Review: 'Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile', Zac Efron Slays As Ted Bundy

*NOTE* This is a reprint of my review from the Sundance Film Festival. The film hits Netflix on May 3rd. 

A sense of deja vu hit me while watching Joe Berlinger's buzzy Sundance film with the eye-catching title, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. The feeling that I had sat through a similar film at Park City with a lot of buzz, a loaded cast of stars, and a big name playing an infamous figure in celebrity history. That film, sadly, was Lovelace, and like it, Berlinger's movie doesn't have much going for it other than a charismatic, perfectly-cast lead.

Zac Efron's All-American good looks and boyish charm make him the right choice to play serial killer Ted Bundy, who seduced his way into murdering dozens of women. Even as charges mounted against Bundy in multiple states and he fought to defend himself in a court of law, women were willing to throw themselves at his feet, taken by his smile and magnetic personality. But Berlinger's film teases more than just a look at Bundy's prolific murder career. One woman totally swept off her feet by Bundy was Liz Kloepfer(Lily Collins), a single mother who let's him into her home and into her life.

Berlinger teases us with a movie that he gives up on way too early, one that explores Bundy's duality as a family man living with Liz, while hiding his darker side from her; a hug and a birthday celebration with a butcher knife clutched in his hand.  We see Liz falling in love with Bundy, and accepting his excuses as his name mysteriously comes up as a suspect in a series of killings, always of young women. Bundy's got an excuse for everything, and Liz is eager to hear them.

The perspective Berlinger chooses is a fascinating one and something we haven't seen before. Berlinger's documentarian instincts kick in exploring the personality of the one person who was duped by Bundy more than anyone.  But Berlinger doesn't show us how he won her over to such an extent that she was willing to overlook the obvious signs of danger. We see their first date, in which he picks her up at a college bar (the idea of Bundy stalking a place frequented by young women is chilling in itself), perhaps with the idea of killing her, if she hadn't revealed to him that she is mother to an infant. From there, Berlinger jumps ahead a few years just as the accusations are beginning to swirl, and it feels like some crucial context is missing.

Still, if Berlinger had stuck to his guns we'd be talking about a much better movie than the finished product. However, Berlinger can't help but veer into less-interesting, oft-covered territory. Soon the movie is less about Liz and more about Bundy's many arrests and the eventual circus trial in Florida, with much of the insane dialogue pulled straight from the actual televised event. Despite the title, which is quoted from the statement by Judge Edward Cowart (John Malkovich) when sentencing Bundy to the death penalty, we don't see any of the murders take place. The Bundy we see, at least in the beginning, is the caring man Liz fell in love with. Later, as certain revelations about Liz come to light, it makes the decision to show things from her point-of-view confusing.  Berlinger could almost be accused of romanticizing Bundy, especially by refusing to show his crimes, but I found him to be pretty heinous simply for the mental abuse he was willing to inflict on the women around him. I didn't need to see him in action.

As the film begins to drag on, Liz fades into the background although Berlinger keeps tabs through brief scenes of her downward spiral. Bundy won't stop calling her, despite having a new woman (Kaya Scodelario) ready to defend him privately and publicly. Liz drinks and smokes herself into a tailspin, but still manages to find a safe new boyfriend (Haley Joel Osment) who, we know instantly, doesn't stand a chance against the spectre of Bundy. As she sits riveted by TV coverage of the trial, we're also taken by the sheer lunacy of it. But as the credits roll minutes later, and Berlinger shows archival footage of the real events he just depicted on screen, it dilutes rather than enhances their impact. If Berlinger wanted to do a documentary, he should've. Oh wait, he did, and it's already available on Netflix.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

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Sundance Review: 'Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil And Vile', Zac Efron Slays As Ted Bundy

A sense of deja vu hit me while watching Joe Berlinger's buzzy Sundance film with the eye-catching title, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. The feeling that I had sat through a similar film at Park City with a lot of buzz, a loaded cast of stars, and a big name playing an infamous figure in celebrity history. That film, sadly, was Lovelace, and like it Berlinger's movie doesn't have much going for it other than a charismatic, perfectly-cast lead.

Zac Efron's All-American good looks and boyish charm make him the right choice to play serial killer Ted Bundy, who seduced his way into murdering dozens of women. Even as charges mounted against Bundy in multiple states and he fought to defend himself in a court of law, women were willing to throw themselves at his feet, taken by his smile and magnetic personality. But Berlinger's film teases more than just a look at Bundy's prolific murder career. One woman totally swept off her feet by Bundy was Liz Kloepfer(Lily Collins), a single mother who let's him into her home and into her life.

Berlinger teases us with a movie that he gives up on way too early , one that explores Bundy's duality as a family man living with Liz, while hiding his darker side from her; a hug and a birthday celebration with a butcher knife clutched in his hand.  We see Liz falling in love with Bundy, and accepting his excuses as his name mysteriously comes up as a suspect in a series of killings, always of young women. Bundy's got an excuse for everything, and Liz is eager to hear them.

The perspective Berlinger chooses is a fascinating one, and something we haven't seen before. Berlinger's documentarian instincts kick in exploring the personality of the one person who was duped by Bundy more than anyone.  But Berlinger doesn't show us how he won her over to such an extent that she was willing to overlook the obvious signs of danger. We see their first date, in which he picks her up at a college bar (the idea of Bundy stalking a place frequented by young women is chilling in itself), perhaps with the idea of killing her, if she hadn't revealed to him that she is mother to an infant. From there, Berlinger jumps ahead a few years just as the accusations are beginning to swirl, and it feels like some crucial context is missing.

Still, if Berlinger had stuck to his guns we'd be talking about a much better movie than the finished product. However, Berlinger can't help but veer into less-interesting, oft-covered territory. Soon the movie is less about Liz and more about Bundy's many arrests and the eventual circus trial in Florida, with much of the insane dialogue pulled straight from the actual televised event. Despite the title, which is quoted from the statement by Judge Edward Cowart (John Malkovich) when sentencing Bundy to the death penalty, we don't see any of the murders take place. The Bundy we see, at least in the beginning, is the caring man Liz fell in love with. Later, as certain revelations about Liz come to light, it makes the decision to show things from her point-of-view confusing.  Berlinger could almost be accused of romanticizing Bundy, especially by refusing to show his crimes, but I found him to be pretty heinous simply for the mental abuse he was willing to inflict on the women around him. I didn't need to see him in action.

As the film begins to drag on, Liz fades into the background although Berlinger keeps tabs through brief scenes of her downward spiral. Bundy won't stop calling her, despite having a new woman (Kaya Scodelario) ready to defend him privately and publicly. Liz drinks and smokes herself into a tailspin, but still manages to find a safe new boyfriend (Haley Joel Osment) who, we know instantly, doesn't stand a chance against the spectre of Bundy. As she sits riveted by TV coverage of the trial, we're also taken by the sheer lunacy of it. But as the credits roll minutes later, and Berlinger shows archival footage of the real events he just depicted on screen, it dilutes rather than enhances their impact. If Berlinger wanted to do a documentary, he should've. Oh wait, he did, and it's already available on Netflix.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

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Sundance Review: 'Velvet Buzzsaw', Greed Kills In Dan Gilroy's Starry Art World Horror

What is the value of money and fame in the commercial art world? Is it worth dying for? Dan Gilroy's uniquely-titled horror Velvet Buzzsaw promises a scathing indictment of the art scene just as the director's Nightcrawler did a slash 'n burn on the L.A. media. Gilroy once again casts Jake Gyllenhaal in a playful lead role, along with the director's wife Rene Russo, and while the film offers some gory fun for those looking for a high-end Final Destination, those expecting more will find the paints have run a bit dry.

The intersection of art and commerce is Gilroy's target, where wealthy L.A. elites pay millions for the hottest new thing. Art may be subjective but at this level it's not the art that matters, it's who likes it that drives up the price, and chances are they were told to buy it by an "art advisor" looking to get a cut.  The entire system is based on nothing but greed, even the artists themselves play the game. Gyllenhaal's pretentious art critic Morf Vanderwalt, god even the name makes you want to smack him, has a role in this game, too. A good word from him can make a career; a bad one could see an artist's entire show packed up and locked away in a storage shed somewhere. 

"Critique is so limiting and emotionally draining", he says with a straight face while judging an artist's latest work. Perhaps the sting of bad reviews for Gilroy's previous film, Roman J. Israel Esq. has him ready to bite the head off critics, but his critique is superficial and best left aside, because Velvet Buzzsaw is best viewed as pure horror camp; the sillier and bloodier it gets, the better.

Most of the characters in Morf's orbit are pretty awful, and definitely don't give a damn about art. There's art dealer Rhodora Haze (Russo), whose disgruntled employee Josephina (Zawe Ashton) has discovered a trove of art in the home of her deceased upstairs neighbor, Ventril Dease. Rather than turning it in or just throwing it away, she shows it to Morf who is "ensorcelled" by it. Realizing they can make millions, Rhodora and Josephina set off to cash in on the dead man's many pieces.

Gilroy isn't attempting to break the wheel here, and that's admittedly pretty disappointing given what he's done in the past. Velvet Buzzsaw is a straight-up horror and Gilroy plays to that, as anyone who dares to profit from Dease's art meets a grisly fate. And these murders all happen in ways that are predictable, ironic, and usually pretty humorous. We can see each death coming a mile away; basically if somebody's alone with a piece of Dease's art, start covering your eyes. But even when the deaths occur Gilroy leaves a little bit of room to knock L.A.'s indifference. After one particularly gruesome death at a ridiculously ostentatious exhibit, attendees assume the mangled corpse and pools of blood are just part of the show.

Acting as more of an ensemble piece, Velvet Buzzsaw makes the most of its talented roster of stars. Gyllenhaal's art critic is snobby, desperate, and more than a little bit sad. Morf is pretty despicable, while Russo, Ashton, and a cast that includes John Malkovich, Toni Collette, Daveed Diggs, and John Malkovich all play characters we're eager to see get what's coming to them.  What Gilroy doesn't do is use Velvet Buzzsaw as a means of indicting everyone in the art world, just those who have been corrupted by avarice at the expense of the art. I would've preferred a much stronger take from Gilroy than what we get here, but as a star-studded monster movie with some funny insights into the art world, it should find an eager audience as part of Netflix's lineup.

Rating: 3 out of 5

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'Velvet Buzzsaw' Trailer: Jake Gyllenhaal Is A Haunted Art Critic In Dan Gilroy's Art World Horror

One of the most exciting films to have its premiere at Sundance this month is Velvet Buzzsaw. More than just a cool title, the film marks the reunion of Nightcrawler director Dan Gilroy and his star, Jake Gyllenhaal, who gave one of the sharpest performances of his career as a morally bankrupt cameraman. Now the duo is switching focus from journalism to the cutthroat Los Angeles art scene.

Velvet Buzzsaw sees Gyllenhaal joined by his Nightcrawler co-star (and Gilroy's wife) Rene Russo, along with John Malkovich, Natalia Dyer, Daveed Diggs, Toni Collette, Billy Magnussen, and Zawe Ashton. Inspired by the ensemble films of Robert Altman, the story takes place in "the contemporary art world scene of Los Angeles where big money artists and mega-collectors pay a high price when art collides with commerce." But there's also a supernatural component, as an unknown force "enacts revenge on those who have allowed their greed to get in the way of art."

Netflix may have found their next big crossover film, in the vein of Bird Box and Black Mirror: Bandersnatch. We'll find out when Velvet Buzzsaw is released on February 1st. It will premiere at Sundance on January 27th.

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Review: 'Bird Box', Sandra Bullock Leads Netflix''s Terrifying But Familiar Survival Horror

That Sandra Bullock would be someone to turn to in a post-apocalyptic world shouldn't be a surprise. Tough and resilient is just what she does, right? In Netflix's survival horror Bird Box, Bullock's character Malorie isn't taking any shit. She can't afford to. Right from the very beginning she's informing two small children, Boy (Julian Edwards) and Girl (Vivien Lyra Blair) to do as she says, no exceptions. To disobey her is to die, and to disobey her would be to remove their blindfolds. What's out there that's so terrible everyone must shield their eyes at all times? We never truly know, and that's one of the most compelling and terrifying aspects of a film has thrills to spare, even if it borrows from a lot of familiar sources to make them happen.

Bird Box throws one mystery after another at you, with answers that are spooled out over the course of Malorie's five-year-long story. First, why don't the children with her have names? Second, what's out there that has them so spooked? And third, where is the blindfolded Malorie taking them in that rickety old boat up a dangerous river? Flashing back in time we see a pregnant, slightly happier Malorie. She still isn't so sure about wanting to keep the baby, despite what her upbeat sister (Sarah Paulson) has to say. The choice is basically taken out of Malorie's hands when the world suddenly goes to shit. It starts with a wave of suicides in another country, then spreads to the U.S. The ensuing carnage looks like something out of 28 Days Later.

It doesn't take long to figure out what's happening. There are creatures out there that can force anyone who lays sight on them to commit suicide. A woman in a hospital, happy one moment, bashes her head against a window the next. People throw themselves out of windows, or in front of cars, and those who aren't affected nearly trample one another to get away. Malorie is nearly stampeded herself, but manages to make her way into a nearby home, shared by a random group of strangers just as scared and confused as her. Well, except for John Malkovich's character, a rifle-toting jerk with no time for all of these people invading his space.

The Mist is arguably my favorite Stephen King adaptation, and I love Dawn of the Dead. Put a motley crew of folks in a contained space while all Hell breaks loose outside and I'm a happy moviegoer. So Bird Box was checking off all the boxes for me at this point, with a pregnant Malorie holed up with a powder keg of divergent personalities. Jacki Weaver plays a helpful older lady, with Lil Rey Howery as a wannabe writer of apocalyptic novels, Danielle Macdonald (of Netflix's recent comedy Dumplin') is a sweet and naïve pregnant woman, with Rosa Salazar, Colson Baker (aka rapper Machine Gun Kelly), and BD Wong as others trapped inside. Pretty great cast for Bullock to be surrounded with, but the most impressive by far is Moonlight and The Predator breakout, Trevante Rhodes. As Tom, he bonds with Malorie right away and soon becomes the person she leans on most. Rhodes' physicality is prominent, as always, but so is the sensitivity that made his performance in Moonlight such a showstopper. It's a great role for him, and he works very well opposite Bullock.

Oscar and Emmy-winning director Susanne Bier (In A Better World, The Night Manager) ventures into genre territory for the first time and she does a solid job building up tension both inside the house and during Malorie's treacherous trek along the river. A particularly good sequence involves the group venturing out into a darkened car to retrieve food, only to be assaulted by the creatures which we can barely make out in shadow, the car's GPS and proximity alerts going haywire the whole time. While we never see the actual creatures, a damn smart move, when they are near it causes the winds to swirl with their power. Only birds seem to recognize when an attack is near. With the help of Trent Rezor's ominous score, there are moments when Bird Box will have you gripping the edge of your seat, although I suspect some will get a little stir crazy at the overlong homebound portion. As the creatures' power expands, more human threats emerge that I wish could have been explained in greater detail.

I'm not sure fracturing the narrative proved to be a storytelling strength for Arrival screenwriter Eric Heisserer, however. In most cases it's done so that events from the past can add modern context but all it did for me was telegraph who wasn't going to survive staying in that house. The two halves don't make for a cohesive whole, even if Bird Box's individual parts scratch the itch for those looking for multiplex-worthy scares they can watch from the comfort of home.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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'Bird Box' Trailer: Sandra Bullock Must Go Sightless To Survive In Netflix's Nerve-Racking Thriller

John Krasinski's A Quiet Place made deafness creepy as Hell, all the way to record-shattering box office early this year. Could Susanne Bier's Bird Box do the same for blindness, while carrying Sandra Bullock and Netflix all the way to the Academy Awards? The adaptation of Josh Malerman's post-apocalyptic novel finds Bullock  blindfolded for most of the film, as she must navigate a perilous journey without the use of her sight due to a mysterious force that drives people mad with just a glimpse.

Here's the official synopsis: When a mysterious force decimates the world’s population, only one thing is certain: if you see it, you take your life.  Facing the unknown, Malorie finds love, hope and a new beginning only for it to unravel. Now she must flee with her two children down a treacherous river to the one place left that may offer sanctuary. But to survive, they’ll have to undertake the perilous two-day journey blindfolded.

The trailer covers a lot of ground, as we see Bullock's character Malorie before, during, and after the force has destroyed everything.  Bullock is joined in the cast by Trevante Rhodes, Sarah Paulson, Jacki Weaver, Rosa Salazar, Danielle Macdonald, Lil Rel Howery, Tom Hollander, Colson Baker, BD Wong, and John Malkovich, which is about as good as it gets.  And Bier is no slouch, either. She won an Academy Award in 2010 for In a Better World, and has directed other high profile films such as After the Wedding, Serena, and most recently won an Emmy for miniseries The Night Manager. On script duties is Eric Heisserer, who wrote the terrific script for Arrival.

Bird Box hits Netflix and select theaters on December 21st.

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Review: 'Mile 22', Not Enough Action To Go Around For Mark Wahlberg, Iko Uwais, And Ronda Rousey

With Ronda Rousey, Iko Uwais, Lauren Cohan, and Mark Wahlberg leading action flick Mile 22 there are no shortage of credible badasses to choose from. As a huge fan of both Rousey and Uwais, her for her time in MMA and the WWE, him for The Raid and its incredible sequel, this was a film high on my radar, and it didn't hurt that it was a continuation of the Mark Wahlberg/Peter Berg bromance. And while Mile 22 features Uwais doing what he does best, there simply isn't enough of it and there isn't much else to carry this film the distance.

This is the fourth collaboration between Wahlberg and Berg, the latter his director on Lone Survivor, Patriots Day, and Deepwater Horizon before this. Those were all action-dramas based on real events, but Mile 22 is pure fictional claptrap, about one of those ludicrous, black ops paramilitary units you only find in movies. This one is known as Overwatch, part of the CIA's ground branch, and they are the "last resort" when both diplomacy and the military have failed. We know all of this because Wahlberg's character, the misanthropic psycho James Silva, tells us frequently during interview cutscenes with an unknown interrogator. It's there that we see James' nihilistic view of just about everything. The guy is an angry, bipolar douche to just about everybody, including his partner and struggling divorcee Alice Kerr (Cohan), whose self-destructive personality he claims is a lot like his own.

After an intense firefight during a botched raid, Mile 22 slows down considerably as the script by Lea Carpenter tries to wring whatever tension it can from a barebones plot. Things begin to pick up when Uwais arrives on the scene as Li Noor, a low-level cop in the South Asian police. He arrives at the U.S. embassy asking for asylum and a one-way ticket to America. In exchange he'll give them access to a USB drive with information about an upcoming terror attack and the location of the lethal substance used to trigger it.  But there are outside forces that want Li dead, and will do anything to make that happen. It's up to James and his team to escort Li the 22 miles to an extraction point where a plane is waiting, but they'll have to get through a literal warzone to do it.

Bullets fly, rockets are launched, and Wahlberg talks tough as Mile 22 finally kicks into high gear. But that's pretty much all Wahlberg does is talk. James is a chatterbox, given to long monologues that ratchet up to scathing diatribes. He does it in interviews, quiet lunches, while staring down his enemies, and even in the midst of a fight. James is given a sob story past that paints him out to be some kind of hyper-intelligent super soldier but as one of the geeky tech analysts says, "He's just an asshole." 

Uwais fares better in the limited amount of ass-kicking he gets to do. He's always looked best when under the brilliant cinematic eye of The Raid director Gareth Evans, but Berg is no Evans. For all of his skill at choreographing a battlefield landscape, Berg is less skilled at shooting hand-to-hand combat. He can't resist the quick-cutting style that blurs Uwais' brutally precise technique, making his fights incomprehensible. Those familiar with him will see flashes of the lethal screen combatant they know and admire. There are only a couple of decent fight scenes for Uwais; the first one in a locked medical bay, being the best and most reminiscent of the work he did on The Raid.  I continue to be impressed by Rousey's growth as an actress, and have no doubt that her time in WWE is a big part of the reason why. It's a waste to not have her throwing people around more, but Rousey makes an impression in limited time. The same goes for Cohan, who is the only one who gets anything dramatic to contend with. While I don't think Alice's custody dispute with her ex (played by Berg) makes any kind of sense in this straight-arrow point A to point B story, Cohan is excellent in the role. At least she gets more to do than poor John Malkovich, who does little more than walk around in a pair of Chucks barking orders into a radio.

Visceral and exciting in spurts, Mile 22 could have made better use of its brisk 90-minute runtime. When you've got the physical talents of Wahlberg, Rousey, and Uwais the gameplan should be a no-brainer. Give them someone to hit, stand back and let it happen. With a twist ending that teases a greater conflict in an already-announced sequel, maybe they'll get the formula right the next time.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

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Final Action-Packed 'Mile 22' Trailer Has Mark Wahlberg And Iko Uwais Going The Distance

STX is in the final mile of their marketing for action flick Mile 22 because they've just released the last trailer. The latest teamup of director Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg, the film has been high on my radar since day one because of the supporting cast. Ronda Rousey, The Raid's Iko Uwais, The Walking Dead's Lauren Cohan, and John Malkovich co-star.

Wahlberg stars as part of an elite CIA team that must escort a highly-prized asset (Uwais) to a secure location 22 dangerous miles away. The one thing I look for in an action movie is credibility and this cast is one of the most credible around. Plus, it's been a while since Berg has done a straight-up action flick like this, not since Battleship. He'll be itching to blow up as much as possible. I just hope he leaves enough time for Uwais to beat some people up.

Mile 22 opens August 17th.

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'Mile 22' Red Band Trailer: Iko Uwais Makes Everybody Look Like They're Standing Still

There's been a lot going on with Mark Wahlberg and Peter Berg's action flick, Mile 22, and I'm guessing that's why STX Entertainment dropped a new red band trailer today. The release date was pushed back a few weeks to August 17th, and only days ago a sequel was put in motion.  Both movies suggest a ton of confidence the film will be a hit, probably banking on Wahlberg to put the most butts in seats. And maybe that's true, but the real reason to get pumped is Iko Uwais in his biggest American role yet.

Uwais is the breakout star of Gareth Evans' The Raid movies, and the dude is an absolute ass-kicking machine. The Indonesian actor has also had roles in sci-fi sequel Beyond Skyline and a little thing called Star Wars: The Force Awakens. In Mile 22 he plays a high-value foreign agent who must be escorted 22 miles to safety by an elite Black Ops squad that includes Wahlberg, Ronda Rousey, and Lauren Cohan of The Walking Dead.  John Malkovich co-stars as the team's boss or something. I don't know, he's a guy in a suit who looks like he's in charge.

The trailer is pretty generic, honestly, EXCEPT when Uwais shows off his fighting skills. He's truly a next level action star, and I think he's going to make Wahlberg look like he's standing in quicksand by comparison.

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'Mile 22' Trailer: Mark Wahlberg, Ronda Rousey, And Iko Uwais Get Sh*t Done

Remember when Mark Wahlberg and David O. Russell used to be a package deal? That ship has long since sailed and now Wahlberg is best bros with Peter Berg. Together they have made Lone Survivor, Deepwater Horizon, and Patriots Day together, all solid-to-great films in their own way. And now they've teamed up a fourth time on the action flick, Mile 22, which looks like a blast.

"Do you want to live in a world where everybody feels cozy, validated all the time? Or do you want to live in a world that works?" 

Yeah, Wahlberg is one of those guys. He plays an off-the-books agent for a top secret organization known as Overwatch, tasked with keeping a live an informant whose identity has been exposed. The buzz around this film has been pretty high because of its supporting cast which includes future WWE champion Ronda Rousey, soon-to-be ex star of The Walking Dead Lauren Cohan, and the best screen fighter in the business, Iko Uwais of The Raid movies.  John Malkovich also has a role, but it looks like most of the fun belongs to Uwais which is how it should be.

Here's the synopsis: In this heart-racing action thriller, a CIA agent stationed in Indonesia is tasked with transporting an informant whose identity has been discovered, from the center of the city to an awaiting getaway plane at an airport 22 miles away. While en route, they must battle corrupt police, criminal overlords and heavily-armed locals, all hell-bent on taking them out before they reach their plane.

Mile 22 opens July 20th.

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Review: ‘Supercon’, A Convention Worth Attending During A Rainy Day

Supercon is the tale of a group of former stars of some cult classics braving the scene at a comic convention named, you guessed it, Supercon. Keith Mahar (Russell Peters) used to play Haji, the child sidekick of US Marshall Tex Johnson, played by the big hit of the convention – Adam King (Clancy Brown). I think it is fair to say that the relationship between Keith and Adam has soured over time. Adam has let his stardom go to his head, only caring about the money and not the fans. The person in charge of the convention, Gil (Mike Epps), and Adam have a very profitable well-oiled machine going at Supercon. Adam is obsessed with money and bleeding his fans dry – he charges for every little thing and mentions money constantly. Gil and Adam take cuts from the top so they are making quite the bankroll off of Supercon.

Keith can’t stand these conventions and dreads them. Unfortunately his personal life has been falling apart – his wife filed for divorce and kicked him out – and he really needs the income. Even though Keith finds the whole experience belittling, often only being known as the ball cancer boy from an infamous episode of his show, he stills finds himself sitting at his table time and time again. Keith does have some friends that make the conventions more bearable. All of them also have some sort of tie with current or past cult hits. There is Wheeler (Ryan Kwanten), Keith’s cool friend that has the lines and swagger, Brock (Brooks Braselman), and Allison (Maggie Grace). When an unfortunate incident goes down between the group and Adam, they end up getting fired from Supercon by Gil. Gil would do anything to keep his cash cow happy, and that includes canning the four of them. The group decides that they need to fight back, and the best way to do so would be to hit Gil and Adam where it hurts most – in their wallets. To pull off a robbery of Supercon, they may need help from a few more people, but with all the bridges that Adam has burned – help might not be too hard to find.

Supercon, which is supposedly based on a true story, has its moments. I found myself enjoying some of the hijinks and absurdity that our cast of heroes gets through. Supercon gives an interesting insight into the backend of these comic conventions. It makes you stop and look at what all of these cult classic stars think and feel when the lights and cameras are off. We get to see how their lives might be after their 15 minutes of fame are over. These characters live on and people still love them, but the person that portrays them must go on with their lives. You hear all the time about actors getting typecast and only recognized as the characters they portray – Supercon dives into what it’s like when actors are recognized and when they drift away into obscurity. Supercon looks at the world of conventions in a truly clever way – it shows how this world differs from the ‘typical’ stereotypes we’re used to, like the jocks being losers and the sci-fi nerds being the talk of the town. Throw in some clever cinematography and decent humor and writer/director Zak Knutson and writers Andy Spies and Dana Snyder have a pretty enjoyable flick on their hands. Not to mention we get some John Malkovich time, and who doesn’t love that? Supercon has some laughs and is not the worst option for a rainy afternoon, but keep expectations in check.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

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Jake Gyllenhaal & Dan Gilroy's Art World Thriller Has An Amazing Ensemble

Jake Gyllenhaal has been on a roll for a few years now, but I think the highlight of his current run has to be Nightcrawler. The usually-buff actor transformed himself to become the gaunt, ravenous shock journalist in Dan Gilroy's thriller which earned him a Best Actor nomination, and so it was pretty great to learn that they would be teaming up again. While it won't be a sequel (Boooo!), the cast being put together more than makes up for that.

Gyllenhaal will be joined by Nightcrawler co-star (and Gilroy's wife) Rene Russo, along with  Zawe Ashton, Stranger Things' Natalia Dyer, Tom Sturridge, Daveed Diggs, Toni Collette, and John Malkovich for a horror/thriller at Netflix.  Titled Velvet Buzzsaw, the story is set in the art world and follows "big-money artists and mega-collectors who pay a high price when art collides with commerce." I'm most excited to see what Diggs' part is in all of this. He's been red hot lately following the breakout debut of Blindspotting at Sundance.  Overall this cast boasts a lot of Oscar, Tony, and Emmy nominees.

While I'm not excited to have this at Netflix, because that means the film will either underwhelm or be forgotten the next day, this is a great collection of talent that will be worth watching no matter how it's released. Velvet Buzzsaw is in production now and should be released later this year.

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First Trailer For Louis C.K.'s Controversial 'I Love You, Daddy'

Oh my. Good luck selling this one right now. Louis C.K.'s I Love You, Daddy stirred up a ton of controversy at TIFF earlier this year, and it's bound to do the same with the first trailer dropping today. The film arrived at the festival under complete secrecy, nobody even know the most basic plot synopsis. And what they got was a film that jumps feet first into Hollywood's sexual abuse culture, drawing parallels to Woody Allen, Roman Polanski, and Harvey Weinstein.

You can see Allen's influence in the trailer, from the old-timey black & white style, to the ensemble cast to the dialogue. C.K. plays a successful TV writer who tries to prevent his teenage daughter (Chloe Grace Moretz) from hooking up with a lecherous 68-year-old film director (John Malkovich). Helen Hunt, Rose Byrne, Charlie Day, Edie Falco, and Pamela Adlon fill out a wonderful cast, who better be prepared for an awkward press tour in which the name "Weinstein" will come up many times.

I Love You, Daddy opens November 17th.

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Patrick Stewart & John Malkovich Fight Over Glenn Close In Trailer For 'The Wilde Wedding'

What is it about movie weddings that makes generally mature adults act like bratty children? I don't know the answer and neither do you, but this familiar setup to the wedding comedy will never go away and now we have another one in The Wilde Wedding, which features a great cast in Glenn Close, Patrick Stewart, John Malkovich, Minnie Driver, Yael Stone, Noah Emmerich, Grace Van Patten, Peter Facinelli, and more.

The film is directed by Damian Harris (Bad Company), and stars Close as a former movie star who makes the mistake of inviting her ex to her upcoming wedding reception to a different man. Of course, this is just asking for trouble and everybody acts well beneath their age. Dig that lion's mane of hair on Stewart, too. Xavier who?

In THE WILDE WEDDING, now-retired film star Eve Wilde (Glenn Close) prepares for her wedding to husband number four, renowned English writer Harold Alcott (Patrick Stewart) after a whirlwind courtship. At her upstate New York home – in the presence of both Wilde’s first husband, celebrated stage actor Laurence Darling (John Malkovich), and their collective families (Minnie Driver, Jack Davenport, Yael Stone, Peter Facinelli, Noah Emmerich, Grace Van Patten) – the long summer weekend offers the opportunity for everyone to get to know each other a bit more intimately. As sexual sparks begin to fly, there are unforeseen consequences abound.

I can see this being a quiet gem for the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel crowd.  The Wilde Wedding opens September 15th.

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Noomi Rapace Can't Trust Anyone In Trailer For CIA Thriller, 'Unlocked'

Chances are you're already watching 24: Legacy if CIA agents hunting down dangerous terrorists is your bag. But maybe after checking out the trailer for Unlocked and seeing its impressive roster of talent it'll give you something else to look forward to.

Directed by veteran filmmaker Michael Apted (The World Is Not Enough) and starring Noomi Rapace, John Malkovich, Orlando Bloom, Toni Collette, and Michael Douglas, the plot is an interesting if familiar one. Rapace plays a CIA agent with a troubled past who is tricked into divulging information that leads to a deadly biological terrorist attack in London. Of course she's the only one who can put a stop to it. She sounds like a terrible agent, but the trailer makes her look capable.

Unlocked has yet to gain U.S. distribution but hits the U.K. in May. [Empire]

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Review: 'Deepwater Horizon' Starring Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, And Gina Rodriguez

There are so many distressing, infuriating aspects to the 2010 BP oil spill that to list them all would encompass this entire review. You can find any of the hundreds of environmental blogs that popped up in the disaster's wake for that. A combination of incompetence, negligence, and corporate greed led to the April 20th 2010 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, spilling a record amount of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. While the sheer amount of damage done to the eco-system is devastating, what got lost in the coverage were the lives of the men and women aboard the vessel at the time. 126 men and women were there when it occurred; 11 of them were killed. Those people deserve to be remembered and honored, and Peter Berg's Deepwater Horizon honors their memory in one of the most emotional and thrilling disaster movies in recent years.

For the record, this isn't some fictional nonsense like San Andreas where The Rock swings in to save everyone from an earthquake. The stakes in Deepwater Horizon are real and have lasting impact. While the framework is very much like old school disaster thrillers, Berg and star Mark Wahlberg bring a surprising amount of humanity that emerges through the chaos. It's similar to what the duo was able to accomplish a couple of years ago in Lone Survivor, making them the go-to team for non-fiction survival narratives. While it's easy to knock Berg for his knuckle-headed action flick tendencies, when it counts he brings a surprising amount of character detail, seen in everything from The Kingdom to Friday Night Lights. And he's able to do it in a way that keeps that mainstream sensibility, which may be why he replaced prior director J.C. Chandor, who has never shown any such interest.

This is a film of simple acts of human kindness that translate into real heroism, and the biggest hero of all is Mike Williams (Wahlberg), a TransOcean electrician who appears to be friends with everybody on-site...well, except for the big-wigs from BP like Donald Vidrine (John Malkovich) who care more about speed than safety. Early on we get a glimpse of Mike's home life; his young daughter preparing a school project on her Daddy's job "taming the dinosaurs", referring to the fossil fuels taken from dinosaur fossils. Along with his wife (Kate Hudson) they watch their daughter's project, a soda-filled recreation of her daddy's job pouring mud down the well to prevent pressure buildup. Of course the project erupts, a simple and obviously foreboding sign of what her Dad is about to face. If only it were Coca-Cola spewing forth from that well then everybody could just grab a glass and move on.

Berg, along with screenwriters Matthew Michael Carnahan and Matthew Sands, waste no time in ramping up the tension. It's immediate from the time Mike, senior captain Jimmy (Kurt Russell), and technician Andrea Fleytas (Gina Rodriguez) arrive on-site. The prior team didn't complete a specific safety task regarding the mud flow, and the current crew, including drill worker Caleb (Dylan O'Brien) are beginning to wonder what's going on. Of course it has to do with BP, who are looking for ways to get more oil faster and cheaper, and if that means cutting a few things they deem unnecessary then so be it. While the film largely stays out of the blame game, it's clear on BP's role in the disaster. We are definitely meant to see them as the bad guy, even if it isn't spelled-out for us directly.

What is spelled-out to an aggravating degree are the reasons for the explosion. Once the rig erupts into a massive fireball most of the explanations fall by the wayside. There's simply too much going on as the crew scramble for their lives, drowning in a thunderstorm of oil and mud. But before then we get a cloudy attempt to explain everything that led to the disaster. While not that difficult to understand; basically it has to do with mud overflow, pressure buildup, and the release of natural gases, it's also not very interesting to listen to. When fiery Hell breaks loose that's when the movie also heats up. Berg has never been one to shy away from anything and he assails you with carnage, so that you may be tempted to look away or shield your eyes. The quick editing, like being tossed in the heart of a maelstrom, only adds to the hyper-reality of it all. But it's enough to put you right in the middle of what had to be a scene of extreme bedlam as the survivors raced to reach the lifeboats. Others risked their lives to try and stop the disaster from getting worse and maybe if their lucky save a few lives. Wahlberg and Rodriguez are particularly great in these life-saving moments because they aren't trying to act like superheroes. They react like normal people would; they are scared, worried they'll never see their families again. That fear is palpable, but so is their survival instinct. 

You wish Deepwater Horizon had spent more time on the environmental impact of the spill, or on the punishments (or relative lack thereof) meted out against BP and Transocean. Berg's tendency to push his own patriotism on us is also pretty distracting. Do he and Michael Bay get their billowing American flags from the same shop? The missteps are minor, especially in light of a movie that could have been a disaster in its own right. But Berg's heart was always in the right place and the story told in Deepwater Horizon gives the survivors and victims a chance to finally be recognized.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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Mark Wahlberg Faces A Fiery Disaster In The 'Deepwater Horizon' Trailer

It's one thing to make a fictional disaster movie such as San Andreas or The Day After Tomorrow and sell it to audiences. Because they tend to be ridiculously over-the-top it's easy to look at them as something that could never happen. But movies about real-life disasters tend to be much tougher because who wants to relive that kind of tragedy? So what does that mean for Deepwater Horizon, Peter Berg and Mark Wahlberg's drama about the 2010 oil rig disaster?

A new, full trailer for the film has been released and it tries to walk a delicate balance. On the one hand it looks like a potentially powerful drama about a family man trying to survive the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history. But then it also looks like the kind of action movie we'd expect to see from Wahlberg and Berg, who worked together on Lone Survivor.  Here's the official synopsis:

On April 20th, 2010, one of the world’s largest man-made disasters occurred on the Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico. Directed by Peter Berg (Lone Survivor), this story honours the brave men and women whose heroism would save many on board, and change everyone’s lives forever.

It will be very interesting to see how this one is received, especially given its awards season release date. Deepwater Horizon co-stars Kurt Russell, John Malkovich, Gina Rodriguez, Dylan O’Brien and Kate Hudson and opens September 30th.

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Explosive Trailer For Peter Berg's 'Deepwater Horizon' Starring Mark Wahlberg

Is there a desire to relive the worst man-made disaster in our history? Maybe if Mark Wahlberg and Peter Berg tell the story, there is. The duo seem to have an affinity for tragic true stories, recently pairing up for Lone Survivor and the upcoming Boston Marathon bombing drama, Patriots Day. And now with Deepwater Horizon they'll tackle the 2010 environmental catastrophe that killed 11 people and injured even more.

The film centers on the men and women aboard the BP oil rig off the coast of Louisiana, which exploded on April 20th 2010, springing a leak that would spill for 87 straight days before it was finally capped. This trailer focuses on Wahlberg's character and his home life with his wife (Kate Hudson) and daughter, the latter teasing the eventual disaster by reciting lines from her school report on daddy's job.  And then we see flashes of the other men aboard the vessel as they began to realize that something isn't quite right.

As usual, Berg has surrounded Wahlberg with a strong cast led by John Malkovich, Dylan O'Brien, Kurt Russell, and Gina Rodriguez. The film was once a project spearheaded by J.C. Chandor but disputes over the creative direction, probably meaning producers wanted more action, led to Berg taking the reins. One wonders if the script implicates BP for their questionable safety standards which has led to them shelling out $18B in a settlement with the government and more than $50B in clean-up costs.

  Deepwater Horizon opens September 30th.

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Review: 'Cut Bank' starring Liam Hemsworth, Teresa Palmer, and John Malkovich

It should become fairly obvious within the first couple of minutes of Cut Bank that director Matt Shakman really digs the Coen Brothers' Fargo. In fact, Shakman directed some of the recent TV series and brings some of that pulpy Midwest vibe to the film, which features a gaggle of homespun characters in various states of cultural stagnation. While the mood is dead on perfect and the cast fit their roles well, Cut Bank is let down by a screenplay that is cobbled together from so many better films it never achieves a unique identity.

There's plenty of talent to go around, and it starts with youthful stars Liam Hemsworth and Teresa Palmer, who play young lovers Dwayne and Cassandra. The lovestruck pair can't wait to get out of gloomy, stuck-in-time Cut Bank, MT, which proudly claims to be the "coldest spot in the nation". It's a distinction that fits the chilly mood of the farming town where everybody is looking for a way to get ahead. And so Dwayne cooks up a scheme that's doomed for unintended complications and consequences. Bruce Dern plays a local mailman who is murdered within sight of Dwayne's camera, kicking off an investigation that wakes up the sleepy little town. It's the first murder they've ever seen, which also means it's the first for the sheriff (John Malkovich), who can't stand being near dead bodies. Billy Bob Thornton is Cassandra's stern father, a "big fish in a small pond" who throws his weight around because everyone's too polite to tell him otherwise.

The film finds its best moments when exploring the niceties of Midwestern society, which can be both endearing and highly annoying. Malkovich's timid sheriff, who learns a thing or two about big city violence, resembles Tommy Lee Jones' character from No Country for Old Men. Oliver Platt plays a boisterous inspector from DC who arrives and babbles on about the food, "The best peach cobbler is in hospital food courts" and how terrible the Beltway can be, "It's dirty, stressful, angry, corrupt, and expensive." But the biggest problem, and the greatest example of the misplaced tone of Roberto Patino's script, comes from Michael Stuhlbarg's stupefyingly bad performance as town weirdo, Derby Milton. With his bugged-out glasses, greasy hair and hat, he waddles in and out of each scene, stuttering "I want my p-p-p-parcel'. Whether he was intended to resemble a homicidal version of Stephen Root's Milton from Office Space is unclear but that was the comical result. It's like he had been locked up in Storage Room B for 30 years and was suddenly set free to murder and maim. Even as he draws bloodshed on his intended victims in search of his missing p-p-p-parcel, we never take their deaths seriously. We can't, and Cut Bank needs us to take each killing seriously and recognize Derby as a threat. Sorry, no can do. 

However, Milton's presence is funny enough that it helps us forget how bland the rest of the film is. There are some big laughs to be found when the welcoming (and nosy) townspeople constantly ask "Aren't you Derby Milton?" even when it's obvious he's come to commit violence. They just can't set their Midwest charm aside even for a moment.  But it's hard to figure what the overall point is supposed to be? Is it that small town life is constantly being encroached on by the violent nature of the big city? That would be a fine point to make if the characters were anything more than familiar archetypes and Cut Bank more than just a generic exercise in pulp fiction.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

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Liam Hemsworth Witnesses a Murder in Trailer for 'Cut Bank'

Take a gander at the cast for the small-town thriller, Cut Bank: Teresa Palmer, Liam Hemsworth, Billy Bob Thornton, Michael Stuhlbarg, John Malkovich, Oliver Platt, and Bruce Dern. That's pretty impressive, and the trailer looks exactly like what we would expect from helmer Matt Shakman, who has directed episodes of Fargo. Here's the official synopsis:

DWAYNE MCLAREN (Liam Hemsworth, Hunger Games), a high school star athlete recently turned auto mechanic, dreams of getting out of tiny Cut Bank, MT – the coldest town in America – and whisking his pageant-hopeful girlfriend, CASSANDRA (Teresa Palmer), away to the big city. But his plan to do so sets in motion a deadly series of events and thrusts him into a police investigation headed by SHERIFF VOGEL (John Malkovich), the protector of Cut Bank and the closest thing Dwayne has to a father figure. Panic sweeps across the community in mere hours, but things are not what they seem. Cassandra’s father BIG STAN STEELEY (Billy Bob Thornton) is the only one who seems to realize this. However, the damage is already done and the events that unfold change Dwayne’s life – and the life of the town – forever.

The film has received mostly mixed reviews from the festival circuit but this looks like a capable little crime movie, if only for the cast involved. Cut Bank hits DirecTV on February 26th and theaters April 3rd.

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