Tag: Rosario Dawson

HAUNTED MANSION – Review

And the Summer of product adaptations and remakes continues! Last weekend BARBIE just about blew the doors off the box office and the multiplex in a virtual tsunami of pink perfection. Hey, if a toy can revive the ticket sale doldrums, why not a flick based on a ride from the Disney theme parks? After all, those Caribbean Pirates spurred quite a profitable “tentpole” for the studio. But then there were costly flops like TOMORROWLAND and who remembers THE COUNTRY BEARS (maybe they just needed that “nose candy”). Well, this concept was exploited nearly twenty years ago, so this is also, technically, a remake (without any of the main human characters from the first time). Perhaps the modest success of the other remake a few months ago, THE LITTLE MERMAID, is lifting the “ahem” spirits of the mouse house. So, even though Halloween is months away, are filmgoers in the mood for some scares and laughs in a return stay at the HAUNTED MANSION?


This time out, the story starts with a flashback as we’re on hand for a “meet cute” between research scientist Ben (LaKeith Stanfield) and Alyssa (Charity Jordan) at a New Orleans house party. Then the tale returns to the present day as a now single, and boozy Ben makes a meager living by guiding Big Easy visitors on paranormal tours of the town. Meanwhile, way out of town, a single mother, Gabbie (Rosario Dawson), and her skittish, awkward pre-teen son Travis (Chase Dillon) have taken possession of a big dusty old mansion, hoping to transform it into a quaint “bed and breakfast”. Ah, but it seems that the current undead occupants will have none of that. The duo races to a nearby motel, but the ghosts are “attached” (like gum on the bottom of a shoe). Back in the city, Ben is approached by a local priest named Kent (Owen Wilson). He’s heard that Ben had invented a special camera that captures spectral images when he worked at a big tech lab. With the promise of quick cash, Ben agrees to visit the place. After dismissing their claims, the spirits convince him. To “cleanse” the place, Ben will need “back-up. He and Kent assemble a “dream time”, enlisting a local psychic, Harriet (Tiffany Hadish), and a loopy college historian. Professor Davis (Danny DeVito). But can their combined talents thwart the supernatural forces tormenting the mother and her son?

Unlike the 2003 edition, which seemed to be fashioned as a “star vehicle” for the now (at the time) “family-friendly” Eddie Murphy, the studio has “spread the wealth’ to give us an all-star cast, even tossing in a couple of Oscar-winners (one very recent). Stanfield has opted to try some lighter fare, and he tries to get us invested in the now burnt-out Ben. He puts in an effort, but his story arc is too downbeat. It seems the writers wanted to spark a romance with Dawson’s Gabby, but the dynamic genre staple is giving less to do and spends most of the story looking for his son while fleeing the whispy creeps. Wilson is always entertaining as a motor-mouthed hustler, though the motivations for Keith aren’t too clear. Ditto for the ever-entrancing DeVito who is a cannonball of history trivia bouncing from room to room in panic over meeting his “research subjects”. Haddish conveys a haughty regal demeanor as Harriet when she’s not throwing in a bit of sassy shade as she calculates her cut of this “job”. Oh, the awarded actors include a confined (we mostly just see her face) Jamie Lee Curtis as Madame Leota, the guide in the globe, connecting her to “this side”. And the other pal of Oscar, well I don’t want to spoil it, but as the “hatbox Ghost”, you can barely recognize this “joker” (hint).

Rather than going with an “effects” filmmaker, or an Animator (like Rob Minkoff who helmed the first one), the studio has handed the reins (after “flirting” with Guillermo del Toro) to social satirist Justin Simien (DEAR WHITE PEOPLE, the feature and series), who scores with a couple of nifty spook-filled set pieces, even evoking moments from classic paranormal tales. Unfortunately, even with these comic vets, many of the jokes fall flat. dragging down the pace making the end result a very long wait between the clever nods to the enduring ride (my favorite in the Florida locale). Despite the talented screenwriter behind the 2016 GHOSTBUSTERS all-women reboot (which I will continue to defend), it only inspires a few chuckles as it slowly marches to the big otherworldly “throw-down”. It may be due to some odd choices, especially in the early first meeting between Ben and Gabby, witching from wonky profile close-ups to a truly awkward “hand-held” ending. Plus it’s set in modern times, so why does Gabby dress like an early 60s office clerk while her son could be playing one of Andy Hardy’s school buddies? It just takes us out of the story, True, the scary stuff is toned down for the ‘wee ones, but they may be fast asleep long before many of them appear. I enjoy old creeky houses, but not creeky storytelling which is the real downfall of this HAUNTED MANSION.

2 Out of 4

HAUNTED MANSION is now playing in theatres everywhere

Win Passes To The St. Louis Advance Screening Of Disney’s HAUNTED MANSION

WAMG has your passes to see early Disney’s frighteningly fun adventure “Haunted Mansion.” The film opens in theaters on July 28.  

Directed by Justin Simien, the film features an all-star cast ensemble cast including LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rosario Dawson, Chase W. Dillon and Daniel Levy, with Jamie Lee Curtis and Jared Leto as The Hatbox Ghost.

Inspired by the classic theme park attraction, “Haunted Mansion” is about a woman and her son who enlist a motley crew of so-called spiritual experts to help rid their home of supernatural squatters. The film’s producers are Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich, with Nick Reynolds and Tom Peitzman serving as executive producers.

Get Tickets now: https://www.fandango.com/haunted-mansion-2023-228958/movie-overview

The advance screening is Tuesday, July 25th, 7pm at AMC Esquire 7.

Note: We suggest a 5:30PM – 6PM arrival to secure seats.

Seats will not be guaranteed.

Enter at the link below.

https://gofobo.com/WAMGHauntedMansion

(L-R): Owen Wilson as Father Kent, Rosario Dawson as Gabbie, LaKeith Stanfield as Ben, Tiffany Haddish as Harriet, and Danny DeVito as Bruce in Disney’s HAUNTED MANSION. Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Lindsay Lamb as The Bride in Disney’s HAUNTED MANSION. Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Look Alive Mortals! Check Out The Teaser For Disney’s HAUNTED MANSION – Appearing In Theaters July 28

Look alive, foolish mortals! WAMG is dying for you to view the teaser trailer and poster for Disney’s comically creepy adventure “Haunted Mansion,” which will appear in theaters on July 28. 

Directed by award-winning filmmaker Justin Simien, the film features an all-star ensemble cast including LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rosario Dawson, Chase W. Dillon and Dan Levy, with Jamie Lee Curtis and Jared Leto as The Hatbox Ghost.

Director Simien says, “As a lifelong fan of the Haunted Mansion attraction, I’m beyond excited to share the teaser trailer for our new film adaptation featuring an incredible cast. Our team has worked tirelessly to create a scary, funny and cinematic otherworldly adventure for both new and die-hard fans to enjoy! I can’t wait for audiences to experience this big screen version of the iconic Disney attraction.”

Inspired by the classic theme park attraction, “Haunted Mansion” is about a woman and her son who enlist a motley crew of so-called spiritual experts to help rid their home of supernatural squatters. The film’s producers are Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich, with Nick Reynolds and Tom Peitzman serving as executive producers

CLERKS III – Review

Brian OÕHalloran as Dante and Jeff Anderson as Randal in Clerks III. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Lionsgate

Alright you slackers, Labor Day’s in the rearview mirror. Time to “hit the bricks” and get back to work. If your first thought is “Aw, no”, “Ugh!”, or…something we can’t repeat here, then this film might resonate with you. At least that’s what a New Jersey-born filmmaker hopes, since that notion “put him on the map” nearly thirty years ago. And if your earlier response included the “salty talk”, then all the better. Hard to imagine that in 1994 Kevin Smith fashioned a script of his retail drudgery and unleashed CLERKS on the world. Soon he was the darling of TV talk shows, getting offers from the major studios, and even flexed his “acting chops” (plus the grungy lil’ black and white was another jewel in the “indie cred crown” of Miramax Studios…whatever happened with them). Ah, but Kev wasn’t done with those “wage-slave” misfits. He let us check in with them again in 2006, And now, as with many action franchise flicks, it’s time to complete the “trilogy”. So, does the “sheet-signage” on the storefront proclaim “I assure you…we’ve got closure!” in the all-new (and all “blue”) CLERKS III?


Much like that initial entry, it all begins at the start of another long day at the tiny (just two shops) strip mall in Red Bank, NJ. Dante (Brian O’Halloran) unlocks the padlock to the Quick Stop Grocery store. He’s soon joined by old pal Randal (Jeff Anderson) who now owns the place next door. It’s not a video rental spot (though he’s got some “distressed” VHS tapes on the shelves). His old “crib” is a cannabis dispensary… managed by Jay (Jason Mewes) and “Silent” Bob (Smith). Naturally, they still do their “dealings” as though pot was illegal (old habits, y’know). Adding to the daily aggravation is the QSG staff, Elias (Trevor Fehrman), and his mute “toadie” Blockchain (Austin Zajur). As Elias touts his Christian Cryptocurrency Club, the usually mellow Randal becomes agitated and sweaty while wincing in pain. Then he drops. Dante calls an ambulance. The Hospital surgeon reveals that it is indeed a heart attack. As Randall recovers, Dante reflects on his past, including his romance with Becky (Rosario Dawson), from several years ago. after being discharged, Randal has a revelation, a new purpose. He will become a filmmaker. How hard can it be, after all, he watched countless flicks when he was stuck in the video store. And the script will be about his life along with Dante, who is enlisted as the project’s producer. But where will he find the cash? If that’s not enough on “his plate”, Randal, after a disastrous audition day, decides that everyone will play themselves, with Silent Bob doing the photography. Will things go smoothly or will this “future cinematic masterpiece” become the final “straw” that breaks the bond between the two BFFs?


The returning cast members competently slip back into their old characters as though those sixteen, well collectively, twenty-eight years, haven’t been more than a few weeks. O’Halloran is still the cranky, ill-tempered “straight man”, who now confronts his recent loss which is triggered by his best bud’s mortality. This new event hasn’t tempered much of his “slacker snark, although Anderson as Randal has a clearer focus on he finally acquires a “goal”, Plus his anatomical “panic” at the hospital amplifies the “gallows humor”. Mewes is still the coarse motor-mouth as Jay, not accepting the new legality of his “passion”, while giving us a peak at his “performance anxiety”. Smith confirms his physical acting skills as the mute sidekick, though when the “dams bursts” it’s more of the Smith seen in multiple media outlets. Fehrman puts forth a lot of energy as the often irritating Elias, but it’s misspent on a role made to be taken as a target for insults (mostly from Randal). Zajur, as his “SB”, is another talented pantomimist who’s closer to the silent clowns of a century ago. None of these actors can come close to the skills of the gifted Dawson, who breezes in to remind us of “how the pros do it” in a couple of too-brief sequences. There’s a nice reunion with an actress from the original, and two of the hospital staffers are played by a pair of comic actors who deftly “steal the scenes” right away from the principal players. Oh, fans of Smith’s other works in film and TV should enjoy some quick cameos during the film addition montage (hey, there’s an Oscar winner).


In returning to his roots, Smith may be achieving some “closure” to his Jersey-based efforts, but it feels like a major step (s) back for his filmmaking overview. What may have been intended as a “thank-you wink” to his fanbase, instead feels like smug “navel-gazing”. The cascade of media references in his screenplay land with an indulgent “thud”. That’s much like the “audition” that halts the story flow so that the creator can impress us with his array of the “cool kids” that popped in for a few week one-liners (some maybe ad-libbed, others from better films). The “let’s shoot a flick after hours” vibe from the mid-90s, has a “spinning its wheels” air in the new century. And the untrained performances from the “day” don’t have the same clueless charm. After his own “medical episode”, Smith felt he had things to address, but a return to retail doesn’t gel with issues of mortality and legacy. And as a filmmaker, he lingers too long on bits of verbal business, with the “sex talk” more adolescent than ever, and allowing his cast to grimace and mug, as though they were extras in a “two-reeler”. And to echo his cinema “alter ego”, the Quick Stop looks too tidy in color, losing its grimy florescent -lit Hell feel of the first flick. The hard-core “Kev-heads” will relish the return, but casual viewers will feel that a trio may not be “the magic number” for the middle-aged hourly register-button-pushers of CLERKS III.


1.5 Out of 4


CLERKS III will be playing in select theatres for a limited engagement from Tuesday, September 13 through Sunday, September 18, 2022

JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS 20th Anniversary Blu-Ray Release Coming November 16th!

“Wyatt, you messed with the wrong pussy!”

Mill Creek Entertainment announces the 20th Anniversary release of Josie and the Pussycats on Blu-Ray November 16, 2021.

Hot newcomers Josie (Rachael Leigh Cook), Melody (Tara Reid), and Val (Rosario Dawson) are three small-town musicians with big dreams but little future. Then fate gives the Pussycats the chance of a lifetime when band manager
Wyatt (Alan Cumming) of MegaRecords signs them overnight to an awesome recording contract. Suddenly, Josie and the Pussycats are living life in the fast lane with sold-out concerts, a number one single, and global stardom. But it’s not all limousines and private jets. The Pussycats soon discover they’re being played like pawns in an evil plot by the record label’s maniacal CEO Fiona (Parker Posey) to control the youth of America.

For the 20th Anniversary, the story of the all-girl rock band that became a national sensation is on Blu-Ray releasing November 16, 2021

Packed with Special Features including:

• Feature Commentary with Directors Deborah Kaplan, Harry Elfont and Producer Marc Platt
• Backstage Pass
• Behind the Scenes Featurette
• Deleted Scenes
• Josie and the Pussycats 3 Small Words music video
• Dujour Backdoor Lover music video
• Dujour Dujour Around the World music video

WAMG Giveaway: Win the Blu-ray of THE WATER MAN Starring David Oyelowo and Rosario Dawson

THE WATER MAN stars the ensemble cast of David Oyelowo (Selma), Rosario Dawson (Seven Pounds), Lonnie Chavis (“This Is Us”), Amiah Miller (War for the Planet of the Apes), Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2), and Maria Bello (“NCIS”). Check out the trailer:

Now you can win the Win the Blu-ray of THE WATER MAN. We Are Movie Geeks has three to give away. Just leave a comment below telling us what your favorite movie co-starring David Oyelowo is (I’d say GRINGO. It’s so easy!

1. YOU MUST BE A US RESIDENT. PRIZE WILL ONLY BE SHIPPED TO US ADDRESSES.  NO P.O. BOXES.  NO DUPLICATE ADDRESSES.

2. WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN FROM ALL QUALIFYING ENTRIES. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY

In THE WATER MAN, Gunner (Chavis) sets out on a quest to save his ill mother (Dawson) by searching for a mythic figure who possesses the secret to immortality, the Water Man. After enlisting the help of a mysterious local girl, Jo (Miller), they journey together into the remote Wild Horse forest — but the deeper they venture, the stranger and more dangerous the forest becomes. Their only hope for rescue is Gunner’s father (Oyelowo), who will stop at nothing to find them and in the process will discover who his son really is.

“While in some ways this film is a father and son story, at its core it’s also a love letter to mothers everywhere and is dedicated to my own. To be able to share my directorial debut, THE WATER MAN, with the world through the hands of RLJE Films and Netflix is a dream come true for me,” said Oyelowo.

THE WATER MAN is produced by Oyelowo (A United Kingdom), Carla Gardini (“Delilah”), Shivani Rawat (Wander Darkly) and Monica Levinson (Golden Globe nominees Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, The Trial of The Chicago 7) and executive produced by Oprah Winfrey (The Color Purple), Darren M. Demetre (Lean on Pete), Connor Flanagan (Wander Darkly) and Emma Needell.

David Oyelwo’s Directorial Debut WATER MAN Set For Worldwide Distribution

David Oyelwo’s Directorial Debut WATER MAN is set for Worldwide Distribution RLJE Will Release it in North America; Netflix Set For Rest of the World. The film Stars Oyelowo, Rosario Dawson and Lonnie Chavis.

David Oyelwo’s family adventure film, THE WATER MAN, has been acquired by RLJE Films, a business unit of AMC Networks, for North America, and by Netflix for the rest of the world. The film is the directorial debut of acclaimed actor David Oyelowo (Selma), which he also stars in, and is produced by Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films, ShivHans Pictures, and Yoruba Saxon. In North America the film is expected to be released day-and-date in theaters and PVOD on May 7, 2021 and Netflix will release the film internationally later this year.  The film had its world premiere at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival to much critical praise and also opened this year’s Urbanworld Film Festival. 

THE WATER MAN, a Black List script written by Emma Needell, also stars Rosario Dawson (“Luke Cage”), Lonnie Chavis (“This is Us”), Amiah Miller (War For the Planet of the Apes), Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2) and Maria Bello (“NCIS”). In THE WATER MAN, Gunner (Chavis) sets out on a quest to save his ill mother (Dawson) by searching for a mythic figure who possesses the secret to immortality, the Water Man. After enlisting the help of a mysterious local girl, Jo (Miller), they journey together into the remote Wild Horse forest — but the deeper they venture, the stranger and more dangerous the forest becomes. Their only hope for rescue is Gunner’s father (Oyelowo), who will stop at nothing to find them and in the process will discover who his son really is.

“While in some ways this film is a father and son story, at its core it’s also a love letter to mothers everywhere and is dedicated to my own. To be able to share my directorial debut, THE WATER MAN, with the world through the hands of RLJE Films and Netflix is a dream come true for me,” said Oyelowo.

THE WATER MAN is produced by Oyelowo (A United Kingdom), Carla Gardini (“Delilah”), Shivani Rawat (Wander Darkly) and Monica Levinson (Golden Globe nominees Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, The Trial of The Chicago 7) and executive produced by Oprah Winfrey (The Color Purple), Darren M. Demetre (Lean on Pete), Connor Flanagan (Wander Darkly) and Emma Needell.

Rosario Dawson in KRYSTAL Arrives on DVD, Digital, and On Demand July 10th


The sweet, coming-of-age comedy, KRYSTAL  arrives on DVD, Digital, and On Demand July 10 from Lionsgate.

The sweet, coming-of-age comedy, Krystal arrives on DVD, Digital, and On Demand July 10 from Lionsgate. Featuring a diverse all-star cast, including Rosario Dawson, Nick Robinson, William H. Macy, and Felicity Huffman, the film tells the tale of a young man who pretends to be in Alcoholics Anonymous® in order to woo the girl of his dreams, but things don’t go quite as planned. Directed by Oscar® nominee*, Golden Globe® nominee**, and Primetime Emmy® winner*** William H. Macy (*Best Supporting Actor, Fargo, 1996; **Best Actor, TV – Musical/Comedy, “Shameless,” 2018, ***Best Actor, Miniseries/Movie – “Door to Door”, 2003) and written by Will Aldis, the Krystal DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $19.98.

William H. Macy directs an all-star cast in this comedic drama about Taylor (Robinson), a young, sheltered man with a strange heart condition. When Taylor meets his dream woman, Krystal (Dawson) ­­­— a beguiling ex-addict with a sixteen-year-old son — Taylor pretends to be in AA to try and woo her. Past transgressions collide with young love, causing complications for Taylor, his family, and Krystal, as Taylor learns what it means to live without fear and finally become a man.

 

CAST

Rosario Dawson                    TV’s “Daredevil,” “Jane the Virgin,” Sin City: A Dame to Kill For

Nick Robinson                        Love, Simon, Jurassic World, TV’s “Melissa & Joey”

Tip “T.I.” Harris                       Ant-man, TV’s “House of Lies,” Identity Thief

Grant Gustin                           TV’s “The Flash,” “Supergirl,” and “Arrow”

Felicity Huffman                      TV’s “Desperate Housewives,” Raising Helen, American Crime 

William H. Macy                     Fargo, TV’s “Shameless,” Magnolia

Jacob Latimore                       The Maze Runner, Ride Along, Collateral Beauty

Rick Fox                                  Dope, TV’s “Greenleaf” and “Shameless”

with William Fichtner               Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, TV’s “Empire” and “Mom”

and Kathy Bates                     TV’s “American Horror Story,” Bad Santa 2, Misery

UNFORGETTABLE (2017) – Review

 

Time for another cinematic trek to the land of “second chance” romance, where those wounded lovers get another try at happiness in a picture-perfect little town complete with a cozy home (fireplace included, of course) and an adorable moppet. But this journey to a happy ending can’t be a smooth one. The fly in the ointment (or the more crass “t%#d in the punch bowl) is the more than a little unhinged ex. Then the trip goes from hearts and flowers to demented nannies and boiled bunny rabbits. Perhaps as a way to mark the 30th anniversary of FATAL ATTRACTION, movie-goers are  now treated to a “female-centric” take on torture and turmoil mixed with thwarted desire and homicide in UNFORGETTABLE.

 

We first meet a battered and bruised Julia Banks (Rosario Dawson) as she is interrogated by a pair of somber stoic police detectives. Ms B is in big trouble as her accusers show her loads of bagged evidence. To see just how she got in this mess, the story flashes back six months, to Julia’s last day of work at a San Francisco-based publishing house. After her going-away bash, she piles everything into her cute lil’ car and drives to a bucolic Southern California burg where she meets her fiance David Connover (Geoff Stults). She’ll edit manuscripts at his opulent two-story home while he runs his beer-brewing company (started after he left the world of high finance). Julia’s still a bit on edge, seeing flashes of her abusive ex-boyfriend, who’s now out of the slammer with the restraining order about to expire (she’s not told David about that and the fact that she received psychiatric support). And then she meets David’s adorable nine year-old daughter Lily (Isabella Kai Rice) and her mother, David’s former wife Tessa (Katherine Heigl). Tessa has joint custody and resides in the same town (though she has not found a new beau). The awkward tension is thick, but the ladies put on a friendly face for Lily and David. The women have several strained encounters at home and in the village square until things seem to boil over at a big company party for David’s brewery business. After offering an uncomfortable toast, Tessa snatches Julia’s phone (as she and David share a dance). This theft is just the starting point for Tessa’s campaign of terror against Julia, one that involves a home invasion, identity theft, and eventually murder. Is Julia emotionally strong enough to endure this living “H-E-double hockey sticks” that Tessa orchestrates?

After years of terrific supporting work (including her role in all of the Netflix Marvel streaming shows), Dawson is more than up to the task of portraying the lead, the hero really, of this thriller. We’re rooting for Julia, even though there are lots of chips and cracks in her warrior armor. Dawson shows us her joyful spirit in the romantic scenes and her playful side in the scenes with Lily, but there’s that dark cloud looming overhead. She’s more than a little secretive of her past and fearful that it will thwart her new start. She’s the one we’re rooting for, but Heigl seems to be having more fun as the wicked “rhymes-with witch” Tessa. The actress has been the “diva demon” of the tabloids for the past few years (“difficult’ is the go-to label) and with this film Heigl seems to be doing the movie career variation of “turning into the skid” with this over the top, often bug-eyed, shrieking “ice queen”, parodying her perceived image, as much of a slam of those “perfect mothers” as any of the villains of the recent comedy BAD MOMS. If she were a guy she’d be twirling her mustache as she devises her revenge via social media and modern tech. I look forward to Halloween costumes Tessa will certainly spawn. Stults brings a little extra gravitas to the thankless role of the clueless hunk at the center of this war (although we often wonder what the two ladies see in this dimbulb). Kai Rice is sympathetic and sweet as the preteen pawn in this struggle. Stand-up comic (and TV sitcom creator)Whitney Cummings is rather wasted in the cliché “funny supportive brassy best pal” part, though it could easily been the “gay BFF next door”. The best surprise might be Cheryl Ladd, yes, one of Charlie’s Angels, as Tessa’s malevolent mama, proving that the bad (or sour) doesn’t fall far from the tree. She’s a nice variation of the “smiling cobra”.

 
Best known as a producer (frequently working with Tim Burton) Denise Di Novi has picked this odd “throw-back” thriller for her feature film directing debut. Its theme and execution do harken back to the early nineties nail-biters. These “deranged intruder invading a happy family” have found a new home away from the multiplex for the last decade or so, taking up residence on basic cable TV. To cut to the chase, this flick is like a “super” Lifetime (or its sister outlets) weekend premiere. Although, it often plays as a parody, much like the Will Ferrell/ Kristen Wiig satire/homage A Deadly Adoption” in 2015. Same quaint and quiet unnamed coastal village packed with perfect houses and friendly, ethnic and racially diverse neighbors. But of course this story is fronted by film stars rather than former TV series staples. Sure, it’s great that two actresses get above the title billing, but they spend much of the plot merely sparring over a man. There’s the slow build-up of “digs” and devious schemes (one resorts to the easy “hook” of child endangerment), but the pacing is diluted by several odd detours. A strange lunch date between Julia and Tessa has a weird pay-off with an awkward, almost public, sex scene (almost as odd as Tessa’s hostile “revenge humping” of a waiter). Of course, most audiences are waiting for the big physical “throw-down” between the two leads. Happily it delivers more than the old “Dynasty” nighttime soap slugfests (Evans and Collins never came close to landing a blow), but the resolution doesn’t feel logical (harkening back to FATAL ATTRACTION’s original ending which tested poorly with preview audiences). We’re then treated to an epilogue written to disturb (and maybe set up a sequel), but it plays as hilariously overwrought high camp. It would be a cheap-shot to say how forgettable UNFORGETTABLE, but considering some of the talent involved, “unremarkable” is the better phrase.

1.5 Out of 5

 

Win Passes To The Advance Screening Of UNFORGETTABLE In St. Louis

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See UNFORGETTABLE in theaters April 21, 2017.

Warner Bros. Pictures’ dramatic thriller UNFORGETTABLE is the first film in the director’s chair for veteran producer Denise Di Novi (“Crazy, Stupid, Love,” “Focus”).

Katherine Heigl (“27 Dresses,” “Knocked Up”), Rosario Dawson (the “Sin City” films) and Geoff Stults (TV’s “The Odd Couple”), star in the film. “Unforgettable” marks a reunion for Heigl and Di Novi, who previously collaborated on “Life as We Know It.”

Heigl stars as Tessa Connover, who is barely coping with the end of her marriage when her ex-husband, David (Stults), becomes happily engaged to Julia Banks (Dawson)—not only bringing Julia into the home they once shared but also into the life of their daughter, Lilly (Isabella Rice). Trying to settle into her new role as a wife and a stepmother, Julia believes she has finally met the man of her dreams, the man who can help her put her own troubled past behind her. But Tessa’s jealousy soon takes a pathological turn until she will stop at nothing to turn Julia’s dream into her ultimate nightmare.

The main cast also includes young actress Isabella Rice (“True Blood”), Simon Kassianides (TV’s “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”), Whitney Cummings (“The Wedding Ringer”), Robert Wisdom (TV’s “Ballers”) and film and television star Cheryl Ladd.

The film is produced by Di Novi, Alison Greenspan (“If I Stay”) and Ravi Mehta (“Grudge Match”), with Lynn Harris serving as executive producer. The film was written by Christina Hodson.

The behind-the-scenes creative team is led by multiple Oscar-nominated director of photography Caleb Deschanel (“The Right Stuff,” “The Natural”), production designer Nelson Coates (“Flight”), editor Frédéric Thoraval (“Taken”), and costume designer Marian Toy (HBO’s “Ballers”). The music is composed by Toby Chu.

WAMG invites you to enter for the chance to win TWO (2) seats to the advance screening of UNFORGETTABLE on Wednesday, April 19 at 7PM in the St. Louis area.

Answer the following:

Heigl won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series in 2007 for which TV show?

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 sexual content, violence, some language, and brief partial nudity.

http://www.unforgettablemovie.com/

UNFORGETTABLE