'Amazing Stories' Is Back And Has A Trailer Thanks To Apple TV+!

The 80's weren't just the golden age of big hair and neon, they were also the best time possible for anthology fans. While most trended toward horror and dark sci-fi  Amazing Stories had more of an Amblin feel too it, which should have been obvious since Steven Spielberg was behind the whole thing. Nowadays the short lived, but groundbreaking series has all but escaped the public zeitgeist and certainly isn't what comes to mind when you talk about anthology series (most people go right to Outer Limits, Twilight Zone, or Tales from the Crypt). Thank God someone remembered and thought to bring the show back, if for no other reason then out of respect for the fact that the original series has the distinction of featuring the very first all CGI character, years before Jurassic Park, Toy Story, or Star Wars.

This new series trailer seems a little odd to me in presentation, instead of separate stories it almost feels like one big story with separate threads, though that may just be in the editing. While not exactly star-studded the show has plenty of recognizable names and most importantly Spielberg himself is involved. After Apple TV+'s first run of shows, which were all good but failed to make a lasting impression I'm really hoping this one gains some traction. Check out the trailer below and let us know what you think in the comments!

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Meet Your New Recruits in the Character Posters for 'Top Gun: Maverick'

The time to kick the tires and start the fires is drawing near and the media is starting to flow. Top Gun: Maverick doesn't hit theaters for another 4 months still, but the filmmakers are aware that we are thirsty so they're starting to offer some sweet, sweet, refreshment, today it takes the form of character posters for the TOPGUN recruits featured in the movie. The one thing that's popped out to me since the trailer hit and is even more apparent now is just how good the casting of Miles Teller as Goose's son is. The full crew is comprised of Miles Teller as Lt. Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw, Glen Powell as 'Hangman', Monica Barbaro as 'Phoenix', Lewis Pullman as 'Bob', Jay Ellis as 'Payback', and Danny Ramirez as 'Fanboy'. I mean, it's no Hollywood, Viper, Iceman, and Slider but I guess those names are pretty cool, I'm itching to find out the story behind "Bob". Here's the synopsis then we'll drop the images.

After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. When he finds himself training a detachment of Top Gun graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose”.

Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it.

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Rough Roads Ahead for Daddy Dom in the Teaser for 'F9: The Fast Saga'

What a world we live in, trailers have trailers now. While the full trailer for F9: The Fast Saga won't be out until this Friday we were treated to a bit of footage today of the next installment of the Fast & Furious franchise. It doesn't look like happily ever after is something the Torretto gang is ever going to see, Dom is now a father and living on a farm with Letty, but an ominous warning from Letty to Dom's son Brian lets us know all is not kosher in 1/4 mile land. Shockingly there's no action footage, but I'm sure we'll have plenty of that to go around in Friday's trailer. Stay tuned and we'll make sure to get that full trailer out to you as soon as it drops.

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Head to a Disturbing and Dark Place with the Trailer for 'Swallow'

In today's edition of "What the hell did I just watch?" we have the trailer for Haley Bennett's latest film Swallow. If the intent of this trailer was to let you in on the creepy and dark nature of this films content I think it's safe to say "Mission Accomplished". I'm 100% certain that there are heaps of subtext contained within the film itself, which appears to be a film about a woman who is trying desperately to be what everyone wants her to be and deals with the stress of that by....well, by swallowing things one wouldn't normally swallow. This is a real affliction, and the pressure women feel in this world is VERY real, I'm not trying to be a cynical asshole, I'm just saying this trailer is weird. They do an amazing job of creating that Twilight Zone effect, where everything seems serene and perfect but that one little detail is wayyyy off the norm. Very Fincher, which the trailer points out itself.

Swallow Hits Theaters March 6th, 2020

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Disney+'s 'Falcon and the Winter Soldier' Will be Here Sooner Then Anticipated!

Whew...after the finale of the too-short season 1 for The Mandalorian Disney+ subscribers were looking at a long stretch of nothing new in the original content department. Good news has arrived by way of a Deadline report talking about Noah Mills casting in the series. While it was originally stated that the first of the Marvel TV shows wouldn't be making it's way to the streaming platform until late 2020, Disney reps dropped that the show will go-live this August, just 7 short months away. I'm not sure what the story behind the changed dates is, but I wouldn't be surprised to find out that this was driven by the subscriber drop after the conclusion of The Mandalorian. I mean, that would have been almost a full year of membership fees between shows, and if these original shows were your sole reason for subscribing it wouldn't make sense to keep it during the down time.

In any event, I pray that this pushed up release date doesn't result in rushing to finish the production and that the creative team is given the time they need to make sure this is done up to the standard that we've come to expect from Marvel.

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Daniel Radcliffe Fights for Freedom in the First Trailer for 'Escape From Pretoria'

Credit where credit is due, Daniel Radcliffe has gone to some pretty amazing lengths to break the Potter-brand since his days as "The boy who lived". He's headlined pretty much every genre at this point and done and admirable job in each. If you need any proof of this guys range you need look no further then the current trailers he has out at the moment. On one hand you have Guns Akimbo, a batshit crazy action flick where he plays a guy that has pistols bolted to his hands. On the other side of things there's the just released trailer for Escape from Pretoria, which is based on the true story of a white South African man, Tim Jenkin, who was jailed as a terrorist for helping Nelson Mandela's outlawed movement.

I'm all in on this, I mean who doesn't love a good prison break movie, am I right? On my more politically minded side I'm always in favor of a film that explores South Africa during Apartheid. Of all the travesties of the last 100 years I've always felt like apartheid was one of the least represented and one that was most deserving of educating the public. If this trailer is to be believed we've got a socially relevant, tension filled, and well-acted film on our hands here folks.

Escape from Pretoria Hits Theaters on March 6th, 2020. 

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Box Office: 'Bad Boys for Life' Stays On Top, 'The Turning' Falls Flat

1. Bad Boys for Life (review)- $34M/$120.6M
Don't ever say there's no power in nostalgia, after breaking January records in it's opening weekend Bad Boys for Life proved you don't have to be a Gentleman to stay at #1 while this week's new releases failed to break the top 3
2. 1917 - $15.8M/$103M
3. Dolittle - $12.5M/$44M
4. The Gentleman (review)- $11.03M
Guy Ritchie's films have never had that kind of broad appeal that pulls #1 spots at the box office, still, failing to break the top 3 with a certified "Fresh" film must sting a little bit. A classic example of audiences saying they don't want the same old thing but failing to support original films. Ah well...
5. Jumanji: The Next Level- $7.9M/$283M
6. The Turning - $7.3M
Ooof. Talk about a false start. Starting outside the top 5 is never good, poor Mackenzie Davis is having a terrible year following up Terminator: Dark Fate with The Turning, don't worry Ms. Davis, your talent will shine through. Also a tough weekend for Finn Wolfhard, who's had a rose-colored career up until now. Welcome to the real world little man, not to worry I'm sure Ghostbusters: Afterlife will make up for this.
7. Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker- $5.1M/$503M
8. Little Women - $4.7M/$93.7M
9. Just Mercy - $4M/$27M
10. Knives Out - $3.6M/$151.8M

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You Can Breathe Now, Bill Murray Officially Reveals He's a Part of 'Ghostbusters: Afterlife'

You can sit there and say "well, duh!" all you want, and yes odds were very good that Murray was going to appear in the upcoming Ghostbusters: Afterlife but we're talking about Bill Murray, THE Hollywood enigma. While this would have been a normal course of events for anyone else, Bill Murray is not everyone else. He can be famously difficult, but is also famously awesome and we just didn't know which way he was going to go on this one. Thankfully the film gods are merciful and Murray has officially confirmed he will feature in this Summers Ghostbusters movie via a set visit interview with Variety. The best news is that Bill seemed happy to be there judging by the tone of the piece, going so far as to make the interviewer try on a proton pack to get an idea of the weight.

From what we know of the movie, it's a really good thing Murray decided to come back. The plot revolves around Egon's granddaughter who finds her late-granddads protonpack and other assorted "bustin'" gear in the barn. I just don't know if a movie that is obviously going to rely heavily on the memory of the great Harold Ramis would have had the same punch to it without the rest of the gang back in force. Adding to my excitement, Jason Reitman had a few lines in the peice about where he got the idea for this film. The trailer seemed very Amblin mid-80s, which is the highest of praise, and his quote for the idea behind the film seems like it's right out of that class of film.

“I wanted to make a movie about finding a proton pack in an old barn and the thrill of actually putting it on for the first time. I’ve had friends come to the set and hoist on the packs, and it always turns grown-ups into children.”

Ghostbusters: Afterlife is due in theaters July 10th, 2020

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Universal Brings in David Leitch to Direct 'Kung-Fu'

Universal has announced that they will bring in Hobbs & Shaw director David Leitch to captain the rebooted ship that is Kung-Fu. On a purely action basis Leitch seems like a no-brainer. With a resume that includes John Wick, Atomic Blonde, and Deadpool 2 in addition to the aforementioned Fast & Furious spin-off Leitch has proven consistency and proficiency in the genre to say the least. As far as I can tell there are really only two issues with this news. Well, one issue and one thing that I'm surprised didn't happen.

1. Kung-Fu, while action oriented, was more of a philosophical story. One of the main points was that Kwai would only resort to violence when absolutely necessary. John Wick, he was not. A GOOD reboot of the series HAS to be heavily involved in eastern philosophy. It would be easy to make an action heavy story about a martial artist walking the land. What would be amazing though, is to make that same story and highlight the beauty of the mindset that accompanies those high-flying kicks. Leitch has been able to add subtext to his films, but not to an especially deep level. His ability to do this will be what decides if this is going to be a throw-away rehash or the start of something altogether new. 
2. Leitch is a white dude. Now there's nothing wrong with that by itself, but when you factor in the diversity movement in full swing AND the story behind the making of the original series makes me think this was a softball swing to get a good Asian director at the help. For those who don't know the show was the brainchild of Bruce Lee, Lee was ditched as the lead in favor of Keith Carradine because producers didn't think audiences wanted to see an Asian actor in a leading role. While I think race shouldn't come into the choice in most cases, in this particular one it seems like a good chance to right a historic wrong. 

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The Awards Hype Is On Full Display In The Latest 'Uncut Gems' Trailer

We're right in the middle of awards season, which culminates in February with the Academy Awards, so you've probably noticed that every movie with some connection to an awards nomination if putting that fact front and center. Uncut Gems which is being lauded for Adam Sandler's amazing performance is not different. The awards showcasing aside this trailer serves one perfect purpose that most trailers seem to be unable to do. Summarize what to expect from the movie without giving too much away. While I will agree that this was a quality film and Sandler has put out an undeniable reminder of the talent he can summon, I had a hard time making it through this flick without having an anxiety attack, mostly due to the main character's inability to ever do the right thing....or really ever do something that isn't patently stupid....but at the same time I was glued to the story. Check out the latest trailer below and let us know what you think!

Uncut Gems is in theaters now and you can check out Travis' review here!

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*Spoilers* JJ Abrams Confirms What Many Suspected Of Finn In 'Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker'

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

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Ok, you've been warned. Really, these aren't major spoilers but they do concern plot points from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker so I'm playing it safe. Yesterday Travis and I sat down to unpack and dissect the divise (but awesome) final entry in the Skywalker saga. First things first, you should check it out here. Now that you've caught yourself up you'll know that one of the things we discussed was that Finn was about to reveal something to Rey in a moment of certain death, but never did. I, naively, just assumed he was going to say "I Love You", because...well, he totally does. Travis however thought it was something deeper, he thought that Finn was going to reveal that he too was force sensitive. It took some doing but after seeing the evidence I was more on board with the idea then I may have wanted to admit. 

Shocker....Travis was apparently right. These fan theories are a dime a dozen and are RARELY confirmed or denied by the filmmakers. Of course, in this situation, there was a chance to completely prove me wrong and JJ took that chance (I know it was personal, don't try and argue). Twitter user Kaila Ren reports that the revelation was made during a fan meet and greet during an Academy screening of the film. Check out the tweet below, what do you think? Was this really the intent? Does it open up the chance for a Finn-based movie in the future or is it just a cool little tidbit?

I had the privilege of attending the Academy screening of #TheRiseOfSkywalker today and J.J. confirmed that what Finn wanted to tell Rey was that he’s force sensitive! pic.twitter.com/hxuDHhwL6N

— kaila ren (@ar1aster) December 21, 2019

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Elijah Wood Digs Deeper Into His Creepy Side In The Trailer For 'Come To Daddy'

Weird wouldn't be the word I'd use to describe this trailer....really f'in weird would be a more apt description. Remember when Elijah Wood was just like a overgrown cute 6 year old? Hell even his hobbit days fit him well, in the last 10 Wood has fully embraced the creepiness in his normalcy with films like Maniac. Well in Come To Daddy the creepiness is genetic apparently. The story of a boy reconnecting with his father that doesn't seem to end in a game of catch out front is sure to be quite a bit off center, that being said Wood has shown a surprising knack for success at the horror genre. I wish I could say there was enough in the trailer below to make a call on this one but all we can be sure of is that we will feel dirty when leaving the theater. Check it out and let us know what you think!

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Dig Into The Trenches With The Official Trailer for '1917'

Sam Mendes' latest film 1917 is one of a kind, for a number of combined reasons. First, you don't get alot of war films dealing with The Great War/WWI, it's older (or is it younger) brother WW2 gets all the silver screen glorification. Second, the film is shot as one continuous take, meaning there's no jumping from place to place. You start the film with two characters and you're with them the whole way. It's something that you can almost not notice unless you're looking for it but really creates an all-encompassing experience. That first point though, that's where this trailer shines. While we don't really get a lot of all-out trench warfare you can see how clearly the film illustrates the life of a front line soldier in World War 1. 1917 is a film that war film fans will not want to miss and I think after checking out the clip below you'll agree.

Side note: Is it just me or did they cast Sgt. Slaughter at :28?

1917 opens Christmas Day and stars George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Strong, Colin Firth, and Richard Madden.

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A Small Town Gets Big Problems in the Official Trailer for 'Ghostbusters: Afterlife'

It's finally here! And with the full trailer for Ghostbusters: Afterlife we also get some answers to the story behind it all, for the most part the answers we got are pretty awesome. First and foremost the trailer reveals how Ivan Reitman decided to handle the legacy of Harold Ramis, and honestly it makes too much sense. That old house that the family moves into...you know the one where Ecto-1 was stored in an old barn. Yeah, that was Spangler's, and he's left it to his daughter. The kids in the film, his grand-kids, while it might be an obvious play it simply makes sense and ensures that he'll be front and center, in some way, throughout the film.

Outside of that I have some reservations. Not a sight of a single OG 'buster throughout the trailer (save for one news clip), and it would appear that the movie is almost a paranormal Goonies. That may not be a bad thing but it will ruffle some purist feathers. There is another angle, one that if true other filmmakers should copy. The footage we're looking at could be totally from the first act and a half of the film. We know the original crew is on-board so it's more then possible that what we are seeing is the setup for the film and Venkman, Stanz, and Zedmore are minutes away from showing up to show the little ones the way.

There's plenty of other neat little notes from the trailer, like when Paul Rudd's teacher character who is obviously a GB fanboy, lets out that there haven't been any ghost sightings in 30 years and the reaction from the kids which implies the events of NYC 1984 have been all but forgotten (I mean, who wouldn't forget a 20-story marshmallow man?). I won't bore you by regurgitating all of the details anymore then I already have, check it out below and let us know what you think.

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Ryan Reynold's Declares '6 Underground' Is The Most Michael Bay Movie Ever, It's Science.

Ryan Reynolds has made a career out of not taking himself seriously. Michael Bay on the other hand seems to be the ultimate frat boy of film. Thankfully it looks like Reynolds is rubbing off on Bay and embracing the "Bay-ness" of it all. I love Bay as a director, everything he does is, at a minimum, fun to look at, he's defined himself by sharp action and big explosions. This new, somewhat behind the scenes clip is presented in a PSA format and reveals that Hollywood scientists have concluded this to be the most Michael Bay movie ever. Personally, I can't wait to check this out, if for no other reason then that it's releasing in mid-December which, cinematically (new word, you can use it) speaking, is a time that always takes itself to seriously. Check out the clip below and let us know what you think!

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Donnie Yen Hasn't Lost a Step In the Hard Hitting Trailer for 'Ip Man 4: The Finale'

There was a time when I didn't think there was a single Martial Arts move that could rival Van Damme's split kick for it's cinematic perfection. Then came Donnie Yen. Yen and his rolling punches, who's been around for...well, basically ever, busted into the American cinema zeitgeist with the ground breaking Ip Man in 2008 and has been at the top of most movie martial arts lists ever since. Yen single handedly took Kung-Fu back to the top of the list. While the movies of the late 60s and 70s popularized Kung-Fu the years following painted the art as more of an elegant dance culminating in wire-fu films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Ip Man reminded the world what Bruce Lee had previously revealed, Kung Fu is a brutal and deadly art. Mixing the elegance and precision of the aforementioned films and the violent and effective strikes that have made the art last for so long, Yen showed everyone something new and none of us could look away.

It's been 11 years and three Ip Man films but now the road comes to an end...or at least that's what the title implies. Ip Man 4: The Finale follows the peaceful teacher to America, for reasons that aren't quite made clear in the trailer. What is clear is that he doesn't find a peaceful life and is challenged by, well probably everyone that he encounters to prove himself. The big bad is.....Scott Adkins? Really...that's who we get to close out one of the greatest Martial Arts franchises of all time, the guy that stared in freakin' Hard Target 2? Whatever...it's not about him anyway, this is a 90 minute showcase of why Yen is a legend and judging from the footage in the trailer that's exactly what we're going to get.

....I have got to learn that rolling punch move

Ip Man 4: The Finale hits theaters December 25th, 2019

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He Has Returned? The Trailer for 'Messiah' Tries to Discover the Truth

Regardless of your beliefs you have to admit that a film following the appearance of a Christ-like figure in the modern age is a hell of a concept. It's been done, but never seriously, and never in a very grounded way...it seems like that's about to change. I've always though religious lore was a great source of film material (outside exorcisms). I mean, a film about a war between Heaven and Hell, if done right, would be the definition of epic.

Netflix's upcoming film Messiah just jumped to the top of my most anticipated list, maybe its the lifelong Catholic in me, or maybe I just really dig superheros (Jesus was the OG superhero after all). Either way I think this film is going to have a lot to offer. Taking a hyper-realistic look at the arrival of a figure who is gaining a following and enacting miracles Messiah seems to go the route that the Governments of the world would probably go as well, to brand him a terrorist. That's nothing new really, Jesus wasn't exactly popular with the governments of his time, but they seem to be sprinkling in things that may or may not be miraculous throughout leaving us on the wondering line of is he or isn't he. There is one thing I'm sure of, I'll be queuing this up on Netflix the day of it's release, New Years Day, 2020.

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The Cast Looks Slick in These Character Posters for 'No Time To Die'

It's Daniel Craig's official last outing as Bond and he looks mean! I guess that's the positive side of hating your job while playing a suave killer, you just look that way. We also get 00-looks at Ana De Armas, who was recently discussed on an episode of 'Smash Cut' (you should be tuning in every Sunday at 2pm if you're not already), Lea Sedoux, who is joining a super rare club of Bond girlfriends that make a return appearance and a great look at Lashanna Lynch who, as Nomi, will be playing the first female 00 agent and looks DAMN ready to fill those shoes! Ben Wishaw's Q and Rami Malek's baddie Safin also make appearances. I forget sometimes how much I love Bond, especially Craig's Bond (Casino Royale was a masterpiece), but these posters spark that fire and have me ready for a trailer and more!

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'Just Mercy' Brings Some Heavy Emotion with Its New Trailer

It's seems almost ridiculous to speculate a "break-out" role for someone that's already on the A-list, so let's call this a career solidifying role for Micheal B. Jordan. Just Mercy stars Jordan as an attorney who begins a fight to clear an innocent man, played by Jamie Foxx, from death row. I watch this and I can't believe that little kid from The Wire is now delivering on this level. While I haven't seen the movie yet I can tell that the performance given by Jordan is going to be one that's talked about and puts him in another strata of roles, from leading man in action movies to leading man in A-List dramas. Foxx also seems to be delivering the way he always does but there's just not enough of him in the trailer to speak on. Check it out below and let us know what you think.

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The Meta Gets as Deep as the Patriarchal Drama in the Seocnd Trailer for 'Honey Boy' from Amazon Studios

Shia LeBeouf is about to prove he's more then just a crazy Hollywood type with a movie that's not only going to give a deeper look into the life of a child actor but also shed a spotlight on the inner torment and emotional trauma the actor himself had to contend with in his journey to today. While Honey Boy isn't technically an autobiographical tale of the (still) young actors life it's not hard to look between the lines and see how much of this comes from a very real place...right down to the opening shot of the trailer which is an obvious take on LeBeouf's time on a Transformers set. This new trailer really hammers home the "parental" angle of the film, and I use those quotation marks for a very real reason. I'm dying to see how that relationship plays out as it looks like they're going to show a situation where a father is trying to do right by his son but just doesn't have the tools to do so, like most villains a bad parent doesn't always know they're a bad parent and genuinly thinks, at least some of the time, that they're doing the right thing.

I don't think I've ever been really looking forward to a Shia LeBeouf movie, that is of course, until now.

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