Monthly Archives: February 2019

“Poms” Trailer, Posters & Clips

Directed by Zara Hayes, the movie stars some old favorites in Poms and follows Martha, played by Diane Keaton. She moved into a retirement community and met some quirky mature ladies. It’s okay. They are quirky and old, which is the point of the movie. Another excellent message in the film is to live your dreams because it is never too late.

The movie is an uplifting comedy where Martha starts a cheerleading squad with her fellow residents, Sheryl, played by Jacki Weaver, and Olive, played by Pam Grier. And Alice, played by Rhea Perlman. They soon enroll in a cheerleading competition, which is way too young for them, but they still compete and prove themselves young at heart.

Hayes originated the story, and Shane Atkinson wrote the screenplay. Atkinson is known for his work on Penny Dreadful, which he also directed.

The rest of the cast includes Celia Weston, Phyllis Somerville, Charli Tahan, Alisha Boe, and Bruce McGill.

The second poster says, “It’s never too late to chase a dream.”

The three movie clips are cute and show the storyline and humor of the movie. Keaton is so good in these clips.

Keaton is so good in this movie. She leads a great cast of women in their golden years. My favorite of the two clips is “Audition.”

“Dragged Across Concrete” Trailer & Poster

Written and directed by S. Craig Zahler, Dragged Across Concrete follows two police officers, played by Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn, who find themselves suspended when a video of their strong-arm tactics leaks to the media.

With little money and no options, the embittered policemen descend into the criminal underworld. Waiting in the shadows, they find more than they bargained for or anticipated.

Zahler is best known for his 2015 film Bone Tomahawk, an Independent Spirit
Award-nominated picture starring Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, Matthew Fox, and Richard Jenkins.

Zahler wanted to make a movie like Prince of the City and Taxi Driver, “These two flawed, but decorated officers are ostracized for their behavior and soon find themselves reconsidering their moral codes. They are neither innocent good guys nor amoral bad guys, but human beings who do both commendable and dubious things: these two cops have no easy choices if they want to provide for their loved ones.” explains Zahler.

The movie also stars Don Johnson, Tory Kittles, Michael Jai White, Jennifer Carpenter, Laurie Holden, Fred Melamed, and Thomas Kretschmann. White is known for playing roles that require martial art moves. He has several black belts and works out on the film sets while shooting the movies.

The movie appears to have many levels of suspense. I am looking forward to seeing Gibson and Vaughn work together in this movie. Both are talented, and each one uses a different approach to achieving their characters.

“The Kid” Trailer & Poster

Directed by Vincent D’Onofrio, The Kid is a Western that follows a young boy named Rio, played by Jake Schur. He finds himself in a terrible situation with a violent father who beats his mother. He shoots his father and kills him on the spot.

His uncle, played by Chris Pratt, is worse than his father. His uncle is not happy about the death of his brother. Rio goes on the run across the American Southwest in a desperate attempt to save his sister, played by Leila George, from his uncle.

While running away, he encounters Sheriff Pat Garrett, played by Ethan Hawke. Garrett is hunting for the infamous outlaw Billy the Kid, played by Dane DeHaan. Rio becomes entwined in the lives of these two legendary figures as the cat-and-mouse game of Billy the Kid’s final year of life plays out.

Finally, Rio is compelled to decide the kind of man he becomes. Either the outlaw or the man of courage uses his self-realization in a final act to save his family.

Pratt’s playing a villainous role is unique and intriguing. While on hiatus from Stranger Things, DeHaan as the Kid is a perfect role for him. He looks good in the trailer, as does Hawke. Schur is new to the movies, and I hope he is good.

The movie trailer cuts and jumps a lot, so it is hard to tell what happens or if it is shot well. This is D’Onofrio’s first time to step behind the camera in a directorial debut. He is used to being in front of the camera. He starred in episodes from Ghost Wars to The Wizard and the mini-series The Cell. In movies, D’Onofrio starred in The Magnificent Seven as one of the seven gunslingers with Denzel Washington and opposite Bruce Willis in Death Wish.

The movie also stars Adam Baldwin, whom I haven’t seen in a film for some time.

“Rocketman” Poster, Elton and Taron Duet, Clips, Trailers & Featurettes

Notice the poster says “based on a true fantasy.”

Riding on the heels of Queen’s bio-pic, Bohemian Rhapsody, Dexter Fletcher takes on another British icon, Elton John, played by Taron Egerton. Rocketman is promoted as an epic musical fantasy about the incredible human story of Elton John’s breakthrough years.

Following the fantastical journey of morphing from the icon from a shy piano prodigy Reginald Dwight into international superstar Elton John. The studio is calling it an inspirational story with plenty of Elton John’s most beloved songs and performed by Egerton. You might recall Egerton dazzling us with his great archery skills in the recent Robin Hood.

The movie brings us to the familiar story of how a small-town boy became one of the most iconic figures in pop culture. The movie includes stars Jamie Bell as Elton’s longtime lyricist and writing partner Bernie Taupin, Richard Madden as Elton’s first manager, John Reid, and Bryce Dallas Howard as Elton’s mother Sheila Farebrother.

Take a look at the movie trailers and see if it suits your fancy. The first one is brief, and the second one offers more details about movie. The featurette talks about Egerton’s singing. He sounds like Elton John for real.

First trailer released .
Second trailer has more of the fantasy aspect of the story.
It’s amazing how much Egerton sounds like Elton John.

The next featurette is about the costumes. Costumes are all about Elton John.

The following clips tell us more about the movie and the life of Elton John. He definitely had his highs and his lows. Bryce Dallas Howard as his mother is smooth and flamboyant as his mother would be. She looks like she is having fun playing this role.

A poignant moment in music history is when Elton and Taron sing together in front of a huge audience at an Elton John’s concert. A magical moment for all of us, this clip compels me to see the movie.

The featurette is about the song Elton John’s lyrists Bernie Taupin wrote for the movie called “Love Me Again.” Egerton does vocals with John and John comments of Egerton’s vocal skills.

“Angry Birds 2” Trailers, Clips & Posters

Directed by Thurop Van Orman, Angry Birds 2 looks cold and silly. The domestic movie trailer shows a conflict of sorts between tropical birds in paradise and a tundra bird being miserable.

Peter Ackerman wrote the screenplay, and the little dialogue I can hear in the movie trailer appears not for kids’ ears. The storyline is not clear. The sequel seems to have a bigger voice cast with new and returning talent.

The studio promises the flightless birds, and scheming green pigs take their beef to the next level. I doubt the movie will be as addicting as the app.

The movie entertains kids of all ages. The competition we see in the app happens on the screen. The more powerful birds get the accolades as seen in this movie trailer.

I haven’t played the app game in a very long time. These posters are so cute, and the bird expressions are priceless.

The studio is calling this the fifth trailer, so enjoy. It is funny and cute.

The two clips are silly but funny. The bathroom clip is hilarious.

Two more movie clips that show how cute and silly these birds can get when they set their minds to it. The first clip is my favorite.

The “Sus Sis” clip is too funny and doesn’t help me understand this movie at all.

The next two clips show how the movie is ridiculous.

“High Life” Trailer and Poster

Co-written and directed by Claire Denis, High Life premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival with strong, positive reviews. The movie is about a group of young people who space travel through a black hole because they are prisoners.

The story unfolds beyond the solar system with the criminals who accepting the mission in space to become the subjects of a human reproduction experiment. They find themselves in the most unimaginable situation after a storm of cosmic rays hit the ship.

It dawns on them they are not returning or it appears so. Very little freedom is available as they wait out their sentence. Despetion and experiments are doled out as the criminals come to terms on how to brutally rebel against the system.

Monte, played by Robert Pattinson, views life as a prisoner differently because he has a baby daughter. He needs to be responsible even though something is looming just out of reach.

A narcissistic jailkeeper, played by Juliette Binoche, brings the emotions to the surface as the prisoners are compelled to respond to her underhanded control.

The cinematography, shared by both Yorick Le Saux and Tomasz Naumiuk, received praises for capturing the space, stars, and nebulae. Denis is a French director, whose style is admired by her peers. “It is important to show how people are feeling, even when they are brutal.”

Jean-Pol Fargeau contributed to the screenplay and worked with Denis in other movies such as 35 Shots of Rum and Beau Travail. Geoff Cox also contributed but it is the first he’s worked with Denis and Fargeau with one other writing credit.

The movie nabbed some nominations and won three awards including Indiewire Critics’ Poll Best Films Opening in 2019.

“Cliffs of Freedom” Trailers, Sizzle Reel & Movie Clips

Co-written and directed by Van Ling, Cliffs of Freedom is an epic story during the Greek War for Independence against the Ottoman Empire in 1821. Within the story is a turbulent romance between a young Greek village girl and a conflicted Turkish officer.

Twenty-year-old Anna Christina, played by Tania Raymonde, is smitten by Colonel Tariq, played by Jan Uddin, a rising star in the Turkish army. He doubts his fellow citizens’ brutal methods of governing the Greeks. He spared the life of Anna on a cliff-top when she was a child.

The romance that follows years later is tragic for her family and village. Joining the forces and swearing revenge against the Turks, Anna joins the Greek rebellion and unintentionally becomes the symbol of the Greek resistance movement. She inspires her fellow citizens and attracts the wrath of the Turks. They placed a bounty on her head.

She thought she had left her feelings for Tarig behind. She faces the man who still loves her and wants to keep her safe but now carries the burden of capturing her. Their encounters and skirmishes inevitably lead to a tragic confrontation during a pivotal battle between the Greeks and Turks. It changes the course of history.

The movie also stars Raza Jaffrey, Patti LuPone, Christopher Plummer and Billy Zane.

The Sizzle Reel shows a special screening of the movie. We meet the director, the actors, and those who know about this time in history.

“Long Shot” Trailers, Clips, Interviews & Posters

Directed by Jonathan Levine, Long Shot is a comedy about the pratfalls of politics and unrequited love.

The movie follows two unsuspecting people. Fred Flarsky, played by Seth Rogen, writes as a free-spirited journalist with an affinity for trouble. Charlotte Field, played by Charlize Theron, takes on the world as one of the most influential women. Smart, sophisticated, and accomplished, she’s a powerhouse diplomat with a talent for mostly everything.

Flarsky and Field share nothing in common, except that she was his babysitter and childhood crush. When Fred unexpectedly reconnects with Charlotte, he charms her with his self-deprecating humor and his memories of her youthful idealism. As she prepares to make a run for the Presidency, Charlotte impulsively hires Fred as her speechwriter, much to the dismay of her trusted advisors.

On unfamiliar ground, Fred learns he hasn’t a clue for her glamorous lifestyle in the limelight. All is not lost, opposites do attract and their unmistakable chemistry leads to a round-the-world romance and a series of unexpected and dangerous incidents.

Of course, how will the romantic story end with the need to please the public life as a politician? The title “Long Shot” is for Field’s campaign or Flarsky and her have a chance of making it as a couple in public life.

The rest of the cast includes Seth Rogen, Charlize Theron, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Andy Serkis, June Diane Raphael, Bob Odenkirk, and Alexander Skarsgard. Skarsgard is also starring in The Humingbird Project.

The trailer is cute but pulls out before we can savor the funny punch lines. It is the first trailer, so the second one, hopefully, shows more funny stuff worth watching.

The red band trailer plays pretty clean compared Rogen’s Good Boys red band trailer. Theron appears content and hilarious. The movie proves casting opposites attract.

Red Carpet interviews some times reveal insightful tidbits about actors working together. Theron is candid and speaks highly of Rogen intuitive comedy and supporting her comedic timing throughout production.

Rogen comes across conservative, but he is hilarious. He speaks will of Theron.

Chemistry is my first thought about the movie clip called “Dating.” Rogen definitely creates the chemistry in this clip.

This featurette shows how the two stars work together. They seem different in an inteview than in a movie clip like the one above.

The movie clip about her micro napping while standing up is funny. I don’t know anyone who does that, so it is kind of fun to watch. I laughed right at the end of the clip. Rogen is funny.

The next two clips sold me on this movie. Rogen is so host in his performance.

The next trailer is short but shows Rogen’s character as a fish out of water. I hope they don’t play too much on this during the movie. I am sure he will be redeemed because that makes an interesting and heartfelt story.

“After” Trailer, Clips, Posters & Interview with Todd

Bad boys are sexy, but be careful.

Tessa, played by Josephine Langford and directed by Jenny Gage, Anna Todd’s best-selling novel After comes to the silver screen in this soft-porn movie.

After the novel became a publishing sensation on the social storytelling platform Wattpad. As a movie, the visceral and inner thoughts might be hard to convey. The story follows Tessa, a good girl, a dedicated student, and a dutiful daughter.

She is also a loyal girlfriend to her high school sweetheart. When she enters her first semester in college with only positive and grand ideas for her future, her cocoon world opens up when she meets the dark and mysterious Hardin Scott, played by Hero Fiennes Tiffin.

Tessa is drawn to Hardin as a magnetic, brooding rebel who makes her question all she thought she knew about herself and what she wants out of life.

If you haven’t read the book, you can tell by the movie trailer that Hardin is a dark and tragic character – a naughty boy. The story makes going to college a whole new way of getting an education.

Do you recognize Hero Fiennes Tiffin? He played another bad boy in a top-rated franchise—the young Tom Riddle in the 6th Harry Potter movie.

The young-adult romance stars Peter Gallagher, Jennifer Beals, and Selma Blair.
Shane Paul McGhie has a decent role and is starring with Taraji P. Henson in What Men Want.

It looks like Gage worked her way up in the film industry as a production assistant to a documentarian, and now her directorial debut with After.

The five movie clips are the story, and one has a theme song. Enjoy them while they last.

After is the first movie, and there are others you’ll find on Amazon.

I include an interview with the author of the online and celebrated book. I don’t understand all the sites or terminology she uses to describe how the book After became an Internet sensation. Anna Todd seems low-key and calm about her success in bringing Tessa and Hardin together.

“The Hummingbird Project” Trailer, Clips & Poster

Written and directed by Kim Nguyen, The Hummingbird Project focuses on the ruthless drive in making billions of dollars in the digital world.

The story follows two cousins from New York. Vincent, played by Jesse Eisenberg, and Anton, played by Alexander Skarsgard, are trying to be game changers in the high-stakes game of High-Frequency Trading, which is computer-controlled trading with high-volume in a very short timespan. Winnings are measured in milliseconds.

The cousin’s dream is to build a straight fiber-optic cable line between Kansas and New Jersey, making them millions. But nothing is as easy as it seems on paper because of the cousin’s unforeseen stumbling blocks.

Anton is the brains, Vincent is the hustler, and together they push each other and everyone around them to the breaking point with their foolish and impractical adventure.

Constantly riding their backs and pushing them their old boss Eva Torres, played by Salma Hayek. She is a powerful, intoxicating and manipulative trader and she stops at nothing to come between them and beat them at their own game.

Nguyen is best known for writing and directing War Witch, which follows a child soldier coerced into a civil war in Africa and is claimed to be a witch. 

Watch the movie trailer and feel the silliness and intensity of the movie.

Skarsgard is so good to watch on film. He takes on the role and becomes that person using nuances of tone and unspoken expressions. He stars in The Aftermath playing a German after WW II when his country is rebuilding. He is great in that role as well playing against Kiera Knightley.

The following clips tell the story in a roundabout way. The script movies along at a nice pace and the actors eat it up. The clip where he tells her what he is trying to achieve explains the reason for the title of the movie.