New Featurette for ‘Joy’ Debuts

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JOY poster

“A Life of Joy” Featurette has been released by 20th Century Fox and we have it for you below!

Based loosely on the life and rise of inventor and home shopping star Joy Mangano, the genre-blurring story of JOY follows the wild path of a hard-working but half-broken family and the young girl who ultimately becomes its shining matriarch and leader in her own right. Driven to create, but also to take care of those around her, Joy experiences betrayal, treachery, the loss of innocence and the scars of love as she finds the steel and the belief to follow her once-suppressed dreams. The result is an emotional and human comedy about a woman’s rise – navigating the unforgiving world of commerce, the chaos of family and the mysteries of inspiration while finding an unyielding source of happiness.

The dramedy stars Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Edgar Ramirez, Diane Ladd, Virginia Madsen, Isabella Rossellini, Elisabeth Röhm and Bradley Cooper.

JOY opens everywhere Christmas Day

ICYMI: Frank Underwood is jumping into the Presidential race. He’s got my vote.

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netflix logoDuring last night’s GOP debate, we were treated to a new political ad. While I generally find these to be full of lies and altogether vomit inducing, this particular ad was right up my alley. Take a look for yourself.

I’d vote for him.

FU2016

The fourth season of House of Cards premieres
Friday, March 4, 2016 on Netflix.
For more information, visit http://www.fu2016.com/

Tom Hiddleston’s ‘High Rise’ Gets It’s First Trailer

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Studio Canal has released the first look at High Rise directed by Ben Wheatley and we have it for you below!

London, 1975. Robert Laing (Tom Hiddleston) is a young doctor seduced by the lifestyle in a high-rise, an isolated community, cut off from the rest of society in their luxury tower block, and its creator, the architect Anthony Royal (Jeremy Irons). Taking up residence on the twenty-fifth floor, Laing discovers a world of complex loyalties, and also strikes up a relationship with Royal’s devoted aide Charlotte (Sienna Miller). After Laing befriends Richard Wilder (Luke Evans), a documentary filmmaker relegated to the second floor who is determined to provoke the class injustices inherent in the high-rise, a dangerous social situation develops and the high-rise eventually fragments into violent tribes.

High Rise is set for release in 2016

Trailer for ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ has Arrived!

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The official teaser trailer and poster for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
has been released and we have them for you now!

Set in the wizarding world created by J.K. Rowling and directed by David Yates, the film opens in 1926 as Newt Scamander has just completed a global excursion to find and document an extraordinary array of magical creatures.  Arriving in New York for a brief stopover, he might have come and gone without incident…were it not for a NoMaj (American for Muggle) named Jacob, a misplaced magical case, and the escape of some of Newt’s fantastic beasts, which could spell trouble for both the wizarding and No-Maj worlds.

The film stars Academy Award winner Eddie Redmayne, Colin Farrell, Ron Perlman, Dan Fogler, Katherine Waterston, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Samantha Morton, Gemma Chan, and Jon Voight.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is set for release in 2D and 3D in select theatres and IMAX on November 18, 2016.

Fantastic Beasts

‘The Hateful Eight’ 70mm theater announcement – Roadshow features 8 different special programs & t-shirts (maybe)

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IMG_4533-During a press conference today in New York, Quentin Tarantino announced that “44 markets and over 100 theaters” would show the 70mm version “for two weeks, exclusively for one week.” He went on to explain that sometimes if theaters were not capable, they would bring in screens and projectors.

Thomas from in70mm.com and I have been tracking the 70mm showings, but the new website has a much more extensive list.

Tickets on sale here: Tickets.thehatefuleight.com

Tarantino was very appreciative of the effort The Weinstein Company had put in getting the film out in 70mm. He explained that Warner Brothers tried to push 70mm for Christopher Nolan‘s Interstellar, but in the end, that was only show in a handful of theaters.

To mark the occasion, Quentin and TWC are commemorating the opening with the “12 Days of HATEFUL EIGHT Giveaways”, where each day a different HATEFUL EIGHT prize, memorabilia or once-in-a-lifetime experience will be given away to moviegoers who buy roadshow tickets in advance leading up to the Christmas day opening.

TWC and Tarantino’s presentation of THE HATEFUL EIGHT will mark the widest 70mm release that the industry has seen in over twenty years.  The film will open in 44 markets including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, San Francisco, Boston, Atlanta, Washington DC, Houston, Detroit, Phoenix, Seattle, Tampa, Minneapolis, Denver, Miami, Cleveland, Orlando, Sacramento, St. Louis, Portland, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham, Baltimore, San Diego, Nashville, Kansas City, San Antonio, West Palm Beach, Birmingham, Las Vegas, Albuquerque, Oklahoma City, Austin, New Orleans, Providence, Knoxville, Santa Barbara, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver.  Quentin and cast members from THE HATEFUL EIGHT will be touring the country making surprise appearances in select cities at 70mm roadshow showings.

Not since the 1966 film KHARTOUM starring Charlton Heston and Laurence Olivier has a film been shot in Ultra Panavision 70 format.  In 2012, TWC distributed Paul Thomas Anderson’s acclaimed film THE MASTER in a similar 70mm format. Beloved by filmmakers and cinephiles for its wide-scope and high-resolution image quality, Ultra Panavision70mm stock captures nearly twice the landscape of the more common 35mm and digital styles.  Because of its unique quality and its importance to the art of filmmaking, Quentin, TWC, and a number of other major Hollywood directors and studios have negotiated deals with Kodak to continue production of 70mm and other film formats despite their higher costs and complexity of use.

The lead cast for THE HATEFUL EIGHT will include: Samuel L. Jackson (DJANGO UNCHAINED), Kurt Russell (ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK), Jennifer Jason Leigh (MRS. PARKER AND THE VICIOUS CIRCLE), Walton Goggins (Justified), Demian Bichir (A BETTER LIFE), Tim Roth (RESERVOIR DOGS), Michael Madsen (RESERVOIR DOGS), and Bruce Dern (NEBRASKA). Written and directed by Tarantino, THE HATEFUL EIGHT is produced by Richard N. Gladstein, Stacey Sher and Shannon McIntosh.  Harvey Weinstein, Bob Weinstein and Georgia Kacandes are executive producing, and Coco Francini and William Paul Clark are associate producing.

There are 8 different versions of the program featuring a different character in the middle of each one!

 

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THE HATEFUL EIGHT

Teaser Trailer for ‘Star Trek: Beyond’ is Here!

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Star Trek Beyond

Paramount Pictures has released the teaser trailer for Star Trek: Beyond and we have it for you below!

From director Justin Lin comes Star Trek: Beyond starring Idris Elba, Chris Pine, Simon Pegg, Zach Quinto, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Anton Yelchin and Karl Urban.

Star Trek: Beyond hits theaters July 22, 2016

First Trailer: ‘Independence Day: Resurgence’ Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Judd Hirsch, Vivica A. Fox & Brent Spiner return!

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independence day3 independence day2 independence day1Today we celebrate the first trailer for INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE! See Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Judd Hirsch, Vivica A. Fox, Brent Spiner, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Jessie Usher, Maika Monroe, Angelababy, William Fichtner, and Sela Ward in this epic next chapter.  Check out the trailer and then head to Warof1996.com for an interactive look back on the key developments and important moments since humanity’s greatest victory, from the rebuilding of our cities to the establishment of the Moon base.

Learn more about the War of 1996 HERE: www.Warof1996.com
INDEPENDENCE DAY RESURGENCE hits theaters everywhere June 24, 2016!

Coming to Netflix this month – Docu Series, Comedy Series & Specials, Kids

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Dawn of the Croods
F is for Family
Glitter Force
Marco Polo

Friday, December 18th

Making a Murderer – Docu Series

Filmed over a 10-year period, Making a Murderer is an unprecedented real-life thriller about a DNA exoneree who, while in the midst of exposing corruption in local law enforcement, finds himself the prime suspect in a grisly new crime. Set in America’s heartland, the series takes viewers inside a high-stakes criminal case where reputation is everything and things are never as they appear.

F is for Family – Comedy Series

From comedian Bill Burr and EmmyⓇ award-winner Michael Price, F is for Family transports viewers back to the 1970s, a time when political correctness, helicopter parenting and indoor smoking bans weren’t part of anyone’s vocabulary, let alone the norm. Featuring the voices of Burr, Laura Dern, Justin Long, Sam Rockwell and more.

Mike Epps: Don’t Take It Personal – Comedy Special

In Mike Epps: Don’t Take It Personal, filmed at the historic Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles, Mike Epps wastes no time bringing his unapologetic and raunchy swagger to a howling live audience.

Glitter Force – Kids Series

When the magical kingdom of Jubiland is invaded by an evil emperor and his band of fairytale villains, a tiny pixie named Candy recruits five preteen girls to form the powerful team of the Glitter Force to help defend Earth from becoming the next target. These fabulous friends transform from ordinary school girls into super powered cool girls. Defending the Earth from fairytale villains isn’t an easy job, but the Glitter Force proves that nothing is more powerful than friendship. From Saban Brands, the 20-episode season will premiere worldwide, excluding Asia, exclusively on Netflix December 18, 2015.

Thursday, December 24th

Dawn of the Croods

Eep, Grug, Thunk, Ugga, Sandy and Gran are back and funnier than ever in this all-new family sitcom. Follow everyone’s favorite family as they meet new friends, outrun new creatures and encounter “firsts” the world has never seen – such as school, slumber parties, hiccups and elections. The Croods are discovering them all. Dawn of the Croods will be available exclusively on Netflix in all current territories except Germany and Japan.

Saturday, December 26th

Marco Polo: One Hundred Eyes

John Fusco, who wrote the Academy-Award nominated feature Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, created the standalone feature Marco Polo: One Hundred Eyes and is executive producer and showrunner along with Dan Minahan, whose previous work includes Homeland and Game of Thrones, with Patrick Macmanus, Harvey Weinstein, Bob Weinstein and Elizabeth Sarnoff as executive producers.

Review: ‘Don Verdean’ is saved by its cast – Sam Rockwell, Amy Ryan, Jemaine Clement with Will Forte & Danny McBride

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Sam Rockwell is Don Verdean, a Biblical archeologist who is hired by a pastor and his wife (Danny McBride and Leslie Bibb) to excavate artifacts for their ministry to boost their congregation. Jemaine Clement is Boaz, an advantageous man assisting Don, Amy Ryan is Carol, his secretary turned research assistant and Will Forte makes an appearance as a rival minister. Have I got your attention? Oh, one more thing, it’s from the creative minds of Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre and Gentlemen Broncos, Jared and Jerusha Hess.

The best scene is when Boaz picks up Carol and asks her to wear a special dress. Even thinking about it makes me chuckle.The cast is a testament to the filmmakers, as this is the second film with Sam Rockwell and Jemaine Clement.

As with their other films, the comedy is extremely understated, barely requiring more than a chuckle or a smirk in most instances. When given their spotlight, however, each character does not disappoint. Characters don’t necessarily make a cohesive movie. Each scene on its own is subtly brilliant, but when they are all put together, it’s just too much.

New Trailer: Netflix docu-series ‘Making a Murderer’ releasing December 18th

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Making a Murderer

Netflix has been really successful with it’s original programming, so I’m definitely looking forward to following this story.

In a world where reputation is everything and things are never as they appear…

The countdown begins as we’re just a week away from sharing the riveting, high-stakes criminal case of Steven Avery with the world. The docu-series follows Avery, a recent DNA exoneree at the brink of a new, more devastating trial — accused of murder. Filmmakers Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos take us along for a shocking ride where they dig deep into every angle of the Avery case, gathering archival materials, and interviewing those closest to him, uncovering many questions left unanswered, including the fate of Steven Avery. The 10 episode docu-series debuts exclusively on the world’s leading Internet television network on Friday, December 18th.

Making a Murderer examines allegations of police and prosecutorial misconduct, evidence tampering and witness coercion. The filmmakers look at what went wrong in the first case and question whether scientific advances and legislative reforms over the past three decades have gotten us any closer to delivering truth and justice in the system.
Making a Murderer is the latest project in Netflix’s slate of original documentary and docu-series programming, including the Oscar-nominated films The Square and Virunga as well as What Happened, Miss Simone?, Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom and Chef’s Table.

First Trailer for the Upcoming ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’ is Released

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20th Century Fox has released the trailer for the upcoming X-Men: Apocalypse and we have it for you below!

Following the critically acclaimed global smash hit X-Men: Days of Future Past, director Bryan Singer returns with X-Men: Apocalypse. Since the dawn of civilization, he was worshipped as a god. Apocalypse, the first and most powerful mutant from Marvel’s X-Men universe, amassed the powers of many other mutants, becoming immortal and invincible. Upon awakening after thousands of years, he is disillusioned with the world as he finds it and recruits a team of powerful mutants, including a disheartened Magneto (Michael Fassbender), to cleanse mankind and create a new world order, over which he will reign. As the fate of the Earth hangs in the balance, Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) with the help of Professor X (James McAvoy) must lead a team of young X-Men to stop their greatest nemesis and save mankind from complete destruction.

The film also stars Oscar Isaac, Nicholas Hoult, Rose Byrne, Tye Sheridan, Sophie Turner, Olivia Munn, Lucas Till, Evan Peters, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Alexandra Shipp, Josh Helman, Lana Condor and Ben Hardy

X-Men: Apocalypse hits theaters May 27, 2016

Trailer for ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of The Shadows’ is Here!

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 tmnttrailer2The trailer for the upcoming sequel Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of The Shadows has dropped and we have it for you below!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of The Shadows is the sequel to the 2014 hit film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The film is based on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles characters created by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman and is directed by David Green (Earth to Echo). Michael Bay (the Transformers franchise) returns to produce alongside his Platinum Dunes partners Brad Fuller and Andrew Form (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), with Galen Walker and Scott Mednick (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) also producing.

Also returning for the sequel is Megan Fox (Transformers ) as April O’Neil, Will Arnett (“Arrested Development”) as Vernon Fenwick and the Turtles: Alan Ritchson as Raphael, Noel Fisher as Michelangelo, Pete Ploszek at Leonardo, and Jeremy Howard as Donatello. Rounding out the cast is Stephen Amell (“Arrow,”) as Casey Jones, Tyler Perry (Gone Girl, the “MADEA” franchise) as Baxter Stockman, Academy Award nominated actress Laura Linney (“The Big C”, Love Actually) as Chief Rebecca Vincent, Brian Tee (Jurassic World) as Shredder, WWE World Heavy Weight Champion Stephen “Sheamus” Farrelly as Rocksteady and Gary Anthony Williams (The Internship) as Bebop.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows is coming to theatres on June 3, 2016.

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Review: ‘Body’ Pays Tribute to Psychological Thrillers

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body-posterBody is the story of three friends who spend their entire Christmas Eve night deciding if they should call the police or cover up an accidental murder. This film toys with your morals leaving you wondering how you would handle this situation. Brought to us from Oscilloscope Laboratories, comes a film of a simple story, with a disturbing symbolic nature. When you watch these girls make life changing decisions, it will truly make your skin crawl.

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Body was exactly what it needed to me, and nothing more. It was a small splice of the thriller genre that is an homage to other psychological thrillers. Even though Body is not as extreme or disturbing as those it pays tribute to, it successfully unveiled the shocking characterization of three girls in only 75 minutes. The less you know about it going in the better your experience will be. Overall, for those who like morally testing thrillers, I recommend going to see Body in theaters on Friday, December 11th. 

3 out 5 stars

Directors:

Dan Berk and Robert Olsen

Starring: 

Helen Rogers

Alexandra Turshen

Lauren Molina

Larry Fessenden

 


 

2016 Golden Globes Nominations are Here!

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golden_globes_logo_2011

Motion picture, drama

“Carol”
“Mad Max: Fury Road”
“The Revenant”
“Room”
“Spotlight”

Motion picture, comedy

“The Big Short”
“Joy”
“The Martian”
“Spy”
“Trainwreck”

Actress in a motion picture, drama

Cate Blanchett, “Carol”
Brie Larson, “Room”
Rooney Mara, “Carol”
Saoirse Ronan, “Brooklyn”
Alicia Vikander, “The Danish Girl”

Actress in a motion picture, comedy

Jennifer Lawrence, “Joy”
Melissa McCarthy, “Spy”
Amy Schumer, “Trainwreck”
Maggie Smith, “The Lady in the Van”
Lily Tomlin, “Grandma”

Actor in a motion picture, drama

Bryan Cranston, “Trumbo”
Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Revenant”
Michael Fassbender, “Steve Jobs”
Eddie Redmayne, “The Danish Girl”
Will Smith, “Concussion”

Actor in a motion picture, comedy

Christian Bale, “The Big Short”
Steve Carell, “The Big Short”
Matt Damon, “The Martian”
Al Pacino, “Danny Collins”
Mark Ruffalo, “Infinitely Polar Bear”

TV series, drama

“Empire”
“Game of Thrones”
“Mr. Robot”
“Narcos”
“Outlander”

TV series, comedy

“Casual”
“Mozart in the Jungle”
“Orange Is the New Black”
“Silicon Valley”
“Transparent”
“Veep”

Actress in a TV series, comedy

Rachel Bloom, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”
Jamie Lee Curtis, “Scream Queens”
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “Veep”
Gina Rodriguez, “Jane the Virgin”
Lily Tomlin, “Grace and Frankie”

Actress in a TV series, drama

Caitriona Balfe, “Outlander”
Viola Davis, “How to Get Away with Murder”
Eva Green, “Penny Dreadful”
Taraji P. Henson, “Empire”
Robin Wright, “House of Cards”

Actor in a TV series, drama

Jon Hamm, “Mad Men”
Rami Malek, “Mr. Robot”
Wagner Moura, “Narcos”
Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul”
Liev Schreiber, “Ray Donovan”

Actor in a TV series, comedy

Aziz Ansari, “Master of None”
Gael García Bernal, “Mozart in the Jungle”
Rob Lowe, “The Grinder”
Patrick Stewart, “Blunt Talk”
Jeffrey Tambor, “Transparent”

Actress in a supporting role in a motion picture

Jane Fonda, “Youth”
Jennifer Jason Leigh, “The Hateful Eight”
Helen Mirren, “Trumbo”
Alicia Vikander, “Ex Machina”
Kate Winslet, “Steve Jobs”

Actor in a supporting role in a motion picture

Paul Dano, “Love & Mercy”
Idris Elba, “Beasts of No Nation”
Mark Rylance, “Bridge of Spies”
Michael Shannon, “99 Homes”
Sylvester Stallone, “Creed”

TV movie or miniseries

“American Crime”
“American Horror Story: Hotel”
“Fargo”
“Flesh and Bone”
“Wolf Hall”

Actress in a TV movie or limited series

Kirsten Dunst, “Fargo”
Queen Latifah, “Bessie”
Felicity Huffman, “American Crime”
Sarah Hay, “Flesh and Bone”
Lady Gaga, “American Horror Story: Hotel”

Actor in a TV movie or limited series

Oscar Isaac, “Show Me a Hero”
Patrick Wilson, “Fargo”
Idris Elba, “Luther”
David Oyelowo, “Nightingale”
Mark Rylance, “Wolf Hall”

Supporting actor in a TV series, limited series or TV movie

Alan Cumming, “The Good Wife”
Damian Lewis, “Wolf Hall”
Ben Mendelsohn, “Bloodline”
Tobias Menzies, “Outlander”
Christian Slater, “Mr. Robot”

Supporting actress in a TV series, limited series or TV movie

Uzo Aduba, “Orange Is the New Black”
Joanne Froggatt, “Downton Abbey”
Regina King, “American Crime”
Judith Light, “Transparent”
Maura Tierney, “The Affair”

Animated feature film

“Anomalisa”
“The Good Dinosaur”
“Inside Out”
“The Peanuts Movie”
“Shaun the Sheep Movie”

 

Which of these 20 films would you nominate for an Oscar?

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Oscars

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 20 films are in the running in the Visual Effects category for the 88th Academy Awards®.

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Star Wars: The Force Awakens has completed principal photography. ..#TheForceAwakens #StarWarsVII
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The Academy’s Visual Effects Branch Executive Committee determined the preliminary shortlist.  This year, in the Visual Effects category, the number of eligible films initially shortlisted for further consideration was increased to a maximum of 20 titles.  The number of films that will be shortlisted for nominations voting remains at 10, which will be announced later this month.
The 88th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Thursday, January 14, 2016, at 5:30 a.m. PT at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

The 88th Oscars® will be held on Sunday, February 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre® at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.  The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

FOLLOW THE ACADEMY
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www.twitter.com/TheAcademy

New Featurette: ‘The Hateful Eight’ has an all-star cast

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THE HATEFUL EIGHT
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Release: December 25, 2015 (70 mm release), January 8, 2016 (nationwide)
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Written By: Quentin Tarantino
Rating: Not Yet Rated
Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Demian Bichir, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern, Channing Tatum
THE HATEFUL EIGHT

THE HATEFUL EIGHT

Synopsis:

In THE HATEFUL EIGHT, set six or eight or twelve years after the Civil War, a stagecoach hurtles through the wintry Wyoming landscape. The passengers, bounty hunter John Ruth (Kurt Russell) and his fugitive Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh), race towards the town of Red Rock where Ruth, known in these parts as “The Hangman,” will bring Domergue to justice. Along the road, they encounter two strangers: Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson), a black former union soldier turned infamous bounty hunter, and Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins), a southern renegade who claims to be the town’s new Sheriff. Losing their lead on the blizzard, Ruth, Domergue, Warren and Mannix seek refuge at Minnie’s Haberdashery, a stagecoach stopover on a mountain pass. When they arrive at Minnie’s, they are greeted not by the proprietor but by four unfamiliar faces. Bob (Demian Bichir), who’s taking care of Minnie’s while she’s visiting her mother, is holed up with Oswaldo Mobray (Tim Roth), the hangman of Red Rock, cow-puncher Joe Gage (Michael Madsen), and Confederate General
Sanford Smithers (Bruce Dern). As the storm overtakes the mountainside stopover, our eight travelers come to learn they may not make it to Red Rock after all…

Review: ‘The Revenant’ is DiCaprio’s Journey to Oscar Gold

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leonardo-di-caprio-the-revenant-movie-poster-01Let’s start off by saying that not everyone is going to be able to handle the sheer intensity of Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s The Revenant, this was made abundantly clear within the first 5 minutes of the film, but for those who can handle it, you’re in for one hell of an amazing journey. Inspired by true events, The Revenant is an epic story of survival and transformation on the American frontier that is as visually stunning as it is brutal in it’s storytelling. Iñárritu has his eyes set on award season again and this film looks poised to take home some of the major categories with ease.

re_select_1.00000874 Leonardo DiCaprio stars in THE REVENANT, an immersive and visceral cinematic experience capturing one manÕs epic adventure of survival and the extraordinary power of the human spirit. Photo Credit: Courtesy Twentieth Century Fox. Copyright © 2015 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved. THE REVENANT Motion Picture Copyright © 2015 Regency Entertainment (USA), Inc. and Monarchy Enterprises S.a.r.l. All rights reserved. Not for sale or duplication.

Legendary explorer Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) is on an expedition in uncharted wilderness of the American frontier when he is attacked and mauled by a bear, leaving him for dead. Knowing that the harsh conditions were hindering the group from successfully transporting Glass back to their fort, expedition leader Andrew Henry (Domhnall Gleeson) convinces team members Jim Bridger (Will Poulter) and John Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy) to stay behind along with Glass’s Native American son Hawk (Forrest Goodluck), to protect and care for Glass while the rest of the team goes for help. When Glass is left for dead by the men and forced to witness the murder of his son, Glass refuses to succumb to his injuries and sets off on a 200 mile journey thru the untamed West to get revenge on the man who took his son.

re_select_2.00001895 Inspired by true events,ÊTHE REVENANTÊis an immersive and visceral cinematic experience capturing one manÕs epic adventure of survival and the extraordinary power of the human spirit. It is directed and co-written by renowned filmmaker, Academy Award-winnerÊAlejandro G. I–‡rrituÊ(Birdman, Babel). Photo Credit: Courtesy Twentieth Century Fox. Copyright © 2015 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved. THE REVENANT Motion Picture Copyright © 2015 Regency Entertainment (USA), Inc. and Monarchy Enterprises S.a.r.l. All rights reserved. Not for sale or duplication.

Academy Award®-winning director Alejandro G. Iñárritu brings the 19th century American Frontier alive with stunning cinematography and lighting and mirroring the harsh conditions Glass and company actually lived through on their journey. This emotionally raw film is brought to life by actor Leonardo DiCaprio who brings Glass to life with painstaking precision. Actor Tom Hardy embodies the immoral nature of life in the frontier and his performance encompasses the true nature of survival of the fittest. Domhnall Gleeson and Will Poulter round out this wonderful cast, each providing the sense that morality can survive even when the world around you seems to prove otherwise.

re_select_4.00002444 Tom Hardy (foreground) and Will Poulter hunt for the person they had left for dead, in THE REVENANT. Photo Credit: Courtesy Twentieth Century Fox. Copyright © 2015 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved. THE REVENANT Motion Picture Copyright © 2015 Regency Entertainment (USA), Inc. and Monarchy Enterprises S.a.r.l. All rights reserved. Not for sale or duplication.

The Revenant is a brutal film that shines glimmers of hope thru holes of despair on one man’s quest for survival. It’s a film that will leave you thinking about it’s content days after the credits roll, it will test your moral compass, it will shake you in its brutality, but it will leave you satisfied. The Revenant is this years film to beat.

Stars:

4 1/2 out of 5

After Credit Scene?

None

Trailer:

New Trailer: Russell Crowe & Ryan Gosling are ‘The Nice Guys’ in 1970s Los Angeles

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the nice guys poster

Silver Pictures’ upcoming detective thriller “The Nice Guys,” directed by Shane Black (“Iron Man 3”) and starring Oscar winner Russell Crowe (“Gladiator,” “Man of Steel”) and Oscar nominee Ryan Gosling (“Half Nelson,” “Drive”), has staked out the summertime date of June 17, 2016. Set to begin production in the fall of this year, the film is being produced by Joel Silver (“Non-Stop,” “The Matrix” series, the “Sherlock Holmes” series). The announcement was made today by Dan Fellman, President of Domestic Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

“The Nice Guys” takes place in 1970s Los Angeles, when down-on-his-luck private eye Holland March (Gosling) and hired leg-breaker Jackson Healy (Crowe) must work together to solve the case of a missing girl and the seemingly unrelated death of a porn star. During their investigation, they uncover a shocking conspiracy that reaches up to the highest circles of power.

Silver stated, “Ever since we did ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,’ I’ve been eager to work with Shane again, and with this film we made it happen. It’s a terrific script written in Shane’s great cinematic voice. With Russell and Ryan on board, I know we’re in for another wild ride.”

Black directs from an original screenplay he wrote with Anthony Bagarozzi. Silver is producing under his Silver Pictures banner, with Ken Kao of Waypoint Entertainment, Hal Sadoff, and Michael Malone serving as executive producers. Waypoint is co-financing, and Alex Walton and Ken Kao’s BLOOM is handling international sales.

“The Nice Guys” will be distributed in North America by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

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Review: ‘The Letters’ Teaching Us The True Meaning Of Charity

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Now approaching the holiday season we start thinking of charity, family, and love. Some donate food and some volunteer at shelters and hospitals. This time of year makes us feel the need to give to those who are less fortunate. However, Mother Teresa gave more than her charity a month or two out of the year, she served the poorest of the poor for the last 50 years of her life. Audiences get to see this inspiring journey through those years in William Riead’s Biopic The Letters.

The story begins in 2003 with Father Benjamin Draggh (Rutger Hauer) investigating events during and after Mother Teresa’s life (Juliet Stevenson), that could give the Vatican the evidence they need to award her with Beatification. During his investigation he met with her spiritual adviser, Father Celeste Van Exem (Max Von Sydow) who presented him with letters written between the two of them during the last 40 years of her life; some of the letters showed signs of her faith wavering during her time in India. With these letters he tells her story beginning in the year 1946, during her time as teacher at the Loreto Convent in Dareeling, India. She loved to teach however when she looked outside the convent she saw people starving and and dying in the streets. Regardless of race or religion she believed that God had placed her on this earth with the purpose to serve those who are less fortunate. This film is the story of how she changed the lives of those around her with her life and her love.

Juliet Stevenson gave a phenomenal performance. She made me sympathize greatly with her character, and did fairly well with her accent and mannerisms. As for the rest of the cast, their performances were quite underwhelming. The best part of the film was the story. It’s hard to not feel inspired when watching the life accomplishments of a strong, selfless woman. That being said, there was a lot that the film was lacking in. The film is predicable. We  know she was a selfless woman, however knowing that the film is called “The Letters” one may believe that we would see a different side to this story. Her spiritual adviser mentions that these letters contain signs  that she is loosing faith in God multiple times during the film, yet in the visual reenactments during the film the audience never see’s any signs of her faith wavering. Which leaves us wondering “why mention it”? The film was a bit slow and could have been laid out in a more appealing way, however this does not mean you should not see it. If you believe technical and cinematic aspects of films come second to an inspiring story, then I would suggest giving this film a watch. The life of Mother Teresa is enlightening and may affect the way you see the life you have. You can see The Letters in theaters on December 4th.

2 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Shocking Tribeca doc ‘DREAM/KILLER’ finally gets released in theaters!

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dream killer posterOne of the most acclaimed docs from this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, dream/killer,  is being released in NY today and in LA next Friday, Dec 11th. Fans of the podcast Serial and HBO’s The Jinx, this film is right up your alley, I highly recommend  you seek it out!Ryan Ferguson dream killer

In the fall of 2005, 19-year-old Ryan Ferguson was convicted of murder and sentenced to 40-years in prison based on someone else’s dream.  Over the next ten years while Ryan languished in prison, his father Bill engaged in a tireless crusade to find justice.  dream/killer tells the story of this extraordinary father’s journey to free his son.Courtroom still dream killer

When Columbia Daily Tribune sports editor Kent Heitholt was brutally murdered in the newspaper’s parking lot, the crime went unsolved for two years, leaving the affluent college town desperate to bring home justice. At the time, it was the only unsolved murder in the city. A break in the case lead police to Chuck Erickson, who confessed to the crime, implicated Ferguson as an accomplice and left America with one of the country’s most outrageous miscarriages of justice.The Ferguson family dream killer

The documentary uses archival footage from when Ryan was first arrested, interviews with him in prison, and court hearings that reveal the strengths and the flaws of the American judicial system. The arguments of the ruthless prosecutor and Ryan’s brilliant defense attorney are also depicted to show how easily the system is influenced.  Interspersed with footage from the Ferguson family archive, dream/killer looks at the personal consequences of a wrongful conviction.

dream/killer – OFFICIAL TRAILER (2015) from Bloom Project on Vimeo.

You can check out my original review and listen to my exclusive interview with Ryan and Bill in the link below. This is one extraordinary story and family.

Review/Interview with ‘Dream/Killer’ subject Ryan and Bill Ferguson