Stephen King film and television adaptations are coming out left and right, but if you are anything like me, you are more than okay with that.
A new limited series based on King’s best-selling novel, The Stand, is hitting CBS All Access this winter. The cast includes Whoopi Goldberg, Alexander Skarsgård, James Marsden, Odessa Young, Jovan Adepo, and many more.
The Stand will premiere December 17th. Watch the new trailer below.
A Netflix Original Film from Academy Award-winning director Ron Howard, Hillbilly Elegy tells the story of J.D. Vance, a former Marine from southern Ohio and current Yale Law student who is on the verge of landing his dream job when a family crisis forces him to return to the home he’s tried to forget.
The film stars Amy Adams, Glenn Close, Gabriel Basso, and Haley Bennett.
Based on the powerful personal memoir from author J.D. Vance, which offers a window into one family’s personal journey of survival and triumph. Vance’s family story follows three colorful generations through their unique struggles, exploring the highs and lows that define his family’s experience.
Hillbilly Elegy will debut on Netflix November 24th. Check out the official trailer below.
Written and directed by the talented Paul W.S. Anderson (Mortal Kombat, Resident Evil, Death Race), and based on the Kaname Fujioka Capcom videogame, Monster Hunter looks to be a movie that begs to be seen in theaters, more specifically IMAX.
The film stars one of Anderson’s favorite actresses to work with, Milla Jovovich (Resident Evil: Afterlife), as well as Tony Jaam, T.I., Meagan Good, and Ron Perlman.
“Behind our world, there is another: a world of dangerous and powerful monsters that rule their domain with deadly ferocity. When an unexpected sandstorm transports Captain Artemis (Milla Jovovich) and her unit (TI Harris, Meagan Good, Diego Boneta) to a new world, the soldiers are shocked to discover that this hostile and unknown environment is home to enormous and terrifying monsters immune to their firepower. In their desperate battle for survival, the unit encounters the mysterious Hunter (Tony Jaa), whose unique skills allow him to stay one step ahead of the powerful creatures. As Artemis and Hunter slowly build trust, she discovers that he is part of a team led by the Admiral (Ron Perlman). Facing a danger so great it could threaten to destroy their world, the brave warriors combine their unique abilities to band together for the ultimate showdown.”
This trailer is INTENSE, and as a fan of Anderson and Jovovich, I will be checking this out the day it comes out - and fingers crossed it will be in an IMAX theater. with a bag of hot and delicious popcorn Monster Hunter is set to release on December 30th.
Check out the official new trailer below.
Rachel Brosnahan, most recently known as the lead in the Prime Original series 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, is a talented actress making waves all across Hollywood. Now she is teaming up with Prime Video once again as the lead in the upcoming crime drama I’m Your Woman.
Co-written and directed by Julia Hart, the film co-stars Bill Heck, Arinzé Kene, Marsha Stephanie Blank, and Frankie Faison.
Set in the 1970’s, Jean is a new mother whose husband Eddie, a professional thief, betrays his partners, which forces Jean and their baby to flee their home. Jean is put in the care of a handler named Cal, who takes the pair to his country home where Cal, his wife Terry, and father Art try to prepare Jean for the turmoil bound to follow.
I’m Your Woman will release exclusively on Prime Video December 11th. Watch the latest trailer below.
Adam Sandler has his fair share of haters, to the point where it seems like he always has an uphill battle when he puts out a movie. The hate seemed to come full force when he inked his first movie deal with streaming giant Netflix, churning out what many consider to be the dumpster fire version of Hollywood. Love him or hate him, Adam Sandler is a multi-talented dude, and the recent hit drama Uncut Gems is proof he can really act as well. He voiced his Oscar snub in an interview saying he would put out the worst movie ever on purpose purely out of spite - but I am pleased to say this is not that movie.
Hubie Halloween tells the story of Hubie Dubois, a Salem man who embodies everything that we all love about Halloween. Unfortunately for Hubie, his genuinely kind demeanor, and the fact that he is a grown man living with his mother, tends to rub people the wrong way. But this year things are different, and the town of Salem, MA, will need Hubie to save Halloween.
As is the case with most of Sandler's movies released under his Happy Madison Productions umbrella, the cast is absolutely stacked. The all-star cast includes many of his regulars, and a few welcome additions, including Kevin James, Julie Bowen, June Squibb, Maya Rudolph, Ray Liotta, Steve Buscemi, Rob Schneider, Michael Chiklis, and Kenan Thompson. The film also features co-stars Tim Meadows, and Shaquille O’Neal. Little Nicky director Steven Brill is behind the camera, with Sandler co-writing the script with Tim Herlihy.
The fact of the matter is this, Hubie Halloween is MUCH better than these out of touch critics or Adam Sandler haters want you to believe, and I am not the least bit surprised that it has become one of his most successful movies. It's almost like they take personal offense to the fact that the guy has a blast making movies, which is baffling to me. His usual co-stars consistently come out and say that working on his movies are like partying with friends for weeks at a time – and that sounds damn good to me. If you take the time to read what people are saying, it seems to be an influx of "it's bearable" or "not bad for an Adam Sandler movie".
Well feel free to tell those washed up and jealous losers to go pound sand, I know I will. Hubie Halloween is funny in a family-friendly sort of way with plenty of slightly disguised adult humor littered throughout, and more than anything else it is an immersive Halloween experience. Similar to most of his movies, it has a great message reminding us that it's okay to be different as long as your heart is in the right place. Not only was this the movie we needed to get us into the Halloween spirit, it was the movie we needed to try and escape this nightmare of a year, even if just for an hour and 30 minutes.
Adam Sandler caters to his fanbase by packing Hubie Halloween full of references to his other classic films, including Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison (O’Doyle rules!!), and The Waterboy, to name a few - but more importantly, he returns the majority of his usual cast mates. As a diehard The King of Queens fan, I was pleased to see Kevin James in a lead role as the fumbling local law enforcement, who spends more time keeping track of his candy stash than he does investigating crimes. He is hilarious in this role.
I will say, my favorite casting decision is easily June Squibb (Nebraska, Love the Coopers), who plays Hubie's seemingly overbearing mother. She has such a unique monotone style of comedic delivery, and I think she is an absolute gem. She is fantastic in the comedy drama Nebraska if you have yet to see it. At the beginning of the movie she is seen wearing a t-shirt with a hilarious yet inappropriate saying (Kayaking Gets Me Wet, or Boner Donor, for example) and she explains that she and her friend got a heck of a deal on t-shirts at Goodwill.
Throughout the film, she is seen wearing one hilarious shirt after another, and I just loved this small addition which is classic Sandler. During an interview she said that each time she went to her trailer to change into another shirt she would laugh at what she would be wearing. This is Squibb’s first appearance in a Sandler movie, but I sure hope it won’t be her last. Hubie Halloween has several small details like this that add a little something extra for viewers depending on your sense of humor. Now I am not saying this is going to be your new favorite movie, but I honestly have very little negative to say about it. Whether that is partly due to all of the negative feedback received early on that lowered my expectations I can’t be sure, I just know I enjoyed this movie and I will be watching it again.
Hubie Halloween will put a smile on your face and is even suitable for the entire family, so get some popcorn ready and fire up Netflix, you won't be disappointed. And here's to hoping June Squibb keeps the role of mom going forward. Recommended.
Check out the official trailer for Hubie Halloween below, now streaming on Netflix.
Director Taika Waititi
Genre Comedy | Drama
Cast Sam Neill, Julian Dennison, Rima Te Wiata, Rachel House
Rating PG-13
Release Date June 24th, 2016 (Streaming on Hulu & Netflix)
“A national manhunt is ordered for a rebellious kid and his foster uncle who go missing in the wild New Zealand bush.”
Hunt for the Wilderpeople is directed by New Zealand native Taika Waititi, who most recently directed the hilarious and very over the top vampire comedy, What We Do in the Shadows. The film is a coming-of-age story about a troubled teenager bouncing around in the foster care system in New Zealand. The cast includes Julian Dennison, Sam Neill, Rima Ti Wiata, and the always hilarious Rhys Darby (Flight of the Conchords).
Hunt for the Wilderpeople is an infectiously entertaining and heartfelt adventure in the New Zealand bush, and it is easily one of the summer’s guiltiest pleasures. I was extremely excited for Taika Waititi's latest film after I first watched the trailer, and it was everything I hoped it would be. The scenic beauty is stunning from beginning to end and to be quite honest had me nearly researching a vacation to the island nation. One of my favorite aspects of the film was the incredible soundtrack. In my humble opinion, a quality soundtrack can take a film with heart and an important message from good to great, and Hunt for the Wilderpeople took full adventure of this, making it feel authentic and unique. How they were able to portray such a whirlwind of emotion throughout while maintaining a fun and easygoing feel is beyond me.
The cast in Hunt for the Wilderpeople was absolutely perfect and does not seem to miss a beat. Julian Dennison is unmatched in his role as troubled teenager Ricky Baker, who finds himself bouncing from foster home to foster home. This is the young New Zealand actor’s third film and certainly showcases his talent. I find myself replaying scenes in my head where he didn’t even speak a single word, but instead simply used his body language and facial expressions to make you laugh out loud. Veteran actor Sam Neill, with over 120 acting credits on his IMDb resume including Jurassic Park and Event Horizon, develops a unique chemistry with the young actor and they play off each other very well. Make no mistake, even though the scenery is breathtaking the film is built on its characters and how well they help to unfold the story, and let's just say a standing ovation is in order.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople is an independent film that is certainly unique with its own brand of goofy and sometimes dry humor. What pleased me most and is likely why the film is so highly rated by critics is the fact that it manages to deliver on all fronts. It actually had me baffled more than a few times, trying to figure out how everything came together so seamlessly, or so it seems from the viewer’s standpoint. With plenty of laughs, a great message, and yet another reason why Taika Waititi is a very talented director, Hunt for the Wilderpeople deserves to be seen as soon as possible. Unfortunately the release is quite limited and it may not be available in theaters near you, but if that is the case, keep an eye out for a release On-Demand or rental/purchase on Blu-ray this Fall. I will surely be adding this to my growing collection.
Charm City Kings has been on my radar for quite some time, so I was thrilled to hear that HBO acquired the rights to the film and planned to release it on it’s HBO Max streaming platform. Based on the documentary 12 O’Clock Boys (2013), it tells the story of 14-year old Mouse who has big dreams of joining the sought after local crew Midnight Clique, a group of dirt-bike riders that own the streets of Baltimore.
The film benefits greatly from a well-written script, as well as A+ cinematography offering viewers an authentic look at the real Baltimore. As someone who grew up riding dirt-bikes, I was in awe of the stunts and the amazing bikes highlighted throughout the film which left me drooling. I thought the story was paced well, and I actually re-watched a few of the more intense action sequences supplemented by the fantastic soundtrack. Although it may feel a bit predictable at times, the story of this kid finding his way is full of heart and reminds us that sometimes we all just need a second chance in life.
Donielle T. Hansley Jr., Jahi Di’Allo Winston, and Kezii Curtis
The acting was top notch and honestly much better than I anticipated. Jahi Di’Allo Winston plays the role of Mouse turning in a memorable performance, but for me the role that really stood out was accomplished rapper turned actor Meek Mill, who plays neighborhood legend, Blax. Just oozing confidence throughout the film, it felt more like he was an actor turned rapper, which is a credit to director Angel Manuel Soto and acting coach Louis Stancil. I expect we’ll see more from him going forward. It’s honestly no surprise the film took home the Sundance Film Festival’s U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Ensemble Acting.
Shout out to my dude Marvin Raheem for his role as the opportunistic dirt-bike thief Derek, can’t blame him though, “we all gotta eat”.
Jahi Di’Allo Winston and Meek Mill
Well directed with stellar acting and a hard hitting soundtrack, Charm City Kings is a gritty adrenaline inducing coming-of-age story from the mean streets of Baltimore. Highly recommended.
Charm City Kings is now streaming on HBO Max. Check out the trailer below.
We all have our must-watch Holiday classics, but if you are anything like me, you always have room for one more. Written and directed by Eshom and Ian Nelms, the action comedy Fatman may very well be your next classic.
Chance Hurstfield, known for his role in the television drama Million Little Things, plays the role of spoiled 12-year old kid Billy Wenan, who is expecting to get exactly what he asked for on Christmas morning - but when he finds a lump of coal instead of the present he asked for, he is not pleased. Now most kids would take their lumps and move on, but not Billy, and it turns out he has the means to do something about it.
Billy decides he is going to take Santa aka the Fatman out once and for all, so he makes a call and hires the the highly-skilled assassin known only as Skinny Man, played by Walton Goggins, who previously played one of the best roles on TV when he immersed himself in the role of Boyd Crowder in Justified.
Unfortunately for Skinny Man, old Chris Kringle ain’t as jolly as he once was and proves to be more than a formidable foe. Played by Mel Gibson, Santa has hit a rough patch as of late and has descended into days of drinking himself to sleep and just having a general bitter view of the world. With his business declining, he is hired by the U.S. Military for financial reasons as a way to try and keep things afloat. Soon after and now trained well beyond your ordinary overweight guy in a red suit, Santa finds himself toe to toe with a relentless maniac hell-bent on sending him down his last chimney.
Now I get it, the premise sounds absolutely ridiculous. But take a few minutes to check out the trailer because as far as an R-rated action comedies go, this looks like it will be a blast to watch and I am definitely looking forward to it.
Just to summarize, Mel Gibson is a pissed off Santa with a price on his head, and Walton Goggins is the hired assassin on his heels at every turn - it sounds like Christmas is coming early this year.
Fatman will be available limited release on November 13th and will hit On-Demand November 17th courtesy of Saban Films. Watch the new trailer below.
Director Paul Greengrass (United 93, Jason Bourne) and Oscar-winning actor Tom Hanks, who worked on Captain Phillips (2013) together, return for the western drama ‘News of the World’. It is based on the novel of the same name from author Paulette Jiles.
The film tells the story of a widowed Civil War veteran who agrees to deliver a girl, taken by the Kiowa people years ago, to her aunt and uncle, against her will. They travel hundreds of miles and face grave dangers as they search for a place that either can call home.
This is the first American feature film for German child actress Helena Zengel, who was discovered at the Berlin International Film Festival premiere of the German motion picture, System Crasher.
News of the World is set to hit theaters this Christmas. Watch the new trailer below.
Jessica Chastain, Penélope Cruz, Lupita Nyong’o, Sebastian Stan, and Edgar Ramirez round out the cast in the intense spy thriller ‘The 355’ from the producers of the Jason Bourne movies?!
Yeah, I am ALL IN on this. At first I expected something more along the lines of Charlie’s Angels, but after watching the trailer this is darker and certainly more Jason Bourne meets American Assassin - and it looks damn good.
When a top-secret weapon falls into mercenary hands, wild card CIA agent Mason “Mace” Brown will need to join forces with rival badass German agent Marie, former MI6 ally and cutting-edge computer specialist Khadijah, and skilled Colombian psychologist Graciela, on a lethal, breakneck mission to retrieve it, while also staying one-step ahead of a mysterious woman, Lin Mi Sheng, who is tracking their every move.
The 355 is set to hit theaters on January 15th, 2021. Watch the gritty new trailer below.
The Place Beyond the Pines writing duo Darius Marder and Derek Cianfrance are teaming up for the Amazon Prime Original drama Sound of Metal, with Marder in the directors chair. Starring Riz Ahmed and Olivia Cooke, the film tells the story of a heavy-metal drummer's life that is thrown into freefall when he begins to lose his hearing.
Ahmed, an incredible actor who starred in one of the best drama series you can watch HBO’s The Night Of, learned sign language for this role and also spent 6 months learning to play the drums - now that is dedication! I am a big fan of Ahmed as an actor, as well as the cretaive tandem of Marder and Cianfrance so I am looking forward to this.
Sound of Metal will hit limited theaters on November 20th and will be available to stream on Prime Video December 4th.
Watch the new trailer below.
Our friends at Blumhouse are at it again, this time bringing to the table a sequel/continuation of the 1996 cult classic The Craft.
In ‘The Craft: Legacy’, an eclectic foursome of aspiring teenage witches get more than they bargained for as they lean into their newfound powers.
Written and directed by Life in Pieces actress Zoe Lister-Jones (Band-Aid), the film stars Cailee Spaeny, Gideon Adlon, Lovie Simone, Zoey Luna, Nicholas Galitzine, with Michelle Monaghan and David Duchovny.
Blumhouse and Red Wagon Entertainment are producing the film for Columbia Pictures.
The Craft: Legacy will be available in limited theaters and On-Demand October 28th.
Originally hitting theaters and On-Demand July 3rd, The Outpost from Screen Media Films, is a war drama based on true events that took place on October 3rd, 2009. It is based on the New York Times best-selling non-fiction book, The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor from CNN’s Jake Tapper. The events surrounding Black Hawk Down took place exactly 16 years earlier, October 3rd-4th 1993, in Mogadishu, Somalia.
A small unit of U.S. soldiers alone at the remote Combat Outpost Keating, located deep in the valley of three mountains in Afghanistan, battle to defend against an overwhelming force of Taliban fighters in a coordinated attack. The Battle of Kamdesh, as it was known, was the bloodiest American engagement of the Afghan War in 2009 and Bravo Troop 3-61 CAV became one of the most decorated units of the 19-year conflict.
Directed by Rod Lurie (The Contender, The Last Castle) and adapted by Oscar-nominated screenwriting duo Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson (The Fighter).
The film stars Scott Eastwood, Caleb Landry Jones, and Orlando Bloom. Three of the actual troops who fought at COP Keating appear in the film, including Medal of Honor recipient Ty Carter.
The Outpost will hit Netflix on October 1st. Watch the trailer below.
From writer/director Jim Cummings, the man behind the 2018 sleeper hit Thunder Road, The Wolf of Snow Hollow is a horror comedy that looks to be yet another feather in his cap.
The film tells the story of a small mountain town where bodies begin to be discovered after each full moon. Losing sleep, raising a teenage daughter, and caring for his ailing father, officer Marshall struggles to remind himself there's no such thing as werewolves.
The Wolf of Snow Hollow stars Jim Cummings, Riki Lindhome, veteran actor Robert Forster, and Chloe East. It is set to be released in theaters and On-Demand October 9th.
As a big fan of Thunder Road, I am pumped for this! Watch the trailer below.
Unless you have been living under a rock you are familiar with the tragedy involving Shanann Watts and her two young daughters, who went missing in Fredrick, Colorado, during the summer of 2018. The disappearance made national headlines, and soon all eyes were on her husband, Chris Watts, and for good reason.
By all accounts an absolute sociopath, Chris spoke to the authorities and news outlets nearly in tears pleading for the return of his family who he claimed up and left for no reason - but the truth came out soon enough.
The Netflix true crime documentary American Murder: The Family Next Door tells the tragic story of the Watts family, piecing together all of the available details to try and better understand how a human being could commit the worst crime imaginable against his own family.
The documentary will hit Netflix on September 30th. Watch the trailer below.
Jude Law and Carrie Coomn are teaming up in the new drama The Nest from IFC Films.
The Nest tells the story of Rory (Jude Law), an ambitious entrepreneur and former commodities broker, persuades his American wife, Allison (Carrie Coon), and their children to leave the comforts of suburban America and return to his native England during the 1980s. Sensing opportunity, Rory rejoins his former firm and leases a centuries-old country manor, with grounds for Allison’s horses and plans to build a stable. Soon the promise of a lucrative new beginning starts to unravel, the couple have to face the unwelcome truths lying beneath the surface of their marriage. - IFC Films
The film will be available September 18th limited release & On-Demand. Watch the trailer below.
The trailer for Aaron Sorkin’s drama The Trial of the Chicago 7 is here, and right out of the gate you know that if his name is attached to the project, it will be worth watching. Sorkin is a supreme talent as a screenwriter, delivering films like A Few Good Men, The Social Network, Moneyball, and more recently Molly’s Game, just to name a few, but this will be only the 2nd time he has directed as well.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 is a drama based on true events that tells the story of 7 people on trial stemming from various charges surrounding the uprising at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois. The film includes a talented cast including Sacha Baron Cohen in a rare dramatic role, as well as Eddie Redmayne, Jeremy Strong, Mark Rylance, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
The film will drop on Netflix October 16th. Watch the trailers below.
Your week just got a little bit better Star Wars fans!! Disney+ has dropped the brand new trailer for the new season of The Mandalorian and you don’t want to miss it!!
Season 2 will hit Disney+ on October 30th. Watch the trailer below.
I am a horror movie guy through and through, but finding a horror movie that actually scares me has become quite a task. I have learned that for me the scariest movies are rooted in the scariest thing of all, which is of course, reality.
The movie that stands out for me the most as of late is Hereditary, a movie that slowly drags you down a path of pure dread and never lets go. I also really enjoyed Relic, which admittedly reinforces the fact that deranged old ladies creep me out. Which brings me to yet another horror movie that seems to blend both of the things I enjoy most about horror movies, The Dark and the Wicked.
Written and directed by Brian Bertino, the man who brought us The Strangers (2008), and also produced the under-the-radar indie horror The Blackcoats Daughter (REVIEW), which I thought was fantastic, so it seems he has a knack for legit horror.
The synopsis for The Dark and the Wicked is as follows:
“On a secluded farm in a nondescript rural town, a man is slowly dying. His family gathers to mourn, and soon a darkness grows, marked by waking nightmares and a growing sense that something evil is taking over the family.”
The film stars Marin Ireland (AMC’s The Killing, The Irishman) and Michael Abbott Jr. The trailer leaves you with more questions than answers and is absolutely drenched in pure dread, just the way I like it. I can’t wait for this to come out.
The Dark and the Wicked is set to hit limited theaters on November 6th.
Watch the trailer for yourself below.
“Lose control…”
Let me just start by saying I can really appreciate a well executed trailer, and this one in particular is fantastic. In my mind a trailer should use a less is more approach while still intriguing the viewer, and that is absolutely the case here.
From writer/director Brandon Cronenberg, Possessor is a visceral sci-fi thriller about elite, corporate assassin Tasya Vos. Using brain-implant technology, Vos takes control of other people’s bodies to execute high profile targets. As she sinks deeper into her latest assignment she becomes trapped inside the mind of a man who may rival her violent tendencies threatening her existence.
Possessor is already receiving widespread critical acclaim for its unique cinematography and incredible imagery, which is obvious in the trailer. Not that I care all that much what the majority of people sharing their “opinions” on Rotten Tomatoes have to say anyway, but they may be on to something here. Just watching the trailer it sort of reminds me of a darker version of Predestination, starring Ethan Hawke and Sarah Snook.
The cast includes Andrea Riseborough (Mandy, Nocturnal Animals), Christopher Abbott (Girls, It Comes at Night), Jennifer Jason Leigh (Atypical), and Tuppence Middleton (The Imitation Game).
Possessor will hit limited theaters and On-Demand October 9th.
Watch the new UNRATED trailer below.