This week: Subversive Christian films, games turned into movies, dysfunctional relationships, dark comedies, dark dramas, movies films in GA (3) & yet another vampire movie
2014 PG-13 DramedyCasting Society of America Award: Outstanding Achievement in Casting - Low Budget Feature - Comedy
Director:
Will Bakke (Beware of Christians (Documentary))Writers:
Michael B. Allen (Beware of Christians (Documentary)), Will Bakke (One Nation Under God (Documentary))Stars:
Alex Russell (Unbroken), Zachary Knighton ("Parenthood"), Johanna Braddy ("Video Game High School"), Miles Fisher (J. Edgar), Sinqua Walls ("Teen Wolf"), SAG Nominee Max Adler ("Glee"), Television Critics Association Award winner: Nick Offerman ("Parks and Recreation"), Christopher McDonald ("Regular Show")
Filming Locations: Austin, Texas, USA
Plot: Desperate, broke, and out of ideas, four college seniors start a fake charity to embezzle money for tuition.
Review: This is what I'm talking about. A Christian film produced by a Christian production company that makes subversive Christian films that aren't overly preachy and don't alienate nonbelievers. Look at that cast a smart script attracted. I'm really looking forward to watching this.
Rating: TBD
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2014 Horror PG-13Director:
Stiles White
Plot: A group of friends must confront their most terrifying fears when they awaken the dark powers of an ancient spirit board.
Review: Another game turned into a movie. Ouija boards freak me out so I'm very curious to see what they do with though I've heard nothing but bad things about this movie.
Rating: TBD
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Just for laughs, here's my 1st & callback auditions for the short film The Board of Truth, which is a short film about a Ouija board produced by Black Flight Studios & will be premiering along side feature film The Legend of Seven Toe Maggie on Friday March 13th in Cordele, Ga then March 26th in ATL. Purchase tickets on the studio website. Below is the teaser.
2014 R Rom ComDirector:
Susanna FogelWriters:
Susanna Fogel, Joni LefkowitzStars:
Leighton Meester, Gillian Jacobs, Adam Brody
Review: It's so good to see Leighton get some great acting roles after the show "Gossip Girl". She's being really smart by taking indie movies so she doesn't get typecast. This looks like a modern film about modern friendships/. Most films about gay relationships that I've seen or seen trailers for seem to involve romantic relationships or feature over the top comedic side characters. It's nice to see another side that treats them like real people and gives more character development. This is a friendship that I really haven't seen explored in a film yet.
Rating: TBD
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2014 PG-13 Adventure Sci-Fi
Golden Globe nominee: Best Original Song
Director:
Francis LawrenceWriters:
Peter Craig (screenplay), Danny Strong(screenplay), etc.
Plot: Katniss Everdeen is in District 13 after she shatters the games forever. Under the leadership of President Coin and the advice of her trusted friends, Katniss spreads her wings as she fights to save Peeta and a nation moved by her courage.
Review: Though full of political intrigue, a few great action scenes, and mostly strong performances, this film seems like an episode of a TV show leading up to an epic series finale. I love how we get to explore even more of what the capitol is really like and how war isn't always fought with weapons. As my military hubby tells me, often war is won through winning over hearts and minds. Through, in this case, propaganda films that the begrudging hero agrees to be a part of in order to get the other districts to start revolting against the capitol. All really good stuff. The problem I had was the uneven writing. This small story line requires it to have well articulated characters with multiple dimensions. Katniss appeared to be ready for action at the end of Catching Fire, but digresses back to an unsure state of not really wanting to be the hero. I found it to be a backslide of the character. All the other actors were good but underused in this film. So there wasn't enough character evolution to grab onto and not enough action scenes to thrill though the ones done were done well. This was never meant to be split into two movies. Trust the narrative that the author meant for the story and stop splitting up simple books into two parts just to make money. These are not 800 page novels. It's unnecessary. Ultimately, this will be great once I see the final battle in Part 2. As is it's a great build-up with nowhere to go, for now.
Rating: Snailmail (on it's own) but will probably be at least Noteworthy with the other part.
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2014 PG-13 Action Drama FantasyPeople's Choice Award Nominated-Favorite Thriller Movie
Director:
Gary ShoreWriters:
Matt Sazama, Burk Sharpless,Stars:
Luke Evans, Dominic Cooper, Sarah Gadon- Universal Pictures (presents)
- Legendary Pictures (presents)
- Michael De Luca Productions
- Dentsu
- Fuji Television Network
Plot: As his kingdom is being threatened by the Turks, young prince Vlad Tepes must become a monster feared by his own people in order to obtain the power needed to protect his own family, and the families of his kingdom.
Review: ALthough I like vampire folklore, I'm just over it for the time being. Also, I like the fantasy/horror elements of it. This seems like a historical war film with a little bit of vampire sprinkled in. Not my cup of tea. Will probably not even watch this, but wanted to report that it is on DVD for those interested.
Rating: Never TBD
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2014 PG-13 Romantic DramaDirector:
Michael HoffmanWriters:
J. Mills Goodloe (screenplay), Will Fetters(screenplay),Stars:
James Marsden, Michelle Monaghan, Luke BraceyProduction Companies:
Plot: A pair of former high school sweethearts reunite after many years when they return to visit their small hometown.
Review: I don't like all N.S. based films. He seems to have a formula that sometimes gets old and sappy. Other times, I like it. Other than the fact that the young & older male leads look nothing alike, I like the story line and will happily give this a go. I think Paul Walker would've been perfect for the lead, as much as do like Marsden.
Rating: TBD
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2014 R Bio Drama Sport
Nominated for 5 Oscars
Director:
Bennett MillerWriters:
E. Max Frye, Dan FuttermanStars:
Steve Carell, Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo |Production Co:
Annapurna Pictures, Likely Story, Media Rights Capital et al.
Plot: The greatest Olympic Wrestling Champion brother team joins Team Foxcatcher led by multimillionaire sponsor John E. du Pont as they train for the 1988 games in Seoul - a union that leads to unlikely circumstances.
Review: It looks like this film might have some weird, twisted ending. I just get such an icky feeling watching Du Pont on screen. I've purposely not looked up anything about this movie for fear of spoilers. I was 4 in 1988 and don't know much about wrestling, so I'm in the dark about this story. The performances and the sheer intrigue of where this will go along with 5 Oscar nods is why I'm looking forward to seeing it.
Rating: TBD
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2014 R Adventure Comedy Drama
Golden Trailer winner: Best Foreign Comedy Trailer For the international theatrical trailer.
Director:
Peter ChelsomWriters:
Maria von Heland (screenplay), Peter Chelsom(screenplay), et alStars:
Simon Pegg, Rosamund Pike, Tracy Ann Oberman |Filming Locations:
Vancouver, British Columbia, CanadaProduction Co:
Egoli Tossell Film, Film Afrika Worldwide, Construction Film et al.
Plot: A psychiatrist searches the globe to find the secret of happiness.
Review: This reminds of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty which I absolutely loved. I'm not sure if this coming so soon after that will make that emotional impact with me, but I'm willing to give it a try since it's a genre I enjoy.
Rating: TBD
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2014 R ThrillerJoey Award winner: Young Actress in a Feature Film Principal or Supporting Role
Peyton Kennedy
Director:
Atom EgoyanWriters:
Atom Egoyan (screenplay), David Fraser(screenplay), et al.Stars:
Ryan Reynolds, Scott Speedman, Rosario DawsonProduction Co:
Ego Film Arts, Film Farm, The et al.
Plot: Eight years after the disappearance of Cassandra, some disturbing incidents seem to indicate that she's still alive. Police, parents and Cassandra herself, will try to unravel the mystery of her disappearance.
Review: This movie looks unsettling with amazing performances. It reminds me a bit of The Lovely Bones & Prisoners in its look & feel. I love crime films. I hope the victim fights her way out of this alive.
Rating: TBD
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2014 PG-13 Adventure Fantasy Horror (V)Director:
Hilary BrougherWriters:
Hilary Brougher (screenplay), Tristine Skyler(screenplay), et al.Stars:
Sophie Curtis, Kelly Reilly, Graham Phillips |Production Co:
Scion Pictures, Killer Films, Big Indie Pictures
Plot: A young woman discovers her elite Manhattan preparatory school harbors a dark secret.
Review: This reminds me of Phantasm meets Vampire Academy. The production value looks terrible, but I find this material interesting and I like Reilly. I just hope it's not as bad as Vampire Academy.
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2014 Crime ComedyDirector:
Scott FoleyWriter:
Scott FoleyStars:
Amy Acker, Ava Carpinello, James Carpinello |Filming Locations:
Los Angeles, California, USA
Plot: Ward's wife is a bitch. Everyone knows it. Including Ward. After numerous conversations and ruminations on the subject amongst Ward's colorful group of friends, a fortuitous accident leads to a whole new world of problems and possibilities.
Review: I love dark comedies. This one is especially intriguing because Scott Foley wrote & directed it. Great cast too!
Rating: TBD
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2014 DramedyTribeca Film Festival nominee: Best Narrative Feature
Director:
Adam RappWriters:
Michael Godere, Ivan MartinStars:
Ivan Martin, Michael Godere, Marisa Tomei |
Plot: Two male actors/close friends want to jump start their careers. They end up making a big shot producer think that they have a hot script that everyone wants to get their hands on. The 2 men then drive to upstate New York and hole up in a family member's country home- with 10 dedicated days to write said script.
Review: I like movies about the entertainment industry. This also has a great supporting cast. I just wonder about these unknown actors in the leads.
Rating: TBD
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2007 Horror Comedy
4 award wins: Chicago Underground Film Festival Best Narrative Feature Film, et al.
Director:
Alex OrrWriters:
Hugh Braselton (story), Alex Orr (screenplay), et al.Stars:
Mike Brune, Anna Chlumsky, Katie Rowlett |
Plot: In the near future, gas prices are at an astronomical high. One man is determined to find an alternate fuel source. That alternate fuel source turns out to be blood...HUMAN BLOOD.
Review: A movie that seems ahead of it's time especially with the big oil rush going on now. I really like Anna Chlumsky and am happy to see her in more films. I like dark comedies & satires. This is both.
Rating: TBD
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2012 War DramaDirector:
Pat O'ConnorWriters:
Michael Morpurgo (novel), Simon Reade(screenplay)Stars:
Jack O'Connell, Maxine Peake, Richard GriffithsFilming Locations:
Suffolk, England, UK
Plot: Set in the fields of Devon and the WW1 battlefields of Flanders, two brothers fall for the same girl while contending with the pressures of their feudal family life, the war, and the price of courage and cowardice.
Review: O'Connell seems to be in a lot of war films. He's good at them. I just hope he doesn't get type cast. I hope this doesn't focus too much on the dumb love triangle. I'm sick of love triangles.
Rating: TBD
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2014 Drama Mystery ThrillerNashville Film Festival winner: Best Actress
Review: I love movies about women trying to figure out life cuz it's universal. I also like movies about writing because I connect with those stories. I really like Robertson as well. I just hope this film has a good message and she gets her life in order. Cuz an 18 year old sleeping around that much as it appears in the film might get old. However, considering the genre of this film, it looks like it might be much more interesting than the trailer would suggest. This might turn dark.
Rating: TBD
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2013 R Bio DramaDirectors:
Richard Glatzer, Wash WestmorelandWriters:
Richard Glatzer, Wash WestmorelandStars:
Dakota Fanning, Susan Sarandon, Kevin Kline |Filming Locations:
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Plot: The last days in the life of legendary Hollywood actor Errol Flynn.
Review: I like movies about the entertainment industry, but it's gonna be hard to watch this because of the age difference between the actors/characters. The fact that so many uber famous people compete crimes in public like this and get away with it kills me.
Rating: TBD.
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2014 PG Biographical Historical DramaDirector:
A.J. EdwardsWriter:
A.J. EdwardsStars:
Jason Clarke, Diane Kruger, Brit Marling |
Plot: The story of Abraham Lincoln's childhood in the harsh wilderness of Indiana and the hardships that shaped him, the tragedy that marked him for ever and the two women who guided him to immortality.
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Review: What an interesting pov of one of the greatest men in history by learning about his early life and the women who shaped it.
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2012 Biographical Music Drama6X Crystal Reel Award winner
Director:
Nathan FrankowskiWriters:
Kate King Lynch (screenplay), Nathan Frankowski(story), 3 more credits »Stars:
Kat Dennings, Chad Michael Murray, Rupert Friend
Plot: A drama centered around Renee Yohe and her battle with drugs, depression, and other life issues that ultimately leads to the founding of charity group To Write Love on Her Arms.|
Review: I'm always interested in films about psychological disorders cuz I think the U.S. is so bad at handling them. that these films need to be made. It also nice to see Dennings in a serious role. I hope she can act. We all know she's funny.
Rating: TBD
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