“Black Bear” was one of the more original entries at this past January.’s Sundance Film Festival Festival. In my B- review I wrote about how its strong second half compensated for its weak initial hour. Also, Aubrey Plaza can do no wrong in my books, she’s such a pleasure to watch in practically anything she does:
Read more‘Tenet' Blu-ray Release Date Set For December 15, 2020
I‘m not sure what the plan is when it comes to the future theatrical run of Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet.” It has yet to open in the two biggest movie markets in the U.S. (New York City and Los Angeles) and the WB seems to be playing it by ear every week. Fact of the matter is this, NY and L.A. will most likely not be reopening their cinemas before next year, that’s almost a given now. The WB must surely know that, which is why I was not surprised to learn today that they are waving their white flag, calling it a day, and sending “Tenet” straight to Blu-ray in mid-December. This is surely very exciting news for Nolan fans who didn’t have the chance to go to theaters to watch "Tenet.” This is bad news for the theatrical experience — I hate to say it, moviegoing is being murdered because of this pandemic, and, when theaters reopen, it will be a very different world for cinema.
‘The Batman' Further Delayed to 2022
There Have Been Zero COVID-19 Cases in Movie Theaters Since U.S. Reopening
AMC Theatres, the largest theater chain in the U.S., is set to run out of money within six months. The chain has reopened in numerous markets around the country, safe for New York and Los Angeles, and has screened “new” titles such as “The New Mutants” and “Tenet”, but, financially speaking, they are close to calling default.
Read more‘Dune' Release Delayed Until October 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic has had this cataclysmic effect on the movie industry. It’s undeniable now to say that, pardon the metaphor, the industry is losing oxygen and, quite possibly, nearing its last gasps for air. I’m, of course, referring to the theatrical experience, and not digital where Netflix, Amazon, Apple TV+ have been flourishing this past year with audiences hungry for any kind of new content. Despite Christopher Nolan trying to kickstart the industry again with his “Tenet” in late August, that plan failed the domestic box-office was disastrous, and now we’re basically back at square one.
Read more‘Red, White and Blue' [NYFF]
One of the highlights of this year’s New York Film Festival has been watching Steve McQueen’s new film anthology “Small Axe.” NYFF chose three of the five films featured in the upcoming BBC series, “Lovers Rock” “Mangrove” and “Red, White and Blue.” The first two were chosen for competition for Cannes 2020 before the festival had to be canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The latter is having its world premiere at NYFF and was just screened for press.
Read more90-Year-Old Clint Eastwood Set to Direct and Star in ‘Mr. Macho'
Clint Eastwood has proven time and time again how he’s still a major attraction for moviegoers. “The Mule,” “Sully” and “American Sniper,” all released within the last six years, were box-office bonanzas. It also helped that the films themselves were fantastic, straight-shooting dramas that could only be made by an old-school veteran of the craft like Eastwood.
Read moreFacebook Attacks Netflix’s ‘The Social Dilemma’ as “Distorted and Sensationalist"
Facebook isn’t happy with the way it has been depicted in “The Social Dilemma,” a Netflix documentary about the effects of the social media giant’s business practices. Of course, they are. A thief never accepts he is a criminal. The bad company disagrees with being portrayed as a bad company. Shocker.
Read more‘I Carry You With Me’: Heartbreaking Gay Romance Set Between U.S.-Mexico Border [NYFF]
Heidi Ewing’s passionate gay romance “I Carry You With Me” ended up winning the NEXT Audience and Jury Prize at this past January’s Sundance Film Festival. An effervescent mood piece, and filled with relevance, Wing had originally set her sights for the film to be a documentary about its two subjects, but when she couldn’t complete it, she decided to tell her story through, mostly, fictitious lens.
Read more‘No Time to Die’ Release Delayed Until 2021
You hear that? It’s the sound of the movie industry crumbling into oblivion. It was almost inevitable that we wouldn’t be getting any theatrical releases this fall and today it was all, but confirmed with the announcement that “No Time to Die,” the 25th James Bond instalment, has now been further delayed until 2021.
Read more‘True Detective': Still An Underseen Masterpiece
The show that arguably paved the way for a new wave of dramas not operating in a normal linear format. Written by Nic Pizzolatto and directed by Cary Fukunaga, “True Detective” (season one) turns six this year. From its psychospiritual monologues, harrowing events, electric performances, and gripping storytelling, this puzzle of a show remains one of the single best seasons of television ever made.
Read more‘Bad Hair’: A Killer Weave Kills the Un-Woke in Upcoming Hulu Horror Movie [Trailer]
“Bad Hair” is Justin Simien’s sophomore effort, following the critically-acclaimed “Dear White People.” It opened the midnight section at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
Read moreBorat 2 — Subsequent Moviefilm: The Lovable Kazakh Racist is Back [Trailer]
“Borat 2,” aka “Borat: Subsequent MovieFilm” now has a trailer and a release date to its name: Amazon Studios will release the film on October 23.
Read more‘Minari': Lee Isaac Chung's Sundance Winner Tackles an Immigrated Korean Family [Trailer]
If there was one movie that wowed critics and audiences at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival it had to be Lee Isaac Chung’s beautifully sweet and simple “Minari.” So much so that it ended up winning both the Audience and Grand Jury Prize — a first for a movie since Nate Parker’s “The Birth of a Nation” in 2016.
Read moreGodfather: Part III' Recut Gets December 8 Release Date; Will Contain New Opening, New Ending, and Re-Arrangement of Scenes.
What’s up with Francis Ford Coppola and his infatuation with consistently tinkering and re-editing his movies? “Apocalypse Now” alone has had, what, 4 different cuts? I lost track. And still, the original from 1979 remains the best cut. Coppola's love for re-editing doesn’t just stop with that film, over the years, he’s also released new cuts of “The Cotton Club,” “The Outsiders.” “Rumble Fish,” and “One From the Heart.”
Read moreJames Cameron Says He's “100%” Done Filming ‘Avatar 2’; Does Anybody Actually Care?
Speaking with Arnold Schwarzenegger, as part of the Austrian World Summit discussing climate change and politics, James Cameron confirmed that filming has been completed on “Avatar 2,” and all but done on “Avatar 3: “We’re 100 percent complete on ‘Avatar 2’ and we’re sort of 95 percent complete on ‘Avatar 3,’” he explained.
Read moreThe 10 Best Comedies of the 2010s
Starting in 2003, with the release of “Old School” then “Anchorman,” a comedy renaissance started with the boom of the Will Ferrell/Judd Apatow/Seth Rogen era (“The 40 Year Old Virgin,” “Superbad,” “Step Brothers” and “Walk Hard.”) Then, the immense success of 2009’s “The Hangover” and 2011’s “Bridesmaids,” which leads us to where we are now, which, while despite a few great chucklers having been released, most of the recent comedy releases this past decade have been safe “star-based” movies (think Kevin Hart or Melissa McCarthy).
Read more‘Borat 2' to Premiere on Amazon Prime in October; Mike Pence and Rudy Giuliani Pranked
“Borat 2,” which was shot in secret this year by Sacha Baron Cohen, and I’m hearing it plays like a very rushed and messy sequel, is officially being released by Amazon Studios right before Election Day 2020. T
Read moreBarry Jenkins Signs on to Direct ... ‘The Lion King 2'?
Today’s news that director Barry Jenkins is set to direct “Lion King 2” for Disney has shocked many in the industry, but it shouldn’t be that surprising. Jenkins’ movies such as “Moonlight” and “If Beale Street Could Talk,” were not hard-earners at the box-office, The writer-director probably needed the cash and it seems as though this is a quid-pro-quo kind of deal for him as Disney-owned Searchlight will be producing Jenkins’ next passion project, a biopic about Alvin Ailey.
Read more‘Possessor’: Brandon Cronenberg’s Shocking Sci-Fi Thriller [Review]
“Possessor” is the second feature film from Cronenberg, the son of legendary Canadian director David Cronenberg. Cronenberg Jr. debut feature “Antiviral” premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, but this latest film, which premiered this past January at the Sundance Film Festival, is a major step up for the 40-year-old director. An NC-17-worthy visionary sci-fi that shocks and provokes in equal measures.
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Brady Corbet's “The Origin of the World,” his X-Rated epic about "Northern California’s economy" in the 1970s epic, has now started production in South Africa under the working title “SALT FLATS.”