Sunday, June 30, 2024
The Roundup with Jeff Stockton (Season 30 Round 3)
3. YA Novel Adaptations
Two types of adaptations the studio has been struggling with - young adult and novel adaptations in general - converged with Red Queen, which made a profit against all odds. I didn't like the film very much, but it did manage to earn a profit.
2. Aldis Hodge
It was only a matter of time before Aldis Hodge earned himself a big leading role. While the film was not a box office hit, I am joining in all the other critics to give Hodge's performance positive notice.
1. Wonder Bean
While Wonder Bean can be tonally awkward and clunky at times, the film is still strong visually and well-cast. Florence Pugh gave the best live-action voice-only performance since Scarlet Johansson in Her and Jeremy Allen White made you believe everything his character does.
3. N/A
2. Red Queen
While it did manage to make a profit, which was a positive outcome, I could not see anything unique about Red Queen. This is probably the fault of the source material, but it felt like a generic mixture of just about young adult cliche around.
1. Box Office
Once again, this season's box office is off to a small start. Three rounds in and no film has eclipsed $300 million at the worldwide box office.
Saturday, June 29, 2024
On Location (Season 30 Round 3)
Fractus
- Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Wonder Bean
- Cape Town, South Africa
Red Queen
- Bucharest, Romania
Box Office Breakdown (Season 30 Round 3)
Fractus
Budget: $23,000,000
Total Box Office: $30,202,964
Total Profit: -$17,000,013
Wonder Bean
Budget: $95,000,000
Total Box Office: $285,739,573
Total Profit: $36,081,040
Red Queen
Budget: $89,000,000
Total Box Office: $200,054,375
Total Profit: $4,880,084
Box Office Facts
Fractus
Much has already been made about the success of Season 12's Doctor Love in comparison to the studio's other wrestling-centric films. Doctor Love earned a profit of $69 million. All other wrestling films for the studio, including Fractus, have lost a combined $52 million.
Wonder Bean
Wonder Bean has become the second highest grossing film for writer Sammy-Jo Ellis, only behind Troll Mountain. It's a unique stat though because Troll Mountain lost $42 million at the box office, while Wonder Bean earned a healthy $36 million in profit.
Red Queen
Red Queen is just the second film from writer Abbie Q to turn a profit, following The Guest List in Season 26. That makes her 2 out of 6 at the box office.
Genre Rankings
Fractus
Drama: #267
Wonder Bean
Sci-Fi: #65
Fantasy: #45
Horror: #17
Red Queen
Fantasy: #62
Action: #183
Season 30 Round 3
Total Box Office: $515,996,912
Total Profit: $23,961,111
Season 30 Totals
Total Box Office: $1,158,964,969
Total Profit: $99,821,550
Season 30 Summary
1. Kill Zone : $289,295,117
2. Wonder Bean : $285,739,573
3. Red Queen : $200,054,375
4. Amnesiac : $143,485,338
5. Acapella : $102,694,432
6. Slowly Dying : $48,359,830
7. Boy's Life : $46,002,841
8. Fractus : $30,202,964
9. The Ninth Hour : $13,130,499
Friday, June 28, 2024
Release: Red Queen
Red Queen
Genre: Fantasy/Action
Director: Niki Caro
Writer: Abbie Q
Producer: Steven Spielberg
Based on the novel by Victoria Aveyard
Cast: Dafne Keen, Dominic Sessa, Rose Byrne, Wyatt Oleff, Montana Jordan, Sophie Nelisse, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Mikey Madison, David Ajala, Alisha Weir, Archie Renaux
Budget: $89,000,000
Domestic Box Office: $85,049,475
Foreign Box Office: $115,004,900
Total Profit: $4,880,084
Reaction: This one just eked into the profit margin by less than $5 million. Red Queen does however manage to be second profitable film for writer Abbie Q (more on that in this round Box Office Breakdown).
A Second Look: The Hazel Wood
Welcome back for another edition of A Second Look with Jeff Stockton! In this segment I will take a "second look" at a past LRF release with a fresh set of eyes.
This round features a new YA novel adaptation, Red Queen, which would seem to be the latest attempt at a YA franchise in LRF. The film is directed by Niki Caro, who had another YA franchise attempt in LRF back in Season 10, The Hazel Wood.
The Hazel Wood, based on the YA novel by Melissa Albert, was the lone film from writer Grim O'Grady. I did not like the film when it came out. It was an all-around messy affair. It was too long, too inconsistent with its tone, the characters lacked development, etc. I also couldn't help but notice that its content felt too dark for the younger audience it should have been trying to attract while not dramatically mature enough to appeal to adult audiences. Based on the other reviews, I wasn't completely off-based, although some were more forgiving.
Taking a second look at it now 20 seasons later, and my view is not any rosier. Much less so, in fact. It wastes a super talented cast in every conceivable way. Frankly, the plot itself didn't make much sense either. It feels both too long and not developed enough. I also simply could not make heads or tails of this fairy tale world, but set in a generic modern day.
Original Grade: D-
New Grade: F
The Hazel Wood Link: https://lrfdatabase.weebly.com/the-hazel-wood
Thursday, June 27, 2024
Now Showing: Red Queen
Red Queen
Genre: Fantasy/Action
Director: Niki Caro
Writer: Abbie Q
Producer: Steven Spielberg
Based on the novel by Victoria Aveyard
Cast: Dafne Keen, Dominic Sessa, Rose Byrne, Wyatt Oleff, Montana Jordan, Sophie Nelisse, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Mikey Madison, David Ajala, Alisha Weir, Archie Renaux
Plot: We begin by learning that there are two different types of people in the world: Reds and Silvers. The Reds are treated as slaves and are penniless since they do not have the abilities that Silvers have.
On the First Friday, the one day each month when work and school end early for Reds to watch two Silvers battle in a televised match. Mare, an oppressed Red, shuffles through the crowd, pickpocketing trinkets. She meets up with Kilorn Warren (Montana Jordan), her only real friend.
In The Stilts, a village of houses built on high stilts keeping them above the muddy ground, Mare (Dafne Keen) goes to her small home. Gisa (Alisha Weir), Mare’s younger sister, works on silk embroidery while their mother cooks dinner and their father, who lost a leg, sits in his wheelchair. Mare drops her pouch of stolen money and goods on the table. Sparking an argument about how much she steals, her mother asks why Mare can’t be more like Gisa and get a job. Gisa stops the fight by bringing out a letter from Shade, one of their brothers, from the war. As soon as Mare finishes reading the letter, the lights go out.
Mare hears Kilorn’s disguised bird call outside and leaves to find him distraught. His apprenticeship master died, which means he no longer has a job. Since he can’t find new work, he will be sent to the war.Unwilling to let Kilorn be lost to the war, Mare suggests they use the black market trade in town to be smuggled to safety. Kilorn agrees it’s worth a try, and Mare visits her contact. Mare meets Diana Farley (Sophie Nelisse), a member of the Scarlet Guard rebel force of Reds. Farley agrees to smuggle Mare and Kilorn, but it’ll cost 1000 crowns.
At home, Mare lies awake, wracking her brain for a way to pay the fee. Gisa shifts in her sleep, Mare realizes her sister can help. The next day, disguised as a merchant, Mare accompanies Gisa to the Summer Palace, a massive city surrounded by a wall of impregnable “diamond glass.” Inside, the gleaming palace is at the center of a bustling marketplace.
Mare wanders around the city, taking the lay of the land. A news broadcast comes on the screens. The terrorist group called the Scarlet Guard is taking responsibility for the bombing of the capital. Mare doesn’t believe it until Farley appears on the screen. She announces the Scarlet Guard will bring the fight to the Silvers’ homes until they recognize the Reds as their equals.
Chaos breaks out in the city as Silvers round up Reds and demand answers, torturing some. Mare nearly drowns in a fountain manipulated by a Silver, but Gisa saves her. As they run for the city gate, Mare admits she doesn’t have time to steal anything. Gisa tries to pick a passing Silver’s pocket, but she’s caught. As punishment, a guard holds her down and slams his gun against her fingers.
After delivering Gisa home, Mare runs away, too afraid to face her parents or Kilorn. She settles in the shadows of a tavern and pickpockets drunken patrons as they exit. Finally, she decides to take from one patron, who catches her. Rather than reporting her, he gives her a coin.
After introducing himself, Cal walks Mare partway home. On the way, after discussing the riots, Mare breaks down, telling him her entire situation. He gives her another coin before disappearing into the night. Unable to settle down, she reads her brother’s old letters quoting Farley’s words about the dawn rising. Mare realizes her brother’s a member of the Scarlet Guard.
The next morning, a royal messenger summons Mare to the Summer Palace. She’s been given a job as a server for the royal family. Today is Queenstrial, when all the highborn Silver daughters compete to be the next queen.
For the next several hours, Mare helps prepare an arena-like room for the trial. Finally, King Tiberias Calore VI (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and Queen Elara Merandus (Rose Byrne) announce the trials, introducing the crown prince who’ll pick a wife. The prince, Tiberias the Seventh (Dominic Sessa), waves to the crowd. Mare drops whatever she’s holding because Cal’s the crown prince.
The leader of a Silver House uses his power to rearrange the arena so there’s an empty cylinder at its center. A net of electricity crackles twenty feet above the floor, which opens to reveal a beautiful young girl. She smirks at Cal before demolishing everything in the arena. The electric net is to protect against flying debris. Mare realizes the Queenstrial is a pageant.
Many girls show off their powers one after another. The final daughter, Evangeline Samos (Mickey Madison), manipulates the metal pipes, causing the entire structure to tilt sideways. Mare falls out of the box where she’s serving. Landing on the electric web, Mare is strangely unharmed. Suddenly, Evangeline attacks, but just as quickly, Mare burns up her metal shards with lightning. King Tiberias orders his guards to seize Mare. Mare stumbles into someone who apologizes before the thickening smoke takes her.
Mare relives memories and nightmares from her past. When she wakes in a cage, Queen Elara stands outside the cell. She’s been poking through Mare’s mind. The only reason Mare’s still alive is because of so many witnesses.
Later, a security officer arrives with fresh clothes that bare silver lines. Mare is brought to meet with the royal family. They have decided to lie to the public. Mare’s new identity is the daughter of a lost Silver house who was raised by Reds. She’ll wed Maven (Wyatt Oleff), Cal’s younger brother. She’ll also help protect the Silvers from the Scarlet Guard. Mare senses that King Tiberias feels more threatened than he lets on. Before accepting the royal family’s terms, Mare demands her brothers return from the war and Kilorn not be conscripted. King Tiberias agrees, but sounds more like a death sentence.
Mare’s new name is Lady Mareena Titanos. In her new chambers, she hates her new appearance. Cal comes to see her and apologizes for getting her into this mess. She recognizes he stopped her from escaping. He explains all the reasons she’s better off where she is; Queen Elara would’ve hunted her down and likely killed her family.
Later, Mare goes to a banquet, where the royal family will formally debut her. On the way, she meets up with the queen, Queen Elara, who clarifies Mare’s cover story. Elara reminds the precarious line Mare walks and to lie "like your life depends on it, little lightning girl."
Mare enters the banquet, where King Tiberias and Queen Elara announce her identity to the waiting Silver nobles. The tension from the girls involved in the Queenstrial is thick. Next, Cal announces his choice for queen. It’s Evangeline, to no one’s surprise. Evangeline accepts and retakes her seat, gripping Mare’s arm hard warning her.
During dinner, Mare sits beside Maven, who apologizes for being cold. He should've gotten to choose who he would wed and is sad the choice has been taken away. Mare tells him he doesn’t deserve sympathy because he lives in extreme luxury. Maven agrees and watches Cal and their father laughing together. For a moment, Mare feels bad but remembers she can’t pity these people. At the end of the banquet, Maven walks Evangeline to her room while Cal takes Mare to her new chambers.
On the way, they talk about how they’re trapped in the Silver world—neither truly happy with what they must do. As she reflects on their similarities, Mare feels the electricity in her blood reaching out to the many cameras all around her. In her room, more cameras spark the same sensation. Cal's perplexed because he doesn’t see any. Feeling lost and alone, Mare closes herself in her room.
Mare’s daily schedule starts the next day. After lunch, Mare meets her second instructor, Julian Jacos (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau). As they talk, Mare feels there are no cameras because Julian has turn them off. He believes Mare’s the kind of change needed to heal the broken relationship between Silvers and Reds. Mare isn’t convinced but he might be her only hope for survival.
Throughout the first week, Mare continuously fails to produce her powers. Julian finally suggests she stop trying. Mare relaxes and feels the electricity in her blood. She relaxes into the sensation. As she practices more, Julian realizes that Mare is creating the elecrity. Maven arrives and orders to leave them alone.
Alone, Maven tells Mare everything will be all right. Mare snaps that he can’t possibly understand her. He retorts with all the ways he’s a prisoner in his life: his mother checks his mind and always be in Cal’s shadow. Maven observes Mare and offers to help her see her family.
At her house, Mare learns her brother Shade is dead. The Silvers found out he was part of the Scarlet Guard. Mare’s power flares with her anger, causing the lightbulbs to shatter. Kilorn manages to help her regain control. She explains the truth of her situation. Her family understands, but Kilorn is enraged, before storming out. As Mare and Cal leave, Gisa tells Mare that her power is a gift.
The next morning, Mare wakes to a maid standing over her bed. The maid goes about her work, remaining silent. Before she leaves, she gives Mare a teacup that reveals a message for Mare to be ready at midnight.
Mare switches to training with the other Silvers. She does her best to ignore Evangeline and the other girls. The moment Rane Arven (David Ajala), the trainer, enters the room, Mare feels her abilities fade. Arven is “the silence,” who can turn off Silver powers. Training is intense and exhausting, but Mare feels invigorated by her improvement.
In her lesson with Julian that afternoon, he reveals his power to control people as long as he retains eye-contact. He tells Mare about his sister, that she and Cal’s father married for love. She wanted to change Silver society, but she was killed for it. Julian warns Mare that those with power will kill anyone they deem a threat.
The midnight meeting takes place a week later. Mare is one of two recruits, and the second is Maven. Farley puts a gun to Maven’s head and demands to hear Maven’s reason for joining the guard. Maven tells a story about his time at the front line of the war. Maven wasn’t allowed to save a befriended Red. He would gladly give his life if it means change. Farley lowers her gun accepting Maven’s words.
Farley outlines the plan using Mare and Maven as the faces of the rebellion. They develop a plan to make a statement at the parting ball. Mare asks Farley to make sure Kilorn doesn’t join the Guard. Mare doesn’t want him to die like her brother did. Kilorn steps from the shadows, revealing he’s already there.
As the ball approaches, at training, the students are pitted against each other tournament-style. Maven loses and Cal gives him a lecture. Cal walks away with an easy victory. He glances toward Mare, but she looks away. Evangeline challenges Mare to a battle.
Mare refuses the challenge, but Evangeline forces it. Evangeline forms a team of metal spiders. Mare pulls electricity from everywhere. For a moment, she has Evangeline on the run. Evangeline knocks Mare to the floor hard having spiders attack her. Maven and Cal intervene. Maven takes Mare to Julian while Cal rages at Evangeline. In the hall, they encounter Queen Elara, who warns Mare to be more careful about her blood. Mare snaps making Elara almost kills her. Maven pulls Elara off Mare. Mare runs, leaving Maven and Elara in a silent battle.
At lunch, Mare finds a regimen of soldiers who're preparing to ship out. Cal will lead them, which leaves Mare feeling deathly afraid for him. That night, Cal comes to Mare’s room and offers to help her learn to dance for the ball. Mare knows she shouldn’t but fears she may never see him again.
Cal sets out a speaker that plays a slower song. Cal leads Mare in a dance, commenting that Maven fixed her wound nicely. Mare explains it was Julian and his healer friend, which makes Cal tense. He dislikes Julian and the healer for reasons he won’t say. He tells Mare to be ready to practice at the same time the next night and leaves her. Mare returns to her bedroom, where she finds Maven waiting for her. Farley made contact, and Maven gave up four names. The deaths will likely result in Cal away from the front lines, which relieves Mare for reasons she doesn’t quite understand.
The night before the ball, Cal comes to Mare’s room for more dance lessons. Mare expresses her concern about him going to the front lines. Cal shrugs it off but says he’ll miss her. Mare backs away, but when Cal pulls her close and kisses her, she doesn’t stop him.
The following night at the ball, Mare watches the interplay between Maven and his parents. Though Elara's wicked, it’s clear she loves Maven,who loves her back. Mare stands in line with the royal family, greeting guests. As she shakes hands with the four targets Maven gave Farley, she feels increasingly uneasy about what will happen. Maven is no more comfortable with their deaths but knows it’ll be the catalyst for change.
Mare dances with Maven until it’s time to signal the members of the Scarlet Guard hiding high above the party. She drinks a glass of golden liquid. A minute later, four gunshots ring out, followed by screams.
In the aftermath of the gunfire, Mare cuts the power to the lights, plunging the room into darkness for the Reds to escape. She holds on until a fleeing woman knocks her over, putting her face-to-face with one of the corpses. Cal finds her and makes sure she gets to safety before leading a group on a manhunt for the assassins. An explosion rocks the palace. Mare joins the rest of the royal family. Elara and King Tiberias argue about the mistakes they’ve made. As Elara storms out, Cal and Evangeline arrive.
Cal leads the group to the cells, where a group of Reds, including Kilorn, are held. Cal demands an explanation form Kilorn. Suddenly, everyone stops with the arrival of Evangeline’s brother, Ptolemus Samos (Archie Renaux). He kills one prisoner. Mare shocks him before he can murder more. King Tiberias orders the prisoners to be left overnight. King Tiberias vows to bring death to the Reds responsible through any means necessary. In the resulting cheers, Mare shares a look with Maven.
Later that night, Mare visits Julian to tell him about her involvement. Summoning her guard, Jullian uses his power to have him take them to the cells. Mare turns off all the cameras. Julian tells all the guards not to remember them. In the cells, Mare demands to know about the bomb. Farley swears it wasn’t the Guard’s doing. The Reds escape but Kilorn lingers. Mare pushes him out, knowing she needs to stay to help the cause.
The next morning, Mare learns the royal family's leaving that afternoon. Elara questioned guards about the escape last night. Maven ran interference, directing suspicion away from Mare. Cal emerges from his room in a foul mood and wearing armor. He will team up with Evangeline’s brother to seek out the rebels.
With no lessons to attend, Mare wanders through the palace until she arrives at Julian’s chamber. It’s been emptied in preparation for leaving. Julian lies and tells Mare he’s not returning to the capital but Mare knows he’s getting a head start before Elara learns of his involvement in the escape.
On the ships that afternoon, Maven updates Mare on the investigation into the escape. The Red blood that was found in the cells will be analyzed. Mare panics because it’s her blood, which means her death’s imminent. Maven kisses her with a ferocity that surprises them both.
The journey up the river fills Mare with dread. Finally, they reach the capital, and Mare struggles to fathom its magnificence. As she studies it, she realizes it’s a fortress built to endure war. Winning against such a place will be nearly impossible, but Mare must try for all the Reds whose lives are worse than hers was.
In her room, Mare finds a gift from Julian: a book that looks normal but contains the names and details of Reds who have a new marker in their blood that makes them somehow both Red and Silver. This means that Mare isn't unique; she is one of many. Julian urges Mare to find them and train them. They might be the new dawn and the world’s only chance
Maven proposed Mare’s records be erased so there's no evidence she was born Red, and the royal family agreed. As a result, Mare’s background, including everything and more are destroyed. Maven came through on his promise to save her.
The next day, Mare joins Maven for the first of many public appearances. As they tour the capital, Mare sees Reds being abused and called names, and her heart aches. At one point, she manages to ditch her guards, and a little boy hands her a note from the Guard telling her and Maven to go to an afternoon show. They're seated in a private box, and after a few minutes, the ceiling opens. They climb up, where Will from the Stilts is waiting to guide them to a meeting.
Will leads them to an underground train built in secret. The train heads south toward the area thought to be overtaken by radiation. Maven and Mare panic until the train stops and Farley disembarks without a care. Maven argues that the detector machines have reported radiation, to which Farley reminds him that Reds built the detectors.
Above ground, Mare finds a thriving community among the ruins. Farley brings them to a building where Kilorn waits. Mare reveals the list of names Julian left her of hybrid Red-Silvers. Farley and Kilorn argue it'll take too long to find them. Maven comes up with the idea to stage a coup d’état and force King Tiberias to listen to the Guard’s terms. Begrudgingly, Farley agrees with the plan, and the attempted coup will take place at dawn the next morning.
Later, on a balcony. Mare orchestrated it so Cal'd find her. She reprimands him for his attitude toward the Reds. She asks why Cal helped her back before he knew she was different. Mare shrugs this off until Cal compares her to his birth mother. As hard as Mare tries to hate him, they're more alike than different. She leaves him feeling torn.
Early the next morning, she and Maven meet Farley. Farley gives Mare an earring from Kilorn, a match for the other three Mare wears. Using his powers of fire, Maven collapses the bridge leading between the east and west sides of the capital. Patrols, including Cal’s, respond, and Mare confronts Cal, begging him to call off the war, dethrone his father, and save her before she's identified as the one who helped the rebels escape.
Instead of siding with her, Cal believes her actions have added to the bloodshed. He sends his soldiers after the Red rebels arresting Mare and Maven. Mare throws at Cal the names of her loved ones she’s lost to the war and Silver cruelty. Cal wishes things were different before turning his back to her.
Cal and the guards lead Mare and Maven in shackles to a soundproof room without cameras. King Tiberias Calore VI and Queen Elara wait. Elara dismisses all the guards except Arven, who keeps a hold on Mare and Maven’s powers. The truth of Mare’s and Maven’s involvement with the Scarlet Guard comes out. King Tiberias Calore VI orders Mare and Maven to be executed, but Elara uses her power to subdue him and Cal before nodding to Maven. He uses his power to burn off his shackles and joins his mother.
In a flash, Mare angrily realizes Maven only got close to her on his mother’s orders. Using her powers, Elara forces Cal to kill his father. Then the room’s cameras turn on to broadcast Elara throwing herself over King Tiberias Calore VI’s body while Maven yells about how Cal murdered their father. Arven releases Mare’s power, and she drags Cal away. They make it to a banquet hall, where guards surround them.
Mare and Cal are brought to the Bowl of Bones, a cell where public executions take place. They ponder how they will be killed and how Elara and Maven tricked them. Mare sobs, and the warmth of Cal's body brings the last tiniest bit of comfort.
Later, Maven comes to see them. He confirms that Elara masterminded the death of Cal’s mother. Cal feels broken and sorry he didn’t listen to Julian. Mare tries to appeal to Maven but to no avail. He tells her everyone she loves and that the other Reds will die slowly and leave her hopeless.
The next morning, the execution battle takes place. Cal will be given an honorable death, but Mare’s powers will be suppressed so she dies as a traitor. Screens show a carefully crafted series of moments between Cal and Mare that had been recorded by cameras, ending with King Tiberias Calore VI’s murder. High above, Maven, Elara, and other nobles watch as Maven sentences Mare and Cal to execution. Five opponents step from the opposite end of the ring, Evangeline among them.
The fight begins. The opponents gain the upper hand quickly, partly due to the sandy floor being difficult for Cal to light on fire. Cal manages to fend off Evangeline and her brother while Mare works her way around to where Arven stands, leading a strongarm along. A Silver who manipulates water douses Cal’s flame and starts to boil him with his heat. At the far end of the arena, Mare waits until the strongarm throws a sharpened pipe at her. At the last moment, she moves so the pipe strikes Arven, killing him. Her lightning returns. Her sparking power and red blood are captured on screen.
Mare kills two opponents making Evangeline and her brother run. Cal & Mare look up to find the arena empty except for Maven, Elara, and an army of sentinels crowding them. A row of guns poke from the hole, firing at the sentinels. Members of the Scarlet Guard pull Cal and Mare off the edge falling into the water far below.
Mare comes to consciousness in the Scarlet Guard’s underground train. Members of the Guard point their weapons at Cal, who sits shackled. Farley and Kilorn survived, and Mare’s brother Shade is there, too, alive. As Mare watches, he moves so fast due to the power of teleportation.
Mare orders the Guard to release Cal. They argue he is a danger, but Mare doesn’t believe it. Farley confirms she still has the list of Reds with the mutated gene. Mare impresses the importance of finding them before Maven. She shares a look with Cal. Though their friendship's broken, they share the desire to kill Maven.
Resume: Dafne Keen
For this latest edition of Resume, we take a look at one of the latest rising starlets in the world of Last Resort Films, Dafne Keen!
SEASON 11
The Troop
Director: James DeMonaco
Writer: T.F.W. Hallowayne
Budget: $22,000,000
Domestic Box Office: $23,788,394
Foreign Box Office: $27,129,736
Total Profit: $18,302,884
Dafne Keen made her LRF debut in Season 11's The Troop, one of a handful films from former writer T.F.W. Hallowayne, as the lone girl in a group of boy scouts camping on a remote island when a horrific creature breaks loose. The Ethan Hawke-led film was a decent little success at the box office.
SEASON 24
SEASON 24
Run
Director: Garth Davis
Writer: Wesley Campbell
Budget: $52,000,000
Domestic Box Office: $49,786,007
Foreign Box Office: $29,354,288
Total Profit: -$18,094,055
Dafne Keen was away from LRF screen for quite a while before finally returning in Season 24's Run as the daughter of characters played by Carey Mulligan and Chris Evans. The film received a mixed response from critics and was a box office flop.
SEASON 25
SEASON 25
No Promises in the Wind
Director: Steven Spielberg
Writer: Rachel Hallett Hardcastle
Budget: $80,000,000
Domestic Box Office: $35,281,327
Foreign Box Office: $21,283,840
Total Profit: -$71,989,796
Keen appeared one season later in a much bigger box office flop, No Promises in the Wind, in a supporting role. In addition to the disastrous box office, the film was also trashed by critics.
SEASON 28
SEASON 28
Who Do You Trust When the World is at War?
Director: Meirad Tako
Writer: Meirad Tajo
Budget: $21,000,000
Domestic Box Office: $5,989,296
Foreign Box Office: $12,230,048
Total Profit: -$24,038,888
In her first of two appearances in Season 28, Keen played the lead role in writer/director Meirad Tako's Who Do You Trust When the World is at War? While the film was another in a string of box office flops to Keen's resume, she managed to win a surprising Best Actress GRA trophy for her performance.
The Pull of the Stars
Director: Claire Denis
Writers: Rachel Hallett Hardcastle & Rosie JoLove
Budget: $29,000,000
Domestic Box Office: $7,847,103
Foreign Box Office: $12,000,097
Total Profit: -$34,049,933
Like clockwork, Dafne Keen appears in yet another box office bomb - her fourth in a row. Like No Promises in the Wind and Run, this was another failed novel adaptation.
Up Next:
Dafne Keen has yet to line up any roles after Red Queen, but the studio is hoping that the film is successful enough to spawn sequels as there are three more books in the series of novels by Victoria Aveyard.
Review:
- Highest Grossing Film: Run ($79,140,295)
- Most Profitable Film: The Troop ($18,302,884)
- Most Awarded Film: Who Do You Trust When the World is at War? (1 win)
- Best Reviewed Film: Who Do You Trust When the World is at War? (Metascore: 70)
Wednesday, June 26, 2024
Release: Wonder Bean
Wonder Bean
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Writer: Sammy-Jo Ellis
Cast: Jeremy Allen White, Florence Pugh (VOICE), Willem Dafoe, Ed Harris, Zoe Saldana (VOICE), Rahul Kohli, Bob Odenkirk, Vivien Lyra Blair
Budget: $95,000,000
Domestic Box Office: $100,401,338
Foreign Box Office: $185,338,235
Total Profit: $36,081,040
Reaction: This season has had some surprising top grossing films so far with this one the second highest grossing so far. It even comes close to being the highest grossing film for writer Sammy-Jo Ellis (more on that in this round's Box Office Roundup).
Top 10 Florence Pugh Films
Sherman J. Pearson here for another Top 10. Wonder Bean is the 11th LRF credit to the name of actress Florence Pugh, so I decided to take a look at her filmography for this round's list.
Top 10 Florence Pugh Films
10. Red Farm
9. Beasts
8 One for the Ages
7. Wonder Bean
6. Run For Your Life
5. The Sandman
4. The Tower
3. Pulp
2. Oklahoma!
1. A Lost Sense of Heaven
Tuesday, June 25, 2024
Now Showing: Wonder Bean
Wonder Bean
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror
Director: Robert Zemeckis
Writer: Sammy-Jo Ellis
Cast: Jeremy Allen White, Florence Pugh (VOICE), Willem Dafoe, Ed Harris, Zoe Saldana (VOICE), Rahul Kohli, Bob Odenkirk, Vivien Lyra Blair
Plot: Bob Bruce (Bob Odenkirk): "Hey, I'm Bob Bruce, owner of The Tomorrow Foundation. As you know, our mission is to build the foundation, for tomorrow. Now as you know, I'm a bit of a film nut, and recently watched a fun picture called Wall-E. And lets just say, I quite like the idea and would like to introduce; The Wonder Bean!"
Fifty years later. Nuclear war has ruined Earth, not obesity. The survivors wish that too much food was the issue, but sadly, it was the other way around. The only thing thriving in this new landscape bumped along its tracks, paint chipped, her name almost worn out; Charlie (Voiced by Florence Pugh). Charlie was built with a few simple objectives, namely to preserve, learn and wonder. So, even despite these being the worst of times, Charlie followed her objectives, preserving what she can, learning what she could but wondering, what was the point of it all?
Through muck of trash, a survivor, Dominic (Jeremy Allen White), scraps together some food and fluids from a pharmacy when he is alerted to a clicking noise. Darting behind the till, his heart racing, before looking over to see Charlie chugging along. This grants Dom relief for a moment, when an Unwell bursts out, flesh hanging off, muscle and bone underneath a rotted pink and dull grey. Dom kicks back to escape, alerting Charlie to investigate, Charlie speeds over to the Unwell and knocks it over, crushing its skull beneath her tracks! Dom looks up as Charlie looms over, eyes wide as she let's out a curious giggle, producing a bottle of water to the tired Dom who looks amazed, asking how she did that. Charlie shrugs with another little giggle; "Preserve."
Dom walks along, stoic, as he follows a map, Charlie bumps alongside him, questions a plenty. Dom comes to a halt, asking what Charlie was doing. With a glee, Charlie responds; "Preserve, learn and wonder!" Dom hushes Charlie, crouching to her height before scanning over the water in his hand, turning back with curiosity washed across his face; "I like you Charlie. A little noisy, a little annoying but...special, yeah special. You remind me of my daughter, Millie. I can't wait for you to meet her."
Cutting through overgrown plant life, Dom and Charlie arrive at a well hidden, modestly armed and previously abandoned military outpost. At the entrance, they are met by an elderly former marine, Walter (Ed Harris), his presence immediately warm, though his embrace is intercepted as Millie (Vivien Lyra Blair) burst through to hug her father before looking down at Charlie; "Who's that?" Dom smiles as Charlie's eyes scan the surroundings, seemingly a little nervous until Dom pats her head with reassurance; "This is Charlie, and she's the future."
The quartet enter the haven, glances a plenty at Charlie, her anxiety building until she feels someone take her hand, looking up anticipating Dom, only to find a grinning Millie.
All seems well, festivities unfolding, Charlie's arrival seemingly signalling some kind of beacon of hope. And then, heavy footsteps slam across with calmness, a dishevelled leader, Robert (Willem Dafoe), looking over his troop, something about him feeling out of focus as he asks to be introduced to their guest of honor. Charlie rolls over, something familiar, yet horrifying at the stranger leaning over; "Hiya Bean, I'm Robert."
He felt like a giant skeletal creature, a crooked smile and eyes that watched your every heartbeat. One could easily assume how the haggard Robert came to rule this safe place.
Days had passed since Charlie's arrival, a peace washing over as Dom reunited with Millie who now had a bestie, and the warm but stoic Walter felt relaxation for the first time in a while; And then Kingsley (Rahul Kohli) returned.
Rolling in with a banged up Wonder Bean, Chance (voiced by Zoe Saldana), Kingsley was in bad shape, warning that a hoard of Unwell had caught their scent. Robert descends with a gnarly grin, damning Kingsley as he demands him to his office. A tense silence lulls, Dom pulls in Millie with Walter building a sweat, the innocence of Charlie breaking through; "Is everything okay?"
No, it was not. Millie sits by the fire with Charlie who had begun to watch Chance who moved with more of a hobble, paintwork unkempt and a ding on one of her eyes. But as Charlie watched her, how she interacted, seemingly without the programming she held dear, she felt not just curious, but something...else.
Meanwhile, Dom talks to Walter, fear budding about the growing threat of Robert's fading mind, the two plotting a takeover.
After tucking Millie in, Dom finds Charlie talking to Chance and invites the two with him, asking the pair to keep an eye out. Chance agrees on their behalf and the trio meet with Walter who offers a nod as he and Dom enter Robert's room.
Two scenarios play out side by side, for Dom and Walter a tension fuelled coup, and for Charlie, something else becoming clear. In a flash, as Chance takes the hand of Charlie, an involuntary alarm rings out, awakening Robert who draws a knife from under his pillow, plunging it into the throat of the looming Walter! Dom narrowly escapes but Robert sees him, Kingsley sees him...
Dom sits in a beatdown silence. He looked out and locked eyes with Robert. Dom takes the hand of a sleeping Millie; They had to run.
Charlie drives in circles, her systems frazzled. Dom shouted at her when they returned home last night, and she didn't know why, she couldn't learn why; She could only wonder. Now, Charlie had wondered before, but this felt different...it felt heavy.
Robert holds council with the haven, reminding everyone of how fortunate they were to be there, and how grateful they should be, sporting a gaze towards Millie. Dom holds her tight as Robert continues, revealing Kingsley would be doing checks, and advised all to be prepared.
As night draws near, Chance finds Charlie, checking in, seeing her flustered by her ongoing crisis. Chance pulls in by her side and starts to muse over the deep sunset. Charlie turns her head, eyes soft as Chance's little squeaks and clicks occur, another kind of wonder washing over as the purple and orange hues paint Chance into something somehow even more beautiful. "I like this. I like the different wonder. I like that you make me wonder this way." The two droids turn to each other and gently collide, their moment broken by a nearby crash!
Millie stumbles and kicks with tears down her face as a bloody Kingsley looms over her with menace in his eyes! Before he can drive his shank into her, Charlie bursts through, obliterating his ankle! Kingsley wails in pain, reaching out to Chance who ignores her former owner to console Millie, Kingsley turnx over to Charlie coming to finish the job...
The mess of clothes on the floor is navigated by the trio as a fading sputtering is heard, Dom holding onto his chest, the colour disappearing from his eyes as a sobbing Millie hugs her dad, one last time. Dom turns to Charlie and Chance, a final smile as they are shown escaping alongside Millie; "Save her."
Two droids made for recycling and education have unwittingly become the parents of a thirteen year old following the loss of her father. The trio of Charlie, Chance and Millie were doing their best in the wasteland, but whilst they were able to keep Millie hydrated, starvation had begun to kick in, unwanted followers closing in
At the haven, Robert had lost his mind after an attempted revolt saw him kill six members before being thrown to the lions. But Robert had survived before, and vowed to survive again...
Finding refuge in a run down
supermarket, Charlie and Chance do their best to help a pale and exhausted Millie when they notice guests; Three unwell stalking the aisles. Charlie quietly navigates Millie to safety, asking Chance to look after her. From here, Charlie quickly flattens one, using a fire extinguisher for leverage, before trapping another in a freezer. However, the final Unwell had found Millie and Chance!
Robert lurks the wilderness as he hears the commotion struggling with his own mental state before collapsing to his knees to shake the cobwebs looking up to see a sign featuring Bob Bruce, a familiarity in his saddened gaze.
Meanwhile, the Unwell had begun tearing through the door, Chance doing all she can to keep it out as it claws at her, looking to keep her vow to Charlie. Eventually, Charlie does arrive, coming through at such speed, she tears the Unwell in half, arm ripped off in the door!
Millie comes out in a wreck, Charlie realises the young girl was having a panic attack as her headphones and coping mechanism fell out. Charlie calms Millie, asking who she was listening to, taking the mobile from her and plugging it in her dock, quietly playing the music as she looks to investigate if Chance was okay...she is not...
But there is no time to stand still as Millie peers back, fear in her eyes; "ITS ROBERT!"
Robert stalks the market that Charlie, Chance and Millie used as refuge when the Unwell trapped in the freezer bursts out and attacks! Robert survives the encounter, but at a cost, seeing him look out and spot our trio of heroes, Chance worse for wear...
Chance is shown to have had her primary system torn apart by the Unwell attack, her voice a vacant buzz as the sound of more Unwell grows closer. Charlie is overwhelmed, seeing the light dim in her companions eyes, hoping if she took her hand it would reinvigorate life in her. But alas, instead they watch a final sunset before Millie pulls Charlie away, Chance uttering a last word; "Love."
As night falls, Charlie worries she may lose this final piece of her and will do anything to save her when the pair fall in an ominous glow, revealed to be peaceful survivors! With safety guaranteed for Millie, Charlie detaches her water purifier, handing it over, Millie confused. Charlie takes the hand of the sobbing Millie uttering her final farewell; "Love, bestie. You're so golden."
Charlie heads back to bury Chance, sitting in the moonlight where she is confronted by a violently ill Robert, shaking his head; "Where is she?!" he slobbers, Charlie gently lying; "Dead, dead." Robert leans against a tree, a swarm of Unwell now just feet away, a smile on his face; "My dad made you, before the bombs, he made you. I was named after him, you know? I miss him, I miss life...Give me mercy? Please?"
A crunch echoes in the night as a tired Charlie drives to the edge of a cliff, feeling her battery die as she looks out at the sea, relaying a message left behind by Bob Bruce:
"Wonder Bean Charlie, did you really do it all? Well, I'll be damned! Well, I'm sure there's still some wondering to do, but how about until then, you rest up!"
In the pale moonlight, a fading Charlie softly and sweetly sighs; "Love."
Release: Fractus
Fractus
Genre: Drama
Director: Shaka King
Writers: Mo Buck & Jimmy Ellis
Cast: Aldis Hodge, Brian Tyree Henry, Regina King, Keke Palmer, Jared Keeso, Luke Macfarlane, Bill Camp, Shaun Ricker
Budget: $23,000,000
Domestic Box Office: $19,888,035
Foreign Box Office: $10,314,929
Total Profit: -$17,000,013
Reaction: There just didn't seem to be enough of an audience for Fractus, with it not doing great domestically or overseas. Outside of the massive success of Doctor Love, wrestling films have tended to struggle a bit at the box office for the studio.
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