The Lobster- Trailer
One of the most unique and amazing films I’ve ever seen was Dogtooth, a truly trippy yet somehow moving Greek film from 2009 directed by Yorgos Lanthimos. Described thusly “Three teenagers live isolated, without leaving their house, because their over-protective parents say they can only leave when their dogtooth falls out” it’s much, much better and weirder than that and I recommend you check it out on the old Netflix. Like any...
Josh Gad Goes Thumbs-Up
So, I had no idea this was happening but apparently there’s a movie being made called Russ and Roger Go Beyond which details the (in)famous collaboration between America’s most beloved film critic, Roger Ebert, and one of America’s most notorious schlock masters, Russ Meyer. For those who were unaware Ebert, unlike most film critics, actually has a screen credit to his name and it’s for being the co-screenwriter of Beyond the Valley...
The Diary of a Teenage Girl (Review)
I graduated from a small, predominantly white High School in Northern California in 1989 and that summer, the theater where I hung out showed Spike Lee’s controversial film Do the Right Thing. As a burgeoning film buff I excitedly saw it opening night and was completely mortified and then, soon after that feeling passed, scared and angry. How dare this “racist” filmmaker make a film that encouraged black people to riot? How is it fair...
Knock Knock- Trailer
Last week we shared with you the poster for the new Eli Roth film Knock Knock. Well this week we have a brand new trailer and while it seems to be a little light in tone, this is Eli Roth we’re talking about here. Dude’s not usually known for his comedy chops. Also, for those interested, the lovely brunette woman who comes knock knocking on Keanu Reeves’ door is Lorena Izzo who recently took Roth off the market by making an honest man...
Pay the Ghost- Trailer
Pay the Ghost? More like “pay off all the debt you’ve accrued buying bizaare stuff,” right Nicolas Cage? Yes, it’s true, Nic Cage is broke and as a result, he’s been working a whole bunch more. Which is good in the case of movies like Joe but bad in about 95% of the other crap he’s been making and this trailer for Pay the Ghost looks to fall into that larger zone of suckage. To be fair he is in the...
Knock Knock- Poster
Knock knock. Who’s there? It’s Keanu Reeves who’s celebrating a comeback of sorts in low-budget, independent genre films!! Yay Keanu! But seriously, here’s the poster (below) for Eli Roth’s new film Knock Knock which made it’s debut at this year’s Sundance film festival to mixed reviews. I’m looking forward to seeing the film because I’m anxious for Eli Roth to get back behind the...
Rock the Kasbah- Trailer
That Bill Murray sure is staying busy these days but I’m starting to wonder if that’s a mixed blessing. His last few big roles in films have included Hyde Park on Hudson, A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III, Monuments Men, St. Vincent and Aloha. The best that can be said for most of those is that “well, it wasn’t very good but Bill Murray was great in it!” See what I mean? Mixed blessing. This...
Star Wars “Unboxing Event” May Cause Eye Bleeding
I was completely amazed in a sociological way when it was revealed that “unboxing” videos are some of the most lucrative and popular videos on YouTube. In fact it was revealed last year that the third most popular YouTube channel in the world is an unboxing channel featuring a then unknown host who was pulling in millions of dollars for her work. If you’re unfamiliar with the phenomenon the videos feature adults opening toys and...
Mistress America (Review)
I consider myself one of the biggest Noah Baumbach fans around. In fact his first film Kicking and Screaming (the 1995 comedy, not the idiotic Will Ferrel soccer movie) is one of the big reasons I got into filmmaking and screenwriting. Like any filmmaker who’s constantly working, Baumbach has some films I didn’t connect with including Mr. Jealousy and Margot at the Wedding but even those films had some terrific moments. For the most...
New Video Essay Proves Daniel-San is a Bad Guy
I’m a sucker for the new spate of in-depth video essays about popular films. I’ll start posting more around here when they pop up. However I’m also a huge sucker for conspiracy theories, clever parody and people who take way too much time analyzing things incorrectly. This is why I love the documentary Room 237. Today, over on SlashFilm, they made a post about a YouTube video that gives an in-depth analysis on how it is in fact Daniel...
Finders Keepers- Trailer
I love documentaries but am getting pretty fed up with how serious and heavy handed they’ve become. Sure, there are many, many incredibly important true life stories that need to be told but those same movies really seem to have a death grip on the genre. It’s kind of frustrating that these “sky is falling” docs corner the market while other great stories get relegated to the end of the line. Alas this is why...
Cop Car (Review)
Kids do very stupid things that seem like the ok thing for them to do at the time. I know that’s not news to anyone who’s been a kid but it needs to be pointed out because it’s the basic thesis of Jon Watts’ well-done second feature Cop Car. The storyline is simple: two kids who are apparently “running away” stumble across a vacated cop car. Rather than leave it be and tell an adult, they steal it even though they’ve never driven a...
Hell & Back- Red Band Trailer
I often say to myself, “self, why aren’t there more R-rated animated movies in the world? I mean, Japan has the whole anime porn thing dialed in to great (and creepy) success and clearly we Americans love us some raunchy animated TV (Family Guy, Rick and Morty, South Park) but no studio has really dipped a toe into adult oriented animated features. What’s up with that?” Well, it looks like my silent...
The Witch- Trailer
Remember back in January when Robert Eggers won “Best Director” at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival for his film The Witch? Yeah, me either. That’s because in an act of (in my opinion) brilliance, Eggers quickly and quietly sold his film to A24 and no one else got to see it unless you saw it at Sundance. (After doing some research it appears the film was sold even before it played Sundance which just goes to show that A24 doesn’t mess...
“Goonies” House Owner Says “DIE!” to Fans
I’m going to get something out in the open before delving into this sad and frustrating story. I loved Goonies as a kid but it’s a classic case of a film that didn’t age along with me. Star Wars saga, yes. The Princess Bride, yes. Goonies, no. I have a kid of my own now and am looking forward to showing it to her someday but I also fully expect she will not get it. The reason is: it’s not a very good film but many adults have...
Joe Hill: Author, Screenwriter, Cold Case Crime Solver
Joe Hill is one of my favorite authors out there today. Movie fans may know him as the author of the book the Daniel Radcliffe film Horns was based on but the guy has yet, in my opinion, to put out a bad piece of work. His comic book series Locke and Key is simply amazing and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all of his books and short stories. He’s even knee deep as the head writer for the reboot of the horror anthology series Tales From The...
Victor Frankenstein-Trailer
Anyone who’s read the classic novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley knows the book is all about fun, one-liners, stealth mystery and jump scares. Screenwriter Max Landis knows this so when he took a stab at a reboot of that classic story, that’s the angle he went with. Wait, what’s that? The original Frankenstein novel was created over a drug-fueled weekend rife with orgies while Shelley was trying to get over a...
Star Wars: The Force Awakens Says, “Say My Name”
This weekend Disney’s answer to Comic-Con, “D23” takes place in Anaheim, CA. It’s an event where fans, journalists and lonely people who love standing in lines to be sold movies they were going to see anyway get together to see what The Mouse House has planned for the near future. In light of that, Entertainment Weekly is trotting out some primo Star Wars: The Force Awakens goodies today. First off, there’s news about their cover...
The Hateful Eight Gets a Trailer
The new Quentin Tarantino movie is coming! The new Quentin Tarantino movie is coming! The new Quentin Tarantino movie is coming! I’m shouting it from the rooftops because, well, I’m super excited. You should be too! And if you’re not, you will be after you watch this first official trailer for QT’s latest, The Hateful Eight which looks fantastic! Also cool is that while the film will hit theaters Christmas Day cities who are fortunate...
Trumbo (Poster)
A real dark spot on American history that also heavily affected Hollywood was the Blacklist in the 1940s. That was that thing where you had to swear you weren’t a communist and even if you did, rumor mongering, politics and plain ole racism could get you blacklisted in Hollywood which meant you’d never work again. Screenwriter Dalton Trumbo (Spartacus, Roman Holiday, Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo, just to name a few credits) was one of...
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