Review: ‘The Lullaby’ Definitely WILL NOT Put You To Sleep

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The Lullaby

Theatrical Release & VOD: March 2, 2018

Run Time: 1 hour 26 minutes

Reviewed By: Reel Reviews Over Brews

Chloe is overwhelmed by the birth of her first child. The incessant crying of her baby, the growing sense of guilt and paranoia sends her into depression. With a heightened urge to protect her son, Chloe sees danger in every situation. She starts to hear voices, the humming of a childhood lullaby and sees flashes of a strange entity around her child. Convinced that the entity is real, Chloe will do everything in her power to protect her son. Is she haunted by evil or is it just the baby blues?

Writing this review a few days after watching The Lullaby and we still can’t get some of the disturbing images out of our minds. This movie has a slight resemblance to Eraserhead (one of Scott’s favorite horror movies), as the plot of having a baby will have its repercussions. We found the acting to be really good, except for a couple characters (Chloe’s mom and the therapist). What we wish they had done differently is give a better back story on Chloe in the beginning because they gave us no real reason to root for her throughout the movie. Eventually they fill in the blanks on her story, but some more info in the beginning, we feel, would have been better.

We all agreed, The Lullaby could certainly be a straight to Netflix movie. Not a movie we would pay to see, but worth the one time watch for sure! With it being a struggle to find a good horror movie these days, The Lullaby is slightly above average.

Reel ROB Rating: 6.25 out of 10 stars

Post Credits Scene: No

We want to thank our friends at Reel News Daily for allowing us to do this guest review!

 

Review: ‘The Vanishing of Sidney Hall’ weighs heavy.

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The idea of personal responsibility can be a double-edged sword. It can be our life’s motivating factor or our downfall. In the new film The Vanishing of Sidney Hall, one young man’s past has an effect on the entire world around him.

After publishing a bestselling novel based on the death of one of his high school classmates, the controversial writer Sidney Hall (Logan Lerman) finds himself catapulted to unexpected fame and renown. His relationship with his girlfriend (Elle Fanning) begins to fall apart as the dark consequences of the book intrude on their life together, and he disappears without a trace. Nearly a decade later, an enigmatic detective searches for the missing author, whose books are connected to a string of mysterious arsons.

There was something about this film that really affected me throughout its nonlinear two-hour run. The script tackles issues from resentment to guilt, human connection to the feeling of powerlessness. With the award-winning performances from no less than four cast members, including Logan Lerman, Elle Fanning, Michelle Monohan, and Blake Jenner, The Vanishing of Sidney Hall has a twisted plot that pulls your emotions in various directions throughout. The one overall theme here is undoubtedly sadness. The film has a heaviness that is unshakeable. It’s a strangely perfect companion piece to Netflix‘s 13 Reason’s Why, and without going into too much detail (because I want you to see it) the film’s themes are universally relevant. The film’s score acts as an emotional and nostalgic catalyst to the time jumps. Despite the terrible beard on Logan Lerman throughout a third of the film, he gives the audience a multilayered and tragic performance that makes Sidney Hall what it is. Speaking of tragic, Blake Jenner plays a seemingly typical jock with a hard-on for bullying but it’s his character’s home life that haunts many others in the film. A massive departure from his role in GLEE, I hope Jenner gets some much-deserved attention from this one. Elle Fanning is ever surprising as a bold, unique, and confident girl next door (or across the street to be exact) saddled with both the romantic and strained man Lerner becomes. Michelle Monaghan plays against type as Sidney’s mother. A woman’s whose vitriol and resentment make her loathsome. The cast boasts other heavy hitters like Kyle Chandler and Nathan Lane. There is not a weak link in the entire ensemble.  I can tell you, you won’t be able to guess how this one wraps up. The Vanishing of Sidney Hall is fraught with love but mostly the loss of it. Be prepared prior to viewing.

THE VANISHING OF SIDNEY HALL  

Exclusively on Direct TV on January 25th & In Theaters on March 2nd

Director by:  Shawn Christensen (Academy Award Winner – Curfew, Abduction,)

Written by: Shawn Christensen & Jason Dolan

THE VANISHING OF SIDNEY HALL stars Logan Lerman (Perks of Being a Wallflower, Indignation), Elle Fanning (Super 8, Maleficent, The Neon Demon), Michelle Monaghan (“True Detective,” Gone Baby Gone, Source Code), Kyle Chandler (“Friday Night Lights”, “Bloodline”, and Manchester By The Sea) and Nathan Lane (“Modern Family,” The “People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story”).

Review: ‘Surge Of Power: Revenge Of The Sequel’

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Surge of Power: Revenge of the Sequel

Theatrical Release (Select Theaters): February 23, 2018

Run Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Reviewed By: Adam

Guest review from Reel Reviews Over Brews

Time has passed since Surge’s first big screen adventure. Surge has settled in as Big City’s superhero. His nemesis, the Metal Master, is out of jail again, trying to reconcile with his estranged parents (played by Linda Blair and Gil Gerard). Are they more concerned about their son being gay than being a supervillain? Metal Master is tempted to continue a life of crime by Augur (Eric Roberts), old arch enemy of Omen, the sage superhero from the first movie (played by Robert Picardo and Nichelle Nichols). Augur sends Metal Master on a mission to Las Vegas for a strange crystal with unique properties key to Augur’s diabolical scheme. Surge tracks Metal Master to Las Vegas and is out of his element in a strange town. Surge is soon aided by local college students, Wendy, Marvin and Todd, deploying their own talents to help Surge uncover Metal Master’s activities, which also puts Surge in awkward situations. Cut off from his support in Big City and in need of more help, Surge activates the artificial intelligence in his high-tech car, the Surgemobile (portrayed first by Bruce Vilanch, six-time Emmy Award winner, comedian and writer, and later another artificial intelligence personality played by Shannon Farnon, Wonder Woman from the Super Friends!). Their search leads them to famous Las Vegas headliner, Frank Marino, whose penchant for fine jewelry like this custom mens wedding ring allows Frank to recognize the crystals – precious Celinedioium! Frank guides Surge and his new friends. Surge faces off with Metal Master on the Hoover Dam, imperiling California, Nevada and Arizona. Metal Master escapes, leaving Surge with catastrophe to avert.

A short repast allows Surge some downtime while Todd shows him around Las Vegas. Their quiet time is interrupted by further news on the Metal Master. Augur and Metal Master realize Surge and his friends frustrated their plan. An infuriated Augur confronts Surge, causing Omen to step into the fray, sending Surge and the Surgemobile elsewhere while he/she grapples with his/her nemesis. Meanwhile, Metal Master faces an even greater challenge – his disapproving parents.

Unbeknownst to Surge, Augur is part of a supervillain community, The Council, each member of which is as powerful as Omen, and stirred to emerge from the shadows after many years of peace with Omen and her cronies. Find out what happens next with cinema’s first out gay superhero when an array of legendary superheroes and villains clash, with more zany antics in this all-ages, light-hearted, star-studded sequel!

I was having this discussion with Scott recently about how movies now a days are trying way too hard to be really artsy and there isn’t as many mindless action/comedy movies anymore. Well, Surge brings that back! Don’t get me wrong, that isn’t a burn on Surge at all. It made it more enjoyable. Not going to lie… after I watched the trailer for Surge, I was a little worried it was going to be really lame and corny. It did have it’s corny moments, but that didn’t stop this one from being a fun watch. You could tell director, Vince Roth was going for the Adam West Batman vibe to this movie. In my eyes, it was a terrific idea! Loved the throwback look. My hands down favorite part of this movie were all of the cameos! So many former actors that played super heroes “came out” for Surge. It was fantastic. This is what the made the movie so fun to watch. Who will show up next!? If you’re a fan of super hero movies, Surge is certainly worth the watch. Be careful though because you may just “get the urge, to surge!”

After watching Surge of Power: Revenge of the Sequel, we were able to have a little Q&A with Director and lead actor, Vince Roth. *WARNING – SPOILERS!*

Q: What gave you the idea of Surge?

A: I grew up watching the “Super Friends” cartoon, which is where I developed my penchant for the superhero genre. In my adult years, I made a lot of costumes of other people’s characters, which has now become its own thing called “cosplay.” Then in my professional life, as a corporate attorney for a high-tech company, the marketing department created a superhero character for one of its marketing campaigns called “Commander X.” I made, at that time, what was my piece de resistance of costumes and the company liked it so much, that when trade shows came around, they would transfer me out of the legal department and into the marketing department and send me off to be the living embodiment of Commander X. It was at a trade show that I decided I should do something with a character of my own. Surge had been in my head for many years, and the movie was a vehicle for me to bring Surge to life.

Q: Will Surge be making any Comic Con appearances?

A: Surge typically shows up at San Diego Comic Con and Salt Lake Comic Convention. In fact, many of the celebrity interviews and many of the celebrities who came on board from the sequel are as a result of Salt Lake Comic Convention. We’re just now finishing the theatrical run, and I’m still pretty busy with distribution for the sequel at the moment, but when time permits, I’ll see what cons we can have Surge show up.

Q: Were you able to get any superhero tips from the one and only Stan Lee?

A: I barely met Stan Lee only once, but was not able to discuss Surge of Power or anything for that matter, he was so busy. But, if he is not prevented by MARVEL from doing cameos in other movies, we’ll invite him to join us.

Q: How did you get so many big names to make cameo appearances?

A: We had 20 cameos in the first movie, and our 3 featured celebrities from the first movie all came back for the sequel – Nichelle Nichols (Star Trek’s Uhura), Lou Ferrigno (The Incredible Hulk) and the late Noel Neill (Lois Lane from Adventures of Superman). This gave a lot of credibility to the sequel. We’ve developed a shtick with having celebrities show up, kind of like the also campy Batman TV show from the 60s. So, it’s a staple in our world of Big City to have celebrities. In the sequel, we take it even farther, by having celebrities cast in dramatic roles, not just cameos, throughout the movie.

Q: Were you going for an Adam West Batman type look with the quality?

A: Yes, I knew that if I was going to introduce a new superhero, especially an indie movie, I would need to differentiate our world. There hadn’t yet been an openly gay superhero on the big screen, so that became my mission and decided to use comedy as a platform, because humor has been an effective vehicle for gay characters to be accepted by mainstream audiences. Look at the success of “Will and Grace” for example, which,
incidentally, was brought back after 10 years, so why can’t Surge return after a lengthy
hiatus. Camp is a common trope in gay entertainment, and a natural superhero parallel is the campy Adam West Batman TV show. Both Surge of Power movies have a similar campy flavor as the 60s Batman. We’re not shy about it. There’s even a line Bruce Vilanch
delivers that homages Batman when he tells Surge, “that cape is a throwback to the 60s.”
The inspiration from Batman is noticeable, and I think we added our own flare in our
contributions to the superhero genre.

Q: Why did it take so many years for a Surge sequel?

A: Homophobia is why it took so long. There were some people who really did not want this movie to be made, which made it all that much more important for me to get it done. Pixar’s “The Incredibles” was released in 2004 and its sequel is due out later this year, 2018, which is 14 years, so I think we’re still within range for superhero movies, haha. The first movie, “Surge of Power: The Stuff of Heroes,” started screening in 2004 and was released in 2006. I was busy promoting the first movie at cons for a few years before I was talked into embarking on the sequel, but homophobia and life interruptions caused us to put the sequel on hold for several years. This actually turned out to be a blessing, because it allowed us to improve on scenes not yet shot, expand the script to add new scenes, and, of course, we went gangbusters on celebrities, putting them in roles throughout the movie from start to finish, and we enlisted a lot more focus group feedback to give the audience what it wanted. So, the delays allowed us to arrive at a better end result and audiences are enjoying it.

Q: We saw the post credit teaser scene… is there another Surge in the works?

A: We actually have already shot scenes with Nichelle Nichols as Omen for the third movie, “Surge of Power: Call of the Champions,” and for our web series, “Big City Chronicles.” There is a little sneak peek of Nichelle on set for “Call of the Champions” that is on the Blu-Ray and DVD as a Special Feature that runs for almost 5 minutes. So, Nichelle will appear as Omen throughout all Surge of Power projects. We also have already shot a handful of cameos for “Call of the Champions.” Now, how many years it takes me to actually make the whole movie, remains to be seen, but, folks can keep an eye on our activities and our progress by watching “Big City Chronicles” episodes, which is a variety show consisting of celebrity interviews, behind-the-scenes looks at all the movies, sneak peeks and new mini adventures of Surge. Keep an eye out at www.surgeofpower.org

Reel ROB Rating: 5.25 out of 10 stars

Post Credits Scene: Yes

We want to thank our friends at Reel News Daily for allowing us to do this guest review!

Vote and track predictions for the Academy Awards

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Vote below and we’ll choose 1 lucky winner from those who guess the most correctly!

Track all the votes here: http://reelnewsdaily.com/2018oscars/

Watch Now: Special conversation with Oscar-nominated director, Steve James about ‘Abacus: Small Enough to Jail’

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VERA SUNG, JILL SUNG AND FATHER THOMAS SUNG IN THE SAFETY DEPOSIT BOX DEPARTMENT OF THEIR BANK IN A SCENE FROM OSCAR-NOMINATED “ABACUS: SMALL ENOUGH TO JAIL” DIRECTED BY STEVE JAMES. PHOTO COURTESY OF PBS DISTRIBUTION/KARTEMQUIN FILMS

Last year, Liz reviewed this last much-needed documentary last November for DOC NYC. Available now on Amazon Prime. In any case, you can view a conversation with the director at 12:30 pm at https://www.westdoconline.com/steve-james-episode-6-live.

  • NOMINEE – STEVE JAMES, OUTSTANDING DIRECTING DIRECTORS GUILD OF AMERICA AWARDS
  • WINNER – BEST POLITICAL DOCUMENTARY CRITICS’ CHOICE DOCUMENTARY AWARDS
  • THREE NOMINATIONS CRITICS’ CHOICE DOCUMENTARY AWARDS
  • NOMINEE – BEST DOCUMENTARY NATIONAL BOARD OF REVIEW
  • NOMINEE – BEST DOCUMENTARY CHICAGO FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION

Abacus: Small Enough to Jail tells the incredible saga of the Chinese immigrant Sung family, owners of Abacus Federal Savings of Chinatown, New York.

Accused of mortgage fraud by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr., Abacus becomes the only U.S. bank to face criminal charges in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. The indictment and subsequent trial forces the Sung family to defend themselves – and their bank’s legacy in the Chinatown community – over the course of a five-year legal battle.

Review: ‘The Misguided’

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The Misguided

Theatrical Release: January 26, 2018

Guest review from Reel Reviews Over Brews

University dropout Levi (Caleb Galati) is a young man incapable of holding down a steady job and has a reputation of taking advantage of his romantic partners for his own selfish reasons, especially in gaining financial support. Having suddenly become single and homeless, he begrudgingly has to approach his overbearing big brother Wendel (Steven J. Mihaljevich) for temporary help with a place of residence until he can sort out his troubled relationship. Wendel truly loves Levi, and is a captivating and manipulating personality with a special talent of drawing others toward him. He has big dreams for himself but is ill equipped to fulfil any of them, being a drug addict and part time dealer with a deficient memory. He also struggles with personal sexual and mental issues and a fear of loneliness. Shortly after lodging with his brother, Levi begins a romance with his Wendel’s ex-girlfriend Sanja (Jasmine Nibali), and plans to start a new independent life for himself with his partner in a new city to finally become self-sufficient. But when he learns of a deadly predicament Wendel faces, his loyalties between those closest to him and his sense of familial duty become divided, and a reciprocal sense of duty to assist his bro results in a tricky scheme of subterfuge.

When we first heard about The Misguided, we kept reading how this would be Katherine Langford‘s (13 Reasons Why) first film role. This got us extremely excited as we loved her in the Netflix hit. Well, we found ourselves disappointed on this end because although, yes, it was her first film role, it was a very minute role with very few scenes.  Jasmine Nibali did however do a spectacular job as the lead woman. Between Nibali and Mihaljevich the acting was far better than expected. We found ourselves really enjoying Nibali and couldn’t get enough of Mihaljevich‘s dark story. The premise of The Misguided is great! Feels as though you are watching an in-depth documentary. A classic story between love and family. We didn’t see the ending coming either. Those however, are the only few things we liked about The Misguided. We found it extremely hard to follow. It was very jumpy and things weren’t cleared up before they threw us into the next scene… and we get that’s what Shannon Alexander was going for, but it just didn’t work for us. With a few tweaks and (in our opinion) a little more Katherine Langford, The Misguided had potential to be a top movie this year. If we were to give it a second watch, we do think we’d understand A LOT more. Thus making it more enjoyable (even earning a higher rating from us), but it doesn’t seem likely we’ll be getting around to that anytime soon…

Reel ROB Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Post Credits Scene: No

We want to thank our friends at Reel News Daily for allowing us to do this guest review!

Review: ‘The Boy Downstairs’ feels close to home.

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The Boy Downstairs stars Zosia Mamet (“Girls”) as Diana, a twenty-something writer who moves back to New York City after a two-year stint in London. Upon finding the perfect apartment in Brooklyn, she realizes her downstairs neighbor is actually her ex-boyfriend Ben (Matthew Shear, Mistress America) whose heart she broke when she left town. After an awkward reunion, Diana proclaims her intentions for a genuine friendship. But as old wounds are opened, both Diana and Ben are forced to confront the true nature of their feelings.

 

Mamet gives a deliciously sardonic lean to the role that is funny and honest. The manic ways of Shoshanna Shapiro are nowhere in site. This should put Mamet on some serious casting lists. First-time writer-director Sophie Brooks shows us how a person can have a hold on your soul years after parting ways. The script is really smart and refreshing. It doesn’t glamorize the requisite navigation through adult relationships, those messy, real-life moments are the little things that stick with us in the end. Reality is much more awkward and The Boy Downstairs does not shy away from confrontation or feelings. It allows the audience to reflect on their own past emotional conflicts and in this film’s particular case, flashback sequences are the backbone of the plot. Strong performances from Matthew Shear and Dierdre O’Connell make The Boy Downstairs what it is. The chemistry is astounding. Being a grownup is complicated enough, so once you introduce the complexities of love and friendship, all hell will break loose, even if it’s a quiet thing. You can see The Boy Downstairs in theaters today.

 

 

Review: Get Entangled In ‘Entanglement’

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Entanglement

Theatrical Release: February 9, 2018

Available On Demand & Digital HD: February 9, 2018

Guest review from Reel Reviews Over Brews

While searching for the meaning of his existence, Ben Layten (Thomas Middleditch) uncovers a family secret that leads him to a woman named Hanna… But when he and Hanna (Jess Weixler) inadvertently fall in love, his life becomes increasingly and strangely complicated. Ben starts to realize that everything is amazingly and incredibly connected – and that the world might just be more inexplicable than he ever imagined.

Thomas Middleditch (yes, the guy from the Verizon commercials) nails the role of hopeless moper. Thomas takes Ben’s story of wanting to give up on life and trying to figure out where it all went wrong and makes it entirely relate-able. So much so, that it caused us to become completely invested in his story and rooting for him to find the answers he was looking for. To continue on the acting, Jess Weixler as Hanna was absolutely captivating! We became as fixated on her as Ben. We can’t leave out Diana Bang either. Shout out to whomever put the cast together on this one. They didn’t miss.

Part of the plot was, every decision you make splits into many parallel universes. This is something we LOVED! We’ve heard theories on this throughout the years and its a theory we always get caught up in. To think there is a parallel universe out there that took the path we didn’t choose blows our minds because we can totally see it. Just imagine, there is a parallel universe somewhere out there and Reel Reviews Over Brews is writing about how much they hated this movie. It made us even more invested in Entanglement.

There were a few scenes that were taken over by images of fantasy. We wish the director had stayed away from this and stayed more grounded to reality… although we do understand why Jason James did this, it just felt unnecessary.

With that being said, we really enjoyed this movie and believe it’ll be very easy for viewers to become “entangled” in Entanglement.

Reel ROB Rating: 3.25 out of 5 stars

Post Credits Scene: No

We want to thank our friends at Reel News Daily for allowing us to do this guest review!

OSCAR® Nominated Documentary Films Now Streaming FREE Online, Showing in Theaters: ‘Knife Skills’ & ‘Edith+Eddie’

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Not sure what to watch tonight? Give one of these a try.

EDITH+EDDIE is now streaming for free at First Look Media’s Topic.com and YouTube 

29:34 minutes

“EDITH+EDDIE is one of the finest observational documentaries of the year. What starts as a sweet and tender portrayal of elderly interracial love transforms into a damning cry against institutionalized elder abuse. It’s currently [nominated] for the Best Short Documentary at this year’s Oscars and deserves to win.”
– ShortFilms.org

Official Website

https://youtu.be/RBNLxU98svQ

KNIFE SKILLS is now streaming for free from The New Yorker and Condé Nast Entertainment at NewYorker.com and YouTube

39:53 minutes

“KNIFE SKILLS brought me to tears. It’s an incredibly powerful story…And the idea of these people, these men and women, who get a second chance at life, from prison, it’s amazing.”
– Wade Major, KPCC FilmWeek

Official Website

Netflix News: ‘Benji’ is back to steal your heart

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I LOVED Benji growing up. I had an almost life-size stuffed animal of him and rented the 2nd movie in the semi-series, For the Love of Benji, so many times that I’m sure my sister can’t stand him. The trailer looks adorable and pulls the same heartstrings. And guess what? The son of the original director is directing!

Directed By: Brandon Camp (LOVE HAPPENS)
Produced By: Brandon Camp and Jason Blum (GET OUT, THE VISIT, WHIPLASH)
Starring: Kiele Sanchez (“Lost”, “The Glades”), Gabriel Bateman (”Stalker”) and Darby Camp (“Big Little Lies”)

A modern day retelling of the classic, the story of Benji follows one orphaned puppy and Carter and Frankie, two capricious New Orleans school kids who strike up a friendship with the tenacious street dog.  When danger befalls them and they end up kidnapped by robbers who are in over their heads, Benji and his scruffy sidekick come to the rescue.

Written and directed by Brandon Camp, whose father Joe Camp created the original, Benji is produced by Jason Blum and Brandon Camp.  The film stars Kiele Sanchez, Gabriel Bateman and Darby Camp.

Facebook: facebook.com/GenuineBenji
Instagram: instagram.com/GenuineBenji
Twitter: twitter.com/GenuineBenji
#BenjiTheMovie

Review: ‘PERMISSION’ allows an audience to ask ‘what if?’ for themselves.

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***Official Selection of the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival***

Anna (Rebecca Hall) and Will (Dan Stevens), were each other’s first every-things: first kiss, first love, first and only relationship. Now, 10 years in, at Anna’s 30th birthday party, as Will is about to propose, the couple’s best friend makes a drunken toast, suggesting that they should sleep around before their inevitable marriage. The joke lands like a lead balloon, but the thought lingers until Anna proposes that they try opening their relationship – as a sexual experiment. Together, they venture out of the purely monogamous boundaries of their relationship and, along the way, evolve.

Permission is one of the most honest portrayals of how awkward true intimacy is. When you are so comfortable with someone to the point of predictability, does that have the potential to become a death sentence for a relationship? Life’s ‘what ifs” are some of the most tempting ideas a person can entertain. The chemistry between the entire cast is palpable. You will find yourself falling in love with Hall and Stevens and definitely crushing on Arnaud, Gershon, Craig, Spector, and Sudeikis. This true ensemble of actors along with writer/director Brian Crano has given us a gift. What may appear on the surface as small moments in the script are incredibly impactful due to some really brilliant acting and writing. Permission has an authenticity that sneaks up on you. It’s those moments that define the story and make it so relatable. The music is perfectly paired with each scene, almost becoming its own fly on the wall secondary cast member. Overall, the film is a refreshing look at adult relationships and how to find horny contacts. It’s fun and engrossing and different. It dares to challenge the typical rom-com genre and that’s why you should seek it out.

Permission is in theaters today! Check out the trailer below.

Starring Rebecca Hall (Christine, Professor Marston and the Wonder Women), Dan Stevens (Beauty and the Beast, Downton Abbey), Gina Gershon (Empire), Francois Arnaud (Midnight Texas), David Joseph Craig (The Gift), Morgan Spector (Chuck, Boardwalk Empire), and Jason Sudeikis

Written and Directed By Brian Crano (A Bag of Hammers, Dog Food)

Produced by Rebecca Hall, Margot Hand, Girl Tharan, Joshua Thurston

Netflix News: First guests on ‘The Joel McHale Show: with Joel McHale’

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The new weekly series launches Sunday, February 18 on Netflix with guest Kevin Hart and appearances by Alison Brie, Mike Colter, Paul Reiser, Jodie Sweetin and Jim Rash.

The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale is a new, weekly half-hour topical series that takes a sharp, absurdist look at pop culture and news from across the globe. It’s a fast and funny distillation of everything people are talking about that week. Featuring celebrity guests, comedy sketches, and insane video clips from the worldwide realms of TV, sports, politics, celebrity culture, and every corner of the internet, The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale is destination viewing for comedy lovers, or people who just really, really like green screens.

The show is hosted and executive produced by Joel McHale. Paul Feig, KP Anderson, Jessie Henderson, Brad Stevens, and Boyd Vico also serve as executive producers. The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale is produced by Pygmy Wolf Productions, Free Period Productions, and Feigco Entertainment in association with Lionsgate Television.

Smart Ass, meet Bad Ass…the new ‘Deadpool 2’ trailer is here!

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Deadpool gets the premium Cable package in this new teaser video and we have it for you below!

After surviving a near fatal bovine attack, a disfigured cafeteria chef (Wade Wilson) struggles to fulfill his dream of becoming Mayberry’s hottest bartender while also learning to cope with his lost sense of taste. Searching to regain his spice for life, as well as a flux capacitor, Wade must battle ninjas, the yakuza, and a pack of sexually aggressive canines, as he journeys around the world to discover the importance of family, friendship, and flavor – finding a new taste for adventure and earning the coveted coffee mug title of World’s Best Lover.

The UNTITLED DEADPOOL SEQUEL hits theaters everywhere on May 18, 2018!

Netflix News: Filter, sort & search for original series & movies in 2018 & beyond

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Netflix loves to be cryptic about their releases. I’ve started a fun little database in Airtable to keep track. Feel free to filter, sort and search. I’ll be updating to add more ways to search; it’s a work-in-progress. Let me know if you have any suggestions!

  • What’s new today?
  • What are the newest movies?
  • What are the newest series?
  • What’s coming up in the next month?
  • What’s the latest stand-up comedy specials?

All these questions and more are now at your fingertips! See below or you can always find it on our homepage.

Read More →

Tribeca Film Fest: ‘Love, Gilda’ to open at Beacon Theatre April 18th

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An intimate portrait honoring comedy legend Gilda Radner in her own words with readings from her personal diaries and candid interviews with Chevy Chase, Bill Hader, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Cecily Strong and others…

The Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, will open its 17th edition with the world premiere of LOVE, GILDA on Wednesday, April 18, 2018. CNN Films presents the feature length documentary – produced by 3 Faces Films in association with Motto Pictures – which opens a window into the world of celebrated Emmy® and Grammy® award-winning comedian Gilda Radner who became a cultural icon the moment audiences first laughed with her on Saturday Night Live’s debut episode. A trailblazer for female comedians, her impact on the entertainment industry has endured almost four decades. The film will premiere opening night of the Tribeca Film Festival at the Beacon Theatre in New York City, the city she called home when she catapulted to fame. Tickets for Opening Night go on sale on March 20 atwww.tribecafilm.com/festival. The 2018 Tribeca Film Festival runs April 18-29.

LOVE, GILDA is directed and produced by Lisa D’Apolito with the support of the Gilda Radner estate. The film is a true autobiography of a pioneering woman, told in her own words and in her own voice. It weaves together audiotapes, rare home movies, diary entries, and interviews with her friends and those inspired by her including: Bill Hader, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, and Cecily Strong; SNL original cast members Chevy Chase, Laraine Newman, and Paul Shaffer; as well as Lorne Michaels (SNL creator and producer), Alan Zweibel (SNL writer), Stephen Schwartz (Broadway composer); Andrew Alexander (CEO of Second City), and long-time friend and actor Martin Short.

Gilda Radner captivated millions of television viewers as an original cast member of Saturday Night Live from 1975-1980. The popularity of her now classic comedic characters Roseanne Roseannadanna, Emily Litella, and Lisa Loopner fueled the young talent to meteoric fame in television, movies, and on Broadway. After finding happiness in love with Gene Wilder she received the cruelest joke of all, cancer. Her fight against the disease served as an inspiration to people impacted by the illness to stay positive and to keep laughing no matter what challenges life brings you.

“As a Festival that has always supported women’s voices and is largely run by women we are incredibly proud to celebrate the inimitable voice of Gilda during the opening night of our Festival,” said Jane Rosenthal, Co-Founder and CEO of the Tribeca Film Festival. “Gilda Radner was a powerful comedic force of nature who opened doors and thrilled audiences while becoming one of the most prolific comedians of a generation. Her cutting edge humor was only second to her dedicated leadership in cancer care with her eponymous Gilda’s Club.”

“LOVE, GILDA is the right film at the right time and the perfect way to open our Festival,” said Paula Weinstein, EVP of Tribeca Enterprises. “Gilda is a woman for the ages, an extraordinary talent in film, television, and theater who overcame her personal struggles to make us laugh, to make us cry. She understood the healing power of laughter not simply for her audience but in her own life as she struggled with cancer and lead the way for all of us to make the world a better place.”

First time feature filmmaker Lisa D’Apolito commented, “I fell in love with Gilda Radner while doing pro bono work at Gilda’s Club, the cancer support organization Gene Wilder founded in honor of Gilda, in Greenwich Village where I grew up. This started my journey to discover who Gilda was as a person and as a performer. Gilda inspired me and many other women with her remarkable spirit and unique talent that changed the world of comedy. I’m grateful and honored to share the extraordinary legacy of Gilda Radner at the Tribeca Film Festival.”

LOVE, GILDA brings audiences into the honest and whimsical world of a beloved performer, whose greatest role was sharing her story. The film is produced by Bronwyn Berry, Meryl Goldsmith, and James Tumminia, with Julie Goldman, Christopher Clements, Carolyn Hepburn (Motto Pictures), Alan and Robin Zweibel, Amy Entelis and Courtney Sexton (CNN Films) serving as executive producers.

Submarine is handling sales for the film.

The 2018 Tribeca Film Festival will announce its feature film slate on March 7.

Hashtag: #Tribeca2018
Twitter: @Tribeca
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Snapchat: TribecaFilmFest

 

Review: ‘KILL ORDER’ feels unfinished in a good way.

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In KILL ORDER, chaos erupts when a group of armed men break into a high school classroom. They target David, a quiet kid who secretly suffers from unexplained memories of a horrifying past. Tapping into a previously unknown strength, David fights off his attackers and goes on the run. With his life and the lives of his loved ones in jeopardy, David must master the use of his new superhuman strength and fighting skills to find the people responsible and get his revenge.

The Mark brothers have given us an incredibly fun and action-packed martial arts indie. Writer/director James Mark brings his stuntman background to the big screen with a film filled with intrigue and some seriously intense fight sequences. The CG actually adds to the Resident Evil video game feel of the flashbacks. Younger Mark brother, Chris, in the role of David is able to utilize his own stuntman skills to his character’s advantage. The fight choreo is high impact and just downright cool to watch. Mark’s moment to moment emotional ride is also pretty impressive. It’s a really great initial jump into the world of leading man. The superb editing builds upon the script’s mystery. And while the ending leaves much to be answered, the film feels like the first in a series of graphic novel inspired stories. There is a ton of potential for Kill Order to become a franchise.

You can check out the trailer below and catch the film today!

RLJ Entertainment, Inc. is set to release the action/sci-fi film KILL ORDER on VOD, Digital HD and on DVD on Feb. 6, 2018.  Written and directed by James Mark (Jumper), KILL ORDER stars Chris Mark (Suicide Squad), Daniel Park (Pacific Rim), Denis Akiyama (Pixels), Melee Hutton (Beautiful People), Jessica Clement (“Pure”), Jason Gosbee (Suicide Squad), Reuben Langdon (Ant-Man) and Alain Moussi (Kickboxer: Vengeance).

ABOUT RLJE FILMS

An RLJ Entertainment, Inc. brand (NASDAQ: RLJE), RLJE Films features include Once Upon a Time in Venice starring Bruce Willis, Bushwick with Dave Bautista and Brittany Snow, Pilgrimage with Tom Holland, Jon Bernthal and Richard Armitage, and Brawl in Cell Block 99 from writer/director S. Craig Zahler (Bone Tomahawk) and starring Vince Vaughn, Don Johnson and Jennifer Carpenter. These titles are distributed in multiple formats including theatrical, VOD, DVD, Blu-Ray, and digital download. www.us.rljentertainment.com.

Super Bowl Ad and Official Trailer for ‘Mission Impossible: Fallout’ Debuts

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Paramount Pictures has released the first trailer for the upcoming sequel, Mission Impossible: Fallout and we have it for you below!

The best intentions often come back to haunt you. Mission Impossible: Fallout finds Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his IMF team (Alec Baldwin, Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames) along with some familiar allies (Rebecca Ferguson, Michelle Monaghan) in a race against time after a mission gone wrong.  Henry Cavill, Angela Bassett, and Vanessa Kirby also join the dynamic cast with filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie returning to the helm.

Mission Impossible: Fallout is in theaters July 27, 2018

Official Trailer:

Big Game Spot:

Super Bowl Ad: Paramount Pictures shows you ‘A Quiet Place’

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Paramount Pictures released a new trailer for A Quiet Place, directed by and starring John Krasinski and we have it for you below!

The film centers on a family living an isolated existence in utter silence, for fear of an unknown threat that follows and attacks at any sound.

Also starring Emily Blunt, Noah Jupe and Millicent Simmonds.

IN THEATERS APRIL 6, 2018

Westworld Season 2 Official Super Bowl Ad Debuts

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                                                    A new chapter begins.

The Emmy®-winning drama series WESTWORLD returns for its ten-episode second season SUNDAY, APRIL 22 (9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO.

Youcan now see the WESTWORLD spot that premiered during Super Bowl LII, marking HBO’s first Super Bowl ad in 20 years. The WESTWORLD Season 2 Official Super Bowl ad was directed by series co-creator Jonathan Nolan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUmfriZoMw0&feature=youtu.be

All ten episodes of the critically acclaimed first season of WESTWORLD are available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO On Demand and partners’ streaming platforms. The pilot episode is also available for nonsubscribers to watch for free on ‪HBO.com. In addition, fans and first-time viewers can catch up on ‪ hbo.com/Westworld with episode guides, character profiles, exclusive behind-the-scenes videos and more.

Debuting on HBO in 2016 to become HBO’s most-watched freshman series ever, WESTWORLD is a dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the evolution of sin. The season one cast included Anthony Hopkins, Evan Rachel Wood, Thandie Newton, Ed Harris, Jeffrey Wright, James Marsden, Tessa Thompson, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Jimmi Simpson, Rodrigo Santoro, Shannon Woodward, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal, Ben Barnes, Simon Quarterman, Angela Sarafyan, Luke Hemsworth, Clifton Collins, Jr., Talulah Riley and Louis Herthum. Joining the season two cast are series regulars Katja Herbers, Gustaf Skarsgård and Fares Fares.

Season two credits: Created for television by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, who are executive producers with J.J. Abrams, Athena Wickham, Roberto Patino, Richard Lewis and Ben Stephenson. Production companies, Kilter Films and Bad Robot Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television; based on the film written by Michael Crichton.

Netflix News ‘The Cloverfield Paradox’ streaming immediately after the Super Bowl

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In the near future, a group of international astronauts on a space station are working to solve a massive energy crisis on Earth. The experimental technology aboard the station has an unexpected result, leaving the team isolated and fighting for their survival.

Directed by: Julius Onah
Produced by: J.J. Abrams, p.g.a. and Lindsey Weber, p.g.a.
Story by: Oren Uziel and Doug Jung
Screenplay by: Oren Uziel
Starring: Daniel Brühl, Roger Davies, Elizabeth Debicki, Aksel Hennie, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Chris O’Dowd, John Ortiz, David Oyelowo, and Zhang Ziyi

www.netflix.com/cloverfieldparadox