Category Archives: based on a book

“The Sisters Brothers” Trailers, Featurettes, Movie Clips and Posters

based on a book, comedy, drama, western, , , ,

Directed by Jacque Audiard,  who won the Venice Film Festival Award for Best Director 2018 for The Sisters Brothers. Based on Patrick Dewitt’s novel of the same name, the story takes place in Oregon in 1851 and follows two brothers, played by John C. Reilly and Joaquin Phoenix, Eli and Charlie Sisters.

The brothers are hired to kill a prospector who has stolen from their boss. The movie is a dark comedy with unique comedic elements. Audiard is best known for his Palme d’Or Winning Dheepan, which premiered at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.

Another poster arrives.  The images of both brothers is an awesome visual with “Brothers By Blood, Sisters By Name” at the top.

The sarcasm in the “Wanted” featurette is so thick and bitting. I wonder if the movie flows the same way.

The “Story” featurette tells about the movie and the relationship between the two brothers. The more I see of the movie the more I want to see it.

The “Meeting Mayfield” movie clip shows the talented acting as well as the skillful camera work with snappy dialogue.

https://youtu.be/BQlB0hB3GYw

Here is the final trailer, and I like the style. The trailer tells us the movie is a true western about two brothers on a journey of retribution and redemption.

Each poster is quite different from the others. I like the one with the skull as a dust trail. The first one is too simple with just bold lettering. Event the different colored lettering doesn’t help because the stark poster says nothing about the movie.

Simplistic, Strange “Down A Dark Hall” Trailer and Poster

based on a book, horror, supernatural, thriller, , , , , , , , ,

Directed by Rodrigo Cortes, Down A Dark Hall follows Kit, played by Anna Sophia Robb. She is a problematic young girl, and her temper makes it difficult for her mother to take care of her.

Hence, she ordered to the mysterious Blackwood Boarding School. She arrives at Blackwood and faces the eccentric headmistress, Madame Duret, played by Uma Thurman. She also meets the school’s only four other students. They, too, are young women headed down a troubled path.

While exploring the labyrinthine corridors of the school, Kit and her classmates discover that Blackwood Manor hides an age-old secret rooted in the paranormal.

Based on the classic gothic YA novel of the same name by Lois Duncan. Duncan also authored I Know What You Did Last Summer.

Isabelle Fuhrman, Victoria Moroles, Noah Silver, Taylor Russell, and Rosie Day round out a talented cast.

The movie is now streaming on Amazon if you want to check it out.

The author of Twilight and The Host, Stephenie Meyer, produced the movie. Cortés also directed the film Buried. They are calling Down A Dark Hall a supernatural thriller. But it sure seems like a horror movie. Watch the trailer, and you’ll see what I mean.

“BlacKkKlansman” Trailer, Poster, Featurette & Clips

based on a book, comedy, drama, true stories, , , ,

Co-written and directed by Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman was formerly called Black Klansman. The movie is based on the book by Ron Stallworth called Black Klansman: Race, Hate, and the Undercover Investigation of a Lifetime. The true story is a memoir of Stallworth, played by John David Washington, being the first black officer in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In 1978, he went undercover to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan.

The Stallworth and his partner, played by Adam Driver, penetrate into the Klan. They reach the highest levels and are able to stop a takeover of the city. During his undercover work, he even managed to disruption and stop several cross burnings and other activities of the disreputable hate group.

I watched the movie last night with my family. We were entertained and enlighted on the craziness of bigotry and injustices in the late 70s. 

The fact that Jones won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, he wove a skillful story with talented actors playing real people in a messed up system. 

Driver, as a non-practicing Jewish cop going undercover in the Ku Klux Klan, is a story in itself. Washington, as the Black man in a world of bigotry even in the police force, holds an even keel to the harshness of his culture.

Jones takes the movie further at the end with clips of contemporary riots in the South. Though I understand his purpose of these final clips, their congruity with the original story is not comforting.

The Blu-ray and DVD hit the street and is available for streaming.  If you didn’t get a chance to see the movie yet, you can watch it in the comfort of your own home, and I recommend it. 

The cast also includes Laura Harrier, Topher Grace, and Harry Bellefonte.  Bellefonte’s seen is heartwrenching as he tells the story of the brutality of the South. 

The movie clip shows the comedic undertones.

Interesting movie clip shows how Spike Lee directed a serious comedy. The poster above is silly as well. The movie trailer shows how the movie was filmed in a 1970s style.  Obviously, it is a comedy with a strong message.

Revealing the Absolutely Lowest Relationship “Loving Pablo” Trailer

based on a book, drama, independent, legend, , , , , , , , ,

Written and directed by Fernando Leon de Aranoa and based on the book Loving Pablo, Hating Escobar by Virginia Vallejo, Loving Pablo follows Vallejo’s story about her relationship with Pablo Escobar. He happened to be one of the most powerful drug lords in Columbia. His terror and reign took Colombia down to utter chaos.

The movie brings husband and wife Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz together, which is a brilliant combination. Both are Oscar winners, and I know the acting will be excellent. Other cast members include Peter Sarsgaard, Julieth Restrepo, Maria Victoria Henao, David Valencia, David Ojalvo, and Giselle Da Silva.

Leon de Aranoa received accolades for his movie Mondays in the Sun. He is a Spanish director, and Loving Pablo is in English.

The movie trailer shows how the director captures Colombia’s culture. Viewers will need to keep this in mind as they watch the movie.

https://youtu.be/YTOPkhZvPiY

Robin Hood Trailers, Featurette, Movie Clips, and Posters

action, adventure, based on a book, classic, fantasy, legend, romance, , , ,

Directed by Otto Bathurst,  another Robin Hood movie arrives on the silver screen.  I recommend you watch the trailer because the movie is full of slow motion and action sequences.  Some claim Robin Hood as a superhero, but I rather think of him as a legend – mythical legend.

The latest version is about the war-hardened crusader, played by Taron Egerton, and his Moorish commander, played by Jamie Foxx.  They mount a strong revolt against the corrupt English crown.

Jamie Dornan of Fifty Days of Grey movies also stars as Will.  Watching the trailer, I cannot tell if he is a friend or foe of Robin Hood.

Eve Hewson plays Maid Marian.  I hope she is smarter than she appears in the trailer. I am banking on she is smarter and helps Robin Hood instead of only adding to the romance of the story.

The movie clip shows how John is a father figure. Robin Hood is learning from him and the details of overthrowing the Sheriff.

The studio is promoting the movie as a thriller and action-adventure, which includes gritty battlefield triumphs, mind-blowing fight choreography (slow motion), and a timeless romance.

The movie clip “Law and Order” lets us see the sheriff as a villain, which we know from the classic story by Howard Pyle.

In the “Training” movie clip, we see Egerton and Foxx work together creating a scene that shows Robin Hood and John building a relationship based on who is more capable of training who.

The final poster shows the eclectic quality of the cast with a nostalgia in reminiscent to the popcorn movies of the late 70s and early 80s.

The featurette is impressive and shows how hard Egerton worked to master his archery. I watched his teacher, who is in the featurette, on YouTube and he is an impressive archer. I learned that during the ancient times the archers were as fast as we see them shooting in the featurette.  That makes the movie a bit more realistic than its predecessors. Egerton sings a bit for fun on the set, and his voice is fantastic.  Foxx looks like he enjoys himself way too much on the set.

Otto Bathurst cut his teeth as an episodic director for binge-watching streaming shows like Black Mirror and Criminal Justice.

The third trailer is here and still seems to be like most Robin Hood movies.

The second trailer is not doing justice to the movie. Let’s hope for the best and the movie turns out great.

Robin Hood is available on Blu-ray, DVD, and streaming online. Once again, another movie about Robin Hood. The tale is told over and over again. This time the story is quite different from the original and other versions. I am impressed with the archery but the rest of the story varies too much for me to be excited about it.

“Ant-Man and the Wasp” Trailers, Poster, and Blu-ray/DVD

action, adventure, based on a book, children movies, , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Directed by Peyton Reed, Ant-Man and The Wasp comes from Marvel. The story is a new age of superheroes that can shrink. Ant-Man arrived in Captain America: Civil War. Scott Lang contends with the values of his choices as both a superhero and a father. He tackles the complexity of home life with his responsibilities as Ant-Man.
 
He confronts Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym with a crucial mission. Scott dons the suit and learns to fight alongside The Wasp. As a team, they work together and discover secrets from the past.
 
The movie has an impressive cast such as Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Pena, Michelle Pfeiffer, Laurence Fishburne, and Michael Douglas.
The Blu-ray, DVD, and streaming are live and ready for your viewing.
 
Paul Rudd contributed to the screenplay. He’s joined by Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Andrew Barrer, and Gabriel Ferrari. Reed helmed two other movies. The sleeper hit Bring It On, a cheerleading competition stars Kirsten Dunst. He also directed Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn in The Break-up.

“How to Talk to Girls at Parties” Poster and Trailer

based on a book, fantasy, romance, science fiction, , ,

Co-written and directed by John Cameron Mitchell, How to Talk to Girls at Parties is based on a short story written by Neil Gaiman. The movie follows Enn, played by Alex Sharp. Enn is a shy teenager living in a London suburb in 1977.

He sneaks out with his best friends to frequent punk parties. They misstep into a rather strange gathering of sexy teenagers. They seem like they are from another planet.

They are from another planet. They are visiting Earth to complete a mysterious rite of passage. Enn falls madly in love with Zan, played by Elle Fanning. Zan is a beautiful and unruly alien teenager. Even though she holds allegiance to her strange colony, she is captivated by Enn.

Zan and Enn jump into a delirious adventure through the kinetic punk rock world of 1970s London. In all, they set off a series of events leading to the ultimate showdown of punks vs. aliens, which tests the limits of how far each of them will go for true love.

Nicole Kidman also stars in this movie as a punk rocker.

The movie trailer is convoluted and crazy, with no rhyme to the story. Hopefully, another trailer and movie clip will be released, making it easier to understand and figure out what is happening.

Absolutely Lowest But Good “Deadpool 2” Trailers and Poster

action, adventure, based on a book, sequels, , ,

Directed by David Leitch, Deadpool 2 arrives with cafeteria chef Wade Wilson or Deadpool, played by Ryan Reynolds. Wilson survived a near-fatal bovine attack, though it disfigured him, and he still is trying to make his dream come true, becoming Mayberry’s hottest bartender. While he is learning to cope with his lost sense of taste, he is still trying to add more spice to his life as he battles a sundry of squirrelly characters that make no sense.

Leitch directed Charlize Theron in the 2017 comedy-thriller Atomic Blonde, which I wrote about earlier. It seems he likes to direct movies that are not all that serious and have some over-the-top humor.

Josh Brolin also stars as Nathan Summers or Cable. He looks to be Deadpool’s nemesis. The trailers and clips below are crazy and weird, but that is how Deadpool movies play out on the screen, so enjoy them and try to figure out the storyline. I sure didn’t.

“Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” Posters, TV Spot, Trailers, Featurettes, Blu-ray & DVD

action, adventure, based on a book, family movies, science fiction, sequels, , , , , , , , ,

Directed by J.A. Bayona, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, the new Jurassic Park installment has arrived. The story keeps to where the last movie ended, but it is four years later. The theme park and luxury resort Jurassic World is still destroyed by dinosaurs out of containment. Forsaken by humans, Isla Nublar is surviving with dinosaurs fending for themselves in the island jungles.

The island has an active volcano, now. Owen, played by Chris Pratt, and Claire, played by Bryce Dallas Howard, organize an operation to rescue the remaining dinosaurs from the dangers of the volcano, which is wiping them out.

If you are familiar with the former movie, Owen bonded with Blue, his lead raptor, he wants to find him because he is still missing in the wild. Claire developed an understanding and respect for these unique beasts. She makes her mission and hopes to save the ones that remain.

When Owen and Claire arrive on the unstable island, the lava rains down on their expedition. But, the worse is not the erupting volcano.  They uncover a conspiracy to return the whole planet to a terrifying order not seen since prehistoric times. The studios give us a hint if you look at the third poster real close. You will see the words “The Park is Gone.”

The production is boasting new breeds of dinosaurs with the favorites returning. Howard is a true actress and Pratt can hold his own as an action guy. Take a look at the movie trailer and see the coming spectacle for yourself.

Not only has Juan Antonio García Bayona directed the fifth installment of Jurassic Park, he is known as J.A. Bayona and is a Spanish director known for directing television commercials and music videos. He also directed horror movie The Orphanage and the drama The Impossible starring Naomi Watts, who was nominated for an Oscar, and Ewan McGregor.

The movie also stars Toby Jones, Ted Levine, Rafe Spall, BD Wong and Jeff Goldblum.

The Blu-ray, DVD, and online streaming are happening, so if you want to see the movie again or if you missed it in the movie theaters, now is your chance to own it or watch in the comfort of your home or on your device.

The movie trailer below shows us more about the story and what to expect when we see the movie. The kid’s reactions are great. I can’t wait to see their interviews and hear them talk about working in the movie.

The featurette below sets the pace of the movie and allows us to see where the story is going.  Bayona talks about shooting the scenes tightly so the suspense of what is happening is evident.

The movie trailer shows all the action and adventure you will experience in the movie theaters.

The TV spot is pretty cool to watch because it shows the grandeur of the CGI dinosaurs.

“The Wife” Posters, Movie Clip, and Trailer

based on a book, drama, ,

Directed by Björn Runge and based on the bestseller by Meg Wolitzer,  The Wife stars Glen Close as the movie follows her contemplations as a wife – Joan Castleman. Joan questions her choices as she travels to Stockholm with her husband, played by Jonathan Pryce, where he is slated to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Runge is from Sweden and is known for  Harry & Sonja when he received two Guldbagge awards for Best Director and Best Screenplay in 2003. He also received the Berlin Film Festival  Silver Bear and Der Blaue Engel Prize.

The movie trailer suggests her husband is not supportive of Joan as she has been supportive of him.  The final line in the trailer, “I am a king builder,” finalizes the overall premise of the story, which seems visceral, contemplative, and contemporary.

In this scene, undercurrents are rampant.  It makes me think how naive and blind some men can be.  Great scene!

This is a long clip, almost two minutes. It shows so much between all the characters and the story about the wife. Ironically, this scene feels endearing.

Christian Slater seems to play another writer or journalist who brings out Joan’s contemplations concerning her choices and her husband’s belittling and infidelity.

The movie clip below shows a wife who plays a big part in her husband winning the Nobel Prize.

https://youtu.be/MIHAmvWkjL0