Monthly Archives: July 2024

Bagman, starring Sam Claflin as Patrick McKee

“Bagman” Storyline, Image and Poster

horror, ,

Bagman is a dark horror film written by John Hulme and directed by Colm McCarthy. The story follows a family trapped in a nightmare as an evil, mythical creature hunts them.

The horror film derives from the centuries-old story, and across cultures, parents have warned their children of the legendary Bagman, who snatches innocent children and stuffs them into his vile, rotting bag—never to be seen again.

Patrick McKee, played by Sam Claflin, narrowly escaped such an encounter as a boy, leaving him with lasting scars throughout adulthood. Patrick’s childhood tormentor has returned, threatening the safety of his wife Karina, played by Antonia Thomas, and son Jake, played by Caréll Vincent Rhoden.

The supporting cast includes Sharon D Clarke, Steven Cree, William Hope, Adelle Leonce, Peter McDonald, Henry Pettigrew, and Will Davis.

McCarthy is a self-taught filmmaker known for directing UK p

Vince Vaugh in Bad Monkey

“Bad Monkey” Trailer

Apple TV, based on a book, episodic
Bad Monkey with Vince Vaughn

Based on Carl Hiaasen’s New York Times bestselling novel and enduring favorite, Bad Monkey, the series makes its global debut on Apple TV+. In the series, Vince Vaughn portrays Andrew Yancy, a character who got bounced from the Miami Police Department and now works as a Keys health inspector.

The trailer is currently blocked. Hopefully, it will lift shortly.

But after stumbling upon a case that begins with a human arm fished up by tourists, he realizes that if he can prove murder, he’ll be back in the police force. He must get past a trove of Floridian oddballs and one bad monkey.

Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan

“A Complete Unknown” Chalamet as Bob Dylan

Uncategorized
Timothee Chalamet as Bob Dylan

James Mangold directs A Complete Unknown, a biographical drama based on Elijah Wald’s book Dylan Goes Electric! Mangold and Jay Cooks wrote the script.

Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan
Timothée Chalamet in A COMPLETE UNKNOWN. Photo by Macall Polay, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2024 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.

Set in the influential New York music scene of the early 1960s, the film follows 19-year-old Minnesota musician Bob Dylan, played by Timothée Chalamet. His meteoric rise as a folk singer to concert halls and the top of the charts—his songs and charisma becoming a worldwide sensation—culminated in his groundbreaking electric performance in 1965.

A Complete Unknown
Timothée Chalamet Photo by Macall Polay, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2024 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.

Ellen Fanning plays Dylan’s girlfriend, Monica Barbaro plays Joan Baez, and Ed Norton plays folk legend Pete Seeger.

James Mangold directing Timothée Chalamet
Director James Mangold and Timothée Chalamet on the set of A COMPLETE UNKNOWN. Photo by Macall Polay, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2024 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.

Other movies directed by James Mangold:

Walk The Line

Logan

Ford v Ferrari

Indian Jones and the Dial of Destiny

Apple TV Cowboy Cartel

“Cowboy Cartel” Trailer

Apple TV, crime, documentary, true stories
Cowboy Cartel documentary

Cowboy Cartel is a four-part documentary series featuring the remarkable story of a rookie FBI agent. Scott Lawson cracked the case of one of Mexico’s most ruthless cartels, Los Zetas and the multimillion-dollar money laundering operation they ran through the heart of the American Quarter Horse racing industry.

The documentary is an unbelievable true story of an unlikely hero from rural Tennessee. Lawson’s investigation took down the Treviño brothers, the leaders of Los Zetas, one of the most powerful cartels in Mexico. While the Treviños terrorized thousands in their pursuit of power, money and influence, Lawson risked his life on a hunch.

He tracked the brother’s racehorse transactions in the United States, infiltrating the deadly cartel and uncovering their international money laundering operations.

Cowboy Cartel features first-time interviews with FBI agent Scott Lawson, who broke the case; IRS agent Steve Pennington; Irving police officers Steve Junker, Brian Schutt and Kim Williams; Assistant United States Attorney Doug Gardner; Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalist Ginger Thompson; and Joe Tone, the author of “Bones: Brothers, Horses, Cartels, and the Borderland Dream,” among many others. 

Clearly, Apple TV continues to expand its nonfiction programming, adding Cowboy Cartel to the list, which includes The Dynasty New England Patriots, Messi’s World Cup: The Rise of a Legend and Stephen Curry: Underrated.

Pachinko Season 2

“Pachinko” Season 2 Storyline, Trailer and Images

Apple TV, drama, episodic, foreign, , ,

The upcoming second season of Pachinko is the award-winning and globally acclaimed sweeping drama series by creator/executive producer Soo Hugh. The eight-episode series plays to the audience in three languages—Korean, Japanese, and English.

Pachinko Season 2

The trailer debuts a new moving cover of Coldplay’s Viva La Vida by global superstar Rosé of the record-breaking K-pop group BlackPink. In addition to debuting as the series’ trailer anthem, Rosé’s cover is also featured in the Pachinko season two finale. 

Based on The New York Times bestselling novel of the same name, Pachinko is a sweeping and deeply moving story of love and survival across four generations, told through the eyes of a remarkable matriarch, Sunja.

In season two, the parallel stories pick up in Osaka in 1945, where Sunja is forced to make dangerous decisions for her family’s survival during World War II, and in Tokyo in 1989, which finds Solomon exploring new, humble beginnings. 

The first season received 11 international awards, including a Peabody Award, an American Film Institute Award, a Critics Choice Award and a Gotham Independent Film Award. Season two stars Lee Minho, Yuh-Jung Youn, Minha Kim, Jin Ha, Anna Sawai, Eunchae Jung, Soji Arai, Junwoo Han, and Sungkyu Kim.

Ralph Fiennes in Conclave

“Conclave” Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini

based on a book, drama, suspense, ,

Edward Berger directed Conclave, written for the screen by Peter Straughan, based on Robert Harris’s bestseller.

The story follows one of the most secretive and ancient events: the selection of a new Pope.

John Lithgow stars as Cardinal Tremblay, a Focus Features release. Credit: Philippe Antonello/Focus Features ©2024 All Rights Reserved.

Cardinal Lawrence, played by Ralph Fiennes, has taken over the secretive process after the unexpected death of the beloved Pope. The Catholic Church’s most powerful leaders gather from around the world and are locked together in the Vatican halls. Here, Lawrence finds himself at the center of a conspiracy and discovers a secret that could shake the very foundation of the Church.

Isabella Rossellini stars as Sister Agnes a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features. © 2024 All Rights Reserved.

The stellar cast includes Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini, Carlos Diehz and Lucian Msamati.

Berger directed the highly acclaimed film All Quiet on the Western Front.

“Cuckoo” Trailer, Clip, Images and Poster

horror, ,

Reluctantly, 17-year-old Gretchen, played by Hunter Schafer, leaves her American home to live with her father, played by Marton Csokas, who has just moved into a resort in the German Alps with his new family.

When they arrive at their future residence, Mr. König, played by Dan Stevens, Gretchen’s father’s boss, greets them and takes an inexplicable interest in Gretchen’s mute half-sister Alma.

Something doesn’t seem right in this tranquil vacation paradise. Strange noises and bloody visions plague Gretchen until she discovers a shocking secret concerning her family.

German director Tilman Singer shot on 35 mm, creating a gritty, edgy film.

Other films directed by Singer:

Luz

El Fin Del Mundo

City of Dreams

“City of Dreams” Trailer, Music Video, Poster, Clips and Images

drama, , , , , ,

Mohit Ramchandani directed the City of Dreams, inspired by actual events. Traffickers transport Jesús, played by Ari Lopez, a young Mexican boy with dreams of becoming a soccer star, across the border and sell him to a sweatshop in downtown Los Angeles. There, it’s a sweatshop forcing him to make a fast fashion, shattering his dreams.

Thrust into a world of exploitation and despair, he’s forced to adhere to the grueling work schedule dictated by El Jefe, a boss who promises freedom for those who complete their quotas.

City of Dreams

Despite his hellish existence, Jesus finds solace in Elena, a girl who shares a similar experience of betrayal and slavery. When Elena goes missing and another co-worker, Carlito, suffers severe beatings, Jesus realizes he can only achieve freedom by making a daring escape.

The rest of the cast includes Jason Patric, Alfredo Castro, Samm Levine, Paulina Gaitan, Francisco Denis, and Diego Calva.

“One Fast Move” Trailer, Poster, and Images

drama, sports, , ,

Kelly Blatz directed One Fast Move, an action-adventure thrill ride. The story follows a young man, played by KJ Apa, who is down on his luck and seeks his estranged father, played by Eric Dane.

He asks his father to help him pursue his dream of becoming a professional motorcycle racer.

Maia Reficco (Camila) and Wes Neal (KJ Apa) in ONE FAST MOVE Photo Credit: Courtesy of Prime © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC

With the help of his small town love interest, played by Maia Reficco, and a motorcycle shop owner, played by Edward James Olmos, who moonlights as his mentor, he breaks down the walls his father’s absence had built up.

“Captain America: Brave New World” Trailer

action, adventure, super heroes,

Julius Onah directed Captain America: Brave New World, based on the Marvel Comics character Sam Wilson/Captain America. The fourth installment of the series comes from the screenplay by Malcolm Spellman, Dalan Musson, and Matthew Orton.

Mackie’s Wilson character stepped into Captain America’s boots at the end of Captain America: Civil War, starring Chris Evans.

The latest production started in 2022 and underwent reshoots in May 2024 after filming in Atlanta and Washington, D.C., in 2023.

The cast includes Harrison Ford, Liv Tyler, Tim Blake Nelson, and Shira Haas.

Other films directed by Onah:

Luce

The Cloverfield Paradox

The Girl Is in Trouble