2016 Movie Preview: As One Door Closes, Another Opens

Well, it's about that time. The annual tradition continues! You've been a zany, madcap year, 2015, and luckily we had some pretty great entertainment to help keep us going. Before we look ahead at what's coming, I always like to reflect a moment and think about what films of the past year that I enjoyed the most. The ones most likely to be remembered.

2015 favorites:

Cinderella

Mad Max: FuryRoad

Ex Machina

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation

The Martian

The Peanuts Movie

The Gift

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

NOTE: I have not seen The Revenant or The Hateful Eight...yet.

Some of these like Mad Max, The Martian and The Force Awakens you’ve undoubtedly seen, and may seem like gimmes. 

But there are two you might have missed I need to make particular note of. 

If you dismissed Cinderella as a gussied-up kids movie, you really missed out. Kenneth Branagh did a remarkable job directing and the great Chris Weitz wrote the script. This movie is very popular in our house, and the more I watch it, the more I appreciate what a remarkable piece of screenwriting Weitz did here. The fact that he also wrote Rogue One (see below) fills me with excitement. It’s a terrific picture.

The other one you need to see is Ex Machina. We’re living in a golden age of sci-fi resurgence, and a lot of it’s really bad. Ex Machina is whip-smart and has plenty to say. Alex Garland and half the cast of The Force Awakens make this one of the most memorable and intriguing cautionary science fiction tales in ages. Do not miss it.

Now, let’s step over the threshold. As always, these aren’t necessarily the films I think will do the best. They’re simply the ones that feel the most interesting to me. They’re the ones that make my “Good Movie” radar go off. There’s a second category further down, but we’ll get to that later. 

Here we go!

2016 top contenders:

Hail, Caesar! – You have to take notice anytime the Coen Brothers make a delivery. Set in Hollywood of the 1950s, this sounds like a return to Barton Fink territory, with Josh Brolin is a “fixer,” who keeps actors’ scandals out of the press. Any movie that features Tilda Swinton as Hedda Hopper and Dolph Lundgren as a Soviet submarine commander has my immediate attention.

The Witch – This movie has one of my favorite trailers of the year, and looks like the real, terrifying McCoy. Seems guaranteed to disturb in the best possible way.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – I’m really rooting for Zak Snyder to pull this off. He’s somehow become everyone’s favorite whipping boy, but he’s got the talent of a real visionary, and this is a massive juggling act, full of moving parts. What I’ve seen looks great, and I suspect it’s going to deliver the goods and then some.

Captain America: Civil War – I hate it when mom and dad fight. Captain America and Iron Man square off against a different kind of rift – ideology, and each other. This Avengers 2.5 has fans chomping at the bit. Who is Martin Freeman? The Winter Soldier was spectacular, and this one ought to blow the doors off.

The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Poltergeist – The original was a phenomenon and director James Wan is back, along with Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga, as we follow the Warrens to England and a 1970s haunting based on actual events.

The Secret Life of Pets – The Despicable Me mischief-makers return with a look into what’s really going on with our domestic companions. Hilarious trailer, and looks equally good to kids and adults, a winning combination.

The Magnificent Seven – Westerns keep getting made, which makes me happy. Antoine Fuqua tackles this classic remake with Chris Pratt, Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke going up against presumed villain Vincent D’Onofrio. Pratt in a Western sounds like a perfect match.

The Girl on the Train – Emily Blunt’s ascendance continues, along with Rebecca Ferguson, in a thriller that should be catnip for Hitchcock and Gone Girl fans.

Doctor Strange – Marvel’s Sorcerer Supreme brings Benedict Cumberbatch to a whole new level of cosmic, supernatural, demon-tangling mayhem. Great cast, and director Scott Derrickson knows his way around horror films. Doctor Strange has a very cool origin story. High on my list.

Passengers – Anything with Chris Pratt’s going to do business. Here he teams up with Jennifer Lawrence in Jon Spaihts’ Black List script about events on a colony ship’s journey into deep space.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – Just when you thought the Harry Potter franchise was over and done, we’re back in the magical world of muggles and magic. Potter mega-director David Yates is at the helm here (his 2^nd film of the year, following The Legend of Tarzan), so with J.K. Rowling’s script (and Ron Perlman!), this promises a Thanksgiving box office feast.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Hollywood had the merriest Christmas in ages, thanks to The Force Awakens, so expect more of the same next December, with the first “non-trilogy” stand-alone film in the saga. Chris Weitz wrote the script, and it’s a great premise – those plans to the Death Star R2 was carrying in the original Star Wars? Stolen by Rebel spies? Rogue One tells their story, a combination heist movie and war story, helmed by Godzilla director Gareth Edwards. The cast includes Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything), Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk and Forest Whitaker. Are you excited yet? So where we’re going back in time right before the events of A New Hope…are we gonna see Darth Vader? Moff Tarkin?

There! So that's what I'm most looking forward to.

I promised you another category, and here it is. You probably noticed I left off a truckload of great big, heavily promoted films that may be among the most successful of the year. I may very well end up loving them. But from where I'm sitting now, I'm just not entirely sold yet.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies - Great pitch: Downton Abbey meets The Walking Dead. I want to love it, but it could easily be Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.

X-Men: Apocalypse - The bad guy looks ridiculous. Love Oscar Isaac, but they've got him looking like a Power Rangers villain. We'll see.

Deadpool - This is going to kick ass and be awesome, but the ubiquitous handgun prominence just leaves me cold these days.

The BFG - Who am I kidding? This ought to be enchanting and glorious. I love you, Steven Spielberg.

Warcraft - Could be a colossus - but I'm just not a "gamer" guy, so I worry about a lack of good characters. Trailer didn't generate much buzz. I'd love to be wrong.

The Legend of Tarzan - It's been ages since Greystoke, but I just don't know if Tarzan can hack it in this day and age. Hoping David Yates brings a fresh new take.

Finding Dory - Here's hoping Pixar finds the sweet spot here. I'm a little nervous about over-sequelization, but in all likelihood this will be one of the biggest movies of the year.

Independence Day Resurgence - Pretty good trailer! But it's been a while (ask Will Smith). This is one I'm rooting for, but there's a lot of bad sci-fi out there.

Star Trek Beyond - Oy, that trailer!

Ghostbusters - Paul Feig is a talented cat, and this is going to easily be one of the top-grossing films of the year. I want it to rock, but feel a little numbed by "reimaginings" and sequels.

Suicide Squad - The nerd faithful are ca-razy for this one, right along with Deadpool. People can't wait to see Jared Leto as The Joker. It'll probably do mad business. But for some reason, I'm just not feeling it yet. Happy to be convinced!

So there you have it! Looking back on last year's preview, I did pretty good. Still vexed I let reviews keep me from seeing In the Heart of the Sea, but then you can't have everything. Chappie and Crimson Peak, someday I'll get around to seeing you.

It's time to go revel, resolve, and turn the page, friends. Have a very Happy New Year - may it be kind and generous to you all. I have a feeling we're in for a good one - though it may be a wild ride.

Sherlock Rings in the New Year with The Abominable Bride

Looking for something terrific to start off 2016? PBS Masterpiece (or BBC One in the UK) has a real treat in store the evening of January 1st, with a special 90-minute bonus episode of their acclaimed Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman.

The Abominable Bride portrays Holmes and Watson in 1890s London, the first time the show has featured iterations of these characters in the Victorian era. Written by show creator Steven Moffat with Mark Gatiss, and directed by Doctor Who veteran Douglas Mackinnon, the special is a bit of a mystery. Is it a dream sequence? An alternate universe? Whatever the case, we must savor this holiday treat, as it's the only Sherlock we're getting until season four debuts in 2017. The perils of a popular cast.

The Abominable Bride airs at 9:00 PM Western, Friday, January 1st. OH! And if you love Masterpiece, best not forget that this Sunday, our beloved Downton Abbey returns to begin its 6th and final season - but more on that later. Sounds like a tremendous weekend to get your Brit on, eh?                                                              

World War II Dunkirk Revealed as Nolan's Next

When your last film was Interstellar, where do you go from there? Now we know.

Visionary filmmaker Christopher Nolan has announced his next film will take place during World War II, focusing on the epic evacuation of Dunkirk in northern France, when over 300,000 soldiers were cut off and surrounded by the German army. With that many men about to die or be captured, Winston Churchill hailed their rescue as a “miracle of deliverance” in his famous “We shall fight on the beaches speech.”

Nolan will direct Dunkirk from his original screenplay, and is already testing young actors in London for lead roles, while Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies) and Kenneth Branagh have begun talks to join the cast. Maybe Branagh will play heroic Admiral William Tennant (then Captain), whose leadership as Beachmaster is widely credited with making Operation Dynamo the success it was.  

Warner Brothers has set the film for release on July 21st, 2017, with shooting to commence this May in France using a combination of IMAX 65mm and 65mm large format film for extreme image quality and immersion. Anything with Nolan at the helm immediately captures our attention, but the idea of him depicting a period era film (his last was The Prestige) in the harsh brutality of the Second World War makes Dunkirk one of the most highly anticipated films nearing production. 

Crunching Those Force Awakens Box Office Numbers

Talk about making the jump to lightspeed! Star Wars: The Force Awakens is not just a box office behemoth, it’s transcended to bonafide cultural event phenomenon, having reached $1 billion in global ticket sales in only 12 days – the fastest any film has ever made that milestone, and it shows no sign of slowing down. They nailed the all-time record for a weekend opening box office, with $247.9 million domestically in the first three days. Over their 2^nd weekend, the picture raked in another record-breaking weekend of $153.5, making a current grand total of over $544 million domestic, with another $546 million internationally. 

This brings Force Awakens up to the 2^nd largest U.S. film release of 2015, nipping at the heels of Jurassic World, with a total domestic gross of $652,270,625. It will need to pull in another $108 million over the next four days to surpass Jurassic as the biggest release of the year, which it may very well be able to achieve, given how strong it’s performing. Last Monday it made over $40 million, destroying the Monday record, pulling in over $142 over the four weekdays of the Christmas holiday, so it could happen, assuming they average $27 million a day, which seems likely, particularly with New Year’s Eve on Thursday. 

That’s when we start to ascend into even giddier altitudes of rarified air, with all-time box office champ Avatar’s record of $760 million, only $216 million down the road. Given that Force Awakens has only been in theaters 10 days, and repeat business has barely begun, claiming that title is a foregone conclusion. Avatar’s 10-day haul was only $212 million. Could Force Awakens actually rake in $1 billion domestic? We have to at least ask that question, as J.J. Abrams has tapped into a gusher of an oil well that doesn’t show any signs of stopping. It will surpass The Avengers next, before eclipsing Jurassic World – then it’s all “Cameron Country,” with Titanic ($658 million) the last stop on the way to dethroning Avatar. 

This kind of phenomenon is a rare thing, and can actually in itself drive sales. The nation’s students are still all out of school, and weather is generally mild. The world has embraced Star Wars in a major way, and Force Awakens has raised a towering pinnacle against which all subsequent chapters’ success will be judged. Time to get back in line!

FIRST LOOK: Doctor Strange Costume Reveal!

I hope everyone’s enjoying a fantastic holiday season!

Now that Christmas is over, expect a surge of news between now and the New Near, as Hollywood lays the groundwork to get us nice and excited for 2016.

Just this morning we’ve got our first real look at Benedict Cumberbatch in full costume for the title role of Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange, thanks to the good folks at Entertainment Weekly.

Helmed by director Scott Derrickson, Cumberbatch will be joined by Rachel McAdams, Tilda Swinton, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Mads Mikkelsen, in the juicy Marvel origin story of self-absorbed surgeon Stephen Strange, who undergoes a transformation into Sorcerer Supreme following a terrible car accident. With a strong focus on other more supernatural dimensions and demonic beings, Doctor Strange should rival Thor as one of the more cosmic corners of the Marvel Universe. 

Cumberbatch is a sensational choice and certainly looks the part. Doctor Strange casts its spell on us November 4^th.

"It's True. All of it." Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Let's not beat around the bush - there will be spoilers. Because by now, if you follow this blog, you've seen Star Wars: The Force Awakens. And if you haven't, you probably spent this weekend in an emergency room somewhere, in which case, feel better soon. So for the sake of anyone who stumbled in here who hasn't seen it yet, here ye be warned. We've got a lot talk about.
















I mean it.













No, I'm completely serious.











Last chance, Vance...












I can breathe again! After months of suspense and rumor-mongering, and a scary 48 hours where the film was actually loose in the world, I've seen Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and I dodged the fusillade of spoiler shrapnel unscathed. Now we not only know the secrets, but we're actually able to talk about it. To ask questions and compare notes. So at this point, let's assume we've all seen the film and with a final, obligatory cry of "SPOILER ALERT," discuss this movie in the light of day it so richly deserves.

We live in a cranky age. People will find something to complain about. But I'm wearing my heart on my sleeve here for the world to see - I absolutely loved The Force Awakens. I've got nothing bad to say and I'm frankly delighted by what I saw. J.J. Abrams rose to the occasion like I couldn't believe, and here's the thing - I felt like the coolest time machine imaginable had swept me back to the early 1980's and I was feeling that exact same joy, excitement and amazement that I felt when the original trilogy first came out. And my glee approached euphoria on many different levels. First, we've got a whole batch of new characters here, and we're being asked to accept them alongside some of the all-time icons of fantasy filmmaking. Han Solo, for cryin' out loud. And it's a tall order to come up with not just one, but three new characters that we might care enough about to not just tolerate alongside our long lost compadres, but to like and care about enough so that we'll follow them into a whole new series of adventures?

Mission accomplished. The masterstroke of those involved in mounting Star Wars: The Force Awakens was in bringing on the great Lawrence Kasdan to oversee the script. Kasdan worked on both The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, and is quite simply a legendary storyteller. He's from the universe of Star Wars and understands the yearning for myth and family that has contributed to the enduring appeal of these films, spanning generations. Pairing Kasdan up with J.J. Abrams is like hooking up Robert Bolt with David Lean. Or William Goldman with George Roy Hill. Together, they make beautiful music.

Because thanks to this duo, we do genuinely like these new characters. They are impeccably cast, and are sensational choices to bring a new generation into an undoubtedly phenomenal series of rip-roaring and soul-tugging outer space adventures. As Rey, Daisy Ridley is remarkable. Marooned since childhood in a galactic backwater that rivals Tatooine, she's a scavenger, living off salvaged bits of abandoned technology to make ends meet. Then we have Poe - the best, possibly cockiest X-Wing pilot in the entire resistance. Oscar Isaac is one fantastic actor, and we instantly buy Poe as the next generation of pilot who'd be entrusted with the most important mission against the bad guys you could imagine. That's two terrific characters right there. But I tell ya, the home run for me is John Boyega as Finn, and it's here that Kasdan does something truly remarkable - he takes one of those generic, faceless stormtroopers and slaps a handprint of blood on his helmet, makes him vulnerable and afraid, and turns him into a human being who doesn't want to march in step. He wants to get the hell out of there and somehow do the right thing. Together, these three create a trio of really engaging, fresh new characters that absolutely feel like Star Wars, but also feel informed enough by the world we live in to make us care about their struggles all the more.

What makes Rey and Finn so relatable to the audience is that they’re both trying to find their place in the world. Rey’s a veritable outcast – a nomad, seemingly abandoned, clinging to hope that a long-absent family will one day come back for her. Finn is just plain scared. He’s seen the violence perpetrated by his fellows and it feels wrong. He wants out. Initially, it’s all about self-preservation for Finn, which may remind you of another character from Star Wars, who ends up having a change of heart. These are two characters who are both yearning for something bigger – something better, than the situation they find themselves in.

As delightful as new characters Rey and Finn are to discover, the weathered soul that truly bridges The Force Awakens to its roots is Harrison Ford. Ford is simply amazing as Han Solo here. Ford seems more alive and dynamic than he has in ages, and he’s Han Solo – period. To see these new characters interacting with the iconic ones of old is nothing short of exhilarating. But Ford’s just sensational – funny, charming, beaten down. The mileage shows, and Ford sells every bit of it.

Then we’ve got the villains – and Abrams and Kasdan have delivered. Kylo Ren is the new dark menace, and his backstory is a killer: He’s Leia and Han’s son, and he turned bad. Luke Skywalker was training him to be a Jedi, but obsessed with the legend of Darth Vader’s power, he adopts the name of Kylo Ren and turns to the dark side. Did he ever. While Adam Driver wears Ren’s mask for over half his performance, he makes Ren into a tangible person. He’s the prodigy who was probably just a little too fast and too smart for his own good. He’s used to getting his way, and when he doesn’t, he’s got a ferocious temper, firing up his flame-sputtering lightsaber and furiously hacking at everything in sight. It’s a ferocious, physical performance and Driver makes Ren into an angry, tormented antagonist.

The villains don’t stop there. We’ve got chrome-domed Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie), who fills the Boba Fett role of perpetually masked bad-ass. Here’s hoping we see more of Phasma in the future, because she seems way more formidable than she’s given a chance to exhibit. 

Oscar Isaac’s Ex Machina costar Domhnall Gleeson is General Hux, a Moff Tarkin military commander who addresses the largest troop formation ever assembled with rabid Obersturmbannführer wrath. Hitler’s SS seems to be a big influence on the First Order, with Ren’s helmet having a definite WW 2 German army vibe. 

So who's orchestrating all this villainy? Ren and the First Order serve the colossal projection of Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis), an alien who certainly seems enormous, but who has the whiff of Wizard of Oz about him. He definitely has knowledge of The Force, and seems responsible for bringing Ren over to the dark side. 

There are a lot of analogs – Phasma = Fett, Hux = Tarkin, Snoke = Emperor.

Yes, the plot of The Force Awakens is familiar – pretty clearly by design. Abrams and Kasdan are reseeding the mythology for a new generation of moviegoers, and the beats of the narrative may hearken more remake than sequel, for some. Secret information is hidden in a droid (instant icon BB-8), the bad guys have a gigantic planet-destroying weapon, which a squadron of X-Wings has to knock out before it has a chance to vaporize the home base of the resistance as the clock ticks. Broad strokes, there’s a lot of familiar ground. But what The Force Awakens does really, tremendously well is serve up those familiar motifs and perils in fresh and delightfully entertaining fashion.

Best of all, The Force Awakens has one heck of a third act. When Han Solo calls out Ren’s real name across that catwalk…me, I got chills. Amazing. What comes after – heartbreaking. And as the X-Wings do their thing over Starkiller Base, Abrams serves up a fantastically visceral – and personal – lightsaber clash in the snow of a darkened forest that’s gorgeous and terrible to behold. Abrams’ Star Trek cinematographer Daniel Mindel does a remarkable job throughout, but his work here is haunting and hypnotic. Mindel and Abrams must have spent a lot of time studying Gilbert Taylor and Peter Suschitzky, because their compositions fit seamlessly into the Star Wars universe, thanks also to their insistence on shooting with film, not digital. Much has been said about Abrams insistence on real locations and miniatures over CGI effects, and that choice makes all the difference, pulling the viewer into the world of the film. Just check out that critter Finn shares a thirsty drink with, or the way Ren’s shuttle swoops down like a bat. The designs all feel like they belong in that galaxy far, far away. As fresh and eye-catching as they are, there’s something comforting and immersive about the look of the film, the vehicles, the characters. 

This is Star Wars, and for me, it’s one of the best. If it seems to echo what’s come before, it’s meant to launch a new generation – a Next Generation – on their own mythic journey, and audiences are embracing this film, across multiple generations. You come out of The Force Awakens with plenty of questions to ponder – but they’re pretty delightful questions. You'll also come out itching for the next chapter, and hungry to revisit this one, likely a lot more than just once. 

Check Out Episode One of SyFy's The Expanse NOW!

What's a TV addict to do? The Walking Dead wraps up tonight (until 2016 at least), and maybe you haven't started in on Jessica Jones yet (what's wrong with you?!). So you're in need of something to fill the cold nights, maybe something...as cold as the deep vacuum of space?

Fans of good old fashioned hard science fiction have been eagerly anticipating the SyFy channel's return to form, and the premiere of The Expanse, adapted from the novels by James S. A. Corey. The trailer promised a faithful adaptation of the books, and folks who've read the novels know what a sprawling canvas this story occupies.

The series formally debuts December 14th, but SyFy has made the pilot episode available NOW on numerous formats, including online and cable OnDemand. Definitely check it out. SyFy's going for a definite Battlestar Galactica feel - with a dollop of Game of Thrones. It's a hybrid of far-flug space opera and detective story. The cast is engaging, though there are a lot of characters for non-book-readers to get to know. Numerous title captions explain the necessary backstory, which is a bit of a mouthful. It's 200 years in the future and the solar system has been colonized - there are numerous factions and resentments. Just go from there. The writers gave us Iron Man and Children of Men, so that ought to inspire confidence. Overall this first glimpse feels like SyFy has done a solid job of making a large story accessible and intriguing for a broadcast audience. It feels like it may take an episode or two to get their momentum truly up and running, but I'm intrigued enough to see more, and I have a feeling that acceleration and inertia are coming. See what you think!

Jon Snow Get His Jesus On For Season 6

Rumor had it the 6th season of HBO's Game of Thrones might be debuting later than normal this year, which the network confirmed this morning with a striking single-word poster - "April," accompanied by a single, attention-getting image: Jon Snow, bloodied, head bowed - and back. 

We see what we want to see, and fans clearly read into this image that Jon Snow has returned from the dead. The image has a lush Biblical quality, that will have many theorists nodding and making check marks: "Betrayed and murdered by those he trusted?" Check. "Resurrected with new purpose, inspiring followers?" Check - well, almost, anyway. It sure seems we're heading in that direction. Just in time for Easter.

Cinemachines: NECA Rolls Out New Vehicle Line

At the New Jersey Comic Expo this weekend, the tireless folks at NECA unveiled their new line of 6" vehicle replicas, known as the Cinemachine series. The line begins with a quartet of vehicles from the fan favorite Alien(s) series, with an expected debut of February 2016.

The 6" size is comparable to Galoob's old Action Fleet line of Micromachines, though these look to be even more detailed, made from diecast metal and plastic. NECA main man Randy Falk hinted that future waves may include vehicles from the Terminator and  Predator film series, with a retail price point under $25.

Preorders are rumored to begin as early as this week, so keep your eyes peeled! This looks to be a fantastic expansion from the dependable NECA crew.

 

 

Branagh Both Passenger and Engineer in Orient Express

We've known for a while that Kenneth Branagh would be directing a new adaptation of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express. But now we've learned that in addition to helming the feature, Branagh will also portray detective Hercule Poirot, the Belgian detective who appeared in 33 of Christie's novels.

Sidney Lumet directed a big adaptation of Orient Express back in 1974, with an all star cast including Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Sean Connery, John Gielgud, and Albert Finney as Poirot. David Suchet embodied Poirot on British television for two decades.

I like this immensely, as the classic nature of the story really suits Branagh's sensibilities as a director, as he proved beautifully with Cinderella. And with his enduring run as Wallander, he's got more than enough detective experience to match wits with the longest trainload of killers.

Looking forward to this one!

SPECTRE: Shaken! Stirred...?

Spectre opens in spectacular fashion. Bond films have always been famous for their pre-credits action sequences, and director Sam Mendes serves up a whopper. Beginning with a Touch of Evil meets Goodfellas tracking shot that's simply mindboggling, as James Bond (Daniel Craig) makes his way through a ravishingly elaborate Dia de los Muertos parade in Mexico City, culminating in the most amazing helicopter stunt sequence in the history of helicopters. It's a scene most movies would kill for in their finales, and Spectre dares to start there. So it's a hell of a shame the rest of the movie never quite matches that sublime start.

Designed as a direct sequel to the superior Skyfall, Spectre also aims to knit-up threads from all the previous Daniel Craig Bond outings - to suggest that one nefarious entity has been pulling the strings all along. Great concept. And for the first fortyish minutes, Spectre is downright engaging and entertaining. In an obvious bit of casting, the minute we lay eyes on Andrew "Moriarty" Scott, we know he's going to be in league with the larger Shadowy Them. There's a crackerjack car chase with the new Aston Martin DB10, and Hoyte Van Hoytema's cinematography (Her, Interstellar) is sensational.

But we've got script problems. Not quite Quantum of Solace problems, because at least Spectre is trying everything but the kitchen sink. But the good will of that first act quickly evaporates and we're left with a very muddled segue into a frankly daft and silly grand finale. Part of the problem is actress

Léa Seydoux, who I'm sure is a perfectly lovely person, but who takes a quantum step backwards in the lineage of useless Bond-girls. She's no Rebecca Ferguson, that's for sure.

 

The hands of way too many writers are painfully evident here, as the tone careens all over the place. A mid-point airplane stunt pales woefully in comparison with that earlier helicopter work. Dave Bautista is exudes threatening charisma as a villain cobbled from the Jaws/Oddjob mold. There's a tremendous fistfight on a moving train that very deliberately tries to out-punch the threat level of Robert Shaw in From Russia with Love. And that's a big part of the problem with Spectre - it's so deliberate and intentional in its repeated call-backs to earlier Bond motifs that it starts to feel less like a movie and more of an exercise in generating Easter Eggs for audience recognition. Where that was done with aplomb and wit in Skyfall, here it seems to be pandering broadly to the cheap seats, which is likely why the lackluster reviews haven't hurt the box office. Spectre absolutely looks and walks and mimics all the iconic beats of a classic old school James Bond movie, but it feels like Bond-by-committee, and loses enormous swaths of the grounded realism the previous Craig films have worked so hard to establish. A gag involving a slow-moving car and an airbag sends us careening right back into Roger Moore territory.

 

We tend to judge a Bond picture by its villain, and Christoph Waltz gets a great introduction that hearkens back to the heyday of Thunderball. Bathed in shadow, indistinct, Waltz radiates quiet menace that's genuinely unsettling. Which is what makes his later transformation to sockless wide-eyed clown all the more baffling. He never recaptures that initial threatening stillness, and his keyboard torture of Bond is just completely off-putting and lame.

And we haven't even made it to the end yet. Yes, the title song is as lackluster as you've heard, and the love interest is just a crashing bore. I don't fault Daniel Craig here, as he's resolute and convincing, while more glib with the dialogue than we've previously heard. But he sells it, and it's very likely his star quality that's pushing the movie past its eye-rolling impediments into box office success. If this is his last outing as Bond, it's a bit of a shame, as Spectre's something of a buzz-kill after the seamless intelligence of Skyfall.

 

Spectre is a fun night out, and you could do a hell of a lot worse. It's crazy entertaining at times. And crazy-crazy at others. Bond fans should definitely check it out and decide for themselves. Adjust your expectations accordingly.

 

You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown!

It’s hard not to be a little nervous when cherished franchises of old are repurposed for a new generation. As movie fans – and parents – we take a deep breath and wince a bit, hoping to be spared another Garfield or Alvin and the Chipmunks trip to the dentist.

 

Thank goodness The Peanuts Movie exceeds expectations in nearly every way. It’s a delightful rendering of Charles Schulz’s classic characters and is clearly made by people with tremendous affection for the look and feel of the original, determined to introduce it to a modern audience in a way that preserves the spirit of what makes Peanuts so beloved.

 

Written by Charles Schulz’s son and grandson, and directed by Steve Martino (Horton Hears a Who!, Ice Age: Continental Drift), while the technique of The Peanuts Movie may be 3-D Computer Animation, great care has been taken to maintain the look and feel of the old animated specials and comic strips. Background objects like trees remain stationary, and the characters move with a slight flutter, evoking the hand-drawn quality of the old shows. It gives the movie a real warmth and charm that might seem intangible, but which really comes across. Small nods of affection are peppered throughout – a moving truck bears the name “Mendelson & Melendez,” after the original producers of the animated specials. 

 

You get the feeling that rather than set the stage for a massive new franchise, the folks at Blue Sky Studios (along with Paul Feig) had the attitude that “…if we're only ever going to make one Peanuts movie, let’s make it the best that we possibly can,” and that really shines through. The music of Vince Guaraldi, the voices of the kids (and the always unseen “wahh wahh wahh” adults), the Bill Melendez recordings of Snoopy and Woodstock – everything is comfortingly familiar, while seeming fresh and vibrant all at the same time. Charlie Brown just wants the Little Red-Haired Girl to like him and be noticed. And no matter how many setbacks he endures, he never seems to let failure stop him. He perseveres and tries again, which is incredibly endearing and a wonderful lesson in character for smaller audiences. The film gets the tiniest bit over-inflated when Snoopy’s imagined dogfight with the Red Baron threatens to escalate into a full blown retelling of The Blue Max, but The Peanuts Movie is overwhelmingly the most charming family film since Paddington. Very highly recommended.

 

Triple 9: How's this for a cast...?

In Triple 9, a gang of dirty cops are blackmailed by the Russian mob into pulling of a nigh impossible heist. In order to draw attention away from the crime, they set up an officer-down situation (Code: 999), setting up an unsuspecting rookie to die. The rookie has other ideas.

Check out this cast: Casey Affleck (the rookie), Woody Harrelson, Chewitel Ejiofor, Kate Winslet, Norman Reedus, Anthony Mackie, Gail Gadot and Aaron Paul. The script is from Matt Cook, with John Hillcoat (The Road) directing.

Reedus! Up first quarter, next year.

Hide the Baseball Bats: Negan Confirmed for The Walking Dead!

It's gonna get ugly. Really, really ugly. Confirmation has arrived that by the end of this current season, AMC's The Walking Dead will introduce infamous comic book villain Negan, and they've already cast him - Jeffrey Dean Morgan. No stranger to comic adaptations, Morgan previously appeared in Watchmen, as sociopathic crime fighter The Comedian. 

For those who haven't read the comics, we'll stay spoiler-free here, but just know that Negan was Robert Kirkman's notion of a way to "Out-Governor" The Governor, and introduce a villain of even more menacing brutality, infamous for committing one of the most notorious acts of violence in the book's history. 

Especially in light of recent events on the show (or not...), Negan may be different than he was in the comics. The Governor certainly was. But it looks as though next season is going to find our intrepid band dealing with the mother of all monsters, who'll be rearing his head - and his bat, by this season's finale. Wash that man's mouth out with soap!

Unwrapping the Best Movie You Haven't Seen - Joel Edgerton's The Gift

We live for those surprises - the ones you never saw coming. Films you'd never really heard of, that had virtually no advance word, that come out of nowhere and knock you for a loop. If you're a fan of thrillers and like having your expectations wildly surpassed, go seek out The Gift immediately.

As presented by the marketing, you're in for an obsessive stalker threat-to-the-family nail-biter that hearkens back to Fatal Attraction or Pacific Heights. And there's no reason you shouldn't just go on thinking that. It's produced by Jason Blum, so it must be a straight-up horror shocker, right? A happy suburban couple (Rebecca Hall and Jason Bateman) moves into their new home, only to run into a dimly-remembered old classmate from the husband's high school days - Gordo, played by Joel Edgerton. Seems like a nice enough guy, but soon his eagerness to reconnect leads beyond the token housewarming gift to showing up at their home unannounced, leading to - what, exactly?

And this, my friends, is where I leave you. Because if The Gift is anything, it's about surprise, and about things being very, very different than appearances would have you assume.

In addition to playing Gordo, Joel Edgerton (Warrior, Zero Dark Thirty) also wrote and directed The Gift, and it's simply brilliant. Not a word I toss around lightly. As a creator, Edgerton establishes himself here as a master craftsman of suspense. He does a phenomenal job of subverting genre expectations and using conventions against the norm to unnerve the audience. Cinematographer Eduard Grau is a wicked conspirator, who knows how to use space to manipulate mood.

Bateman is amazing here. I made a lot of assumptions based on seeing his name in the credits and his character work here is complex and redefining. But Rebecca Hall is a revelation, and joins Rebecca Ferguson and Alicia Vikander in delivering one of the three best breakout parts of the year. It's a quiet, layered performance, and she does a remarkable job of leading the audience down paths we never expected.

But it's Joel Edgerton who's the man. To possess the confidence and objectivity to inhabit a lead role in your debut shot as a director, that's a guy with a lot of control and discipline. The Gift will unnerve you in a major way, while never insulting your intelligence or stooping to cheap shocks. Put this one right up there next to Prisoners and The Guest on your list of stealthy, must-see films that know how to mess with you in the best possible way. Very, very highly recommended.

The Groovy Gore of Ash vs Evil Dead!

It’s been 23 years since the last adventure of chainsaw-wielding demon-slayer Ash, in Sam Raimi’s Army of Darkness.

Since then, Ash has become a bonafide cult icon, propogating comic books, action figures – hell, there’s even a “live” touring production of Evil Dead The Musical…!

All this is evidence that star Bruce Campbell’s fanbase (of which I count myself an avid member) is thriving and has been hungry for more splatter.

Gang, your patience has been rewarded.

The reckless folks at Starz have gleefully unleashed Ash vs Evil Dead, and it’s everything fans could have hoped for, and more.

It’s an unusual and possibly brand new genre – the 30-minute horror comedy. But everything we’ve been craving is there, and then some.

Make no mistake, it’s the Bruce Campbell show – THANK GOD. As Bruce is at his raised-eyebrow, lantern-jawed finest as Ash. He’s squeezing into a corset to hide that gut these days, but he’s still working as a glorified stock boy, still driving the same Oldsmobile. And thanks to a pilot directed by Raimi, still annihilating Deadites in explosively gory fashion. Raimi and Campbell make sure you get equal doses of the same two key ingredients – laughs and splatter – and we get plenty of both. We even get Ash’s first sex scene! Yikes! 

Why are the Deadites returning? Well a lot of it seems to be due to Ash needing to find some poetry to read to a gal he’s hot for, so in his drunken zeal, he reads aloud from the Necronomicon. Look out!!! The makeup is exellent – and prolific. Lucy Lawless appears briefly in the pilot, who we’re bound to learn more about shortly. Plenty of mayhem ensues, backed by Deep Purple and The Amboy Dukes, no less! 

This is a ballsy and really smart move by Starz. They’ve wisely kept the same fairly low budget sensibility and gleeful affection for practical effects that folks love about Evil Dead. They’ve clearly got a hit on their hands, as they renewed it for a second season even before its Halloween debut last week. Best of all, they’ve kept it short. “Thirty minutes a pop, baby.” Ash vs Evil Dead is fun, and if you’re already a fan, this new chapter’s a no-brainer! Catch it on Starz, Saturday nights.

To Boldy Stream with Synergistic Marketing

Raise your deflector shields - news broke today that CBS is developing a new Star Trek TV series, scheduled to premiere in January 2017, presumably driven by the momentum of next years' Trek 50th Anniversary and the new Star Trek Beyond film, due to be released July 22nd.

What this new show will look like is anybody's guess, but the Executive Producer will be Alex Kurtzman, who co-wrote both the J.J. Abrams Star Trek features. CBS aims to air the series on its digital subscription service, CBS All Access. Will it take place in the same "reimagined" Vulcan-annihilated universe of the Kurtzman movies? It's a bit of a predicament - the prospect of launching a new installment sans Kirk and Spock is a pretty daunting one - but to recast those iconic roles again...? Will today's audiences tune in - excuse me, stream a series that doesn't feature the U.S.S. Enterprise?

For all we know, new elements are in place in the Star Trek Beyond feature to springboard directly into the new series. That's just guesswork, but I wouldn't bee to surprised to see movie Kirk dealing with a brash young Lieutenant who "reminds me of me." The CBS press release does state that the new series, "...is not related to the upcoming feature film Star Trek Beyond," and does make a point of mentioning new characters. So let the speculating begin.

After a dozen years, Trek is returning to TV. Here's hoping they can make it fresh and addictive enough to stay relevant in the modern Game of Thrones/Walking Dead landscape, while staying true to the spirit of what's always made the best Trek tick.