The Grinch

Director Yarrow Cheney, Scott Mosier

Genre Animation | Comedy | Family

Cast Benedict Cumberbatch, Rashida Jones, Angela Lansbury, Kenan Thompson

Rating PG

Release Date November 9th, 2018

“A grumpy Grinch plots to ruin Christmas for the village of Whoville.”

From Illumination Entertainment, the team behind Despicable Me, Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, and The Secret Life of Pets, The Grinch is an upcoming animated comedy about every ones favorite grouch. The film is directed by Yarrow Cheney and Scott Mosier, and features Benedict Cumberbatch as the voice of The Grinch. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Grinch:

• Illumination's second Dr. Seuss film, after The Lorax (2012).

• This is Benedict Cumberbatch's second animated film. His first was Penguins of Madagascar (2014), four years prior.

• Illumination's ninth feature film.

The Girl in the Spider's Web

Director Fede Alvarez

Genre Crime | Drama | Thriller

Cast Claire Foy, Lakeith Stanfield, Sylvia Hoeks, Sverrir Gudnason

Rating Unrated

Release Date November 9th, 2018

“Young computer hacker Lisbeth Salander and journalist Mikael Blomkvist find themselves caught in a web of spies, cybercriminals and corrupt government officials.”

Co-written and directed by Fede Alvarez (Evil Dead, Don't Breathe), The Girl in the Spider's Web is the next chapter in the series of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" film franchise, and is based on the fourth novel in the Millenium novel series. The cast includes Claire Foy, Lakeith Stanfield, Sylvia Hoeks, and Sverrir Gudnason. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Girl in the Spider's Web:

• The late author Stieg Larsson had planned to write ten books about Lizbeth Salander and Mikael Blomquist, and the notes are in the possession of his partner, Eva Gabrielson. However, since they were not married, his father and brother inherited the rights to his literary estate upon his death, and the two parties never came to terms about the direction of the series. The family then hired another writer to create new stories.

• While it's a direct sequel to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011), it features a new director and entirely new cast.

Overlord

Director Julius Avery

Genre Action | Horror | Mystery

Cast Wyatt Russell, Bokeem Woodbine, Pilou Asbæk, Iain De Caestecker

Rating R

Release Date November 9th, 2018

“The story of two American soldiers behind enemy lines on D-Day.”

From director Julius Avery (Son of a Gun), Overlord is an action horror telling the story of two American soldiers behind enemy lines on D-Day.  The cast includes Wyatt Russell (Everybody Wants Some!!, Ingrid Goes West), Bokeem Woodbine (The Big Hit, Fargo: Season 2), Pilou Asbæk, and Iain De Caestecker. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Overlord:

• Confirmed by J.J. Abrams at the Paramount CinemaCon presentation on April 25, 2018 that the film is, in fact, not an entry in the Cloverfield franchise, despite initial speculations.

• Bad Robot's first R-rated film.

Outlaw King

Director David Mackenzie

Genre Action | Biography | Drama

Cast Chris Pine, Florence Pugh, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Tony Curran

Rating R

Release Date November 9th, 2018

“A true David v Goliath story of how the great 14th Century Scottish ‘Outlaw King’ Robert The Bruce used cunning and bravery to defeat and repel the much larger and better equipped occupying English army.”

From talented director David Mackenzie, the man behind Starred Up (2013) and one of my personal favorites Hell or High Water (2016), which also starred Chris Pine, Outlaw King is a biography drama tells the true story of a 14th Century Scottish “Outlaw King” who’s bravely and resilience helped him defeat a much larger and better equipped occupying English army. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Outlaw King:

• Following a screening of the film at the Toronto International Film Festival, David Mackenzie decided to cut 20 minutes from the film.

• Ben Foster was originally cast in the film to reunite with his Hell or High Water (2016) colleagues, director David Mackenzie & Chris Pine. While the project was in development, Foster dropped out & was later replaced by Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

El Angel

Director Luis Ortega

Genre Biography | Crime | Drama

Cast Lorenzo Ferro, Chino Darín, Daniel Fanego, Mercedes Morán

Rating Unrated

Release Date November 9th, 2019 (Limited)

“A teenager embarks on a murderous crime spree with a friend he hopes to impress.”

“Carlitos is a seventeen-year-old youth with movie star swagger, blond curls and a baby face. As a young boy, he coveted other people’s things, but it wasn’t until his early adolescence that his true calling—to be a thief—manifested itself. When he meets Ramon at his new school, Carlitos is immediately drawn to him and starts showing off to get his attention. Together they will embark on a journey of discoveries, love and crime. Killing is just a random offshoot of the violence, which continues to escalate until Carlitos is finally apprehended. Because of his angelic appearance, the press dubs Carlitos “The Angel of Death.” Showered with attention because of his beauty, he becomes an overnight celebrity. Altogether, he is believed to have committed over forty thefts and eleven homicides. Today, after more than forty-six years in jail, Carlos Robledo Puch is the longest- serving prisoner in the history of Argentina.”

The Long Dumb Road

Director Hannah Fidell

Genre Comedy

Cast Jason Mantzoukas, Tony Revolori, Taissa Farmiga, Ron Livingston

Rating R

Release Date November 9th, 2018 (Netflix July 8th, 2020)

“Two guys serendipitously meet at a time when they both find themselves at personal crossroads and decide to embark on an unplanned road trip across the American Southwest.”

Co-written and directed by Hannah Fidell, The Long Dumb Road is a comedy about two guys who cross paths at a time when they are both at a personal crossroads and decide to take an eventful road trip together. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Long Dumb Road:

• This film features Taissa Farmiga, Ben Rosenfield and Lindsay Burdge in the cast; all three actors starred in Hannah Fidell's previous film, 6 Years (2015). Burdge also portrayed the lead role in Fidell's A Teacher (2013).

• Actor Jason Mantzoukas is fatally allergic to eggs.

River Runs Red

Director Wes Miller

Genre Thriller

Cast Taye Diggs, George Lopez, Luke Hemsworth, Gianni Capaldi

Rating Unrated

Release Date  November 9th, 2018 (Limited & On-Demand)

“A vengeful judge takes the law into his own hands when two cops kill his young son during a routine traffic stop.”

Written and directed by Wes Miller, River Runs Red is a thriller about a vengeful judge who takes the law into his own hands after two cops kill his son during a routine traffic stop. The premise reminds me of Law Abiding Citizen so if it’s half as good as that, count me in. Check out the official trailer below!!

Time Freak

Director Andrew Bowler

Genre Comedy | Drama | Romance

Cast Asa Butterfield, Sophie Turner, Skyler Gisondo, Will Peltz

Rating PG-13

Release Date November 9th, 2018 (Limited)

“Physics prodigy Stillman is destined for great things but his plans are fall apart when his girlfriend suddenly dumps him. But Stillman isn’t beaten, he does what any heartbroken genius would do - he invents a time machine to get a second chance at love.”

Written and directed by Andrew Bowler, Time Freak is a romantic drama about a physics prodigy who creates a time machine to try and change the future after his girlfriend abruptly dumps him. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Time Freak:

• Based on the 2011 short film also written and directed by Andrew Bowler.

Halloween

Director David Gordon Green

Genre Horror | Thriller

Cast Judy Greer, Jamie Lee Curtis, Virginia Gardner, Nick Castle

Rating R

Release Date October 19th, 2018

“Laurie Strode comes to her final confrontation with Michael Myers, the masked figure who has haunted her since she narrowly escaped his killing spree on Halloween night four decades ago.”

Co-written and directed by David Gordon Green, a talented director/writer who brought us Pineapple Express, Joe, and Stronger, as well as numerous episodes of shows such as Eastbound & Down, Red Oaks, and Vice Principals, Halloween is the highly anticipated remake/re-imagining of the popular slasher franchise. Bringing John Carpenter's iconic killer back to the big-screen, the script is co-written by Danny McBride, which is an interesting venture for the actor known for his comedic roles. He has worked on a number of projects with Green over the years so the partnership does make sense. The rumor mill is saying that this film will pick up after the first Halloween (1978) and will focus on Laurie Strode, one of Michael Myers first victims, played by Jamie Lee Curtis. I am a HUGE fan of slashers so I cannot wait for this movie to hit theaters. The cast includes Judy Greer, Jamie Lee Curtis, Virginia Gardner, and Nick Castle. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Halloween:

• Jamie Lee Curtis returns in this film. She portrays Laurie Strode and has been in 5 films. Halloween (1978), Halloween 2 (1981), Halloween: 20 Years Later (1998), Halloween: Resurrection (2002), and Halloween (2018). She was also the voice of the "Santa Mira" curfew announcer and telephone operator in Halloween 3 but was uncredited.

• The film wasn't said to be a "remake" nor a "reboot", but a "recalibration" of the character Michael Myers. However, after David Gordon Green and Danny McBride took over the project, these two stated that it would be none of the aforementioned and that the film was going to be a continuation of the original Halloween's sequel.

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms

Director Lasse Hallström, Joe Johnson

Genre Adventure | Family | Fantasy

Cast Keira Knightley, Morgan Freeman, Mackenzie Foy, Helen Mirren

Rating PG

Release Date November 2nd, 2018

“A young girl is transported into a magical world of gingerbread soldiers and an army of mice.”

Directed by Lasse Hallström (Chocolat, Safe Haven, A Dog's Purpose) and Joe Johnson (Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Jumanji, Captain America: The First Avenger), The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is a fantasy adventure for the whole family based on the story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, from E.T.A Hoffmann. The cast includes Keira Knightley, Morgan Freeman, Mackenzie Foy, and Helen Mirren. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms:

• A feature adaptation of "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" by E.T.A. Hoffmann.

• Took over the original release date for Mulan (2019), pushing that film's release back to December 2019.

• To be shot on Kodak 65mm film.

Suspiria

Director Luca Guadagnino

Genre Fantasy | Horror | Mystery

Cast Dakota Johnson, Tilda Swinton, Mia Goth, Chloë Grace Moretz

Rating R

Release Date November 2nd, 2018

“A darkness swirls at the center of a world-renowned dance company, one that will engulf the artistic director, an ambitious young dancer, and a grieving psychotherapist. Some will succumb to the nightmare. Others will finally wake up.”

From director Luca Guadagnino, the man who brought us A Bigger Splash and the award-winning Call Me by Your Name, Suspiria is a horror mystery about the darkness at the center of a world-renowned dance company that will soon overtake everyone involved. The cast includes Dakota Johnson, Tilda Swinton, Mia Goth, Chloë Grace Moretz, Lutz Ebersdorf, and Jessica Harper. Check out the official trailer below!! 

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Suspiria:

• Luca Guadagnino started shooting this film only four months after wrapping the filming of Call Me by Your Name (2017) in 2016.

• The first footage that premiered at the 2018 CinemaCon presentation was said to be so intense and disturbing, some audience members left the presentation midway through.

Bohemian Rhapsody

Director Dexter Fletcher, Bryan Singer

Genre Biography | Drama | Music

Cast Rami Malek, Ben Hardy, Gwilym Lee, Lucy Boynton

Rating PG-13

Release Date November 2nd, 2018

“A chronicle of the years leading up to Queen’s legendary appearance at the Live Aid (1985) concert in 1985.”

From directors Dexter Fletcher (Wild Bill, Eddie the Eagle) and Bryan Singer (The Usual Suspects, X-Men), Bohemian Rhapsody is a biography drama chronicling the years leading up to Queen's legendary appearance at the Live Aid concert in 1985. The making of the film included enough drama to have it's own reality show, including controversy involving the initial casting decision for Sacha Baron Cohen to play Freddie Mercury (Rami Malek was eventually cast) to the firing of director Bryan Singer for erratic behavior and not showing up to direct for days at a time etc. The cast includes Rami Malek, Ben Hardy, Gwilym Lee, Lucy Boynton, and Mike Myers. Check out the official trailers below!! 

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Bohemian Rhapsody:

• The title is taken from Queen's biggest UK hit song "Bohemian Rhapsody," written by Freddie Mercury, the lead singer and pianist of the band.

• Bryan Singer was fired by 20th Century Fox on December 5, 2017 for reportedly being at odds with his star, Rami Malek. Singer threw an object at the actor when Malek complained to the studio about the director's absences.

Nobody's Fool

Director Tyler Perry

Genre Comedy | Drama

Cast Tiffany Haddish, Tika Sumpter, Omari Hardwick, Whoopi Goldberg

Rating R

Release Date November 2nd, 2018

“A woman who gets released from prison and reunites with her sister, who discovers she is in an online relationship with a man that may be “catfishing” her.”

Written and directed by Tyler Perry, Nobody's Fool tells the story of a woman who gets released from prison and reunites with her sister, and next discovers she is in an online relationship with a man that may be "catfishing" her. Love him or hate him, Tyler Perry makes bank with his movies even considering the fact that critics almost always shred them. The cast includes Tiffany Haddish, Tika Sumpter, Omari Hardwick, and Whoopi Goldberg. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Nobody's Fool:

• Tiffany Haddish wears her white halter Alexander McQueen dress for a fifth time in this movie. She wore this beautiful dress to the to such milestone occasions like the premiere of Girl's Trip, SNL, and to host the 2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards. It is an inside joke and breaking barriers in fashion to wear the same dress more than once.

Boy Erased

Director Joel Edgerton

Genre Biography | Drama

Cast Lucas Hedges, Nicole Kidman, Joel Edgerton, Russell Crowe

Rating R

Release Date November 2nd, 2018

“The son of a baptist preacher is forced to participate in a church-supported gay conversion program.”

From actor turned director Joel Edgerton, Boy Erased is a biography drama based on Garrard Conley's memoir telling his story of when he was forced to participate in a church-supported gay conversion program. The talented cast includes Lucas Hedges (Manchester by the Sea, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri), Nicole Kidman, Joel Edgerton, and Russell Crowe. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Film Facts, Boy Erased:

• By the time Garrard Conley's memoir was released, only a handful of US states had banned gay conversion therapy, those being Vermont, California, New Jersey, Illinois, Oregon and the District of Colombia. Mainstream health and medical groups have rejected the underlying assumptions that LGBTQ people need to or can change their sexuality.

• Garrard Conley turned down the opportunity to write the adaptation himself as he believed a filmmaker would be better fit to translate his memoir to the big screen.

• Focus Features won the rights to the film in a bidding war against Annapurna Pictures, Netflix and Amazon Studios.

House of Cards: The Final Season

Genre Drama

Cast Robin Wright, Kevin Spacey, Michael Kelly, Derek Cecil

Rating TV-MA

Series Premiere November 2nd, 2018 (Netflix)

“A Congressman works with his equally conniving wife to exact revenge on the people who betrayed him.”

Everyone is well aware of the drama involving actor Kevin Space, unless perhaps you live under a rock, and to be honest it is really a shame because regardless of what the guy did (or didn't) do behind closed doors, he is one heck of an actor. House of Cards blew up to become one of Netflix's most-watched dramas, but eventually all good things must come to an end - thus here we are fast approaching the final season. The cast includes Robin Wright, Kevin Spacey, Michael Kelly, and Derek Cecil. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, House of Cards:

• Michel Gill (President Walker) and Jayne Atkinson (Catherine Durant) are married in real-life.

• The first two seasons together cost $100 million to produce.

• Season 3 was accidentally released to Netflix two weeks before the official release. It was taken down around 17 minutes later.

Homecoming

Genre Drama | Thriller

Cast Julia Roberts, Bobby Cannavale, Stephan James, Alex Karpovsky

Rating TV-14

Series Premiere November 2nd, 2018 (Amazon Prime)

“A psychological thriller that centers on a caseworker, Heidi Bergman, at a facility treating soldiers returning from war, and Walter Cruz, a veteran eager to rejoin civilian life.”

Homecoming is a brand new psychological drama series that follows a caseworker who works at a facility that treats veteran soldiers returning from war, and a veteran who is eager to return to civilian life. The show is already receiving a great deal of praise from critics calling it a gripping human drama. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Homecoming:

• Based on the podcast of the same name created by Eli Horowitz and Micah Bloomberg that is set to premiere on November 2, 2018 on Amazon Video.

Galveston

Director Mélanie Laurent

Genre Action | Crime | Drama

Cast Ben Foster, Elle Fanning, Lili Reinhart, Robert Aramayo

Rating Unrated

Release Date  October 19th, 2018 (Limited & On-Demand)

“After escaping a set up, a dying hitman returns to his hometown of Galveston where he plans his revenge.”

From director Mélanie Laurent (The Adopted, Breathe), Galveston is a crime drama about a dying hitman who escapes a setup and returns to his hometown of Galveston for revenge. Check out the official trailer below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Galveston:

• Written by the same writer as True Detective, however it was written years before True Detective was created.

• Mélanie Laurent's English-language directorial debut. She had previously directed two feature films and a documentary in France.

Top 10 Netflix Horror Movies

The weather has cooled, bright orange pumpkins are covering porch steps all over the neighborhood, and the Fall foliage is already nearly in full effect. The only other thing as consistent as the changing seasons is the fact that finding something good to watch on Netflix can take all night sometimes - and who wants that?! Halloween is fast approaching, and as huge fans of this special holiday we know you need something to scratch that horror itch. Lucky for you, your friends at Ted Takes are here to offer some suggestions for what we consider to be the top movies in the horror genre currently available to stream on Netflix.

Check out the trailers below and let us know what you consider to be your all-time favorite horror movie in the comments section!!

The Shining (1980)

“A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where an evil spiritual presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from the past and of the future.”

It Follows (2014)

“A young woman is followed by an unknown supernatural force after a sexual encounter.”

The Witch (2015)

“A family in 1630s New England is torn apart by the forces of witchcraft, black magic and possession.”

The Conjuring (2013)

“Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren work to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their farmhouse.”

The Invitation (2015)

“A man accepts an invitation to a dinner party hosted by his ex-wife, an unsettling affair that reopens old wounds and creates new tensions.”

Oculus (2013)

“A woman tries to exonerate her brother, who was convicted of murder, by proving that the crime was committed by a supernatural phenomenon.”

The Strangers (2008)

“A young couple staying in an isolated vacation home are terrorized by three unknown assailants.”

The Babadook (2014)

“A widowed mother, plagued by the violent death of her husband, battles with her son’s fear of a monster lurking in the house, but soon discovers a sinister presence all around her.”

The Ritual (2017)

“A group of college friends reunite for a trip to the forest, but encounter a menacing presence in the woods that’s stalking them.”

Terrifier (2017)

“A maniacal clown terrorizes three young women on Halloween night and everyone else who stands in his way.”

Red Dead Redemption 2

Developer Rockstar Games

Genre Action | Adventure | Crime

Rating Mature

Formats PS4 | Xbox One

Release Date October 26th, 2018

“The story of outlaw Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang as they rob, fight and steal their way across the vast and rugged heart of America in order to survive.”

Rockstar Games can lay claim to some of the best game releases in history, the biggest of which being Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption, which has earned its place as GTA of the Wild West! The first Red Dead Redemption released in 2010 and was absolutely amazing so I, like many others, cannot wait for this new game to finally release!! The official release date is now confirmed as October 26th.  Check out the official trailers below!!

Johnny English Strikes Again

Director David Kerr

Genre Action | Adventure | Comedy

Cast Rowan Atkinson, Olga Kurylenko, Jake Lacy, Ben Miller

Rating PG

Release Date October 26th, 2018

“After a cyber-attack reveals the identity of all of the active undercover agents in Britain, Johnny English is forced to come out of retirement to find the mastermind hacker.”

From director David Kerr, his feature-film debut, Johnny English Strikes Again is a sequel to the 2011 film, Johnny English Reborn, and is the third installment in the Johnny English series. The films are a spoof of the James Bond films, and follow the antics of British spy Johnny English. In this film, English (who is currently teaching at a minor prep school) is called back into action after a criminal mastermind reveals the identities of all active undercover agents in Britain. The cast includes Rowan Atkinson, Olga Kurylenko, Jake Lacy, and Ben Miller. Check out the official trailers below!!

Ted Takes Fun Facts, Johnny English Strikes Again:

• Will be release 7 years after Johnny English Reborn and 15 years after Johnny English.

• Rowan Atkinson played Nigel SmallFaucet, James Bond's MI6 contact in the Bahamas in Never Say Never Again.