Origin

Origin is a 2023 American biographical drama film written and directed by Ava DuVernay (Selma, 13th). It is based on Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson. It stars Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (The Help, King Richard) as Wilkerson, alongside Jon Bernthal (The Wolf of Wall Street, Baby Driver), Vera Farmiga (The Departed, the Conjuring Universe films), Audra McDonald (Beauty and the Beast, Respect), Niecy Nash-Betts (Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story), Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation, 21 Jump Street) and Blair Underwood (Gattaca, Deep Impact).

Grappling with tremendous personal tragedy, writer Isabel Wilkerson sets herself on a path of global investigation and discovery as she writes Caste: The Origin of Our Discontents.

Origin was selected to compete for the Golden Lion at the 80th Venice International Film Festival, where it premiered on September 6, 2023. It opens for an exclusive one-week engagement on December 8 in NY and LA and in select cities on January 19, 2024. Watch the official trailers below.

Founders Day

Founders Day is a 2024 horror slasher directed by Erik Bloomquist, from a screenplay by both Erik and Carson Bloomquist. The brothers have some experience in the horror genre as they previously collaborated on horror film She Came from the Woods (2022).

A series of ominous murders rocks a small town just days before a heated mayoral election. As accusations fly and the threat of a masked killer darkens every corner, residents must race against time to uncover the truth.

The cast includes Devin Druid (13 Reasons Why), Emilia McCarthy (SkyMed), Amy Hargreaves (13 Reasons Why), Catherine Curtin (Stranger Things), William Russ (Boy Meets World), Naomi Grace (NCIS), Olivia Nikkanen (The Society), Jayce Bartok (When They See Us), Andrew Stewart Jones (Gotham), Tyler James White (The Villains of Valley View), Erik Bloomquist (Weekenders), Adam Weppler (Long Lost), Kate Edmonds (The Third Saturday in October), Dylan Slade, and Arun Cameron Storrs.

Founders Day is set to debut in theaters January 19th, courtesy of Mainframe Pictures. Watch the official trailer below.

I.S.S.

I.S.S. is a 2024 science fiction thriller film directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite and written by Nick Shafir. The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival on June 12, 2023.

Tensions flare in the near future aboard the International Space Station as a worldwide conflict breaks out on Earth. Reeling from this, the astronauts receive orders from the ground: take control of the station by any means necessary.

The cast includes Ariana DeBose, Chris Messina, John Gallagher Jr., Maria Mashkova, Costa Ronin, and Pilou Asbæk.

I.S.S.is set to debut in theaters January 19th, courtesy of Bleecker Street. Watch the official trailer below.

The Kitchen

The Kitchen is a 2024 British science fiction drama film directed by Kibwe Tavares and actor Daniel Kaluuya in his directorial debut, from a story by Kaluuya and Joe Murtagh. The film had its world premiere at the 67th BFI London Film Festival on October 15, 2023.

A story of fatherhood and love for the community... Every city has a Kitchen. In a dystopian London, the gap between rich and poor has been stretched to its limits. From British filmmakers Kibwe Tavares and Daniel Kaluuya, starring Kane Robinson and introducing Jedaiah Bannerman.

In a dystopian future London where all social housing has been eliminated, Izi (Kane Robinson) and Benji (Jedaiah Bannerman) fight to navigate the world as residents of The Kitchen - a community that refuses to abandon their home.

The cast includes Kane Robinson, Jedaiah Bannerman, Hope Ikpoku Jr, Teija Kabs, Demmy Ladipo, Cristale, BackRoad Gee, and Dani Moseley.

The Kitchen is set to debut January 19th, only on Netflix. Watch the official trailer below.

Avenue 5

Genre Comedy | Sci-Fi

Cast Hugh Laurie, Zach Woods, Josh Gad, Lenora Crichlow

Rating TV-MA

Series Premiere January 19th, 2020 10:00 PM EST (HBO)

“Space captain Ryan Clark of the Avenue 5 tries to get along with others in the space tourism industry.”

Avenue 5 is a space tourism comedy set 40 years in the future when the solar system is everyone’s oyster. Hugh Laurie will star as the Captain, and with him in charge, nothing can go wrong. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Avenue 5:

• The series is from Veep creator Armando Iannucci who will executive produce and direct the pilot.

Curb Your Enthusiasm: Season 10

Genre Comedy

Cast Larry David, Jeff Garlin, Cheryl Hines, J.B. Smoove

Rating TV-MA

Series Premiere January 19th, 2020 (HBO)

“The life and times of Larry David and the predicaments he gets himself into with his friends and complete strangers.”

Larry David is back for a 10th season of the hilarious hit HBO comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm, premiering Sunday January 19th only on HBO!! Check out the official trailer below!!

12 Strong

Director Nicolai Fuglsig

Genre Action | Drama | History

Cast Chris Hemsworth, Michael Shannon, Michael Peña, Trevante Rhodes

Rating R

Release Date January 19th, 2018

“12 Strong tells the story of the first Special Forces team deployed to Afghanistan after 9/11; under the leadership of a new captain, the team must work with an Afghani warlord to take down the Taliban.”

From director Nicolai Fuglsig, 12 Strong is a history war drama based on the book Horse Soldiers from author Doug Stanton, and that was the original title for the film before they changed it. I just finished the book and it was absolutely amazing. It is mind boggling how little I knew about what these men did in sacrifice of our great country, and I can't even tell you how many times the book gave me chills. This is the story of real-life action hero's post 9/11, taking the fight to the terrorists to prove that they made a costly mistake messing with us. The cast includes Chris Hemsworth, Michael Shannon, Michael Peña, and Trevante Rhodes. Check out the newly released official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, 12 Strong:

• General Abdul Rashid Dostum was quoted, 'I asked for a few Americans, they brought with them the courage of a whole Army' according to eyewitness Robert Young Pelton's in his March 2002 National Geographic Adventure article "The Legend of Heavy D and the Boys". Pelton was the only journalist with the Green Beret and CIA team whose story is featured in "Horse Soldiers".
• Chris Hemsworth was initially offered the role during filming for Thor: Ragnarok and nearly turned it down hesitant to take on yet another physically demanding role and he also didn't want to be away from his family. To get Hemsworth on board his wife Elsa Pataky was offered the role of his on-screen spouse, allowing them time together during filming.

Den of Thieves

Director Christian Gudegast

Genre Action | Crime  | Drama

Cast Gerard Butler, Pablo Schreiber, O'Shea Jackson Jr., 50 Cent

Rating R

Release Date January 19th, 2018 (Netflix May 1st, 2020)

“An elite unit of the LA County Sheriff’s Dept. and the state’s most successful bank robbery crew collide as the outlaws plan a seemingly impossible heist on the Federal Reserve Bank.”

Written and directed by Christian Gudegast, his directorial debut, Den of Thieves is a crime drama about a thief who gets stuck in the middle of two dangerous sets of criminals while attempting to plan a bank robbery. Gudegast previously wrote the screenplays for the Vin Diesel film A Man Apart and Gerard Butler's London Has Fallen. The cast includes Gerard Butler, 50 Cent, Pablo Schreiber, and Sonya Balmores. Check out the official trailers below!!

Also check out our Spoiler-Free Review for Den of Thieves here

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Den of Thieves:

• Filmed in Atlanta, GA.

Mom and Dad

Director Brian Taylor

Genre Horror | Thriller

Cast Nicolas Cage, Selma Blair, Anne Winters, Lance Henriksen

Rating R

Release Date January 19th, 2018 (Limited)

“A teenage girl and her little brother must survive a wild 24 hours during which a mass hysteria of unknown origins causes parents to turn violently on their own kids.”

Written and directed by Brian Taylor (Crank, Crank: High Voltage, Gamer), Mom and Dad is an intense horror thriller about parents losing their minds and subsequently trying to murder their children. Sounds pleasant right? Yeah this definitely isn't a family friendly flick but is looks like a ton of fun and director Bryan Taylor certainly has an eye for style and a "unique" imagination. The cast includes Nicolas Cage, Selma Blair, Anne Winters, and Lance Henriksen. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Mom and Dad:

• Nicolas Cage said this is his favorite movie in ten years that he's filmed.
• First premiere was at Toronto Film Festival at 11:59 p.m. on 9 September 2017.

Phantom Thread

Director Paul Thomas Anderson

Genre Drama

Cast Daniel Day-Lewis, Vicky Krieps, Lesley Manville, Camilla Rutherford

Rating R

Release Date January 19th, 2018 (Limited)

“Set in 1950’s London, Reynolds Woodcock is a renowned dressmaker whose fastidious life is disrupted by a young, strong-willed woman, Alma, who becomes his muse and lover.”

Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia, There Will Be Blood), Phantom Thread is a drama based in 1950's London about a renowned dressmaker who has his life disrupted by a young, strong willed woman. To be honest I really don't know much about this film but the combination of Paul Thomas Anderson and Daniel Day-Lewis is all I need to convince me to give it a shot. The full cast includes Daniel Day-Lewis, Vicky Krieps, Lesley Manville, and Camilla Rutherford. Check out the official trailer below!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Phantom Thread:

• This will be Daniel Day-Lewis's last film. He announced that he will be retiring from acting on June 20, 2017
• Paul Thomas Anderson directed and shot the film as he served as both the Director and Cinematographer.
• At $35 million, this is Paul Thomas Anderson's second highest budgeted movie after Magnolia (1999) at $37 million.

The Open House

Director Matt Angel, Suzanne Coot

Genre Horror | Thriller

Cast Dylan Minnette, Piercey Dalton, Sharif Atkins, Patricia Bethun

Rating Unrated

Release Date January 19th, 2018 (Netflix)

“A teenager and his mother find themselves besieged by threatening forces when they move into a new house.”

Written and directed by Matt Angel and Suzanne Coot, The Open House is a horror thriller about a teenager and his mother moving into a home where they end up crossing paths with much more than they bargained for. The cast includes Dylan Minnette, Piercey Dalton, Sharif Atkins, and Patricia Bethune. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Open House:

• Netflix acquired worldwide rights to this movie and it will be available to stream on Netflix Jan 19, 2018.

Forever My Girl

Director Bethany Ashton Wolf

Genre Drama | Music | Romance

Cast Alex Roe, Jessica Rothe, John Benjamin Hickey, Abby Ryder Fortson

Rating PG

Release Date January 19th, 2018

“After being gone for a decade a country star returns home to the love he left behind.”

Written and directed by Bethany Ashton Wolf (Little Chenier), Forever My Girl is a romantic drama based on the book written by author Heidi McLaughlin, about a country music star who returns to his hometown and the love he left behind. The Cast includes Alex Roe, Jessica Rothe, John Benjamin Hickey, and Abby Ryder Fortson. Check out the official trailer below!!

The Shape of Water

Director Guillermo del Toro

Genre Adventure | Drama | Fantasy

Cast Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, Michael Shannon, Michael Stuhlbarg

Rating R

Release Date January 19th, 2017 (Limited)

“In a 1960s research facility, a mute janitor forms a relationship with an aquatic creature.”

Directed and co-written by twisted mastermind Guillermo del Toro, The Shape of Water is an R-rated fantasy drama set during the backdrop of Cold War era America circa 1963, and it looks pretty twisted! The cast includes Sally Hawkins, Octavia Spencer, Michael Shannon, and Michael Stuhlbarg. Check out the newly released official trailer below!! 

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Shape of Water:

• Set during a real-life war and featuring magical elements. This was also the premise for Guillermo del Toro's earlier film Pan's Labyrinth (2006).
• del Toro has worked on this film for several years, and developed it before he began production on Pacific Rim (2013). Eventually, he chose to direct this film instead of Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018).

Check out the newly released unrated Red Band trailer below!!

Release day is less than a month away and the final trailer is here, check it out below!!

The Current War

Director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon

Genre Biography | Drama | History

Cast Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Shannon, Nicholas Hoult, Tom Holland

Rating Unrated

Release Date January 19th, 2018

“The dramatic story of the cutthroat race between electricity titans Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse to determine whose electrical system would power the modern world.”

From extremely talented director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl), The Current War is the story of how electricity came to be, more or less, as Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse battled it out to determine who would be the man behind the curtain. The cast includes Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Shannon, Nicholas Hoult, and Tom Holland. Check out the exclusive new trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Current War:

• Jake Gyllenhaal was originally cast alongside Benedict Cumberbatch in the lead role, however, Gyllenhaal dropped out and Michael Shannon replaceed him.
• The War of Currents (sometimes called War of the Currents or Battle of Currents) was a series of events surrounding the introduction of competing electric power transmission systems in the late 1880s and early 1890s.

Call Me by Your Name

Director Luca Guadagnino

Genre Drama | Romance

Cast Armie Hammer, Timothée Chalamet, Michael Stuhlbarg, Amira Casar

Rating R

Release Date January 19th, 2018 (Limited)

“In Northern Italy in 1983, seventeen year-old Elio begins a relationship with visiting Oliver, his father’s research assistant, with whom he bonds over his emerging sexuality, their Jewish heritage, and the beguiling Italian landscape.”

From director Luca Guadagnino (A Bigger Splash), Call Me by Your Name is a romance drama based on the 2007 novel from American author André Aciman.  The critically acclaimed film has been making its mark at film festivals prior to receiving a wider theatrical release in the U.S. The cast includes Armie Hammer, Timothée Chalamet, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Amira Casar. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Call Me by Your Name:

• The entire film (including the opening credits) was shot with a single 35mm lens.
• On its premiere night, Call Me By Your Name (2017) received a ten-minute standing ovation, which was the longest standing ovation ever at the New York Film Festival.
• Timothée Chalamet learned to speak Italian and to play the guitar for the role of Elio.

Small Town Crime

Director Eshom Nelms, Ian Nelms

Genre Crime | Thriller

Cast John Hawkes, Anthony Anderson, Clifton Collins Jr., Michael Vartan

Rating R

Release Date January 19th, 2018 (Limited)

“When alcoholic ex-cop Mike Kendall finds the body of a young woman, he becomes obsessed with redeeming himself by finding the killer. In the process, he puts himself and his family in danger while hanging out with an assortment of shady characters.”

Written and directed by Eshom and Ian Nelms, Small Town Crime is a crime thriller with a stellar cast about an alcoholic ex cop who stumbles upon the body of a young women and decides this is an opportunity for redemption. The cast includes John Hawkes, Anthony Anderson, Clifton Collins Jr., Michael Vartan, and Octavia Spencer. Check out the official trailer below!!