Category: Movies

It looks good. It would be hard for any “Matrix” film to be as “next level film” as the original, but this looks like a step up for the second two films. Could you believe how realistic the young Morpheus looked?

The Matrix Resurrections in theaters and on HBO Max December 22 #TheMatrixMovie

From visionary filmmaker Lana Wachowski comes “The Matrix Resurrections,” the long-awaited fourth film in the groundbreaking franchise that redefined a genre. The new film reunites original stars Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss in the iconic roles they made famous, Neo and Trinity.

The film also stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (the “Aquaman” franchise) Jessica Henwick (TV’s “Iron Fist,” “Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens”), Jonathan Groff (“Hamilton,” TV’s “Mindhunter”), Neil Patrick Harris (“Gone Girl”), Priyanka Chopra Jonas (TV’s “Quantico,”), Christina Ricci (TV’s “Escaping the Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story,” “The Lizzie Borden Chronicles”), Telma Hopkins (TV’s “Dead to Me,”), Eréndira Ibarra (series “Sense8,” “Ingobernable”), Toby Onwumere (TV’s “Empire”), Max Riemelt (series “Sense8”), Brian J. Smith (series “Sense8,” “Treadstone”), and Jada Pinkett Smith (“Angel Has Fallen,” TV’s “Gotham”).

Lana Wachowski directed from a screenplay by Wachowski & David Mitchell & Aleksander Hemon, based on characters created by The Wachowskis. The film was produced by Grant Hill, James McTeigue and Lana Wachowski. The executive producers were Garrett Grant, Terry Needham, Michael Salven, Jesse Ehrman and Bruce Berman.

Wachowski’s creative team behind the scenes included “Sense8” collaborators: directors of photography Daniele Massaccesi and John Toll, production designers Hugh Bateup and Peter Walpole, editor Joseph Jett Sally, costume designer Lindsay Pugh, visual effects supervisor Dan Glass, and composers Johnny Klimek and Tom Tykwer.

Warner Bros. Pictures Presents, In Association with Village Roadshow Pictures, In Association with Venus Castina Productions, “The Matrix Resurrections.” The film will be distributed by worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures. It will be in theaters nationwide and on HBO Max via the Ad-Free plan on December 22, 2021; it will be available on HBO Max for 31 days from theatrical release.

A large big-name cast which includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep and others makes Don’t Look Up even more interesting. The trailer hints at a fun time, but I’m not sold… yet.  The great news is Don’t Look Up premieres on Netflix on December 24th so I’ll be able to, uh, look it up.

DON’T LOOK UP tells the story of two low-level astronomers who must go on a giant media tour to warn mankind of an approaching comet that will destroy planet Earth. Written and Directed by Adam McKay. Watch DON’T LOOK UP on December 24 only on Netflix.

Liam Gaughan at /Film turned his attention to war movies and came up with his list for The 20 Greatest War Films of All Time.  Here are my top 5 (in alphabetical order) selected from Gaughan’s list plus two I thought should have made his list, but didn’t.

Black Hawk Down: Ridley Scott shows us the brutality of war and the heroic young men sent into battle.

Braveheart:  I initially thought this was an odd choice to include on a list of the greatest war movies of all time, but… It did make the list.  Braveheart does deal with war and is a great film.

Full Metal Jacket:  I love how this movie follows raw recruits through basic training and then into war.  The opening scenes with R. Lee Ermy and Vincent D’Onofrio are classic as is their final scene together.

Platoon:  I thought Platoon was just “ok” on my initial viewing.  Maybe I was in a bad mood because each time I give Platoon a rewatch I like it better and better.

Saving Private Ryan: Steven Spielberg created probably the best war movie on the list.  I love this film.

Now two movies that came to mind that I would have included on my list that weren’t on Gaughan’s…

Last of the Mohicans:  Michael Mann’s film is more a love story than war film, but if Braveheart can make the list than Last of the Mohicans should as well.

The Patriot:  Mel Gibson’s most under-rated film.

Liam Gaughan at /Film compiled his list of The 15 Best Debut Films From Directors.  It’s a good list and so I decided to play along.  Here are my top 5 (in alphabetical order) selected from Gaughan’s 15 plus three that didn’t make his list that would have made mine…

Cohen Brothers: Blood Simple.  What an amazing debut that kickstarted a career that has spanned over three decades in ever changing genres.  I drove over 100 miles round trip to see Blood Simple when it first came out since it wasn’t showing anywhere near me.  I wasn’t disappointed.

Huston, John: The Maltese Falcon.  George Raft turned down the role of Sam Spade because he didn’t want to work with a first time director!  What a mistake.  We’re better off for it, because Bogart makes the perfect lead.

Mann, Michael: Thief.  Mann’s first outing in the director’s chair shows the foundation for his movie trademarks: night scenes, music and noir.

Romero, George: Night of the Living Dead.  How many directors have directed a debut film that generated multi-billion dollars across movies, books, toys, comics, posters, t-shirts and more?

Welles, Orson: Citizen Kane.  Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane is arguably the best, most revered first time director’s debut of all.  Sadly, Welles never rose to those heights again (who could?), but he did go on to direct and star in other great films.

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The three debut directors that didn’t make Gaughan’s list but that would have made mine are…

Hill, Walter: Hard Times.  Straight out of the shoot, Hill directed Charles Bronson and James Coburn in a depression era macho film that had heart.   He would follow Hard Times with The Driver, The Warriors, The Long Riders, Southern Comfort, 48 hrs, and Streets of Fire!

McQuarrie, Christopher: Way of the Gun.  While Way of the Gun isn’t for everyone, those that love it, LOVE IT.  McQuarrie wouldn’t direct another film for over a decade until he helmed Jack Reacher starring Tom Cruise.  McQuarrie then went on to direct Cruise in three Mission Impossible films (two still to be released).

Stahelski, Chad: John Wick.  After Stahelski’s debut, action films took on a new look aka “John Wick” action.

The trailer for Moonfall is nuts.  It reminds me of any number of disaster movies but that’s not a bad thing if you know what to expect when you start watching and that’s a fun thrill ride where you put you mind in check.

In Moonfall, a mysterious force knocks the Moon from its orbit around Earth and sends it hurtling on a collision course with life as we know it. With mere weeks before impact and the world on the brink of annihilation, NASA executive and former astronaut Jo Fowler (Academy Award® winner Halle Berry) is convinced she has the key to saving us all – but only one astronaut from her past, Brian Harper (Patrick Wilson, “Midway”) and a conspiracy theorist K.C. Houseman (John Bradley, “Game of Thrones”) believes her. These unlikely heroes will mount an impossible last-ditch mission into space, leaving behind everyone they love, only to find out that our Moon is not what we think it is.

Directed by Roland Emmerich and written by Roland Emmerich & Harald Kloser & Spenser Cohen, the film also stars Michael Peña, Charlie Plummer, Kelly Yu, Eme Ikwuakor, Carolina Bartczak, and Donald Sutherland.

No Time to Die is supposed to be Daniel Craig’s last outing as James Bond.  He’s had a good run.  In fact he’s my second favorite Bond (behind Connery).  No Time to Die looks to be a good swan song.

I get the feeling that Bond could die in this film.  If so, they would be able to confirm that there is no James Bond, just different agents who take on them name and the 007 moniker.  It would also give them freedom to set up the next Bond.  Can you imagine seeing a desk with pictures of all the past 007s spread across it and then M hitting the intercom and saying, “Send in 007″…

But do I really think there is a chance of that happening?  Not really.