Top 10 Space Films
10. Mass Effect
9. V
8. Halo 3
7. Mass Effect 2
6. Silver Surfer
5. Scion 2
4. The Carpet Makers
3. Halo 4
2. Mass Effect: Silent Assassins
1. Scion
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
Top 10 Space Films
Top 10 Space Films
10. Mass Effect
9. V
8. Halo 3
7. Mass Effect 2
6. Silver Surfer
5. Scion 2
4. The Carpet Makers
3. Halo 4
2. Mass Effect: Silent Assassins
1. Scion
Release: Bone
Genre: Fantasy/Family/Animation
Director: Jennifer Yuh Nelson
Writer: Wesley Campbell
Based on the comic series
Cast: Elijah Wood, Paul Giamatti, Bill Hader, Rose Leslie, Jessica Walters, John Goodman, Zach Galifianakis, Jemaine Clement, Jack McBrayer, Patrick Stewart, Willem Dafoe, Kathleen Turner
Budget: $120,000,000
Domestic Box Office: $48,499,011
Foreign Box Office: $82,740,174
Total Profit: -$97,294,302
Reaction: Ouch! The studio hasn't made a lot of animated films, but aside from The Banded Ants series, they have all been pretty massive failures at the box office. This is only writer Wesley Campbell's second film for the studio, but his films have already lost a combined $221 million (his first film was the animated Saga).
"Not even the excellent voice cast and fun animation can save Bone from being a messy, incoherent film with far too episodic of a plot, if you can call it a plot." - Lisa Winger, Newsday
"The story may be all over the place, but the characters are fun and the voice cast well-selected. I'd probably have more kind things to say about the film if it weren't so relentlessly long." - Brian Edelstein, Time Out
"The concept of Bone is fun, but the story is directionless and meanders from one aside to another for a very lengthy run-time without any strong goal to consistently push the story forward." - Charles Yost, Oregonian
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Rated PG for scenes of fantasy action violence
Monday, April 29, 2019
Now Showing: Bone
Genre: Fantasy/Family/Animation
Director: Jennifer Yuh Nelson
Writer: Wesley Campbell
Based on the comic series
Cast: Elijah Wood, Paul Giamatti, Bill Hader, Rose Leslie, Jessica Walters, John Goodman, Zach Galifianakis, Jemaine Clement, Jack McBrayer, Patrick Stewart, Willem Dafoe, Kathleen Turner
Plot: Two weeks after being run out of Boneville, the three Bone cousins, Fine (Elijah Wood), Phony (Paul Giamatti) and Smiley (Bill Hader), are suffering from quickly diminishing supplies and are stuck inside an uncharted desert. Smiley finds a map, but it is hand-drawn and crudely made. After quarreling, the cousins get attacked by a swarm of locusts and are separated.
Fone Bone barely escapes and falls off a cliff. He climbs onto the other side of the cliff and discovers a trail of Smiley's cigar butts. After following the trail, Fone Bone falls asleep whereupon the Rat Creatures come to see if he is the one they are looking for. They realize it is not him and plan to eat him, but are chased away by a dragon. After hiking through the mountain range using the map as a reference, he makes it to The Valley. While looking around, he meets Ted the Bug (Zach Galifianakis) who tells him to find a person named Thorn, who could help him return home. Ted also warns him of winter being around the corner: a time where no one can enter or exit the Valley. Ted runs off when Fone Bone is again attacked by the Rat Creatures.
He escapes due to one of the Rat Creatures calling the other fat. Fone Bone looks for Ted but he is unable to find him. He takes a drink from a river and then sits under the tree nearby. He worries about getting out, saying the valley is too weird for him. A blanket of snow then falls on the ground marking the beginning of winter, marking his point.
Fone almost freezes to death till someone finds him and rescues him. Fone wakes up in heavy blankets as he is startled by the hooded figure. The figure takes her hood off and shows she’s a beautiful young woman. Fone develops a crash by her appearance. She tells Fone Bone that her name is Thorn (Rose Leslie). Unfortunately for Fone Bone, she has never heard of Boneville but offers to help by letting him stay at the farmhouse which Fone Bone accepts.
At the farmhouse Fone Bone helps Thorn with the chores while waiting for Gran'ma Ben (Jessica Walters). Fone Bone shows Thorn what's in his knapsack including the map they found in the desert which Thorn finds familiar. They hear Phony lecturing Smiley about getting lost and Fone rolls his eyes. Fone introduces Rose to his cousin to which Smiley warmly welcomes but Phony demands to eat. Just then Gran’ma, an old but sturdy woman, gets home in an elaborate way. Phony Bone meets Gran'ma Ben and instantly gets on her bad side.
The day before the spring fair Fone Bone and Phony Bone do chores around the farmhouse. After Fone Bone tells Phony about the great cow race and how they bet on the races. Phony Bone thinks of a new scam and runs off to Barrelhaven. While traveling to Barrelhaven, Phony Bone encounters the two rat creatures and Kingdok (Jemaine Clement). He overhears that they are looking for a “small bald creature with a star on its chest". The rat creatures are summoned to a high council by "The Hooded One" (Kathleen Turner) who sends every rat creature in the valley to attack the farmhouse.
The rat creatures surround the farmhouse and Gran'ma Ben tells Fone Bone and Thorn to run while she fights off the rat creatures. While running the two get surrounded by rat creatures and Fone Bone calls out for The Great Red Dragon's (Patrick Stewart) help. The dragon appears and chases the army away. The dragon returns Fone Bone and Thorn to the farmhouse to find it destroyed. Phony Bone arrives at the Barrelhaven Tavern and finds Smiley Bone who is working there as a bartender. He also meets Lucius Down (John Goodman), the owner of the tavern and gets on his bad side as well. Phony learns that they don't use money here, meaning that he has to work at the tavern to pay of his debt.
Fone Bone, Thorn, and The Great Red Dragon find Gran'ma Ben alive. Upon seeing the dragon, Gran'ma Ben isn't as surprised as Thorn is, they both greet admitting that it's been awhile and leaves. Phony Bone now has to work for Lucius to pay off his debt since they don't use money here and while he plans his scam to get rich, he is visited by The Hooded One who claims that he wants his soul (and the death of Fone Bone, because he woke up the Great Red Dragon). Fone Bone, Thorn and Gran'ma Ben arrive at Barrelhaven.
Phony claims he has no idea why they did so but Fone Bone refuses to believe him. Smiley Bone has also arrived and has an unconvincing cow suit. Later at night, Thorn has a dream about her as a young child in the dragon's cave. Right after she wakes up Fone Bone and tells him not to wake the others. She tells Fone Bone that she used to have this dream as a little girl, but it eventually stopped. After Fone Bone showed her the map, she started having the dreams again, and she also claims that she drew the map. They decide to tell Gran'ma Ben about all this after this after the race, so she isn't stressed out before the race.
Everybody now seems to be betting on the Mystery Cow instead of Gran'ma Ben, but Lucius talks to Jonathon Oaks (Jack McBrayer), who tells him about how that they are betting on the Mystery Cow instead of Gran'ma Ben; however Lucius tells them that Phony Bone is playing them for a bunch of saps. They then demand that Phony shows them the cow or they'll take back their livestock and destroy his booth. When they go to see they hear a great deal of noise and racket, and are convinced there is a monstrous cow inside. They head to the race; sure it will beat Gran'ma Ben. Meanwhile, Fone Bone meets Ted the Bug, who gives him advice on his romance with Thorn. Ted convinces Fone Bone to write love poems for Thorn. While he is making poems, the Two Rat Creatures attack him again, and he runs for his life.
Phony’s plan suddenly goes wrong when Lucius bets the Barrelhaven Tavern on Gran'ma Ben to win. Knowing it will take ages to pay off that debt, Phony lets Smiley know that he has to win but ends up in the cow suit with him. When Gran'ma Ben tries to get a good look at the Mystery Cow, they fall off the ridge they had been running on while trying to avoid her and land in a pack of sleeping Rat Creatures, who awake and begin to chase them. Fone Bone, who has now caught up, runs side by side with a startlingly cheerful Smiley, while Phony wishes for his death. While they run the cows and Rat Creatures cross each other causing the race to fall into disaster, and Gran'ma Ben wins in the confusion.
Phony Bone and Smiley Bone are now forced to work off their debt by repairing Gran'ma Ben's Farm and working for Lucius at the Barrelhaven Tavern. While in the woods Smiley sees something move in the bushes but Lucius couldn't find anything so Gran'ma Ben tells them to be quiet until they get to the farm. Fone Bone looks around and sees the dragon watching them meaning they're safe. Fone Bone falls asleep. Morning has come and The Two Rat Creatures are now hiding, fearing what their punishment might be for starting a ruckus. Lucius and Gran'ma Ben discuss the situation. After their talk, everybody goes to sleep.
Lucius and Smiley Bone are reshingling the roof and Lucius gets very angry because of Smiley's low intelligence. Lucius implies that Smiley must have been the village idiot after Smiley suggests replacing the caved-in roof with a glass ceiling so they can have a Jacuzzi.
After a while, an enraged Lucius attempts to get Smiley, but accidently slams his hatchet on the rope holding him in place. After about one page of bangs and crashes as Lucius falls off the roof, Smiley says, "It ain't Boneville, but it'll do."
Thorn discusses some of her dreams with Fone Bone, stating that she's almost afraid to go to sleep at night. They see Phony and Smiley along the way, trying to create a romantic dinner for chickens so he can get eggs to pay off his debts.
Meanwhile, the Two Rat Creatures have been in hiding for four days, and the quiche loving one is getting twitchy. Soon after, the two are discovered by Kingdok. However, due to Kingdok's dislike of the villagers, Gran'ma Ben, and the cow races, he lets them live and rewards them with preskinned rabbits, and they faint in relief. Thorn falls asleep during night duty. She dreams that she is in Deren Gard as a little girl. She goes outside into a garden with a flute, and The Hooded One appears. Suddenly turning into a grown, queen like woman, Thorn looks around for The Hooded One, and sees him in the forest. When The Hooded One takes off the hood, it shows a face belonging to Fone Bone, and tells Thorn to come to him. Right before they make contact, Thorn wakes up.
Fone Bone goes outside, he realizes that he overslept. Walking around, he meets up with Ted. Ted tells him it's already the afternoon and asks him how his love poetry is doing. After panning his choice on a previous poem, Ted jumps off, and an irritated Fone Bone walks off to work on another. THIS poem almost gets spotted by Thorn as Fone Bone is writing (he quickly hides it before she can really see what it is) She asks him if he remembered his dream (the one that she saw him in while she was on watch duty). He recollected the dream in short fashion, then asked her if she had any dreams. She told him her dream, also mentioned that him, or at least his face, was in the dream as well, and then left to continue with her work. Bashful Bone, however, didn't notice this, and pulled out some flowers for her...only to find out that the DRAGON had taken her place. When asked about the dream Fone Bone had, the Dragon merely mentioned that both Bone and Thorn's dreams were intruded (the Dragon reveals that he purposely invaded Fone Bone's dream by saying "Welcome aboard, Ishmael.").
At that, the Dragon walks off, leaving Bone to angrily stammer and finally tell/yell at the Dragon to stay out of his dreams, all the while wondering how the Dragon knew. Two distractions aside, he continues on his poems...only to be spotted writing them by Smiley and Phony, who, almost immediately, takes the poems and starts reading them. Phony, at this time, thinks that Fone Bone is starting to look like "a drooling idiot" to Thorn...until Fone Bone reveals he hasn't shown them to her. Then Phony claims that Fone Bone is getting a little too obedient to them; Fone Bone says that Gran'ma Ben has been giving them a home and food; the LEAST they could do would be to help out with the chores. Phony points out that Fone Bone hasn't seen Smiley and Phony drop what they're doing everytime Thorn and Gran'ma Ben snap their fingers...right when a bell rings-the dinner bell, as Smiley and Phony deem it as-and the two cousins run toward the noise, with Fone Bone trailing behind. However, they found Gran'ma waiting behind the house for them; they weren't going to be eating dinner yet, because the Bones were going to be making it. She sends Smiley with a pot to get some hot water and brings Fone Bone and Phony to the chickens, where their job is to kill four chickens and dip them in the water that Smiley would bring back.
At the mere mention of how they were going to kill them, they fainted, leaving Gran'ma to kill them herself, which she does, muttering to herself angrily, "City boys!"
Some nights later, Phony Bone and Smiley get roughly woken up by Lucius; the harvest is over, and they are now his! By now, the rest of the folks are up and while packing up the wagon to Barrelhaven, Fone Bone is given a choice to stay with Gran'ma & Thorn or go with Lucius and his cousins. He chooses Gran'ma and Thorn.
Ever since Phony Bone claimed he was a dragon slayer, he was the town's people's favorite and he was on his way for winning the bet. A hooded figure rests in the Barrelhaven tavern who the villagers call a Stick-Eater. When Smiley comes to get receive payment from the stranger, Lucius advises him not to and gives the pilgrim his share on his behalf. Wendell didn't believe it was wise to provide the stick-eater a meal claiming they were in cahoots with the dragons, when Lucius asked if he had any problem with it, Wendell answered no, but he would receive his beers from Smiley from now on.
Fone Bone, Thorn, and Gran'ma Ben continue their trek to Barrelhaven. Upon reaching an overlook of the village, Fone Bone remarks that the Barrelhaven looks peaceful, to which Gran'ma Ben warns that "looks can be deceiving."
At the tavern, dragons are on the villagers' minds. Lucius becomes infuriated at the town's obsession, and Phony and Smiley muse over their plans, with Phony admitting he has no plans to slay a dragon, as they aren't really dangerous. When Jonathan Oaks orders from their end of the bar, Lucius confronts Phony in the pantry. To Phony’s protests, he plans to call off the bet, as he doesn't find it worth riling up a mob, and because Phony is disrespecting the Dragons' wishes to remain hidden. Phony challenges Lucius to tell the villagers the truth, but leaves him fuming when he makes no action to do so.
In the woods, Gran'ma suffers an attack of the Gitchy Feeling. The trio is ambushed by one of the Two Stupid Rat creatures.
The Two Stupid Rat Creatures bicker over whether to bake Fone Bone, Thorn, and Gran'ma Ben in a quiche, or make stew from their bones. They are interrupted by Gran'ma Ben, attacking them with her sword. They retreat, and Gran'ma gives Thorn her sword, which agitates the rat creatures. Gran'ma suggests that Thorn may be close to The Turning. She interrogates one of the Two Stupid Rat Creatures, who confesses that they have been ordered to evacuate the valley, but is interrupted by Kingdok, who knocks out Thorn and Fone Bone, and attacks Gran'ma Ben. Fone Bone comes to, and calls for the Dragon's help.
Kingdok continues to throw Gran'ma Ben through the woods, hitting her against a tree and discussing how much he hates the Flat-Landers. As he is about to kill her, Thorn ambushes Kingdok and slices off his arm with Gran'ma's sword. He suffers an attack of the Gitchy Feeling, and hallucinates Gran'ma and thorn as queen and princess respectively. He cries out, and the Two Stupid Rat Creatures escort him off into the night. Fone Bone finds Gran'ma Ben and Thorn, and dress Gran'ma's wounds as she warns Thorn that the Lord of the Locusts (Willem Dafoe) is seeking her.
In the woods, Kingdok has collapsed and the Two Stupid Rat Creatures are in a panic. They try to stop the bleeding and one blames the other for attacking the trio. They realize what the Hooded One will do to them if Kingdok dies, but soon realize that he is the only one who knows they disobeyed the evacuation order, and if he dies the Hooded One will blame Thorn and Gran'ma Ben. They agree to flee and go into hiding, and they abandon Kingdok in the forest.
Thorn bandages Gran'ma Ben, who explains that Thorn is a Veni-Yan-Cari, one who can walk between the Realms of the Awaken and Dreaming. Fone Bone volunteers to defend Thorn, and Gran'ma Ben suggests that the Hooded One may be a rogue Disciple of Venu - an ancient religion that studies the dreams. She is afraid that the Hooded One will sacrifice either Thorn or Phony to free the Lord of the Locusts, and decides to take Thorn to Atheia. Thorn refuses and lashes out at Gran'ma. Despite Gran'ma's protests, Thorn storms off into the woods. Gran'ma gives Fone Bone her sword, and an amulet, and tells him to find Thorn and warn Lucius about the Lord of the Locusts. Fone Bone races after Thorn, and Gran'ma Ben runs into the forest. Fone Bone gives Thorn the sword, and they reach Barrelhaven - which has been walled off. Jonathan Oaks explains that Lucius never came back from his search. Jon refuses to let Fone Bone and Thorn in, under orders from the new boss - Phony Bone.
Once again, The Hooded One comes before the Locust. She reports that the men of Pawa have allied themselves with the Locust and the Rat creatures, that Thorn, the Red Dragon, the Bones, and Gran'ma Ben are all in Barrelhaven, and that Kingdok was badly wounded, which may mean Thorn is turning. The Hooded One questions the Locust's plans, but the Locust assures her that it is her above all else who the Locust loves. If she frees him, she will never lose him again.
Fone Bone, Smiley Bone, and Thorn's search party find no trace of Gran'ma Ben or Lucius, and Phony invites Fone Bone to dinner. Thorn goes to sleep in the tower room, watched by the Hooded One.
Phony and Smiley admit their scheme to get out of their debt and back to Boneville in style, which Fone Bone refuses. He tries to explain to Phony the issue with Thorn, but all his attempts are dismissed. He storms out, leaving Phony and Smiley to revise their plan. Fone Bone encounters a baby rat creature, which leans on him, pinnign him against a tree.
Thorn dreams she is on a cliff with her grandmother, who enters a sinister cave. A hooded figure in the image of a young Gran'ma Ben beckons to her, and attempts to take her hand. She is interrupted by Fone Bone, who wakes Thorn up. He presents the cub to Thorn, who threatens to kill it if he doesn't kick it out.
Jon sees Lucius approach the gate, and rouses Phony and Smiley. The villagers clear the logs, and ask for word on Gran'ma Ben. Lucius admits he couldn't find her. Fone Bone pulls Smiley away from the crowd, and takes him to the stables. Phony greets Lucius, who is enraged at the new "security measures." He realizes, however, that the village supports Phony, and decides to sleep in the barn instead of Phony’s offer of the kitchen.
Fone Bone shows Smiley the cub, which he takes to immediately, feeding it a sandwich. Lucius enters the barn and Fone Bone gives him the amulet. Lucius realizes it's the Nights of Lightning all over again, and Fone Bone explains why he was yelling the other night. Smiley wonders if Thorn will allow him to wear the crown.
The villagers agree that it's time for Phony to earn his keep. Lucius, Fone Bone, and Smiley visit Thorn, who breaks down in Lucius's arms. The Lord of the Locusts speaks through The Hooded one to the Rat Creatures and Pawans, and rallies them to take up arms against the Flat-Landers.
Fone Bone argues that rat cub must go to the mountains, to be with the other rat creatures. Smiley suggests that they do it themselves. Thorn comes in to apologize for her behavior, and announces that she is returning to the farmhouse. Despite Fone Bone's protests, she leaves the sword behind and leaves the barn. Fone Bone and Smiley follow her, but Smiley is distracted by Phony making a speech about the morals of the village, and orders the townspeople to bring their valuables to him. Lucius admits that dragons exist, and Phony accuses him of allying himself with them. Phony announces that all the valuables will be used as bait to catch and kill a dragon. Lucius explains to Smiley that the only way to discover dragons for oneself is to be taught that they are make-believe. Fone Bone returns from the tavern without Thorn, and wonders to the whereabouts of Gran'ma Ben.
The Lord of the Locusts sends the Pawans and rat creatures to destroy their respective enemies, and sends Kingdok to capture Thorn and the Bones.
Thorn leaves a letter for Fone Bone on her dresser and wanders off in search of the farmhouse.
Fone Bone and Smiley jump the wall, and Smiley runs off with the cub, pursued by Fone Bone.
Phony orders Jon to get the wagons ready to go to the Dragon's Stair and to search for Fone Bone and Smiley. He is confronted by Ted, who he tells about his plan to scam the village. Ted warns Phony that his thieving days will catch up to him. He finds the barn empty, with nothing but Gran'ma's sword. When he leaves, a mysterious hand takes the sword.
Thorn falls asleep in the forest, and four hooded figures place the sword in front of her and trigger a dream in which she is approached by the Great Red Dragon. She looks into a light and sees rat creatures. Then her grandmother, and then Fone Bone, but will not say if they are alright. Fed up, Thorn decides to go to her friends, to which the Dragon notes that she is already awake. She wakes up, and races back to the village.
Phony prepares the cows to move out all the treasure, to the cheers of the villagers. The group reaches the Dragon's Stair and Phony orders the terrified villagers to set up a crude snare while he makes a trail with the treasure. He is confronted by Ted once more, who admits he wants Phone out of the valley as much as anybody. The snare triggers, and Phony approaches the Great Red Dragon, caught in the trap. The Dragon admits to seeing the trap, thinking Phony needed a dragon to fool the townspeople. The villagers tie the Dragon's head down, and force a knife into Phony’s hand, threatening to kill him if he doesn't kill the Dragon.
He is interrupted by Thorn, who demands to know what is happening. As they are arguing, one spots fire coming from their town, and mistakes it for the dragons. A group of rat creatures approach the crowd and Thorn faces them, accompanied by the four hooded figures who returned her sword. They push the rat creatures back, and Phony frees the dragon who chases them off. Thorn orders the villagers to get their supplies, and takes off with Phony to find Lucius back in the burning village. The shocked villagers prepare for war.
Sunday, April 28, 2019
The Roundup with Jeff Stockton (Season 11 Round 4)
I was surprised not only to see a new Police Story film, but I'm also surprised to see it make a profit to be honest. But there you have it. It was smartly cast and the studio made a good decision keeping it mid-budget.
2. Jamie Dornan
Jamie Dornan is quietly on his way to a memorable season. He holds his own in Police Story, not that he's asked to do too much. And now he's been announced as a member of the cast of the historical film Radisson, which is surely set to be a high-profile release. Will he make it to three films this season?
1. DC Comics Universe
Vixen doesn't sound particularly interesting to me as a film-goer, although it is interesting to see other writers start to write DC films. Hopefully they can come close to matching the quality we've come to expect in the Universe from writers APJ (Green Arrow, Batman: Caped Crusader), Chad Taylor (The Booster Gold Series), D.R. Cobb (The Question Series), Dominic Wilkins (Metamorpho) and Mo Buck (Captain Atom). The announcement of a Batman character appearing in Martian Manhunter is also very intriguing. Could this mean Batman showing up in the next Justice League film?
This round has to have one of the lowest average Metascores in the studio's history, with a whopping average of 25.
2. The Devil in the White City
This film should have been great. But it is frustrating that the film's story lines never came together, like it frankly should have. You can pull off parallel story lines like this in television and books, but on the big screen we really need to see one story - that's kind of the point of a movie in the first place. So honestly, it's hard to even consider this to be a movie in the first place.
1. Metal Gear Solid 2
I needed multiple attempts to get through this one. It was WAY too long, featured a truly dull performances, and rarely made sense due to the overuse of techinical details that had no bearing on the overall story. It somehow managed to make money, but if a third film is going to make any money it's going to have to be better than this.
Release: The Devil in the White City
Genre: Historical/Crime
Director: David Fincher
Writer: Jimmy Ellis
Based on the novel by Erik Larsen
Cast: Russell Crowe, Benjamin Walker, John C. Reilly, George MacKay, Rainn Wilson, Neal McDonough, Michael Gambon, Michael Stuhlbarg, Sam Elliot, Giovanni Ribisi, Emilia Clarke, Sarah Hyland, Olivia Wilde
Budget: $75,000,000
Domestic Box Office: $59,637,112
Foreign Box Office: $53,904,541
Total Profit: -$57,448,097
Reaction: The film unfortunately ends Russell Crowe's hot streak at the box office, following the success of Kite, Skyrim and Scion. Historical films tend to be risky due to the expense involved, and clearly this project was no different.
"Individually Crowe and Walker both do great work with their characters, but I fail to see the point of the film. Our main characters never meet and their storylines never intersect, leading me to the question: what was the point of the film?" - Tim Durand, San Francisco Chronicle
"On paper, this is a film that should work and that people should like. In execution, it is a film completely lacking in excitement. The film has an excellent production design, but other than that, I expected more from this cast and crew than the disjointed, uneven film we got." - Willa Pulaski, Salon.com
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Rated R for graphic violence and gore.
Saturday, April 27, 2019
In Development
Radisson: Gary Cole (Stray Dogs, Metamorpho), Alexander Ludwig (An Ember in the Ashes, Resident Evil), Zahn McClarnon ("The Sone", "Nez Perce") and Natalie Dormer (Nexus, Booster Gold) have signed on to appear in the Joe Wright-directed historical film Radisson. Cole will portray a governor, Ludwig will play one of his knights, McClarnon will play a Native Radisson (Christian Bale) encounters, and Dormer will play Radisson's sister. Mo Buck penned the screenplay.
Oh Johnny Boy: Alex Conn's directorial debut has added the talents of Mark Strong (Bioshock, La Resistance), Laura Dern (Cold Pursuit, Downsizing), Jean Dujardin (La Resistance, The Queen of the Night), Alexandra Shipp (Straight Outta Compton, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas) and Katherine Langford (Haute Couture, The Host). Strong and Dern will play Chalamet's parents, Dujardin will play a pastor, while Shipp and Langford have been cast as psychiatric patients.
Vixen: The Totems of Zambesi: Anika Noni Rose (Assassination Nation, Half of a Yellow Sun), Mark Rylance (A Farewell to Arms, Salem's Lot), Jimmy Tatro ("American Vandal", 22 Jump Street) and Mekhi Phifer (Divergent, "Lie to Me") have joined the DC Comics Universe film Vixen: The Totems of Zambesi. Rose and Phifer will play Vixen's parents, Rylance will play a college profesor and Tatro will play one of his students. Steven Caple Jr. is directing the film from a script by Jimmy Ellis and H.G. Hansen.
Suzanne: Sally Potter (The Party, Ginger & Rosa) has signed on to direct a film based on the Oscar-nominated short film, Marguerite, about an elderly woman who reveals her past to her nurse. Lupita Nyong'o (Us, Mass Effect: The Shadow Broker) has signed on to play the nurse, Rosemary Harris (Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, This Means War) will play the title character, while Rosamund Pike (Mass Effect: Silent Assassins, Strangers Friends) will play a younger version of Suzanne. Ann Morrow (Haute Couture, Decrescendo) and Harry Wright (Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Lucky Luke and Billy the Kid) penned the adaptation.
Long Time: Ethan Hawke (The Troop, Runaway) and Naomi Watts (Stained, Jack the Ripper) have signed on to star in a film from writer Chad Taylor (Hands on a Hard Body, Ghost Town) and director Mike Mills (Thumbsucker, Beginners). Hawke will play a middle-aged man attending his 30th high school reunion, and Watts will play a former classmate he had a crush on.
Interview: Jimmy Ellis
In this edition of Interview, Last Resort Films president Phil Dolan sits down with one of the studio's newest writers, Jimmy Ellis (Missing Men) to discuss his upcoming slate of films.
PD: Your first film for the studio, last season's Missing Men, was a moderate success. It's pretty rare that a writer starts out with an original story, how did that project come about?
JE: I started writing Missing Men a few years ago now, I don't really know why I wrote a war film, it may have something to do with me liking those types of War/Thriller films. Originally I did not know where I was going with the story but as I sat down and started writing, more ideas came to me. I was basing the character of Aleksandr Kuznetsov (Jared Leto's character) on something I thought Tom Hardy could take as his own and run with it. He in the end did not take the role, however I feel Jared did an excellent job with what was given to him.
PD: Your next film, The Devil in the White City, is based on a book that has been the subject to multiple big screen attempts, including from the likes of Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio. What do you think it is about the story that makes it prime for a cinematic adaptation?
JE: Yes, it has been the subject of big screen attempts many a time. I believe that The Devil in the White City deserves to be on the big screen, because of the events that happened at this time, the worlds fair being the backdrop of H.H Holmes murders. The intriguing manner in which all had happened is another draw as well. I just hope that David and the producers can capture the setting, when the film releases.
PD: You also have a DC Comics film, based on the character Vixen, due out later this season. What can you tell us about that project?
JE: Yes, my next release after The Devil In The White City will be, Vixen: The Totems of Zambesi. I Co-wrote this project with H.G Hansen and we feel like we did her justice. A lot of people may be shocked as she is not the only hero, in this film. Stay tuned and watch the film to find out who those other heroes are. Some may not like the route we took with changing some origins but we feel it fits into the story and the grand scheme of things well.
PD: Are there any other projects you're working on that you want to mention?
JE: Yeah I am currently working on a few films, one being an adaptation of Sebastian Barry's book Days Without End. Also an adaptation of the book Kindred. Along with a few more original stories, another war film, a western and a couple of dramas. Also a few more DC Universe films (of other characters in Vixen: The Totems of Zambesi).
PD: What are some of your favorite LRF releases?
JE: Well I have a fair amount of favorite releases from LRF, more recently I have enjoyed films such as Ghost Town, Justice League International and 7 Days. Along with the Batman films, Mandingos, Spark of Madness and the Booster Gold films. I am looking forward to seeing what Chad Taylor does with the 3rd installment. Also The Question series, a masterpiece along the lines of The Dark Knight Trilogy.
Friday, April 26, 2019
Now Showing: The Devil in the White City
Genre: Historical/Crime
Director: David Fincher
Writer: Jimmy Ellis
Based on the novel by Erik Larsen
Cast: Russell Crowe, Benjamin Walker, John C. Reilly, George MacKay, Rainn Wilson, Neal McDonough, Michael Gambon, Michael Stuhlbarg, Sam Elliot, Giovanni Ribisi, Emilia Clarke, Sarah Hyland, Olivia Wilde
Plot: In 1890, Chicago is a rapidly growing city and eager to prove itself to the more established Eastern cities of the United States. Propelled by its huge civic pride, Chicago wins its bid to host the World’s Fair. Soon after, two of the city’s leading architects, Daniel Burnham (Russell Crowe) and John Root (John C. Reilly), are given artistic control over the buildings at the Fair.
At the same time that Burnham and Root are assembling an architectural team, a young, handsome, blue-eyed doctor who calls himself H. H. Holmes (Benjamin Walker) arrives in Chicago. Holmes, who was born Herman Mudgett, is immensely attractive to women, in part because he breaks the traditional rules of courtship. He has already married a woman named Clara, but he abandons her quickly. In Chicago, he enjoys the disgusting smells of the slaughterhouses that are the major industry of the city, and quickly purchases a drugstore that becomes popular because he attracts female customers. Holmes marries a woman named Myrta (Emilia Clarke) while he’s still married to Clara, but immediately begins to neglect her. He uses forgery and deception to buy a nearby building, which he converts into a grim hotel. Despite the fact that the building contains rooms and equipment that are clearly designed for murder, Holmes attracts very little attention, since he fires workers frequently, and since Chicagoans can’t imagine that a serial killer could live in their city. From the workers he hires, he assembles a group of accomplices that includes Benjamin Pitezal (George Mackay) and Charles Chappell (Rainn Wilson). He forges the signature of Myrta’s wealthy great-uncle, Jonathan, and invites him to stay in his new hotel. Long afterwards, Jonathan thinks that Holmes tried and failed to kill him in the middle of the night.
Burnham and Root painstakingly assemble a team of renowned architects from around the country, including Charles McKim (Neal Mcdonagh), Frederick Olmsted (Michael Gambon), and Louis Sullivan (Michael Stuhlbarg), and they begin to work on their designs for the Fair. The group agrees to hold the exposition on the grounds of Jackson Park, overlooking Lake Michigan. Root dies suddenly; Burnham, while crushed by his friend’s passing, resolves to continue working on the Fair. The architects unveil their buildings for the Fair, and Burnham urges them to work together, so that no one building outdoes the others. Sullivan angrily objects to the neoclassical style of the World’s Fair, but the other architects agree to this aesthetic. Olmsted, who designed Central Park in New York, travels around to New York and Europe in search of flowers and exotic boats to decorate the grounds of Jackson Park, arguing with Burnham frequently. Burnham, who is enormously stressed by the prospect of building an entire city in only two years, supervises the construction of the buildings at the World’s Fair, negotiating with unions and his overly bureaucratic board of directors.
While the World’s Fair is being built, Holmes attracts visitors from around the country to his “World’s Fair Hotel,” located near Jackson Park. These visitors include Ned and Julia Conner (Sarah Hyland), and Julia’s sister, Gertrude. Holmes seduces Gertrude and cons Ned into taking ownership of his failing drugstore; both leave the hotel, disgusted and disillusioned. Holmes next charms Julia, impregnates her, and murders her in his basement. Holmes also murders Emeline Cigrand (Olivia Wilde), a beautiful woman who finds him attractive. Though Holmes kills her in his hotel, he attracts very little attention from the lodgers.
Burnham, who urges the architects and engineers of America to build a structure that can match the Eiffel Tower in Paris, awards a Fair concession to George Ferris, the designer of the Ferris Wheel. Design on the Wheel proceeds slowly; meanwhile, other buildings are damaged by rain and snow. Burnham’s friend Francis Millet (Sam Elliot) suggests that the buildings be painted white, giving them a distinctive appearance that earns the World’s Fair the nickname “the white city.” In addition to the Ferris Wheel, exhibits planned for the World’s Fair include motion pictures, exotic dancers, and light bulbs — visitors are shocked, entertained, and awestruck. Buffalo Bill brings his Wild West show nearby, drawing tourists away from the Fair. Burnham argues with the board of directors, which, pressured by the failure of numerous banks in the economic recession of 1893, wants to control all the Fair’s expenditures. When the Fair is opened in 1893, it loses money at first, but after the Ferris Wheel is completed and Francis Millet and Sol Bloom organize entertaining dances and exhibits for the Midway, it slowly becomes financially profitable.
As the World’s Fair ends, Holmes sets fire to his hotel in order to collect a large insurance claim. Insurance investigators are skeptical, and his creditors chase him out of town. Holmes kills Benjamin Pitezal, and is eventually arrested when another insurance company investigates Pitezal’s death. Detective Frank Geyer (Giovanni Ribisi) follows Holmes’s path through Indianapolis and Toronto, and uncovers evidence that he has murdered three of Pitezal’s children. Although Holmes denies these crimes, and writes a memoir in which he tries to make himself seem sympathetic, he is sentenced to death. At the end of his life, he claims that he is transforming into the Devil, and various people associated with his execution die mysteriously.
Burnham becomes the greatest architect of his day, and the World’s Fair influences American science and culture in uncountable ways. Sitting on the Olympic, Burnham learns that Francis Millet, who was riding on the Titanic on April 12, has died; Burnham dies shortly afterward. He is buried in Chicago nearby Root, his wife and Sullivan.
Top 10 Crime Films
Top 10 Crime Films
10. Atlantic City
9. Life on Mars
8. Green River
7. The Tower
6. Skin Tight
5. Every Secret Thing
4. Libra
3. White Jazz
2. Blackwater
1. Cape Torment
Thursday, April 25, 2019
Release: Police Story: The Return
Genre: Action
Director: Patrick Hughes
Writer: Meirad Tako
Based on the Police Story film series
Cast: Jackie Chan, Samuel L. Jackson, Jamie Dornan, Andy Lau, Kris Wu
Budget: $50,000,000
Domestic Box Office: $41,997,304
Foreign Box Office: $101,389,328
Total Profit: $9,441,725
Reaction: Clearly the names of Jackie Chan and Samuel L. Jackson still have some draw overseas with the foreign box office carrying this film to a small profit.
"The Police Story franchise, if you want to call it that, didn't really set the bar too high for this film. Unfortunately this film is just as generic as the other films that came before it." - Sean Williamson, Toronto Star
"Samuel L. Jackson does his best to inject some life into the proceedings, while Chan shows that he's still got some life left in that body of his. The end result is very much a mixed bag, but I still had some fun with it." - Paul Onkean, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
"A film like this may have played well 20 years ago, but in this day and age it is harder than ever to stand out in the action genre. Police Story: The Return is structurally sound, but it just doesn't do enough to set itself apart from the rest of the herd of action films." - Mark Rawls, Seattle Times
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Rated PG-13 for violence
In Development
Martian Manhunter: Gina Rodriguez (Miss Bala, "Jane the Virgin") and Edward James Olmos (Blade Runner 2047, "Mayans FC") have joined the cast of the Marshala Ali-led Martian Manhunter film. Olmos will play the scientist who first discovered Martian Manhunter, while Rodriguez will play Olmos' daughter. David Lowery directs from Chad Taylor's script.
Dark Matter: Felicity Jones (American Playboy, Inferno) and Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Lost Planet, Missoula) will join Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Dan Stevens in the sci-fi drama Dark Matter from director Shane Carruth and writer H.G. Hansen. Jones will play Gordon-Levitt's wife, while Winstead will play a woman Gordon-Levitt meets in a parallel universe.
Radisson: The historical drama about the life of Pierre Esprit Radisson has added Jamie Dornan (Police Story: The Return, The Mummy), Gil Birmingham ("Nez Perce", Roanoke), Hugh Laurie (Van Helsing, Star Trek: Enterprise) and Sacha Baron Cohen (Haute Couture, Grimsby) to its ensemble cast. Dornan will play a British officer, Birmingham will play a member of a Native tribe, Laurie will play a governor, and Cohen will play the King of England. Mo Buck penned the script with Joe Wright directing.
Oh Johnny Boy: Timothee Chalamet (Maximum Max, The Host) has signed on to star in Oh Johnny Boy, the directorial debut of writer Alex Conn (The Host, Isla Vista). Chalamet will play a teenager who is committed to a psychiatric hospital for 72 hour observation. Woody Harrelson (Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Splinter Cell: Double Agent) and Mark Ruffalo (The Hunt, Avengers: Endgame) have also signed on to the film. Harrelson will play a sadistic orderly at the hospital, while Ruffalo will play Chalamet's psychiatrist.
Vixen: The Totems of Zambesi: The next film in the studio's DC Comics Universe is set to be based on the character Vixen. Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Shake Hands with the Devil, Missoula) will play a title character. She will be joined by Trevante Rhodes (Runaway, Bird Box), Mustafa Shakir (Ghost Town, "Luke Cage") and Harry Belafonte (BlacKkKlansman, Bobby) in supporting roles. Rhodes will play a mysterious man Vixen meets in Africa, Shakir will play a warlord, while Belafonte will play a healer. Steven Caple Jr. (Creed II, The Land) will direct the film from a script by Jimmy Ellis (Missing Men) and H.G. Hansen (Bioshock, A Little Life).
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
Now Showing: Police Story: The Return
Genre: Action
Director: Patrick Hughes
Writer: Meirad Tako
Based on the Police Story film series
Cast: Jackie Chan, Samuel L. Jackson, Jamie Dornan, Andy Lau, Kris Wu
Plot: Daniel Todd (Samuel L. Jackson) is a veteran in army. But his family was killed by a thief when he was away in duty. He begged to the police to catch the killer but the police couldn't catch him. He was very angry with his shotgun and Riffle he went rampage and kill everyone on the nearest police department. He had done it for sometimes until he decided to move to Hong Kong.
Special Agent Christopher Wayne (Jamie Dornan) was assigned to catch him and drag him back to America. He was sent to Hong Kong police department that willing to help him to catch Daniel.
There he met Commissioner Chan Ka-kui (Jackie Chan) and he give him 2 of his men. Sergeant Renci Lee (Kris Wu) and Inspector Huang Zhang (Andy Lau) to help him on the field while his other man gather the information.
Days of searching, they arrived on an abandoned flat and they caught Daniel there but Sergeant Lee betrayed them and almost killed Inspector Zhang but he was saved by Christopher. A fight cannot be avoided. While Lee and Zhang is having a martial art fighting. Wayne chases Daniel that run to the upper floor.
They are already on the roof and Daniel had no way to run. Daniel punch Wayne's face but Wayne successfully block it. A short fight happened. Wayne almost catch him before he got shot and fall from the edge of the building and landed on the pool below.
Wayne can't remember anything and when he awake he's in the police hospital. Inspector Zhang was found dead with Lee besides him. They were killed by Daniel with a shotgun that destroy their face.
Hearing that, Wayne just solo to locate him. And he found Daniel were gathering his squad and Wayne was spotted and a shoot out begun.
When Wayne was caught suddenly Commissioner Ka-Kui and his men help him and Wayne can catch Daniel.
But suddenly Commissioner Ka-Kui grabbed from the back by Renci and surprised all of them.
No one was able to move but thanks to Ka-kui's experiment he can easily handle it and caught him.
Release: Metal Gear Solid 2
Genre: Action/Sci-Fi
Director: James McTeigue
Writer: Willem Mainwright
Based on the video game series
Cast: Chris Evans, Harrison Ford, Sam Claflin, Max Irons, Stephen Lang, Diego Luna, Gina Torres, Vincent D'Onofrio, Olga Kurylenko, William Fichtner, Kerry Condon, Veronika Bonell
Budget: $122,000,000
Domestic Box Office: $80,451,903
Foreign Box Office: $170,299,777
Total Profit: $2,202,008
Reaction: A HUGE drop-off from the nearly $430 million the first Metal Gear Solid grossed back in Season 3. Because of how much smaller his role is in this film, Chris Evans, was not able to be as prevalent in the marketing materials which may have hurt the box office, plus with the long run-time the film was not able to have as many showings. If it wasn't for the ancillary income, the film surely would have ended up in the red.
"Metal Gear Solid 2 is a convoluted disaster. The film dwells too much on the fictional techno jargon and not nearly enough on finding the solid story within the information." - Jon Farrell, Hollywood Reporter
"I've played the game and I honestly couldn't figure out what was going on half the time. In its attempt to please the video game fans, Metal Gear Solid 2 stays way too close to the game, not allowing the plot or its characters any room to breathe or grow." - Allen Poole, AV Club
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Rated PG-13 for frenetic action violence and some language
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