IT – Teaser Trailer

In the Town of Derry, the local kids are disappearing one by one, leaving behind torn body parts/remains. In a place known as ‘The Barrens’, a group of seven kids are united by their horrifying and strange encounters with a clown called Pennywise.

Directed by:  Andrés Muschietti
Starring:  Bill Skarsgård, Finn Wolfhard and Javier Botet

*EXCLUSIVE: Within 24 hours of its CinemaCon debut on Wednesday, the trailer for New Line/Warner Bros. upcoming Stephen King feature adaptation It smashed all online global traffic records with 197 million views, blowing past the previous 139M record set by Fate of the Furious when Universal dropped that trailer back in December.

New Line released the trailer for the Andres Muschietti-directed horror film in English along with 30 localized versions starting at 9AM Wednesday. Of the trailer’s 197M global views, more than 81M views and over 1.8M shares on the U.S. Facebook instance alone. Within hours after dropping, the It trailer became a viral sensation, trending across Facebook, Twitter and rising to the top of the Reddit Homepage with 30K-plus up votes in four hours. The video quickly rose to the No. 1 position on YouTube’s trending videos and remained there throughout the day.

The trailer helped It trend globally on Twitter with trends for ItIt Movie, Pennywise and the Red Balloon Emoji  all appearing.

It is based on the 1986 novel by King, and follows seven children who are terrorized by the eponymous being, who exploits the fears and phobias of its victims in order to disguise itself while hunting its prey. It generally appears as a clown in order to lure young children.

It opens on Sept. 8, the weekend after Labor Day.

In Theaters Sept 8th

http://www.fandango.com

Annabelle: Creation – Trailer

Several years after the tragic death of their little girl, a dollmaker and his wife welcome a nun and several girls from a shuttered orphanage into their home, soon becoming the target of the dollmaker’s possessed creation, Annabelle.

Director: David F. Sandbert

Starring: Miranda Otto, Javier Botet, Stephanie Sigman and Anthony LaPaglia

ONLINE LINKS:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnabelleMovie/videos/1400651923364160/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/annabellemovie/status/847856025734488064

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/BST2JwJgpZJ/

In Theaters August 11th

http://www.fandango.com

The Book of Henry – Trailer

From Focus Features comes THE BOOK OF HENRY

Sometimes things are not always what they seem, especially in the small suburban town where the Carpenter family lives. Single suburban mother Susan Carpenter (Naomi Watts) works as a waitress at a diner, alongside feisty family friend Sheila (Sarah Silverman). Her younger son Peter (Jacob Tremblay) is a playful 8-year-old. Taking care of everyone and everything in his own unique way is Susan’s older son Henry (Jaeden Lieberher), age 11. Protector to his adoring younger brother and tireless supporter of his often self-doubting mother – and, through investments, of the family as a whole – Henry blazes through the days like a comet. Susan discovers that the family next door, which includes Henry’s kind classmate Christina (Maddie Ziegler), has a dangerous secret – and that Henry has devised a surprising plan to help. As his brainstormed rescue plan for Christina takes shape in thrilling ways, Susan finds herself at the center of it.

Director: Colin Trevorrow (Jurassic World, Safety Not Guaranteed)

Writer: Gregg Hurwitz (Orphan X)

Cast: Naomi Watts, Jaeden Lieberher, Jacob Tremblay, Sarah Silverman, Lee Pace, Maddie Ziegler, and Dean Norris

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Running Time: 105 minutes

Twitter: www.twitter.com/thebookofhenry

Facebook: www.facebook.com/thebookofhenrymovie/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/thebookofhenry/

Website: http://www.focusfeatures.com/thebookofhenry

In Theaters June 16th

http://www.fandango.com

Going In Style Soundtrack Available Today!

GOING IN STYLE SOUNDTRACK AVAILABLE MARCH 31

SOUNDTRACK HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE

A NEW DUET SUNG BY ALAN ARKIN & ANN-MARGRET 

PLUS A NEW JAMIE CULLUM SONG

FEATURES SCORE BY ROB SIMONSEN

(MARCH 31, 2017 – Los Angeles, CA) – WaterTower Music today announced the March 31 release date of the soundtrack to Going In Style, the new comedy that teams up Oscar winners Morgan Freeman (“Million Dollar Baby”), Michael Caine (“The Cider House Rules,” “Hannah and Her Sisters”) and Alan Arkin (“Little Miss Sunshine”), and is in theatres nationwide April 7th.

The soundtrack was produced by Going in Style director Zach Braff, who explained his philosophy about the music.  “What I wanted to do with this soundtrack was have a mix of music that the characters might listen to; and I also wanted a mix of the sounds of the city, since it takes place in Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan.” The soundtrack features the film’s stars Alan Arkin and Ann-Margret singing on their newly recorded duet, “Hallelujah I Love Her So,” and Jamie Cullum’s new rendition of “Hey, Look Me Over,” along with a fun and eclectic mix of songs from the film. Dean Martin, Otis Redding, Dinah Washington, Sonny Rollins, and Sam Cooke classics are co-mingled seamlessly with music from A Tribe Called Quest and Mark Ronson featuring Mystikal.

LISTEN: “Hallelujiah I Love Her So” performed by Alan Arkin and Ann-Margret

LISTEN: “Hey Look Me Over” performed by Jamie Cullum

LISTEN: “FBI Closes In”  composed by Rom Simonsen

Composer Rob Simonsen (“Age of Adeline,” “Foxcatcher”), “did this amazing score that was full of heart, melody, and action,” explains Braff. Simonsen, who previously worked with Braff on “Wish I Was Here,” has seven of his compositions from the film included on the soundtrack.  “Zach is quite talented when it comes to using music and songs in films, always driving at the right emotion,” says the composer. “So it was exciting to get a chance to create a big, fun score for Going in Style. We worked hard to do something that was modern, with a slight nod to some of the great, jazzy heist scores of the ‘60s and ‘70s. We hope you enjoy listening and watching as much as we did creating it.”

 The Going In Style soundtrack is now available, and the track list is as follows:

1.“Memories Are Made Of This” – Dean Martin
2. “St. Thomas” – Sonny Rollins
3. “Feel Right” – Mark Ronson featuring Mystikal
4. “Hard to Handle” – Otis Redding
5. “Can I Kick It?” – A Tribe Called Quest
6. “Hey, Look Me Over” – Jamie Cullum
7. “Hallelujah I Love Her So” – Alan Arkin and Ann-Margret
8. “Mean Old World” – Sam Cooke
9. “What A Diff’rence A Day Makes” – Dinah Washington
10. Opening – Rob Simonsen
11. Foreclosure Notice – Rob Simonsen
12. Willie and Kay – Rob Simonsen
13. Rat Pack Robbery – Rob Simonsen
14. FBI Closes In – Rob Simonsen
15. The Line Up – Rob Simonsen
16. The Wedding – Rob Simonsen

Oscar winners Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Alan Arkin team up as lifelong buddies Willie, Joe and Albert, who decide to buck retirement and step off the straight-and-narrow for the first time in their lives when their pension fund becomes a corporate casualty. Desperate to pay the bills and come through for their loved ones, the three risk it all by embarking on a daring bid to knock off the very bank that absconded with their money, in director Zach Braff’s comedy “Going in Style.”

Also starring are two-time Oscar nominee Ann-Margret (“Tommy,” “Carnal Knowledge”), Joey King, John Ortiz, Peter Serafinowicz and Kenan Thompson, with Oscar nominee Matt Dillon (“Crash”) and Christopher Lloyd.

Zach Braff directed from a screenplay by Oscar nominee Theodore Melfi (“Hidden Figures”). “Going in Style” was produced by Donald De Line. The executive producers were Toby Emmerich, Samuel J. Brown, Michael Disco, Andrew Haas, Jonathan McCoy, Tony Bill, and Bruce Berman. The creative filmmaking team includes director of photography Rodney Charters; production designer Anne Ross; editor Myron Kerstein; costume designer Gary Jones; and composer Rob Simonsen.

New Line Cinema presents, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, a De Line Pictures Production, a Zach Braff Film, “Going in Style.” It will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.  Rated PG-13 for drug content, language and some suggestive material. www.goinginstylemovie.com

ABOUT ROB SIMONSEN – Composer Rob Simonsen has had a thread in the fabric of some of the most noteworthy and prestigious films of the past decade. He spanned an eternity of star-crossed romance with “The Age of Adaline,” starring Blake Lively and Harrison Ford, also co-writing the film’s end credits song. He collaborated with director Bennett Miller to underline the unsettling atmosphere of the Oscar-nominated drama “Foxcatcher”; scored the Steve Carell-starring dramedy “The Way Way Back” with sensitivity; sympathized with the coming-of-age The Spectacular Now”; delved deep into the controversial 1969 Stonewall riots musically with Roland Emmerich’s political drama Stonewall”; sweetened Zach Braff’s coming-of-middle-age film “Wish I Was Here”; and spiced things up with Bradley Cooper’s Burnt,” directed by John Wells. His work in television includes the CBS comedy Life In Pieces,” the Joss Whedon Fox drama Dollhouse,” and the CBS ratings juggernaut Blue Bloods,” led by Tom Selleck.

Simonsen recently completed the action thriller Nerve,” starring Emma Roberts and Dave Franco; the comedy The Master Cleanse”; and “Viral” from Blumhouse Productions. His upcoming projects include the comedy Bastards,” directed by Lawrence Sher, and the drama “Gifted,” directed by Marc Webb.

 Prior to flying solo, under the apprenticeship of composer Mychael Danna, Simonsen contributed additional music to the scores for Ang Lee’s Life of Pi,” which won an Oscar for Best Score, and Bennett Miller’s Moneyball,” Oscar-nominated for Best Picture – as well as Catherine Hardwick’s The Nativity Story,” the animated film Surf’s Up,” and Terry Gilliam’sThe Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.” With Danna he co-composed the score for Marc Webb’s hugely popular indie romance “(500) Days of Summer.

Simonsen’s compositional voice is the product of an education in both rock and traditional orchestral music. He co-founded The Echo Society, a collective that provides a platform for composers to experiment and create for live performances around Los Angeles.

Song to Song Movie Review

In Wikipedia, this movie is described as an “experimental romantic drama film”. Well… that makes it different. Exactly what is “experimental” about it?

Well, there are lots of nice shots that are visually pleasing, many at sunset with the light fading just right… There are actors in the movie, and they sometimes speak words. But when they do, it is usually in a voice-over when the image on the screen is the actor in close-up looking ponderous or pensive out to the horizon… 

There are people portrayed (sort of) in the movie. Cook (Michael Fassbender) is some type of rich music industry big-wig, I think. BV (Ryan Gosling) is an up-and-coming artist who works with Cook to create his music, but then feels cheated by him and goes independent. I guess.

Faye (Rooney Mara) is a woman who works at Cook’s company as a receptionist, but is also an artist, but she never makes any albums. She was Cook’s girlfriend, but he gave up on her and now she is BV’s girlfriend. Perhaps? Rhoda (Natalie Portman) is a teacher who works now as a waitress but is swept off her feet by the rich and powerful Cook. Maybe? Will any of this ever come together?

But there is no movement, no plot, no development… The scenes are arranged in no particular order, and there is no continuity. Damn, it sure is pretty to look at. The way each scene is framed and shot shows that more thought was given to the camera work and the visual images than to the actual movie.

It seems to have something to do with the music industry. Wait, look – there’s punk icon Patti Smith and Iggy Pop. And there are some cameo roles. Was that Holly Hunter? Hold on, that looks like Cate Blanchett. No way, was that Val Kilmer???

Experimental movies are OK, if you are going to show them to bored college students on a Friday afternoon. Taking some fantastic acting talent and putting out a weird nonsensical junk-fest like this is a crying shame.

Wilson Movie Review

“Wilson” is an oddball of a movie, with very wide variations in tone and style. But with the main title character being playing by Woody Harrelson, it is not all bad. The character of Wilson is a free-spirited and determined guy, who tells what he sees as the truth. He has no filter or very many social skills. That is why he comes off as a rude and uncouth person to most everyone he meets.

Wilson (Harrelson) lives alone except for his dog, Pepper. He was married years ago, but Wilson and wife Pippi (Laura Dern) are divorced. He thinks she is a drug fiend and has never gotten any better. Wilson goes to see his father, but he is dying, and Wilson gets more upset with the world. When he comes back home, he hears that Pippi is back in town.

Wilson picks up his dog Pepper from the lady who took care of his dog while he was gone. Shelly (Judy Greer) lets Wilson know that she is always willing to take Pepper. Wilson goes to the place where Pippi is working. But his abrupt rudeness gets Pippi fired, so now Pippi stays with Wilson.  She lets him know that years ago, when she left, she kept the baby. Wilson is shocked to hear that he has a daughter that was given up for adoption and has never met. 

Wilson and Pippi go stalking on the teenage girl named Claire (Isabella Amara). They get introduced and they all spend some time with each other. Pippi gets invited over visit her sister Polly (Cheryl Hines). Polly was always the perfect one in the family, and now Wilson and Pippi convince Claire that she would be welcome as their ‘daughter’. Claire lies to her adopted parents as to where she is going to be for the weekend.

The homecoming and visit with Polly does not turn out very well for any of them. Claire’s parents find out that she is with Wilson and Pippi, and they say she was kidnapped. Polly gets the police involved and they arrest Wilson and Pippi. Wilson winds up in prison for long stretch. He is able to make enemies of the white supremacists and the Christian faith group. What a guy…

He eventually gets out and finds that he has lost Pippi and his dog Pepper. Shelly considers Wilson a sad soul who needs a friend, so she takes him in. It is a couple of years later and now Claire is older and can do what she wants. She was important in the case against Wilson earlier, but she was forced by her adopted parents to go against him.

Claire is about to move away and she will have a baby. Wilson still thinks he can be a part in her life, but she says no to that idea. Shelly and Wilson work out any differences and try to make the best of things. The story allows you to speculate on the future of the two of them.

 

Woody Harrelson plays his heart out to make you like this unlikable character. Wilson can be a total dick, yet he never sees how much of pain that he is in people’s lives. Laura Dern is a great addition to any move, and her she makes the best of a thin role. Her character is never given much in the way of any development or any growth, but Dern plays her with an honest sincerity.

Judy Greer and Cheryl Hines also get no real character development, and not a whole lot to do. They both could use a little better and more thought-out dialog on the screen.  Isabella Amara as Claire does a nice job doing a role of typical angst-ridden teenager. She takes her plus-size weight and throws it into the basis on her character, and why she does not ‘fit in’.

If you are a total fan of Woody Harrelson, then this movie is for you. If you also have a soft spot for Laura Dern, then movie would be a fine recommendation. However, if you want characters that are not dripping with quirky sarcasm, then a different movie might be better for you. It takes the saying “To have a friend, you need to be a friend”, and it throws that away. Wilson has no friends, so you might not be one either…

An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth To Power Trailer

AN INCONVENIENT SEQUEL: TRUTH TO POWER is in theaters July 28

Directed by: Bonni Cohen & Jon Shenk

Produced by: Richard Berge & Diane Weyermann 

A decade after AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH brought climate change into the heart of popular culture, comes the riveting and rousing follow-up that shows just how close we are to a real energy revolution. Vice President Al Gore continues his tireless fight traveling around the world training an army of climate champions and influencing international climate policy. Cameras follow him behind the scenes – in moments both private and public, funny and poignant — as he pursues the inspirational idea that while the stakes have never been higher, the perils of climate change can be overcome with human ingenuity and passion.


Climate Changes, Truth Does Not.


AIS Official Channels

Hashtag: #BeInconvenient 

Facebook: @AnInconvenientTruth

Twitter: @AITruthFilm 

Instagram: @AnInconvenientTruth 

Website: InconvenientSequel.com 

In Theaters July 28, 2017

http://www.fandango.com

Power Rangers Movie Review

During the mid 1990’s the children-based TV program was created based on Power Rangers. They were teenagers who were selected to receive special powers and colorful armor suits. They could fight off the evil forces in the universe, led by Zordon and his assistant, a robot named Alpha 5. The TV series spawned a few movies, and then it lay dormant, until now.

Zordon (Bryan Cranston) was almost defeated by Rita Repulsa (Elizabeth Banks), oh sometime back in the age of the dinosaurs. But when some special Power Rangers coins are found by high school students in Angel Grove, things start moving and getting serious.

 

Zordon and his robot helper Alpha 5 (Bill Hader) see that five students have discovered the Ranger coins, and they will be the ones to defeat Rita. Jason Scott / Red Ranger (Dacre Montgomery) is a football player who got into a little bit of trouble. Kimberly Hart / Pink Ranger (Naomi Scott) is a cheerleader was also is in trouble. Billy Cranston / Blue Ranger (RJ Cyler) is an autistic black guy with a good grasp of science. Trini Kwan / Yellow Ranger (Becky G) is a new kid at school, and outcast, who happens to be gay. Zack Taylor / Black Ranger (Ludi Lin) is an Asian dude who rarely goes to class because of a sick mother.

These five squabble and fight because they have no idea of what type of power the enemy has. The enemy is Rita Repulsa who quickly shows up in town and is ready to destroy it. Zordon and Aplpha 5 continue to train the new Power Rangers. They also have hidden away some mechanized fighting units called Zords. When the Ranges need these units, they will use them to fight and to defeat Rita and her henchmen of living rock monsters.

The town is getting destroyed until the Power Rangers find the strength to fight as a single team. Zordon makes a major sacrifice to ensure the team is together. They are finally motivated to fight together to defeat Rita and to save the Earth. The team find out that the key to the team is trusting each other and working together.

This version of the Power Rangers is a new reboot, and like so many others, might lead to several more movies. The audience is built-in, as the kids grown up from the 90’s are ready to watch the Power Rangers in action yet again. But it seems they did it right this time, with several very capable actors in the roles for the Ranges, and some top-notch talent to support them.

The main support is having Bryan Cranston on board, even though he does not do very much. His voice lends authority to the Zordon character. Bill Hader uses his finely-tuned comedy skills to do the Alpha 5 robot voice. But most of all Elizabeth Banks creates a major evil character playing Rita Repulsa. She plays it very over-the-top and looks like she is having a great time. She is ready to be a rotten, no-good, all-powerful presence.

 

All of the people playing the Rangers are good. With having a widely diverse cast, it shows that the movie is trying to be open for anyone and everyone. Having a character who is autistic and another who is gay is pretty daring move. It may not add a whole lot to the movie overall. But it does notice that people are like that in the world…

So, for a reboot of an existing franchise, this movie does everything that it needs to do. It makes a credible first opening act with the hint of more to be done later. The actors are decent for the roles, even when none of them look close to being the age for high school. The story line sticks to the basics, and it give the different Rangers a chance to tell a bit of a background story.

If you are up for a fun little time to see some action and some humor based on the 1990’s TV show, then Power up for the Power Rangers. It’s Morphin’ Time!

personal-shopper-movie-review

Personal Shopper Movie Review

With the roles she’s choosing, Kristen Steward has been redefining herself, and this part was a wise decision made by both she and director Olivier Assayas (Clouds of Sils Maria.)  Having worked with her in the past he knew that when he needed an actress to pull off the look of someone pained and tormented and to also be engaging that Stewart was the best choice.  She was his supporting character is Clouds but this time she carries the entire film as Maureen.  The film is a bit hard to follow at first but give it time. 

You’re in the hands of a filmmaker who doesn’t want to reveal anything too soon.  Pacing and all things becoming revealed in due time are critically important. 

At first, it’s hard to distinguish what exactly is going on with Maureen.  She’s dark and distant but at the twenty-eight-minute mark, you learn that her twin brother had died of the heart defect they both have.  Not only is she sad, she’s lonely and fears for her own health.  When this comes to light it explains the very beginning of the film where she quietly walks through a dark house looking to make contact with a spirit. 

She’s a young American woman working in Paris as a personal shopper for a celebrity during the day but at night she’s a brooding sister waiting for her brother who, before he passed away, promised he’d make contact with her after his death.  They had a pact that whoever died first, the other would reach out from the other side and give them a sign.  She goes to the house she once shared with her brother and hopes to see a manifestation or feel something encouraging so that maybe she can move on with the rest of her life but it doesn’t happen so fast. 

The audience is on a psychological journey with someone who may very well be better off in treatment but the way the film is rolled out; you don’t pick up on that too soon.  There’s a certain strain put on you to understand Maureen because she seems so fragile but at the same time you’re getting frustrated at some of the decisions she’s making.  Like when she receives text messages from a stranger and she begins to engage.  What so good about this, outside of the overall tone, is it keeps you wondering, is it her brother or is it no one?  Is this happening or is it in her head?  With precision, Assayas does an incredible job of leading you into the trap you don’t see coming.  He uses sound and music as he takes you on this trip where you’re on the edge of your seat for the entire ride, but he doesn’t really end up showing you much of anything.  It’s a refreshing take on the subject and it’s a beautiful piece of art.

Personal Shopper can be creepy at times and those moments are done with a special technique.  She becomes more upset, desperate and even frantic.  The more she does, the more engaged with her character you become.  Maureen, the personal shopper and the girl looking for a spirit, seem to be in two different movies.  Kristen Stewart is so good that these two different entities become one in the end.  She makes what Personal Shopper is, so special.  She keeps you vested with slight changes to her character and Assayas uses everything in his power to keep from exposing the tortured young soul too soon without losing you in the meantime.  Personal Shopper is gripping and intense and a movie I’d have to recommend you see as soon as you can.   

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Featurette

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES is in theaters in 3D May 26, 2017!

 Johnny Depp returns to the big screen as the iconic, swashbuckling anti-hero Jack Sparrow in the all-new “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales,” a rip-roaring adventure that finds down-on-his-luck Captain Jack feeling the winds of ill-fortune blowing strongly his way when deadly ghost sailors, led by the terrifying Captain Salazar, escape from the Devil’s Triangle bent on killing every pirate at sea—notably Jack.

DISNEY/JERRY BRUCKHEIMER FILMS

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Cast: Johnny Depp, Javier Bardem, Brenton Thwaites, Kaya Scodelario, Kevin R. McNally, Golshifteh Farahani, David Wenham, Stephen Graham and Geoffrey Rush                 

Directors: Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg

Producer: Jerry Bruckheimer

Johnny Depp returns to the big screen as the iconic, swashbuckling anti-hero Jack Sparrow in the all-new “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.” The rip-roaring adventure finds down-on-his-luck Captain Jack feeling the winds of ill-fortune blowing strongly his way when deadly ghost sailors, led by the terrifying Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem), escape from the Devil’s Triangle bent on killing every pirate at sea—notably Jack. Jack’s only hope of survival lies in the legendary Trident of Poseidon, but to find it he must forge an uneasy alliance with Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario), a brilliant and beautiful astronomer, and Henry (Brenton Thwaites), a headstrong young sailor in the Royal Navy. At the helm of the Dying Gull, his pitifully small and shabby ship, Captain Jack seeks not only to reverse his recent spate of ill fortune, but to save his very life from the most formidable and malicious foe he has ever faced.