Elton John is a living legend in the entertainment biz, and Rocketman is an exploration of the musician’s life from unknown to superstar. However, Rocketman promises to include some fantastical elements, and like a good teaser, there’s a hint of it here. The film is in production and set to be released in May of 2019.
About Rocketman
Official Description: The story of Elton John’s life, from his years as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music through his influential and enduring musical partnership with Bernie Taupin.
The trailer for Rocketman shows us Taron Egerton as Elton John. However, the film is, in part, about Bernie Taupin, Elton’s creative partner played by Jamie Bell. Director Dexter Fletcher is a veteran actor with only a few films under his belt. However, next year will feature some of his work in Bohemian Rhapsody as he replaced Bryan Singer midway into production but will not get screen credit.
Rocketman features a cast that includes …
Taron Egerton as Elton John
Jamie Bell as Bernie Taupin
Richard Madden as John Reid
Bryce Dallas Howard as Sheila Eileen
Rocketman looks electric and, if you’ve ever seen John live, you’d understand how important a feeling that is. There’s a reason John is a legend as he puts on epic, three-hour shows of non-stop music. Hit after hit after hit without stopping and here’s hoping the final film captures some of the infectious energy for its runtime. It’ll also be interesting to see how much musical fantasy will drive the biopic forward.
Did this trailer get you excited for Rocketman? Leave your comments below!
Making its debut on Disney Channel and Disney XD simultaneously tonight, MARVEL RISING: SECRET WARRIORS will give fans a lesson in friendship, teamwork, and confidence.
The feature-length animated film piggybacks off of several tie-in comic books and a series of animated shorts called MARVEL RISING: INITIATION, where both mediums introduced us to teenage heroes Ghost-Spider (Dove Cameron), Squirrel Girl (Milana Vayntrub), Ms. Marvel (Kathreen Khavari), and more.
This story centers around Ms. Marvel, or Kamala Khan as she’s known to her high school classmates, an Inhuman who hides this element of her life from most. She’s still a typical teenage girl who gets flack from her mother about sleeping late, playing video games until wee hours of the morning, and daydreaming of boys. She’s very relatable as an outsider just trying to survive, and she’s got her best friend to navigate these awkward years with her. Squirrel Girl, Doreen Green, is equally quirky but exudes silliness and confidence that make her instantly likable.
The civil war of Inhumans isn’t anything new, but little did these two heroes know that there is much more to this war than Inhuman versus Inhuman. There’s a greater threat, and several rouge Inhumans and the alien kind known as the Kree are at the command.
These encounters pair them with other lesser-known heroes America Chavez (Cierra Ramirez), Quake (Chloe Bennet, reprising her live-action role from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), and Captain America’s “Mini-Me” Patriot (Kamil McFadden). Each of these has their own unique background, personality and appearance, rounding out one of the most diverse teams to be assembled in Disney/Marvel animation.
The plot is captivating and fun but tends to drag around the half-way point, as a bunch of new characters are introduced but quickly dismissed. This part of the saga had a very Hunger Games feel to it and having a bunch of unnamed combatants drove this home. The saving grace of this scene was the team’s help of Marvel’s hero du jour Captain Marvel (Kim Raver).
The vibrant characters translate into simplistic animation, which is fitting considering that this saga is geared toward a younger demographic. The classic animation style of black-outlines and solid colors keep the visuals simple and smooth. The story isn’t flashy and crazy and neither is the art.
My only real disappointment in this film was the absence of Ghost-Spider. In the advertisements and promotional materials regarding MARVEL RISING in general, her character seemed like she would be the centerpiece of the saga. She’s not in this film at all.
I’m hoping that this isn’t the last we see of this team of oddballs. The ending left it open for future adventures, and I’m optimistic that Disney/Marvel will take advantage.
Avatar: The Last Airbender is one of the best shows that has been made by Nickelodeon. The series is funny, dark, action-packed, and deeply influenced by East Asian cultures. It creates a rich fantasy world that children and adults get invested in. It led to a great sequel series, a bad live-action film, and, most recently, a live-action Netflix remake. To celebrate this announcement, let’s look at some of the best episodes of the original series.
10. The Blue Spirit – S1, E13
“The Blue Spirit” is an episode that is highly revered by fans of the show. In this episode, Aang goes off to find medicine to help Sokka and Katara. Aang ends up getting captured by Admiral Zhao, who uses the legendary Yuu Yan Archers. Fortunately, Aang is saved by the Blue Spirit, a masked fighter who took on some of the Fire Nation’s finest warriors.
“The Blue Spirit” has the simple, arguably stock plot of the hero who gets caught and needs to be rescued. What makes this episode stand out is how thrilling the escape action is. The episode also has a big twist with the Blue Spirit. It’s revealed that The Blue Spirit is Zuko, who rescued Aang so Zhao wouldn’t get the glory of capturing the Avatar. But Aang sees that there is more in Zuko than the angry Fire Nation servant. Aang offered friendship which Zuko rejects.
9. Sozin’s Comet – S3, E18 – 21
“Sozin’s Comet” was the final episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender and it was an epic conclusion for the show. The four-part episode showed the final confrontation between Aang and the Fire Lord Ozai. In the episode, Zuko reveals that his father will use the passing of Sozin’s Comet to make a final offensive against the Earth Kingdom. This means that Aang may have to break one of his most important personal rules. “Sozin’s Comet” raises the classic moral debate – is it right to kill someone if it means saving others?
“Sozin’s Comet” is over 80 minutes long, so it fits in a number of storylines. These include Aang seemingly running away from the fight, and Ozai anointing his daughter to become the new ruler of the Fire Nation. The latter storyline leads to the teenage girl going insane and various characters playing their part in the final battle. It was fantastically animated, action-packed finale that was a worthy send-off for a great series.
8. The Tales of Ba Sing Se – S2, E15
“The Tales of Ba Sing Se” was an anthology episode, showing what characters got up to while waiting to meet the Earth Kingdom king. The episode told six mini-stories focusing on the main characters, including Toph and Katara having a girly spa day, Sokka entering into a poetry rap contest and Zuko going on a date. The most poignant was The Tale of Iroh where the kindly character goes around the city helping everyone he meets, including a mugger, before finding a solitary place so he can sing “Leaves from a Vine” for his dead son on his birthday. The mini-stories were humorous yet offered moments of character depth like Zuko being unable to let loose despite being with a girl who was interested in him, Toph worrying about her looks and there was a fair amount of emotional reveals.
7. The Storm – S1, E12
“The Storm” is considered one of the best and most important episodes in the series and acted as a origins story for both Aang and Zuko. In the episode memories for both characters are triggered when sailing during a storm. For Aang he looked back on his life at the Southern Air Temple, his friendship with Gyatso, being told he’s the Avatar too early and revealing why he ran away.
Iroh tells the crew on the ship why Zuko was banished and how he got his scar. Zuko was the heir-apparent to the Fire Nation and invited by his father into his war room. But Zuko unwittingly insults his father when he argues against a mission that needlessly put soldiers lives at risk and in a ritual fight the Fire Lord punishes his son.
“The Storm” added a lot of depth to Aang and Zuko’s characters. Aang was smart and a skilled fighter but he was a child, and he had the responsibility of being the Avatar thrust upon him – people are typically told they are the Avatar on their 16th birthday. He had significant responsibilities and ostracised by his peers. While Zuko is a tragic character, who is seeking his father’s approval.
The episode has a great little touch by showing Azula for the first time watching the fight and having a sadistic grin on her face.
6. Appa’s Lost Days – S2 E16
One of the key events in the second season of Avatar: The Last Airbender was the capture of Aang’s sky bison, Appa, which drove Aang to one of his most raged filled moments and led to a major subplot in the series. The episode “Appa’s Lost Days” looks at what happened to Appa between “The Library” and ” The Tales of Ba Sing Se” in an emotionally charged episode.
The episode shows Appa being sold to a Fire Nation circus, being abused by a cruel ringmaster, fight a warthog-porcupine creature, encounter the Kyoshi Warriors and getting captured again when he flies to Ba Sing Se. Anyone who’s an animal lover can’t help but feel for Appa as he faces cruelty and kindness – the episode even won an award from the Humane Society for its portrayal of the mistreatment of animals.
This was an episode packed with story as Appa is forced to explore the world by himself.
5. The Southern Air Temple – S1 E3
“The Southern Air Temple” was the third episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender and the one that expanded the show beyond the South Pole. It also showed how willing Avatar: The Last Airbender was to embrace dark themes.
The episode sees Aang, Katara and Sokka go to the Southern Air Temple, the place Aang was born and raised and he looked for advice from the Air Nomads – unaware of what happened over the previous century. Katara and Sokka try to defend Aang, but they cannot hide the truth, that the Fire Nation had killed all the Air Nomads, including his friend and mentor. In his emotional distress, Aang enters into the Avatar State which leads to many people around the world finding out the Avatar has returned.
On the Zuko front, he has to confront an arrogant commander leading to a duel between two. Zuko wins, and the commander tried to attack Zuko when his back is turned. As Zuko’s Uncle Iroh puts it; even in disgrace, Zuko has more honor.
“The Southern Air Temple” built on the characters, the world, and history, had some funny moments like when Aang and Sokko play a game and has heavy ideas about genocide in a kids’ show.
4. The Puppetmaster – S3 E8
“The Puppetmaster” was a third season episode set when Team Avatar was in the middle of the Fire Nation and find out people from a town have been disappearing when there’s a full moon. The team also meet an old woman called Hama, a waterbender who had escaped from Fire Nation custody and took Katara under her wing, teaching her new skills like getting water out of plants so she could waterbend with it. Hama also reveals why she was captured and how she escaped by developing the technique of bloodbending, an ability to control people through the water in their body. When Hama threatens Team Avatar, Katara ends up using bloodbending to save them, and despite Hama getting recaptured by the Fire Nation, she knew she won because she made Katara use her dark side.
“The Puppetmaster” is one of the darkest episodes in the show’s run, which is saying something. Despite only appearing in one episode Hama was a wonderfully tragic character who has every right to be angry and did what she had to survive. But her anger led to Hama punishing the whole of the Fire Nation. The episode showed that Katara, the kind, mature, caring member of Team Avatar could be driven to take desperate action and she was distressed when she used bloodbending. It sowed the seeds to come.
3. The Southern Raiders – S3 E16
In the third season, “The Southern Raiders” saw Katara and Zuko team up as Katara explores her dark side. In the episode, Zuko helps Katara in her personal quest for vengeance as she seeks to find the man who captured and killed her mother. As they dig deeper into the Fire Nation, Katara becomes more aggressive and violent, torturing Fire Nation soldiers by using bloodbending. But when Katara finally confronts the commander of the raid she discovers a man filled with guilt and remorse and revealed that Katara’s mother sacrificed herself so Katara would be safe.
“The Southern Raiders” was an emotionally charged episode that explored the idea of revenge and it can drive even good people into doing reprehensible actions, and it also looked more in-depth at the relationship between Katara and Zuko because Zuko only helps Katara so he can earn her trust.
2. Zuko Alone – S2 E7
“Zuko Alone” was an important episode focusing on Zuko’s character development. As the title suggests, “Zuko Alone” focuses on Zuko leaving his uncle and striking out for himself. In the episode, Zuko befriends an Earth Kingdom family and mentors their young son – teaching him how to use the dual swords. However, when Zuko defends the town from oppressive Earth Kingdom soldiers, he reveals himself to be a firebender he greats rejected by the town because of his nationality.
“Zuko Alone” had a Western movie plot like Shane where a mysterious outsider who comes to town, works on a farm and protect the residents from bandits – but twists this by having Zuko’s being rejected, showing how ingrained the hatred is between the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation. The effects of war mean that people are not able to see the person behind the nationality. It also shows that despite Zuko’s allegiances, he is a character with a moral code, and he wants to do what is right.
1. The Crossroads of Destiny – S2 E20
“The Crossroads of Destiny” was the second season finale and was a dramatic, action-packed, ending with one heck of a cliffhanger. It was the Empire Strikes Back of the Avatar franchise. The episode was built on all the second season story points, like Aang giving up spiritual enlightenment to save his friends, and Zuko’s loyalties being torn between his nation and his uncle.
The comparison to the Empire Strikes Back is more than just skin deep. Aang is like Luke Skywalker, giving up on his training so he can face his more experienced rival. Zuko’s arc in the series was to find out what he truly needed which put him in a state of spiritual and physical flux but ending up choosing to work with his sister so he could resort his honor and status within the Fire Nation – this despite his emotional connection with Katara when they were placed in jail together. It was an episode that raised the stakes for the third and final series.
What is your favorite episode from Avatar: The Last Airbender? Comment below with your thoughts.
This Action Comics adventure of Superman has screeched to a halt.
There is a threat on the streets of Metropolis and Superman has never noticed it before. There is an organization of street criminals that stay out of Superman’s gaze called the Invisible Mafia. After one of their own accidentally catches the attention of Superman, their leader begins cutting his losses by sending metahuman assassin, Red Cloud, to kill the members. Meanwhile, Clark and the new Daily Planet reporter Ms. Goode have been looking into this mafia from the outside. Clark tries to find the truth while Goode has secretly been working with the Invisible Mafia, but is soon taken off the assignment. By the end, we see that Goode wants insurance if she’ll be going against Superman. She wants Kryptonite.
**Some Spoilers Below**
Story:
We open our story with Goode heading to the Suicide Slums of Metropolis to go pick up kryptonite. She meets with Candy, who makes it very clear that she has to be careful with it. As expected, Kryptonite is one of the words that Superman tries to listen for, which Goode understands. The next day, she secretly takes it into the Daily Planet, and it affects Clark. While he can get away with explaining his reaction was merely something he ate, he realizes who had the radioactive stone. Instead of confronting her, however, Clark uses one of Superman’s best contacts to take the Kryptonite: Batman.
As I continue to read this story, it’s clear Bendis is missing what made the Superman stories of Rebirth great. While the Invisible Mafia is intriguing, last issue ended with Lois Lane and Superman coming face-to-face. Lois has been lying to Clark about her location for months at this point, leading us to believe something has gone wrong. We don’t get anything about that meeting here. If we weren’t going to learn why she is still here, why have her be included in the last issue? The Superman titles have always focused on the family and this needs to be addressed now.
Either include the family or keep them away until another story arc.
Besides that, the plot of this issue felt incredibly rushed and pointless. Goode getting Kryptonite appeared to be a major plot point last time, but by the end of this issue, it’s out of the picture. When you have Batman in your comic, it should be more than him stealing something. In one move, both the Batman cameo and the Kryptonite’s relevance was utterly wasted. The only major impact we had was the death of another Invisible Mafia member. As the issue ended, I was left with one question: What was the point of this chapter?
Art:
Despite the story’s flaws, the art is very well done. Yanick Paquette does a fantastic job illustrating this issue, especially during the Daily Planet scene. When Goode comes in with the Kryptonite, the panel style changes to be more curved and disorienting. This gives the reader the sick feeling of being affected by the Kryptonite as Superman does. The moment it leaves, the panels return to normal. It’s nice creative touches like that which almost saves rough issues such as this. Almost.
Conclusion:
This story needs to come out more frequently or focus up if it wants to stay afloat. Nothing was accomplished in this issue, except for the phenomenal art. Any chance of story progress has either been pushed to the side. Something epic needs to happen next issue if they want to keep readers.
BREAKING DOWN STAR WARS NEWS FROM WEEK 4, September 2018. BECAUSE IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR, AWAY — THERE’S NEVER A DULL MOMENT.
Lucasfilm and Disney didn’t miss a beat this week, pumping out all sorts of Star Wars news from the renewal of Kathleen Kennedy’s contract to a final trailer showcasing the upcoming animated series Star Wars Resistance. Sadly, the series also made national news because of Racheal Butera. Voicing the role of Leia Organa, Butera made a video mocking Dr. Ford on the day of her testimony. Disney and Lucasfilm responded with “no comment,” when asked about the video.
Kathleen Kennedy came under extreme criticism following the release of The Last Jedi this year. The divisive split in Star Wars fandom led many to believe Bob Iger would cut his losses and replace her. Yet, according to the Hollywood Reporter, Kennedy’s contract was renewed and she’ll continue her role as president of Lucasfilm through 2021.
Despite the divisiveness of The Last Jedi, the film did extraordinarily well financially at the box-office and in video sales. After the poor performance of Solo: A Star Wars Story, many were calling for Kennedy’s replacement. Bob Iger, however, took the heat for Solo, stating the timing of its release was his fault.
Kennedy’s run as Lucasfilm President isn’t perfect, but it seems Iger still feels she’s the most qualified for the job. And from a business perspective, it makes sense to renew her contract now while Episode IX is still in the early stages of filming.
Leaked Set Photos From Jon Favreau’s Live-Action Series
Image via Star Making Wars
Filming for Favreau’s live-action television series is expected to begin in the coming weeks. The show will premiere on Disney’s streaming service and is rumored to be about Mandalorian’s following the dismantling of the Empire.
Image via Star Making Wars
Rumors also stated the series would take place on familiar planets like Tatooine and Mandalore. Leaked photos, courtesy of Star Making Wars, likely confirm Tatooine.
Image via Star Making Wars
The very talented Favreau is a huge Star Wars fan. Upon landing the gig he stated in an interview, “If you told me at 11 years old that I would be getting to tell stories in the Star Wars universe, I wouldn’t have believed you. I can’t wait to embark upon this exciting adventure.”
Galaxy Edge Star Wars News Updates
Image via LetsGoMarauders and Walt Disney Studios
Construction for Galaxy’s Edge is well underway, set to open summer 2019 in Disneyland, and fall/winter 2019 in Disney World. The park recently made Star Wars news with the announcement of it serving alcohol in “Oga’s Cantina.” While Disney parks have never served alcohol beverages before, the cantina marks an important turning point in Disney’s long-held traditions.
Image via u/ImaginationCrafterYT Reddit
Of course, serving alcohol isn’t just about honoring the cantina tradition. Ultimately, it all boils down to profit.
“Today, alcohol is perceived differently than it was 60 years ago, that’s for sure,” stated president of International Theme Park Services Inc Dennis Speigel. “At one time nobody served alcohol. But it does have a higher profit margin than anything, including food.”
Other Star Wars News
Image via Lucasfilm and Disney Studios
Rumors are still flying around regarding Episode IX. While most could care less about a Force ghost Snoke, Rey’s parents were back in the number one Star Wars news spot. According to a leak from the Daily Express, a storyboard reveals ghost-like images of Rey’s parents.
This could be a vision she receives, or it’s a concept which didn’t make the cut. It’s also possible Kylo Ren was lying about Rey’s lineage but is J.J. Abrams ready to retcon one of Rian Johnson’s main themes from The Last Jedi? Let us know in the comments if Rey should remain a nobody.
Xbox One X Solo Custom Console Sweepstakes
Image via Microsoft
With the home release of Solo: A Star Wars Story is the chance to win a custom Xbox One X. Entry cut-off for this one-of-a-kind console is September 30th.
Force Ghost Luke Skywalker Rumor
Competing with Rey’s parents’ rumor is that of Luke Skywalker bringing down a Star Destroyer in Episode IX. While this sounds like fanfiction, such an event did occur in Star Wars Legends. After seeing Yoda’s power as a Force ghost in TLJ, it’s possible Luke could perform such a daring feat. Plus, it would satisfy many in fandom who were displeased with Johnson’s take on Skywalker’s character.
Having Luke pull a Star Destroyer out of the skies would be fitting. After all, it was Darth Vader’s apprentice (Galen Marek/Starkiller) who performed such a feat in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.
Stay current on all Star Wars news related items with The Weekly Spiel, and throughout the week here on Monkeys Fighting Robots. Let us know in the comments what Star Wars news excited you the most this week. And what might have let you down? Until next time, “May the Force be with you, always.”
MY HERO ACADEMIA wraps up its third season with a fine episode. Considering all that’s happened this season, “Unrivaled” does feel like a drop in action. We’ve seen Miroriya vs Bakugo, we’ve seen All Might vs All For One, and several other dynamic battles. The quick work third-year Mirio Togata makes of 1-A is almost a let down. That said, it’s still a solid episode, and has some good action and reveals. The only disappointment comes from knowing how long it’ll be until a new episode comes out.
While MY HERO ACADEMIA takes a small break before season four, the series sets up the work study program. Unlike the internships, the kids will get real field experience with the work study, like they’re sidekicks. Togata’s sparring session makes it clear how much the program can up 1-A’s game. It’s a classic MY HERO ACADEMIA beat – Class 1-A is strong, Midoriya’s a degree above with his analysis, but they all have a ways to go.
“Unrivaled” does set up a potential conflict between Midoriya and Togata. The third-year student is a level above all 1-A, but even he recognizes Midoriya as a “problem child.” Furthermore, it’s hard to not see a young All Might in Togata. Perhaps the two’s mutual worship of All Might will lead to conflict? Now that MY HERO ACADEMIA has put Midoriya and Bakugo to rest (kind of), a Midoriya vs Togata rivalry could be an exciting focus. “Unrivaled” gives us enough of this new rivalry to deliver a solid episode.
We also get hints at some new figures. “Hints” being the operative word, since we get very little of what these new characters are about. The other third years are comedic characters, but don’t have much beyond their comedy. Overhaul and “Sir,” the hero that supposedly trained Togata, are interesting new characters that will undoubtedly keep season four moving fast. However, the fact this storyline only pops up at the end is a bit of a disappointment. Cliffhangers work, but with an otherwise standard episode, going into this new conflict more would’ve been a blast.
MY HERO ACADEMIA does not fully disappoint with “Unrivaled,” because it’s a good episode. The feeling of disappointment comes from how dynamic the rest of the season has been comparatively. Therefor, “Unrivaled” shifts in quality whether you view it as a regular episode, or a season finale. Either way, it’s still a good episode, and if you need more of a MHA fix, you can go see the movie. Until then, we can only imagine how Togata, Overhaul, and All For One will cause trouble for Midoriya.
Sony Pictures released the first trailer to Holmes and Watson Friday night.
The Step Brothers are reunited – this time playing the world’s greatest consulting detective and his loyal biographer – as Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly star as Holmes & Watson.
Holmes and Watson is written and directed by Etan Cohen and stars Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Rebecca Hall, Rob Brydon, Kelly Macdonald, and Ralph Fiennes.
This movie looks ridiculous, but Fiennes as Moriarty could be acting clinic like no other, plus, Hugh Laurie makes a cameo as Sherlock’s brother Mycroft.
The world’s greatest detective returns to theaters on December 21, which is a crowded slate. Alita: Battle Angel, Aquaman, and Bumblebee come out on the same day. Holmes and Watson is alternative programming and could be successful with the older audiences over the holiday weekend. Ferrell has had many successful films (Elf, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Blades of Glory, Step Brothers) but they are usually followed up by a bomb (Kicking and Screaming, Bewitched, Semi-Pro, Land of the Lost, The House). His last film Daddy’s Home 2 grossed $104 million on a $69 million budget, that would be considered a ‘wash’ by Paramount.
What did you think of the Holmes and Watson trailer, will you see it opening night? Comment below with your thoughts.
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga, Sam Elliott, Dave Chappelle, Andrew Dice Clay, and Anthony Ramos.
Synopsis: Seasoned musician Jackson Maine discovers — and falls in love with — struggling artist Ally. She has just about given up on her dream to make it big as a singer until Jackson coaxes her into the spotlight. But even as Ally’s career takes off, the personal side of their relationship is breaking down, as Jackson fights an ongoing battle with his own internal demons.
Some might say that four versions of the same movie is a few too many, but when the latest attempt is as remarkably powerful and utterly raw as Bradley Cooper’s, you’ve just got to shut up, sit back and enjoy the ride.
Cooper, who worked as a director, co-writer, actor, songwriter, and producer on the film, absolutely dominates all areas of filmmaking, reaching heights that one rarely reaches with a directorial debut. Cooper shows excellent skill behind the camera, creating a unique visual style for A Star Is Born, while simultaneously telling a compelling story and giving the actors enough material and freedom to deliver some genuinely breathtaking performances. While some story beats will feel familiar to anyone that’s seen the previous versions, Cooper differentiates his remake by making necessary changes to the material and exploring the characters in more depth.
More than any of the others, this telling of A Star Is Bornspends more time and focuses more heavily on the personal journey that the two characters are on. The script, which Cooper wrote with Eric Roth and Will Fetters, delves further into Jackson and Ally as individuals and explores the relationship between them more intimately and compellingly. These two characters are on two very different paths, as one rises into the spotlight and the other falls from it, but the script does a brilliant job of bringing those two stories together and maintaining a tight focus on the love between Jackson and Ally. The script should also be recognized and applauded for making the relationship more two-sided, with Jackson and Ally working together as equal partners in both their relationship and their professional lives.
The most significant difference between Cooper’s A Star Is Born, , and any other version is undoubtedly the way that Ally (Lady Gaga) is represented and it’s that very difference that makes this the definitive telling of the Hollywood tale. Gaga’s version of the character takes a more active role in the story, and instead of being handed everything on a silver platter, Ally creates her path and achieves success for herself, with only a small nudge from Cooper’s character. On more than one occasion we see Ally refuse to be made a fool of or be mistreated.
Gaga delivers a phenomenal and utterly breathtaking performance as Ally, proving herself to be not only a brilliant vocalist but also an extraordinary actor. It couldn’t have been easy to follow legends like Judy Garland or Barbra Streisand, but Gaga makes the role her own and unquestionably nails her performance. As for Cooper, the writer/director’s work in front of the camera is every bit as impressive as his work behind it. While as an actor Cooper has racked up his fair share of memorable roles, he delivers a career-best performance here, and the fact that he has an excellent singing voice (god really does give with two hands) also helps. Watching the film, it’s evident in every frame, and every passing second that both Cooper and Gaga care deeply about the story they’re telling and the characters that they’re portraying, which makes it easier to believe and fall in love with what they have created. It’s always thrilling to watch a movie knowing that everyone involved worked their absolute hardest to deliver a unique experience.
Another advantage that Cooper’s remake has over the other versions is the more profound message and the underlying theme about what it means to be a musician/artist and staying true to who you are, no matter what the world throws at you. Instead of merely giving us an entertaining story with great music and stopping there, Cooper ensured that his film had something to say and by implanting that theme within his story, the director has guaranteed his film will stand the test of time.
A Star Is Born does run into some minor issues when it comes to pacing, as the story seems to lose a bit of the momentum in the third act. However, the two great performances and the remarkable soundtrack (I’d recommend downloading) help to give the film a boost and thanks to some of those truly brilliant original tracks, the film never reaches a point where it feels too long or boring.
OVERALL
Not only is A Star Is Born an outstanding directorial debut for Cooper, it’s a brilliantly acted re-telling of the classic Hollywood story, and despite some minor pacing issues, the film never fails to bring a smile or tear. I will be astonished if we’re not talking more about this film, its performances, and its soundtrack when it comes to the Academy Awards.
The trailer for Look Away follows the lonely Maria played India Eisley and quickly reveals it’s a film with a sinister, supernatural twist as Maria’s reflection, her dark side, has a mind of its own. Look Away will hit U.S. Theaters on October 12, 2018.
About Look Away
Official Description: A lonely 18-year-old high schooler opens up to her reflection because of the lack of support she has from family or friends. However, when she switches places with her reflection, the new-found freedom unleashes suppressed feelings and a sinister dark side.
The trailer forLook Away impressively sets up the entire movie in just the opening two seconds. When Maria (India Eisley) looks down into the sink, but instead her reflection looks up, viewers now know a lot with very little. The rest of the trailer sets up the bullies that Maria faces at school, the emotional, and perhaps physical abuse she endures at home, and what her dark side starts doing about it.
Look Away features a cast that includes …
Jason Isaacs as Dan
Mira Sorvino as Amy
India Eisley as Maria / Airam
Harrison Gilbertson as Sean
Penelope Mitchell as Lily
Adam Hurtig as English Teacher
Kristen Harris as Naomi
John C. MacDonald as Mark
Connor Peterson as younger brother
Cristina Segovia as (voice)
Burt Lancon as Coach
Tyson Wagner as Student
Jordan Butterill as Jordan, the Posse Member
Look Away appears to be some love-child of Carrie and BlackSwan which is not a bad thing at all. Both films delve into the darker side of humanity, one focused on female adolescence and the other on a female’s drive and passion consuming her. It’s a cinematic baby with a lot of potential. Look Away has us all looking closely at where this thriller will go.
Did this trailer get you excited for Look Away? Leave your comments below!
Composer Jeff Morrow knows science fiction with work on films like Ant-Man, and the longtime music maker turns his talents on a documentary film called Science Fair that centers around the best of the best science students in the world. Science Fair is popping up all over the world at festivals in a slow rollout this Fall.
Monkeys Fighting Robots snuck into Jeff’s musical laboratory (not really, we talked on the phone) to ask him about his career, working with Marvel, and Science Fair.
From Jazz to Composing
Everyday life is a giant pool musicians sample from “I’m always listening to find different kinds of sounds.”
Jeff’s early career includes a lot of Canadian TV shows and indie films “I was a jazz trombonist for the beginning of my musical career. I went to school for classical and jazz. I dropped off my jazz trombone demo CD at a music production company in Toronto … they were looking for someone to write music for TV shows. Two weeks later I was writing the score to my first TV show. It was an amazing opportunity.”
Looking back on his road to becoming a composer “It was one of those things I thought was impossible because I didn’t know anyone who did it. I was always really into film music. I remember as a kid listening to Hans Zimmer soundtracks and being blown away. Of course, the usuals like John Williams and I’m also into Bernard Herman. It became possible, and I’ve been doing it ever since.”
Jeff’s filmography reveals his versatility. What’s the secret to switching thematic gears? “It’s important to learn how to find your way into a film. Get behind the story; try to figure out a through-line. It’s the real skill. That applies to any genre; it’s the same skillset, but now you have to find your way into a story.”
How did Jeff end up as part of the MCU family? “I moved to Los Angeles I was fortunate to work under the mentorship of Christophe Beck. Ant-Man and Ant-Man and the Wasp are enormous projects. It’s a team working to produce Christophe’s vision and create this 100-minute, cohesive score.”
About Science Fair
Science Fair follows nine students from around the world who converge at an event known as the “Olympics of science fairs.” Naturally, Jeff wants people to watch the doc, and you can hear the bit of joy the film brings him when he says “It’s pretty special.”
“The way the movie starts … you can’t help but smile.” Watch the trailer (below) to understand precisely what Jeff is talking about.
The process to create the soundtrack to Science Fair was a bit of a science project in and of itself “In the case of Science Fair, my idea was ‘what if these kids had science fair projects to create synthesizers’ and that became the sound of the score. I bought these synths that are very DIY and lo-fi; spent a lot of time mashing buttons and switching wires to see what sounds these things would spit out. I sampled that and built the score around that.”
Wrapping Up
Now that the science fair is over, what’s next? “In the new year, I’ll be working on a film … called Hammer. It’s shooting right now. I just finished a short directed by Gillian Jacobs, a thriller. We worked on the Netflix film Ibiza and got connected by the director for this short. It’s online now.”
My last question begins like so: Except for John Williams and Hans Zimmer, “This is already a good question,” name a composer working today whose work you admire? “Oh, man, Micah Levy, I’m a huge fan of hers. The score for both Under the Skin and Jackie are really amazing. The scores are so creative, sound so different, and are so evocative. I’m also a huge fan of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. I feel like they kind of jumped into this film scoring thing and injected it with some new ideas.”
Thanks to Jeff Morrow and Impact24 PR for making this interview possible.
Will you be watching Science Fair? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below!
