The Roundup with Jeff Stockton (Season 21 Round 6)

 

Just four rounds to go now after Round 6. I'm sure the studio is hoping they're more successful. Here's The Roundup....

3. Diane Guerrero
I didn't particularly care for American Dirt as a film (more on that below), but I do think that Diane Guerrero is a name to remember as a rising star. She has a natural charisma

2. Run For Your Life
There honestly isn't much to say about this one. It was another solid film from writer Chad Taylor. Not one of his best, but still a good, fast-paced thriller with a strong female lead (which means Pugh will probably wind up with a Best Actress GRA nomination by default).

1. Jacob Jones
Golden Girl definitely had a few major flaws that kept it from being a great movie (much more on one of those major flaws in the Bottom 3), but it is very apparent that Jacob Jones has improved a great deal as a writer over the seasons. I'm definitely intrigued to see how has next film, Emergency, turns out.

3. Box Office
Just when things were starting to look strong at the box office last season, things look more stingy this time around. Yes, all the films made a profit - but not much.

2. American Dirt
Who was this movie made for? There is no fun or excitement anywhere on the screen. It's all down-trodden and despair. I know there's a place for depressing films, but this one never even gave us a chance to get to know its characters before it started torturing them. If we don't know about the characters or grow to like them in some way, the film is going to have an uphill climb to engage the audience. I didn't feel engaged with this one.

1. Josh Gad
I cannot think of a worse casting decision in recent seasons than casting Gad as a police detective in Golden Girl. He made his character much more annoying than it needed to be and stopped the momentum of the story every time he was on-screen. Like I said up above, I am intrigued by Jones' next film Emergency, but also very wary as Josh Gad is also part of the cast of that one. Hopefully his presence is less noticeable.

On Location (Season 21 Round 6)

American Dirt
- El Paso, Texas, USA

Golden Girl
- San Francisco, California, USA

Run For Your Life
- Yonkers, New York, USA

Box Office Breakdown (Season 21 Round 6)

American Dirt
Budget: $22,000,000
Total Box Office: $48,667,643
Total Profit: $4,505,783

Golden Girl
Budget: $100,000,000
Total Box Office: $242,936,061
Total Profit: $10,902,190

Run For Your Life
Budget: $35,000,000
Total Box Office: $80,101,642
Total Profit: $8,975,996







Box Office Facts
American Dirt
Diane Guerrero has now appeared in three films for the studio (He Kills, The Lone Gunman and now American Dirt), with mixed results at the box office. However, the small profit earned by American Dirt has put her films into the black for the time being.

Golden Girl
With a box office gross of nearly $243 million, Golden Girl has become the second highest grossing Mystery film ever released by the studio, overtaking Control and sitting behind The Prisoner.

Run For Your Life
Run For Your Life is the third time Chad Taylor has adapted a foreign language film for LRF. The first of the group, An Honest Mistake, is the only one to fail to turn a profit now at the box office.



Genre Rankings
American Dirt
Drama: #150
Thriller: #76

Golden Girl
Mystery: #2

Run For Your Life
Thriller: #57



Season 21 Round 6
Total Box Office: $371,705,346
Total Profit: $24,383,969

Season 21 Totals
Total Box Office: $2,655,395,358
Total Profit: $490,359,889



Season 21 Summary
1. Wonder Woman - $699,437,293
2. Odysseus - Part One - $285,370,229
3. The Void - $281,184,118
4. Golden Girl - $242,936,061
5. Resident Evil 4 - $163,043,017
6. Twisted Metal - $150,424,720
7. Mexican Gothic - $122,171,015
8. Gigantor - $109,068,556
9. Red Wolf - $100,289,516
10. Whaling - $89,128,781
11. Run For Your Life - $80,101,642
12. Wolf - $74,586,857
13. Rookie's Road - $62,988,931
14. My Musical Adventure in Another World as an  Old Man! - $52,448,962
15. American Dirt - $48,667,643
16. Pontiac - $41,383,882
17. The Water Cure - $40,121,045
18. Tough Girl - $12,043,090

Release: Run For Your Life

Run For Your Life
Genre: Thriller
Director: Edgar Wright
Writer: Chad Taylor
Based on the German film Run Lola Run
Cast: Florence Pugh, Nicholas Hoult, Ralph Fiennes, Simon Pegg, Lake Bell, Nick Frost, Daveed Diggs, Michael Imperioli, Jack Quaid



Budget: $35,000,000
Domestic Box Office: $36,798,044
Foreign Box Office: $43,303,598
Total Profit: $8,975,996

Reaction: Not the hit that some other recent thriller films from the studio have been in recent seasons, but this one still managed to pull in a small, tidy profit.

"It took a while to get used to the Run For Your Life's kinetic format, but eventually I stopped noticing it and just enjoyed the ride. It's not going to be for everyone, but I liked it due to the pace of the story and the casting."  - Mark Gilbert, Boston Globe

"I admittedly have not seen the original film (or at least I don't remember seeing it), so I will only judge Edgar Wright's film on its own merits. And in this case, I found the film to be an example of style over substance, and despite its fast pace there is not a lot of story to be seen." - Ken Hammerschmidt, Washington Post

"Florence Pugh was impeccably cast in the lead role. Considering how much she's on-screen, that has a lot to do with how well the film works. Run For Your Life is not a groundbreaking thriller like its source material, but it is another successful collaboration between writer Chad Taylor and the star." - Allen Poole, AV Club

Rated R for language and violence

Last Resort Films Jukebox: Run For Your Life

1. "Highway Star" - Deep Purple


2. "Hell Bent for Leather" - Judas Priest


3. "Overkill" - Motorhead


4. "Immigrant Song" - Led Zeppelin


5. "Cherry Bomb" - The Runaways


6. "Bastille Day" - Rush


7. "Paranoid" - Black Sabbath


8. "Suzy is a Headbanger" - Ramones


9. "The Groove Line" - Heatwave

Now Showing: Run For Your Life

Run For Your Life
Genre: Thriller
Director: Edgar Wright
Writer: Chad Taylor
Based on the German film Run Lola Run
Cast: Florence Pugh, Nicholas Hoult, Ralph Fiennes, Simon Pegg, Lake Bell, Nick Frost, Daveed Diggs, Michael Imperioli, Jack Quaid

Plot: New York City, 1979. Lily (Florence Pugh) answers her ringing phone and her frantic boyfriend Sonny (Nicholas Hoult) is on the other line asking where she is. She looks at the clock, realizes she forgot to pick him up, and profusely apologizes. Sonny, from a phonebooth, tells her that he was supposed to deliver $50,000 to his “boss” and needed her to be there after he retrieved it. As a result, he took the subway and - after noticing some cops enter the same train as him - quickly left and forgot the bag on the train. He’s on the verge of tears as he is supposed to meet the boss in 30 minutes and is afraid this is going to be the last time he’ll speak to her. Lily tries to talk him down and says that she will find a way to get that amount to him. Meanwhile, Sonny stares intently at a market across the street, puts his hand on his gun and tells Lily he could stick them up. She begs him not to and promises that she will get his money. He says that if she is not here soon, he’s going in as he’s got no other choice.

The soundtrack kicks in as faces flash on the screen as Lily considers her options. She settles on the face of a well-dressed gentleman (Ralph Fiennes). She rushes out the door, accidentally running into a smoking neighbor accompanied by his dog. This knocks her down a couple of steps and delays her journey. She exits her building and begins running down the Manhattan sidewalks. As she runs, she is harassed by a bicyclist (Daveed Diggs) who begins cat-calling her. He offers her his bike for $50 but she declines. We see flashes of the man’s future: he gets in an accident, goes to the hospital, falls in love with the nurse and gets married to her. She turns a corner and has a close call with a homeless man (Nick Frost) carrying multiple bags. She finally reaches her destination: a large bank. She hurries inside and Sam the guard (Simon Pegg) greets her by name. She says that she needs to go up and see him. Sam says he would’ve wished for a “hello” too but he understands. He lets her on the elevator.

Harold (Ralph Fiennes) sits in his nice office and finishes a kiss with Donna (Lake Bell), his mistress. She asks if he is willing to leave his family and start a new one as she’s pregnant. His eyes light up and he gives a nod. At this moment the door swings open and Lily enters. Harold is surprised to see her and introduces her to Donna as his daughter. While Lily wants to ask about who Donna is, she has to get straight to the point: she needs $50k. Harold bursts out in laughter before realizing she is serious. He then becomes angry as she says she can’t explain (since she doesn’t want to reveal Sonny’s mob ties). He tells her how disappointed he is that she is his daughter and that he is leaving her mother to be with Donna. Lily is visibly shaken as Harold motions to Sam to escort her out.

Out of luck, she begins to run to Sonny’s location anyways to prevent him from robbing the store. With her total focus on her run, she crosses the street in front of an ambulance who has to stomp on their breaks to avoid hitting her. However, she finds that she is too late. He has his gun pointed in the air as the cashiers empty the registers. A security guard enters and points his gun at Sonny. Lily makes her entrance, striking the guard in the back of the head and taking his gun. She doesn’t know how to use it but Sonny instructs her how to turn the safety off. Sonny gets his money and they leave the market but find themselves surrounded by multiple police cars. They both look scared and defeated. Sonny throws the bag of cash to the police but this startles a rookie officer (Jack Quaid), who shoots his drawn weapon and strikes Lily in the chest. She falls to the ground in shock as the life exits her eyes.

In bed, Sonny and Lily talk about their relationship and, amid her questioning, he reaffirms his love for her.

Lily’s eyes open and she is once again in her apartment after the call. She is confused but looks at the clock and realizes she has to get going. She exits her apartment and is greeted by the neighbor’s barking dog who bites her pant leg (causing it to rip). She leaves the building and begins her sprint again. The bicyclist pulls up beside her and this time she completely ignores him. He shrugs and we get a flash of his future: no accident this time, goes back to his home, and spirals into a drug addiction. She turns the corner but runs directly into the homeless man - causing his bags to go everywhere. She apologizes but says she doesn’t have the time to help. She reaches the bank and this time is nicer to Sam. He lets her up to see her father. This time we see Lily listening in on the conversation from the outside.

Harold and Donna have their conversation but, this time, Lily doesn’t interrupt so Donna is able to finish her thought - the baby might not be his. He grows agitated and says that he already has a family and that he can’t just leave them. Lily rolls her eyes and decides not to enter. Instead, she goes back down the hallway. Sam tries to make small talk but, in a split second, Lily grabs the gun from his sign and heads back to her father’s office. He is startled by his daughter entering with a gun but she is in no mood to explain this time. She says she needs $50k from the bank and that he is going to get it for her. He says she has to be kidding but she looks to the gun to show her seriousness. He says she doesn’t even know how to use it, which prompts her to turn the safety off. She escorts him down the hallway and they go to the base floor where they collect the money.

Lily spits at her father as she leaves, discarding the gun before opening the door. Upon exiting, she finds dozens of cops with their guns drawn. She freezes. After a beat, an officer (Jack Quaid) motions for her to get out of the way as they all assume she is one of the hostages. She then makes her way to Sonny before he starts the robbery. She gets to his location as he leaves the phonebooth to hold up the market. From a block away, she shouts his name to get him to stop and waves the bag of money in the air. He is crossing the street as he does this and turns around to see her - prompting the first smile we’ve seen from him. However, as he does this, an ambulance is unable to stop and smashes into him. On the ground, the life exits Sonny’s smiling eyes.

In bed, Sonny asks what Lily would do if he ever died and she stalls before saying that it doesn’t matter because he’s not dead yet.

Sonny’s eyes open and Lily is back in her apartment - ready for a third run. This time, she is sure to avoid the neighbor and his dog. She takes a different route this time, avoiding the bicyclist and homeless man altogether. As such, we follow the bicyclist to a hot dog stand - where he stops to get a bite. The homeless man is there, buying multiple hot dogs and offers to buy the bicyclist one. The bicyclist notices a bag full of money with the homeless man and asks if he would be interested in a bike for $100. We see flashes of the man’s future: he uses the money to invest in a new suit, leading him to nail a job interview, and live a financially comfortable life. Meanwhile, on her new route, Lily reaches the bank quicker and Sam is outside on his smoke break. He jokingly asks her if she is looking for trouble and she stares at him intensely - causing a weird feeling to pulse through his body (as if he remembers the other encounters). In the corner of her eye, she notices a betting parlor down the street.

At the phonebooth, Sonny anxiously paces as he hopes Lily shows. As he does, he notices the homeless man riding the bicycle down the street and spots the bag he left behind on the train. He yells out to the man and then begins to run to track him down. At the betting parlor, Lily begins using the money she has on horse races. Sonny is gaining ground as the man weaves in and out of traffic. Lily begins to have success but finds that her time is running out. She cashes out and begins to run. She notices an ambulance driving slowly by and hops on the back of it - entering the doors. Inside, a paramedic is doing chest compressions on Sam. The paramedic frantically says she is not supposed to be here but she takes Sam’s hand and, somehow, it stabilizes his heartbeat.

Sonny finally catches up to the homeless man, who surrenders as Sonny points his gun at him. The man says that he recognizes Sonny and knows it is his bag. He offers it in exchange for the gun and Sonny is eager to accept the deal. Sonny gets the bag and is about to leave when the man points his gun back at him. However, he can’t figure out how to use it as the safety is on - giving Sonny time to get away. He reaches his location as the Boss (Michael Imperioli) and his associates arrive. Leon smiles and says that he knew Sonny would come through. Sonny walks away relieved as we see Lily exit the ambulance in the background and make her way to him. She is nearly in tears, saying that she was only about to get $20,000. He gives her a hug and tells her it is OK - he got the bag back and got the money to Leon. Their eyes click at the same time upon realization that they now have that money as extra - giving them enough to skip town so Sonny can leave the mob life behind. They kiss and, after, she suggests they sit down at a restaurant somewhere for a bite to eat - her legs are exhausted.

Top 10 Nicholas Hoult Films

 

Sherman J. Pearson here for another edition of Top 10. Believe it or not, Nicholas Hoult is quietly about to appear in his 12th film for Last Resort Films with his upcoming role in Run For Your Life. With that in mind, I decided to take a look at his filmography, which dates all the way back to Season 1.

Top 10 Nicholas Hoult Films
10. Alternative
9. AGOS: A Game of Survival
8. INFINITY
7. October Crisis
6. The Young Pretender
5. Germinal
4. Antarctica
3. The Little Girl Who Was Too Fond of Matches
2. Rasputin
1. The Prisoner