Rating: 

9.5/10

Cast:

Jim Cummings as John Marshall

Riki Lindhome as Officer Julia Robson

Robert Forster as Sherriff Hadley

Chloe East as Jenna Marshall

Jimmy Tatro as PJ Palfrey

Marshall Allman as Jeremy

Neville Archambault as Gerry

Annie Hamilton as Brianne

Kelsey Edwards as Liz Fairchild

Written and Directed by Jim Cummings

The Wolf of Snow Hollow Review:

The werewolf genre has been all but dead for the past decade, with the iconic horror creature generally subjected to being a side character or to more gimmicky films than a straightforward piece, but with The Wolf of Snow Hollow, writer/director/star Jim Cummings has delivered a truly original and compelling new take on the classic monster that is sure to delight genre enthusiasts and general audiences alike.

The Wolf of Snow Hollow follows a small-town sheriff, struggling with a failed marriage, a rebellious daughter, and a lackluster department, is tasked with solving a series of brutal murders that are occurring on the full moon. As he’s consumed by the hunt for the killer, he struggles to remind himself that there’s no such thing as werewolves.

Very rarely has the werewolf subgenre elected to take a whodunnit approach to revealing just who is the person being transformed into the hairy beast and in doing so, Cummings has found a clever way to properly focus the story more on his quirky and offbeat characters and their relationships with one another rather than generic monster action and it works brilliantly. As much fun as it is to speculate and take guesses as to who might be the one terrorizing the small town, with occasional glimpses even being given as to a potential suspect, the majority of the film’s entertainment comes from seeing the writer/director’s own character John Marshall struggle with everything from a town and department lacking respect for the law to his ailing father, also the chief of police, and his defiant daughter.

Though the writing does make it hard to connect to him or sympathize with him in moments as he lashes out at all of those around him, with some of his actions coming across as more mean-spirited than humorous, it does also give viewers a chance to understand the meaning behind the anger. He’s not just another hot-headed jerk solely for the sake of being mean, he has a lot on his mind, including a bothersome ex-wife and a fight with alcoholism, which make it a bit easier to forgive him in moments, even as he spews venom to those around him.

While the writing for the characters is already inherently intriguing, they’re all further bolstered by wonderful performances from its cast, most notably Cummings, Riki Lindhome and Robert Forster in his last feature role. Through tragic timing, Forster’s final role has him cast as a man struggling to accept his ailing health and he plays it with a feeling of authenticity, from powerful reflections on his career and its comparison to the case to struggling to traverse the snowy terrain at crime scenes.

Lindhome, better known for her work in the world of comedy than anything else, has made occasional appearances in the field of horror before with The Last House on the Left and Pulse remakes and she really shines as Julia, John’s biggest source of support in the department. Normally when offered a character such as Julia, be it a small town setting or big city, it develops into a romantic relationship with the male lead and yet the film offers a more interesting path by allowing her to be simply an independent woman wanting to help a friend and she brings a real warmth to the role that makes her a delight to watch.

When we’re not following characters that feel very reminiscent of those penned by Rian Johnson or Wes Anderson, the audience is being treated to a compelling and frequently haunting murder mystery that follows in the footsteps of the early masterworks of David Fincher with just a hint of the beautifully dark world of NBC’s Hannibal. Cummings and cinematographer Natalie Kingston’s artistic eyes proved to be a match made in heaven as they bring a real voyeuristic feel to a handful of scenes and keep the viewer on the edge of their seat and guessing while others create a more intimate feel as we’re treated to some key character moments and performances, all of which add up to a beautiful film from start to finish.

Occasional unsavory character moments aside, Jim Cummings has crafted a darkly hilarious, uniquely offbeat and wonderfully engrossing monster whodunnit with The Wolf of Snow Hollow that opens the door for fresh new takes on classic monster horror creatures.

The post [Beyond Fest] The Wolf of Snow Hollow Review: Subversive, Offbeat & Quietly Thrilling appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

Stump the Editor Episode 4: Brea Grant!

Welcome to the latest episode of ComingSoon.net’s podcast, Stump the Editor! This week actor and comedian Brea Grant (Dexter, Heroes, Friday Night Lights) drops by to duel with CS editor Max Evry for movie trivia domination! Grant’s latest writing/directorial effort, the bloody dark comedy 12 Hour Shift, debuts today on VOD and in select theaters!

Join host Kristy Puchko (Pajiba, The /Filmcast) as she pits ComingSoon.net’s Managing Editor Max Evry against a string of celebrity guests in a grueling round of movie trivia. Then, in the second round, the guests get to turn the tables on Max by asking him trivia questions about their own career! Listen or download the podcast via the player below!

Click here to rent Brea Grant’s 12 Hour Shift on VOD!

In 12 Hour Shift it’s 1998, and over the course of one night at an Arkansas hospital a junkie nurse, her scheming cousin and a group of black market organ-trading criminals get caught up in a heist gone wrong.

Today we have actress, writer, director, author and podcaster Brea Grant! Grant has appeared in series such as Friday Night Lights, Heroes and Dexter, and more recently in audience fav After Midnight, A Ghost Story, and on Logo TV’s EastSiders for which she also wrote and directed. She also co-hosts the popular weekly podcast Reading Glasses with Mallory O’Meara. Her latest feature writing and directing effort, the dark horror comedy 12 Hour Shift, just won a writing award at the Fantasia Film Festival.

Previous Episodes:

Stump the Editor Episode 1: Jonah Ray!

Stump the Editor Episode 2: Scott Adkins & Jesse V. Johnson!

Stump the Editor Episode 3: Baron Vaughn!

What guests would you like to hear on future episodes of ComingSoon.net’s Stump the Editor? Let us know in the comments below!

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F9: The Fast Saga release delayed one month

Following the studio’s decision to move No Time to Die to the release date, Universal Pictures has elected to delay the long-awaited F9: The Fast Saga from its Easter 2021 weekend to Memorial Day, just one year after its original release date.

RELATED: No Time to Die Release Pushed Back to Easter 2021

In F9, Vin Diesel’s Dom Toretto is leading a quiet life off the grid with Letty and his son, little Brian, but they know that danger always lurks just over their peaceful horizon. This time, that threat will force Dom to confront the sins of his past if he’s going to save those he loves most. His crew joins together to stop a world-shattering plot led by the most skilled assassin and high-performance driver they’ve ever encountered: a man who also happens to be Dom’s forsaken brother, Jakob (John Cena).

F9 sees the return of Justin Lin as director, who helmed the third, fourth, fifth and sixth chapters of the series when it transformed into a global blockbuster. The action hurtles around the globe—from London to Tokyo, from Central America to Edinburgh, and from a secret bunker in Azerbaijan to the teeming streets of Tbilisi. Along the way, old friends will be resurrected, old foes will return, history will be rewritten, and the true meaning of family will be tested like never before.

The film stars returning cast members Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Sung Kang, with Oscar winner Helen Mirren and Oscar winner Charlize Theron. F9 also features Grammy-winning superstar Cardi B as a new franchise character Leysa, a woman with a connection to Dom’s past, and a cameo by Reggaeton sensation Ozuna.

RELATED: Borat Sequel Teaser Trailer Released Ahead of Amazon October Premiere

F9 is produced by Neal H. Moritz, Vin Diesel, Jeff Kirschenbaum, Joe Roth, Justin Lin, Clayton Townsend, and Samantha Vincent and is set to hit theaters on May 28, 2021.

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CS Recommends: Magic the Gathering: Shadows Over Innistrad & More!

Stuck inside? Don’t know what to watch/read/play/listen to? ComingSoon.net has got you covered. In this week’s CS Recommends our staff kicks off gives you solid tips on the best media to consume during your downtime, including Magic the Gathering: Shadows Over Innistrad and more! Check out our picks below!

RELATED: September 29 Blu-ray, Digital and DVD Releases

MAX EVRY’S RECOMMEND: Magic the Gathering: Shadows Over Innistrad

Click here to purchase Shadows Over Innistrad Deckbuilder’s Toolkit!

Click here to purchase Shadows Over Innistrad Fat Pack!

Click here to purchase Shadows Over Innistrad Gift Box!

Click here to purchase Shadows Over Innistrad Booster Box!

Those of you who are into the Magic the Gathering competitive card game are likely knee-deep in the latest release Zendikar Rising, but if you want a set that captures more of the Halloween spirit I recommend 2016’s Shadows Over Innistrad! For those not in the know, Innistrad is the MTG plane that’s oriented around Vampires, Werewolves, Zombies, and all the ghoulish things that go bump in the night. The artwork in the 297 cards that make up the expansion block is spooky and atmospheric, with plenty of cool monsters to augment the more traditional fantasy elements. Shadows Over Innistrad also has a really cool feature of double-faced cards that allow you to transform normal-ish humans into werewolves and other demonic beings! The cards themselves are still widely available, so go ahead and get started with a Fat Pack, Gift Box, or Deckbuilder’s Toolkit!

KYLIE HEMMERT’S RECOMMEND: The Collector (2009)

Click here to purchase!

In The Collector, Josh Stewart plays Arkin, an ex-con who plots a heist at his new employer’s country home, desperate to repay his debt to his ex-wife. In a clever twist, during the late-night heist, Arkin finds himself trapped with a sadistic masked-killer who has also targeted the property and rigged it with a series of deadly traps meant for the unsuspecting family. Directed by Marcus Dunstan who co-wrote the screenplay with Patrick Melton, the movie contains Saw-levels of gore (so if that’s not your thing, steer clear) and undeniable tension that really kicks off when Arkin realizes that there is another intruder inside of the home. Besides Stewart’s convincing performance and a truly freaky madman, the intelligent cinematography is what will set your heart racing as the anxiety builds and an injured Arkin desperately attempts to stay one step ahead of The Collector, having to choose between finding an escape for himself from the house of terrors or sticking around the carnage in order to save the family.

GRANT HERMANNS’ RECOMMEND: Host

Click here to watch or stream the movie on Shudder!

With all of us still trapped indoors right now and having to resort to virtual gatherings over Zoom, now is the ultimate time to see a story told through the lenses of webcams and Rob Savage’s Host not only delivers one of the most chilling and shocking examples of the ScreenLife genre, but also one of the most authentic. Centered on six friends meeting on Zoom for a séance that inadvertently invites an evil presence into their homes, the film was shot entirely during the COVID-19 quarantine and yet you wouldn’t be able to tell such a thing in any moment in the film as it all looks impressively made with studio experts rather than up-and-coming performers DIY-ing everything. With a runtime of just 56 minutes, the film doesn’t overstay its welcome nor allow its characters or story to become grating as other similar genre fares of the past and delivers near nonstop chills from start to finish.

MAGGIE DELA PAZ’S RECOMMEND: Stay Alive

Click here to purchase!

The film begins when Hutch finds out that his best friend Loomis was brutally murdered. During Loomis’ funeral, Hutch was able to receive some of his friend’s stuff, one of which was a mysterious horror video game that Loomis had played the night he died. He along with his other friends decided to play the game together where they find out that the game centers around an evil historical figure named Countess Elizabeth Bathory, who was infamously known for bathing in young girls’ blood in order to keep her youth. Soon, they’ll realize that this is no ordinary game as players who get to be killed in the video game will also face the same exact fate as their characters. Now, they must find a way to survive and outsmart the game before time runs out.

This underrated 2006 film is definitely a good selection to start off this year’s Halloween month. Before taking on the surprise 2016 hit film The Boy, the film was William Brent Bell’s first-ever horror project as a writer and director. Interestingly, Stay Alive is also the only slasher-horror film that Disney has ever produced and released through their now-defunct film label, Hollywood Pictures.

Despite having a poor box office and critical performance, the film still featured terrifying and thrilling scenes that are engaging and entertaining. What I like the most about this film is that its main antagonist was so effective and sure as hell scary, especially when it was based on a real-life monster. Embarrassingly, this one actually truly scared me when I was kid which resulted in me still being cautious and fearful of reciting and even hearing weird creepy phrases or chants on games, books, movies, and TV shows. I personally think this film was ahead of its time with video games becoming more popular through the use of social media, it would have left an impact if it was released today instead of 14 years ago. If they ever tried to reboot Stay Alive, I think this would become successful, especially when games nowadays are becoming more and more realistic.

JEFF AMES’ RECOMMEND: ParaNorman

Click here to purchase!

ParaNorman arrived in theaters way back in 2012 boasting some incredible stop-motion animation. It drew praise from critics (89% of whom gave it a positive rating on RottenTomatoes), but ultimately flopped at the box office with just $107M worldwide. For a holiday as deprived of genuinely good films as Halloween, it’s a wonder ParaNorman didn’t strike more of a chord in the realm of pop culture. Even now, the film remains largely unchecked, which is a shame because it’s pretty damned great. In fact, of all the family-oriented flicks based around October 31st, ParaNorman is the one I’m most excited to watch each year thanks to its perfect blend of humor, horror, and genuine heart. The film is ambitious, well written, and features some truly awesome voice work from the likes of Kodi Smit-McPhee, Anna Kendrick, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and Casey Affleck. Seriously, if you haven’t already, give ParaNorman a shot!

The post CS Recommends: Magic the Gathering: Shadows Over Innistrad & More! appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

BEGIN SLIDESHOW

No Time to Die release pushed back to Easter 2021

With the global pandemic still keeping theaters closed in major territories, Universal Pictures and MGM are electing to once again delay the release of Daniel Craig’s final outing as James Bond, No Time to Die, to Easter weekend of 2021, according to Deadline.

RELATED: No Time to Die: Watch the Music Video for Billie Eilish’s James Bond Theme

“MGM, Universal and Bond producers, Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, today announced the release of No Time To Die, the 25th film in the James Bond series, will be delayed until 2 April in order to be seen by a worldwide theatrical audience,” the studio said in a statement. “We understand the delay will be disappointing to our fans but we now look forward to sharing No Time To Die next year.“

Confirmed cast members returning for the film include Daniel Craig reprising his iconic role as James Bond for the last time, Ralph Fiennes as M, Lea Seydoux (Spectre), Naomie Harris as Moneypenny, Ben Whishaw as A, with Rory Kinnear as Tanner and Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter. New cast members confirmed for the film include Dali Benssalah, Billy Magnussen, Ana De Armas, David Dencik, Lashana Lynch, and Rami Malek.

Cary Joji Fukunaga (True Detective) will direct No Time to Die which features a script written by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade, Scott Z. Burns with Cary Joji Fukunaga and Emmy winner Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag, Killing Eve).

EON Productions and Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios have partnered with Universal Pictures on the worldwide release of the 25th James Bond film. The superspy’s previous outing, Spectre, opened in U.S. theaters on November 16, 2015. The film earned $200 million domestically and $680.6 million internationally, for a worldwide total of $880.7 million.

RELATED: No Time to Die: Lashana Lynch on Film’s Approach to Female Characters

You can pick up Daniel Craig’s entire James Bond filmography here.

No Time to Die was due to hit theaters in the UK on April 3, and on April 10, in the US, followed by its original delay to November 12 and 20, but is now scheduled for worldwide debut on April 2. 

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CS Video: Save Yourselves! Filmmakers & Cast On the New Sci-Fi Comedy

ComingSoon.net had the opportunity to speak with Save Yourselves! writers and directors Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson, along with stars Sunita Mani and John Reynolds, about Bleecker Street’s new sci-fi comedy. The movie is now playing in select theaters and will release on Digital and Blu-ray on Tuesday, October 6. You can check out the interviews in the player below and pre-order your copy of the movie here!

RELATED: Save Yourselves! Trailer Teases a Timely Alien Invasion

Save Yourselves! follows the story of Jack and Su are a hip Brooklyn couple who, like many of their friends, find themselves dependent on technology and unable to put down their phones. Fearing their mindless scrolling may impact their connection with each other, they seize the chance to head to an isolated cabin in the woods, vowing to unplug from the outside world for a week. Sheltered from texts and push notifications, they are blissfully unaware that the planet is under attack. As strange events unfold, the couple must figure out a way back to civilization—or what’s left of it.

The film will be led by John Reynolds (Search Party, Stranger Things), and Sunita Mani (GLOW). It will also feature Ben Sinclair, John Early, Jo Firestone, Gary Richardson, Johanna Day, Zenobia Shroff, and Amy Sedaris.

RELATED: CS Video: Scare Me Interview With Writer/Director/Star Josh Ruben

Save Yourselves! is written and directed by Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson. It is produced by Kara Durrett, Mandy Tagger, and Adi Ezroni. The film had its world premiere earlier this year at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival.

The post CS Video: Save Yourselves! Filmmakers & Cast On the New Sci-Fi Comedy appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

I Wish I Made That: Revenge of the Nerds & Sixteen Candles

Welcome to this month’s edition of ComingSoon.net’s I Wish I Made That, in which filmmakers Ted Geoghegan (We Are Still Here, Mohawk) and Victoria Negri (Gold Star) each pick a film they wish they had actually made! This discussion takes us back to school with the comedies Revenge of the Nerds (1984) and Sixteen Candles (1984). Check out their conversation below!

RELATED: I Wish I Made That: Mars Attacks & Critters

Victoria Negri is an actress, producer, writer, and director known for The Walk (2020) and The Fever and the Fret (2018). Gold Star, her 2017 debut feature as director, served as the final onscreen performance by noted actor Robert Vaughn. You can purchase Gold Star by clicking here

Ted Geoghegan studied screenwriting under the tutelage of the late Carroll O’Connor. After writing numerous genre features in Europe and The United States, he made his directorial debut with the 2015 horror film We Are Still Here, then followed it up with the Native American revenge movie Mohawk (2017). Click here to purchase We Are Still Here, and click here to purchase Mohawk!

Geoghegan recently began a well-received podcast titled “This is Not a Story About…” Each episode of the program begins as the story of someone or something in the world of film that cinephiles know very well, but transforms into an expertly-researched tale about a new topic: one that can be closely-related or worlds away from where its story began. You can listen to the podcast by clicking here!

RELATED: I Wish I Made That: Valley Girl & Vampire’s Kiss

I WISH I MADE THAT #5: BACK TO SCHOOL OCTOBER

Ted Geoghegan: Okay, so September might already be coming to an end, but to celebrate the “Back to School” season, we’re back with an all-new I Wish I Made That, and we’re talking about troublesome films about school. Hey Victoria, I hope you had a nice end to the Summer season!

Victoria Negri: Yes, it still kind of feels like March, but summer is over! I definitely was feeling nostalgic again in thinking about back to school films. So I picked Sixteen Candles, which I watched a bunch of times growing up and always was like, yep, Molly Ringwald is like me. So any movie with her I was into. And you picked Revenge of the Nerds, which I’ve actually seen. A lot of your picks were first watches for me, but this was a revisit. I hadn’t seen it since I was a teenager. And whoa, I forgot so much of it and was surprised and horrified.

Geoghegan: It’s a deeply problematic film. I grew up with it, first watching it in 1988 (at age nine!) and have been continually floored, again and again, by how toxic it is.

Negri: Wow you watched it at nine?!

Geoghegan: Yep! And, as a child, I thought of it as nothing but carefree fun – a joyous, triumphant story of nerds getting back at their tormentors, winning the day, and getting the girl! And it is NONE of those things.

Negri: It wants to be that.

Geoghegan: Even by the lax moral standards of the mid-80s, it’s shockingly toxic in its depiction of these nerds. They’re unjustly bullied, sure… but because of it, they become violent, ghoulish villains masquerading as cutie-pie Angels of Vengeance.

Negri: Yeah, it’s a disappointing film about bullying, when you can’t beat them, join them kind of message.

Geoghegan: The final act of the film where – SPOILERS – they sell nude photos of sorority girls who rebuked their advances is already horrible… but then the film’s lead – ITS HERO – puts on a mask, pretends to be a girl’s boyfriend, and has sex with her!

Negri: Yeah, I was horrified. And shocked I didn’t remember any of those things!

Geoghegan: And – in a twist that even the craziest male fantasy would call mad – she’s not at all upset, and ends up dumping her boyfriend for the nerd because he’s “so good at sex.”

Negri: I just remembered what you did, it’s a triumphant of nerds. But it’s so sinister, actually, masked literally and figuratively in the underdog winning.

Geoghegan: Even the less offensive stuff is still wildly off the mark. The way the film treats its two minority nerds – Lamar, who is both gay and Black, and Takashi, who is every. single. Racist Japanese stereotype – is groan-inducing. And a throwaway joke about accidentally playing “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” around two older Black men is next-level head-scratcher. Like, was that EVER funny? No. No, it was not.

Negri: Yeah, it’s brutal. Lamar could’ve been great if they didn’t write him in such an awful way. Watching that actor, I was like, he can do a lot! Write him something better. He’s funny, he doesn’t need these cheap jokes. I can’t imagine how frustrating it must’ve been to be that actor.

Geoghegan: And yet, as a kid, I thought nothing of any of this! Which is a big reason why I wanted to tackle this film.

Negri: Yeah, I’m glad you chose it. I’d only seen it once maybe when I was 16 or 17 and I didn’t remember any of it. Now it’s imprinted on my brain. A lot of it made me so angry. No one in the film is believable in what they do, that scene where the protagonist puts a mask on and has sex with the popular cheerleader character is so awful. And she went with it and was like, oh, this is great. You were so good! I wanted to punch my laptop screen. It’s like this twisted fantasy or something that made me so upset. And what does it leave people with? What’s the point of the movie?

Geoghegan: The film, I suppose, accurately portrays how the bullied can, themselves, become bullies… and often do things far more horrible than that of their original aggressors. That was not its agenda.

Negri: Yeah, the tone is really off, then. You’re right, that’s the only message to get from it.

Geoghegan: You, however, chose Sixteen Candles for your film this month, a movie I hadn’t seen since my teen years and I found, well… maybe not equally as problematic, but far more so than I remembered. Tell me more.

Negri: Yeah, I was shocked by it, too. I remembered the character Long Duk Dong as being extremely racist, but there was so much in there directed at Sam (Molly Ringwald) that was awful. A scene with her grandparents where they literally grab her breasts and talk about their size was one moment framed as being light-hearted that was just not good. It’s just disappointing to me because I think as a young girl society trains you that your body isn’t really your own, and I know I felt that a lot growing up and this movie really sends that home.

Geoghegan: I absolutely felt the same way. That scene was amusing to Little Ted, yet made Adult Ted deeply, deeply bummed. It’s very unaware of what it’s doing… a’la Revenge of the Nerds, I suppose.

Negri: Definitely unaware. There are some jokes in there that feel cheap, too, in the same way. Just crass to be crass. The gong sound cues to every time Long Duk Dong is on screen were so lazy. I don’t even remember how I felt about that scene specifically as a young person. I’m sure I was horrified by it, but not in the same way, I probably just internalized it and was like, yeah, makes sense, and moved on.

Geoghegan: Also, as a boy watching that sequence, it was “funny.” Because boobs were funny. Had the grandparents grabbed their grandson’s crotch and admonished its size, I likely would have felt very differently.

Negri: Yeah, and also we don’t see the boob grab, we see the hands coming in and then her freaking out in her room, so that’s how the filmmakers get away with it. But just because you don’t show the action doesn’t mean it’s any less horrifying

Geoghegan: As far as Long Duk Dong goes, it’s just awful. Asian characters in Western cinema – particularly men – were portrayed as being devoid of any normal humanity, and continue to get the short end of the acting stick, even now. Similar to Larry B. Scott, the actor who played Lamar in Revenge of the Nerds, Gedde Watanabe is a gem of a performer. He deserves so much better than to be remembered for that racist mess of a role.

Negri: What I wonder is, these movies could’ve actually done something interesting in satirizing people who have these terrible viewpoints.

Geoghegan: Yeah, to show their perceptive on this. Lamar needs his own film. And one that’s not cliched and awful. One where he’s funny, but portrayed as human.

Negri: Agreed.

Geoghegan: I would have loved to see a comedy filmmaker find the humor in being a person of color, LGBTQ+, or any other minority back in the 80s. Because, while so much pain can come from this, so much good can, as well. Not to get off-topic, but John Carpenter does an amazing job of this in Big Trouble in Little China, where the film’s hunky white hero, Jack Burton, is the unwitting sidekick to the picture’s actual hero, an unassuming young Chinese man who no one gives the proper respect to.

Negri: Yes! You’re so right. Not off topic at all. I think in I Wish I Made That, citing films that succeed at what we wish we could change in the films at hand is awesome. Wang Chi, the actual hero in Big Trouble in Little China, spends the whole movie trying to get the audience – and everyone around him – to understand that he’s the hero of the film, not the big lumbering oaf who gets top billing on the poster. It’s hilarious, poignant, and wickedly clever. Give me so much more of that. I want to re-watch Big Trouble. It’s been a while. I think my dad loved it, which makes me happy.

Geoghegan: Definitely give it a re-watch. It’s a masterpiece – and totally not a film I would ever want to make. It’s perfect just as it is. There is a universe where Lamar, Takashi, and Long Duk Dong all get a film like that. Or rather, an opportunity to be a fully-realized character.

Negri: I want to see that movie. I wonder what Molly Ringwald’s character in Sixteen Candles movie could be.

Geoghegan: Well, along those lines, let’s pivot to what you’d do with Sixteen Candles if you had the opportunity to make it. Let’s say it’s a given that all the racism is gone. Then what?

Negri: I think what disappointed me about the movie too is that the main character, Sam, is obsessed with her popular guy who doesn’t even know she exists, really. He’s only into her once he finds out she likes him. I want to see a film where she realizes he’s actually awful (he does some terrible things in the film that make me scratch my head) and realizes that she doesn’t need to be associated with someone like that. It’s really also a film about class, where he’s super rich and she’s into him. So that feels iffy also. But really, the story that I would’ve loved as a teenager is not needing to be with the popular kid as we’re kinda trained to want, but just realizing hey, I should want to be with someone who actually knows me and understands me. I think I needed to see films like that when I was growing up.

Geoghegan: Even the term Sixteen Candles is so often equated to adulthood and, in most cases, womanhood. Embracing your lead’s individuality and intelligence as they become an adult seems like a given, no?

Negri: Yeah, I think seeing an actual coming of age story of a character realizing her worth, and overcoming societal expectations would feel great.

Geoghegan: Amen.

Negri: There were so many films when I was growing up about girls who were all of a sudden “discovered” by the popular boys and those made me furious. This isn’t exactly that in a literally sense of Molly Ringwald transforming, but it’s still at the heart of the story. I think P.S. To All the Boys I Loved on Netflix succeeds here actually.

Geoghegan: I haven’t seen that one, but am putting it on the list!

Negri: Yeah, I was like – finally! There was a moment in Revenge that was actually kinda there in this way that I liked. And out of context of the rest of the film would be fun.

Geoghegan: Which one?

Negri: In the computer room I think when Judy and Gilbert exchange glasses, it was actually really sweet. I was like, oh, two nerds like each other, they’re not trying to be anyone else or compete or bully. That is a nice moment. Gilbert and Judy are basically the only two redeeming characters in the film. And, to be honest, the only two that are kind of believable.

Geoghegan: Everyone else is just awful or a caricature.

Negri: Yeah, I actually jotted some notes down while watching and wrote, “They’re non-spazzy and sweet when they’re on their own, which is refreshing.”

Geoghegan: I’d like to say that in my Revenge of the Nerds, I’d just knock it down and start from scratch, but in keeping with what we do here, my take on the film would be that – if it were to follow the same plot structure – the nerds, who have been humiliated and made to feel subhuman by the jocks, spend the film coming up with more and more complex ways for the jocks to feel the same emotions the nerds feel. These are brilliant geeks. With their combined intelligence, they can absolutely come up with a way to make a strong man feel weak, or a confident man to feel shy.

Negri: To me, that’s what the original film wanted to be, but failed catastrophically at. I mean, the geeks’ intelligence was actually kinda wasted in the film.

Geoghegan: Truth. The titular “Revenge” of Revenge of the Nerds should not have been a goddamn panty raid, followed by revenge porn. Ugh.

Negri: They have those competitions, but that’s not linked to anything really emotional other than just competition and embarrassing the jock guys.

Geoghegan: Exactly!

Negri: Whipped cream pies covering naked photos? Ridiculous. Most disappointing nerds ever.

Geoghegan: After being humiliated by assholes, the nerds just take it upon themselves to just be bigger assholes. That’s not revenge. That’s just being an asshole.

Negri: Totally. It’s so lazy.

Geoghegan: Being able to talk about this has been refreshing. We’ve spent the past few months talking about films that we wish we’d made because we love them so much. And to talk about films that we once loved, but now don’t… I think we might be onto something here, eh?

Negri: Yeah there was something really cathartic about it, too. Like I need to go back and realize some stuff about my younger self, also, and how society and culture has a deep impact on how we all view art. And age. I’d like to give myself some benefit of the doubt and say I missed some of the horrific elements of these films when I was young because I was just, well, young. But wow, it was eye-opening to revisit.

Geoghegan: Here’s to that. And to tie it into heading back to school, when young people are often as their most fragile, certainly helped drive this home for me. Movies can and should do better.

Negri: Agreed! I look forward to our next edition!!!

Geoghegan: I can’t wait, Victoria. As always, it’s a pleasure to break free from this garbage reality and spend some quality time talking movies.

Negri: Always. This has made my day.

Geoghegan: Back at ya.

Click here to purchase Revenge of the Nerds!

Click here to purchase Sixteen Candles!

The post I Wish I Made That: Revenge of the Nerds & Sixteen Candles appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

Rating: 

6/10

Cast:

Sally Hawkins as Jane

Morfydd Clark as Young Jane

David Thewlis as Mike

Billie Piper as Nicola

Natalie O’Niel as Young Nicola

Penelope Wilton as Vivian

Alice Lowe as Alice

Elysia Welch as Young Alice

Robert Aramayo as Johnny

Robert Pugh as Dennis

Written and Directed by Craig Roberts

Click here to rent or purchase Eternal Beauty!

Eternal Beauty Review:

Exploring the world of mental illness in film is really a tricky balancing act and many have succeeded in telling their tales, such as One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Shutter Island and Silver Linings Playbook while others drop the ball in misunderstanding how to respectfully depict their central subjects and while Craig Roberts certainly creates charming and fairly sympathetic characters in Eternal Beauty, he unfortunately fails to give them any meaningful story or development to go with it.

As she struggles to get her life back on track following being jilted at the altar by her fiancé and falling into a state of despair, schizophrenic Jane (Sally Hawkins) finds new sources of love and live while receiving treatment, changing her life for the better and for the worst.

The concept of a broken woman being able to break free from the shackles of her illness solely through the prospect of love is a tale frequently told on the big screen to varying results and Roberts falls very much in the middle in chronicling the life of Jane. The first act or two of the film proves to be a quirky and offbeat delight, one born from the tightrope nature of the viewer deciding whether to sympathize for the protagonist or laugh along with her odd behavior and antics, but as it progresses, it too often can’t decide which it wants the audience to do.

From attempted kidnappings of her nephew to appease an unknown voice over the phone to hallucinations of nefarious radio messages, it feels like an honest portrayal of the dangerous and heartbreaking confusion that spawns from the mind of a schizophrenic and yet the story plays such a teeter-totter with both Jane’s state of mind and the events in the story it’s hard to decide where our own minds should lie.

Roberts is no stranger to the world of dramedies, breaking out with his performance in Richard Ayoade’s 2010 hit Submarine, but yet it seems like his experience in front of the camera doesn’t carry over behind it when it comes to juggling its two drastically different tones. When it’s clear it wants to be a dark comedy in the vein of Harold and Maude, it works nicely, when it wants to be a powerful exploration of mental illness akin to A Beautiful Mind, it’s devastatingly real, but there’s too much that feels like it can’t decide which it would like to be that results in a relatively disappointing affair.

That doesn’t mean that there aren’t positives to the film, however, as Jenkins delivers what could be an Oscar-worthy performance as Jane, never letting her character break even in the slightest and fully committing to the eccentric behaviors that come from her mental illness. She is further joined by an always-brilliant David Thewlis, whose role may prove much more minimal than some may expect or desire but is an absolute delight to watch every moment he gets on screen.

While he may struggle with the tonal balancing act of the story, Roberts’ directorial eye is nothing short of beautiful as the 29-year-old Welsh filmmaker delivers a number of stylish and compellingly shot moments throughout the film and utilizing a simple-yet-rich color palette that gives the film a vibrant look even in the most dour of scenes.

Though the film may contradict a number of its own messages and add up to practically nothing in the end in the way of character development of compelling storytelling, Roberts delivers a relatively charming atmosphere, some nice offbeat humor and a stellar performance that Jenkins that keeps Eternal Beauty from sinking entirely.

The post Eternal Beauty Review: A Charming But Meaningless Exploration of Mental Illness appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

CS Interview: Lin Shaye talks new horror venture The Call

Just in time for the film’s debut in select theaters, ComingSoon.net got the opportunity to chat with horror genre icon Lin Shaye (Insidious franchise) to discuss her role in her latest film The Call, in which she stars alongside fellow genre vet Tobin Bell (Saw franchise).

RELATED:The Call Trailer: The Trap is Set, The Game is Revenge in Horror-Thriller

With starring roles in the horror genre going back to 1982’s Alone in the Dark, Shaye is no stranger to the world of terror but in looking at The Call, she found her interest in joining the film came from its “old-fashioned” story with “a really great twist to it” and getting to reunite with the man behind the camera.

“As well as the script, it’s also always the people and Timothy Woodward, who I did The Final Wish with, he agreed to direct it and I was really excited to work with him again,” Shaye brightly expressed. “Patrick Stibbs was the writer and these were very open-minded people in terms of creativity and team effort, so I love working with people who listen to me, I’ve ended up having a pretty big mouth as I got older [laughs]. If something doesn’t work or I feel it needs this or that and I feel uncomfortable, I bring up my ideas and I love people that collaborate, so that was actually as much of an issue that made me want to work with the script as the script itself, I was really happy working with these people. I think it’s a terrific story, we really played around with how much witchcraft it really was and how much it was about being damaged, which was more appealing to me. I find the metaphysical, sometimes, a cop out in stories, I’m much more interested in the human element and finding this woman’s heart, who she was and what bullying can do to a person was a really interesting thing to me. I wanted to amplify that, if possible, throughout the story and I think we did, so it was really a fun project to work on.”

In looking at her work getting to the heart of her character and the creative challenges that came with it, Shaye found that it was this attempt to blend the more grounded nature of her character and her plight with some of the witchcraft elements that come from her situation.

“She took to heart the hatred in the town and so finding the mix of what that would be of not just hocus pocus stuff, but is really about an adventure into the heart of darkness really, which doesn’t necessarily have to be metaphysical, but you know the story itself has many metaphysical aspects to it,” Shaye explained. “But there’s all those answers in it that we don’t know, all the questions we don’t have answers to, I felt that finding the mix of that and how it led us to the horror that she becomes and the she can bestow on others was just a fascinating theme and a challenge, keeping it both real and metaphysical.”

In her nearly 40-year career as a scream queen, Shaye has mostly been seen on the protagonist side of stories and when it came to confronting her villainous side in this film, she found that the collaborative nature of the set and the crew really helped her tap into an important side of the job.

“You mean what was it like being on the opposite end of Elise,” Shaye poked with a laugh. “It was fun, one of the best things about acting and the most fun is you get to examine, in a safe way, your own demons and that kind of volatility and hostility that she embraces finally is really fun to be able to vent in a safe way.”

Not only did The Call allow her to tap into a mostly unseen side of her for audiences, but it also gave the 76-year-old star a chance to work with fellow genre icon Tobin Bell and in looking at her time working together on the film, she recalls it was “such a treat.”

“I would joke that Tobin and I had the same godparents in Leigh Whannell and James Wan,” Shaye chuckled. “We had never met and I was always a fan of his because I think his work is beautiful, he’s a wonderful actor and has that great beautiful face. We didn’t really have that much chit-chatting, it was very immediate warmth and appreciation and respect and he’s a wonderful actor. He kind of works in the same way I do and there was a real quietude to being off set, we didn’t ever really sit around and bullshit, we met each other, we embraced each other, both with a hug and also with a ‘It’s really great to meet you,’ he knew my work as well as I knew his, it was a real treat. The fans will love it, the scenes we have together are really beautiful. That also makes the pain stronger because you care about both of us, I think immediately.”

Aside from the various chills and thrills the film throws to audiences, Shaye hopes that viewers can really see and dive into its themes of “misunderstanding and hatred” as they leave their local drive-in theaters.

“The kids are nasty, they’re not bad kids, they have their own issues that we find out over the course of the film, which is what I think is so incredible about Edith is she takes their worst fears and shows them themselves and through that defends herself,” Shaye described. “It’s like saying, ‘You can’t hurt other people and not expect to get hurt yourself.’ That’s, maybe in a weird way, the theme of the movie, they don’t get away from the abuse that they bestow upon this person and this family and they have to pay for it and so be careful what you, be careful during the pandemic how you speak to people. It’s important to be kind, maybe that’s the one-liner, it’s important to be kind.”

With the nation still mostly shut down, the film is coming to audiences this week at select drive-ins nationwide and Shaye is thoroughly excited at the prospect of the old-school release method, believing it to be “the best place to see this movie, period.”

“There’s something about that feel, there’s an old-fashioned feel to it that is bigger than life and to be able to sit in your car and cuddle with somebody with a mask on is probably a great way to see this movie,” Shaye expressed. “I’m sure it’ll be great when it’s on VOD and all those other formats, but there’s something about seeing this movie on screen that there’s nothing like it, they’re built for that and they’re made for that and I think it would be a real treat to see this with someone that you’re eating popcorn in your car with.”

This spine-tingling tale stars horror icons Shaye and Bell alongside Chester Rushing (Stranger Things), Erin Sanders (Big Time Rush) and Judd Lormand (SEAL Team).

“Pairing Tobin and Lin, or Saw’s Jigsaw and Insidious’ Elise Rainier as they’re known to horror fans around the world, brings so much terror to the screen,” Emmy-nominated director Timothy Woodward Jr, said in a statement. “Their chemistry is undeniable, and the power of their scenes splinters off, creating this dark, macabre world these characters are forced to survive in.”

Directed by Woodward Jr., The Call was written by Patrick Stibbs and produced by Final Destination creator Jeffrey Reddick, Stibbs, Zebulun Huling, Gina Rugolo and Randy J. Goodwin. Executive Producers include Nicolas Chartier, Jonathan Deckter, Matthew Helderman, Joe Listhaus, Drew Ryce, James Shavick, Kirk Shaw and Luke Taylor. Co Producers include James Cullen Bressack and Chaysen Beacham.

The post CS Interview: Lin Shaye Talks New Horror Venture The Call appeared first on ComingSoon.net.

NEON unveils trailer & release date for documentary Totally Under Control

Just in time for the upcoming Presidential Election, NEON has unveiled the first trailer and premiere date for Alex Gibney, Ophelia Harutyunyan and Suzanne Hillingerand’s documentary Totally Under Control exploring the global pandemic across the country. The trailer can be viewed in the player below!

RELATED: Borat Subsequent Moviefilm Trailer Promises Crazy Antics!

Quietly shot over the past four months, the documentary explores that from July 15 to August 31, the American death toll from COVID-19 was at an average of 1,000 per day, double the number of lives lost on 9/11 every week, and is currently estimated at 190,000 deaths.

On January 20, the US and South Korea both discovered their first cases of COVID-19. However, nine months later, the novel virus has claimed the lives of almost 200,000 Americans and caused staggering economic damage, while inSouth Korea, there were no significant lockdowns and, in an urbanized population of 51 million, only 344 lives have been lost.

The carelessly designed lockdowns and their long-lasting economic effects have led to massive job losses (23 million/14.7 percent in April), widespread hunger, dislocation and a runaway federal deficit.Had the federal government done its job properly — by following clear guidelines in place based on past pandemics — most of the death and destruction could have been avoided. While the current administration makes its claims for a job well done, the fact is that the US response to COVID-19 is one of the worst, with 4 percent of the world’s population and 21 percent of the deaths.

Combining damning testimony from public health officials with investigative reporting, Gibney works to expose a system-wide collapse caused by a profound dereliction of Presidential leadership. It will be a generation before we know the full extent of the damage wrought by the pandemic, but Totally Under Control looks to stand as the definitive account of the Trump administration’s incompetence, corruption and denial in the face of the global pandemic.

Financially backed by multiple well-known teams including Stacey Offman and Richard Perello of Jigsaw Productions, frequent Jigssaw collaborators Alison Ellwod & Maiken Baird, Play/Action Pictures’ Jeffrey Lurie & Marie Therese Guirgis, Jeff Skoll & Diane Weyermann of Participant, Tom Quinn, Dan O’Meara & Jeff Deutchman of NEON and Andrew Morrison, Mark Lampert and Michael Sacks of Yellow Bear Films all executive producing.

“With an extraordinary team of collaborators, I was compelled to mount this production when I saw the scale of incompetence and political corruption by the Trump Administration in the face of a global pandemic,” Gibney said in a statement. “Now we know that by Feb. 7, Trump knew that COVID was, in his words, ‘a deadly virus.’ But instead of working to protect the American people by containing the virus, the current administration was willfully blind to the growing contagion (‘it’s like a miracle; it will disappear,’ said Trump) in hopes that voters wouldn’t notice any problems until after the 2020 election. While the current administration tries to frame the situation as an unavoidable crisis, it is really closer to a crime of negligence. Weirdly enough, I don’t see this as a political film; it’s a film about incompetence and corruption that is totally out of control.”

RELATED: Belushi Trailer: The Life of a Comedy Legend Explored in Showtime Doc

Totally Under Control is set to debut on digital platforms and VOD on October 13, followed by its premiere on Hulu on October 20.

The post NEON Unveils Trailer & Release Date for Documentary Totally Under Control appeared first on ComingSoon.net.