British thespians Benedict Cumberbatch and Colin Firth have joined the cast of Skyfall director Sam Mendes’ forthcoming WWI film, 1917. The two join fellow cast members Mark Strong (Kingsman: The Secret Service), Andrew Scott (Sherlock), and Richard Madden (Game of Thrones). DreamWorks Pictures and Universal Pictures both announced yesterday that...
Tom Hanks To Play Elvis’ Manager In Baz Luhrmann’s Next Film
America’s sweetheart, Tom Hanks, is in negotiations to portray Colonel Tom Parker, the manager of Elvis Presley, in Baz Luhrmann’s presently untitled biopic about the King of Rock n’ Roll. Parker originally discovered Presley, and went on to forge a career for the young man, seeing potential no one else did. The Colonel was responsible […]
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MOVIE REVIEW: Dumbo
DUMBO-- 3 STARS
During this continuing trend of Disney live-action “reimaginings,” one that shows no sign of stopping, fulfillment is an adulation not often realized by these newfangled and amplified tentpoles. Improvement is another lost reward. Audiences constantly question the values of duplicated enjoyment or tangible purpose for needing...
Channing Tatum’s Gambit Film Being ‘Evaluated’ By Disney, Marvel
With the Disney/Fox merger in the process of uniting two of the largest forces in Hollywood, many have begun speculating about the future of the House of Mouse’s biggest franchise; the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Given that Fox owned the X-Men up until last week, much of the X-franchise had been in limbo (well, more so […]
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Bill Murray Zombie Flick, The Dead Don’t Die, Sets Release Date
Well, this one kinda crypt up on us. The Dead Don’t Die, the zombie flick which has a star-studded cast including the likes of Bill Murray (Ghostbusters), Adam Driver (Star Wars: The Last Jedi), Tilda Swinton (Doctor Strange), Chloë Sevigny (Boys Don’t Cry), Steve Buscemi (Reservoir Dogs), Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon), Iggy Pop (Cry-Baby), Selena […]
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Angelina Jolie Eyed For Marvel’s The Eternals
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider actress Angelina Jolie is reportedly in talks with Marvel Studios to join their planned cosmic superhero feature The Eternals. Marvel’s The Eternals, created by comics legend Jack Kirby in 1976, were a thematic continuation of his more famous work on DC’s New Gods (who themselves have a big budget Hollywood adaptation […]
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Star Trek: Discovery’s Sonequa Martin-Green Joins Space Jam 2
Star Trek: Discovery’s lead explorer Michael Burnham, aka Sonequa Martin-Green, has reportedly joined the cast of director Terence Nance’s Space Jam 2. Martin-Green joins the already-cast LeBron James, and will purportedly portray his wife in the forthcoming live-action/animation hybrid sequel. A Space Jam 2 has been rumoured since 2015,...
Yamasong: March of the Hallows
The spellbinding puppet martial arts family film, ‘YAMASONG: MARCH OF THE HALLOWS’, starring the voices of an all-star cast including; Nathan Fillion (Castle, The Rookie), Abigail Breslin (Little Miss Sunshine), Whoopi Goldberg (Sister Act), Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange), George Takei (Star Trek), Freida Pinto (Mowgli), Peter Weller (Robocop),...
Inspired by True Events ‘Heartbreak’ Releases April 16
Random Media releases the sporting-drama film, ‘HEARTBREAK’, starring Brett Rice (Sully, Footloose), Dennis Neal (Sunshine State, Dead Men Walking) and Jane Park Smith (Insurgent, Rizzoli & Isles). The film will release on-demand and on all digital platforms on April 16th. Created by former International Pool Tour (IPT) player Wayne Catledge and...
Jordan Peele On Future Films: “I Don’t See Myself Casting A White Dude As The Lead”
Jordan Peele is having a good week. Over the weekend, the director’s latest feature Us broke box office records and smashed all insider expectations; or, as he tells it, it had the “second-biggest opening for an original live-action film. That’s after Avatar. The stats get cooler when you say the thing that beat me.” And last […]
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COLUMN: What Does a Video Producer Do?
(Image: WikiMedia Commons)
What Does a Video Producer Do?
Description
Just like the director, the video producer is a valuable asset on the set. But why are they so important? Here are a few facts to help you figure out the basics of the video producer’s job and how you’ll...
Vanessa Kirby To Lead Sci-Fi StarDream, From The Wife Director Bjorn Runge
Mission: Impossible – Fallout’s Vanessa Kirby has joined the cast of The Wife director Bjorn Runge’s forthcoming science-fiction thriller StarDream. StarDream will tell the tale of a hastily constructed spaceship, designed to transport hundreds of thousands of cryogenically frozen humans from a failing planet Earth. When the on-board computer malfunctions...
William Sadler Will Reprise His Role As Death In Bill And Ted 3
The official Twitter account for the forthcoming Bill and Ted: Face the Music, has confirmed that actor William Sadler will return as Death in the sequel. Sadler originally played the character in 1991’s Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, in which the character competes with the titular slacker duo in a number of contests for their souls. […]
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Zack Snyder Reveals Original Plans For Justice League, Confirms His Director’s Cut Doesn’t Exist
If you’ve spent any time in the forums and comment sections of nerd ephemera in the past year or so, you’ve likely come across the hashtag #ReleasetheSnyderCut, stemming of course from Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice director Zack Snyder’s purported version of the Justice League movie. Prior to a terrible family tragedy that saw […]
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GUEST EDITORIAL: Unusual Stories of Actors Before They Became Famous
(Image: abcnews.go.com)
Unusual Stories of Actors Before They Became Famous
Meta: Sleepless nights in homeless shelters, several failed attempts to be chosen, life-changing moments and self-determination! Where would some of the top rated actors be without this? Let’s take...
MEDIA APPEARANCE: David Ehrlich's IndieWire Critics Survey on March 25, 2019
Notable and notorious IndieWire film critic David Ehrlich recently put out a social media call for film critic peers to join a weekly survey to discuss movie topics, answer questions, and highlight their work. Representing Every Movie Has a Lesson, I, along with...
Idris Elba Set To Join Mo-Cap Fantasy Mouse Guard
Thor: Ragnarok’s Idris Elba is reportedly in negotiations to join The Maze Runner director Wes Ball’s forthcoming motion-capture fantasy comic book adaptation Mouse Guard. Created by David Petersen, Mouse Guard is set in a medieval fantasy world of anthropomorphic animals. The story follows an order of mice who are the sworn protectors...
Shazam! Critics Round-Up: “Infectiously Silly And Unexpectedly Warm-Hearted”
Director David F. Sandberg’s forthcoming DC Comics adaptation Shazam! has screened to critics, and early reviews have dropped ahead of the film’s release which paint a picture of a feature that’s sure to delight fans and newcomers alike. Check-out the reviews round-up below: Variety:“The fact that everything Shazam does, from taking bullets in the...
Us Overperforms At The Box Office, As Captain Marvel Crosses $900M
Director Jordan Peele’s Us has had a scary-good time at the domestic box office, outperforming expectations twice over, and scoring a cool $70 million domestic debut. The horror-thriller, about a family who is confronted by a group of their doppelgängers, was predicted to earn approximately $38 million during its opening weekend. Us now holds the […]
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MOVIE REVIEW: Shazam!
(Image: geektryant.com)
SHAZAM!— 4 STARS
Thanks to the infusion of catchy comedy, there are many synonyms of “funny” that can be used to lovingly describe Shazam!. Most all of them are suitable, if not repetitive for all of the smiling and positive buzz this comic book movie...
Shazam! Funfair Takes Over London’s South Bank
Warner Bros.’ DC comic book adaptation Shazam! is just two weeks away, but for fans who simply can’t wait that long to experience the magic of Earth’s mightiest mortal, a funfair inspired by the film has taken over London’s South Bank. The free-to-enter funfair tests participants in order to see how they stack up against […]
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OVERDUE REVIEW: Mary Poppins Returns
(Image: letterboxd.com)
For an occasional new segment, Every Movie Has a Lesson will cover upcoming home media releases combining an “overdue” film review, complete with life lessons, and an unboxed look at special features.
MARY POPPINS RETURNS
MY LATE HOMEWORK EXCUSE:
Because...
Kick Ass 2 Director Jeff Wadlow To Adapt Danger Girl Comic
Jeff Wadlow, who last unleashed 2018’s Truth or Dare on the world, has signed on to adapt the best-selling, long-running pulp comic book Danger Girl. The 1998 comic, which is still running today, was created by Andy Hartnell and J. Scott Campbell as an Indiana Jones/Tomb Raider-esque, tongue-in-cheek riff on the spy genre – focused […]
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MOVIE REVIEW: Us
(Image: usatoday.com)
US— 4 STARS
Let’s get a few things straight about the feverish anticipation surrounding Jordan Peele’s newest feature film Us. First, the less you know the better. The clues and whiffs in the trailers, though shuffled around, show too much. There is a...
Bill and Ted 3 Is Inexplicably Happening, Sets Release Date
Bill and Ted 3 is happening. Original stars Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves both starred in a YouTube video yesterday evening, from in front of the Hollywood bowl (where they’ll “never play”), to announce the project would be titled Bill and Ted: Face the Music. The film will be a direct sequel to the previous […]
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Noah Centineo Is Sony’s He-Man For Masters of the Universe
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before’s Noah Centineo has been officially cast as He-Man in Sony Pictures and Mattel Films’ forthcoming live action Masters of the Universe. The film, based upon the 80s toyline and cartoon of the same name, will follow the adventures of Prince Adam (Centineo), of the fantasy kingdom of Eternia, […]
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Surprise Hit Japanese Horror One Cut Of The Dead To Get American Remake
The micro-budget Japanese sleeper hit One Cut of the Dead is set to get an English-language remake, it has been announced. Japan-based American producer Patrick Cunningham is reportedly spearheading the project. The original film saw a low-budget b-grade zombie movie set invaded by actual zombies. One Cut of the Dead played at a handful of […]
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Michael B. Jordan Teaming With Kong: Skull Island Director For Original Creature Feature
Black Panther actor Michael B. Jordan is set to work with Kong: Skull Island helmer Jordan Vogt-Roberts on an original monster movie of the latter’s creation. B. Jordan will produce the presently untitled feature with his creative partner Alana Mayo, via their own outlet Outlier Society. Vogt-Roberts will produce the picture, too, and will also […]
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Nic Cage To Lead Martial Arts Comic Book Adaptation Jiu Jitsu
The internet’s favourite unhinged thespian, the inimitable Nicolas Cage, has lined up his next project – sci-fi martial arts comic book adaptation Jiu Jitsu. According to Variety, the forthcoming film is based on a comic book of the same name, though no sources on the internet seem able to agree on who originally wrote the […]
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DOCUMENTARY REVIEW: Apollo 11
(Image courtesy of Neon via EPK.tv)
APOLLO 11— 5 STARS
There are about three levels of “how in the hell did they do that?” that come from watching the sterling documentary Apollo 11. From powerful superheroes and high-flying secret agent stunts to the created worlds of the...
Destination: Dewsbury Releases April 9
US distribution company, Random Media is releasing the highly anticipated British comedy film, ‘DESTINATION: DEWSBURY’, starring Matt Sheahan, David J. Keogh, Dan Shelton, Tom Gilling and Maurice Byrne. The film will release on-demand and on all digital platforms on April 9th. Directed by Jack Spring, the classic British road trip movie, ‘DESTINATION:...
MEDIA APPEARANCE: David Ehrlich's IndieWire Critics Survey on March 18, 2019
Notable and notorious IndieWire film critic David Ehrlich recently put out a social media call for film critic peers to join a weekly survey to discuss movie topics, answer questions, and highlight their work. Representing Every Movie Has a Lesson, I, along with...
Avengers: Infinity War Originally Didn’t End With ‘The Snap’
Stephen McFeely, one of the many unsung heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe – and co-writer on all three Captain America movies, as well as Avengers: Infinity War and next month’s Avengers: Endgame – has said in a recent interview that Infinity War at one point in time didn’t end with Thanos’ iconic snap. Indeed, […]
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Taron Egerton On Portraying Elton John: “I Just Want To Make Him Happy”
British-born actor Taron Egerton appeared on The Late Late Show with James Corden Monday night to promote his Elton John biopic Rocketman, and spoke of the stresses involved in doing justice to a musical icon. When asked by Corden what the biggest challenges involved in making the feature were, Egerton replied: “He’s so universally loved,...
Florence Pugh Joins Scarlett Johansson For Marvel’s Black Widow
Up-and-coming actress Florence Pugh has joined the cast of Marvel Studio’s forthcoming Black Widow. The English actress was previously on a shortlist for the unknown role, but has since won it following positive reviews of her role in Stephen Merchant’s Fighting With My Family. She’ll be starring opposite lead Scarlett Johansson, in a spy-thriller...
Warner Bros. Days Away From Inking Deal On Will Smith’s King Richard
Studio Warner Bros. Pictures is reportedly in final negotiations to purchase Men in Black actor Will Smith’s forthcoming feature King Richard. The film will tell the true story of Richard Williams, as he fights to overcome hardship, skepticism, controversy, and his own troubled past to teach his young daughters Venus and Serena how to play […]
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Eaten by Lions ★★★
Director: Jason Wingard Stars: Antonia Aakeel, Jack Carroll, Asim Chaudhry Released: Friday, March 29th (UK) I’ve often thought that there’s a time and place for a Sunday-afternooner in the film world; a style of film that’s almost a subgenre, given how many movies will fit into the category. Something not too loud, not too quiet, not […]
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Ray Fisher Out As Cyborg, Ezra Miller’s Flash Potentially Set To Follow
Following official statements that Ben Affleck has vacated the role of the caped crusader, and with Henry Cavill’s last son of Krypton currently in limbo, Ray Fisher – the actor who portrayed the mostly-mechanical superhero Victor Stone / Cyborg in Zack Snyder and Joss Whedon’s Justice League – will reportedly not be returning to the […]
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Richard Erdman, Community’s Leonard, Dead Aged 93
Beloved actor of over seven decades of movies and television, Richard Erdman, has passed away at the age of 93. Richard Erdman had roles in an enormous range of projects, from The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and Stalag 17, to Tora! Tora! Tora!, Where’s Raymond?, Anything Goes, I Dream of Jeannie and The Beverly […]
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Box Office: Captain Marvel Remains On Top, Nearing $800 Million
Captain Marvel has retained her title as the queen of the box office for a second week running, as the feature nears the $800 million mark worldwide. The 21st entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe fought off domestic newcomers Wonder Park ($16 million) and Five Feet Apart ($13 million) comfortably, with an unflappable $69 million […]
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The Prodigy ★★
Director: Nicholas McCarthy Stars: Taylor Schilling, Jackson Robert Scott, Colm Feore Released: Friday, March 15th (UK) If Orphan was your defacto favourite comedy of 2009 (it was mine, I admit), then strap yourself in for The Prodigy – a no-frills cheap-and-cheerful studio horror flick with every illusion going as to just what you can and […]
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Ben is Back ★★★
Director: Peter Hedges Stars: Julia Roberts, Lucas Hedges, Kathryn Newton Released: Friday, March 15th (UK) Considering the thud with which the Timothée Chalamet-led Beautiful Boy sank like a stone upon release, you’d be forgiven for not mustering up entirely too much enthusiasm for a similarly-pitched Lucas Hedges drama from the director and co-writer...
Shazam! Eyeing $40+ Million Debut Weekend
Warner Bros.’ upcoming latest entry in their DC Extended Universe, Shazam!, is reportedly eyeing upwards of a $40 million opening weekend at the domestic box office. Those are good numbers, especially given that with an $80 million price tag, Shazam! cost less than half of last year’s Aquaman – which outperformed expectations for an $80 […]
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Marvel Studios Reissues Endgame Poster Following Backlash Over Danai Gurira Omission
After the actress Danai Gurira began trending on Twitter, Marvel Studios caved to social media pressure and reissued the new Avengers: Endgame poster last night with a slight tweak. The controversy began when eagle-eyed fans noticed that Danai Gurira, who portrays the Wakandan leader of the Dora Milaje, Okoye, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe...
Rian Johnson’s Knives Out Wraps Filming
Star Wars: The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson’s next project, the contemporary neo-noir detective-thriller Knives Out, has wrapped filming. In a post to social media, Johnson commented on how he was still in the process of editing the film down, but had otherwise wrapped production on the feature. Knives Out will be a classically-styled...
MOVIE REVIEW: Finding Steve McQueen
(Image courtesy of Momentum Pictures)
FINDING STEVE MCQUEEN— 3 STARS
Heist movies can tell you a crazy story or show you one. Go down an expansive list of the best. Some are strong in the gift of gab while others thrive on performing physical dexterity and thrills....
