Look Both Ways

Look Both Ways is a 2022 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Wanuri Kahiu (first film since her critically acclaimed 2018 film Rafiki) and written by April Prosser. It stars Lili Reinhart (Riverdale), Luke Wilson (Idiocracy), Andrea Savage (Veep), Aisha Dee (The Bold Type), Danny Ramirez (On My Block), David Corenswet (House of Cards), and Nia Long (Big Momma’s House).

On the eve of her college graduation, Natalie's life diverges into parallel realities: one in which she becomes pregnant and remains in her hometown to raise her child, and another in which she moves to LA to pursue her dream career.

The film was released on August 17, 2022, on Netflix. Watch the official trailer below.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before

Director Susan Johnson

Genre Drama | Romance

Cast Lana Condor, Noah Centineo, Janel Parrish, Anna Cathcart

Rating TV-14

Release Date August 17th, 2018 (Netflix)

“A teenage girl’s secret love letters are exposed and wreak havoc on her love life.”

Based on the New York Times Bestselling book from author Jenny Han, To All the Boys I've Loved Before is the story of a teenage girl who finds her secret love letters exposed which threatens to wreak havoc on her love life. I recently watched this Netflix exclusive film and it may share the predictability of most romantic comedies, but trust me when I saw this is a genuinely enjoyable film that will easily earn you a few brownie points with your lady. The cast includes Lana Condor, Noah Centineo, Janel Parrish, and Anna Cathcart. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, To All the Boys I've Loved Before:

• Lara Jean's phone background is actually a crew member's photo of Lana Condor (Lara Jean) and Noah Centineo (Peter) sleeping on set during a filming break.

• The letters seen in the movie, including the contract, were all physically written by Lana Condor. During a lunch break Lana had to write several copies as her character Lara Jean rips them.

• Netflix bought the rights of the movie in March 2018.

Blaze

Director Ethan Hawke

Genre Biography | Drama | Music

Cast Ben Dickey, Alia Shawkat, Josh Hamilton, Charlie Sexton

Rating Unrated

Release Date August 17th, 2018 (Limited)

“The life of musician Blaze Foley.”

Co-written and directed by actor Ethan Hawke, Blaze tells the story of American country music singer-songwriter Blaze Foley. The cast includes Ben Dickey, Alia Shawkat, Josh Hamilton, and Charlie Sexton. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Blaze:

• Blaze Foley's lover Sybil Rosen, who is played in the film by Alia Shawkat, is Ethan Hawke's co-writer on the film.

• Sybil Rosen plays her own mother in the film.

Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich

Director Sonny Laguna, Tommy Wiklund

Genre Horror

Cast Thomas Lennon, Barbara Crampton, Michael Paré, Charlyne Yi

Rating Unrated

Release Date August 17th, 2018 (Limited & On-Demand)

“All hell breaks loose when a strange force animates the puppets up for auction at a convention, setting them on a bloody killing spree that’s motivated by an evil as old as time.”

From directors Sonny Laguna and Tommy Wiklund, Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich is the latest of the cult horror franchise that burst onto the scene in 1989 with the original Puppetmaster. Now these movies are FAR from perfect, but they are a guilty pleasure for fans of B-movie horror and I have always enjoyed them. The Little Reich seems to have hit the nail on the head as far as what fans have come to expect. The cast includes Thomas Lennon, Barbara Crampton, Michael Paré, and Charlyne Yi. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich:

• The crew rescued an abandoned tabby kitten during the filming of this movie that they found under the floorboards of one of the movie sets. They named the kitten 'Toulon' after the main character of the movie.

• This movie stars Barbara Crampton, she also starred in the original 1989 Puppet Master movie.

Mile 22

Director Peter Berg

Genre Action | Thriller

Cast Mark Wahlberg, Lauren Cohan, John Malkovich, Ronda Rousey

Rating R

Release Date August 17th, 2018

“An elite American intelligence officer, aided by a top-secret tactical command unit, tries to smuggle a mysterious police officer with sensitive information out of the country.”

From talented director Peter Berg, the man who brought us Friday Night Lights, The Kingdom, Lone Survivor, and Patriots Day, Mile 22 is an action thriller about an elite American intelligence officer who is tasked with smuggling a mysterious police officer with sensitive information out of the country. Berg has built up quite the reputation with star Mark Wahlberg, so this is yet another opportunity for the two to show what they are capable of. The cast includes Mark Wahlberg, Lauren Cohan, John Malkovich, and Ronda Rousey. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Mile 22:

• This is the fourth time actor Mark Wahlberg and director Peter Berg have worked together, and the script was written with Wahlberg envisioned in the lead role.
• Mark Wahlberg was originally cast as Linus Caldwell in Ocean's Eleven (2001) but dropped out. The role went to Matt Damon.

Alpha

Director Albert Hughes

Genre Action | Drama | Thriller

Cast Kodi Smit-McPhee, Natassia Malthe, Leonor Varela, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson

Rating PG-13

Release Date August 17th, 2018

“A story of survival set 20,000 years ago during the last Ice Age.”

Alpha is directed and co-written by Albert Hughes, the man who co-directed Menace II Society, Dead Presidents, and The Book of Eli, alongside his brother. The film is a survival story that takes place 20,000 years ago during the last Ice Age. I will be honest and say that this is actually the first I have heard of this movie but the trailer looks pretty damn good! The cast includes Kodi Smit-McPhee, Natassia Malthe, Leonor Varela, and Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Film Facts, Alpha:

• Film cannot bear a "no animals were harmed in the making of this film" tag, as 4 bison were slaughtered for use on a skinning/hide-removal scene. The bison were dispatched humanely by staff from Longview Beef Jerky.
• It was filmed near East Coulee, Alberta, Canada, at Dinosaur Provincial Park.

Juliet, Naked

Director Jesse Peretz

Genre Comedy | Drama | Music

Cast Rose Byrne, Ethan Hawke, Chris O'Dowd, Megan Odds

Rating R

Release Date August 17th, 2018

“The story of Annie, the long-suffering girlfriend of Duncan, and her unlikely transatlantic romance with once revered, now faded, singer-songwriter, Tucker Crowe, who also happens to be the subject of Duncan’s musical obsession.”

From director Jesse Peretz (Our Idiot Brother, HBO's Girls), Juliet, Naked is a romantic comedy/drama about a messy love triangle between Annie Rose Byrne), Tucker (Ethan Hawke), and Duncan (Chris O'Dowd). The rest of the cast includes Megan Odds, Jimmy O. Yang, Lily Newmark, and Azhy Robertson. Check out the official trailer below!!

Disenchantment

Genre Animation | Adventure | Comedy

Cast Eric André, Jeny Batten, Matt Berry, John DiMaggio

Rating TV-MA

Series Premiere August 17th, 2018 (Netflix)

“The medieval misadventures of a hard-drinking princess, her feisty elf, and her personal demon.”

A new show from creator Matt Groening (The Simpsons, Futurama), Disenchantment tells the misadventures of an alcoholic princess, a feisty elf, and her own personal demon. The cast of voice actors include Eric André, Jeny Batten, Matt Berry, John DiMaggio, Nat Faxon, Noel Fielding, and Rich Fulcher. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Disenchantment:

• On January 15, 2016, it was announced that Groening is in talks with Netflix to develop a new animated series. At the time it was said that Netflix was considering giving the series a two-season order, totaling 20 episodes.
• This will be the third animated series by Matt Groening, the other two being The Simpsons (1989), and Futurama (1999). This is his first developed for a streaming services network.

Billionaire Boys Club

Director James Cox

Genre Biography | Drama | Thriller

Cast Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Taron Egerton, Emma Roberts

Rating R

Release Date August 17th, 2018 (Limited/Now Available On-Demand)

“A group of wealthy boys in Los Angeles during the early 1980s establish a ‘get-rich-quick’ scam that turns deadly.”

Co-written and directed by James Cox,, Billionaire Boys Club tells the true story of a group of wealthy boys in Los Angeles during the early 1980s who establish a 'get-rich-quick' scam that turns deadly. The cast includes Ansel Elgort, Kevin Spacey, Taron Egerton, and Emma Roberts. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Film Facts, Billionaire Boys Club:

• Emma Roberts was originally to join the fifth season of American Horror Story (2011), but she dropped out in order to shoot this movie.
• Unlike with All the Money in the World (2017), Kevin Spacey's performance was kept intact despite sexual misconduct allegations.

The Little Mermaid

Director Blake Harris, Chris Bouchard

Genre Adventure | Drama | Fantasy

Cast Poppy Drayton, William Moseley, Loreto Peralta, Shirley MacLaine

Rating PG

Release Date August 17th, 2018

“A young reporter and his niece discover a beautiful and enchanting creature they believe to be the real little mermaid.”

From directors Blake Harris and Chris Bouchard, The Little Mermaid is the live-action recreation of the famous fair tale. The cast includes Poppy Drayton, William Moseley, Loreto Peralta, and Shirley MacLaine. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Little Mermaid:

• The first trailer made it's debut on March 10th, 2017 and received over 40 million views in its first two weeks.