All posts by Kenna

“John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum” Trailer, Interviews, Featurettes, Clip, and Posters

action, sequels, thriller, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Chad Stahelski directs Keanu Reeves as John Wick. They return in this third installment – Parabellum – of the non-stop action franchise about the super-assassin Wick. He’s Skyhook with a $14 million price tag on his head and an army of bounty-hunting killers on his heels. The movie trailer shows you precisely what is happening in the movie – just like the other two, but even more. It’s playing on Amazon.

After killing a member of the shadowy international assassin’s guild, the High Table, Wick is excommunicado, but the world’s most ruthless hit men and women await his every turn. The cast, including Halle Berry, Laurence Fishburne, Anjelica Huston, and Ian McShane, are extraordinary. I am so excited to see Huston in a movie.   

The Taxi clip is a bit odd, and I am not sure what it promotes to the fans of this franchise. Like the trailer, we see a lot of rain in New York City.

The next poster is colorful in an ironic way – too carefree and effervescent. It looks like he is in the tropics when most of the footage I’ve seen is in New York City.

The featurette explains the story to us. I like it. Anjelica Houston is seen briefly, but I love that she is in the movie. I hope her part is more extensive than what appears in the featurette.

Keanu Reeves is hyped about the third installment of the unique action movie. In this interview, he is obviously passionate about his character, the director, the style, and the story.

I chose Mark Dacascos and Asia Kate Dillon’s joint interview because they share Reeves’ working style with the cast and crew. They describe the story so well; it is eight minutes long with so much information in general.

The next featurette shows some astounding moves with the motorcycle chase. Seeing Reeves get so excited about a scene in his movie is fantastic.

Film legend Anjelica Huston is on the red carpet at the movie premiere. She talks about her character and the culture of the movie.

The featurette shows Reeves and Berry training for the movie. Watching the footage, they got a great workout and had so much fun.

“Canal Street” Trailer and Poster

faith-based, independent, thriller, , , , , , ,


Directed, co-written and produced by Rhyan LaMarr, the screenplay for Canal Street is co-written by Jon Knitter, with additional writing by Adam Key. LaMarr and Knitter wrote the first draft in 2005 at Columbia College Chicago and developed the script together over the next 13 years.

LaMarr remembers, “I would get on the red line and take it from the Southside of Chicago all the way to the end of the line on the Northside, and just people watch and dream up some of the diverse characters we birthed in Canal Street. Chicago, to me, was one of those cities that had caught a bad rap, and I wanted to shine a different light on it through politics and grit. Me and Jon started writing about our different experiences, and that is really how the script began to take form.”

Canal Street is a faith-based, modern-day thriller about a teen, Kholi Styles, trying to get by in an unwelcoming new world. After the mysterious death of a classmate, all eyes fall on Kholi, the new kid at his high school. It’s up to his father, Jackie Styles, an up-and-coming lawyer from the slums of Chicago, to defend his son in court and battle an outraged public before time runs out. Jackie fights to keep his faith and prove his
son is not the monster of the world.

“Little” Trailer, Clips, Cast Interviews, and Poster

comedy, remakes, , , ,

The story of Little sounds familiar because it is a take-off on some top-rated comedies.

Co-written and directed by Tina Gordon Chism, Little resembles movies like Freaky Friday or Thirteen Again. A woman suddenly becomes a teenager again. The film follows Jordan Sanders, played by Regina Hall (adult) and Marsai Martin (teenager). The adult Sanders is Hall, taking no prisoners tech mogul, and the 13-year-old version of Sanders is Martin.  

Young Sanders wakes up in her adult self’s penthouse just before a do-or-die presentation. Watching the movie trailer, Martin is hilarious and fun to watch.

Sanders’ assistant, April, played by Issa Rae, is there to help. But Sanders is one of the worst bosses anyone has ever experienced. April’s suffering under her abusive behavior is now confrontational with Sanders at a younger age. Yet, April is the only one loyal enough to be in on the secret of her daily tormentor -Sanders. As everything is on the line, Sanders is now trapped in an awkward tween body.

Little is an irreverent new comedy about the price of success, the power of sisterhood and having a second chance to grow up — and glow up — right. The movie is an all-new perspective to the body-swap comedy.

The story is by Tracy Oliver, and the screenplay is by both Oliver and Chism and is based on an idea from Martin. Martin is a talented teenager who is also executive producing this movie.

The movie trailer is a kick to watch. I laughed a lot, and it has some funny bits.

The movie clip shows how mean and domineering Sanders comes across, but her assistant is just as strong.

The following two interviews I am adding because Hall is a fantastic actress and Martin is funny. These two separate interviews tell you what the movie is about and how it plays out.

The following two movie clips shine a light on Issa Rae and how talented she is on film. She carries the movie and is a fine choice of casting.

The following three clips take you on a great escape from a typical office or home day. Do yourself a favor and watch these clips. They are hilarious and move at a nice clip. The first one is with the Child Protective Services representative. This lady is funny, and both these actresses have met their match. My hat goes off to the casting director and director.

The following movie clip is so cute, with the school security watching these two actresses in the parking lot.

Here, we have Oscar winner Regina King playing the older version of Sanders before she becomes little. I am amazed at how she is owning up to being a tyrant. King is a true talent. The movie clip is no longer available, but the movie is super funny.

I posted a movie clip with some nice eye candy for us girls, but the studio blocked it. It is an essential clip because it gets interesting when Little Jordan goes to school. I can see the jealousy happening between these two women.

“Replicas” Trailers and Poster

drama, science fiction, thriller, , , ,

Directed by Jeffrey Nachmanoff, Replicas is a story created through an idea producer Stephen Hamel shared with Keanu Reeves. Once they discussed and shared ideas, they became enthusiastic about telling a story that raises moral issues – science vs. ethics. “Replicas was born from my interest in the benefits and dangers of emerging technologies that could overcome fundamental human limitations and ethical limitations of using such technologies. Specifically, those human beings may eventually be able to transfer their consciousness from one body to another,” explains Hamel.

Hamel wrote the story, and Chad St. John wrote the screenplay. The story follows William Foster, played by Reeves. After a car accident kills his loving family, he faces enormous intellectual and emotional stakes. 

In a daring move by Foster, a neuroscientist who will stop at nothing to bring his family back to life as replicas – does so. The results pit him against a government-controlled laboratory, a police task force, and the physical laws of science.

Alice Eve plays his wife and is best known for her role as Dr. Carol Marcus in Star Trek Into Darkness. The other cast members included Emily Alyn Lind, John Ortiz, and Thomas Middleditch.

Science Fiction is nothing new to Reeves, with significant roles in movies like The Matrix and Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey. The movie trailer looks pretty darn good. 

The Blu-ray/DVD trailer offers more information about the movie.

“Teen Spirit” Trailers, a Clip and Posters

drama, music, , ,

Written and directed by Max Minghella, Teen Spirit follows Violet, played by Elle Fanning. She is a shy teenager who dreams of escaping her small town and pursuing her passion for singing. With the help of an unlikely mentor, she enters a local singing competition that will test her integrity, talent, and ambition. A huge list of well-known pop-fueled songs is at the end of the movie trailer, making it a must-owned soundtrack. Watch the trailer, and you will see lots of angst and frustration. Violet learns a lesson on her journey to fame and fortune.

The movie is a “stylish spin on the Cinderella story.” With so little information on the story, I wonder who prince charming is.

The movie is available on Amazon or wherever Blu-rays and DVDs are sold.

I am guessing this is Minghella’s film debut as a director. He is an actor and stars in The Handmaid’s Tale. He’s starred in major movies like The Social Network and comes from a talented family. His father is the late, well-known, Oscar-winning director Anthony Minghella. His mother, Carolyn Choa, is a choreographer.

I am sure Fanning took on this role because it is challenging. She sings, dances, and carries the whole movie. She deserves the part of Violet because she is talented and has played several active roles. She’s starred in notable films like Super-8, Maleficent, and Trumbo.

The cast rounds out, including Rebecca Hall, Zlatko Buric, and Agnieszka Grochowska.

The second poster and trailer show us more about the movie. Fanning is excellent as the Russian teen star who loves to sing; that is all she wants to do.

The following movie clip is more like a music video we used to see in the 1990s. The movie soundtrack is all original songs, so I hope this clip plays here and doesn’t get blocked due to copyright issues. Fingers crossed. I hope you see it because it is nice and tells a beautiful story.

“Us” Trailers, Cast Interviews, Featurettes & Poster

horror, thriller, , , , , , , , , , ,

Written and directed by Jordan Peele, Us follows a family on a summer vacation. The focus of the promotion of this movie is the filmmaker and Oscar winner Jordan Peele. Peele made a name for himself by creating the box office and sleeper hit Get Out.

The horror movie is popular with a strong show at the box office. The Blu-ray, DVD, and streaming on-demand are happening. Now is your chance to see the movie or see it again.

IMDB plot summary says the movie is about a mother and father, who take their kids to their beach house. They are expecting to enjoy time with friends, but their serenity turns to tension and chaos when some visitors arrive uninvited.

On the coattails of his success, Universal Studios says Peele is bringing an original and provocative thriller to the movie theaters. By watching the movie trailer, it appears there is a family on vacation who has an encounter with another creepy family that looks and sounds just like them. The trailer shows screaming, blood, and the family struggling to survive. I am curious about the significance of the scissors, though. They appear in the poster and trailer. The weaving of each character’s profile view is mysterious and unnerving. I am spooked just thinking about this trailer.

The cast is impressive with Lupita Nyong’o, who won the 2019 New York Film Critics Circle for Best Actress, Winston Duke, Elisabeth Moss, Tim Heidecker, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Anna Diop, Evan Alex, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Madison Curry, Cali Sheldon, and Noelle Sheldon.

The second trailer is better because Nyong’o’s line about coincidences and things lining up means something, like a dark cloud. Creepy! Horror movie fans rejoice. A horror movie intelligently put together to scare the hell out of you.

Moss attended the red carpet premiere of the movie at SXSW. In this interview, she explains why this is her first time seeing the movie. She also talks about working with the director.

Watching these featurettes brings an understanding that Peele’s movies are not just horror movies. They resonate with learned and well-thought-out Hitchcock movies, with an undercurrent of meanings to the overall story and imagery.

Director Peele talks about making horror movies and why he likes making them. The audiences drive him in this direction of moviemaking.

The following featurettes are about Peele as a storyteller and his reasoning behind making this movie. One particular featurette he talks about is “Doppelgangers.” The word is German and means a double walker. The folklore about this phenomenon is a non-biological look-alike, such as a ghost or an evil twin. Doppelgangers are a sign of bad luck.

Peele refers to movies that use the doppelgänger angle, such as Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo. Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield comes to mind. The darker version or morally inverse character of his story – is Orlick.

“Hellboy” Trailers, Featurettes, Clip, Interviews & Posters

action, adventure, based on a book, fantasy, , , ,

Directed by Neil Marshall and based on the graphic novels by Mike Mignola, Hellboy follows the iconic character as he gets caught between the worlds of the supernatural and human. Played by Stranger Things David Harbour, he battles an ancient sorceress bent on revenge.

Marshall’s directing credits include episodic shows like Lost in Space and Westworld. He’s also directed features, including Dog Soldiers and Doomsday.

Harbour is fantastic and so believable as Hellboy. Delivering his lines straightforwardly with a touch of irony makes each scene in the trailer fun to watch. The song in the trailer brings us a whole new level of entertainment.

The rest of the cast includes Milla Jovovich and Sasha Lane. Jovovich is familiar with this genre and adds credibility to the storyline. Jovovich is known for her dynamic work in the Resident Evil franchise.

I am not planning on seeing this movie because it is not my genre. The trailers look fantastic, and Harbour is impressive. He is so right for Hellboy. I am excited for him.

The movie clip shows how tongue-in-cheek the story moves along through archetype villains. Hellboy is not serious, but it’s all for fun. 

The featurette shows how the movie follows one of Hellboy’s comic book stories, comparing some movie images with the comic book drawings.

The movie clip shows some impressive CGI effects. Then we see the more we know, and the movie follows the comic book.

I picked three interviews that offer insight into what the newest version of Hellboy will bring us in the movie theaters and the box office. First, we have Daniel Dae Kim as “Major Ben Daimio,” listening to Kim talk about his character is surreal. He is so in tune with Daimio that it goes to another dimension.

The second interview is with Milla Jovovich, known as “Nimue and The Blood Queen.” She explains the story in the movie. She has Hellboy dialed. Her Beastie Boys t-shirt adds a lot to the interview, as well. This lady is a stick of dynamite, continually blowing up with excellent and refreshing energy.

https://youtu.be/XIjuT2LfxmA

Finally, David Harbour, as the “Hellboy” interview, is terrific. Ian Shane, who plays his adopted father, says in an interview he’s seen Harbour on Broadway. I can’t believe this guy’s been on Broadway. I thought  Stranger Things was his only avenue other than Hellboy. No wonder he is so talented. I admired his remarkable work in the first season of the Netflix series Stranger Things. 

“Greta” Trailer, Movie Clips, & Interviews

drama, horror, suspense, ,

Co-written and directed by Neil Jordan, Greta is an awkward movie with many undercurrents as one heck of a scary movie.

Jordan’s directing credits are impressive, with Interview with a Vampire, The End of the Affair, The Crying Game, and Mona Lisa. The story Greta came from Ray Wright, who also co-wrote the screenplay. His credits are few, with movies like Crazies and The Pulse.

The movie follows a young woman Frances, played by  Chloë Grace Moretz, who befriends a widow, played by Isabelle Huppert. The widow is not as sane as she appears. Watch the trailer, and the plot is easy to follow. Maika Monroe also stars in the movie playing Erica. It isn’t clear her character’s role in the story. In the trailer, it appears she is a close friend of Frances or perhaps her sister.

The movie clips show more of the story about how this woman is a crazy psychopath. The third clip is even better and tells more of the story. Greta is looking like a horror movie more and more.

The following clip shows five warning signs that you have a crazy lady stalking you and wanting to kill you. The last warning sign is a huge spoiler.

Moretz talks about the movie and the role she plays. She explains why she likes the film and picked to star in the thriller.

Jordan is best known for directing The Crying Game and Michael Collins. The soundbites with him offer insight into his approach to directing Greta.

The following movie clip shows the difference between the two young woman characters. The movie is a thriller, horror, and suspense. This scene defines Moretz’s character’s vulnerability – kindness and virtue. Is that a realistic quality to drive people to the box office?

“The Last Man” Trailer and Poster

drama, thriller, , , , , ,

Written and directed by Rodrigo H. Vila, The Last Man trailer lacks the strength needed to entice people to go to the movie theaters and watch it. The trailer is unclear and graining without any direction.

The story follows Kurt, played by Hayden Christensen, who is suffering from the aftermath of being in a war. He is now a vet and dealing with the emotional problems of being in a war and coming home to an unholy, unruly land.

Clearly, the world is wicked and in a state of unrest. A local street prophet, Noe, played by Harvey Keitel, preaches that it will only worsen and predicts a catastrophic storm will strike, making matters even worse.   

Kurt heeds Noe’s advice and readies for the apocalyptic storm when he meets sultry Jessica, played by Liz Solari. She, too, believes Noe. The story’s irony is that Kurt finds his life finally coming together as the planet falls apart.

The rest of the cast includes Marco Leonardi, Fernán Mirás, Justin Kelly, and Rafael Spregelburd.


“Five Feet Apart” Trailers, Featurettes, Interviews & Posters

drama, ,

Directed by Justin Baldoni, Five Feet Apart follows Stella Grant, played by Haley Lu Richardson. She is like every other seventeen-year-old, but she ill.  She spends a great deal of time living in a hospital because she is a cystic fibrosis patient.

She has best friends, and she seems pretty happy except when her illness brings her way down.  She lives her life, which is full of limitations and self-control if she wants to stay alive.

The point of the story is that all the things that keep her alive and relatively happy are put to the test when she meets an impossibly charming fellow, who is also a CF patient. His name is Will Newman, played by Cole Sprouse. They instantly become attracted to each other, though restrictions dictate maintaining a safe distance between them. The relationship intensifies, and so does the temptation to throw the limitations out the window and embrace that attraction they share.

Added to the story is Will rebels against the medical treatment, and Stella steps up and helps him understand he needs to live. He needs to live a fulfilling life.  

The movie is a tearjerker and reminds me of the book and movie Fault in Our Stars.  The ending might be just as sad but uplifting as John Green’s story. 

I am having a hard time wrapping my wits around this movie. The trailers are not grabbing me in the least because I feel the movie will end sadly like John Green’s book, which I have mentioned before.

A new poster is released, and a trailer along with it. I am still not convinced this movie will do well. I am sure it ends on a downer like The Fault in Our Stars. The post shows the two main characters five feet apart, and the title is Five Feet Apart, but the nurse in the trailers says six feet apart. The first poster shows them close as can be. I am not quite sure what that means, but it is a discrepancy.

The studio blocked some clips that told more of the story and the relationship that builds without giving away the ending. The ending is crucial and will make it a great movie or not. The point is movies about terminal illness end sadly.

The following two features explain why the director wanted to make this movie. He relates to terminal illness by meeting a young woman who had this disease. This is a tough movie to make and even tougher to watch.

The interviews tell you about the story, and this is a spoiler alert. The producer praises Richardson for being bubbly with “sparks” in her eyes. Watching her interview, she is smart and knows her character.

Not only is the director nice eye candy, but he is also a great guy. He knows this story and is passionate about the situation people with this disease go through in general.

The character Will is hard for me to like or appreciate because he is always whining. The interview with Sprouse, who see a totally different person. In the interview, he talks about how Will is feeling sorry for himself. I am impressed.