Tag: Julia Garner

WEAPONS – Review

As we get past the majority of Summer (Two months down, one to go before Labor Day), perhaps we can cool down a bit from the still sweltering temps by taking a trip into some Halloween-like fare at the multiplex. Why not, since this big cinema season kicked off with the jazz-loving bloodsuckers of SINNERS, and the trick ‘r’ treat supplies are starting to take over lots of retail shelf space (really, Walgreens). And speaking of those lil’ “candy-demanders”, this new flick utilizes them for the frights. Yeah, the movies have been showcasing scary kids for many decades. Wow, those blank-eyed British tots for VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED were in my “nightmare rotation” long before Regan MacNeil spewed pea soup in THE EXORCIST. Now an acclaimed horror director has mixed terror tykes with some small-town scandal and a big-time mystery in (the title is another puzzler) WEAPONS.


A soft-voiced pre-teen narrator introduces us to the town of Maybrrok, USA. Everything’s “off” at the elementary school (grades kindergarten through fifth) since seventeen of the students in Justine Gandy’s (Julia Garner) class ran from their homes at 2:17 am and seemingly vanished into the night. No clues, no leads other than some front door security camera footage (eerily silent) of several fleeing in a weird way (arms sort of dangling dead at their sides). But Ms. Gandy still has one student left, the somber, stoic Alex Lilly (Cary Christopher). The police grill both of them, but they don’t provide any answers. The town’s parents aren’t satisfied with that and start hounding and harassing her, the loudest being home contractor Archer Graff (Josh Brolin). Flustered principal Andrew Marcus (Benedict Wong) tries to diffuse the tension, while Justine turns to booze, reality TV, and an old beau, now-married policeman Paul Morgan (Alden Ehrenreich). But he has to deal with a drug-addled, thieving drifter named Anthony (Austin Abrams), who might know something about those missing kids. Ditto for the eccentric elderly aunt of Alex, the brightly garbed and heavily “made-up” (think Bozo in a tracksuit) Gladys (Amy Madigan). Can any of these victims and suspects lead to the location of those dearly missed children? And what sinister forces compelled them to disappear?

Adding her considerable acting chops to another spooky scenario, Ms. Garner (fresh off the surfboard in the F4 flick) brings a compelling vulnerability to the shunned Ms. Gandy. But we see that she’s no quivering victim. Garner also gives her a tough outer shell as she ventures out of her comfort zone, rather than cocooning in her home or “hoteling” miles away, she stands her ground against her accusers. Yeah, she can “blow off some steam” as she ignites a “former flame”. Now, not all the parents of “the missing” are shrill harpies. Brolin projects another kind of strength that somehow remains despite her crushing grief, spending nearly sleepless nights in his boy’s bedroom. We also see the anguish taking a toll on his work. Then Brolin shifts into the proactive mode, as Archer uses his work skills to follow a chancy lead. As that “flame” Paul, Ehrenreich conveys a man on the “edge”, desperate to stay on the right path, but frustrated by not only the “kid case”, but having to deal with a now listless marriage, then trudge to deal with his father-in-law (the Chief of Police) at work. He aims some of that anger at Abrams, who brings a nice twitchy energy to the “small potatoes” criminal nuisance. Kudos to the strong performance by the gifted young Christopher, who makes Alex a sad enigma, briskly trudging to and from the school where he somehow escaped that chaotic night. Also quite good is Wong as the school’s overseer, pushing back against the panic while trying to hold in his own worries and concerns. The bravest, nuanced work may be from screen vet Madigan, who makes the clown-like Gladys a lot more than a senior citizen caricature, projecting a quiet, menacing mania in every encounter.

Following up his surprise horror hit from 2022, BARBARIAN, writer/director Zach Cregger, has cooked up a delicious premise, building on the remarkable visuals of the kids almost gliding from their cozy suburban homes into a dark oblivion. He keeps us on our toes with his non-linear storytelling style, relaying info in chapters named after the characters, shifting the timeline, and often repeating scenes from different angles and viewpoints. And as with most thrillers, he piles on the shocks with lots of nightmares, with “was that actually real” payoffs. Yes, the “jump scares” work without much of the usual reliance on sound mixing (though it’s good along with the cinematography that works well in both night and day). It’s such an inspired “how” and “whodunit”, full of tension and suspense, that the final act resolution doesn’t have the strength of the “setup” and the small town “sinning”. Without giving anything away, I keep wondering if the final moments were going for horror or for humor (it can be a thin line between the two), making me question the filmmaker’s true intentions. Sure, there’s nervous laughter early on, but the titters in the finale could have leaked over from the theater next door running THE NAKED GUN. Still, the big ending veers away from the now-standard “wrap-ups” in genre flicks, so that’s to be applauded along with the cast and the overall feeling of dread and gloom hanging over these cursed villagers. For fans of these flicks, it quickens the pulse, but a convoluted third act somewhat muffles the considerable “firepower” of WEAPONS.

3 Out of 4

WEAPONS is now playing in theatres everywhere

Listen To The Score For WEAPONS By Ryan Holladay, Hays Holladay And Zach Cregger Before Seeing The Movie This Weekend

WaterTower Music has announced the release of the Weapons (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), featuring an original score by Ryan Holladay, Hays Holladay, and filmmaker Zach Cregger.

The highly anticipated horror/thriller from New Line Cinema, Weapons will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and hits theaters and IMAX nationwide on August 8, 2025, with international release beginning August 6.

The soundtrack is available digitally now. Vinyl & CD will be available for Pre-Order starting 8/8 through Waxwork Records. The LP features deluxe packaging that includes colored vinyl, heavyweight gatefold jackets, custom artwork, and a premium 3D lenticular cover.

Unusually for a modern production, composing for Weapons began as soon as editing commenced. The Holladay brothers relocated to New York and set up their scoring suite just steps away from the editorial and VFX teams—allowing for a uniquely fluid, collaborative process. Music was integrated directly into the evolving picture, resulting in a score that was organically built alongside the film itself, with minimal reliance on temp tracks.

“Having known Zach since childhood and played together in a band (Sirhan Sirhan), we had a musical shorthand that helped us to work quickly,” explains Hays Holladay.

“Zach really wanted us to be there throughout the post-production process, so we flew to New York soon after filming wrapped and were part of the edit for the next five months. And because we started so early, the three of us were constructing the score as the edit was still coming together. So, Zach would jump between our room, the VFX room and the edit. As a result, there was hardly any temp score throughout the process, so even in the very first test screenings, it was all original music we were making.”

“We went to New York with three suitcases full of synths, sound sculptures and samplers and built everything just a few steps down the hall from where they were creating the visual effects and editing the picture. The process felt like the opposite of working remotely – we were having lunch with the whole post-production crew every day.”

When it came to crafting the score and building the tension, mystery and musical disorientation, Ryan Holladay had this to say:

“We wanted to create a score that felt intense and energetic when it needed to be, but also captured the mystery and the longing for answers that runs throughout the story without overstaying its welcome. In some cases, it took a few tries to get the tone right. One instance that comes to mind is ‘The Flight,’ which happens in the big running scene where you finally see where all the kids are headed. We tried a few attempts, going dramatic and sweeping at first. But in the end, what connected was something that feels, to me, like ‘Ride of the Valkyries’ meets Basinski’s ‘Disintegration Loops.’ It’s very unsettling.”

Weapons (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Tracklisting:
1. Maddie
2. Main Theme (from Weapons)
3. Who’s There?
4. Following
5. Newspaper
6. Don’t You Find It Odd?
7. What Could’ve Happened
8. Nightmares
9. Snip
10. Daybreak
11. Troubled Person
12. Where Are You?
13. Map
14. Waiting Game
15. Gasoline
16. Stop Right There
17. Serious Hot Water
18. Donna
19. James
20. Room to Room
21. What Did I Tell You?
22. On a Mission
23. Drag
24. I Think She Cut My Hair
25. Gasoline II
26. Homesickness
27. Are You Watching?
28. Campbell’s
29. If I Got Better
30. Nametag
31. The Flight
32. Into the Lair
33. One Shot
34. Locked
35. Swarm (feat. Mary Lattimore)
36. I Found You


From New Line Cinema and Zach Cregger, the wholly original mind behind Barbarian, comes a new horror/thriller: Weapons.

When all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish on the same night at 2:17 a.m., a community is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance.

The film stars Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, with Benedict Wong, and Amy Madigan.

Cregger directs from his own screenplay, and also produces alongside Roy Lee, Miri Yoon, J.D. Lifshitz and Raphael Margules, with Michelle Morrissey and Josh Brolin executive producing. The filmmaker’s creative team behind the camera includes director of photography Larkin Seiple, production designer Tom Hammock, editor Joe Murphy and costume designer Trish Summerville. The music is by Ryan Holladay, Hays Holladay and Zach Cregger.

New Line Cinema Presents A Subconscious/Vertigo Entertainment/BoulderLight Pictures Production, A Zach Cregger Film, Weapons. It will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and released in theaters and IMAX nationwide on August 8, 2025, and internationally beginning August 6, 2025.

https://www.maybrookmissing.com

THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS – Review

(L-R): Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/Invisible Woman, Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic and Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/Human Torch in 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios’ FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2025 MARVEL.

After “Big blue”, the “man of steel” made a successful return flight into the multiplex almost two weeks ago, have you been waiting for the “other shoe” (in this case a boot made of “unstable molecules”) to drop? Yes, the “DCU” is back in a big box office triumph, but what about those “guys down the street”, a nod from DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE? Are they resting on the good reviews (and so-so ticket sales) of THUNDERBOLTS*? Oh no, my Marvel-maniacs, the MCU is also back and as “big” as ever with a spin on the “IP” that really began Marvel Comics way, way back in 1961 (they could retire, already). According to a legend (which may be something Stan Lee came up with on the TV talk show circuit), Martin Goodman, publisher of then-Atlas comics, spoke with his DC rival at a golf course. He boasted of the brisk sales of his superhero team book, “The Justice League of America”. Goodman got his writer/editor Lee on the “horn” and ordered him to create a “super group”. He brought in artist extraordinaire Jack Kirby, and Marvel was soon born. However, the road to the big screen for the team has been a treacherous one (though there have been several animated TV shows). In 1994, a low-budget feature was pulled days before the premiere (I recommend the documentary DOOMED, which is probably streaming). Then Fox snagged the screened rights and had two medium-sized successes in 2005 and 20027. A relaunch in 2015 was a true disaster, so comic fans rejoiced when Disney acquired FOX in 2019, allowing Marvel Studios a “crack” at their “legacy property”. So will the “fifth” time be the “charm” with THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS? “Nuff said”, for the history lesson…

So here’s some rare FF merch: from the 60’s, a Lancer paperback and a Whitman Big Little Book. From 1977, here’s a reprint from Kangaroo Pocket Books…

On to the “main event”, the flick itself. This sets itself apart from the nearly 30 MCU entries in that it is set on Earth 828, rather than “good ole’ 616”, established in SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME. For four years, this Earth (which looks to be a 1960s “retro future”) has been protected by the FF. It’s all explained by the host of a popular TV talk show, Ted Gilbert (Mark Gatiss), whose latest episode is a celebration/history of the quartet. Using archival footage, we’re introduced to the brave astronauts who went into space on the star-cruiser the Excelsior, and came back “changed”. After mysterious “cosmic rays” (which forced an abrupt landing) penetrated the ship’s hull and their suits, the leader, brilliant scientist Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal), became the flexible, stretching, rubber-like Mr. Fantastic. His blushing bride, Sue Storm (Vanessa Kirby), became the Invisible Woman, who can vanish from sight while creating and manipulating “force fields”. Her brother Johnny (Joseph Quinn) could control flames, flying through the skies as the Human Torch. Their pilot, Reed’s old buddy Ben Grimm (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) underwent the most radical transformation. His body doubled in size, his skin morphing into a rock-like shell as the unblievably strong being known as the Thing. They all share living quarters atop the Baxter Building, which is also home to the United Nations-inspired Freedom Foundation. Over the big Sunday Dinner, Ben figures out why the now-married Sue and Reed are acting so “off”; She’s pregnant. Reed’s happy, but concerned over how those cosmicly-altered genes may affect their “bundle of joy”. They go about their heroic duties until Reed detects a strange being entering Earth’s atmosphere. The four meet a floating lady, an alien seemingly made of metal, the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). She proclaims her role as the “herald” of her “master”, the giant, planet-devouring creature called Galactus (Ralph Ineson). The Surfer warns that he’s on his way to make a “meal” of them, so they’d best use the next few months to say their goodbyes. Will the FF go into action against them? C’mon, now! They take off in the Exceslior and track down the Surfer and her “big boss-man”. Reed wants to negotiate, but the price to be paid for erasing the Earth from his menu is monumentally steep. Even with his “ginormous” brain and the team’s combined might, can they possibly thwart the Surfer and her very hungry controller, Galactus?


So, do the four leads “play well together”? Well, the film really insists on that, as we’re pretty much a “fly on the wall” through the whole story. The answer is a resounding “Yes, indeed”, with a crackling chemistry that’s “off the charts”. Since she was usually the “damsel in distress” for many of the early comics issues, it’s surprising that the plot really hinges on Sue, who is played with a fierce, steely determination by the dazzling Ms. Kirby (no relation to the co-creator). She’s the gentle beacon of decency that nudges the team in the proper direction, in terms of combat and ethics. She’s also the protector of “her guys”, though she’s the ultimate cosmic “mama bear”. Plus, she sweetly coaxes humanity from the often socially awkward Reed, played with an endearing “absent-minded professor” demeanor by the compelling Pascal. Bringing lots of good humor into the mix is the energetic Quinn, whose Johnny is the “teen dream” who really wants to be taken seriously as he yearns to contribute more to the group than tossing some fireballs as he scorches the baddies. And then there’s the remarkable rendering of the most complex and visually interesting member, Ben, whose plight is given the proper tragedy and pathos by the gifted Moss-Bachrach. The Thing is a lovable “gentle giant”, rock-hard but still cuddly to the kids that adore him. He still yearns to become that dashing “space ace” once more, as he wistfully looks at TV news film of his past visage. Even through the layer of CGI granite, Moss-Bachrach never loses Ben’s humanity.

As for the supporting players, it’s probably best to start with the big, destructive duo. Garner is sleek, sinister, and sympathetic as the woman who was once Shalla-Bal, but is now required to issue mass death sentences to entire worlds. Even through her silver coating, Garner conveys Bal’s inner torment. But when your “master” dwarfs the city, intimidation’s a big concern, especially with Galactus, who is given a growling, terrifying deep, deep bass delivery by Ineson, his real horror is displayed as he smiles and “plays with his food”. Sarah Niles is very good as Sue’s very human aide Lynne, while Paul Walter Hauser is a real hoot as a former FF foe now turned reluctant friend. And I really hoped to see more of the always enchanting Natasha Lyonne, as a gal from the “old neighborhood (hopefully not Yancy Street)” who responds to Ben Grimm, he man beneath the walking rubble. And be on the lookout for some delightful cameos that pop in, plus one of this Summer’s robot scene stealers, along with SUPERMAN’s pal, Gary, H.E.R.B.I.E.!

Yes, it’s a compelling space opera, though one that also dazzles in its look with a team of truly talented “world builders” reminding us of a hoped-for. promised but not quite delivered sparkly future. I’m sure I’m one of many filmgoers who wished they could be beamed into this wonderful “playground” supervised by director Matt Shakman, a former child actor who has graduated to the MCU after stellar work on my favorite of the Marvel Disney+ streaming shows, “WandaVision”. He has great control of the big action stunt scenes, while always showing us their emotional impact on the characters. He conveys how Reed is literally stretched to his limits, along with the simmering attraction between the Surfer and the Torch (fire clashes with cool metal). As I said, the actors are incredible as their performances blend with the eye-popping visuals. This Earth’s “take” on 60s Times Square is dizzying visual “candy”, a contrast to the oppressive atmosphere of the Galactus vessel, as cold and cruel as this creature. The period costumes, namely the “off duty” wardrobe of the quartet, wonderfully harken to the “Mad Men” era’s “vibe”. Then there’s the TV graphics, along with the splendid crowds of stunned “onlookers,” set us right inside this dreamland right out of those classic 60s comics. About those, longtime fans will be giddy about the many “nods” to those “collector’s item classics”, but those casual filmgoers shouldn’t feel lost. The “homework” plot points have been a major complaint for many in MCU movies, so they’ll be happy to know that with this “other Earth” not tied to the MCU need not be recalled. That’s a credit to the five (almost four) screenwriters credited, who deftly peppered the story with lighthearted comedy and truly earth-shattering drama. And as with most Marvel movies, there’s a mid-end credits and post-credits scenes that are actually worthy of your time. And I must also toss some accolades at the producers for the many nods and acknowledgments of the talents of the “king of comics” (he never liked that nickname, but oh, how that crown fits), Jack Kirby. Mind you, Stan Lee was a big part of those characters (he even slapped a banner at the top of the book proclaiming it was “the world’s greatest comic magazine”), and he got to be a cameo star in the MCU, while sadly Kirby put away his pens and pencils forever in 1994. So I’ll consider this cinematic “love letter” his “screentime” as the movies have finally “cracked the code” for the “cornerstone” of Marvel with the fabulous THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS, which, true believers, naturally earns..

4 Out of 4

THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS is now playing in theatres across the cosmos

See Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch And The Thing In Final Trailer For THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS

In one month, Marvel’s first family flies into theaters around the globe. Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch and The Thing are joined by H.E.R.B.I.E., the Silver Surfer and planet-eating cosmic being Galactus in a retro-futuristic thrill-ride.

Opening in theaters on July 25, check out the final trailer for THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS.

Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel Studios’ “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” introduces Marvel’s First Family – Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) as they face their most daunting challenge yet. Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.

The action adventure also stars Paul Walter Hauser, Natasha Lyonne and Sarah Niles. “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” is directed by Matt Shakman, produced by Kevin Feige and executive produced by Louis D’Esposito, Grant Curtis and Tim Lewis.

Tickets are on sale now.

Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing in 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios’ THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios / © and ™ 2025 MARVEL.

Watch The Second Trailer For WEAPONS – Get Ready For A Horrifying Ride And Go To maybrookmissing.com For More Info

2025 has been filled with some great horror movies! From the recent 28 YEARS LATER and SINNERS, to PRESENCE, FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES and ASH, just to name a few, now comes the highly anticipated WEAPONS.

Warner Bros. Pictures has dropped a new trailer that gives us a few more clues into the mysterious story, along with some terrifying new scenes. This looks so GOOD!!

What’s with the creepy eyes!!

Head over to the site: https://www.maybrookmissing.com/

From New Line Cinema and Zach Cregger, the wholly original mind behind Barbarian, comes a new horror/thriller: Weapons.

In the April 2025 EW interview with the director, he says: Similar to Barbarian, a surface-level logline description about missing kids is but the tip of a massive and wildly complex iceberg.

“That mystery is going to propel you through at least half of the movie, but that is not the movie,” the filmmaker divulges. “The movie will fork and change and reinvent and go in new places. It doesn’t abandon that question, believe me, but that’s not the whole movie at all. By the midpoint, we’ve moved on to way crazier s— than that.”

https://ew.com/weapons-first-look-barbarian-follow-up-julia-garner-josh-brolin-zach-cregger-exclusive-11721483

Photo by Quantrell Colbert/JOSH BROLIN as Archer in New Line Cinema’s “Weapons,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.

When all but one child from the same class mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time, a community is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance.

The film stars Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, Alden Ehrenreich, Austin Abrams, Cary Christopher, with Benedict Wong, and Amy Madigan.

Cregger directs from his own screenplay, and also produces alongside Roy Lee, Miri Yoon, J.D. Lifshitz and Raphael Margules, with Michelle Morrissey and Josh Brolin executive producing. The filmmaker’s creative team behind the camera includes director of photography Larkin Seiple, production designer Tom Hammock, editor Joe Murphy and costume designer Trish Summerville. The music is by Ryan Holladay, Hays Holladay and Zach Cregger.

New Line Cinema Presents A Subconscious/Vertigo Entertainment/BoulderLight Pictures Production, A Zach Cregger Film, Weapons. It will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and released in theaters and IMAX nationwide on August 8, 2025, and internationally beginning 6 August 2025.

WOLF MAN – Review

Alright, now it’s feeling a bit more like January. I’m not referring to the frigid temps and formidable snowbanks. No, I’m talking about seasonal movie releases, since the first month of the new year is generally the time for horror flicks…of varying quality (often seen as a “dumping ground”). Mind you, for every M3GAN there are a couple of NIGHT SWIMs. Well, now one of the major studios (and a rising upstart production house) join forces to put a new spin on a ninety-year-old classic cinema creature. Yes, it’s the newest collaboration between Blumhouse and Universal (whose “fright fests” began a century ago). Oh, this is not an attempt to “jumpstart” their proposed “Dark Universe” concept (Dr. Frankenstein couldn’t revive it with any amount of lightning after that Tom Cruise reboot of THE MUMMY). They’ve tossed the idea of a shared continuity like the MCU in favor of stand-alone re-imaginings, as with the well-received 2020 take on THE INVISIBLE MAN. And so, they’ve tasked the same filmmaker to put the “bite” on moviegoers with a similarly named, but very different breed of WOLF MAN.

After a brief prologue concerning Native American legends of infected feral men, we’re taken to a desolate ranch/farm in Oregon. A survivalist single father takes his eight-year-old son on a hunting excursion in the deep woods near their home. Dad tries to get young Blake to focus and be aware of the dangers prior to them spotting a deer. When the duo separate, Blake gets the buck in his sights, he also sees something walking on two legs. Luckily his Pop returns, scoops him up, and the two scamper up a tree’s deer blind. Luckily the loud growling beast finishes the buck, then departs. Later that night, Blake listens in on his father speaking to a friend via the short-wave radio, saying that he’s sure he saw the “man-beast of the woods”. Thirty years later, Blake (Christopher Abbott) is living in a big city, San Francisco. He’s a stay-at-home dad (technically a writer in between gigs) tending to his adorable six-year-old daughter Ginger (Matilda Firth) while workaholic journalist wife Charlotte (Julia Garner) pursues her next “scoop”. During a tense dinner, Blake opens up a special delivery package that contains the deed to his father’s estate, along with a set of keys. It seems that his long-missing dad has finally been legally declared dead. Blake convinces Charlotte that a Summer extended trip to the old homestead in Oregon will be a great way for the trio to reconnect, as Ginger tends to bond more with him. They rent a big truck to empty the old place and eventually end up on a dirt road in the forest. Luckily an old childhood pal spots Blake and offers to ride along as a guide to his former home. With only a mile left, something on two legs appears in front of the vehicle, causing it to careen down a hill and onto a tree. Their guide tumbles out before a clawed hand smashes the window and cuts Blake’s arm. The trio finally scampers away to the old house, before their attacker catches up to them. But they’re far from safe as Charlotte realizes that Blake’s wound is having a strange effect on him. Soon mother and daughter will have to fight for their lives against the terror outside and the mysterious changes happening to Ginger’s adored daddy.

Headling what is basically an intimate “three character story”, Abbott in the title role evokes great empathy and pathos as Blake, who mixes the tragic persona of Lon Chaney, Jr.’s Larry Talbot from the 1940s fright flicks, with the struggles of a 21st century family man. As several commenters have pointed out, he shares the frustrations and gradual dark descent of Jack Torrance of THE SHINING (both are blocked writers), but Abbott conveys Blake’s rebellion against his own past, mainly the brutal demands of his loner father. He’s determined to be a warm loving papa, though his passion for protecting often recalls his own traumatic childhood. Plus Abbott shows us how Blake is working to repair the strains on his relationship with Charlotte, to patch the cracks in their marriage. This gives an added heartbreak to the ravages of his “sickness”. As the matriarch, Garner is the hyper-focused careerist (insisting she takes her work call at the “sacred” dinner table), but lets her emotional “walls” soften as Blake convinces her to adjust her priorities to repair their growing “rift”, though the wilderness trek may be a way for Blake to compensate for his home-based family role (rather than the more breadwinner out in the “world”). Firth is achingly sweet and adorable as the bouncy, precocious Ginger who may be the cliched “daddy’s girl”, though she is mature enough to process the often adult explanations provided by her parents. Yes, she’s often put in peril in order to “up” the suspense, but Firth makes Ginger more than the “rescue bait”. There are also a couple of dark sinister turns by Sam Jaegar as Blake’s off-kilter kin in the flashback, and Benedict Hardy as the creepy dead-eyed “watcher in the woods” who aids the family on their way to their possible doom.

In his return trip into “Univeral monster-land”, director Leigh Whannell puts another interesting modern spin on those late show “creature feature” tropes, thanks to the screenplay he co-wrote with his wife Corbett Tuck. Perhaps this accounts for the deep dive into the aspects of the family dynamic, while THE INVISIBLE MAN explored a dating break-up that goes beyond toxic. Mind you, Whannell heaps on the chills in the opening hunting sequence via his expert use of ominous noises (big kudos to the sound design team) and allowing us to peer through the rifle’s “site”. Then after the big time “jump” he’s putting us right inside a marriage that may be in its last gasps (plenty of those later). And though much of the action does take place in “the great outdoors”, Whannell makes the forest a bit claustrophobic as the tall trees become almost prison bars to keep the trio trapped. And that’s definitely the vibe in Blake’s creeky creepy family home, which seems “stuck in “pre-Y2K paranoia”. The filmmakers toss out the “werewolf” rules and legend early on because the beasts roam in daylight with a full moon having no effect. And the “transformation” here is more gradual, although claws and fangs extend, the whole “hirsute” cliches are somewhat turned on its “pointed” ear. And bravo for committing to practical make-up effects for the most part (a welcome new “trend” in last year’s films). However, some CGI is used with great creativity and skill when Whannell shifts around the camera giving us a POV through Blake’s degenerating diseased senses, making her family into glowing-eyed aliens. That terrific sound team returns to provide a sense of Blake’s enhanced hearing (a spider on the wall has an elephant’s tread), which makes speech garbled (ditto for his verbal attempts). There are some “jump scares”, happily kept to a minimum, and some squirmy gory moments (oh, that gnarly arm). In all this film is an interesting exploration of the man-into-beast campfire tales, mixed with family dramatics, though it’s diluted by an ending that feels drawn-out and flat, culminating in a final shot that’s quite anti-climatic compared to the tension of waiting for dawn to break. But it’s the strong lead performances that put the needed “bite” in WOLF MAN.

3 out of 4

WOLF MAN opens in theatres everywhere on Friday, January 17, 2025

Leigh Whannell’s WOLF MAN Wreaks Havoc In First Look Trailer

What if someone you loved became something else?

From Blumhouse and visionary writer-director Leigh Whannell, the creators of the chilling modern monster tale The Invisible Man, comes a terrifying new lupine nightmare: Wolf Man.

Golden Globe nominee Christopher Abbott (Poor Things, It Comes at Night) stars as Blake, a San Francisco husband and father, who inherits his remote childhood home in rural Oregon after his own father vanishes and is presumed dead. With his marriage to his high-powered wife, Charlotte (Emmy winner Julia Garner; Ozark, Inventing Anna), fraying, Blake persuades Charlotte to take a break from the city and visit the property with their young daughter, Ginger (Matlida Firth; Hullraisers, Coma).

But as the family approaches the farmhouse in the dead of night, they’re attacked by an unseen animal and, in a desperate escape, barricade themselves inside the home as the creature prowls the perimeter. As the night stretches on, however, Blake begins to behave strangely, transforming into something unrecognizable, and Charlotte will be forced to decide whether the terror within their house is more lethal than the danger without.

Check out the first teaser and see the film in theaters January 17, 2025.

The film co-stars Sam Jaeger (The Handmaid’s Tale), Ben Prendergast (The Sojourn Audio Drama) and Benedict Hardie (The Invisible Man).

Wolf Man is directed by Whannell, whose previous films with Blumhouse include The Invisible Man, Upgrade and Insidious: Chapter 3. The screenplay is written by Leigh Whannell & Corbett Tuck, Lauren Schuker Blum & Rebecca Angelo (Dumb Money).

The film is produced by Blumhouse founder and CEO Jason Blum and is executive produced by Ryan Gosling, Ken Kao, Bea Sequeira, Mel Turner and Leigh Whannell. Wolf Man is a Blumhouse and Motel Movies production.

While you’re waiting for the film to come out in 2025, check out this list of some iconic werewolf films to watch:

Classic Must-Sees:

  • An American Werewolf in London (1981): A groundbreaking film that blends horror with comedy, featuring unforgettable transformation scenes and a haunting score.
  • The Wolf Man (1941): A classic Universal monster movie that introduced the iconic character of the werewolf to the silver screen. PRIME
  • The Howling (1981): A chilling tale of a woman who discovers a hidden werewolf community.

Modern-Day Thrills:

  • Ginger Snaps (2000): A coming-of-age horror film that explores themes of sisterhood, sexuality, and transformation.
  • Dog Soldiers (2002): A British military unit encounters a pack of werewolves in the Scottish Highlands.
  • Underworld (2003): A vampire-werewolf war epic that combines action, romance, and mythology.
  • The Wolf Man (2010): Academy Award® winners Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs) and Benicio Del Toro (Traffic) tear up the screen in this action-packed thriller. Lawrence Talbot (Del Toro) is lured back to his family estate to investigate the savage murder of his brother by a bloodthirsty beast. There, Talbot must confront his childhood demons, his estranged father (Hopkins), his brother’s grieving fiancée (Emily Blunt, The Devil Wears Prada) and a suspicious Scotland Yard Inspector (Hugo Weaving, The Matrix Trilogy). When Talbot is bitten by the creature, he becomes eternally cursed and soon discovers a fate far worse than death. Inspired by the classic Universal film that launched a legacy of horror, The Wolfman brings the myth of a cursed man back to its iconic origins.

Unique Takes:

  • Teen Wolf (1985): A comedic horror film that follows a high school basketball player who discovers he’s a werewolf.
  • WolfCop (2014): A hilarious and gory horror-comedy about a small-town police officer who turns into a werewolf.
  • The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020): A darkly comedic horror film about a small-town sheriff who suspects a werewolf is terrorizing his community.

Plus over on Peacock, see the series WOLF LIKE ME. https://www.peacocktv.com/watch/asset/tv/wolf-like-me/5533097559803790112?orig_ref=direct and all the horror movies: https://www.peacocktv.com/collections/horror-movies

THE ASSISTANT (2019) – Review

Lots of working folks can certainly relate to the chorus of that 1980s pop classic from Huey Lewis and the News: “Takin’ what they’re givin’, cause’ I’m workin’ for a livin’!”. That’s especially true of the somewhat “softer’ occupations, more white than blue-collar, namely the office “drone”. The “cubicle” life has birthed a “more popular than ever” TV sitcom classic, appropriately titled “The Office” (originally birthed in Britain, the show, like “Sesame Street”, has locally produced versions in countries all across the globe). Of course, the movies have explored the travails of the “pencil pushers”, most famously in the Oscar-winning Billy Wilder classic THE APARTMENT (also a great “rom-com”), the opening scenes of JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO (that fluorescent flicker), and the cult fave OFFICE SPACE (a box office dud that found its fans via TV and home vid). This week’s new release isn’t going for relatable laughs. It’s a truly toxic workplace that, until recently, was a largely unknown part of the entertainment industry. Soul-crushing drudgery exists beneath the tinsel, as we’ve found out in a still on-going news story. If “sunlight is the best disinfectant” than perhaps the spotlight shone from THE ASSISTANT will help with the cleansing.

The start of the workweek begins in the pre-dawn hours of Monday morning for Jane (Julia Garner) as she leaves her modest Astoria apartment, climbs into the backseat of the hired (one of those transport apps) car, and makes the long quiet trek into the Big Apple. She’s the first one there, so she goes through the workspace, firing up those flickering fluorescents, starts the coffee brewing, and cleans up (the janitorial staff can miss things, y’know) the opulent office of her immediate boss, the founder of a movie production house. The other staffers trickle in as she makes a call to her faraway midwestern family (Mom said she missed wishing Dad a Happy Birthday yesterday). Soon her “office mates” arrive, two slightly older guys who seem more occupied by private jokes and workplace hi-jinks. But Jane is “his” personal assistant, so she does most of the work: arranging a trip to LA that evening, blocking the calls from “his wife”, and escorting the “talent’ into his “inner sanctum”. When she “fumbles’ the spousal call, “he” berates her over the phone. Jane then must immediately fire off an apology email to “him” (with lots of input from the fellas). But the biggest indignity is yet to come. Jane is told to help with the arriving “new” assistant. She gets to know Sienna (Kristine Froseth) during the cab ride from the airport. She’s a former waitress, fresh out of junior college, that “he” met while at one of the big “indie” film festivals. No entertainment or office experience, but the company is providing a room at the swank “Mark” hotel (Sienna assumes that Jane ‘s there too). This seems to be the proverbial “last straw”, the big push to send Jane (after Sienna’s is dropped off) into the next-door administrative building, the home of Human Resources. As she shares her concerns with that department’s supervisor Wilcock (Matthew Macfadyen), Jane is relieved by his somewhat sympathetic “ear” and his attentive questioning. Is it possible that Jane will start the change she (and the company) so desperately needs? Can things “get better”?

Being that she’s on-screen for nearly all of the film’s 85-minute runtime, the impact of the story rests on the subtle performance of Ms. Garner in the title role. We observe the daily “hustle and bustle’ through her sad, defeated eyes. Jane may have started with a real passion for her profession, a zeal to be part of a creative process, but that desire seems to be oozing out of her body, like blood from a wound, with every minute in this “corporate cottage” built on fear and retaliation. Her body language suggests a need for a protective shield form the dread of another vicious call from “him” as her arms brace her torso for another verbal assault. But mainly there’s the loneliness as she keeps everything bottled up, unable to confide in family because it would be admitting defeat and inviting retreat, and fearful of hinting to co-workers since any word can be used to climb the company ladder. Garner’s work is truly heart-wrenching and unforgettable. Several other artists shine in support of her. The dramatic rollercoaster of the HR scene shines because of the tension between Garner and Macfadyen as the understated Wilcock, who shifts gears midway to bring the interview to a screeching shocking halt. Things are a bit more complex with Froseth’s Sienna who is played as a “babe in the woods” with Jane resentful at first, then protective of the “wide-eyed doe” she herself projected so long, long ago. And kudos to Alexander Chaplin as the dead-eyed senior exec who shares a secret code with jane as she delivers orders from “him”.

Writer/director Kitty Green has created a compelling commentary on the real scandals that have helped to keep the “Me Too” and “Time’s Up” movements in the public eye (Jane’s tale is almost a rallying cry for action). Green and cinematographer Michael Latham paint the city and office with soft grey tones, as though any bit of vibrant joy has been washed away with a dirty brush. Visitors and workers interact with telling gestures, conveying more than any lengthy dialogue exchanges (Jane returns an earring, with strands of knotted hair, to a woman who had a recent “private” meeting with “him”). Wisely we never see the company head, he’s an angry voice on the phone verbally pummeling Jane with every offensive, derogatory term imaginable. Then he’s the passive kindly email response to Jane’s quick apology (“You’re gonna’ learn so much from me. I’m lucky to have your help.”). The tinkling piano keys in the sparse soundtrack from Tamar-kali heighten the draining monotony of this poisonous purgatory. Towards the finale Green shows us how dreams are destroyed when Jane watches an audition video from an aspiring actress. Jane is moved by the work until she realizes that this talented artist is being groomed for “his” stable of “private meetings”. Nobody respects Jane, she’s visually dismissed when a thought to be sympathetic listener shoves a tissue box at her with disgust. She goes into the “pit” pre-dawn and disappears into the night, alone, knowing the treadmill is waiting for her return in a scant few hours. We’re left hoping that life gets better for THE ASSISTANT, the story’s Jane and all the real Janes in the world.

3 Out of 4

THE ASSISTANT opens everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas

GRANDMA – The Review

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Review by Cate Marquis

Lily Tomlin delivers a tour-de-force performance in GRANDMA, an inter-generational comedy road trip. The title may bring to mind a sweet little old lady baking cookies but Tomlin’s Grandma Elle is something else. Elle Reid is a fierce, sharp-tongued lesbian poet, academic and early feminist who raised her daughter with her longtime woman partner. When Elle’s high school senior granddaughter Sage (Julia Garner) comes to her in need of help, afraid to go to her domineering CEO mother Judy (Marcia Gay Harden), grandma and granddaughter take off on quest that indirectly recaps the many cultural shifts around subjects such as feminism, LGBT rights, birth control, out-of-wedlock birth, single mothers, and other social issues since Grandma’s heyday in the ’70s.

At one time, any of those subjects might have made this film controversial or provoked outrage, but now only one topic the film touches on will do that – abortion. Due to that subject, a certain segment of the population will not want to see this well-made, insightful, thoughtful film, and some may even will recoil at the idea of a film from this family’s particular viewpoint, although there have been plenty of films on the subject of abortion from the opposing view. While this one issue is not this main topic in this film, it is to the film’s credit that it handles the subject with a certain balance and sensitivity, exploring the feelings and rights of fathers, differing opinions on the subject, and underlining that this is not a decision taken lightly.

The reason the granddaughter needs Grandma’s help is to pay for an abortion. But when Sage comes to her for help, Grandma is struggling with her own emotional issues. A virtual recluse, Elle is still mourning the death of her longtime partner Violet, the woman with whom she raised her driven businesswoman daughter. Worse, on the morning Sage turns up at her door, Elle has just broken up with her younger girlfriend Olivia (Judy Greer). Nonetheless, Elle puts all that aside to help her granddaughter.

The problem is that Grandma is broke too, being between teaching jobs, having just paid off her debts and then cut up her credit cards and now waiting on a check for past work. Like her granddaughter, Grandma is reluctant to go to her strong-willed successful daughter, from whom she is estranged, knowing she will not take the news of Sage’s pregnancy well. The father, Sage’s slacker ex-boyfriend (Nat Wolff), is no help and really not interested. So, armed with Grandma’s first editions of books by feminist icons like Betty Friedan and Simone de Beauvoir, which Elle is sure are worth hundreds, the two set off in Grandma’s creaky old car to raise the money from her old friends around Los Angeles, before her granddaughter’s appointment at a clinic for the procedure at 5 o’clock.

Director Paul Weitz has crafted a polished, well-made road trip film that both paints a warm portrait of family bonds, and handles its topics intelligently and with a light touch. Weitz skillfully, subtly blends the social issues into the plot and peppers the comedy with sharp, witty observations, but the film’s greatest strength is Lily Tomlin. Tomlin is at the center of the film’s comedy and its drama, creating a complex character. Elle is both sarcastic and kind-hearted, a character that feels like a true portrait of an early feminist and lesbian, a person with a chip on her shoulder from spending her life defying conventions and resisting pressure to change who she is. It is a wonderful, touching and funny performance. The film touches on the personal for Tomlin, a gay woman herself, and she brings all her comedy and dramatic skills to bear in this film.

As prickly, outspoken Elle, Tomlin shoulders the bulk of the comedy duties but the film also builds up a sense of family and emotional warmth, no matter how unconventional that family is. Tomlin is greatly aided by a strong supporting cast. Julie Garner is charming as the granddaughter, who clearly loves her grandma but often does not get her views or is sometimes embarrassed by her bull-in-china shop approach. Fine performances are also offered by Marcia Gay Harden as Elle’s success-driven daughter, who raised her daughter Sage as a single parent, Judy Greer as Elle’s jilted young lover, Laverne Cox as a transgender tattoo artist and especially by Sam Elliot in a moving, dramatic role a long-ago ex-lover.

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Much of the comedy is built around Grandma’s reaction to the changes time has brought – that the free clinic where a woman could get an inexpensive abortion is now a trendy coffee shop, that the owner of the lesbian coffee shop she remembers is now more about business than politics, that her treasured books by feminist icons are not worth what she imagined they should be, and other shocks to her ideals. Her sarcastic responses are funny but there is a touching underlying melancholy too. The three generations also indirectly illustrate women’s changing roles and opportunities – from the radial feminist lesbian grandma to her all-business career woman daughter (directing her company from her treadmill desk), to the gentle but unfocused granddaughter who takes for granted much of her mother’s and grandmother’s hard-won social victories.

This smart, funny film also gets at some human truths but never gets bogged down in lectures on social issues. It remains a warm, human character-driven film about a particular family, with a sparkling performance by a comedy great and feminist pioneer at its center.

RATING: 4 ½ OUT OF 5 STARS

GRANDMA opens in St. Louis September 11, 2015

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Watch Lily Tomlin In GRANDMA Trailer

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Here’s a look at the first trailer for writer/director Paul Weitz’s GRANDMA starring Lily Tomlin, Julia Garner, Marcia Gay Harden, Judy Greer, Laverne Cox, and Sam Elliott.

Elle Reid has just gotten through breaking up with her girlfriend when her granddaughter Sage unexpectedly shows up needing 600 dollars before sundown. Temporarily broke, Grandma Elle and Sage spend the day trying to get their hands on the cash as their unannounced visits to old
friends and flames end up rattling skeletons and digging up secrets.

Weitz said he wrote the script hearing Tomlin’s voice. “I asked her to lunch and told her I had written a script for her and told her the story and gave it to her. I’m sure that was a bit nerve-wracking for her.”

From Sony Pictures Classics, GRANDMA opens in theaters August 21.

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