Guillermo del Toro’s NIGHTMARE ALLEY Starring Bradley Cooper and Cate Blanchett will arrive in US cinemas on December 17th. Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins, Rooney Mara, Ron Perlman, David Strathairn, Clifton Collins Jr., Tim Blake Nelson and Mary Steenburgen all co-star. Here’s the new trailer:
NIGHTMARE ALLEY tells the story of an ambitious carny with a talent for manipulating people with a few well-chosen words who hooks up with a female psychiatrist who is even more dangerous than he is. Guillermo del Toro’s NIGHTMARE ALLEY is a remake of a classic 1947 Film Noir that starred Tyrone Power and Joan Blondell.
Look for more coverage of NIGHTMARE ALLEY here at We Are Movie Geeks.
We’re all overdue for a Summer excursion, but if you’re still a bit skittish over air travel, then the multiplex has the perfect virtual Summer visit to Wales, from about nearly twenty years ago. Oh, there’s a bonus for you animal fans and sports enthusiasts, since this story, which is inspired by true events, is all about the “sport of kings”, horse racing. So, you know you’ll get to see these beautiful animals up-close in several suspense-filled tourneys. But you’ll be emotionally invested due to the film’s focus on a most unlikely group of thoroughbred backers. They’re the true heart of this tale. We’re rooting for them as much as this new equine cinema superstar, coming around the track, hot on the heels of SEABISCUIT and SECRETARIAT, is Dream Alliance, a “real-life” DREAM HORSE.
It’s the start of the new 21st Century, though the folk in the economically depressed village of Blackwood in South Wales have little to celebrate. Especially Jan Vokes (Toni Collette), who’s struggling to make ends meet. Her hubby, Brian (Owen Teale) has little work as a handyman/farmer so he spends much of his day tending to their ducks (an investment) and mocking agriculture-based reality TV shows. In the pre-dawn hours Jan looks in on her aged ailing parents before heading to job number one as a cashier at the town supermarket. At the end of her shift there, she has a spot of tea with Brian before changing for job number two as a barmaid at the main pub. One night she overhears a new customer, Howard Davies (Damian Lewis) entertaining his mates with stories of his time in horse racing. Jan approaches him later to learn more about the sport. Howard admits that he was part of a group, a “syndicate”, that invested in a racehorse. Even though the pub owner tells her that Davies nearly lost everything, the wheels begin spinning in Jan’s brain. After some research she believes that a syndicate can be organized In Blackwood. Though things are “tight” she thinks a few can spare a ten spot a week to cover expenses. Howard agrees to join her,though he has promised wife Angela (Joanna Page) that he’ll never return to racing. The two organize a meeting in the pub’s pool room, and after a late start, they sign up eight or so citizens. This leads to the purchase of a mare Rewbell, which is bred with champion stallion (for a big stud fee) Bien Bien to produce a beautiful brown colt that the group names Dream Alliance. After a training stint, Dream fianlly begins racing in hurdle competitions. As the tales of Dream circulate, the town is recharged with hope. But will Blackwood’s mascot continue to inspire as he faces a physical trauma that could end his career and life?
The talented Ms. Collette demonstrates her considerable range with her subtle portrayal of a real small-town hero, after dazzling us recently in her offbeat roles in I’M THINKING OF ENDING THINGS and the horrific HEREDITARY (which earned her the coveted Best Actress award from the St. Louis Film Critics Association). Her Jan is a hard worker, nearly invisible to her neighbors, who is just trying to keep (and her hubby’s) head above water. Then Collette shows us a different side, as the dark circles seem to vanish when her eyes reflect Jan’s new purpose. The naysayers will not damper her as her inner spark after it finally starts to glow. That heat even rejuvenates Teale’s Brian, who springs to life like he found that golden ticket in his”Wonkabar”. Lewis, as Davies, finds himself affected by the “plan” becoming a fervent business partner after his initial reluctance. He’s still healing from his past racing failures and is often the voice of reason and reality to the enraptured villagers. He tells them to not invest for financial return, but for the love of the race. That zeal arises in him, though he tries to hide it from his wife, who has a clearer memory of his last syndicate (it seems to be the only thing chaining him to his soul-crushing loan officer job). The rest of the “syndicate’ is composed of some wonderful character actors, though the scene-stealer might be Karl Johnson as barfly Kerby, an “old sod” that loves his drink (smuggling cans into the swanky racetrack owners’ longue) more than being clothed (after a hurdles victory, the pants seem to vanish).
Director Euros Lyn has lovingly crafted a modern-day rags-to-riches fable from the witty, expertly constructed screenplay by Neil McKay. Much as with the iconic WIZARD OF OZ, life’s color looks drained away in the dreary Welch town (especially true in the fluorescent tube-lit supermarket where Jan spends her days) until the colt’s birth which bathes every scene in a warm, rustic glow (thanks to the inspired cinematography work of Erik Wilson). The story also benefits from its gentle tweaking of the class system as the “upper crust” must suddenly deal with the “working class” who have somehow invaded their expertly manicured turf. But everything’s not “hearts and flowers’ as Jan and her partners have to make a tough “call” when things go staggeringly bad at one competition. Ah, but that’s why the victories taste so sweet. And sweet’s the operative word for this little gem. After the tragedies and frustrations of the last year, this might be another terrific “shot in the arm”. Well, the heart really. I’ve no choice but to reuse the old cliche, “the feel-good hit of the year” since the ending still has me smiling after 24 hours (I implore you to stay for the truly joyful end credits). DREAM HORSE is one sweet dream of a movie. And there’s no need for a “photo finish”.
3.5 Out of 4
DREAM HORSE opens in select theatres on Friday, May 21, 2021
Coming to Netflix on April 22 is director Joe Penna’s intriguing sci-fi film STOWAWAY.
On a mission headed to Mars, an unintended stowaway (Anderson) accidentally causes severe damage to the spaceship’s life support systems. Facing dwindling resources and a potentially grim outcome, a medical researcher (Kendrick) emerges as the only dissenting voice against the clinical logic of both her commander (Collette) and the ship’s biologist (Kim).
STOWAWAY stars Academy Award nominee Anna Kendrick (A Simple Favor, Pitch Perfect), Academy Award nominee Toni Collette (Velvet Buzzsaw, Hereditary), Daniel Dae Kim (Hawaii Five-O, Lost, Always Be My Maybe), and Shamier Anderson (Race, Destroyer).
Directed by Joe Penna and written by Joe Penna and Ryan Morrison, STOWAWAY is the second feature from Penna and Morrison, the duo behind the Cannes Official Selection ARCTIC. (TRAILER)
The film was shot entirely in Germany at Bavaria Studios in Munich and at MMC Studios in Cologne, with VFX handled by RISE | Visual Effects Studios.
Acclaimed writer and director Rian Johnson (Brick, Looper, Star Wars: The Last Jedi) pays tribute to mystery mastermind Agatha Christie in KNIVES OUT, a fresh, modern-day murder mystery where everyone is a suspect. When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is found dead at his estate just after his 85th birthday, the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is mysteriously enlisted to investigate. From Harlan’s dysfunctional family to his devoted staff, Blanc sifts through a web of red herrings and self-serving lies to uncover the truth behind Harlan’s untimely death.
With an all-star ensemble cast that also includes Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, LaKeith Stanfield, Katherine Langford and Jaeden Martell, KNIVES OUT is a fun, witty and stylish whodunit guaranteed to keep audiences guessing until the very end.
KNIVES OUT opens in St. Louis on November 27th
Enter for your chance to win two free passes to the St. Louis advance screening of KNIVES OUT. The theatrical sneak preview will be on November 19 at 7pm.
Answer the Following: Best known as the writer-director of Star Wars: The Last Jedi (and the upcoming new Star Wars trilogy), Rian Johnson got his start in 2005 with the small-scale murder mystery, Brick. The film, which starred a young Joseph Gordon-Levitt in a Dashiell Hammett style story set in a California high school, set the template for the films which followed – The Brothers Bloom (2008), Looper (2012) — along with Johnson’s TV work on Breaking Bad, taking innovative approaches to familiar genres. With Knives Out, Johnson, employs a similar approach, here taking the tropes of an Agatha Christie mystery to tell a thoroughly contemporary story.
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Rated PG-13 for thematic elements including brief violence, some strong language, sexual references, and drug material
XYZ Films and CAA Media Finance announce Academy Award® nominee Toni Collette has joined Anna Kendrick in the cast of the sci-fi thriller STOWAWAY, which marks the second feature film from Joe Penna and Ryan Morrison, the duo behind the Cannes Official Selection ARCTIC.
STOWAWAY will be directed by Joe Penna and co-written by Penna & Ryan Morrison. Morrison will also serve as executive producer. XYZ Films will produce alongside augenschein Filmproduktion and RISE PICTURES, with RISE Visual Effects Studios providing VFX. XYZ and CAA Media Finance are arranging financing for the film and handling worldwide sales at the coming EFM in Berlin.
On a mission headed to Mars, an unintended stowaway accidentally causes severe damage to the spaceship’s life support systems. Facing dwindling resources and a potentially grim outcome, a medical researcher (Kendrick) emerges as the only dissenting voice against the clinical logic of both her commander (Collette) and the ship’s biologist.
Multiple award-winner Collette is best known for roles in THE SIXTH SENSE, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Supporting Actress, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, and most recently the critically-acclaimed Sundance hit HEREDITARY, released by A24. She will next be seen in the Netflix film VELVET BUZZSAW with Jake Gyllenhaal and Renee Russo, and Lionsgate’s KNIVES OUT with Daniel Craig, Chris Evans and Ana de Armas.
XYZ Films will be in Berlin at EFM 2019 with an additional slate of films that include SYNCHRONIC starring Anthony Mackie and Jamie Dornan, PRISONERS OF THE GHOSTLAND starring Nicolas Cage, and THE EAST starring Marwan Kenzari and Martijn Lakemeier.
Collette is represented by CAA, United Management and Finley Management; Kendrick is represented by CAA; and Penna and Morrison are represented by CAA and Management 360.
Bleecker Street will release ARCTIC in selects theaters on February 1st.
Hans Christian Andersen said, “Where words fail, music speaks.” This is most certainly the case with HEARTS BEAT LOUD – a quiet well-meaning slice-of-life that only feels alive when the music is playing. It’s the unfortunate kind of indie drama that fails to reach out through the screen despite showcasing two likable actors playing to their strengths. Offermann the curmudgeonly philosopher who talks about feelings without showing them, and Clemons the timid outsider trying to find her path.
Widowed dad and record store owner Frank (Nick Offerman) is preparing to close his record shop just as his only daughter, Sam (Kiersey Clemons), is about to go off to college. Their love of music triggers a jam session one night, and the result is a catchy tune that Frank dumps online under the band name “We’re Not a Band.” After the song becomes an Internet breakout, the two must decide what they want to do next in their lives and if they should keep the music going.
Director and writer Brett Haley purposefully centers the film on these small moments – the glances between a father and daughter and those times of contemplation over a drink at the bar. But the gentle, character-driven approach is ultimately unmoving. There’s no forward motion propelling the film. For a film about music, it never quite finds a rhythm that works for it. Offermann’s flirtations with his landlord played by Toni Collette is as about as bland and boring as you can get. Clemons’ relationship struggles with her girlfriend don’t offer that much more to the stagnant feeling, but it at least represents a gay relationship in a refreshingly natural, un-Hollywood way.
The music the father-daughter duo create is instantly catchy. Her impassioned voice fits perfectly with the soaring melodies and synth beats. Indie music fans will also smirk at mentions of such acts like Sleater Kinney, Animal Collective, and another band whose singer makes a cameo. In the end, the script hits all the music and indie drama notes but lacks the emotional pop to make the film a hit. The structure is there as well as all the parts. However, it doesn’t stand out from other feel-good charmers.
HEARTS BEAT LOUD is about those important transitions in life – the months between high school and college and the closing of your business and passion – and those lingering thoughts of anticipation and anxiety. While the drama didn’t hit the right notes to get sucked in, it definitely has its heart in the right place.
Overall score: 2.5 out of 5
HEARTS BEAT LOUD opens in select theaters Jun 22nd
The camera pulls back from a modern treehouse that’s framed perfectly by a window frame. This is followed by a slow pan around the room that reveals a carefully rendered dollhouse. Just as the camera zooms in to reveal a detailed figurine in one of the bedrooms, the shot transforms into a real-life scenario where we aren’t just watching fabricated figures but actual people. Right from this opening shot, director Ari Aster has set the stage that HEREDITARY is not here to necessarily scare you, but make you question your surroundings and the way you go about your everyday life. Of course, there’s the allusion to having a creator and being placed here by a higher being, but the film is not interested in theological questions. What it does question is how much do we owe to our household – the familia household, more specifically. And while the house as a structure might be more of a symbol of what’s passed down from generation to generation, what’s worth questioning is what’s going on inside of our parents (and our parents’ parents) and the miniature rooms they build to hide dark secrets that end up getting passed on to the next generation.
Toni Collette plays Annie Graham, a grieving artist and mother who is struggling with the death of her mother. As each member of the family deals with the grief and the strange events that transpire following her death, new information and feelings buried deep within the family begin to surface.
That’s about as brief of a synopsis I can give without alluding to some of the turns the story takes. What stands out the most in HEREDITARY are the performances. The film is anchored by a grueling and emotional turn from Toni Collette. It’s easy to see why Toni Collette is earning such critical acclaim for her performance. Even her physical demeanor shows the internal turmoil that continues to build throughout the film. Collette’s character shows that there isn’t just one way to grieve, and her journey becomes the reason why HEREDITARY works so well as a family drama first and foremost.
Despite the claims that have been made, it’s a horror film for the characters but not quite as much for the audience. In that respect, you sympathize with the horrific situation they’re dealing with more than being terrified by it. This, of course, is up until when the horror decides to rear its sudden face. While the finale may elicit some gasps from its nightmarish imagery, it’s an approach that feels more tacked on than a fluid transition. The imagery is meant to provoke, but unfortunately it also slightly undermines the haunting ambiguity of the questions the film raises.
There are some really unsettling and interesting ideas at work. What’s most intriguing is the theme that’s hinted at by the title: What if some elements of our life are predisposed because of genetic traits? The feeling of not being in control of your actions and mental state is a crippling and horrifying thought. HEREDITARY raises the stakes by presenting a type of horror that feels too real. And yet, there’s a metaphysical level to the ideas raised that incites more questions and conversations that even multiple rounds of coffee-discussions couldn’t entirely answer.
HEREDITARY, much like many of the recent acclaimed horror films, approaches the horror genre in a roundabout way. Jump scares have been replaced by situational horror. Many will be quick to compare it THE BABADOOK and THE WITCH, and the similarities are certainly there. THE BABADOOK is another film that deals with grief as an inescapable monster, while THE WITCH depicts a family slowly unraveling as fear turns one member against another. While the ending raises more eyebrows from a logical standpoint and explains away some of the mysterious, metaphysical ideas (that are much more creepy), HEREDITARY is still a standout 2018 film and further proves that the unexplained is the most unsettling element of horror’s genetic makeup.
The third explosive chapter of the blockbuster franchise that redefined the spy thriller finds extreme athlete turned government operative Xander Cage (Vin Diesel) coming out of self-imposed exile and on a collision course with deadly alpha warrior Xiang and his team in a race to recover a sinister and seemingly unstoppable weapon known as Pandora’s Box.
Recruiting an all-new group of thrill-seeking cohorts, Xander finds himself enmeshed in a deadly conspiracy that points to collusion at the highest levels of world governments. Packed with the series’ signature deadpan wit and bad-ass attitude, xXx: RETURN OF XANDER CAGE will raise the bar on extreme action with some of the most mind-blowing stunts to ever be caught on film.
Directed by DJ Caruso, the film stars Vin Diesel, Donnie Yen, Deepika Padukone, Toni Collette, Ruby Rose, Nina Dobrev, Tony Jaa, Kris Wu, Michael Bisping, Rory McCann, Nicky Jam, Neymar Jr., and Samuel L. Jackson.
xXx: Return of Xander Cage is in-theaters January 20, 2017.
WAMG invites you to enter for the chance to win TWO (2) seats to the advance screening of xXx: Return of Xander Cage on WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18 at 7PM in the St. Louis area.
Answer the following:
Tell us your favorite Vin Diesel movie and role!
TO ENTER, ADD YOUR NAME, ANSWER AND EMAIL IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.
OFFICIAL RULES:
1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.
2. No purchase necessary. A pass does not guarantee a seat at a screening. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis. The theater is overbooked to assure a full house. The theater is not responsible for overbooking.
(L-R) Ruby Rose as Adele Yusef, Nina Dobrev as Rebecca Clearidge, Tony Gonzalez as Paul Donovan, and Vin Diesel as Xander Cage in xXx: RETURN OF XANDER CAGE by Paramount Pictures and Revolution Studios
(L-R) Tony Jaa as Talon, Michael Bisping as Hawk, Donnie Yen as Xiang and Deepika Padukone as Serena Unger in xXx: RETURN OF XANDER CAGE by Paramount Pictures and Revolution Studios
It’s time to kick some ass and look dope doing it. Paramount Pictures has released a new trailer for XXX: RETURN OF XANDER CAGE.
In a Facebook first, Vin Diesel launched the new trailer simultaneously across more than 70 Facebook pages live. Other cast members joined the Facebook Live stream via “drop in” videos from around the world.
XXX: RETURN OF XANDER CAGE opens in theaters January 20, 2017.
(L-R) Ruby Rose as Adele Yusef, Nina Dobrev as Rebecca Clearidge, Tony Gonzalez as Paul Donovan, and Vin Diesel as Xander Cage in xXx: RETURN OF XANDER CAGE by Paramount Pictures and Revolution Studios
(L-R) Tony Jaa as Talon, Michael Bisping as Hawk, Donnie Yen as Xiang and Deepika Padukone as Serena Unger in xXx: RETURN OF XANDER CAGE by Paramount Pictures and Revolution Studios
Vin Diesel as Xander Cage in xXx: RETURN OF XANDER CAGE by Paramount Pictures and Revolution Studios
(L-R) Vin Diesel as Xander Cage and Deepika Padukone as Serena Unger in xXx: RETURN OF XANDER CAGE by Paramount Pictures and Revolution Studios
Daniel Radcliffe stars as Nate Foster, an FBI analyst who goes undercover to take down a radical right-wing terrorist group, in Imperium, arriving on Blu-ray (plus Digital HD), DVD (plus Digital) and Digital HD November 1 from Lionsgate. Inspired by real events, this edgy and exciting thriller also stars Toni Collette, with Nestor Carbonell and Sam Trammell. The Imperium Blu-ray and DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $24.99 and $19.98, respectively.
nspired by real events. When extremists steal devastatingly toxic materials in order to build a dirty bomb, FBI Agent Nate Foster (Daniel Radcliffe, Harry Potter franchise), with help from Agent Zamparo (Toni Collette, The Sixth Sense), goes undercover in order to infiltrate their shadowy underworld. But can Nate find the group’s leader — and the bomb — before his cover is blown?
BLU-RAY/DVD SPECIAL FEATURES
Commentary with Writer/Director Daniel Ragussis and Writer Michael German
“Living Undercover” Featurette
Making Imperium
Cast/Crew Interviews
CAST
Daniel Radcliffe Harry Potter Franchise, Now You See Me 2
Toni Collette Little Miss Sunshine, TV’s “United States of Tara”
Tracy Letts The Big Short, TV’s “Homeland”
Devin Druid TV’s “Olive Kitteridge,” Wiener-Dog
with Nestor Carbonell The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, TV’s “Bates Motel”
and Sam Trammell TV’s “True Blood,” The Fault in Our Stars
