#they reviewed amityville and it was so funny

[famousblueraincoatmp3]

I just discovered that the news letter for the catholic church reviews movies and rates them im having a riot y’all this almost makes up for the ✨trauma✨

[kevinsreviewcatalogue]

Review: Night Swim (2024)

 Night Swim (2024)

Rated PG-13 for terror, some violent content and language

<Originally posted at https://kevinsreviewcatalogue.blogspot.com/2024/01/review-night-swim-2024.html>

Score: 2 out of 5

Night Swim is the quintessential "fuck you, it's January" movie. Hollywood loves to ring in the new year by dumping into theaters the garbage they had no faith in at any other time of the year, because January is when kids are in school, theaters in half the country can get shut down by blizzards, there aren't many holidays offering extended three-week weekends (save for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which isn't universally celebrated as a day off), and prestige films given limited release in the fall are expanding their theatrical runs in anticipation of the Oscars. And lately, a tradition has been to give the first weekend of the new year over to a low-budget horror movie. While Blumhouse struck rare gold last year with M3GAN, a sci-fi horror film that actually turned out to be far better than its release date suggested it would be, this year January returned to form with Night Swim, a ho-hum ghost story adapted from a 2014 short film where the worst thing about it is that it's not completely wretched. There were seeds of a good movie buried in here, with all-around solid acting and production values, some effective sequences, some cool cinematography, and a nifty central conceit behind its evil pool, and there was a brief moment when it finally started to get good. Unfortunately, as with many movies that were adapted from short films, there's not enough to carry it, resting on the most generic haunted house story possible (but with a haunted pool this time!) to stretch a four-minute short to feature length. It's not the worst January horror film ever made, or even in the Bottom Three (I assure you, the competition is stiff), but it's otherwise completely generic, disposable, and at times unintentionally funny #content that would've been thrown into the wasteland of the direct-to-VOD/streaming market if not for January.

Stop me if you've heard this one: a family called the Wallers, comprised of the father Ray, the mother Eve, the teenage daughter Izzy, and the adolescent son Elliot, has moved into a big, luxurious house whose price is too good to be true, only for them to soon learn why it was so cheap. Namely, it's haunted. Or rather, the swimming pool is. And much like every poor sucker who's ever lived in the Amityville house, the mother Eve and the kids Izzy and Elliot start experiencing supernatural forces when they come in contact with the pool, while the father Ray, a former Milwaukee Brewers player whose baseball career was tragically cut short by multiple sclerosis, sees his illness miraculously cured and starts behaving in increasingly erratic fashion.

If you've ever seen a movie about a family stuck in a haunted house, you've seen this movie. Virtually every plot beat was visible from a mile away, from each family member having their own encounter with the supernatural to the mother doing research on the pool's dark history to somebody getting possessed by the spirit causing all of this. There are random plot threads about the Wallers' neighbors perhaps knowing more about what's happening than they let on, and Izzy's hunky swimmer love interest Ronin being a devout Christian, but the film does nothing with them. Every single plot point here is standard haunted house movie boilerplate, like writer/director Bryce McGuire had a cool idea for a cool scene that he turned into a cool short but never thought about how to turn it into a 90-minute movie until Jason Blum and James Wan decided to give him a lot of money to do just that. The worst part is, once we find out what's actually going on with the haunted pool, a glimpse at a far more interesting movie is had, one focused on Ray as he grapples with how his illness destroyed his life and how whatever's in the pool seems to have given him a second chance -- but one that comes at a terrible cost. As it stood, however, while Wyatt Russell played his stock Horror Dad character well, he never had much of a chance to do anything more beyond play a stock Horror Dad, nor did anybody else in the cast have the opportunity to play the stock Horror Mom, Horror Teen, and Horror Kid. The film wanted me to care about the Wallers as a family, but they were such a thinly-written family that, even when they were in peril, the Eight Deadly Words were ringing in my head: I don't care what happens to these people.

(I will, however, give the film points for having a sense of humor enough to have Izzy's high school be named after Harold Holt, an Australian Prime Minister who infamously disappeared when he went out for a swim on the beach.)

The scares, too, don't really do much to excel. Using a swimming pool as a setting gave some fun opportunities for cool aquatic cinematography that the film readily took advantage of, meaning that, at the very least, this was a pretty nice-looking film. Any sense of originality stopped there, however, as what followed were all the scares you've seen in a dozen other haunted house movies: jump scares ahoy, characters seeing things that aren't there, you name it, all of it done in ways that have been done better before. Characters make stupid decisions constantly, especially the young son Elliot, and while I could at first justify it by saying that at least it was a dumb kid acting stupid around the pool, by the end he really should've known better than to even think about doing what he did. The teenage daughter Izzy had no real purpose beyond recreating the scene from the short film, because that featured a young woman who looked good in a bikini, which meant the movie had to have someone who fit that description. The design of the ghost is a bloated, half-rotted corpse that probably sounded good on paper, but its execution in the movie is almost laughable, leaving a lot to be desired and not coming across as scary in the slightest.

The Bottom Line

Night Swim isn't a movie I'd personally push into the pool, but if somebody did, I'd probably have a good laugh at its expense. It's competent, but beyond the idea of a haunted pool, everything about it is the sort of thing that's been done better before, and worst of all, I can easily see how a better movie could've been made out of the same material. I wouldn't even bother waiting for Netflix.

[imagine-you]

steve harrington + "scarf" prompt please?

If there was one thing you liked about working at Family Video, it was your co-workers. Sure, you had to deal with angry customers refusing to pay late fees and kids getting sticky hands all over the displays. There were people who didn't seem to understand the phrase 'out of stock' and kids who didn't want to clean up their own messes. But that was okay, because when it all came down to it, you didn't have to deal with any of that alone.

Keith, for all of his faults, was a good guy to have in your corner when dealing with rude customers. Sure, he was sometimes a little too interested in your dating life and spent too much time flirting with customers, but he was loyal. When a woman started yelling at you for not having a copy of Footloose, Keith had sidled up to your side, fixing the woman with an unimpressed look. It wasn't long before he was chewing the woman out, making it clear that it wasn't your job to magically solve all her problems when you had no way of producing a copy of the movie out of thin air, and if she didn't like it, then there was the door. Once the woman had stormed out of the store, muttering under her breath about rude kids, he had handed you a Twizzler from the bag in his hand before going back to stocking movies.

When Robin first started working at the store, you thought she didn't like you. Robin always seemed to be incredibly bored throughout her shifts, taking to offering commentary on the movies that customers brought up to the rental counter. Some of it was complimentary, but whenever a customer brought up a movie she really hated, she had no qualms about holding back her opinions. It wasn't until a month into working with Robin, when it was just the two of you behind the counter, that you heard her give a customer her own scathing review of Amityville 3 and how the horror genre was being destroyed by sequels. You couldn't help the amused laugh that escaped you at her all-too-honest commentary and it wasn't until the customer had checked out, a frown set into their face, that she turned around and offered you a genuine smile.

"Well? Was I wrong?" She had asked, quirking an eyebrow at you in question.

You found yourself smiling back at her before shaking your head. "Not at all."

It didn't take you and Robin long to form a friendship after that. You found that Robin was smart, ruthlessly sarcastic, and effortlessly hilarious in a way she didn't share with everyone. She was also kind, compassionate, and caring in a way she also didn't share with everyone. You were glad that you had managed to break the ice between the two of you, because she quickly became someone you deemed a best friend.

The only other co-worker you had was Steve Harrington. And to say things were a bit complicated there would be an understatement.

You knew Steve from school and now you knew Steve from work, but you didn't really know Steve. The horrible thing about Steve was that he was too likeable. You wanted to talk to him and make him laugh and see him smile and talk to him about his day. You wanted to watch movies with him instead of rent them out to customers and you wanted to have dinner with him and a million other things that all amounted to you spending more time with Steve.

Steve was sociable and funny and always friendly when he talked to you. The problem was that every time Steve flashed you a smile or turned to look at you, you froze. Your mind went completely blank. You forgot how to use words or even what words were, so you just stood there smiling inanely at Steve. You were pretty sure he was convinced you didn't have a single thought in your head, which was so completely untrue, because a lot of your thoughts were about Steve. It just seemed your mouth was incapable of helping you voice any of them.

It didn't get better until one night after work when you went outside to start up your car. You knew it was on its last legs, but it had been a hand-me-down from your older brother when he left for college. While it usually gave you more problems than fond memories, you were still surprised when you turned the key in the ignition and the car failed to start.

"Fuck," you hissed, barely resisting the urge to hit your hands on the steering wheel.

You jumped when someone knocked on your window. You glanced over to see Steve standing there, a concerned expression on his face. "What's wrong?" He mouthed, gesturing towards your car.

You sighed before reaching out and rolling down the window, Steve's face no longer separated from you by glass. "I think it died on me," you sighed. "I knew it would happen one day, just didn't expect it to happen now."

"Well," Steve mused, biting on his lower lip in thought. "Why don't you pop the hood? I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks," you breathed, feeling a small measure of relief that you weren't alone, in an abandoned parking lot at night, with a dead car. You knew there were a lot of horror movies that explained why that was a bad idea, so you were glad you at least had Steve for company.

Steve offered you a nod of his head before he rounded the car to attempt to see what was wrong with it. You got out of the car, standing near the driver's side door, wondering if you should join him. You, admittedly, didn't know much about cars, but you were starting to think that it might not be too late to learn.

Steve closed the hood after a few moments before shaking his head. "I can't tell what's wrong, not in this light. You'll probably have to get it towed to a shop tomorrow."

"Fuck," you groaned, shutting your car door in defeat.

"I can give you a ride home, though. It's no problem," Steve offered, a genuine smile on his face. "It's the least I can do after you handled those brats earlier," Steve said, referring to the two sugar-hyped kids who had knocked over a whole display of popcorn and candy, leaving you to clean up after them while doing your best not to yell at them in frustration.

"Thanks, Steve," you said, shooting him a grateful smile before following him to his car.

You didn't want to think about how nervous you felt as you settled into the passenger seat of Steve's car. You knew you would be all shy and awkward, searching for something cool to say, because you didn't want to seem like a complete idiot in front of Steve.

Here, in his car, when it was just the two of you, the whole world seemed to fade away. You forgot about work and your car and everyone else as you listened to Steve hum along to the song on the radio. You wanted to say something, anything, that would get his attention on you, but you didn't know what to say. You didn't want to talk about work, but what else did you share with Steve?

It wasn't until a Queen song came on the radio that you found a way to break the ice.

"Oh, I love this song," you said, the sound echoing in the car, before realizing only a moment later that Steve had said the exact same thing as you.

You glanced over at Steve, meeting his eyes for a brief moment, before you both broke out in a laugh.

It wasn't long before you were both talking about your favorite Queen songs and then segueing into your favorite bands. By the time Steve was pulling to a stop in front of your house, you had managed to agree that you both liked Journey and Van Halen, but you differed on opinions between Joan Jett and Pat Benatar or AC/DC and Led Zeppelin.

"This was fun," Steve said, drumming his fingers absentmindedly on the steering wheel as he looked at you. "You know, we should talk more often. I feel like I hardly know you at all, but we've been working together for months now."

"Yeah," you agreed, feeling hope soar in your chest at the thought that Steve wanted to get to know you. "That would be nice."

Steve didn't say anything else until you were already out of the car and about to close the door.

"Hey, Y/N?"

"Yeah?" You asked, ducking down so you could see Steve.

"If your car can't be fixed, I can give you rides to and from work. And if our shifts won't match up..." Steve trailed off before he opened the glove box, rifling through the contents, before he found an envelope. He pulled out the papers inside the envelope before dumping them in the passenger seat. After a few more seconds of searching, he managed to find a pen. He scribbled something down before handing it to you.

When you took the envelope and looked at what Steve had written, it took you a few seconds to realize it was a phone number.

"Just call me, alright? Any time, day or night," Steve continued. "I really don't mind."

"Steve..." you trailed off, wanting to refuse the favor. Even though you were secretly jumping for joy inside at the fact that you had Steve's number now, you knew that it was a lot to depend on Steve for your commute to work. You were sure Steve had other things he'd much rather be doing.

"I wouldn't have offered if I didn't want to, alright? I'll be by to pick you up for our shift tomorrow," he promised, shooting you a wide grin, before pulling away from the curb, not allowing you any room to argue.

You stood there for a few moments, watching Steve drive away, before you turned and made your way up the lawn towards your house. By the time you were letting yourself inside, you found yourself hoping that your car couldn't be fixed.

Steve stayed true to his offer and drove you to and from work when it turned out that it would take a hell of a lot more money to fix your car than what it was worth. A lot of your shifts lined up, so it wasn't a hassle for him, but you always felt a little bit guilty when he had to drive you to Family Video when he didn't even have to be there.

As the weeks passed and the weather in Hawkins turned freezing, you found yourself looking forward to those moments alone with Steve. It was when you felt like you were really getting to know Steve, and even though you knew you had a crush on him, you felt yourself falling for him even more with each moment spent alone together.

You were worried that you were being too obvious about your feelings for Steve, but Steve never acted like he was aware of how you felt about him. Robin, on the other hand, was incredibly observant and had no issue in letting you know.

"So," Robin started, leaning against the counter at your side. "Steve, right?"

You shot her a quick look before you finished ringing up the customer. You offered them a smile before turning to look at Robin. "What about him?"

Robin glanced to where Steve was stocking movies. He stood up, knocking over a cardboard cutout, before carefully righting it. "Well, I mean...he's cute, right?"

You squinted at Robin, trying to figure out what she was aiming for, since you knew without a doubt that Robin had no romantic interest in Steve. You were quite sure she had a thing for the girl who worked part time at the library, because Robin turned into a complete babbling mess every time she came in looking for her weekly movie rentals.

"I just mean that he's a good guy," Robin continued, rolling her eyes in exasperation. "And I know he's kind of a dork, but I've got a feeling you don't care about that, do you?" Robin quirked an eyebrow at you, a sly smile appearing on her face.

You shrugged your shoulders. "I don't know what you're talking about," you tried to deflect.

"Oh, come on," Robin said, shooting you an unimpressed look. "You like him, right? Like, really like him. Even Keith has been saying he's wondering when the two of you will just get to it and bone."

"What?!" You couldn't help but squawk in disbelief.

"What's wrong?" Steve asked, approaching the counter with an empty box.

"Nothing," you immediately denied with a quick shake of your head. "Nothing," you repeated with a glare in Robin's direction.

"Nothing," Robin agreed with a smirk. From the wink she shot you once Steve's back was turned, you had a feeling she wasn't going to drop your obvious crush on Steve any time soon.

Even though you should have known better, you were hoping Robin would get the hint and stop bringing up your hopeless crush on Steve. You were hopelessly content to pine and hope, because even you knew there was no way that Steve could feel the same about you.

Sure, he laughed at your jokes and treated you to milkshakes at Benny's whenever your shifts ran late, but that was just because he thought of you as a friend, right? There was no way that Steve wanted to date you or hold your hand or anything else remotely romantic.

Robin seemed to disagree, though.

Her attempts to get you and Steve together started out small. She left the two of you alone at the checkout counter or casually suggested that Steve help you stock movies. It then became Robin volunteering you and Steve to take inventory in the back and making sure that all of your shifts lined up. It was one thing after another, and while you didn't mind getting to spend more time with Steve, you were worried that he would start to get annoyed by how much time he was spending with you.

It wasn't until a Saturday night in mid-February that Robin decided to try a completely new approach.

It was cold and the heater in Family Video kept going out and no one seemed to be interested in renting any movies. The place was dead and you were incredibly bored as you stood behind the counter, watching the snow fall outside.

You heard Robin give a forced cough and a sniffle before she yawned. "Wow, I really don't feel well," she said, affecting a pitiful expression. "I think I should go home early. Get some rest," she said, pretending to cough again.

You couldn't help but roll your eyes. The only other person working that night was Steve, which meant that you would have to spend the rest of the night with him. Since you highly doubted you would see another customer that night, it meant you would be alone with Steve for the rest of the night, just the two of you surrounded by walls of VHS tapes.

"If you're feeling sick, then I'm sure Y/N and I can hold the fort down without you," Steve said, his expression worried as he considered Robin.

"Thanks, Steve," Robin said, reaching beneath the counter to grab her jacket and bag. "I'll see you both later," she said, gifting you with a quick wink before she walked out the door.

"So," Steve started, leaning against the counter. "What do you want to do to pass the time?"

By the time your shift ended and you were closing up, you and Steve had made it through numerous rounds of I Spy and 20 Questions. You figured you must really like Steve to suffer through those games for more than a few minutes, because watching the way his forehead scrunched up and his gaze wandered when trying to spot the object of the game made something inside you flutter. You only considered yourself slightly pathetic for feeling little sparks of helpless joy whenever his eyes lit up once he found whatever you had picked for the game.

The temperature had dropped several degrees by the time you stepped outside. You shivered, wrapping your arms around your middle in an attempt to keep warm.

"Sh-shit," you stuttered, shifting impatiently on the sidewalk while Steve locked up.

Steve shot you a concerned look. "Where's your jacket?"

"Forgot it at home," you sighed, staring longingly at Steve's car. You just knew once he started it up and turned on the heater you would be blissfully warm.

"Here," Steve murmured, stepping towards you. He quickly stripped out of his sweater before handing it over to you.

"Steve," you tried to refuse, attempting to push it back towards him.

"Just put it on," Steve said, shaking his head. "Can't afford for you to get a cold like Robin," he said, his tone light, letting you know he was aware that Robin had been faking her illness.

You pulled the sweater over your head, delighting in the warmth of Steve's leftover body heat trapped inside the fabric. You shivered, catching Steve's worried frown, before you followed him over towards his car. Steve opened the backseat and grabbed his jacket before shrugging into it. He reached down and grabbed something else before he turned to look at you. It took you a few seconds to realize he was holding a scarf.

"C'mere," he said, beckoning you forward to stand in front of him.

You felt your stomach flip in anticipation as you approached Steve. You had seen countless romance movies and you had an idea of what was about to happen, but you couldn't believe it was happening to you. Steve offered you a soft smile as he placed the scarf on your shoulders, taking care to gently wrap it around your neck.

“There,” he said, sounding satisfied once you were wrapped up in his sweater and scarf. He looked pleased with himself, as if he was happy to know that he was providing for you.

Your eyes met in that moment and you noticed Steve's gaze dip briefly towards your lips. You felt your breath hitch, wondering if maybe Robin had finally succeeded in her matchmaking efforts.

"You know," Steve mused, a smirk on his lips as he swayed closer to you. "Robin has this crazy idea that you like me."

"Oh?" You found yourself asking, way too focused on the fact that Steve's lips were incredibly close to yours.

"Yeah," Steve answered, his hands coming up to frame your face. "I told her she was crazy, you know? How could someone so smart and kind and hilarious be interested in me? But she insisted that I had a shot with you. She said there's something between us," he finished with a tilt of his head.

"She did?" You replied, your mind racing as you considered Steve's words. Robin told Steve he had a shot with you? Did that mean Steve wanted a shot with you? Was this Steve shooting his shot?

Steve's lips were just barely brushing yours when he next spoke. "So, was she right?"

You took a deep breath, realizing that Steve wasn't going to move any closer. He was effectively leaving the ball in your court, letting you know the next move was yours. You were nervous and scared, but it was everything you could have hoped for in that moment.

"She was," you said before pressing your lips to Steve's.

Steve immediately pressed closer, his hands reeling you in until you were sharing his space. You would have been happy to stand there, kissing Steve, for the rest of the night. But despite Steve's borrowed sweater and scarf, the chill was steadily creeping in, getting harder for you to ignore.

You shivered against Steve, making a noise of protest when he pulled away.

"Come on," Steve said, ushering you towards the passenger side door. "Get in so we can get you warm. I'll get the heater started."

You immediately thought of other ways Steve could get you warm in his car, but you knew it would be going a little too far, too fast. You didn’t even know what the kiss between you meant. Did Steve want to date? Did he want to kiss you again or did he just feel like he had to humor your crush on him?

You settled into the passenger seat, waiting for Steve to get in the car. By the time he had the car on and heater blasting, you couldn't help yourself any longer. Doubts had started to worm their way in, making you wonder if you were reading too much into everything.

Before you could say anything, though, Steve beat you to the punch.

"So," he started, glancing at you. "Would you like to get lunch together tomorrow? Or see a movie? Or just...anything really. I don’t care as long as I get to see you."

"Like a date?" You couldn't help but wonder, not wanting to get your hopes up.

"Like a date," Steve confirmed with a quick nod of his head.

"I'd love to," you told him, leaning over to press a kiss to his cheek. Steve turned at the last moment so your lips met his, his hand coming up to cup your cheek.

You lost yourself in Steve for a few moments, finally pulling away when you needed to breathe.

"Just one thing," Steve started, shooting you a playful smirk. "Let's not tell Robin about the date. Not for a while, at least. Not if she keeps arranging it so we're alone together at work."

You couldn't help but laugh, already looking forward to spending more time with Steve when you knew that he was just as interested in you as you were in him.

"Sounds good," you agreed, sharing a pleased grin with Steve.

As Steve drove you home, you reveled in the warmth settling into your bones. When Steve reached out to grab your hand, tangling your fingers together, you felt the warmth blossom inside you. It was perfect and everything you could have hoped for, the moment only made better by the comfort Steve’s borrowed clothes was bringing you. You could still smell the cologne Steve wore, the scent practically soaked into the sweater. It was warm and soft and perfect and you never wanted to give it up.

You could just imagine going home, curling up in your favorite chair in the living room, and enjoying a cup of hot cocoa, wrapped up in the sweater. It would only be made better with Steve there, but you knew you weren’t ready for him to spend the night. You were, however, completely ready to steal his clothes.

“Steve?” You asked, prompting him to glance at you.

“Yeah?”

“I’m keeping the sweater,” you told him, smiling when Steve laughed in surprise.

[seanpatricklittlewriter]

The Movie Post

Greetings and salutations, true believers. I haven’t posted anything in a while other than shameless book promotion stuff for #FourthAndWrong, and for that I apologize. I always say I’d let you know if anything good happened immediately, but nothing good has happened. The new book is out. A few people who have read it told me they liked it. It’s not selling well. Lack of sales means a lack of reviews, which only helps it not sell faster. It’s all a vicious cycle. At a certain point, you have to remember that you’re only writing books because some tiny voice in your head won’t let you stop, and you just throw your hands up and let everything else fall as it may. For the first time, I’ve actually bothered to try real advertising. I’m giving advertising on the Kindle lock screens a go. I’ll let you know if actually works.

 In the meantime, I’ve been listening to a lot of podcasts while puttering around the house, going for walks, and ignoring the gym. (I gotta stop ignoring the gym…) If you haven’t watched “Ted Lasso” on AppleTV yet, I HIGHLY recommend it. It’s one of the best shows I’ve watched in a long time. Great writing. Great characters. Great story. Very uplifting and wonderful. One of the show’s writers, creators, and stars, the wonderful Brett Goldstein (who plays the gruff Roy Kent on the show), has a podcast called “Films to Buried With.”

 I started listening to his podcast because I enjoy him on the show so much, and I’ve found out that I enjoy his podcast as much as the show. He’s a genuinely sweet man, and he gets comedian and actor friends to guest on his podcast. The show’s conceit is that Brett invites guests on, tells them they have died, and then gets them to relive their life through the films that meant something to them. It’s a fun little chat show, and a solid way to waste an hour while you’re getting through doing the dishes or mowing the lawn.

 It’s precisely the sort of podcast I would love to be on. I’ve always said you can judge your level of success by what people invite you to do. I always said I’d know if I “made it” if I could ever get invited to be on one of the podcasts I enjoy, rather than trying to wrangle my way into someone else’s podcast or blog. So far— this has not happened. That should tell you what level of success I’m stuck at. I don’t get invited to the movies by my imaginary friends. But Brett encourages people to share their ideas and opinions on social media, anyhow. It’s a fun way to play along at home, tell other people about the podcast, and start conversations around your favorite movies. Stories bind us together. They give us common ground and build bridges toward strengthening relationships. If you meet someone new, you can tell if you’ll get along with them by what films they enjoy. So in that spirit, I’d like to answer the questions Brett asks his guests by discussing a few of my favorite films. If you’d like to play along in the comments, please do. I always love reading about what other people think about movies, books, or music. I won’t bother going through the death/afterlife conceit he uses, but I recommend listening to a few of his podcasts if you enjoy this sort of thing. It’s a fun little premise he uses to generate the episodes.

 --What’s the first film you remember seeing?

         I remember bits and pieces of several films from my childhood. I remember the Muppet Movie in the theater. I remember seeing The Black Hole. I remember a lot of little chunks of a lot of Disney animated films. But the movie that sticks out in my head is “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” It was 1981. I was six. I remember going to see it on a Sunday matinee with my family. I remember it was packed. People were literally sitting on the floor in the aisles. We got three seats someplace, but I remember my dad having to sit in the row in front of us. I don’t remember a ton about the movie the first time I saw it other than being scared of the pit of snakes and the melting Nazi faces. However, I remember the iconic moment when Harrison Ford pulled the gun on the swordsman and shot him. I remember the audience reaction and thinking, “That’s a hero.” I’ve long been a Harrison Ford fan. Between Han Solo and Indiana Jones, he played two of the most iconic heroes of my childhood. When I wrote the TeslaCon novels, I made no secret that my protagonist, Nicodemus Clarke, was just a shallow rip-off of Indiana Jones. It’s funny, but to this day, in my head, if you ask me what a hero looks like, it’s always going to be Harrison Ford.

  --What’s the scariest film you’ve ever seen?

          The scariest film I’ve ever seen is Kevin Smith’s “Red State.” It’s a movie about a religious cult that’s very reminiscent of the Westboro Baptist Church, David Koresh/Waco compound, or any of the other extremely far-right Christian separatist movements. It’s scary because there are many, many of these gun-hoarding compounds, and the movie, while extreme, is not too far off from possibility. Michael Parks plays the leader of the family at the heart of the film, and his performance was award worthy. He was truly terrifying.     As an aside, prior to Red State, I always told people the movie that scared me the most was the original “The Amityville Horror.” Basically, I saw the scene where the poltergeist made the drop-sash window fall on the kid’s fingers and nearly sever them, and that was it. I had the same drop-sash windows in my bedroom, and I was scared of them from then on. I’d like to say that I outgrew my fear of drop-sash windows, but I’m 46 and they still skeeze me out when I see them. A movie I saw 40 years ago warped me forever.

  --What’s the movie that made you cry the most?

         I used to not be someone who cried at movies. However, years of thyroid issues and depression have messed with my response to emotional moments, so I do get teary nowadays at movies. Emotionally speaking, it’s not sad movies that get to me. It’s movies where someone overcomes something difficult. Especially sports movies. The ones that get me the most teary-eyed now are movies like the first “Rocky,” “Hoosiers,” “Miracle,” and “Rudy.” I also get teary-eyed at points of bravery to the point of stupidity. The best example of that is the climax and denouement of “How to Train Your Dragon.” Strangely enough, when a movie does something that is supposed to be a tear-jerker moment to the point that it panders to the audience, I don’t cry— I actually get angry. Anything Nicolas Sparks has ever had his name attached to, for instance. It’s maudlin, and it doesn’t deserve our respect.

  --What the film that made you laugh the most?

       This is not going to be a popular answer. If I was a little more erudite, I’d say something like “Airplane” or “Blazing Saddles” or “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” However, I didn’t see any of those in the theater originally. I was home, watching them on video. While they were funny and some of my favorite movies, I did not really do a ton of laughing while I saw them. I went to see “BASEketball” with my sister, and the theater was packed. Something about seeing a movie in a crowded theater heightens the emotional impact of jokes, and for whatever reason, that movie put me on the floor a couple of times. It’s a silly movie full of cheap laughs, but I remember hurting as I was leaving the theater. My sides and cheeks were sore. Second on that list was the movie “Bridesmaids.” I don’t think I’ve laughed harder at any movie than the scene where they all get diarrhea in the bridal shop. Especially Melissa McCarthy: “LOOK AWAY!”

  --What is the sexist film you’ve seen?

         For me, I will never forget seeing “Bachelor Party” on HBO at a friend’s house. Monique Gabrielle’s scene is probably the first time I saw full-frontal female nudity in a film. It burned itself into my brain. I probably have a thing for redheads to this day because of that scene. The rest of the movie is very wild and funny. It was one of the launching blocks for Tom Hanks’s ridiculously amazing career. But that one moment stands out as one of the sexiest things I’ve ever seen.

  --What film did you used to love, but now it’s not that great?

         Pretty much anything with “Rocky” in the title and a number following it. I still enjoy them, but Rocky III and IV, especially— not that good. I used to love them. I used to watch them whenever they hit TV, but now I only need to watch the first “Rocky,” and maybe the final fight in “Rocky II.” Anything else, I can leave out. They just feel a little overclocked at this point in my life.

  --What’s a film that people and critics panned, but you enjoyed?

        “Goon.” It’s a hockey film written by Jay Baruchel and starring Seann William Scott. It didn’t get wide release—almost straight-to-video. It didn’t get great reviews. I think Metacritic has it around 60%. But something about that movie hit me, and I love it. I suggest it to people all the time. It’s got great performances. It’s a solid flick. It’s not going to overwhelm you. It’s now one of my comfort films. When I’m bored and need something on in the background, I will often choose “Goon” or its sequel, “Goon: Last of the Enforcers.” The sequel was not as good as the original, but it’s still worth a watch. Kurt Russell’s son Wyatt is the villain in the sequel. He’s extremely good.

  --What’s a film that people love, but you hate?

        Hands down: “Avatar” or “Titanic.” Something about a lot of James Cameron films just don’t work with me. I think it’s because they’re too grandiose. They try too hard. Also, the scripts are just there to get him to the big, visual set-pieces. They’re thin on both character and plot. I can’t stand either of them.

  --What’s a film that means a lot to you, but it’s not because of the quality of the movie (i.e. you saw it with someone and it’s special, or it has importance to people around you, etc…)?

       Easily, “The Man From Snowy River.” This is a family favorite. I grew up watching this flick, and I made my daughter watch it when she was younger. I will never get tired of it. I probably watch it maybe three or four times a year. There’s just something about the cinematography of the climax when Jim goes down the mountainside on Denny’s back. It’s always breath-taking. Also, if you watch “The Man From Snowy River,” you see what my dad always wanted his life to be. Most boys’ fathers want their sons to be doctor or lawyers. My dad wanted me to be a cowboy.

  --What film do you relate to the most?

        “Clerks.” I saw “Clerks” when I was a senior in high school. Rented it from a local video store. I saw two dudes who were outliers in their social group working crappy jobs and dealing with the mundane nothingness of life. It hit me right in the gut. I resolved to do something better than that. So far, I’ve failed to do so, but I keep trying.

  --Empirically speaking, what is the best film? (Not necessarily favorite film— but what film do you think is the best film ever made?)

         I have to say it was “Lawrence of Arabia.” The casting was amazing. The cinematography was incredible, unrivaled, really. The story was excellent. And the ordeal of the entire filming process was without peer. What they went through to make that movie, hands down, makes it the best film ever made. The scope of the film alone is mind-boggling.  The Lord of the Rings trilogy is a close second, but that’s technically three films, so I went with Lawrence of Arabia.

  --What film have you seen the most?

         I have watched “The Muppet Movie” a ton. I still love the movie “Roxanne.” I have also seen “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” and “The Quiet Man” more than any single person probably should. If I had to think about it and pick one film I’ve seen more than other…it’s probably “Meatballs.” Growing up, my sister and I watched that flick a thousand times. I can probably recite it from memory. It’s also one of the films that cemented an undying loyalty to Bill Murray.

   --And finally: You die and go to heaven. And in heaven, they ask you to pick one film that summarizes your life, one film that makes people understand you, or a film you want people to watch to help them know you better. What is that film?

         Nothing has had more influence on my life than the movie “Ghostbusters.” It defined me in several ways: my love for comedy, my love for the paranormal, and my love for snark and snappy comebacks. I loved Ghostbusters so much that I watched it on a weekly basis. I ran the audio cables from our VCR to a tape deck and recorded an audio copy of the film to play on my Walkman while I road the bus to school every day. I still have the film memorized word-for-word. I will often let my eyes go a little weird and turn to my daughter and say, “Then, during the Third Reconciliation of the Last of the Meketrex Supplicants, they chose a new form for him, that of a giant Sloar! Many Shubs and Zuuls knew what it was to be roasted in the depths of a Sloar that day, I can tell you!” To know me is to understand Ghostbusters on a molecular level. I owe that movie a lot.

  Anyhow, this was a fun way to waste my night. I encourage you to play along. Answer some or all of the questions Brett asks his guests. I highly recommend listening to a few episodes of “Films to Be Buried With” on your favorite podcatcher app. And if anyone out there knows Brett Goldstein, please let him know I’m available to guest on his podcast. Until next time—Thanks for reading.

--Sean

[notesonfilm1]

In the early 80s, pushing 70, But Lancaster top-lines and gets a star entrance in Cattle Annie and Little Britches. The film, based on a true story, is about Cattle Annie (Amanda Plummer) and Little Britches (Diane Lane) but Burt’s Bob Dooley is the legend, the lodestar, who they want to emulate and with whom they want to join. He’s no longer the romantic lead, but the film’s protagonists have their own non-sexual romance of and with him, and so does the film.

    Mannerisms in actors are usually seen as a negative. That an actor resorts to old tricks and lacks the imagination to inhabit character in different ways. But what if those gestures of body and face, those stances that indicate bursts of energy are part of what audiences love and look forward to in an actor’s performance? In Cattle Annie and Little Britches, Burt’s mannerisms bring up whole eras of audience affection, evoke authority, and are shortcuts to character and a base with which to create something new. He’s too old in the film to play the romantic leading man but the film has its own romance with him, his stardom and his own legend that feeds into that of his character’s. And displaying his body is still part of what he does as an actor and a star, even if pushing 70, it’s now filmed through mist (Pauline Kael said he looked like an old water buffalo). Perhaps that’s why he was still top-billed and headlining in vehicles guided by intelligence and social purpose into his 70s and almost right through the 1980s.

One of the reasons I pay no attention to all the Kael haters is that I vividly remember Kael’s review forty years after I read it, and this was a movie I’d never been able to see up to now. And now that I have seen it and re-read it, I agree with so much of what she says. And she’s so funny saying it. On Rod Steiger: ‘Rod Steiger is probably more contained than he has been in years. The last time I saw him—doing his padre number in “The Amityville Horror”—his spiritual agony was enough to shatter the camera lens.’

    Pauline Kael is worth quoting at length: ‘here are some remarkable performances—Lancaster’s and Diane Lane’s, and, especially, the unheralded, prodigious screen début of Amanda Plummer. (Actually, everything about this picture is unheralded. It was finished over a year ago, but nobody wanted to release it, because a couple of other Westerns had failed. It wasn’t really released: it was just dropped into a Broadway theatre for a week, to plug up a hole before “Outland” arrived.) As Bill Doolin, Lancaster (who made this film before “Atlantic City”) is a gent surrounded by louts—a charmer. When he talks to his gang, he uses the lithe movements and the rhythmic, courtly delivery that his Crimson Pirate of 1952 had when he told his boys to gather ‘round. The great thing about Lancaster is that you can see the face of a stubborn, difficult man—a man who isn’t easy to get along with. He has so much determination that charm doesn’t diminish him. In his scenes with Diane Lane, the child actress who appeared in New York in several of Andrei Serban’s stage productions and who, single-handed, made the film “A Little Romance” almost worth seeing, Lancaster has an easy tenderness that is never overdone, and she is completely inside Jenny’s childish dependency. And when he’s by himself, naked, soaking at the hot springs (where the marshal traps him), he’s a magnificent, sagging old buffalo. Lancaster looks happy in this movie and still looks tough: it’s an unbeatable combination’.

The film itself is charming and a bit ramshackle. It’s unusual to see a film about women’s desires to be outlaws, one set in a period where those dreams were being shut down along with the frontier, and yet the film doesn’t makes those desires as central to the narrative as it should, constantly cutting to the bigger stars, Lancaster himself of course, but also Rod Steiger and Jon Savage — whatever happened to him? He seemed to be everywhere in this period — and even Scott Glenn (why didn’t he become a bigger star? He’s sexy, charismatic and so good here and in practically everything he did in this period). And the questions I ask above in relation to Savage and Glenn are even more worth asking regarding Amanda Plummer, a debut to compare to Hepburn’s writes Kael, and yet it seems American cinema of this period did not have the space for such an electric and original presence. Its loss. But this is a film that allows us to enjoy and mourn the magnitude of that loss.

According to Kate Burford, ‘critics would note that Larry Pizer’s cinematography glowed like a Frederick Remington vision’ (loc 2903), except for the clip of Burt’s entrance I’ve extracted above, where one can barely see anything.

  In her extraordinary book on Lancaster, Kate Burford includes excerpts from a truly illuminating interview with Amanda Plummer on Lancaster’s acting in Cattle Annie that is worth extracting here in its entirety:

A bit of trivia: Steven Ford, son of the American President Gerald, appears in a small role as a man of the law and is very good.

José Arroyo

Cattle Annie and Little Britches (Lamont Johnson, USA, 1981) In the early 80s, pushing 70, But Lancaster top-lines and gets a star entrance in Cattle Annie and Little Britches.

[recentnews18-blog]

New Post has been published on https://shovelnews.com/the-nerds-watch-the-best-sci-fi-and-fantasy-streaming-in-september/

The Nerd's Watch: The Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Streaming in September

Scott Pilgrim is coming to Netflix.Photo: Universal

You can get comprehensive lists of everything coming to streaming services anywhere. But half of those titles you don’t care about, and the other half are terrible. Where’s the good stuff? io9 is here to help.

Below you’ll find what we deem to be the best sci-fi and fantasy movies and TV coming to Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu in September.

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Wakanda forever…streaming on your TV.Photo: Disney

Netflix

Available September 1

Groundhog Day – Harold Ramis’ genius time travel comedy was a little under-appreciated when it was released but in the decades since, it’s become more and more revered. Deservedly so. It’s insanely rewatchable, funny, and heartwarming.

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King Kong – The Netflix press release just lists this as “King Kong,” but we’ve confirmed it’s Peter Jackson’s 2005 take on the giant ape story. Obviously, it isn’t the best version (that honor goes to the one that came out back in 1933), but it’s not too bad.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – No, it’s not as good as the book, but this adaptation of the wonderful, inventive Douglas Adams novel is about as good as you can get. It’s funny, it’s weird, it’s got a great cast, and it’s definitely worth a rewatch.

September 2

Lilo & Stitch and The Emperor’s New Groove – Besides the fact that these are both Disney animated films, they really don’t have much in common. But each is noteworthy in its own way and will make any kids in your orbit very happy, especially the charming, Hawaii-set extraterrestrial tale Lilo & Stitch.

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September 4

Black Panther – The highest-grossing U.S. film of the year—and one of the most entertaining, well-made films of any year—comes to Netflix, and now Wakanda really is forever.

September 7

Next Gen – To be fair, we don’t know if this Netflix original is good. But the trailer suggests a theatrical-worthy animated adventure about a young girl who befriends a killer robot. We’re intrigued.

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September 16

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World – Edgar Wright’s amazing, kinetic adaptation of the Bryan Lee O’Malley comic book series may be not just one of the best comic book movies of all time, but one of the best video game movies of all time too, despite not being about a video game. Also, much of the cast has gotten insanely famous since this movie so rewatching it has an added layer of awesome.

September 17

The Witch – If you’re reading this column, odds are you’ve seen The Witch already. If you haven’t, though, mark down this date. It’s one of the creepiest, most gusty horror movies in a long time, and is about a Puritan family being stalked by an ancient evil.

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September 21

Maniac – Again, we have yet to see this Netflix original limited series, but based on the brief glimpses that have been released, it feels safe to assume that Cary Fukunaga’s latest, which stars Emma Stone and Jonah Hill, will be pretty great.

September 25

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl – Though many things have changed about the Pirates franchise over the years (Johnny Depp’s public image, increasingly bad sequels, etc), this first film remains a modern miracle: a theme park ride that became an incredibly exciting and funny movie that holds up over repeat viewings.

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A Wrinkle in Time �� The reviews on Ava DuVernay’s recent adaptation were pretty mixed. But now that it’s coming to Netflix, it feels like a good time to either revisit it with fresh eyes or see it for the first time, if you missed it in theaters.

September 26

The Hurricane Heist – Of all the great movies coming to streaming this month, this may be the one I’m most excited about. I haven’t seen it yet, but it feels like it would be the perfect, dumb film to stream and enjoy.

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Kevin Costner’s Robin Hood is coming to streaming.Photo: Warner Bros.

Amazon

Available September 1

Beowulf – I haven’t seen Robert Zemeckis’ performance capture retelling of the famous poem since it was released in 2007, but I loved it back then. I’m sure the effects don’t hold up 11 years later but I’d imagine the performances and script do. And now that it’s on streaming, I can check.

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Big Top Pee-wee – This sequel to 1986’s Pee-wee’s Big Adventure isn’t quite on that film’s level, but it’s still worth a watch. The weirdly wonderful, circus-set story is different and still perfect in a Pee-wee way.

Double Impact – Two Van Dammes for the price of one? Yes, please. Double Impact is undoubtedly one of the most memorable films of the action star’s career. Is it one of the best? Debatable, but it’s well worth a stream or two. (Also available on Hulu.)

Dragonheart – From the director of The Fast and the Furious as well as xXx comes this Dennis Quaid-starring fantasy adventure that was nominated for an Oscar for its CG dragons. It’s not all that memorable but it’s entertaining and exciting to be sure.

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Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II – The original Ghostbusters is an all-time classic. The sequel isn’t, but still has its moments. Either way, Ghostbusters II on its worst day is one of the best movies coming to streaming, and if you can watch the original, too, that’s even better.

Prancer – The 1989 Christmas tale Prancer is one of those movies you definitely saw when you were growing up, really liked, but probably haven’t thought about in 20 years. Now it’s on Amazon to help you jump-start that nostalgic Christmas spirit.

Pumpkinhead and Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings – Halloween is just around the corner, so it’s cool that one of the lesser-known horror franchises is coming to streaming. Only the first film, directed by Stan Winston, was released theatrically, but if you want a good cult horror series to dive into, here’s a great start. (Also available on Hulu.)

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Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves – This Kevin Costner film is probably best known for its uber-popular theme song by Bryan Adams (“Everything I Do, I Do It For You”) but for a certain generation, like mine, it was also our formative Robin Hood. It doesn’t hold up particularly well, but it’s still full of 1990s awesomeness.

The Amityville Horror – Famous for being based on an alleged true story, this 1979 film starring James Brolin and Margot Kidder is not only good and scary, it’s historically significant for starting a horror franchise that’s alive and well to this day. (Also available on Hulu.)

Two Nicolas Cages for the price of one. Photo: Sony

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Hulu

Available September 1

13 Going on 30 – This Jennifer Garner romantic comedy isn’t just delightful, it’s got a Marvel-ous supporting cast including Mark Ruffalo as the love interest, Andy Serkis as the boss, and Judy Greer as the frenemy. It’s a movie you can watch again and again.

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Adaptation – When was the last time you watched Adaptation? Even if the answer is “yesterday,” now is a great time for a revisit. Charlie Kaufman and Spike Jonze’s imaginative adaptation of Susan Orlean’s The Orchid Thief is meta, hilarious, profound, and perfect.

The Bone Collector – It’s always disappointing when a film with two of the biggest actors in the world, in this case Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie, doesn’t live up to that level of talent. The Bone Collector is like that, but it’s not terrible, and the combined charisma of late-1990s Denzel and Angelina is worth a lot.

Field of Dreams – If you stream it, we will watch.

The Fly – David Cronenberg’s creepy, gross, but oh-so-awesome film about a scientist( Jeff Goldblum) who fuses with a fly has to be seen to be believed. And if you’ve already seen it, see it again.

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Miracle on 34th Street – This 1994 remake of the 1947 Christmas classic is actually pretty great. Richard Attenborough plays Santa, John Hughes co-wrote the script, and while the story doesn’t change much, the modern setting and budget make it feel even grander than the original.

Poltergeist II: The Other Side – While this sequel is certainly inferior to its original, it brings back the first film’s cast and continues that story. For that alone, if you like the original Poltergeist (and who doesn’t?), this is worth a watch. (Also available on Amazon)

Signs – Signs came out at the height of M. Night Shyamalan hype and was a huge hit, but doesn’t really get the same love as some of his other films. I think it should. It’s got big ideas, a great ending, and some gorgeous filmmaking.

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Unbreakable – While Signs might be good, Unbreakable is great. We’ve written about it extensively, especially with the sequel finally coming out, and now you can catch up before Glass hits theaters in January. It’s one of the best and most inventive superhero movies ever.

What Dreams May Come – This sumptuous Robin Williams movie about a man going to heaven never quite lives up to its expectations, but it’s crazy ambitious and worth a stream for the visuals and lead performance alone.

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Source: https://io9.gizmodo.com/the-nerds-watch-the-best-sci-fi-and-fantasy-streaming-1828427005

[docrotten]

Strangers: Prey At Night - Thoroughbreds - A Wrinkle in Time - Episode 258 - Horror News Radio

Strangers: Prey At Night is the sequel no one was anticipating nor wanted. 10 years after the original and with none of the original cast or crew involved? It sounds like something destined to fail. Yet... The Grue Crew may have liked it more than you'd think. Strangers: Prey At Night isn't the only film on the docket, though. The genre-lite escapades of Thoroughbreds is also up for discussion as genre favorite Anya Taylor Joy joins up with a fellow teen played by Olivia Cooke with sociopathic tendencies. Yet, the true monster may not be who it seems. Plus, there's a small review for Disney's big release A Wrinkle In Time, the film that has so much creativity bursting at the seams... but maybe doesn't come together too well. Dave Dreher is out this week, so Doc Rotten, Thomas Mariani and Yonathan Habtemichael have to take on Horror News of the Week by themselves. There's plenty of stories of premieres from South By Southwest, a Jake Gyllenhaal horror film coming to Netflix and... Tommy Wiseau as The Joker? What a funny story, Doc. Ha ha ha! Then, Thomas closes things out by unmasking Phantom Factor! It's a packed night, but worth every second.

As always, the HNR Grue-Crew would love to hear from you, the listeners, the fans. You can always reach out via email at feedback(AT)horrornewsradio(DOT)com or find us on Twitter: Doc Rotten | Dave Dreher | Thomas Mariani. Also, like us on Facebook and join the Horror News Radio Facebook Group.

Horror News Radio Episode 258 – Strangers: Prey At Night Subscribe – iTunes – Facebook – Stitcher

INTRO [00:00:39]

HORROR NEWS OF THE WEEK [00:03:39]

SXSW Recap!

A Quiet Place

Unfriended: Dark Web

Ready Player One

Upgrade

Blood Fest

Nightcrawler Director's Netflix Horror Film

Tommy Wiseau is The Joker? ha ha ha

FEATURE REVIEW: Strangers: Prey at Night [00:33:39]

Strangers: Prey At Night (2018)

director: Johannes Roberts

cast: Bailee Madison, Lewis Pullman, Christina Hendricks, Martin Henderson

ANNOUNCEMENTS [01:04:42]

Look for Grue Crew members at the FantasticRealm screening of Jaws 3D… in 3D!

In September, we are looking to return to the Carolina for Friday the 13th 3-D and Amityville 3-D both in glorious 3D. More on this in the coming weeks.

Be sure to keep up with the Flash Forward Friday Forcast each week on Gruesome Magazine

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN WATCHING: Thoroughbreds [01:07:20]

Thoroughbreds (2018)

director: Corin Finley

cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Olivia Cooke, Anton Yelchin

SUPPORT HNR [01:44:35]

Patrons at Patreon who donate as low as $1 can vote for an exclusive HNR podcast and one Decades of Horror episode every month!

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN WATCHING: A Wrinkle In Time [01:46:38]

A Wrinkle In Time (2018)

director: Ava Duvernay

cast: Storm Reid, Levi Miller, Oprah Winfrey, Mindy Kaling, Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine

PHANTOM FACTOR [02:02:42]

Our Game Show Segment In Which You the Listeners Forge Suggestions For The Grue Crew To Guess!

This week’s topic: Macabre Mask of Horror

Those who enter in March will be in contention to win a copy of The Ultimate Guide to Strange Cinema!

HNR LINKS:

Patreon

HNR & Gruesome Magazine T-Shirts

  Check out this episode!

[hottytoddynews]

We’ve gotten used to the Christmas holiday season beginning around Halloween, but how often has Halloween thriller season begun the week after Labor Day? As the studios and moviemakers have learned, there’s a huge audience for horror. If you are skeptical, look at the grosses for new latest in Tyler Perry’s Madea franchise. Major record-breaking!

For the longest time, producers/studios would grind out assembly-line horror, capitalizing on mindless or copycat sequels of original hits that would make you groan, “Been there, seen it.” But even the usual suspects have come around; and there seems to be a newbie at the game: Blumhouse Productions, which this season could be crowned Prince of Horror.

You might say that horror season began way before Halloween — even in February. That’s when Get Out! (Blumhouse Productions/Universal), featuring Bradley Whitford, Catherine Keener, Allison Williams (TV’s Girls) and young Brit Daniel Kaluuya (TV’s Babylon; upcoming Watership Down mini-series based on Richard Adams novel) hit cineplexes. It wasn’t a cookie-cutter, standard-issue thriller, but smart and well made – and had a sense of humor. It also offered a thoughtful look at the race issues making headlines.

Young Anglo woman (Williams) invites Afro-American young man (Kaluuya) for a meet-the-parents getaway, where he finds the family overly accommodating — an effort to deal with their daughter’s interracial relationship. As the weekend progresses, disturbing discoveries come to a head and lead him to a truth he never could have imagined. Something different, yes? And, going even further, it was R-rated. That usually can be the death knell to a film pitched for teens, the catalyst for a film’s opening weekend. They came, whether accompanied by an adult or with fake I.D.s. A film budgeted at a minuscule $5 million has raked in over $175.5 million. 

Jeepers Creepers III (Infinity/Screen Media) quickly followed. Set between the first and second film, it was quickly obvious it was in the lesser category. Sergeant Tubbs (Brandon Smith) went about attempting to learn the secrets and identify of Creeper (Jonathan Breck), the monster terrorizes a local farming community. Lovely Trisha (Gina Phillips) was sort of pushed aside for the introduction of Gaylen Brandon (Meg Foster (TVs Pretty Little Liars and Ravenswood), stealing the film, as someone with a history with the Creeper. It didn’t help. Initial audiences were bored, word-of-mouth was a downer. Made for $18 million, it grossed a paltry $2.3 million (JC1 exploded at the box office with sales of $35.7 million). Maybe the gross will rise – a bit – with the DVDs’ December release.

Oscar nominee Jennifer Jason Leigh, Bella Thorne (Boo!: A Madea Halloween; TV’s Famous in Love, Big Love), Thomas Mann (Kong: Skull Island), and Kurtwood Smith (TV’s That 70s Show) weren’t enough to turn the lack of horror in Amityville: The Awakening (Blumhouse Productions/Dimension/TWC) into a silk purse. After a two-year shelf life, it was comatose (like Belle‘s twin brother) on arrival.

Then Came September   

“When you are a kid you think the world revolves around you, that you’ll always be protected, care for. Then, one day: a friend goes missing.” The opening words of It (New Line/Warner Bros./RatPac-Dune Entertainment), the cinema adaptation of the 1990 three-hour mini-series based on Stephen King’s terrifying best-seller, leads audiences on a thrill ride as satisfying as any on a mega coaster. The plot line involves kids of a small town, rumored to be cursed, disappearing in bloody spades. A gang of seven, led by Richie (Finn Wolfhard, Mikie on Stranger Things), united by their horrifying and strange encounters with the evil Pennywise the Clown (Bill Skarsgård), mount their bikes determined to kill “It.” Been there, seen it? But, even with parallels to Stand By Me, The Goonies, and TV’s Stranger Things, it rises to the occasion. Here, though much condensed, it’s all about bonding and the paranormal, but the paranormal’s never been quite like this: Atmosphere (that haunted house; and especially the horrific finale, which even tops David Lean’s in The Third Man), piercing score by Benjamin Wallfisch (Blade Runner 2049, Annabelle: Creation, Hidden Figures), jump-scare sound effects, and, best of all, the brotherly-love kiss to bring back the living dead. Argentine Andy Muschietti (2013 horror thriller Mama) is set to helm the 2019 sequel.

Oddly, with a cast of youngsters, the film’s R-rated for violence and, something you don’t hear often, F words cascading out of the mouths of babes. That hasn’t stopped it from blockbuster status – grossing $179 million in less than two months, ($189.5 million worldwide) on a budget of $35 million.  Reminder: whether pouring cats and dogs or not, on Jackson Street or any other, never look deep into those corner drains!

Happy Death Day (Blumhouse Productions/Universal Pictures) is a dark comedy mystery horror thriller borrowing lavishly from the classic Groundhog Day. On her birthday, teenager Tree (excellent Jessica Rothe) concludes that it will be her last one. That is, IF she can figure out who her killer is. To do that, she relives the day over and over – dying in a different way on each one. No way you’ll snooze, as you get sucked in even before the film begins [You’ll see]. Keep a keen eye on Tree. Christopher Landon (Disturbia, Paranormal Activity) knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat. Shooting in New Orleans’ Garden District, home to the streetcar and fabled mansions, adds tons of atmosphere.

In Boo 2: A Madea Halloween (Tyler Perry Company/Lionsgate) Madea, Bam, and Hattie venture to a haunted campground where they end up running for their lives from a boogeyman, goblins, and monsters, goblins, and the boogeyman are unleashed. Perry has an audience for his sometimes amateurish movies that  segue between embarrassing and somewhat funny. He comes up with great ideas and one has to be envious of his multi-talents and following. In his films, he  plays a lot of characters – some, such as Madea, much better than others. Maybe the mistake is in doing it all: writing, directing, and co-producing.  Boo! 2. But the film shot out of the gate October 20 and astonished the industry selling performances out. Budgeted at $25 milion, it has already grossed $35.5 million. Boo! 2 became an instant hit. Budgeted at $25 million, it’s close to exceeding that in just over a week.

Jigsaw (Serendipity Productions/Lionsgate) is the eighth title in the Saw franchise, which became a popular slasher series with face-cringing, spine tingling twists to the serial killer saga and a look at the day’s social mores. Then it ended, until this past weekend when it’s been reborn in hopes of bringing in more moola. As bodies drop everywhere – each with gruesome demise that fit Jigsaw’s style, police find themselves chasing the ghost of a man presumed dead for over a decade (Tobin Bell), and become embroiled in a new cat and mouse game. Is Jiggy/John Kramer back? Is this a copy cat? Or  are they falling into a trap set by another monster? The story is told in such a fast pace that there’s little time for character development. However, it gets props for the show-stopping, head-rolling finale. The film got a knife in its back from critics and moviegoers. One reviewer’s assessment: “Watching Jigsaw is a dumb, ugly waste of energy.”

There Was Another Horror at the Weekend Box Office

Suburbicon (Paramount/Dark Castle/Black Bear Pictures) – It had the cache of George Clooney as director when it premiered at the Venice Film Festival, but was received with a few boos. Conceived by Joel and Ethan Coen (remember their 2016 misfire Hail, Caesar!, about a tough Hollywood studio “fixer”), Clooney (a Hail, Caesar! co-star), and Grant Heslov (co-writer, Matt Damon’s Best Picture Argo), is a racially-charged farce that “draws parallels between the U.S.’ ugly past and the situation today.” Damon, Julianne Moore, and Oscar Isaac, Summer of 1959, are in an Eden to raise a family: an idyllic community with affordable homes and manicured lawns. However, tranquility changes to disturbing reality in the town’s s dark underbelly of betrayal, deceit, and violence [including flaming Confederate flags]. Come critics went “Huh?” and “Huh!” The often kind Rotten Tomatoes wrote: “It’s A Raisin in the Sun Meets The Donna Reed Show. Only occasionally does an image strike a lyrical blow and yield the creepy effect Clooney is aiming for.” Worse, audiences weren’t camping overnight to be the first at box offices. Maybe it will develop a cult following.

At Home 24/7 Horror and Halloween Fright Fest  

Is this not the best time of year to revisit famous Halloween spook with everything from zombies and slashers to séances and lots of screams? There’s so much horror to enjoy spread on the couch with a beer or soda and chips and dip. Can anything top the original Frankenstein, Dracula, The Mummy, Hitch’s Psycho, Kubrick’s The Shining [Where’s Jack? Bring him back!]? Maybe a bit of Poltergeist; or some Stephen King? How about Halloween, The Fog, Christine or anything by John Carpenter, because he knows how to scare your pants off? There’s Wes Craven’s bad ole Freddy in  Nightmare on Elm Street; or the original Saw; contemporary grand guignol of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?; and any season of American Horror Story – because Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuck know how to creep you out. Then, there’s family-friendly “horror” in Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein/Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde/The Invisible Man.

3-D is having a much-longer shelf life than expected. For a great at-home theatrical experience, check out the Blu-ray 3-D edition of the edge-of-your-cushioned-seat 1953 blockbuster House of Wax [Warner Home Entertainment, SRP $40]. Vincent Price, so fantastic playing madmen, is perfect casting for demented Professor Henry Jarrod. The Technicolor, pre-digital 3-D two-projector image realignment, and sound track have been meticulously remastered with a 4K scan. Don’t spill your popcorn as you experience one of the most incredible horror flick finales. Beware: You can’t escape the flames!

If your dream is a near lifetime of at-home horror, get 50 Horror  Classics (Mill Creek Entertainment; 3,743 minutes/12 discs; $15.65 on Amazon). The massive set contains some classics – keep in mind the majority are from the 30s and 40s and most, if not all, fall into Public Domain, so they haven’t been remastered: The Ape (Boris Karloff), Bluebeard (John Carradine), Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (John Barrymore, Silent), Allan Dwan’s comic romp The Gorilla (Ritz Brothers, Bela Lugosi), William Castle’s The House on Haunted Hill (Vincent Price),

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Lon Chaney, Silent), Roger Corman’s  Little Shop of Horrors (Jack Nicholson),  Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, Murnau’s Nosferatu (Max Schreck, Silent), The Phantom of the Opera (Lon Chaney, Silent), and, among numerous others, White Zombie (Lugosi).

Universal Studios’ horror period produced first-rate thrillers. Six have been remastered for Blu-ray for Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection (Universal Home Entertainment; eight discs/710 minutes; $45 on Amazon): James Whale’s  Bride of Frankenstein (Elsa Lancaster, Karloff, Colin Clive) – many feel this sequel surpasses its predecessor, Tod Browning’s Dracula (Lugosi) – note how the mood is set with a lack of score, Whale’s Frankenstein (Karloff, Clive, Mae Clark), The Invisible Man (Claude Rains) – with humor to offset the horror, The Mummy (Karloff), and The Wolfman (Lon Chaney Jr.). There’s bonus material galore, including an alternate Dracula score by Philip Glass, performed by the Kronos Quartet.

Ellis Nassour is an Ole Miss alum and noted arts journalist and author who recently donated an ever-growing exhibition of performing arts history to the University of Mississippi. He is the author of the best-selling Patsy Cline biography, Honky Tonk Angel, as well as the hit musical revue, Always, Patsy Cline. He can be reached at ENassour@aol.com. 

The post Halloween Cinema Treats That Keep on Giving appeared first on HottyToddy.com.

[horror-movie-blog]

HMB: The Watcher (2016)

Original Publishing Date: February 9th, 2017 

Story time kids, hear what uncle John has to say. So a few years back there was this creepy story that swept the news. Apparently a family moved into a home, and after being there for a while, got a note by a mysterious person named "The Watcher" who claimed to be the true owner of the house and the family were trespassing. He made bold statements like how he is watching them and if they don't move out of the house he'll, I don't know, do shit. Since that story was made public, it has gone the route of the Amityville Horror, in which, people who looking into the authenticity of the story find that its more bullshit then truth. However, since its a creepy idea, it's prime for the picking for cheep horror films, hence this review. But boy oh boy, this was not what I was expecting. This movie is about a couple who moves into a house and gets a letter from, not the Watcher, but the Raven. Yeah. The villain isn't called the Watcher. Strange, you'd think that was the case, considering this movie is called the Watcher. But nope, the Raven. Want to know why he's called the Raven. Because he's a giant, fucking raven, that's why. So this raven terrorizes this couple by sending them messages about how he's the true owner and they need to get out. He sends them shit like dead rats and baby doll limbs covered in blood. So the basic plot is that this is a mystery, as we are trying to figure out who the Raven is. Oh, I'm sorry, what I meant was, the Raven is supernatural, it's not a person in dress up at all. Honestly, this movie assumed we'd fall for this? I would call this movie predictable, but it's not really. Yes, the person you assume to be the Raven at the start of the film turns out to be the Raven, but in a very clustered, strange, and kind of funny reveal. I hate to go into spoilers so early, so keep in mind the last part of this review will be talking about the bat shit ending. Okay, so, this movie did grab your attention by the first and second act. I was wondering along with the characters who the Raven was and what this thing would do next. But I'm sorry, a person dressed as a crow is just too silly for me. It would have been a lot more effective if the person was in a ski mask or something like that. If the point was to make us think it was supernatural, then why not imply it was a ghost instead of a giant raven? Maybe if you have a phobia of birds this would be a scary idea, but whenever this thing popped on screen, I kind of chuckled. It was like, "Oh no! There's the giant crow! Oh... Right... It's a giant crow...". Okay, now for the ending. So minor detail I left out, two reoccurring characters in the film are a mother and her autistic son. Get out your Village DVD's, because the twist is... The mentally challenged boy did it! Yeah, predictable... But... Get out your Shut In DVD's because the mentally challenged boy... Isn't mentally challenged! He was faking it (or drugged, they never made this clear). And they reveal this in the most idiotic way possible. You will laugh. But all the insanity aside, the reason we knew he was behind the mystery is because everything in the movie had a purpose. There was a reason for every idea in this film, for example, the neighbor's husband being a stunt double for TV shows serves a purpose because he teaches the main character how to defend himself. Most of the things in this movie are like that, except for two things, the boy being autistic and the villain being a giant raven. Now would this movie have two unrelated things while everything else does? Suddenly you can put two and two together and figure out quickly he'd the culprit. Now, I can't say the same for the fake out at the end, I didn't see that coming (mainly because I assumed no one would be that stupid into thinking that would be a good twist). So do I recommend this film? Um... Kind of? Here's the thing, the movie up until the ending is kind of engaging, but the ending is worth watching just to see the last five minutes and how insanely dumb it is. So... Based on what I told you, you can decide for yourself if you want to watch it. Or don't, and spend your time making the world a better place then watching a movie where a kid fakes a mental problem while dressing up as a raven to spook an interracial couple out of their home. Your choice. 

[gravehqs]

╰ . ｡ · ˚ ♤ hey, ( RONAN & EUN-JAE ), do you ever shut up ? seriously, the stories are getting out of hand. you really expect me to believe your apartment building is being haunted ? by what ? demons ? very funny ! i mean it, you’re something else. ( JUSTIN BIEBER & YOO JEONGYEON ) are now taken ! please send your account within FOUR hours & let the main know if you’ll be needing anymore time.

╰ . ｡ · ˚ ♤ ( JUSTIN BIEBER, HE/HIM, CISMALE ) let’s review your application, shall we ? erm, your name is RONAN ARCHER ? nice to meet ya’.. i guess. you’re from CHICAGO & currently TWENTY THREE years old residing in the FIRST floor apartments, huh ? real fucking interesting.. says here you’d consider yourself a CORDIAL individual, is that right ? i guess i shouldn’t let your ALOOF side scare me off ! down to the nitty gritty — try not to ask questions. uh, do you like SHAUN OF THE DEAD ? so, sounds like you DON’T BELIEVE in all that demonic mumbo jumbo ? exactly. between you and me, that rumour about STABBING SENSATIONS is kinda weird. don’t worry.. it’s nothing. probably. oh, you seriously HAVE REOCCURRING NIGHTMARES ABOUT YOUR BEST FRIEND’S DEATH? that’s crazy, my dude. i’ll be sure bring this up to the uh, contractor. ( H. CST. SHE/HER )

╰ . ｡ · ˚ ♤ ( YOO JEONGYEON, ANY PRONOUNS, GENDERFLUID ) let’s review your application, shall we ? erm, your name is EUN-JAE YOON? nice to meet ya’.. i guess. you’re from SUWON, SOUTH KOREA & currently TWENTY-TWO years old residing in the SECOND floor apartments, huh ?real fucking interesting.. says here you’d consider yourself a INTREPID individual, is that right ? i guess i shouldn’t let your IMPULSIVE side scare me off ! down to the nitty gritty — try not to ask questions. uh, do you like THE AMITYVILLE HORROR ? so, sounds like you BELIEVE in all that denomic mumbo jumbo ? exactly. between you and me, that rumour about ODD LOOKING CREATURES APPEARING is kinda weird. don’t worry.. it’s nothing. probably. oh, you seriously WERE CHASED BY SOMETHING PARANORMAL ? that’s crazy, my dude. i’ll be sure bring this up to the uh, contractor. ( NYA. CST. SHE/HER )

[joronomo]

The Daily Show Hosts Pop Up Art Exhibit to Honor the Commander in Tweet – Viacom Corporate

New Post has been published on https://joronomo.com/the-daily-show-hosts-pop-up-art-exhibit-to-honor-the-commander-in-tweet-viacom-corporate/

The Daily Show Hosts Pop Up Art Exhibit to Honor the Commander in Tweet – Viacom Corporate

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June 22, 2017 @ 3:30 PM

Lines stretched for blocks in Midtown Manhattan near Trump Tower last weekend, but not for a protest. Instead, tourists and locals converged just down the road to see The Daily Show’s homage to the self-proclaimed “Ernest Hemingway of a hundred and forty characters,” the man known as @RealDonaldTrump.

.@realDonaldTrump we’re neighbors! Come visit! It’s free! #DailyShowLibrary pic.twitter.com/BIrcvplnYX

— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) June 16, 2017

The Daily Show Presents: The Donald J. Trump Presidential Twitter Library was a pop-up showcase with free admission.

“Say what you want about Donald Trump,” Noah told reporters as the exhibit opened. “He may not be good at presidenting, or leading, or geo-politics. But he is a damn fine tweet-er.”

The Daily Show wanted to pay credence to Trump’s prolific tweets, showcasing them the way they deserve to be seen—not briefly, but canonized in a regal museum. The show alluded to this plan in March, after airing Third Month Mania—a special episode where The Daily Show correspondents  mined through thousands of user-submitted Trump tweets to find the greatest of them all.

Noah somberly explained the show’s objective in setting up such a comprehensive tour of internet mayhem.

“It’s about giving context to the tweets,” said Noah, “Not absorbing them one byte at a time but rather looking at them as a body of work, some of the greatest ideas, some of the greatest words that have ever been shared in 140 characters or less.”

Visitors entered the museum and were promptly greeted by a model pair of tiny, orange hands clutching a smartphone.

Welcome to Trump’s magnum opus. (Photo courtesy of Comedy Central)

Visitors could receive a nickname courtesy of the Trump nickname generator (I’m known as Dweebo Lisa) and were free to explore the many facets of this interactive museum. A #MAGAnetic wall contained a handful of Trump’s most frequently used words, where visitors could create their own caustic tweets.

The “MAGAnetic” wall at The Daily Show’s Trump Presidential Twitter Library. (Photo courtesy of Comedy Central)

Then there was the presidential throne—a  golden toilet in a section decorated as the Oval Office, where visitors could tweet out into the world.

(Photo courtesy of Drew Angerer for Getty Images)

And every few minutes, an alarm would sound—“Bing, bing…bing bing,” announcing Trump’s latest digital missive (His real-time tweets were displayed via live feed on one of the museum’s screens.)

.@realDonaldTrump please keep tweeting today. #DailyShowLibrary visitors will hear this every time you do. pic.twitter.com/XNTpXwzicF

— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) June 16, 2017

On the walls, tweets were cataloged and arranged by category, including  “Deleted but not Forgotten”  and “Verified Survivors,” which honored the brave victims of Trump’s most vicious tweet-storms.

Kevin Hagan, a 29-year-old man from Amityville, New York said he decided to check out the exhibit after reading about it (fittingly) on Twitter. He brought his 15-year-old brother along, and while they found the pop-up’s interactive aspects amusing—both took turns tweeting from the golden toilet—Hagan thought the most cogent part was a slideshow called “Trump v Trump,” which showcased the president’s most discordant target—himself.

“The electoral college is a disaster for democracy,” Trump tweeted on November 6, 2012. Almost four years later, after winning the election, he had a different opinion: “The electoral college is actually genius in that it brings all states, including smaller ones, into play.”

Take a 3D virtual tour of the Donald J. Trump Presidential Twitter Library: t.co/36RjBevFwk #DailyShowLibrary pic.twitter.com/S8pfTPOCJg

— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) June 20, 2017

“It’s hard to look back that far in time and remember what people say [on social media],” said Hagan. “Trump says things now that completely contradict what he said before he ran for office. We wouldn’t really know this if it wasn’t in front of us. I’ve seen these quotes side by side in memes, but this display is more powerful, because it physically exists.”

And some of Trump’s greatest quips were lionized and analyzed as “Master Works of the Collection” with a wall of their own (and even fancier gold frames) to allow the public to fully absorb the Trump’s mastery of the 140-character post.

Let’s examine his infamous Cinco de Mayo taco bowl tweet.

Trump’s taco tweet is here to stay. (TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

The analysis of this “mixed media” work of art, provided by The Daily Show writers, is as follows:

“A decidedly American Artist, Trump rarely draws from other creative traditions. Yet here we see him showcasing pride in a Mesoamerican heritage that, for the artist’s instant and effortless mastery of the form, may as well be his own. At the same time, the taco bowl’s oblique symbolism embodies Trump’s trademark patriotism: His is a crisp, crunchy nation, deep-friend and welcoming to all fixin’s that yearn to dwell therein, providing they rise to his own Towering standards. Guac is extra.”

As The Daily Show correspondents Hasan Minhaj and Jordan Klepper assessed in an appearance at the library, Trump certainly sweated over both the tweet and the taco.

Watch the video:

Breaking down the #DailyShowLibrary‘s Taco Bowl exhibit with our tour guides @jordanklepper and @hasanminhaj pic.twitter.com/jl7IYJXbYx

— Maeve McDermott (@maeve_mcdermott) June 15, 2017

Nicholas Lord, a 23-year-old from Perth, Australia, agreed with The Daily Show’s decision to accentuate this tweet out of 35,000 (and counting). “Moving to the States during the Obama administration, I believed in everything this country stood for,” said Lord (who is a friend and attended the exhibit with me). “At the time, people I met here would ask me why I left Australia,’” said Lord. “As if it was a terrible decision.

“Now, in 2017, as a gay man and foreign citizen living here with that man in office, I sometimes question my decision to move here, as well. But seeing political art like this reaffirms what I love about this country. The U.S. is open-minded and doesn’t accept bigotry. Knowing such a massive corporation is behind this [instillation] makes me feel safe. The media isn’t going to let Trump get away with his hateful rhetoric, and this exhibition is actual proof of that.”

Sunday, June 19 was the last day of the exhibit—as well as Father’s Day. The museum took note, making a special plaque for this tweet:

From The Holiday Cheer Collection. The Donald J. Trump Presidential Twitter Library. #DailyShowLibrary pic.twitter.com/6YQoA6NEHx

— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) June 18, 2017

And while Trump disparages the “fake news media,” journalists from Time, Rolling Stone, Forbes, the Los Angeles Times, USA Today and more lauded The Daily Show’s enormous effort.

“The end result is a fascinating trip through the annals of his convoluted conscience,” wrote Jake Nevins for The Guardian, “A satire that’s equal parts jarring and funny, absurd and ‘Sad!’”

Due to an unexpectedly high turnout, the instillation extended hours on Saturday, June 17 and opened early on June 18. It was a valiant effort on The Daily Show’s part to give everyone the opportunity to witness the spectacle—no sore losers. Even if you couldn’t attend in person, the classiest pop-up in history is immortalized online with a virtual tour. You don’t even have to leave your home…amazing.

Due to popular demand, the #DailyShowLibrary will remain open tonight until 10pm. Sunday hours: 10am-7pm. pic.twitter.com/vBmTEDVWTu

— Comedy Central (@ComedyCentral) June 17, 2017

Comedy Central’s late-night, political satire set is also here to stay, riding a wave of terrific reviews, great content, and the best ratings.

Jordan Klepper is slated for a new late-night talk show this fall, which will air after The Daily Show at 11:30 p.m. Details of the show (including its name) are yet to be released, but it’s likely Klepper will explore topics such as gun control, which he has honed in on in past Daily Show segments and his recent Jordan Klepper Solves Guns special.

Australian comic Jim Jeffries hosts The Jim Jeffries Show, which premiered earlier this month. So far, critics have responded well to Jeffries’ international take on U.S. politics and trademark candor.

And for those of us who can’t pull ourselves away from gawking at all that is amazing about Trump’s presidency, there’s The President Show—Comedy Central’s critically-acclaimed late-night show starring Trump impersonator Anthony Atamanuik.

Fake news has never been more real.

Watch The Daily Show on Comedy Central, weeknights at 11 p.m., and take the virtual Trump Presidential Twitter Library Tour.

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[wavenetinfo]

From big-budget blockbusters like Transformers and Wonder Woman to prestigious festival entires in the vein of The Beguiled, Sami Blood, and The Big Sick, read on for 24 can’t-miss movies coming to theaters this month.

Wonder Woman

Roughly 12 years after Elektra, the last major female-fronted superhero flick, bombed with critics and audiences, Gal Gadot is lassoing the genre once again, this time to spectacular results. Wonder Woman, which also stars Chris Pine, Robin Wright, and Connie Nielsen, is being hailed as one of the best-reviewed superhero films to date, with EW’s Chris Nashawaty calling it the “DC movie you’ve been waiting for” in his A- review. With a lofty box office debut likely in the cards, director Patty Jenkins and company are primed to potentially shatter box office records (and maybe a glass ceiling or two) for female-fronted action flicks.

Release date: June 2 — get tickets here Release type: Wide

Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie

The beloved book series gets the big screen treatment for the first time in this animated adventure, which follows two imaginative students, George (Kevin Hart) and Harold (Thomas Middleditch) who hypnotize their principal (Ed Helms) into thinking he’s the titular, undergarment-wearing superhero.

Release date: June 2 — get tickets here Release type: Wide

Band Aid 

Zoe Lister-Jones reportedly hired an all-female crew to help her craft this romantic comedy, which she also stars in as one half of a struggling couple seeking to fix their fraying relationship by crooning their mutual anxieties as part of an impromptu, two-person rock band.

Release date: June 2 — get tickets here Release type: Limited

Sami Blood

Sami Blood, a Swedish drama from Amanda Kernell, traveled the festival circuit late last year, world premiering at the Venice Film Festival before stopping in Toronto, Tokyo, and Sundance. The film earned favorable notices from movie critics, particularly Variety‘s Guy Lodge, who calls this story of a 14-year-old girl’s acclimation to 1930s Swedish society at a state-run school a “coming-of-age tale that pointedly addresses a bygone era of Scandi colonialism.”

Release date: June 2 — get tickets here Release type: Limited

It Comes At Night 

After wowing critics with his searing family drama Krisha in 2015, Trey Edward Shults returns to the big screen with a genre shift in tow, helming one of the most unsettling pictures in recent memory with It Comes At Night, a taut psychological drama about two families battling paranoia, personal demons, and each other inside a rural cabin in post-apocalyptic America.

Release date: June 9 — get tickets here Release type: Wide

Megan Leavey

Kate Mara plays a young Marine corporal who forms a powerful bond with her combat dog, a German Shepherd, during deployment in Iraq.

Release date: June 9 — get tickets here Release type: Wide

The Mummy 

Tom Cruise and Universal are reviving the age-old creature series as part of the studio’s plans to launch its Dark Universe franchise, which is currently scheduled to include Johnny Depp as the Invisible Man and Javier Bardem as Frankenstein’s Monster in subsequent films.

Release date: June 9 — get tickets here Release type: Wide

Beatriz at Dinner

Prolific film and television director Miguel Arteta (Enlightened, The Good Girl, Getting On) directs Salma Hayek, who plays an immigrant living the American dream who butts heads with a snooty, ruthless billionaire (John Lithgow) at one of her wealthy client’s dinner parties, in this Sundance drama.

Release date: June 9 — get tickets here Release type: Limited

My Cousin Rachel

Suspicions threaten to break the spell an enchanting woman (Rachel Weisz) casts on her smitten cousin (Sam Claflin) in this adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s period novel.

Release date: June 9 — get tickets here Release type: Limited

Cars 3

The animated series returns for another lap with Cars 3, Disney-Pixar’s family-oriented continuation which follows Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) on his quest to prove his dominance on the race track to a new generation of up-and-coming automobiles.

Release date: June 16 — get tickets here Release type: Wide

Rough Night

Vaulting into theaters following the success of female-driven comedies like Sisters, Trainwreck, and Bad Moms in the recent past, Rough Night charts the course of a group of friends (Scarlett Johansson, Zoë Kravitz, Ilana Glazer, Kate McKinnon, Jillian Bell) who land themselves in hot water after their wild Miami bachelorette party turns deadly when they accidentally kill a male stripper. Director Lucia Aniello has helmed multiple episodes of Glazer’s Broad City, and here makes her feature debut additionally directing her real-life partner (and co-screenwrither) Paul W. Downs, who plays the fiancé of Johansson’s character. “It is kind of a unique experience to direct your boyfriend, who you have made the choice to cast as Scarlett Johansson’s love interest,” Aniello previously told EW.

Release date: June 16 — get tickets here Release type: Wide

47 Meters Down

Mandy Moore turns on the waterworks on NBC’s heartbreaking family drama This Is Us, but the creatures of the deep are turning on her in this sharktastic thriller, which costars Claire Holt and Matthew Modine. “The majority of the movie is us completely freaking out,” Moore told EW of the film. “Imagine somebody who’s at the bottom of the ocean, who’s never gone diving before, doesn’t know how to clear her air or what any of her equipment does. It’s the f—ing most terrifying nightmare on the planet to her. Most of the time I was shooting, I would be going through my [oxygen] tank in two seconds because I was hyperventilating.”

Release date: June 16 — get tickets here Release type: Wide

All Eyez On Me

Tupac Shakur’s life and legacy are getting the big screen treatment with All Eyez On Me, which stars Demetrius Shipp, Jr. in the lead role and The Walking Dead‘s Danai Gurira as his mother, Afeni.

Release date: June 16 — get tickets here Release type: Wide

The Book of Henry

Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow moves from dinosaurs to familial woes with The Book of Henry, which features Room‘s Jacob Tremblay, Naomi Watts, Maddie Ziegler, and Sarah Silverman in a tale about one boy’s dedication to helping his neighbors with their dangerous secret.

Release date: June 16 — get tickets here Release type: Limited

I, Daniel Blake

Last year’s Cannes Palme d’Or winner, directed by Ken Loach, follows an aging widower (Dave Johns) who bonds with a single mother in pursuit of compassion and government welfare.

Release date: June 16 — get tickets here Release type: Limited

Transformers: The Last Knight

Michael Bay gathers the famed Transformers for a fifth go-round of his effects-heavy franchise, which sees the return of Mark Wahlberg, who first appeared in 2014’s Age of Extinction, alongside series newcomers like Anthony Hopkins.

Release date: June 21 — get tickets here Release type: Wide

The Beguiled 

After becoming only the second woman in Cannes history to win the festival’s Best Director prize, Oscar winner Sofia Coppola reclaims her throne as perhaps the most celebrated female director working today with the launch of The Beguiled, her sixth feature directorial effort and refreshing feminist take on the 1971 Don Siegel thriller of the same name. Nicole Kidman, Elle Fanning, Kirsten Dunst, and Colin Farrell star.

Release date: June 23 — get tickets here Release type: Limited

The Bad Batch

Perhaps one of the zaniest casts of the year (Jim Carrey, Diego Luna, Suki Waterhouse, Jason Momoa, Keanu Reeves) populates Ana Lily Amirpour’s post-apocalyptic cannibal fest, which earned decent reviews out of its fall festival premiere last year.

Release date: June 23 — get tickets here Release type: Limited

The Big Sick

One of Sundance’s buzziest titles finally bows domestically this summer, starring Kumail Nanjiani and Zoe Kazan as a couple whose relationship evolves as they deal with a medical crisis and their cultural divides. “It’s a unique kind of love story,” Judd Apatow, who produced and helped develop the film over the course of five years, told EW earlier this year. “It is tricky because there’s elements about culture clashes and how to handle situations when people get sick, and it needed to be really funny in an organic, truthful way.”

Release date: June 23 — get tickets here Release type: Limited

Baby Driver

Ansel Elgort steps on the gas in this high-speed thriller about a getaway driver (Elgort) whose talents are enlisted by a crime boss (Kevin Spacey) for an ill-fated heist. “I always wanted to do an action movie that was powered by music,” director Edgar Wright, who also wrote the film’s script with sonic inclination, has said of the film in the past. “It’s something that’s very much a part of my previous films and I thought of this idea of how to take that a stage further by having a character who listens to music the entire time. So, you have this young getaway driver who has to soundtrack his entire existence, particularly the bank robberies and fast getaways that come afterwards.”

Release date: June 28 — get tickets here Release type: Wide

Amityville: The Awakening

The terrifying legacy continues as a teen (Bella Thorne) encounters nefarious spirits possessing her twin’s body after moving into the iconic horror house. Jennifer Jason Leigh also stars.

Release date: June 28 — get tickets here Release type: Wide

Despicable Me 3

The Minions return for another Despicable Me picture, this time seeing Gru (Steve Carell) meeting his long-lost twin brother, Dru.

Release date: June 30 — get tickets here Release type: Wide

The House

SNL vets Amy Poehler and Will Ferrell re-team for this raunchy comedy about suburban parents who team with their neighbors to operate an illegal casino as a means to pay for their daughter’s prestigious education.

Release date: June30 — get tickets here Release type: Wide

The Little Hours

Alison Brie and Aubrey Plaza are nuns gone wild in The Little Hours, Jeff Baena’s stylized, comical take on The Decameron, which also stars Dave Franco, Nick Offerman, Molly Shannon, and John C. Reilly.

Release date: June 30 — get tickets here Release type: Limited

1 June 2017 | 12:00 pm

Joey Nolfi

Source : EW.com

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