Today we have the poster and trailer to Kingdom: Ashin of the North. Billed as a special episode, but at 92 minutes, I see it more as a spinoff movie.
I’ve enjoyed both seasons of Kingdom and Kingdom: Ashin of the North is written by Kim Eun-Hee. who wrote both seasons as well. I had no idea this was coming, so call me surprised and deal me in!
This summer, a 92 minute thirst for blood begins.
Kingdom: Ashin of the North
A Kingdom Special Episode: Kingdom: Ashin of the North
Coming July 23, only on Netflix
Terminator 2 is consider by many to be not only the best film in the Terminator series, but also the best movie that Arnold Schwarzenegger ever made. It’s interesting to note that initially James Cameron had no interest in a sequel, Arnold didn’t like the idea of playing a good terminator and Linda Hamilton just wanted to be crazy. You’ll learn the reasons behind these facts and a whole lot more if you click over to Todd Gilchrist’s 20 Facts About Terminator 2: Judgment Day at Mental Floss. Before you do, here are three of my favorites and my thoughts on each…
JAMES CAMERON WANTED BILLY IDOL TO PLAY THE T-1000. (Cameron wanted a different body type for the T-1000 and Billy Idol was his first choice. Idol was in a motorcycle wreck that led to Robert Patrick getting the part. I believe that Idol’s celebrity would have taken from the impact of the T-1000 and it would have looked like stunt casting. I also believe that Patrick was a better choice for the role – he’s an excellent actor! – Craig)
TERMINATOR 2 ESSENTIALLY MADE ITS MONEY BACK BEFORE IT EVEN PREMIERED. (This is an amazing fact when you consider that Cameron was paid $6 million dollars, Arnold was paid $15 million, Linda Hamilton got $1 million and the total budget was $102 million dollars. – Craig)
SEVERAL VERSIONS OF T2 HAVE BEEN RELEASED, BUT JAMES CAMERON HAS A FAVORITE. (It’s the theatrical release and I agree. – Craig)
Here we have the poster and trailer for Val. The poster is interesting and the documentary should be as well. I hope that it is insightful as well. Val Kilmer is one of the most under-rated actors still alive. His performance in Tombstone should have won the Oscar and he made everything he was in better. Sadly, Val Kilmer got throat cancer which impacted his life and career. I look forward to seeing Val when it premieres on August 6th.
Who is Val Kilmer? He’s Batman. He’s Iceman. He’s Jim Morrison. And he’s a lifelong filmmaker. Get re-acquainted with the legend on August 6.
Richard Donner died today at the age of 91. This one hurts worse than most.
Richard Donner wanted a career as an actor. It was director Martin Ritt who encouraged Donner to consider directing instead. Ritt gave Donner a job as his assistant. Later Donner graduated to a staff position at Desilu Productions where he directed commercials.
In 1960, Mr. Donner began directing television episodes with the occasional feature film. For the next 15 years Richard Donner directed well over 100 episodes of the best television had to offer. Shows that I regularly watched that Mr. Donner directed episodes of include: The Rifleman; Combat; The Twilight Zone; The Man from UNCLE; Gilligan’s Island; Get Smart; The FBI; The Fugitive; It’s About Time; Jericho; The Wild, Wild West; The Banana Splits Adventure Hour / Danger Island; the Bearcats; Ironside and Cannon.
Richard Donner directed his first feature film in 1961. Titled X-15, it starred Charles Bronson and Mary Tyler Moore. In 1976, Mr. Donner directed one of the biggest box office hits of the year with The Omen. His next film was also a hit with fans and the box office: Superman. The success of Superman allowed Richard Donner to add producer to his resume. He would go on to produce 37 projects as he continued to direct feature films. Following Superman, some of my favorite Richard Donner directed features include: Inside Moves; Ladyhawke; Lethal Weapon 1 -4; Maverick and Assassins.
Had Richard Donner only directed the Twilight Zone episode: Nightmare at 20,000 Feet, he would have warranted a post about his passing. Same could be said for Superman, the Lethal Weapon films and a personal favorite of mine, Assassins staring Sly Stallone. I didn’t realize until I was a young adult how many television shows I loved as a child were directed by Richard Donner. Any time you see Richard Donner in the credits, now you are in for a good time.
My thoughts and prayers go out to Richard Donner’s family, friends and fans.
The Tomorrow War (2021)
Director: Chris McKay
Screenplay: Zach Dean
Stars: Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, J.K. Simmons, Sam Richardson, Edwin Hodge and Mary Lynn Rajskub.
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
Dan Forester (Pratt) is an ex-military high school science teacher who believes he is destined for something bigger. Forester will get his opportunity when he is drafted to fight in a war being held nearly 3 decades in the future.
Still with me?
Okay. In the future earth has been invaded by aliens who have killed almost everyone on the planet. In an effort to turn the tide and save humanity, future soldiers have come back into the past to recruit people to fight in the future. A worldwide draft is instated and draftees are sent to the future to fight aliens for seven days. If they survive they are returned to their proper time. Forester is drafted.
Forester and the others in his group learn there is no training. They are given weapons and transported to the future to kill aliens. Less than 30% will survive the seven days. In Forester’s group we have a nervous college professor, a tough as nails vet who has done three tours and a bunch of others who we learn nothing about (yep, they’re alien fodder). As soon as they are in the future Forester’s team is given a mission and off we go. Alien battles come fast and furious and we learn about the plan to save the world.
What I liked: Chris Pratt was good. This may be his best performance yet. Edwin Hodge is a standout as the soldier with 3 tours. Sam Richardson provides comic relief (although maybe too much in some spots). I loved seeing Mary Lynn Rajskub and wish she was given more to do. The action is non-stop once. I really liked how they explained who could participate in the time travel (coming and going). I liked the explanation of how the aliens got to earth. All through the movie I was thinking these creatures don’t have the brains for space travel.
What bothered me:
Too many daddy issues. Forester has them with his dad and Forester’s daughter has them with him.
The coincidences to save the day. We need a solution that will kill the monsters. Forester’s daughter (now grown) comes up with it. We need to figure out where the aliens arrive when they come to earth so we can be there to kill them. Forester’s wife brainstorms with him to figure it out. We need someone to figure out what the alien claw can tell us. Remember the nervous college professor? He can do it. We need a volcano expert. Hey, Forester has one in his high school class! We need a way to get into Soviet air space undetected. Uh, Forester’s dad can do it.
Sometimes the aliens are lethal killing machines and sometimes you can go mano y alien and kick their butt (if they have a butt that is).
(Most) Everything gets wrapped up too nicely: Forester was indeed destined for something bigger, daddy issues are resolved all the way around. Everyone (Forester, his wife, his daughter, his dad, nervous college professor, hardcore vet, nerdy high school volcano lover) has a role in saving the world.
What I’d like to know: How does what Forester pulled off change the future (other than the obvious, there will be no aliens wiping out the earth)?
Despite the things I didn’t care for, The Tomorrow War has a core cast that is likeable, a script that keeps things moving and a conflict that involves saving the world. If you’re looking for a fun ride (and don’t give it too much thought) you’ll enjoy The Tomorrow War.
I don’t think the poster for The Evening Hour provides much insight into what the movie may be about. The trailer on the other hand works. It makes me think that The Evening Hour could be a winner.
The autumnal mountains of southern Appalachia hold a haunting power within which Cole Freeman (Philip Ettinger FIRST REFORMED), maintains an uneasy equilibrium, looking after the old and infirm in the community while selling their excess painkillers to local addicts to help make ends meet. But when an old friend, Terry Rose (Cosmo Jarvis, LADY MACBETH), returns with dangerous new plans that threaten the fragile balance Cole has crafted amidst the addiction, economic stress and environmental devastation that have his declining mining town in a stranglehold, his world and identity are thrown into deep disarray.
Directed by Braden King (HERE) from screenwriter Elizabeth Palmore’s adaptation of Carter Sickels’ acclaimed novel, photographed by Declan Quinn and set to an original score by Michael Krassner, Tim Rutili and Boxhead Ensemble, THE EVENING HOUR presents an authentic portrait of a rural American landscape in transition – and a moving, lyrical hymn for the complex tangle of hardship and hope wrought by opioid addiction in Appalachia.
I like both the poster and trailer for Tailgate. Yes, it seems to be very similar to Unhinged, but I really enjoyed that film, so maybe Tailgate will be as fun a ride.
You probably wouldn’t notice if I didn’t mention it, but there are no words spoken in the trailer. It is a Dutch film and perhaps the studio didn’t want it so obvious to American audiences. But the trailer is still very effective.
Hans is a self-confident man, driving across the country with his wife and two daughters by his side. His ego gets the better of him when he gets into an argument with another driver. The van driver turns out to be the wrong man to cross on the road, and sets out to teach Hans a deadly lesson. Skillfully pushing the buttons of Hans’s arrogance, a simple family road trip turns into a deadly obstacle course in this nerve-wracking, blackly comic morality tale thriller.
Director: Lodewijk Crijns
Writer: Lodewijk Crijns
Stars: Jeroen Spitzenberger, Anniek Pheifer, Roosmarijn van der Hoek
No Sudden Move (2021)
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Screenplay: Ed Solomon.
Stars: Don Cheadle, Brendan Fraser, Benicio Del Toro, Kieran Culkin, David Harbour, Jon Hamm, Ray Liotta, Bill Duke, Craig muMs Grant, Julia Fox, Amy Seimetz and Matt Damon.
Tagline: Trust is a set-up.
The Overview: Beware of Spoilers…
Three low level crooks who don’t know each other are hired for a mysterious, high-paying job. Curt Goynes (Cheadle) and Ronald Russo (Del Torro) each need the money from the score to get out of town. Goynes has stolen important papers from one of the major crime players in the area and Russo is sleeping with his crime boss’ wife. The job seems easy enough. Goynes and Russo will hold Matt Wertz’s (Harbour) family hostage while the third man (Culkin) takes Wertz to collect something from his boss’ safe.
When things go sideways, Goynes and Russo realize that they’ve been set-up to be murdered with the Wertz family. Both men are already on the run from their former alliances and now learn that there is a price on their heads. Having just met, Goynes and Russo form an uneasy alliance and try to figure out their next move. What follows is an intelligent story full of double-crosses, twists and an ending that is surprising and satisfying.
I have nothing but praise for No Sudden Move. It has an intelligent screenplay by Ed Solomon which is extremely well directed by Steven Soderbergh. It is rare to see a film with so many stars that is perfectly cast. Cheadle, Del Toro, and Liotta are at the top of their game as to be expected. David Harbor is spot on as the man in over his head with his wife, his job, and his mistress. It was great seeing Brendan Fraser in a role that will surprise many. The same is true for Bill Duke! And don’t forget there is an uncredited role that is pivotal to the entire film!
It isn’t often that we get a film so perfectly written, cast and directed. No Sudden Move is that rare film made for adults — it assumes the audience isn’t dumb and it doesn’t rely on special effects. I absolutely loved No Sudden Move.
The poster for Beckett is okay, but man, I really like the trailer. Deal me in.
Following a tragic car accident in Greece, Beckett, an American tourist, finds himself at the center of a dangerous political conspiracy – and on the run for his life.
I like the poster for Crime Story starring Richard Drefuss and Mia Sorvino. I’m not sold on the trailer. My biggest problem is Dreyfuss as a tough guy getting revenge, especially at his age. It could work, but I’m not fully on board yet. It is good to see Mia Sorvino on screen again.
ComingSoon is excited to premiere the Crime Story trailer and key art for Saban Films and Paramount’s upcoming crime thriller. The film stars Academy Award winners Richard Dreyfuss (The Goodbye Girl, Jaws) and Mira Sorvino (Mighty Aphrodite, Mimic). Crime Story will arrive in theaters, on demand, and digital on August 13. Dreyfuss plays a retired mob boss that goes back to his old ways after being the victim of a home robbery.
Here we have the poster and trailer for Jolt. I’m not a fan of the poster. I’m surprised that Kate Beckinsale is the only actor/actress credited since it has a decent cast including Beckinsale, Bobby Cannvale, Jai Courtney, Susan Sarandon and Stanley Tucci.
The trailer looks better than I expected. Jolt reminds me of a female version of Jason Statham’s Crank. Jolt looks like it will be better. I certainly hope so.
I liked Don’t Breathe better than I thought I would. The trailer looks good. I like the direction it takes — we will learn more about Nordstrom’s past and the sequel has him going after thugs and adapting his methods due to being blind.
The sequel is set in the years following the initial deadly home invasion, where Norman Nordstrom (Stephen Lang) lives in quiet solace until his past sins catch up to him.
Starring Stephen Lang, Brendan Sexton III, and Madelyn Grace.
Don’t Breathe 2 has been rated R by the Motion Picture Association for strong bloody violence, gruesome images, and language. The film will be released in theaters nationwide on August 13, 2021.
The Hunting screams drive-in movie. Low budget? Check. Monster movie? Check. No big name stars? Check. Monster not clearly shown in trailer? Check. Craig would watch it? Check.
I like the poster. (The only nit I would pick is that the title font looks too much like The Howling.) The werewolf in the poster looks kind of cool but I’m not sold on the one in the trailer. It’s hard for movies to come up awesome looking werewolves. If it were up to me, I’d try to get my werewolf to look as close to the wolf man in Curse of the Werewolf.
At any rate, I’ll check out The Hunting if it comes to one of my streaming services.
Wow. I knew it would look good, but this poster and trailer for The Many Saints of Newark delivers!
The Many Saints Of Newark is the feature film prequel to David Chase’s groundbreaking award-winning HBO drama series “The Sopranos.” Follow young Anthony “Tony” Soprano as he grows up in one of the most tumultuous eras in Newark’s history, becoming a man just as rival gangsters begin to rise up and challenge the all-powerful DiMeo crime family’s hold over the increasingly race-torn city.
Directed by Alan Taylor, “The Many Saints of Newark” stars Alessandro Nivola, Tony winner Leslie Odom Jr., Jon Bernthal, Corey Stoll, Michael Gandolfini, Billy Magnussen, Michela De Rossi, John Magaro, with Emmy winner Ray Liotta and Oscar nominee Vera Farmiga. #TheManySaintsOfNewark
The Many Saints of Newark will be available on October 1 in theaters and on HBO Max, streaming only on the Ad-Free plan in the US for 31 days from its theatrical release.
