must perish.And so she gets rid of the cursed lil’ wooden box, right? Of course, not! The flick would be a short subject then!
Joey King does her best with the fumbling script which wants us to root for Claire while being frustrated with her impulsive selfish choices. At least one of pals calls her out (“You could ask for world peace or cure cancer, instead you want to be popular?!”). King is quite convincing as the conflicted kid, but her abrupt shifts in motivation make for a confused center of the story. Purser, the beloved Barb from the Netflix sensation “Stranger Things” has a more consistent character arc, though she’s often the snarky bystander. Park has the more “in your face” attitude, though she’s saddled with some truly inane dialogue (“You’re a big, heaping bowl of b*%#h sauce!” Who talks like that?) and an obsession with a popular ‘app” that now feels as relevant as a pet rock (google it). Lee is good as Claire’s moral voice (there’s Jiminy again), but his unwavering devotion feels to similar to the relationship in last year’s vastly superior EDGE OF SEVENTEEN. As in that film, Claire is lusting after the utterly “adorbs” hunk Paul, played with boy band dreaminess by Mitchell Slaggert. Oh, and Langfield is a more vicious and violent version of Rachel McAdams in the (once more) vastly superior MEAN GIRLS. So is anybody in this flick over 25, you may ask? Oddly, the producers have cast two 1990’s “objects of adoration”. Phillip is almost unrecognizable as the scruffy “junkman”, until one wish, not kidding, turns him into a sexy saxophone player (I keep thinking of Jon Hamm as SNL’s Sergio) that arouses June (ah..hem). And “Twin Peaks” and TWO MOON JUNCTION sex kitten Sherilyn Fenn is the nurturing “Earth mother”neighbor, complete with long braided ponytail (it’s important later), who’s given little to do as we count the moments till she’s history (if she were in “Star Trek” she’d be wearing a red shirt beneath her cozy sweaters).
Of course this cautionary tale is a familiar one with roots going back to the classic short story “The Monkey’s Paw” and the story of the Djinn of “The Arabian Nights” (not the fun, friendly blue genie of Aladdin, nor the sexy navel-hiding Jeannie of 60’s sitcom fame), but seldom has the story been told in such an awkward, clumsy fashion. But hey, we got seven wishes, not three (to up the body count). It soon gets repetitive with wish, box opens, death. The film makers borrow heavily from the more engaging FINAL DESTINATION series, but the “accidents” never quite achieve the goofy “Rube Goldberg-like” comic inventiveness. And, because of the kid-friendlier PG-13, rating, there no goofy gory payoffs. Although the lead-ups almost have a satirical bent (close-up of big boiling pot, cut to garbage disposal with badly installed power switch…which will do them in?). The soundtrack is filled to the brim with indistinguishable pop tunes that interrupt the story to make “mini-music videos” (the plot is stopped dead in its tracks for …the “make-over montage”). Real horror aficionados will be put off by that rating, since no demise is shown too long and many are fairly …tidy (really, some of the locales would be drenched in plasma). As a result of the tame tone (there were “afterschool specials” more gruesome..and that’s one to grow on!), the overwrought dialogue, and ill-defined characters the movie is almost ‘high camp”, particularly the final denouncement. It was intended as a grim, sobering shocker, but it had the screening audience howling with laughter. Ultimately the film’s not even in the “It’s so bad, it’s good” fun to laugh at, guilty pleasure variety of time-wasters. It’s a ludicrous mess I wouldn’t WISH UPON anyone. 1.5 Out of 5
Twelve years after discovering her mother’s suicide, 17-year-old CLARE SHANNON (Joey King) is bullied in high school, embarrassed by her manic, hoarder father JONATHAN (Ryan Phillippe) and ignored by her longtime crush. All that changes when her father comes home with an old music box whose inscription promises to grant its owner seven wishes.
While Clare is initially skeptical of this magic box, she can’t help but be seduced by its dark powers, and is thrilled as her life radically improves with each wish. Clare finally has the life she’s always wanted and everything seems perfect – until the people closest to her begin dying in violent and elaborate ways after each wish. Clare realizes that she must get rid of the box, but finds herself unable and unwilling to part with her new-and-improved life – leading her down a dark and dangerous path.
Be careful what you wish for…
WAMG invites you to enter for the chance to win TWO (2) seats to the advance screening of WISH UPON on July 10 in the St. Louis area.
Answer the following question:
In 2006, director John R. Leonetti teamed up with director James Wan (Saw) to shoot five films, including Insidious and The Conjuring. He then directed Annabelle, the prequel to The Conjuring.
Annabelle 2 hits theaters this summer on August 11, followed by the creepy remake of IT in theaters September 8, 2017.
With so many to choose from, which horror film are you most looking forward to seeing this summer?
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.
