"Columbus"

Jin (John Cho), A Korean-born man arrives in Columbus, Indiana, one of the great architectural cities in the world, where his legendary architect father is in a coma. He meets Casey (Haley Lu Richardson) a young enthusiast of his father’s, who wishes to pursue her dreams outside of the small city but is burdened to take care of her recovering addict mother. The bond these two lost souls create in this magical city of Architectural heaven is not just touching but has a surreal aspect to it that makes the viewer feel as if they just got lost in a dream. Columbus, Indiana’s famous modern architecture is featured prominently throughout as Casey guides Jin to her favorite spots. Their corresponding conversations, filled with cigarette smoke, gradually become more detailed and more revealing. Director Kogonada, in his impressive debut, conveys emotion through site and sound. He turns out to be a master of not just visual setting, but of conversational filmmaking, and his “Columbus” might just be a masterpiece [A]

Scorsese Wants Leonardo DiCaprio For Joker Origin Movie and Jared Leto is Not Too Happy


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Nobody really knows if Joaquin Phoenix will be cast or not. Martin Scorsese being involved in the production of the recently announced Joker origin movie, and Todd Phillips slated to direct, we had a hunch that maybe, just maybe, Scorsese would bring along his trusted collaborator and partner in crime Leonardo DiCaprio. Well, Variety has all but confirmed that DiCaprio is being sought for the project:

 "The answer involves a plan worthy of The Joker himself. Sources say Warners will make an ambitious attempt to use Scorsese to bring Leonardo DiCaprio into the world of comic-book movies. Certainly, Scorsese’s involvement in The Joker film, which The Hangover filmmaker Todd Phillips would direct, could elevate and diversify the studio's contributions to the genre, creating the potential to make awards-worthy films such as Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight trilogy. There's no offer for DiCaprio, and sources say Scorsese's deal to produce isn't even done yet. The chances of landing DiCaprio could be slim to none. But the attempt in itself sends a signal to talent that Warners wants to hire serious filmmakers to make serious films."

 Then there's the question of Jared Leto, who is currently the WB's go-to Joker. He doesn't seem to be too pleased by the WB's decision to make an origin movie of his character:

 "This plan was not met with applause in all quarters: Insiders say Jared Leto, the actor who portrayed the Clown Prince of Crime in last summer's Suicide Squad and is slated to reprise the character not just for a sequel but for another spinoff movie (with DC villainess Harley Quinn), was caught off guard by the plans. Leto is said to have made his displeasure with the notion of multiple Jokers known to his CAA agents, and rival agency WME has been using the concern to court him."

 Whatever grudges may be held about this project happening, it will surely be better than what we were given with "Suicide Squad." 

 [Variety]

As if Guillermo Del Toro wasn't awesome enough, this Variety article is fantastic. You enter his place and a "big, bearded Mexican who emerges, Bilbo Baggins-like, to hug the latest visitor to his domain."

Guillermo Del Toro Variety Feature Story

I am very much looking forward to Guillermo Del Toro's "The Shape of Water" which has, so far, been the toast of the town at the Venice Film Festival. It currently sits at a 97 Metacritic score based on 9 reviews. I am totally onboard with whatever Del Toro does, I even loved "Crimson Peak." I made sure he knew how I felt when I bumped into him at a hotel this past May at Cannes, I started the conversation by saying "You're awesome." He really is and here's more proof.

 "The first thing that strikes you on visiting his Bleak House mansion in Thousand Oaks, which is packed with movie and monster memorabilia, is the terrifying, life-size demon that appears to be lunging down the hallway and toward any would-be intruder (a memento from the first “Hellboy” movie). But a close second would be the big, bearded Mexican who emerges, Bilbo Baggins-like, to hug the latest visitor to his domain."

 [Variety]

Capsule Review: "Good Time"

A botched bank robbery starts off the madcap lunacy of The Safdie Brothers’ Good Time. Constantine Nikas (Robert Pattinson) has his brother land in jail and, to try and find bail money, embarks on the most surreal of Odysseys in NYC’s underworld. Think Scorsese’s After Hours on coke. The adrenaline filled night is filled with time-capsule worthy moments filled with madness and the most disturbing of violence. This is a richly textured genre exercise that is filled with indelibly unforgettable images, many of which are hard to take. The Safdies have always been masters at discomfort and Good Time is surely no exception, here they create their most fully realized movie by invoking a cinematic style, but still maintaining the docu-style realism that has always been at the forefront of their work. Robert Pattinson is an enthralling lead, he builds up his character through facial expression and bottled-up anger which lingers inside of him in every scene. He’s in survival mode throughout, but, thanks to the Safdies, so are we. [B+]

‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ Has Dark Side Version Of BB-8 With BB-9E

BB-9E
Courtesy of The Playlist:

 "In Rian Johnson‘s upcoming ‘The Last Jedi’ everyone’s beloved droid BB-8 is going to have a Dark Side counterpart: BB-9E. Walt Disneyconfirms its indeed a new character from the film, part of the astromech unit of the First Order that keep their starships and machinery operational. The cynical side of me thinks this is something Lucasfilm cooked up to sell more toys, essentially giving everyone a chance to buy a different flavor of BB-8. However, I hope Johnson has found an organic way to introduce the character, and that any potential BB-8 vs. BB-9E showdown isn’t as cheesy as that sounds."
Official Press Release:

 “Since ‘Star Wars’ became a cultural phenomenon 40 years ago, consumer products have been a critical part of the fan experience, helping to introduce new audiences to the franchise’s rich stories and characters. Technology-powered storytelling is at the core of the ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ product line, and will immerse fans in the Star Wars universe like never before,” - Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman of Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media

Vintage ‘Stranger Things’ Season 2 Posters Continue The ’80s Vibe


Netflix‘s “Stranger Things” was a warm-hearted homage to ’80s Spielberg-ian, youthful, adventure yarns. It was a major breakthrough hit for the streaming company and, given the absurd demand, a second season was inevitable. Yes, the plot was outrageous and silly, but that’s what you should expect from a show whose greatest influence was 1985’s extremely likable, compulsively entertaining “The Goonies.”
If anything, the show proved just how popular and effective nostalgia can be marketing-wise. What it also proved was the versatility of Winona Ryder‘s underused talents over the years. This was a comeback of sorts for the actress, whose personal life made headlines in the early 2000s with controversy after controversy stagnating what was, at the time, an impressive acting career (“Beetlejuice,” “Edward Scissorhands,” “The Age of Innocence,” “Reality Bites,” “Little Women,” “The Crucible,” “Girl, Interrupted“). She didn’t really recover and have a genuine hit until “Stranger Things” happened, which, we hope, will open up a few deserving cinematic doors for Ryder.
Back to the show’s rookie season, it left us pondering a few questions. Is Will OK? Where is Eleven? What kind of deal did Chief Hopper strike with the bad guys? All those inquiries will likely be devled into when the second season premieres on Halloween weekend.
To commemorate the second season, which might be the most anticipated of any show this fall, Netflix has released these awesome, vintage-style character posters, fold crests included, which give us a glimpse at the characters, both old and new, that will be at the forefront of the new episodes.
In total, 12 posters have been released, with all the main characters we know (Eleven, Chief Hopper and the Byers family), but also, more intriguingly, with some fresh, new faces that will be introduced to us this season (Sadie Sink as Max, and Dacre Montgomery as Billy among others).
“Stranger Things” season 2 will premiere on Netflix October 27th.

‘The Party’ Trailer: Patricia Clarkson, Cillian Murphy & More Let Loose

Back in 1992, Sally Potter was a pretty big deal. She had just released “Orlando” to universal acclaim, which featured an exquisite performance from Tilda Swinton as the titular nobleman who moved through centuries of British history without aging. It was an ambitious film that put Potter on the map and gave us hope that she might be the next important voice in indie cinema. However, with every ensuing movie she made (“The Tango Lesson,” “The Man Who Cried,” “Yes,” “Rage,” “Ginger & Rosa“) it felt like she had hit her peek too early. Which is not to say that the movies were bad— I am a fan of her last film “Ginger & Rosa” — but the audience didn’t seem to be there.

Reviews for Potter’s latest film, “The Party,” have been quite stellar. It premiered earlier this year at the Berlin Film Festival where our very own Jessica Kiang said it has “a kind of rejuvenating bouncy glee that we haven’t seen from Potter in a long time. And after ‘Ginger and Rosa,’ a film that felt better directed than it was written, being undermined by some very stilted dialogue, the fact the Potter also wrote the screenplay here comes as another pleasant surprise.”
A trailer has been released and what we seem to have here is a dark comedy, very dark, that deals with angst-filled, absurdist themes. The film also has a tremendous cast Patricia Clarkson, Bruno Ganz, Emily Mortimer, Cillian Murphy, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Timothy Spall. Here’s the synopsis:
“THE PARTY – a comedy wrapped around a tragedy – unfolds in real time in a house in London in the present day. Janet is hosting an intimate gathering of friends to celebrate her promotion to Shadow Minister of Health in the party of opposition. Her husband, Bill, seems preoccupied. As their friends arrive, some of whom have their own dramatic news to share, the soirée gradually unravels. An announcement by Bill provokes a series of revelations that rapidly escalate into all-out confrontation. As people’s illusions about themselves and each other go up in smoke, along with the canapes, THE PARTY becomes a night that began with champagne but ends with blood on the floor.”
It doesn’t look like the movie will be making the festival rounds this year, not even Toronto’s lineup of 200+ films included “The Party.” So, what we are left with is no American release date as of now, but that will surely change as Potter is well-known on the art-house circuit. “The Party” opens in the U.K. on September 29th.

'You Were Never Really Here' is a great, minimalist film and it finally has a trailer



I saw Lynne Ramsay’s latest film twice at Cannes. A rarity for me, but a case could be made for Ramsay’s film to be dissected as it packs a whole can of worms in its 83 minute running time. Joaquin Phoenix plays a war veteran who now works as a hitman. His attempt to save a young girl from a sex trafficking ring becomes very complicated once he uncovers a political conspiracy lurking beneath it. The editing is the real sell here as Ramsay tries an experimental approach through quickly snipped flashbacks and voiceover. She finds ways to show as little as possible, but say as much as is needed, building up her main character in ways that feel like the story is being told through his subconscious. Heady stuff, but masterfully done and a groundbreaker if there ever was one at Cannes. 

‘Blade Runner 2049’s’ Lengthy Run Time Revealed (Running time of two hours and 32 minutes, plus another 11 minutes for credits.)
















Now that we basically now Denis Villeneuve's "Blade Runner 2049" will not be making the festival rounds, we can all catch our breaths and festival hop until we're back home for the October 6th release date. It doesn't really say anything about the movie's quality that Warner has decided to not bring it to festivals. They're being careful with the film, that's all. This will most likely be a difficult film to absorb and surely something that won't be for all tastes.

 Villeneuve said from the beginning that the studio has the Final Cut, but just to be clear Joe Walker is editing (who worked on Arrival and Sicario), Villeneuve no doubt is in full-control and working in collaboration with everyone, but that's not saying we won't get a Director's Cut in the future to honor the Blade Runner tradition. Already having the film at 163 minutes, including credits, is lengthy.

 Variety:

 "Blade Runner 2049” will have a relatively lengthy running time of two hours and 32 minutes, plus another 11 minutes for credits. It’s 35 minutes longer than the iconic 1982 original, which checked in at an hour and 57 minutes. Alcon Entertainment, Warner Bros., and Sony Pictures have set a worldwide release on Oct. 6 with Warners distributing domestically and Sony distributing internationally. Alcon and Sony are worldwide partners on the film."

Box Office Week: The Hitman's Bodyguard is #1 again with $10M, topping the worst box office weekend since 2001. Adding to the historic low was Leap! opening pitifully at #3 with $5M, Wind River having a weak wide expansion at #4 with $4.4M, and Birth of the Dragon bombing at #9 with $2.5M.

Review: The Hitman’s Bodyguard

 1. The Hitman’s Bodyguard — $10,050,000 ($39,614,004)
2. Annabelle: Creation — $7,350,000 ($77,880,384)
3. Leap! — $5,015,500
4. Wind River — $4,410,610 ($9,840,823)
5. Logan Lucky — $4,366,894 ($15,034,307)
6. Dunkirk — $3,950,000 ($172,479,030)
7. Spider-Man: Homecoming — $2,725,000 ($318,843,082)
8. Birth of the Dragon — $2,501,100
9. The Emoji Movie — $2,350,000 ($76,431,471)
10. Girls Trip — $2,266,745 ($108,072,270)

 [Reddit]

Patty Jenkins Says She Had No Input in 'Justice League' and talks what she would have changed about 'Wonder Woman'


It took Patty Jenkins over a decade to direct her second feature film, yet her $8 million indie "Monster" out-grossed Colin Trevorrow's pre-Jurassic Park movie, Jordan Vogt-Roberts' pre-King Kong movie, and Peter Jackson's pre-LOTR movies. Combined. Her last movie "Monster," was also her debut, it even won Charlize Theron the Best Actress Oscar. The fact that Jenkins went 13 years without directing another feature film speaks volumes about Hollywood's problem with gender equality.

 The massive success "Wonder Woman" had this summer must have given Jenkins a sweet feeling of justice prevailing. The film turned out to be the second highest grossing movie of the year, was met with rave reviews and a sequel has already been greenlit with Jenkins and star Gal Gadot returning for more Amazonian adventures. Even more so, the film brought upon an added dose of interest for this fall's upcoming "Justice League," which ended up having DC and Warner Bros, in a last minute effort, significantly expanding Wonder Woman's role in the film. With all that being said, one would expect Jenkins to have some kind of input on the upcoming "Justice League" film. After all, she has reinvigorated the DCEU with WW. Sadly, we learned, that was not the case.

 Appearing at a promotional event at the Apple Store in New York's Soho district, Jenkins revealed that she was not approached by the WB as a consultant for "Justice League," which is being directed by Joss Whedon and Zack Snyder. That does not bode well for the way Wonder Woman might be portrayed in the film as Jenkins played a crucial role in molding Diana's traits and personality for her mega blockbuster. To add insult to injury, "Justice League" is already being plagued by rumors about its messy production.

 At that same Apple store talk, Jenkins also revealed a regret she had with Wonder Woman's theatrical cut. According to the 46-year-old filmmaker, there were memorable scenes, "tiny jokes" and moments that were "hard to lose," which ended up being deleted to trim down the movie's running time:

 "If I had my druthers, the movie would be longer with little tiny jokes and moments that were hard to lose. Particularly because the great thing about these actors is you have such talented funny capable people, so that was already great material for them to work from and then they all just like every mess around would be delightful. So it’s really hard to cut a movie like that down, and so just that sort of stuff, [the] details."

 Hopefully, we'll be able to watch her original vision, tiny jokes and all, in an "extended cut" release of the film, which we can see happening in the foreseeable future.

 [Comic Book Movie]

'Hellboy' Reboot Actor Leaves the Movie Amid 'Whitewash' Controversy



The act of “whitewashing” isn’t new in Hollywood, it’s been there since the industry began. From the controversial blackface in D.W. Griffith’s “The Birth of a Nation,” to a very white Natalie Wood playing the Puerto Rican Maria in “West Side Story.” My two infamous examples of whitewashing would be the casting of legendary Hollywood actor Mickey Rooney as Mr. Yunoshi in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” Rooney wore makeup and a prosthetic mouthpiece in his blatantly racist portrayal of Audrey Hepburn‘s arrogant and bitter Japanese neighbor. It has been rumored that Bruce Lee was so offended by the role that he walked out, not even midway through the film at a screening.
Another “hall-of-famer” in the whitewashing department would probably be Peter Sellers’ incredibly silly portrayal of Hrundi Bakshi in Blake Edwards‘ “The Party.” Whitewashing is still a big problem today in Hollywood as evinced by the recent backlash of Scarlett Johansson‘s casting in her supposed-to-be Japanese “Ghost in the Shell” leading role.
“Deadpool” actor Ed Skrein surely took note of all these cases. The 34-year-old actor was cast last week in the upcoming “Hellboy” reboot. Skrein was going to play Major Ben Daimio, a character that is of mixed Asian heritage in the comic books. Controversy arose and today, in a stunning turn of events, Skrein has decided to leave the project altogether.
In a statement released on Twitter, Skrein acknowledges the “intense conversation and understandable upset” that happened over his casting, adding that he was “unaware” Daimio, was Asian originally. Concluding that he is leaving because it is “what I feel is right.”
This is a major decision by the actor, one that could start a chain reaction in the industry. Skrein must be commended for his effort. He just left a major role in a major Hollywood production for the greater good. The lack of available Asian roles in the industry is no hidden secret and to cast a white actor in a role that should be given to an Asian-American seems wholly unfair and only aggravating the problem. We hope Lionsgate now does the right thing and casts the right person to play Daimion.

"Glass" Synopsis Revealed


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 M. Night Shyamalan's comeback has been official since "Split" topped the box-office for three weekends in a row. It had practically made $100 million in those three weekends alone and has made, overall, close to $150+ million. An all out smash for Blumhouse and Universal. The film had a budget of $9 million. I thought it was a silly, but well-orchestrated film that benefited from James McAvoy's incredible performance.
Although the title of this post should already be an indicator, Bruce Willis' superhero from "Unbreakable" shows up to reveal what will likely be a melding of both films for a future sequel. I have been an avid admirer of Shyamalan's "Unbreakable," at the very least a toss-up with "The Sixth Sense "for his best film. There have always been rumors of a sequel happening and I always looked forward to that. One reason why "Unbreakable" was so good was that it deconstructed the superhero genre to its core and didn't reveal itself as being a superhero movie until its very last frame.
The "Split" sequel will be titled "Glass" as in Mr. Glass, the villain from M Night Shyamalan's "Unbreakable," as played by Samuel L Jackson. It looks like we're entering a Shyamalan superhero cinematic universe. I say, why not? "Glass" is set for a 2019 release and would likely go full on creature vs superhero ... We finally have an official synopsis as well, thanks to Universal:

 "From Unbreakable, Bruce Willis returns as David Dunn as does Samuel L. Jackson as Elijah Price, known also by his pseudonym Mr. Glass. Joining from Split are James McAvoy, reprising his role as Kevin Wendell Crumb and the multiple identities who reside within, and Anya Taylor-Joy as Casey Cooke, the only captive to survive an encounter with The Beast."

 "Following the conclusion of Split, Glass finds Dunn pursuing Crumb's superhuman figure of The Beast in a series of escalating encounters, while the shadowy presence of Price emerges as an orchestrator who holds secrets critical to both men."

 "This riveting culmination of his worldwide blockbusters will be produced by Shyamalan and Jason Blum, who also produced the writer/director's previous two films for Universal. They produce again with Ashwin Rajan and Marc Bienstock, and Steven Schneider, who will executive produce."
With all that being said, I do love the fact that people who have never seen "Unbreakable" are now, all thanks to "Split," going to discover this hidden gem of the aughts. A superhero movie that never got it due, but will stand the test of time.

 "Glass" is set for release January 19th, 2019.

Tom Hanks' Post- 'Road to Perdtion' Peformances

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Tom Hanks had an incredible streak of performances between 1993-2002. No, really, it was something to see. Hanks was untouchable, he received four Oscar nominations and won twice. Can any current Hollywood actor really top what he did those years? "Philadelphia," "Forrest Gump," "Apollo 13," "Toy Story 1 & 2," "Saving Private Ryan," "The Green Mile," "Cast Away,"  Road To Perdition," and "Catch Me if You Can." It came to the point where people were just wondering when Hanks WOULDN'T be nominated for an Oscar nomination. Actually, he hasn't gotten a single nom since the aforementioned streak. Stunning if you ask me because he's still maintained a pretty high level of quality. He wasn't even rewarded for his stunning work in "Road to Perdition."

So Post-2002, Hanks continued on, maybe at a slower rate, but he nevertheless persisted, although the next 11 years or so we're a little tougher on him. He didn't really nab any incredible roles and starred in many duds ("Cloud Atlas," "The Ladykillers," "The Terminal," "The Da Vinci Code," "Angels and Demons," "Larry Crowne," "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.") These are all duds, although I still maintain, and defend, that "The Ladykillers," was tremendous fun due to Hanks' looney, cartoonish and over-the-top performance. Oh, and "Charlie Wilson's War" is pure aces. Mike Nichols' last film as well.

What we are seeing lately, though, is a sort of comeback for Hanks, sure he struck out again this year with "The Circle, but, for the most part, it's been smooth sailing since 2013: "Sully," "Captain Phillips," and "Bridge of Spies." Let us not forget that he also has Steven Spielberg's upcoming "The Papers,"  about the Pentagon Papers, which many are saying will be a major Oscar contender.