Category Archives: drama

“Adrift” Trailers, Movie Clips, Featurettes, and Posters

action, adventure, based on a book, drama, romance, true stories, ,

Directed by Baltasar Kormakur, who directed 2 Guns starring Denzel Washington and Mark Walberg and has produced several movies, is an actor, is from Iceland, Adrift stars Shailene Woodley, who started in Fault in Our Stars, and Divergent films, and Sam Claflin, who starred in The Hunger Games.

The movie is based on a true story of carefree spirits with a love for adventure. They essentially two free spirits whose chance encounter leads them first to love and then to the dangers of a hurricane.

The story follows their early romance and a commitment as two enthusiastic sailors embark on a journey across the ocean. Tami Oldham, played by Woodley, and Richard Sharp, played by Claflin, had no idea they were in a straight line into one of the most catastrophic hurricanes in recorded history.

In the aftermath of the storm, Tami awakens to find Richard badly injured and their boat in ruins. With no hope for rescue, Tami must find the strength and determination to save herself and the only man she has ever loved.

Kormakur has tackled similar true stories about the spirit coming face to face with natural disasters and overcoming them or ending tragically.  The Deep won Kormakur awards in Iceland and Everest. Both of these movies he produced.

Adrift appears to be a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Watching the resilience of the human spirit and the transcendent power of love is the only hope imaginable.

The movie is scripted by Aaron Kandell, Jordan Kandell, and David Branson Smith.  Kandell twins worked together on Moana, and Branson has worked on episodic television such as Enlightened and the feature film Ingrid Goes West.

The Blu-ray and DVD are hitting the streets, so now is the time to see the movie again. Unless, you haven’t seen the movie, nows your chance to see what is so special about the movie.  With that, I am adding some movie clips and behind the scenes clips of the production.

I saw this movie on a flight from Tampa Bay to Denver. The acting was great and the movie seemed slow at times.  I did cry at one point toward the end realizing what this young woman went through to survive.  I think some of the audience missed the point of Richard’s spirit being on the boat helping her survive and navigate the boat to Hawaii.  The movie called him a mirage but it’s more than that if you read Tami’s book.

The second movie trailer is so much better. The music is exuberant and daunting.  You can get a feel for what Woodley’s character is going through.

The movie trailer is super intense and explains how you will be on the edge of your seat as you watch this movie.

Shrewd and a Challenge “Eighth Grade” Trailer

drama, teenagers, , , ,

Directed by Bo Burnham, who did well on YouTube, brings a Sundance Film Festival winner to the screen. Eighth Grade follows a teenager, played by Elise Fisher. She tries to survive the last week of her disastrous eighth-grade year before leaving to start high school.

The movie told through her social media talents and the insane awkwardness of trying to fit feel comfortable in one’s own skin.

The movie also stars Josh Hamilton, Emily Robinson, and Daniel Zolghadri.

The movie is streaming, so you can watch in the comfort of your own home or on your device.

I feel this movie will be painful to watch because the presented situations are all too familiar with any girl, or boy for that matter, coming of age in a materialistic world of Snapchat and Instagram. Just watching the trailer made me feel uncomfortable, but it could be cathartic for some viewers.

“The Darkest Minds” Trailer, Movie Clip, Posters, Blu-ray/DVD

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

The Darkest Minds is produced by the people who brought us Stranger Things. Though, if you watch the trailer, I am a bit skeptical that it will be as good if not better than Netflix’s hit series.

Directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson and based on the YA novel by Alexandra Bracken, the movie follows sixteen-year-old Ruby, played by Amandla Stenberg. She is one of the ablest and powerful teenagers ever encountered.

There are teens, like Ruby, who mysteriously develop powerful abilities. The government declares them a threat and detains them.  Ruby escapes her camp and joins a group of runaway teens seeking safe haven.

Soon her friends become her newfound family, in a world in which the adults in power have betrayed them, running is not enough and they must wage a resistance, using their collective power to take back control of their future.

The movie is streaming and the Blu-ray/DVD is released, so you can watch the movie in the comfort of your own home or on your device. The movie clip “Camp Dance” hit the Internet concurrently with the releases.  The clip shows a cool way to charm a mind reader during a camp dance.

The movie also stars Mandy Moore, Harris Dickenson, and Gwendoline Christie.

“SuperFly” Trailers and Poster

action, drama, remakes, thriller, , , , ,

Directed by Director X, SuperFly is a remake. The original played a significant role in the film industry.

Now, we have a remake, and the movie is being touted as reimagined. Director X introduces the movie’s genre to its characters, look, sound, and feel.

The screenplay is by Alex Tse, who also wrote movies like Watchmen and Sucker Free City. I never heard of these movies, but he is writing another remake—The Crow.

The second trailer tells more about the story as an actor narrates it.

Look at the movie trailer and see if the style, sound, and feel are befitting the original SuperFly.

“Hostiles” Trailers, and Movie Clips

adventure, drama, ,

Directed by Scott Cooper, Hostiles follows a stellar cast down a turbulent, powerful and decisively impressive western. The Blu-ray/DVD is now available with behind-the-scenes interviews and featurettes.

The movie is set in 1892 and focuses on a legendary Army captain, played by Christian Bale, who is ordered to escort a dying Cheyenne war chief, played by Wes Studi, back to his tribe and family. The captain unwillingly agrees to his assignment.

The journey is distressing and death-defying as they trailer from Fort Berringer to the grasslands of Montana. They chance upon a young widow, played by Rosamund Pike. Her family was brutally murdered on the plains.

She joins the journey and they all work together to overcome the challenging landscape, hostile Comanche, and ruthless frontiersmen they run into along the way.

Watching the trailers and clips, the movie is pure grit and action.

“No Postage Necessary” Trailer

drama, romance, the blockchain, , ,

Directed by Jeremy Culver, No Postage Necessary follows Sam, played by George Blagden, who seems to make the wrong decision all the time. A convicted computer hacker, he’s single, jaded and barred from using the Internet.

Forced to crash on his brother’s couch, he makes ends meet by working at the local Twistee Treat and stealing mail while disguised as a postal worker. Then, a single pink envelope changes everything. Handwritten by a heartsick Josie, played by Charleene Closshey, to her late husband and fallen Marine, the tender missive awakens something in Sam.

Desperate to be worthy of such love, he conspires to meet the beautiful, young war widow, longing to become a better man. As the two grow closer, she warms to the idea of a new chance at love, but not before Sam’s past comes knocking in the form of an FBI agent looking for missing bitcoins.

No Postage Necessary was produced by Culver together with Charleene Closshey of Two Roads Picture Co. Closshey not only stars in the film as Josie but composed the film’s score.

The movie is streaming or purchase the Blu-ray or DVD.

The movie is being promoted as the first feature film to be released on the blockchain.

“Can You Ever Forgive Me?” Trailer, Featurettes & Movie Clips

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

Directed by Marielle Heller, the true story follows Melissa McCarthy as the best-selling celebrity biographer Lee Israel. The movie is written by Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty and is based on Israel’s memoir.

Can You Ever Forgive Me? starts after Israel made her living in the 1970s and 80s, profiling celebrities such as Katharine Hepburn, Tallulah Bankhead, Estee Lauder, and journalist Dorothy Kilgallen.

Lee can no longer be published because, according to her memoir and movie, she has fallen out of step with current sensitivities. She decides to turn her talent into deception, aided by her loyal friend Jack, played by Richard E. Grant.

Heller is also an actor and earned several fellowships for her writing talent. A Diary of a Teenage Girl was her breakout movie as both writer and director, earning several awards, including the Spirit Award for Best First Feature Film.

The latest poster shows the main character, Israel, working in her office with a cascade of typewriters. I presume she used them to forge the letters.

I interviewed Nicole Holofcener over ten years ago and found it fate that she contributed to the screenplay. One particular comment I remember from my interview with Holofcener was about writing for film, “When I am writing, I am directing. I imagine every writer does because the picture is being said in a very specific way. The tone. Yes, I am always aware of how I would like it to look when writing it.”

Can You Forgive Me? appears to be Whitty’s first writing credit for a movie. He Won a Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical for Avenue Q. He also has several acting credits in both film and television.

These two featurettes talk about the main two characters playing off each other and the creativity of creating a 1981 look for the film.

The featurette shows how the director and McCarthy worked together to create Lee Israel.

Melissa McCarthy plays this scene so well with Ben Falcone. The narrowly used bookstore gives a foreboding presence.

The movie clip shows McCarthy’s talent. This movie looks good; hopefully, it moves along and keeps the audience interested.

The Elevator Pitch Featurette is priceless and tells us the story and scenes of the dynamic cast. I love this director.

McCarthy is taking on a severe subject compared to her usual comedic roles. I hope the movie does well for her career and all the talent involved.

I connected with the director, and I am unsure why, but I like her persona. She’s young with an exceptional future ahead of her.

I like perusing used bookstores. I found some autographed first prints and such. I understand what it is like to find a collector’s item. I discovered from visiting used bookstores that each bookstore has a distinct personality.

Melissa McCarthy received several nominations for her portrayal of Lee Israel. She is stellar in this movie. I saw it the other night and am impressed with her acting ability. The story itself is not that entertaining. But seeing McCarthy and Grant act together is delightful and compelling.

If you haven’t seen it, now is our chance to see it because the Blu-ray, DVD, and streaming are available.

“Flower” Trailer, Movie Clips, Poster

comedy, drama, ,

Co-written and directed by Max Winkler, Flower follows Erica Vandross, played by Zoey Deutch. Co-writer and produced by Matt Spicer the original screenplay was written by Alex McAulay, whose first novel Bad Girls was published in 2005.

Erica is a 17-year old daughter of a single mother Laurie, played by Kathryn Hahn. Her mother’s new boyfriend, played by Time Heidecker lives with them in San Fernando Valley.

Bob’s son Luke, played by Joey Morgan, arrives after rehab to live with the family. This throws a monkey wrench into Eric’s somewhat crazy life and now she is totally overwhelmed.

So, the story begins with Luke and Erica’s sidekicks Kala, played by Dylan Gelula, and Claudine, played by Maya Eshet, hanging out together. Erica decides to expose a dark secret of high-school teacher Will, played by Adam Scott, with results she wasn’t anticipating. Erica and her friends are growing up in unexpected and unpredictable ways.

Deutch mentioned during a red-carpet interview that they shot the movie in 16 days. Indicating its low-budget push to get the movie made.

Deutch is building her career starring in notable movies such as Why Him?, Before I Fall, and Everybody Wants Some.

The movie trailer and clips show Deutch is in every scene. Her sidekicks are off the beaten path but she seems “normal.”  Is that how real friends are in High School?

“Final Portrait” Trailer, Movie Clips, Poster

drama, true stories, ,

Written and directed by Stanley Tucci, Final Portrait centers on world-renowned Swiss painter and sculptor Alberto Giacometti, played by Geoffrey Rush. The movie takes place in 1964, when James Lord, played by Armie Hammer, is on a short trip to Paris. Lord is an  American writer and art lover. His friend, Giacometti, asks him to sit for a portrait. The process, Giacometti assures Lord, will take only a day. Flattered and captivated, Lord agrees.

The offbeat friendship twists and bends along through the eyes of the Lord. He learns about beauty, frustration, perceptiveness and the chaotic process of creating art. The story is about defining a genius and a friendship between two completely different men. Still, they bond in creativity.

Tucci is a well-known actor in such films as The Hunger Games movies, Julie & Julia, and Spotlight. He has directed memorable films like Big Night, The Imposter, and Blind Date. Hammer starred recently in Call Me By Your Name and has other credits like The Social Network and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

The trailer and clips reveal a great movie and an excellent character study of an artistic genius.

“The Seagull” Trailer and Poster

classic, drama, , ,
Based on the play of the same name by Anton Chekhov, written for the screen by Stephen Karam, and directed by Michael Mayer, The Seagull is a pure classic. The story is an actor’s dream to play one of the characters of the poignant and crucifying Russian play, which was first on stage in 1896. 
The cast is brilliant with four very strong actresses including  Saoirse Ronan, Annette Bening, Elizabeth Moss, and Mare Winningham.
The movie follows an aging actress named Irina Arkadina, played by Annette Benning, who spends her summers visiting with her brother Pjotr Nikolayevich Sorin, played by Brian Dennehy, and her son Konstantin, played by Billy Howle, on a country estate.

On one occasion, she brings Trigorin, a successful novelist, played by Corey Stoll, with her. Nina, played by Saoirse Ronan, a free and innocent girl on a neighboring estate, falls in love with Trigorin.

As Trigorin lightly consumes and then rejects Nina, so the actress, Arkadina, all her life has consumed and rejected her son, who loves Nina. The victims are destroyed while the sophisticates continue on their way.

If you are familiar with Chekov’s play, you know the ending of the four-act play. I doubt the movie will be as long.

The movie trailer is very good and shows the conflict between the Nina, Irina, Trigorin, and Konstantin. The supporting cast, such as Elizabeth Moss, appears to offer comic relief. Moss’ last line in the trailer is an awesome delivery.