The Invitation, Karyn Kusama’s dinner-party thriller, has a new full trailer. And it’s absolutely unnerving. It revolves around a man (Logan Marshall-Green), invited to a dinner party hosted by his ex-wife and her new husband. And things are, to put it lightly, not cool.
Here is the trailer:
Kusama, whose underrated thriller Jennifer’s Body has found a cult following in recent years, has loaded this film with sideways glances and paranoia. The Invitation kicked off the 2015 SXSW Festival in Austin, and has been building momentum ever since. “It’s like, How do you describe a rollercoaster?” Kusama says of her film. “You’ve just got to get on the rollercoaster!”
This is right in my wheelhouse, the close-quartered thriller with twists and turns and shocking revelations. The Invitation also stars John Carroll Lynch, Tammy Blanchard, Michael Huisman, and Emayatzy Corinealdi. It will be released theatrically and On Demand April 8.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is currently filming, and director James Gunn is playing for his next contract from Marvel Studios and Disney.
In behavior normally reserved for professional athletes, Gunn started to lay the groundwork for a new deal during his Facebook Q&A when asked about whether or not he will continue his relationship with Marvel.
“Right now I really am just concerned with doing Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. I’m not sure what I’m going to do after this… Marvel has talked to me about continuing on. I’m not sure if that’s what I want to do or if that’s not what I want to do. I really just want to make Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 the greatest possible movie that I can, and something that’s as honest and sincere and true as it can possibly be,” said Gunn.
Gunn is very sincere when he talks about making the best film possible, but he still wants to wait and see how much money Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 makes at the box office before he signs on for a third film. Gunn is a prized free agent after the success of Guardians of the Galaxy. It is practical to think he’s fielding as many offers as possible for other studios. Gunn 45, is still relatively young in his career, and he probably has other stories he would like to bring to the big screen. Unlike professional sports, Gunn does not have a finite about of time to make his films, the opportunities will be there after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Do you think Gunn and Marvel will come to terms for a third film?
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is written and directed by James Gunn and stars Bradley Cooper, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Michael Rooker, Vin Diesel, Zoe Saldana, Kurt Russell, and Pom Klementieff.
The Cosmic Heroes return to the big screen on May 5, 2017.
Picking up after the previous issue, the team is stranded on a planet with the Decepticon Justice Division baring down on them. Luckily, the Division’s leader Tarn decides to back off and let them suffer by saying they will be back at sunset. The team has no choice but to take inventory and assess the situation and it’s while they take stock of where they stand the issue starts to soar.
They find a way off the planet but find the basement is full of innocents in stasis pods. The team has no choice but to stay behind to protect them. Through this need to protect more of the explanation behind Megatron’s evolution and recent behavior is revealed. He has been experiencing the cries of organics when they are in pain and it has helped him to understand there isn’t such a big gap between cybernetic and biological life. His change from being the supreme villain of the series to a sympathetic hero is not only believable but has become one of the highlights of the series.
The art keeps the same intense level of quality is has since the series began. The scenes of destruction and tension wouldn’t succeed as well if not for the exceptional mix of color and shading. The montage scene where Ten is assaulted particularly of note as it conveys the absolute carnage from the beating he receives.
The real surprise in this issues comes from the ending. You won’t find any spoilers here but let’s just say the team might have some backup after all. If you are a Transformers fan this continues to be one the definitive series you should be reading.
With all the hysteria surrounding Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, it’s a reminder that Summer movie season is upon us. It’s tough sometimes to decide which films are worth your hard earned dollars. Maybe you have your mind made up, perhaps you don’t even know what’s coming for you when the mercury rises. Here’s a little look at some summer movies that will sink, soar, or surprise audiences:
Five Movies That Will Soar at the Summer Box-Office:
1.The Jungle Book
The Jungle Book is the type of Disney movie that will appeal to all ages. Jon Favreau has a tremendous directorial record. His films have already amassed $963 million in ticket revenue at the box-office, and that track record will continue this summer as The Jungle Book hit theaters. The special effects and an A-list cast that includes the voices of Bill Murray and Idris Elba make The Jungle Book’s an easy call. It (unofficially) kicks off the summer movie season April 15th.
2. Captain America: Civil War
Marvel is adapting one of the most infamous stories in the Marvel Universe. With promises of a surprising ending and captivating fight sequences, this movie should make a bajillion bucks this summer. On name recognition alone, people will be drawn to this film, and seeing two iconic comic book characters leading teams into battle will make this a hot ticket item. Captain America: Civil War opens up May 6th.
3. Finding Dory
People cannot fully grasp how big a deal Finding Dory is going to be this summer. Remember, Finding Nemo made $936 million in ticket revenue worldwide. Plus, Ellen Degeneres will more than likely use her TV Show to help push the film, which will certainly draw an even wider audience to the theater. Nemo brought in plenty of families to the cinema, and there’s no doubt the forgettable blue fish will do so the same. Finding Dory opens up June 17th.
4. Jason Bourne
Matt Damon returns with Paul Greengrass directing. I’m in, and most of America will be in as well. Matt Damon has mass appeal and generates ticket sales. According to Box-Office Mojo, the three Bourne movies with Matt Damon have made a whopping $623 million in ticket sales. Once it was evident TheBourne Legacy with Jeremy Renner taking over the lead had no mass appeal, it was only a matter of time before Matt Damon would return to the role and with it the promise of box-office success. Jason Bourne returns to theaters on July 29th.
5. Suicide Squad
While the world is still taking its shots at Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, waiting in the wings is the truly “original” adaptation of Suicide Squad. David Ayer is in the driver’s seat of a picture that focuses on a group of supervillains assembled in the hopes of saving the world. The cast – Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto, and Viola Davis (to name a few) are ready to introduce the world to a different type of superhero. Suicide Squad opens August 5th.
Five Movies That Will Suffer At The Summer Box-Office
1. The Legend Of Tarzan
No one will argue that The Legend Of Tarzan doesn’t look cool. I’m just not sure where the audience for this movie is going to come from. Is there a massive groundswell of people who want to see another attempt at making Tarzan? It’s also slated to go up against the BFG and The Secret Life Of Pets the week of its release, which means it’s either going to be a three-film race for #1 that week at the box-office, or one will is going to perform poorly. And I’m betting it’s the one that kids won’t be clamoring to see. The Legend Of Tarzan opens on July 1st.
2. Star Trek Beyond
With word that this movie is undergoing reshoots and adding cast members, Star Trek Beyond has all the potential of being quite an epic failure for this franchise. Maybe J.J. backed away because he knew that Star Trek could only go so far? Star Trek Beyond opens up July 22nd.
3. X-Men: Apocalypse
X-Men: Apocalypse will continue the growing trend of X-Men films underperforming at the box-office. While 20th Century Fox has visions of a repeat of Deadpool’s ticket sales, they really will be lucky if they are in the top 10 this summer. X-Men: Apocalypse will be released weeks after Captain America: Civil War and to be honest the hysteria from Captain America will be still in high gear thus taking away from X-Men Apocalypses bottom line. Itopens up May 27th.
4. Alice Through The Looking Glass
While I understand why this movie was made (Alice In Wonderland made almost a billion dollars domestically), people won’t be drawn to this film the same way the were with the first one. This movie will be proof that when you go to particular source material too much, eventually you get burned. Plus it’s being released the same weekend as X-Men: Apocalypse and mere weeks after Captain America: Civil War. This log-jam at the box-office will certainly benefit some films and not others. Plus, society is collectively tired of Johnny Depp, right?
5. Sausage Party
I can’t see a scenario where this movie will make money. The market for this film is too narrow. This film is destined for DVD sooner rather than later, where it will most certainly find a cult following. Sausage Party will be released August 12th.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBdeE7mzED4
Five Movies That Will Exceed Expectations At The Summer Box-Office
1. Money Monster
George Clooney and Julia Roberts star in a movie that deals with how corrupt our financial institutions are. Jodi Foster is a great director and with this type of cast and thrillers with political leanings; it’s destined for success. Don’t let the May 17th release date fool you; this film has the potential to have staying power throughout the summer.
2. Free State Of Jones
Matthew McConaughey in a film that involves explosions and dramatic speeches (Cha-Ching). He’s a box-office draw period. This film opens up June 24th.
3. Ghostbusters
For all the negativity this film is drawing, one thing people have to remember is that Paul Feig knows how to write comedy. According to boxofficemojo.com, Paul Feig movies have grossed $498 million in ticket sales and have averaged $124 million domestically. There will be a core group of people who see this film for nostalgia reasons as well as a nucleus of individuals who will see it supporting the idea of an all-female cast. Sony wouldn’t have trusted this beloved franchise with someone who they didn’t have faith in or hasn’t produced results. Paul Feig, Leslie Jones, and the rest of the cast will be laughing when this film far exceeds the diminished expectations it currently has. Ghostbusters opens up July 15th.
4. BFG
Every child from about third grade on has read the BFG. Kids will be drawn to this film and their parents as well. It’s got the Disney behind it and to enhance matters, it has one of the greatest directors of all time in Steven Speilberg.
5. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows – While the idea of a second TMNT movie certainly makes me want to punch a wall, there is no denying how popular these films are. The reboot of TMNT made $194 million at the box-office. In the sequel, we not only can confirm The Shredder is back, but we know that Bebop and Rocksteady along with Krang are joining in the fray. This film hits theaters June 3rd.
Five predictions about the summer box-office
1.Money Monster will finish in the top ten for box-office ticket sales this summer.
2.Independence Day 2: Resurgence will prove how big a draw Will Smith was to Independence Day as the sequel will fail to finish in the Top 10 this summer.
3.The biggest flop this summer will be Star Trek Beyond.
4.Ghostbusters will finish in the Top 10 of box-office ticket sales this summer.
It’s not often you get to mention Sofia Coppola and Clint Eastwood in the same sentence, but today is one of those special days. Coppola has announced her next directorial project, The Beguiled — a remake of Don Siegel’s 1971 Civil War melodrama starring Eastwood —and joining her down the long road to the South is Kirsten Dunst, her long-time muse, Somewhere co-star Elle Fanning and first-time Coppola participant Nicole Kidman. Focus Features will produce and distribute. Expect some out-of-time period music cues along the way.
Tracking Board got the exclusive. The remake is Coppola’s first theatrical outing since 2013’s mixed bag The Bling Ring. It also comes after her Netflix-exclusive holiday special A Very Murray Christmas from last fall, which (in this humble writer’s opinion) was a mild return to form. This is the first project the Lost in Translation filmmaker has been attached to since she jumped ship from Universal’s live-action The Little Mermaid remake this past June.
Based on the Southern Gothic novel of the same name by Thomas P. Cullian, Coppola’s The Beguiled will tell a new take on the tale, which centers on a young girl from an all-female boarding school who crosses paths with an injured Union solider. As the school takes him in for recovery, he quickly works his charm on all the ladies, and soon they fight one another to earn his attention. This male character was played by, of course, Eastwood in Siegel’s film, and the producers are currently looking for a “Chris Pratt type” to fill his war-torn shoes.
Meanwhile, Kidman is set to play Martha Farnsworth, the Head Mistress of the school whom Academy Award-winner Geraldine Page played in the original. Fanning, meanwhile, plays a girl residing in the house, while Dunst plays one of their teachers. This marks the latter’s third collaboration with the filmmaker, behind The Virgin Suicides and Marie Antoinette.
In addition to directing, Coppola will also write this new film, and produce it alongside her brother, Roman. Though the time period is unfamiliar to the auteur, the material sounds exactly in her wheelhouse, and hopefully she’ll find a way to make it not quite as vapid and airy as her last couple features (unfortunately) have been. There’s room for subtext and character analyzing on par with her first two films here, but whether or not she lives up to that challenge is anyone’s guess. We might be looking at a losing battle here, but I’m holding out hope.
Alright folks, I got some good news and some bad news for you. The bad news? That Election reunion you wanted — with Reese Witherspoon teaming up to work with director Alexander Payne again — isn’t gonna happen with Downsizing, the filmmaker’s latest. But the good news? Kristen Wiig has stepped up to the plate to fill in her shrunken shoes, as she reunites with her The Martian co-star Matt Damon to star in the ambitious new sci-fi comedy.
Deadline, who initially reported on the news, states scheduling is the reason for Witherspoon’s departure. It’s possible her commitment to the mini-series Big Little Lieswith Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Adam Scott and her Wild co-star Laura Dern is the root of her timing issue. The upcoming HBO program started filming in January, and it’s unclear when it’ll wrap. With production on Downsizing starting sometime this spring, it’s possible the turnout was too short to make it work for the ever-busy Tracy Flick.
Regardless, Wiig will join the ensemble alongside Damon, Christoph Waltz, Neil Patrick Harris and Jason Sudeikis instead. And it’ll tell the story of an Omaha man (Damon) who participates in a groundbreaking new procedure that reduces people to a fraction of their original size, hoping to save on our diminishing natural resources. Think a more existential Ant-Man or Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. Wiig, Waltz, Harris and/or Sudeikis will likely play members of the tiny communities that now sprout up around the world. It’s also safe to presume Damon and Wiig will play mini-love interests for one another. Love is in small things, like they say.
A passion project of Payne’s for years, Downsizing marks the most large-scale production the indie director has hosted yet, even if it’s focused on people who are many times smaller. It’ll be the director’s third film under Paramount, who also distributed Nebraska and the aforementioned Election. It’ll also find Wiig returning to the sci-fi comedy genre, after working on this summer’s Ghostbusters reboot and the Golden Globes-approved “comedy smash” The Martian. It’s hard to say where this one will end up, but Wiig has proven herself highly versatile as a dramatic actress of late with The Skeleton Twins, Welcome to Me, Nasty Baby and, most especially, The Diary of a Teenage Girl. Don’t expect this one to diminish her creditability in any way.
You get it? Because the movie’s called Downsizin….. You get it. You totally get it.
This week’s episode of Supergirl featured the much-anticipated Flash crossover. A rare visit between superheroes from different Earth’s and different networks. Flash (Grant Gustin) arrives just in time to help Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) battle Siobhan Smythe (Italia Ricci) who has transformed into Silver Bansheeas she teams with Livewire (Brit Morgan). Supergirl helps Flash find the way back to his Earth. Flash shows the maid of might what it means to be a superhero. Fingers crossed this is the first of future crossovers! The energy between the Flash and Supergirl is infectious.
SPOILERS FOLLOW….
After last week’s sonic outburst, a concerned Winn (Jeremy Jordan) takes Siobhan to the DEO in hope that they can figure out what happened to her. The DEO can’t do much except identify her scream power – good job DEO. Siobhan sees Livewire being held prisoner and makes a mental note. A frustrated Siobhan decides to take revenge on Kara by scream blasting her out the window. Before Kara can react she gets saved by Flash, who has for some reason run into this Earth. (Apparently the reason will be explained in Flash.) Flash and Supergirl become instant friends. In one of the best moments of the season, Kara introduces Barry to James (Mehcad Brooks) and Winn. She’s amazed by the fact that there are multiple Earths, and one Earth has a person who can retrieve ice cream in the blink of an eye. He’s tickled pink that she’s a super strong alien. Winn is giddy with excitement about the possibilities of endless Earths. James though is not happy to have Kara’s attention on this scarlet speedster. It’s quite entertaining seeing a jealous James. Throughout the scene, Gustin and Benoist play off of each other with natural ease. After the doom and gloom of Batman vs. Superman, it’s a joy to see superheroes who enjoy being superheroes.
Siobhan proceeds to break Livewire out of her DEO prison. The two join forces to kill Supergirl, Kara and Kat Grant (Calista Flockhart). They both hate Kat for past business dealings. For some reason Siobhan decides she must look like a Banshee. Therefore, she dons a silly costume. Livewire challenges Supergirl to come and get her, and Flash being more experienced warns Supergirl they need a plan. Supergirl anxious to get back into the good graces of the people she loves to protect convinces Barry they don’t. They track down Livewire only for Barry to first try to electrocute her, kind of a lame move. Banshee working with Livewire catches the two heroes off guard delivering a good beating. The Maid of Might and the Scarlet Speedster use super breath and wind power to knock the bad girls down to retreat to fight another day. A strange choice as at the moment the heroes had the upper hand. Of course, Kara could use freeze breath or heat vision and be done with them. That’s the dilemma of being a “good guy”, you have to defeat evil without stooping to its levels.
When they regroup Kara admits she acted rash being desperate to get the people to trust her. (Heck not even helping them put together their Ikea furniture has won them back.) Barry assures Kara that the people will come around in time. It’s best not to rush into things. The bad gals nab Cat and take her to the park for the final showdown with the innocent folks of National City as bystanders. Thanks to ear buds Barry worked up Banshee’s screams can’t throw them off-balance. The heroes are still at a disadvantage because they are concerned with collateral damage. The evil duo has no such qualms. Livewire tries to shoot down a news chopper flying over the crowd. Supergirl throws herself in the path of the bolt, saving the chopper and the masses, but is badly weakened in the process. The people realizing that Supergirl was willing to sacrifice herself stand up to Livewire and Banshee. Finally, Supergirl has her city back. The problem is, there might not be much of a town left when Banshee and Livewire get done with it. Before the bad girls can wreak havoc, the fire department blasts them with water. Livewire short-circuits and takes out Banshee with her. Yep, the day has been saved by a big hose.
In a way, it was nice that the citizen of the city stood up for Supergirl. The problem is it doesn’t feel quite as earned as it could have. It might have worked better for a battered Supergirl to force herself up off the ground to take out Livewire right before she could harm the onlookers. But that’s just a choice the writers went with. You have to respect it.
On the bright side, Flash gave the National City police a way to hold super humans. This means they all super criminals now will receive fair trials. Not sure why Barry hasn’t done this in his world, though.
Towards the end of the hour, we are greeted with the cool classic race between Flash and Supergirl. But even this isn’t really a competition per say. Instead, the race functions as a way for the two heroes to combine their speed so Supergirl can throw Flash through a wormhole back to his world. Another touching moment as we see two great heroes working together. Batman and Superman should be taking notes.
We end with Kara finally kissing James. Of course, nothing is ever easy when you have a bunch of super powered aliens plotting to take over the Earth. James and seemingly everybody else in National City is now under the influence of Kara’s evil Uncle-in-law Non. Next week will be fun.
One last nitpick, Cat pretty quickly figured out that “cousin Barry” was the Flash. This only makes it more of a shame the show copped out early in the season by tricking Cat into thinking Kara wasn’t Supergirl. They need to reverse that choice next season.
Summary, another strong showing for the Girl of Steel. The Glee (pardon the pun) Flash brought to the show was fantastic.
There were also some of the best one-liners of the season.
“Who doesn’t like donuts?”
“The attractive but nonthreatening racially diverse cast of a CW show.”
“Sounds like somebody whose only super power is jumping out of an alley with a trench coat.”
“Like an evil Taylor Swift squad.” (Really is there any other kind.)
“Settle this like women. What there’s more of you guys here than me…”
Oscar-Winning actress Patty Duke had died at the age of 69. Her agent, Mitchell Stubbs, said she died from sepsis caused by a ruptured intestine. She passed away in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho.
In 1962 Ms. Duke won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker – the story of how Keller learned to communicate. At the time she [Duke] became the youngest actress to win the honor at 16.
Patty Duke gained further notoriety in her well-known role in the teen comedy series, “The Patty Duke Show,” where she starred at identical cousins Patty and Cathy Lane. Where the character Patty Lane was a lively, talkative, adventurous teen, Cathy was the perfect foil of poise, intelligence, and sophistication. Ms. Duke starred in this show from 1963-1966 (she also appeared in 2 episodes of the series as a third identical cousin, southern belle Betsy).
In a turn of irony, the producer of The Patty Duke Show, producer Sydney Shelton noticed that Ms. Duke has two distinct sides to her personality and that is how the concept for the show was born. At the time no one knew, not even Patty Duke, that she suffered from Bipolar Disorder.
Duke has a tumultuous acting career and personal life – not all due to her illness. She was married four times and, it has been reported, had several affairs. One said affair resulted in the confusion over the paternity of her son Sean Astin – it was later revealed that he was the son of a lover turned brief husband, rock producer Michael Tell.
Later on in life Duke became well-known as a mental health advocate after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1982. She wrote about her struggles in her 1987 autobiography Call Me Anna. She was the first celebrity to go public about her bipolar disorder and heavily contributed to the de-stigmatization of the disease.
Ms. Duke is survived by her fourth husband Michael Pearce, her son’s Sean and Mackenzie Astin and adopted son Kevin Pearce, as well as three granddaughters.
People have been trying for years to reinvent the action movie. Everything has been attempted from adding more explosions to importing movies emphasizing the use of trained marital artists as the actors, all in an effort to please the ever evolving film going fans. With every attempt the goal has always been to give fans the authentic feeling, no, the actual rush of adrenaline which comes from putting an actor in a peerless situation and watching it play out. Now a new film will give fans an experience like no other by letting them live the story.
Hardcore Henry is a new film where the entire thing is shot from the perspective of the main character, Henry. The audience will feel the experience the intensity as Henry works to fight against an army of mercenaries in an effort to rescue his wife (Haley Bennett). Through the interaction and perspective shots you, the viewer will feel like you are living the experience of the film from every bullet flying at you to every intense struggle as Henry tries to ward off attackers.
The look of this film seems to give the impression the result will either be of one of two possibilities: If it’s a good film, a new way to watch movies will be born which perfectly integrates with the D-Box and 3-D features in theaters and while at home it would be the ideal use for the slew of Virtual Reality headssets which are to be released later this year. If it’s bad (or even mediocre), it will be dismissed and compared to shaky cam failures trying to modify a genre which people have been enjoying for decades.
Will this be the new dawn of a new age of cinema or will it be another bland attempt to fix something most people feel isn’t’ really broken? To find out which result will ring true, check out Hardcore Henry when it opens on April 8th 2016. You can also attend the special Fathom Events screening on April 7th and watch a special Q & A feature with the director.
Marvel Studios released a new international trailer Monday for Captain America: Civil War.
The trailer has some good banter between the Black Widow and Hawkeye, but, unfortunately, no new footage of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man.
“We’re still friends, right?” – Black Widow
“Depends on how hard you hit me.” – Hawkeye
Captain America: Civil War is directed by Anthony & Joe Russo from a screenplay by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely, Captain America: Civil War picks up where Avengers: Age of Ultron left off, as Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) leads the new team of Avengers in their continued efforts to safeguard humanity. After another international incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability and a governing body to determine when to enlist the services of the team. The new status quo fractures the Avengers while they try to protect the world from a new and nefarious villain.
The film stars Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Chadwick Boseman, Emily VanCamp, Daniel Brühl, Frank Grillo, William Hurt, Tom Holland, and Martin Freeman.
Captain America: Civil War is set for release on May 6.
