Now Showing: Hex

Hex
Genre: Western/Action
Director: Chan-wook Park
Writer: Dwight Gallo
Based on DC Comics characters
Cast: Brad Pitt, Kelsey Asbille, Martin Sensmeier, Clancy Brown, Paddy Considine, Gary Cole, Martin Klebba, Vincent Regan

Plot: 1865. Fort Charlotte. Confederate soldier Jonah Hex (Brad Pitt) sits in a Union Army prison cell with other Confederate soldiers, all slowly dying of starvation. Union officer Captain Browning (Clancy Brown) orders his men to bring Hex to him. Browning begins brutally interrogating Hex, trying to get with to give up the location of where the Confederate soldiers are stationed. Hex continues to refuse to answer Browning's questions. Browning sticks his sword in a fire and then presses it against Hex's face. Hex screams in agony, but still does not divulge any information. Browning, frustrated, orders his men to keep burning Hex until he answers. Browning then leaves the room. The Union soldiers continue to torture Hex until he passes out, one half of his face covered in boils, burns and charred flesh. The soldiers then drag Hex's unconscious body to a solitary confinement cell. Browning tells his men in private that they do not have enough food for them and the prisoners in their charge and asks if any of them have any ideas.

Hex finally wakes up. He begins looking for ways out of his confinement. When the bars won't give, he stomps in anger, breaking one of the cell's floorboards. Hex pulls up the board and finds a small tunnel underneath the cell. Hex follows the tunnel to the other cells and breaks his Confederate comrades, including his friend Eddie Cantwell (Vincent Regan), out and has them follow him in the tunnel. Once they make it out of the tunnel and into the day light, they find Browning and his men waiting for them. Browning and his men open fire on Hex and the rest of the unarmed Confederate prisoners, riddling their bodies with bullets. Hex and some of the others attempt to run away into the nearby woods, but are hit with bullets in their backs. Hex, despite being hit by several bullets, keeps moving, escaping Browning and his men.

One year later. Jonah Hex is drinking whiskey in a saloon in Wyoming territory. A loud mouth bandit Lucas MacGill (Paddy Considine) enters the saloon, bragging about escaping the law in Nebraska, ordering drinks for everyone in the bar. Hex turns the drink down, saying he doesn't want a drink purchased with unearned finances. MacGill tells Hex to calm down, that he's just trying to courteous towards the new friends he intends to make in town. Hex gets up and leaves. MacGill throws some money at the barkeep and heads upstairs to find a prostitute. Hex hears the sound of crashing glass from upstairs and heads up a back entrance to the saloon and kicks in a door. There he finds MacGill beating on a young Native prostitute, Talulah Blackhawk (Kelsey Asbille). Hex shoots MacGill in the back of the head. Talulah thanks him and tells Hex that she heard there is a sizable bounty on MacGill's head back in Nebraska and that he should take the body with him and collect the money. Hex drags MacGill's body out of the building, ties him to the back of his horse and starts riding east.

After collecting the bountry for MacGill in Nebraska, Hex meets famed gunfighter and performer Buffalo Bruce (Gary Cole). Buffalo Bruce tells him that he and his Wild West Show are on their way west from Gotham. Buffalo Bruce, impressed by Hex's "unique" appearance, offers him a position as part of his traveling Wild West Show. Hex, thinking that the traveling show would be a decent way to continue bounty hunting from town to town agrees to join the show. Hex meets one of the workers for the show, a Native named called Spotted Balls (Martin Sensmeier), and they quickly bond over their shared interest in quietly drinking. While he befriended Spotted Balls, Hex took an immediate dislike to one of the fellow performers, the trick-shooting midget Long Tom (Martin Klebba), who is cruel to the animals and treats the Natives and blacks working for the show with disdain. In the show, Hex portrays a villain who is bested by Buffalo Bruce in the show's excuse for a narrative.

When they arrive in Wyoming territory for a show, Hex and Spotted Balls head straight to the local saloon. They have several drinks, and when they leave they pass by the sheriff's office to look at the wanted board. Hex deems the reward for most of the posters to not be worth the effort until he spots one for an Eddie Cantwell. Hex tells Spotted Balls that he knew a man named Eddie Cantwell during the War and wonders if it could be the same man. Hex takes the poster and asks the sheriff about it. The sheriff says that Cantwell robbed a few banks in the area. Remembering Cantwell's weakness for prostitutes, Hex heads to the nearest brothel. When Hex gets there he meets Talulah Blackhawk again, although this time she is very pregnant. She tells him she's merely tending bar these days until her baby is born. He asks her if Cantwell has been around. She asks who is wanting to know. Hex tells her he's an old friend from the war and heard he might be in town. Talulah leads Hex to a back room where Cantwell is playing cards. Cantwell is surprised to see Hex there and invites him to sit down for some cards. Hex reminds Cantwell that he's not much of a gambler. Cantwell then offers to buy him a drink at the bar instead. Hex agrees. Talulah pours them both some whiskey. Cantwell asks Hex what he's up to these days, and Hex tells him that he's been making some money working as a bounty hunter. Cantwell's face goes cold. Hex advises Cantwell to keep his hands away from his gun belt, but Cantwell reaches anyways, forcing Hex to gun him down right there at the bar. Suddenly, Talulah begins going into labor and begs Hex to take her to the town's doctor.

Outside of town, Buffalo Bruce's Wild West show is underway. Buffalo Bruce is getting nervous since the show has already started but he hasn't seen any sign of the show's villain, Jonah Hex. Buffalo Bruce throws a tantrum that his show has to be cut short due to Hex's absence. Buffalo Bruce, in a rage, begins beating Spotted Balls to a pulp. Buffalo Bruce then sends Long Tom and some men into town. He tells Long Tom to find Hex and make him pay for ruining the show. Long Tom and the men ride into town. They head to the brothel first to ask if they've seen a man with half a face around town anywhere. They tell him to head to the doctor's office.

At the town doctor, Talulah gives birth to the baby with Hex at her side. She asks Hex for one more favor, if he can take them back to her tribe's village. She explains that she can't have her baby grow up with a whore for a mother, so as much as she hates life in her tribe's village, it will be better for the baby. Hex is hesitant, that is until Talulah offers to pay him. When they leave the office, Hex is confronted by Long Tom, who demands to know why Hex missed the show. Hex explains that Talulah went into labor and needed his help. Long Tom tells his men to kill Hex and the baby, since both appear to be responsible for Hex missing the show, Hex for missing the show, and the baby for being born at the wrong time with the wrong skin color. Hex ushers Talulah and the baby back inside the office and asks the doctor if there's a back door out of there. The doctor, who is hiding under a table, points towards the back. Hex drags Talulah and the baby out of the office, telling her that her money better be good. They sneak behind the buildings on main street to where Hex tied up his horse and get on it. Long Tom spots them on their way out of town and yells for his men to fire on them. They all miss. Long Tom has one of the men help him onto his horse and chases after, commenting that he always has to do all the work around here.

Hex's retreat is cut off when he gets to a canyon blocking his escape route. He hops off his horse and pulls out his rifle. He has Talulah and the baby take cover behind a rock. Hex takes aim on Long Tom. Hex waits for the perfect shot, even as Long Tom fires several shots his way. Once he has the shot he likes, he takes it, hitting Long Tom square in the chest, sending him flying off of his horse. Hex gathers Talulah and the baby and starts riding off towards her tribe's village. They make it to the village, where Talulah is embraced by her tribe, even if they aren't happy that she arrived with a baby. Talulah asks Hex what his name is again, and he tells her it's Jonah Hex. She tells him that she'll name her baby after him.

Jonah Hex walks up on a house in the middle of a field. There he finds Captain Browning in a wheelchair, having had both legs amputated. Browning is not surprised to see Hex. He says that he expected Hex would come looking for him eventually, but that the Indians already did more damage to him than Hex ever could do. Browning wheels over to a table and offers Hex some whiskey. Never one to turn down a drink, Hex accepts. Once Hex finishes his drink he shoots Browning in both arms. He tells Browning that he seems fine without his legs, so lets see how he does without any arms as well. Hex then walks away and into a town where he pulls a wanted poster for the Charlotte Gang down off the wanted wall.

Release: Teslin, Yukon

Teslin, Yukon
Genre: Drama
Director: Stephen Dunn
Writer: James Morgan
Cast: David Harbour, Ron Perlman, Allison Tolman, Ann Dowd, Forest Whitaker, William Fichtner, William H. Macy, Mickey Rourke, Alfie Allen, Haley Joel Osment, Dale Dickey, Ellen Burstyn




Budget: $29,000,000
Domestic Box Office: $20,337,184
Foreign Box Office: $18,900,021
Total Profit: -$18,729,235

Reaction: We were obviously hoping the film would break even, but the cast turned out to be a bit expensive and the plot - a small town drama about the closing of a paper mill - isn't exactly an easy one to market to the masses.

"James Morgan's latest script has the feel of a Greek tragedy transplanted to middle of nowhere Canada. The drama is ample and at times over the top, but it all works pretty well." - Charles Yost, Oregonian

"David Harbour, Allison Tolman and William Fichtner stand out in the stellar ensemble cast. They capture the characters and disappear into their roles." - Samuel O'Brien, Sight and Sound

"Teslin, Yukon is a film I haven't seen before. There have been movies about mills closing and characters struggling to figure out their next moves, but Dunn and Morgan's film features unique characters who handle the situation in unique ways." - Janelle Arbor, Vogue

Rated R for strong language, drug content, some violence and thematic material

Now Showing: Teslin, Yukon

Teslin, Yukon
Genre: Drama
Director: Stephen Dunn
Writer: James Morgan
Cast: David Harbour, Ron Perlman, Allison Tolman, Ann Dowd, Forest Whitaker, William Fichtner, William H. Macy, Mickey Rourke, Alfie Allen, Haley Joel Osment, Dale Dickey, Ellen Burstyn

Plot : Tensions are running high in the only bar in Teslin, Yukon, Canada, the Yukoner. The owner and the bartender, Margo (Ann Dowd), is trying to keep everyone calm. Dave (David Harbour) ends up throwing a glass across the room and it breaks a mirror. Margo ends up throwing everyone out to avoid another incident, even if the people disagree. She’s authoritarian and she can hold her end.

Right after she emptied her bar, an odd-looking man enters and he asks for a room upstairs. The Yukoner also serves as a hotel, but she can’t remember the last time she had a guest. She says he isn’t from around here and he says he isn’t. As opposed to the Teslin population, the man is well spoken and speaks a perfect English, a clear contrast of the mistake-filled English the townspeople speak. He says he’s Thomas John Webster (Forest Whitaker) and before she asks, she’ll know what he’s doing here, in the middle of nowhere, soon enough. She gives him a mean look and shows him his room. She tells him to not bother criticizing the room, she knows it’s small. He can come downstairs if he needs anything. He follows her downstairs and he asks her to tell him a little about Teslin, Yukon. She says the population is just above a hundred. Everyone around here works for the paper mill and none of them are educated. The motto is, if you’re settle in Teslin, you stay in Teslin, you can’t leave. But more importantly, they’ve never been around a black man and she’s pretty sure he won’t be welcomed here. He thanks her for her time and disposes, leaving her to clean the mess Dave made.

The next day, things are going well at the mill, where factory workers Dave and Raymond (Ron Perlman) go over the fight that prompted Dave to shatter the mirror. They both conclude that they both had too much to drink yesterday. Two woodcutters, Jason (Haley Joel Osman) and Sam (Alfie Allen) continue their wager on who can chop up the most in a week, but Jason struggles to keep up with Sam as he doesn’t handle his booze well. The maintenance guy, Frank (William H. Macy) and Rick (Mickey Rourke) curse after a worker for throwing up on the floor. He should learn how to drink. They both offer to teach him, as they are both hard drinkers are famous around town for never being hangover despite drinking themselves to sleep every night. The only office worker, Penny (Alison Tolman) looks on desperate. She’s one of the people who settled in Teslin and now stays here, whether she likes it or not. She can brag about being the only college graduate in town, but every time she reminds someone, they bring her down for being cocky and for acting fancy just because she went to college. That’s just how things are in Teslin, Yukon.

Thomas J. Webster walks inside the factory and gets up the stairs in Penny’s office, all the while he’s stared at by the workers like he’s some sort of monster, especially Rick from maintenance. He introduces himself to Penny and he asks to see Mr. Rogers, the director and owner of the mill, but unfortunately, he’s away right now. Webster argues, stating that he was asked by Mr. Rogers to meet here. Chris Rogers (William Fitchner) arrives in a hurry, the tie badly knotted and with white socks in black loafers, a fashion faux-pas that Webster quickly mentions. They shake hands and enter the office.

Frank and Rick come into Penny’s office and they try to peek at what’s happening in the office. They create their own mess to justify their presence in the office by spitting on the ground and by knocking over vases to the annoyance of Penny. Webster comes out of the office and he asks if the gentlemen have a problem and Rick mocks his perfect English and says he hasn’t. Webster asks Penny is everyone is like this in Teslin and Webster contents himself with a sigh for an answer.

At lunchtime, Dave, Raymond, Jason, Sam, Frank and Rick all eat together, cursing and burping. They share their theory about the black man’s presence in Teslin and the most popular creates tension within the group; they believe they are going to be replaced with black workers, because you know, cheap labor. They all agree that they’re going to throw them out, because they aren’t going to just leave like that. Dave decides to take the rest of the day off and he will investigate on the matter. The others laugh it off and say that he can’t think by himself, let alone investigate, we’re talking about a guy who didn’t finish is elementary school here.

As soon as Jason leaves the mill, Mr. Rogers comes down to the lunch room with Mr. Webster alongside him. Chris Rogers gets up on a dining table and he asks for everyone’s attention. Rogers asks for silence. He cuts through the chase and he says that the mill didn’t manage to make it through the tough times the paper industry is currently facing and they have been forced to declare bankruptcy. An official assemble will take place tonight at the Yukoner. Everybody is welcomed.

Dave arrives at Yukoner and he can’t find Margo anywhere. He calls for her and she answers back, her voice coming from the second floor. Dave finds her in Webster’s room, going though his things. Dave says it’s good because he came here to talk about him. Margo takes out a bottle from Webster’s suitcase and asks Dave what it is. It is shoe polish, but none of them what it is. Dave and Margo share a common theory that he have come here to poison them, but in the end, they both agree that it is ridiculous. Dave notices the complicity he shares with Margo and since there aren’t many women in Tuslin, he decides to make a move on her. She slaps him hard and she says that nobody here can sleep with her and certainly not him, the perennial alcoholic. She throws him out of the bar, telling him that he doesn’t have a good memory and that he broke the mirror because of that last night.

It is tense in the Yukoner and Margo is overwhelmed with orders of beers, beers and beers. Chris Rogers is already drunk, one can suspect that he wants to forget what’s about to happen. Webster comes down and takes center. Margo orders silence and she gets it. Webster opens his speech by reciting legal terms no one in Teslin, except him, understands. He senses that no one understands him, so he keeps things simple. He says that the mill is going bankrupt, it is closing and there’s nothing they can do about it. Silence follows, until Raymond asks him if they’re going to get the pension fund, at least. Webster didn’t expect this question and he stumbles on his words a bit. After the liquidation of the mill, there won’t be anything left for them. It causes the indignation of the crowd and chaos ensues. Webster goes back upstairs and Margo throws everyone out, for the second night in a row.

The next day, the workers have decided to stop working and organize a protest outside. Webster is pacing in Penny’s office, waiting for Rogers to show up. Webster asks her how did Rogers manage to run this paper mill in the first place and she says that he was placarded here, because nobody wants to come to Teslin, it’s a punishment if you will. She asks him if he thinks coming here is a punishment and he says that Teslin is… boring. She responds that he doesn’t need to tone it down, she knows this place is a shithole and people are assholes.

Dave and Raymond are doing their best to organize the protest outside the mill, but the raucous crowd doesn’t comply. Most of them are drunk bottles in hand. Jason and Sam circle in the crowd in hope of seeing Frank, who’s nowhere to be seen. Chris Rogers is sleeping in the back of his SUV in the parking, but nobody sees him. A bottle of whiskey spilled all over his car seat and on his pants. Rick and Raymond find him and knock on the windows. A disgruntled Chris wakes up and he opens the door. They force him out of the car and grab his suitcase. Webster follows the action from the inside and he starts to panic. Penny asks him if they found Chris, because he often falls asleep in the back of his SUV. Webster sighs and focuses on the action. Raymond opens Rogers’ briefcase and he finds a check for a large sum of money, Rogers’ severance pay. He shows it to everyone and they are closing in on Rogers when they are interrupted by a woman screaming.

Joleen (Dale Dickey) screams like a harpy and asks everyone what they did to her husband. Dave runs to her and he asks what happened to Frank. She breaks down in his arms and she says he hung himself, she found him this morning. She wants to know what they did to her husband as she hits Dave’s chest. He throws her in Rick’s arms and he asks everyone to stay calm, he’s going to see what happened. Webster decides to go down and talk to them. Penny says it’s a bad idea, but he doesn’t listen to her.

The crowd starts to scream again when they see Webster. He asks them what happened and Joleen breaks free from Jason’s hold and runs at Webster. Sam runs at her and he’s able to restrain her before she gets to him. She spits on him and she says that ever since he came to Teslin, nothing but bad things happen. She had a vision of a black stranger coming to town when she was high on bath salts and she saw bad things. She suggests that they force him to leave so the town can go back the way it was before he left. Out of nowhere, Margo arrives and she says that it’s not going to happen. She doesn’t know if they heard the man talking the other night, but him leaving won’t change a thing. She says the mill has been run by a fool ever since Rogers came and it ran straight to the ground. It is the end of Teslin as they know it and they need to accept it. Rick walks towards Margo and he says that they shouldn’t listen to a black lover like her. Ever since he arrived, she’s protecting him, emptying the bar every night and refusing their advances for years. Only God knows what happens at night at the Yukoner and he’s not going to place foot in the Yukoner again, as long as a black man lover is in charge. A few men agree with him. Margo says that they should all go to hell and that this town will fall even lower if the Yukoner closes. It is the heart and soul of Teslin. What they are doing now isn’t helping them. They should unite together, not divide themselves. She says they are all a bunch of fools and leaves. After she’s gone, Sam suggests that all go to talk to Penny, she’s educated, she’ll know what to do.

Dave arrives at Frank’s house and the door is still open. He sees Frank’s old mother Henrietta (Ellen Burstyn). She stopped her tricot and just stares at nothing. Dave asks her where she can find him and Henrietta utters something Dave doesn’t understand. He goes upstairs and the camera follows Dave. He looks in Frank’s room, and he turns around, gagging. He checks again and we can see Frank who hung himself in the middle of his room. He runs outside and he takes deep breaths. Henrietta comes from behind and pats him on the back. She thinks Dave is Frank and she asks him where he was all day, she couldn’t find him. Dave looks at her, holding back his tears.

Raymond, Jason, Sam and Rick are all in Penny’s office, begging her to help them on the matter. She says she would be of no use, but they remind her that she’s the most educated woman in town, by far. She says the mill closing is her ticket out of here and can finally be the kick in the butt she needed to finally pull the trigger and move out. They all start to insult her until Dave interrupts them, who was listening to them from the door. He looks deep in her eyes and he begs her to help them, this town needs it. She knows he means it and coming from Dave, that’s saying something. She agrees to help them, but she needs time.

The town holds a funeral for Frank, but people have their head elsewhere. They have learned over the past few days that Chris Rogers is getting about a million dollars of severance and Penny is getting about fifty thousand and her pension fund. Chris has been forced to live in the Yukoner alongside Webster, as it’s the only safe place in town. Rogers’ house was burglarized and the windows were shattered. Margo is holding the fort and she holds guard every night, threatening everyone who comes close to the Yukoner with her sawed-off shotgun. Tonight is the night the two parties meet and discuss, at the Yukoner. Everyone is invited, but the doors will close when Margo thinks there’s enough people. The townspeople are waiting. Penny up ahead with Dave, Raymond, Jason, Sam and Joleen. Margo opens the doors, it’s showtime. The crowd fills the Yukoner and Margo holds off people at the entrance. Dave looks around frantically, he can’t see Rick anywhere.

Rick is seen sitting in the dark of the night in the cemetery, his back on his friend Frank’s grave. He throws his empty vodka bottle and it shatters a couple of feet away. He searches in his paper bag and takes out another. He opens it with his mouth, and he drinks from the bottle. He talks to his friend, asking him if life is better on the other side, because life in Teslin sucks since he left. He says that his life is meaningless without the mill and he’s desperate to find a will to live. He always dreamt of the day he would retire and cash in his pension fund, but it was all taken away from him. He now has a hard time to find a will to live. He’s certain that Frank could have help him if he was still here. He says that he will come join him, his best friend, then, now and forever. He throws his second bottle, shattering it. He screams at the top of his lungs that this town should go to hell for what they did and he takes out his shotgun from the paper bag and he puts in his mouth.

A gunshot is heard by the people trying to find out what’s going on inside the Yukoner, but they don’t mind it, thinking it’s just a hunter. Inside the Yukoner, Margo tries to mediate the heated exchange between the two parties. Penny announces herself as the representant of the workers, citing her college education as the main factor. Sam calls her out for reminding them she went to college, but she majored in ancient history, and it doesn’t qualify her to represent them. Margo tells him to shut it off, he can’t even multiply. Jason defends his friends and he tells the black lover to shut up. Margo cocks her shotgun and it suffices to shut him up.

Webster presents the financial results of the mill for the last few years, which shows a steady decline and a massive debt. The main company sent him to close things down and to make sure that everything goes smoothly and right now, they’re giving him a hard time. He pauses to drink water and notices that everyone is looking at him, some are spitting on the floor as they make eye contact. Rogers jumps in on the conversation and he just want to say to everyone how hard he worked to steady the ship and he really did everything he could. Penny says that it’s a lie and that she worked alongside him for years and he never batted an eye. Webster says she isn’t a saint either, she saw those reports and did nothing. Maybe her friends would like to know that she received a severance pay too. Dave is shocked to find that out and the rest of the crowd too. Joleen says that trusted her, but she was just like them all along, she doesn’t want them to get paid, she’s just doing this to look good. Raymond says it doesn’t matter because it’s not fair to them. Teslin will die along the mill and no one seems to realise that. It generates murmur from the crowd. Dave says that if they want to destroy the town, they should at least consider giving people money so they can leave and start their life elsewhere. Webster says that life is going to be hard for them, anywhere else. They aren’t educated and that’s a fact. The company is willing to pay for their education, but their pension fund is simply out of reach. Penny says that’s illegal and there is surely a way to prove it, but Webster says he won’t give it to them.

A voice from the crowd emerges, Sam will take the offer. He will go back to school in hopes of making something of his life, to find a new meaning. He asks Jason if he wants to come with him, but he doesn’t want to, school just isn’t for him. He’s better off in the nature. Penny says that they can’t give up just like that and the crowd agrees. Rogers, drunk as a skunk, reveals that the company took advantage of Teslin, because they knew people weren’t educated and it would be easy to rip them off. The crowd gets agitated. Rogers continues: the funny thing is, he helped them do it. Webster says that it’s enough and that there’s nothing more to say about it. Dave and Raymond get up and block Webster’s access to the second floor. Margo threatens them to let him pass and the crowd gets agitated. Jason throws his glass as Webster and Rogers throws his and the crowd. A brawl ensues and Webster manages to slip out, taking Rogers with him. Dave is able to steal the shotgun from Margo as the crowd split in two, the one who want to take the deal and the ones who don’t. Punches are thrown and Margo struggles to control the crowd. Jason and Sam fight and they damage a gas pipe, creating a gas leak. During this time, Webster and Rogers leave Teslin in Rogers’ car. Dave feels like this is going the wrong way and he shoots in the air. The gas catches fire because of the detonation. The wooden structure of the Yukoner quickly catches on fire. People are screaming, running out of the Yukoner. Margo is seen crying, her bar destroyed. People are divided and fighting. The paper mill is closing and the Yukoner is on fire. This is the end of Teslin, Yukon.

In Development

The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger: Melissa George (Gargoyles, Planet LV 426) and Melanie Lynskey (Maaximum Max, Blood on the Moon) will add a bit of female flavor to the proceedings of The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger. George will play a love interest of Bale's Gunslinger, while Lynskey will play a woman impregnated by The Man Dressed in Black (Eric Bana). Matt Reeves is directing from a script by Matt Parker.

Teslin, Yukon: Alfie Allen (The Predator, "Game of Thrones"), Haley Joel Osment (Yoga Hosers, Izzy Gets the F*ck Across Town), Dale Dickey ("Vice Principals", Leave No Trace) and Ellen Burstyn (Don't Hang Up, A Little Life) will round out the cast of the small town drama from director Stephen Dunn and writer James Morgan. Allen and Osment will play paper mill workers, Dickey will play William H. Macy's wife, and Burstyn will play Macy's mother.

God of War: Kratos: Jessica Pare (Heavy Rain, High Society), Nick Nolte (Looking for Alaska, Inhumans) and Rade Serbedzija (Velvet, Easy Money) have signed on to play supporting roles in the upcoming God of War film. Pare will play the wife of Tom Hardy's Kratos, Nolte will play a grave digger and Serbedzija will play an architect for the Olympian Gods. Baltasar Kormakur is directing the film from a script by Roy Horne.

The Powerpuff Girls: Chad Taylor (But What Am I?, Booster Gold: Lost in Time) has penned an adaptation of the hit cartoon series, "The Powerpuff Girls". Paul King (Paddington, PAddington 2) will direct the film which has tapped Emma Stone (Under Pressure, Haute Couture), Amanda Seyfried (Crimson Fox, The Creature) and Ellen Page (Maple Leaf, The Death of the Honest Man) to play grown up versions of Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup, three girls who were created in a lab.

Accordion De Chanson: Hoping to break the recent poor luck at the box office for LRF animated films will be Accordion De Chanson from writer Jacob Jones (Zoe Maye, Time Passages) and director Tim Burton (Alternative, Dumbo). The film will tell the story of a young man who steals a mythical accordion. Ewan McGregor (The Secret History, Christopher Robin), Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Orchid, Dark Matter), Johnny Depp (Rasputin, The Professor) and Kristen Bell (Numero Uno, American Psycho the Musical) have all signed on to voice roles in the film.

Splinter Cell: Blacklist: The Splinter Cell series will reportedly come to an end with the release of Splinter Cell: Blacklist. Tom Cruise (Splinter Cell: Conviction, Alan Wake), Karen Gillan (Splinter Cell: Conviction, Synthetic) and Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Splinter Cell: Conviction, Guilt) will all return to reprise their roles of Sam Fisher, Anna Grimsdottir and Victor Coste. D.R. Cobb ("Rolling Stone", Splinter Cell: Conviction) once again returns to write the script. A new, but still familiar, name will take over in the director's chair for this potential series finale: Tom Cruise himself will direct the film, making his directorial ddebut.

Release: Dragon Ball: The Wrath of the Demon King

Dragon Ball: The Wrath of the Demon King
Genre: Action/Fantasy
Director: James Wan
Writer: Giovanni Garcia
Based on the anime series
Cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Winston Duke, Jane Levy, Steven Yeun, Ross Butler, Chloe Bennet, Jackie Chan, Daniel Henney, Morgan Freeman, Benedict Wong, Djimon Hounsou, Daniel Dae Kim



Budget: $55,000,000
Domestic Box Office: $67,388,012
Foreign Box Office: $155,400,560
Total Profit: $50,119,831

Reaction: The film made a nice solid profit due to its excellent numbers overseas. The film also acts as something of a comeback vehicle for leading man Aaron Taylor-Johnson after the massive bomb of Lost Planet back in Season 7.

"The action direction from James Wan is crisp and clean, helping the film make up for any other shortcomings." - Ben Mazur, SciFiNow

"This Dragon Ball film features wall to wall action, but unfortunately there isn't much in the way of plot or character development." - Paul Landon, Film School Rejects

"It's not an unmitigated disaster like James Wong's previous film adaptation. Fans of the franchise will surely be happier with this version, but it does come with a few of its own issues. Thankfully some decent casting and strong direction keep things entertaining." - Jeremy Raren, RottenTomatoes.com

Rated PG-13 for frenetic fantasy and martial arts violence

TV to Film: Dragon Ball: The Wrath of the Demon King

We finally have a second edition of TV to Film. This time we will take a look at the anime/manga adaptation Dragon Ball: The Wrath of the Dragon King, from director James Wan (Resident Evil 2, Aquaman) and writer Giovanni Garcia (Sandbox, The Mask).

Now Showing: Dragon Ball: The Wrath of the Demon King

Dragon Ball: The Wrath of the Demon King
Genre: Action/Fantasy
Director: James Wan
Writer: Giovanni Garcia
Based on the anime series
Cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Winston Duke, Jane Levy, Steven Yeun, Ross Butler, Chloe Bennet, Jackie Chan, Daniel Henney, Morgan Freeman, Benedict Wong, Djimon Hounsou, Daniel Dae Kim

Plot: Five Years after Demon King Piccolo's (Dijmon Hounsou) reign over earth was ended, multiple fighters around the world have been inspired by the tale of Goku, the mysterious young boy who defeated and killed King Piccolo and suddenly disappeared. To commemorate this event, and gather the strongest of the planet should the need arise to defend it, the world inaugurated the annual World Martial Arts tournament. With stern, stoic, and highly skilled fighter, Tien (Daniel Henney) as two times consecutive champion, the wait for the 3rd World Martial Arts Tournament has come to an end. A grown up Goku (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) is sent by Kami (Morgan Freeman) to the tournament after completing his training with the hope that his participation will trigger the reappearance of King Piccolo's offspring.

Goku, unknown to this plot and existence of Junior, blindly agrees to participate so he can finally reunite with his friends. Goku first tries to go unrecognized, trying to avoid unwanted attention, but his cover is blown by the media as he registers to enter the tournament.

He cheerfully goes to his childhood friends, Bulma (Jane Levy) an extremely intelligent but spoiled and vain young woman, Yamcha (Ross Butler), a cocky wannabe ladies man who frequently hits on Bulma and Krillin (Steven Yeun), a former monk and Goku's best friend since childhood, as the whole world applauds the return of its hero, but as expected, this attracts the attention of the vengeful Piccolo Jr (Winston Duke). Yamcha, Tien, Krillin all end up participating in the tournament due to Goku's return.

A young woman participates as Anonymous, same as a mysterious cloaked young man.

The finalists end up being Goku, the anonymous young man, Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, the old Jackie Chun (Jackie Chan), the anonymous young woman, and a strange little man going by the name of Hero.

Before the final matches begin, Goku meets a woman, and casually starts talking to her, who then quickly storms off after Goku ask for her name, leaving him confused.
The final day of the tournament begins.

Tien faces off againt the elderly Jackie Chun, but unexpectedly Jackie Chun really gives him a hard time. During the battle he is revealed to be Roshi, the mentor of Goku and Krillin who forfeits the match as soon as he is recognized, only wanting to be for the last time in the spotlight, as he once was the strongest man there was.

Goku goes against the anonymous woman. Who during the match is revealed to be Chi-Chi (Chole Bennet), who has had a crush on Goku since he met her as a youth

Realizing it was her, and also the same woman he met the day before, Goku apologizes, vows to never forget her again. She proposes that if she defeats him, he'll have to take her on a date. Defeating her, he accepts to date her anyway. The cloaked young man watches this battle with anger.

The following matches that take place in the tournament are Yamcha vs Hero, Krillin vs Junior, Tien vs. Goku.

In between matches Goku starts suspecting that something strange is going on with Hero, recognizing some of his moves and unnatural strength for his physique.

When it is Hero's turn to fight against the cloaked man, he quickly fights him off. to the confusion of all, Hero starts attempting a strange technique. Tien, recognizing it, lets Goku know that's the sealing technique.

Realizing Hero is actually Kami in disguise, Goku attempts to stop him from attempting the suicidal technique. But fails.

The technique is put in motion, but is reversed by the young man.

Kami abandons Hero's Body and is sealed inside a bottle by the young cloaked man, who then with smile proceeds to swallow it whole.

Goku catches a quick glimpse of the Anonymous young man while doing the reversal, which to his surprise is Piccolo.

Goku then realizes the scheme and decides to battle for Kami's life, throwing himself into the ring immediately after.

Goku's attack blows Junior's cover, with the entire world watching.

As the picture of Piccolo appears on screens all over the world, the stadium is evacuated.

Piccolo Junior makes a statement. He will avenge his father, he will not be stopped, and he will kill the hero of the planet, Son Goku, with the cameras rolling for all the world to see.

Goku and Piccolo start their battle, destroying everything around them.

Goku's friends try and intervene but are blown away by Piccolo.

Chi-chi, despite the warnings tries to help Goku but is critically wounded by Piccolo in her attempt.

Yajirobe (Benedict Wong) quickly arrives to the scene, sent by Korin in orders from Popo to get the warriors out of the stadium as the battle between Goku and Piccolo rages on.

After seemingly defeating Piccolo with with a powerful Kamehameha wave, Piccolo gets back up.

He assures him that he is stronger than his father ever was, as he starts growing into a giant,

Goku continues to evade the attacks of the gargantuan Piccolo, hiding from the giant in the stadium ruins while he is taunted.

Taking his chance, Goku jumps into the giants mouth, escaping through his chest with the bottle Kami was imprisoned in.

Regenerating and returning to his original size, Piccolo takes his chance and strikes a blast through Goku's shoulder as he set Kami free.

About to collapse, but still standing, Piccolo continues to cripple Goku while a weakened Kami is subdued.

Piccolo starts to gloat of his victory, claiming the world is now his to conquer. As he continues to laugh, Goku uses the last of his strength to jump and fly, using the push to hit Piccolo with his head in his still regenerating chest, taking him down for good.

With Piccolo defeated, a weakened Kami approaches the unconscious Piccolo. About to end his life. But Goku, with an inch of his life, stops him.

Kami then proceeds to state his reasons for masterminding the whole ordeal. He needs to end Piccolo's life as his existence does more harm to the world than the good kami does for it. Kami believes, for what he has done, that he has forfeited his right to live, let alone be Earth's Guardian. Goku, knowing the good man Kami is, won't let him end his life, and allows a now awake Piccolo to escape, showing the kindness Kami has given to him during his three year stay,

Piccolo states that showing mercy changes nothing, he will be back, and he will make sure to end their lives as he flies away.

Kami, now standing before what he believes to be a greater man than he is, offers Goku the chance to take his place as Earth's Guardian, to which, with a smile, Goku replies: Where's the fun in that? Before being embraced by a bandaged Chi-chi and surrounded by his friends.

Post-Credits Scene: Raditz (Daniel Dae Kim) detecting Goku's Power Level during his battle with Piccolo Jr. Informing the unseen Vegeta and Nappa, who are currently on a remote location, that he has finally found his brother.