Review: 'The Grudge', Horror Reboot Is As Bland And Unimaginative As Its Title

For a time in the mid-2000s the J-horror genre was extremely hot, and Hollywood brought a couple of them over from Japan to, of course, turn into successful franchises. There was Ringu, which became The Ring; and because American moviegoers couldn't get enough of creepy, pale ghost children, Ju-On was brought over here as The Grudge. The fad quickly died out, but a decade the paranormal beef is back on with The Grudge, a lifeless snoozer as bland and unimaginative as the reboot's title.

The central conceit of The Grudge is pretty easy to follow and ready-made for sequels, which is why there have been a dozen of these movies already. Basically, when someone is murdered in a particularly strong fit of rage, it leaves behind a vengeful ghost that haunts a home forever. A grudge. And this grudge is with anybody living who enters that home. Real estate agents seem to have no problem finding buyers for these homes where scores of families have repeatedly been murdered, but whatever.

This version of The Grudge doesn't do much to prove the franchise is worth reviving. Andrea Riseborough leads an incredibly talented, but ultimately useless cast as Detective Muldoon. She's moved to a small Pennsylvania town with her young son (He's super inconsequential to the plot) for a fresh start after the recent death of her husband.  Too bad for her, the first case she gets with her new partner Detective Goodman (Demian Bichir), is the gruesome discovery of a body hidden deep in the woods. The death seems to be connected to a certain home with a long history of murder lingering over it, one that Goodman would very much like to forget. While he tries to warn Muldoon away, she can't help herself and goes to investigate the home. She gets herself grudged in the process, becoming infected by the demonic curse that drives you nuts before driving you to kill.

Fans of the Ju-On and Grudge films will quickly recognize the cheap jump-scare patterns and even the loopy narrative construction. The timeline leaps between 2004, 2005, and 2006, as writer/director Nicolas Pesce weaves together a mythology of murder, connecting multiple victims of the grudge. John Cho and Betty Gilpin play a couple contemplating the birth of their child who is likely to be born with severe defects; Frankie Faison plays a husband struggling to ease his seemingly mentally ill wife (horror queen Lin Shaye, right at home) with the help of a caregiver (Jacki Weaver); and then there's Goodman's old partner (William Sadler) who is obsessed with the home.

Pesce's ambitions play out in grueling, dull fashion, made worse by the Grudge gimmick itself which was repetitive years ago and remains so. Regardless of the time period, we see characters get freaked out by the same creepy visions of dead people, falling for the same tired jump-scares, and stupidly approaching the same tub of bloody water. It's unintentionally hilarious after a while, and in the theater I was at the crowd laughed at the movie's lame attempts to frighten. Pretty sure that's not the reaction Pesce was hoping for. The movie's only true moment of comedy, a "pack your bags" moment of clarity by Weaver's character, frustratingly teases Pesce's subversive sense of humor. You get it once so better enjoy it.

It's not that Pesce isn't a talented director, he's just not built for generic, studio horrors that blunt his twisted sensibilities. His 2016 debut The Eyes of My Mother was a hypnotic, nightmarish look into the creation of a serial killer; his 2018 film Piercing was a savage thriller that mercilessly flips audience expectations.  The Grudge has very little of what has made Pesce a rising star filmmaker to genre fans.  It sidelines him, but also a strong cast who deserve much better than this. Riseborough, Cho, and Gilpin do their best with the given material, but they're most effective when removed from the haunted house tropes that make The Grudge little more than a minor spat.

2 out of 5

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'Zeroville' Trailer: James Franco's Long-Delayed Film Taked Him To 1969 Hollywood

For a few years there, James Franco and Takashi Miike were neck-and-neck in vying for the title of most prolific director. Franco had movies coming out every damn month, it seemed, somehow fitting them in between his busiest period as an actor. Not a lot of them were very good, mind you, in fact, most of them weren't. And some of them just never got released, either because they were too experimental awful or the distributor went belly-up. The latter is what happened to Zeroville, which Franco shot way back in 2014 and is only now getting a release.

Looking very much like a movie that was made five years ago, Zeroville finds Franco as director and star, playing a man obsessed with movies (he has a tattoo of Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor on his head) who arrives in Hollywood circa 1969, a time of great transition. It's dabbling in the same era as Quentin Tarantino recently did in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, but as expected he and Franco have very different visions.

SYNOPSIS: Vikar is a lost soul journeying through Hollywood 1969, a land of myths, beauty, and monsters. The studio system is in decay, and a new generation of brash filmmakers are on the rise. With his shaved head marked by a tattoo from his favorite film, 1951’s A Place in the Sun, Vikar is a bizarre presence even amid the dreamers and players. He finds work first building sets, then as an apprentice editor obsessed with wielding the power of moving images. As his involvement in the creative process deepens, so does his fascination with a tragic screen goddess named Soledad. Together they discover just how hard it is to live in the blurred boundary between reality and illusion.

Franco is joined by pretty much all of his buddies including Seth Rogen, Dave Franco, Will Ferrell, Danny McBride, Jackie Weaver, Megan Fox, Craig Robinson, Scott Haze, Joey King, and Horatio Sanz.

Zeroville opens September 20th courtesy of myCinema.

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Review: 'Poms' Has Spirit, Just Not A Lot Of Laughs

Like any good cheerleader worthy of her squad, the latest Diane Keaton retirement comedy Poms has spirit and enthusiasm to spare. It just doesn't have a lot of laughs, with the comic routines as uninspired as when Bring It On's Rancho Carne Toros tried to get by on canned dance choreography. Damn that Sparky Polastri! 

Poms is a well-meaning feel-good comedy with a simple message: age is nothing but a number, and it shouldn't stop you from doing what you love. It's also yet another film that puts Keaton in the role of a woman looking at a second chance to make life worth living. She plays Martha, who we meet as she's selling off all of her things in an estate sale. It's all part of her plan to get away and re-settle in a Georgia retirement community, Sun Springs, where everyone is forced, through some sort of dictatorial mandate by activities commissioner Vicki (Celia Weston) to join a group with the other residents. But Martha just wants to be alone, literally telling Vicki that she came there "to die."

Inspired by some old photographs and her lustful neighbor Sheryl (a game Jacki Weaver), Martha decides to start her own cheerleading squad over Vicki's angry objections. An assorted group of community misfits joins the team, none of which are developed beyond a basic archetype. Well, the exception might be Rhea Perlman's Alice, a dutiful wife who may have murdered her possessive husband just so she can get out there and cheer. That she might've killed the man is one of the dubious gags screenwriter Shane Atkinson hopes you'll identify with.  The script also skirts the line of being mean-spirited towards women of a certain age. There's no shortage of jokes and flat-out insults at the ladies' expense, oftentimes by the seniors themselves. And it's hard to tell during practice sessions and dance routines, usually seen in montage, whether the debuting director Zara Hayes is laughing with these women or at them. Another odd scene, in which Martha makes each woman stare in the mirror and express one thing they love about themselves, is notable for the lame things each woman comes up with. Alice has great wrists for giving blood, apparently.

Of course, age isn't the only obstacle Martha has to face. While there are detractors everywhere, including an arrogant high school squad who take every opportunity to embarrass them, it's a lack of self-confidence that proves to be the biggest hurdle. For Martha, there's the added threat of a health crisis that rears its ugly head when the story needs a push in a sentimental direction, but it's never given any real emotional heft. It only makes you wish Keaton was given more to work with because she, along with Weaver, are a real treat to watch. Yes, we've seen Keaton play this starting-over-anew character many times but it's because she always brings something authentic and dignified to it.

To be completely fair, I'm probably not the audience they were targeting, and those who can relate to Poms' underdog story about starting over may leave the theater with a bit more pep in their step. Others will find it rather ordinary and hardly worth getting excited over.

Rating: 2 out of 5

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'Poms' Trailer: Diane Keaton Leads A 'Bring It On' For The Over-70 Crowd

Call me a caveman but movies about cheerleaders? I dig 'em. Bring It On ranks up there pretty damn high, my friends. But the cheerleader comedies I love are taking a turn for the mature in a way that I'm not prepared for. Poms stars Diane Keaton as a senior citizen who rekindles her love for competitive cheerleading.

Similar to last year's Book Club, Keaton will lead another group of older women who find a new zest for life. Keaton plays Martha, who joins a retirement community and finds it to be pretty terrible until she meets Sheryl, played by Jacki Weaver, who gets her back into cheerleading. Joining them on the cheer squad are Pam Grier and Rhea Perlman. Also in the cast are Charlie Tahan, Celia Weston, Phyllis Somerville, and Bruce McGill. 13 Reasons Why's Alisha Boe plays a more experienced cheerleader who teaches them the ropes. Those basket tosses don't just happen naturally.

Behind the camera is Zara Hayes, the documentary filmmaker behind 2013's Battle of the Sexes, from a script by Shane Atkinson.

Poms hits theaters on May 10th. I don't think this will be replacing Bring It On or Sugar & Spice in my home library, but you never know. Keaton is still pretty irresistible.

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'Out Of Blue' Trailer: Patricia Clarkson Investigates An Existential Murder Mystery

There can never be enough Patricia Clarkson, as far as I'm concerned, and even though she's always great in supporting roles she's better in the rare opportunity to lead. I remember a great deal of positive buzz for the existential detective noir Out of Blue when it played at TIFF last year. Now the trailer is here and I'm excited for what looks to be an unconventional whodunnit.

Directed by Carol Morley, the film stars Clarkson as a detective brought in to solve a professor's murder, only to encounter a number of strange characters along the way. As she probes further, a deeper cosmic truth begins to be revealed, so this isn't just another crime procedural. Also in the cast are Jacki Weaver, Toby Jones, and James Caan.

Here's the synopsis: Detective Mike Hoolihan (Clarkson) is called in to investigate the murder of a young professor who, the night before her death, gave a lecture on the mysteries of the universe. When the cool-headed Hoolihan digs into the case, she must contend with the victim’s dubious ex-boyfriend and a family with its own murky past. The more the detective begins to pull apart the various strands of the case, the more her own vulnerabilities and imperfections are revealed. As our mesmerizing protagonist gets closer to the truth behind the murder, she also begins to discover a larger truth — but she worries that the fully realized answer may elude her.

Out of Blue opens on March 15th.

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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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Review: 'Goldstone' Is A Neo-Western, Outback Noir Twist On The Classic Crime Drama

Goldstone is an Australian film from Ivan Sen starring Aaron Pedersen, Alex Russell, Jacki Weaver, David Wenham, and Michelle Lim Davidson; about a detective named Jay Swan (Pedersen) that find himself in the small, desolate, country town of Goldstone, much to the dismay of the locals, in an attempt to sole the case of a missing girl named Mae (Lim Davidson). It is there that he runs into opposition as he soon discovers that a missing girl is just the tip of iceberg. Things like trafficking, corruption, and land rights, are just some of the things that his unwanted and intruding presence threatens. In an attempt to shake up the status quo and bring justice  to the small town, the fight rests in the hands of Jay and a young, local cop named Joshua (Russell), two people who couldn't be any more different from each other.

This isn't one of those kinds of gritty, cop, crime dramas that we've seen time and time again. I do think that given the description that I gave that some people would get that idea. Though it does fall victim to some of the same tropes it is a lot more quieter and subdued and the description of it being "'a Neo-Western crossed with Outback Noir" couldn't be anymore on the nose.

The film, I must say, is a bit slow especially in the beginning, However, once we, the audience, learn that there's more to this town than meets the eye it does pick up a bit. With that being said I do think that the overall slowness of the film may work against it in some people's eyes.

I think that the characters in this film were one of the more noticeable flaws; I thought that they could have been a bit more developed. When we first meet Jay Swan, he's arrested for driving drunk, but after that one incident the film never toys around with that vulnerability in the way that you would think that they would. By the end of the you're left think to yourself "What was the point of showing him that state if it wasn't going to be explored more?" We never find out why/how Mae went missing. We also never find out Joshua's motivations for being a cop and putting himself in this corrupt world in the first place. Maybe it wasn't integral to the story at hand, but it still would've been nice to know these things. I also found the development of a character named Tommy to be poor. One minute he's a  bad guy and the next he's not; it just left a lot to be desired.

The thing that surprised me the most and I would have to say is my favorite thing about the film is its message. The film explores the idea of trying to make a difference. No matter one's view on corruption, trafficking, land rights, in this small town of Goldstone, those are some of the things that keep the town running. People go there initially and may be morally righteous, but after a while they like everyone else fall victim to those same corruptions because that's just the way things are; "the world is not made for you, you were made for it" and it's all about figuring out where your place is.

Because of that mentality and also the consequences that come from one's need to be a savior of truth, that is what stops any real justice from taking place; people are too scared and caught up in their own ways and ego to even try to think about making a difference for the better. I like that this film not only explores that, but also makes a definitive statement about it when it's all said and done.

Though, this isn't one of the best films that I've seen, there weren't a ton of flaws that completely turned me off from it. I also like that is made me contemplate that idea of standing up/fighting for what's right vs. just staying in line so as to not upset the status quo and the powers that be. I could sit here and say, as I'm sure a lot of people would, that if I/they found ourselves in a situation that brings up that dilemma that would the do the right thing, but the truth is is that thinking that you would do something vs. actually being in a real situation where the pros and cons are very visible and tangible and the decision actually has to be made are two completely realities. We truthfully do not know how we would react and I like that this film (at least for me) made me aware of that and made me question my own morality in the process. We need more films like that.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

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'Irreplaceable You' Trailer: Netflix's Tearjerker Rom-Com With Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Kate McKinnon, And More

I don't know what Netflix is doing with Irreplaceable You, but I can only guess their marketing strategy matches the mixed emotions of the movie itself. Y'see, the film, which boasts a rather great cast with Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Michael Huisman, Christopher Walken, Brian Tyree Henry, Jacki Weaver, Kate McKinnon, Steve Coogan, and Timothy Simons, is a romantic comedy centering on on soulmates whose perfect life is ruined when they learn she has cancer.  The tagline for the movie?

“Fall in love with childhood sweethearts Abbie and Sam, just in time to watch them try to say goodbye.”

I can scarcely think of a better way to celebrate  than watching a perfect couple torn apart by cancer. And as you might expect, the trailer is pretty awkward as it tries to balance the sadness of their predicament with light-hearted gags. Everybody's joke meter is cranked up to 11, especially Abbie (Mbatha-Raw) as she goes to extreme lengths to find Sam a new woman so he won't have to fend for himself.

So prepare to laugh and cry, I guess.  Directed by longtime Veep producer Stephanie Laing, Irreplaceable You hits Netflix on February 16th.

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'The Polka King' Trailer: Jack Black Runs A Polka Ponzi Scheme

Sometimes it's really hard to gauge what movies to see while you're scrambling around Sundance. Plenty of them have big names attached but you know there will be one or two star-studded films that just won't click with the festival crowd. That was apparently the case with The Polka King, a title that virtually guaranteed nobody would be packing into those chilly tents for the screening, even with Jack Black in the lead role. I totally forgot it was at the festival earlier this year, and suddenly here is the first trailer for its upcoming Netflix release.

Jack Black stars as Jan Lewan, the real-life Polish swindler who set up a Polka Ponzi scheme that defrauded the people of Pennsylvania, all in a strange pursuit of the American Dream.  The film is directed by Maya Forbes, who had another oddball Sundance entry a couple of years ago with Infinitely Polar Bear. Jenny Slate, Jason Schwartzman, Jacki Weaver, and J.B. Smoove co-star.

In some ways this looks like a northern version of Black's stellar performance in Bernie, but something about this trailer feels off. There's probably a reason for the discernible lack of buzz for this one, however I'd like to see and judge for myself.  Small note: I did meet the real-life Jan Lewan at Sundance while on the bus in Park City, and he was every bit the big personality he appears to be in the movie. 

The Polka King hits Netflix on January 12th 2018. 

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Review: James Franco's 'The Disaster Artist' Is For More Than Just Fans Of 'The Room'

Here in DC and just about any major city in the country, you can find scores of midnight moviegoers attending screenings of Tommy Wiseau's The Room. Arguably the worst film ever made, or certainly in the pantheon of worsts, Wiseau's passion project sets the bar for ineptitude, and people love it for exactly that reason. Personally, I've never understood the attraction, but it's undeniable that fourteen years since Wiseau dropped this stinky turd people can't get enough of it. And for them, James Franco's The Disaster Artist, an obviously loving tribute to Wiseau's bizarre creation, will be love at first sight.

But how will it play for those who have yet to experience The Room? Franco, who both directs and stars as Wiseau, has set out to make a movie that is respectful of Wiseau, not as a platform to make fun of him. There are plenty of chances for him to do it, but it's clear Franco appreciates the film too much to turn this into a hit piece. Franco's passion for The Room comes through, and with it audiences can get a sense of his and Wiseau's love of movie-making and the creative process. It makes for an infectious, funny, wildly entertaining tribute that could earn The Room some new fans.

Franco begins the film with a series of big name celebrities all talking about their reasons for loving The Room. It's an iffy beginning because so much sounds insincere, like they're taking shots at Wiseau. Then when you actually see Franco in the role of Tommy Wiseau, with his long black hair, strangely-curled lip, droopy eyes, and thick European accent, you would be forgiven for thinking it a parody. But Franco recovers quickly within the opening scene, as Tommy's incredible confidence leads him through a truly awful Stanley Kowalski performance in front of an acting class. Attending that class was Greg Sestero (Dave Franco), who was blown away by Tommy's fearlessness.

Greg and Tommy's story is classic Hollywood stuff, at least at first. They both have dreams of becoming actors, and they become friends by promising to push one another until it happens. Greg has the physical tools but no confidence, while Tommy is....weird. Of unknown origin, although he insists he's from New Orleans, Tommy seems to have all the money in the world without any kind of job to explain why. He's got apartments all throughout California but no friends to show for it, and fewer prospects around Hollywood. For all of his bravado, Tommy is incredibly insecure, and it doesn't take long before he's jealous of Greg and his new girlfriend.

That betrayal, in part, fuels what would become Tommy's...what's the opposite of a magnus opus? Well, that's what the screenplay for The Room would be. He and Greg decide that if Hollywood won't take them, they'll take Hollywood and make their own movie. Of course Tommy would direct it. Does he know how to direct? Of course not. But he talks the talk, never knowing how ridiculous he sounds. The first scene he shoots takes place in a replica of an alley that is, quite literally, just outside the door. When asked by the script supervisor (Seth Rogen) why they don't just use the actual alley, Tommy responds "Because it's real Hollywood movie."  Yeah, okay, that settles it. By the way, Rogen has some of the best reaction shots. It's a movie where everybody is standing around befuddled at the movie they're making, so reaction shots rule.

What follows is a blow by blow account of the disastrous shooting of The Room, populated by big stars in laughable roles that have become unforgettable to midnight audiences everywhere. Ari Graynor, Josh Hutcherson, Jackie Weaver, Zac Efron, and more tackle the corny dialogue ("You're tearing me apart, Lisa!", "I did naaahhhhttt! Oh, hi Dave."), absurd storylines (the forgotten cancer diagnosis), and rancid acting (that football scene! those sex scenes!) that fans will love seeing portrayed by more qualified actors.

Franco creates this heightened reality, almost like you've stepped into Bizarro World, where you're cheering for Tommy's movie to be as terrible as it possibly can be. And it's terrible; Franco doesn't shy away even a little from how bad The Room is. But underneath it all you do come to appreciate Tommy's drive and commitment, such as it is, even though he resembles a villain from a Dracula movie. To his credit, Franco plays him with the kind of extravagant flourish the role demands, while letting us in just slightly on Tommy's insecurities. He still remains a curiosity by the end of the movie, but that may have more to do with the adaptation of Sestero's book, which doesn't provide much in the way of answers. Tommy is just one of those guys you have to accept exists in his own altered reality, and everybody else around him are just supporting players.

While not especially deep, The Disaster Artist is a movie for people who love movies. I'd suggest seeing it as part of a double-feature with The Room, and then after that you'll never have to watch The Room again. And we have James Franco to thank for that.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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James Franco Makes A Cult Classic In 'The Disaster Artist' Trailer

What are the chances a movie about the making of a movie will achieve greater acclaim than the original film did? In the case of The Disaster Artist, which details the making and bizarre cult status of Tommy Wiseau's The Room, the chances are very likely, especially after a critically lauded debut at SXSW earlier this year.

Written and directed by James Franco, who also plays Wiseau, the film aims to be a heartfelt but funny tribute to a movie that still gets played in theaters regularly most weekends and is attended by loads of fans. There's just something about the wooden acting and atrocious dialogue that people find endearing, and even in this trailer you can tell Franco and the impressive cast he assembled have a love for The Room, too. Such as it was.  The film is based on the book by Tom Bissell and Greg Sestero, based on Sestero's experiences as one of the co-stars. Sestero is played by Dave Franco, while the impressive cast is includes Seth Rogen, Jason Mantzoukas, Josh Hutcherson, Zac Efron, Ari Graynor, Sharon Stone, Jacki Weaver, Hannibal Buress, Alison Brie, and more. So, uh, a lot more star power than The Room ever came close to having.

The Disaster Artist opens in limited release on December 1st, then goes wide a week later.

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James Franco And Seth Rogen Take On Hollywood In The 'Zeroville' Trailer

With the arrival of festival season comes a plethora of James Franco-directed projects. At Toronto we'll have a chance to see Franco's John Steinbeck adaptation, In Dubious Battle (some images here), and following not too far behind it is Zeroville. While that one doesn't have any confirmed festival slot just yet, it looks like a shoe-in to be at Sundance where Franco is pretty much an annual presence.

The first Zeroville trailer is here and it features Franco and a bunch of his buds. Seth Rogen, Danny McBride, Will Ferrell, Joey King, Jacki Weaver, Dave Franco, Craig Robinson, and Megan Fox are all part of the film about a movie fanatic with tattoos of Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor on his head, who arrives in the bizarre world of 1960s Hollywood. Here's the lengthy synopsis:

Despite the cast this looks like one of those Franco movies that will slip into the abyss and never get seen by anybody. For instance, I'm still waiting on a release for I Am Michael, which hit Sundance last year and has gone nowhere.

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Review: 'Equals' Starring Kristen Stewart And Nicholas Hoult

A ridiculous and short-sighted complaint about Drake Doremus' sci-fi romance Equals is that it's two gorgeous people trapped in a cycle of perpetual longing. Well, that's kind of the point. It's true that beautiful stars Nicholas Hoult and Kristen Stewart, the Beast and Bella herself, do spend much of the film circling the love they are forbidden to have in the dystopian, sterile future Doremus has trapped them in, but it's exactly those cold conditions that ignite their passions.

Equals is in every sense a Drake Doremus movie. It follows in the footsteps of his previous efforts, romances Like Crazy and Breathe In; simple stories of maintaining love while life's complications get in the way. Equals expands on that in a significant way, throwing all of an emotionless society in the path of young lovers, Nia (Stewart) and Silas (Hoult). In this Oxy-Clean world of worker bees dressed in white, all human emotion has been switched off, creating a Collective full of equals.

Like the swooning extramarital affair of Breathe In and the long-distance longing of Like Crazy, the complication that arises in Equals is "S.O.S.", or Switched On Syndrome, in which certain people begin to actually feel. These people are usually so depressed by their surroundings they commit suicide soon after rather than undergo a treatment that dulls their emotions once again. Nia and Silas are two people who have been afflicted with S.O.S., her for a very long time hiding in plain sight, while it's a bit more recent for him.  They begin to fall in love, not in some mad spurt of uncontrollable desire. There's fear there, too; these are people who have never even known human contact, have never known what it means to feel anything, much less an emotion as powerful as love. Doremus doles out their romantic encounters in small doses. It's a gradual progression beginning with clandestine meetings, seen in beautiful, glowing silhouettes. Doremus, along with Moon screenwriter Nathan Parker, aren't in any rush. We really shouldn't be, either.

The film doesn't go quite far enough in building this society, which includes a small band of rebels that includes Guy Pearce and Jacki Weaver. There also aren't a ton of new ideas here; resembling a futuristic Romeo & Juliet in the most simplistic of terms. But being "new" isn't really the point, either. Visually and even thematically easy comparisons can be made to Logan's Run, Gattaca, and 1984. There's value in simplicity, and there's much that is expressed between Stewart and Hoult without having to say a single word. The story is predictable yet full of beauty and hope that love can blossom in a world designed to crush it.

Rating: 3 out of 5

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JB Smoove, Jason Schwartzman And More Join Jack Black In 'The Polka King'

I don't know how much of an audience there is for a biopic on a polka dancing superstar, but with the cast being assembled for The Polka King it could be bigger than expected.  Joining Jack Black in the upcoming film are JB Smoove, Jason Schwartzman, Jacki Weaver, Vanessa Bayer (Trainwreck), and Willie Garson.

The film is being co-directed by Maya Forbes and Wally Wolodarsky, the duo behind 2014's Infinitely Polar Bear, and centers on polka sensation Jan Lewan. Lewan was a Pennsylvania celebrity who shocked the polka world when it was revealed he had lured fans into a Ponzi scheme, leading to his ultimate downfall. 

On the surface this sounds like the a similarly-peculiar movie as Jack Black's underrated Bernie, which nobody saw but ranks as probably his finest career performance. Can it possibly live up to that level? [Deadline]

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Shailene Woodley Tells 'Big Little Lies', John Goodman Joins 'Valerian', Kate Upon Boards 'The Disaster Artist'

Shailene Woodley may be moving to the small screen for David E. Kelley's HBO event series, Big Little Lies. Nicole Kidman, who is part of the cast along with Reese Witherspoon, revealed Woodley's casting at India’s Hindustan Times Leadership Summit. The series is based on Liane Moriarty's book centering on three troubled mothers of kindergarten age kids whose lives spin violently out of control. Next up for Woodley is a role in Snowden opposite Joseph Gordon-Levitt. [Variety]

Hot on the heels of Ethan Hawke's casting in Luc Besson's sci-fi adventure, Valerian, comes word that John Goodman is joining him.  Already set to star Dane DeHaan as the titular temporal agent, with Cara Delevingne, Rihanna, and Clive Owen co-starring, the film is based on the 1967 graphic novel by Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mezieres. Goodman will voice a CG-animated alien character. Filming begins next month for release on July 21st 2017. [TheWrap]

James Franco's film based on the making of The Room has added Kate Upton, Ari Graynor, Jacki Weaver, Andrew Santino, and Hannibal Burress to a cast that already includes Franco, his brother Dave, Josh Hutcherson, and Seth Rogen. Titled The Disaster Artist, the film will be directed by Franco and is based on the book by Greg Sestero, one of the stars of what many consider the king of all terrible movies. It became a cult classic despite being so awful. [THR]

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Review: 'The Voices' starring Ryan Reynolds, Anna Kendrick, and Gemma Arterton

While most of the attention aimed at The Voices will focus on Ryan Reynolds and one of his most endearing roles in years, the film marks the greatest departure for director Marjane Satrapi. Her first two movies, Persepolis and Chicken with Plums, vibrantly (and in one case totally animated) adapted her own deeply personal graphic novels, and that visual sensibility plays into how successful The Voices is as both a macabre horror and loving look at the nicest serial killer ever.

Penned by Michael R. Perry, The Voices centers on nice-guy Jerry Hickfang (Reynolds), who works at a bathtub manufacturer in the small town of Milton. In his bright pink work jumpsuit and bubbly personality, Jerry may come off as a bit manic, and that's for a reason. He's been seeing a psychiatrist (Jacki Weaver) to help overcome a recent tragedy, but he seems to be doing great...until she starts asking about his meds. He's been flaky on taking them, although he appears to be getting along just fine. "Have you been hearing voices?", she asks. Well, yeah, he has, from his dog Bosco and psychopathic Scottish cat Mr. Whiskers (both voiced hilariously by Reynolds), who function as the angel and devil encouraging him in what to do.

Jerry just wants everyone to like him, so he's thrilled when asked to coordinate the company picnic alongside British hottie accountant Fiona (Gemma Arterton). When off his meds Jerry's world is a fairy tale pastiche of rainbows and moonlight; everything seems right in the world. So what if he's having disturbing conversations with his pets about murder and envisioning Fiona as some kind of angel, it's certainly better than the grimy, blood-soaked reality when on his medication. Satrapi's subtle use of scenery to capture the true extent of Jerry's dementia is one of the film's brightest spots. After an encounter with Fiona ends in murder, the film takes a grisly turn with her severed head kept in the fridge like some kind of trophy. But she's still a chatterbox, encouraging Jerry to slice off another head so it can keep her company. It gets lonely in the fridge, sometimes. Soon after he strikes up a romance with Fiona's office mate, Lisa (Anna Kendrick), whose innocence and naivete prevent her from seeing beyond Jerry's charms to the dark soul lurking underneath.

It's a delicate balance making us care about a deranged killer, but Reynolds succeeds with his warm-hearted, anxious performance. It's good to see Reynolds relieve himself of the sarcastic, cynical characters he generally plays into one that's more vulnerable.While the tone is a little all over the place, and an attempt to explain Jerry's psychosis comes too late and doesn't really fit with the rest of the movie, The Voices brilliantly finds humor and heart in truly heinous acts.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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Ryan Reynolds is a Pet-Loving Serial Killer in Trailer for 'The Voices'

For a film that got mostly positive reviews out of Sundance, Marjane Satrapi's (Persepolis) macabre comedy The Voices has been sitting around for awhile. It just goes to show the impact of the "festival bubble" where a film about a serial killer who talks to his pets can be praised, but then probably proved a challenge for Lionsgate to slot as a general release. But the film is on the way now, and with it comes a brand new trailer.

Starring Ryan Reynolds, Anna Kendrick, Gemma Arterton, and Jacki Weaver, the dark comedy centers on a mentally unstable but happy man who gets off his meds and begins hearing voices from his pet dog and cat encouraging him to be a serial killer. When he starts taking his meds again he realizes it may be too late. The trailer isn't as funny as the concept would suggest but hopefully the best and most bizarre stuff is being saved for later.

The Voices opens in theaters and VOD on February 6th.


The Voices : Bande annonce [Ryan Reynolds, 2015] by FilmsActu

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James Franco Enlists Seth Rogen, Megan Fox, Will Ferrell, and More for 'Zeroville'

Keeping tabs on James Franco's many projects is a task unto itself, as he stays busy in front of and behind the camera. At least when he's directing he tends to fill up the cast with his friends and people he's worked with on previous occasions. About three years ago Franco optioned the rights to Steve Erickson's book, Zeroville, and not only is that next on his to-do list, production is already underway with an all-star cast on board.

According to Screen Daily, Franco has brought on Seth Rogen, Mexan Fox, Craig Robinson, Will Ferrell, Horatio Sanz, Dave Franco, Jamie King, Jacki Weaver, and Danny McBride for Zeroville. You can follow the production on Franco's Instagram page, where he's put up some pictures from what looks like a wild production. Perfect for a film with a far-out concept that has Franco starring as Jerome, a movie centering on a "film-obsessed architecture student with images of Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift (as they appear in A Place in the Sun) tattooed on his shaved head arrives on Hollywood Boulevard in 1969 where he’s mistaken for a perpetrator in the Charles Manson murders." There he encounters many fixtures of the era (including directors like George Lucas and Steven Spielberg) while traversing the sex, drugs, and rock & roll scene.

Rogen, who has worked with Franco numerous times in the past, will play Viking Man, described as an ‘eccentric, cigar-chomping, surf-hippy’; Fox will play a femme fatale named Soledad; McBride plays a sinister financier; while Weaver is a mentor and friend to Franco's character. Sounds pretty awesome, and yet another challenging project for Franco to undertake. For all his ambition there aren't a lot of positive things to say about the films he's previously directed, but maybe this will be where it all comes together.

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John Cusack Tries to 'Reclaim' His Career in New Trailer

When was the exact moment that John Cusack turned into Nicolas Cage? It was definitely some time before they starred in The Frozen Ground together, but whenever it was the downward slide of Cusack's career has been hella harsh. If he's ever going to break out of this slump it's going to take better looking movies than Reclaim.

Starring a half-way decent cast of Ryan Philllippe (okay, bad start), Oscar nominee Jacki Weaver, Luis Guzman, and Rachelle Lefevere, this ripped from the headline tale follows an American couple in Puerto Rico to finalize the adoption of their new 7-year-old daughter. All seems well until they meet a sleazy local played by Cusack naturally, and suddenly people start disappearing, bullets start flying, and...well, you get the drift.

This looks pretty terrible but you probably guessed that already, didn't you? Directed by some guy named Alan White, Reclaim hits VOD and theaters on September 19th.


Reclaim TRAILER 1 (2014) - John Cusack, Ryan Phillippe Thriller HD. by Buzz Films

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Review: Woody Allen's 'Magic in the Moonlight' Starring Colin Firth and Emma Stone

With dozens of talky, neurotic, and mannered comedies to his name, Woody Allen has become an industry to himself. As such it has become necessary to use the comparative model when looking at the annual release of the Euro-set whimsical tales he produces like clockwork with varying degrees of success. When judged against more contemporary filmmakers Allen can be considered an antiquated taste at best, moldy at worst. Yet even when compared to the diminishing returns of his most recent output the mildly charming Magic in the Moonlight only manages to feel magical intermittently and never ceases to be a lesser entry on Allen's resume.

The sun-kissed Cote d’Azur of the roaring '20s serves as an alluring backdrop to this whimsical trifle, a befitting locale for the glamorous duo of Emma Stone and Colin Firth. When we meet the great debunker of myths and clairvoyants Stanley Crawford (Firth) he's under the guise of Wei Ling Soo, a Chinese conjurer and magician who performs for packed crowds the kind of tricks seen now at birthday parties. But the audiences eat it up and so does Crawford who relishes these "magical" parlor tricks while he simultaneously has little belief in anything beyond the realm of reality. He is an atheist of the highest order, a pragmatic, histrionic sourpuss who never misses a moment to demean the spiritually inclined. But he's also Colin Firth who can never truly be hated; we sense a heart of gold beneath the armor almost immediately. An impromptu visit from old friend and fellow debunker Howard (Simon McBurney) offers Stanley the chance to do what he loves most, proving a beautiful young clairvoyant to be a charlatan.

Whisked away to the French Rivera, Stanley encounters the gorgeous flame-haired medium Sophie Baker (Stone), accompanied by her judgmental mother (Marcia Gay Harden) Sophie has won over the hearts and minds of the wealthy Catledge clan, and at least in Stanley's mind she is simply milking their bank account while feeding them otherworldly falsehoods. The naive matriarch Grace (Jacki Weaver) wishes for Sophie to get in touch with her deceased husband. Her moonstruck, arrogant son (Hamish Linklater) is so smitten he proposes marriage to Sophie almost immediately then proceeds to serenade her with lame ukelele play, when not tempting her with lavish gifts.

Stanley has little to offer but scorn, at least initially, and Allen sets up the dichotomy between his two leads in the starkest possible terms. This is textbook Allen, for the most part, superficially exploring themes he has touched upon in greater detail in far superior movies. In the case of Magic in the Moonlight, Allen gets to ruminate on the idea of something larger, of a life after death. The thought of dying has been such a dark component of Allen's movies that it's refreshing to see him consider it in a larger context. But the way he does it is by rehashing the same ideological arguments over and over, with the crank Stanley frequently at odds with the spirited Sophie. Their battles are fashioned in the cutest way imaginable, of course; in a romantic rainfall, on a lovely scenic drive, or under the haunting stars of a planetarium. All designed to tear away at Stanley's negative resolve, and combined with a few seemingly impossible acts by Sophie, it isn't long before he's questioning everything he ever knew. Is she truly a fraud?  The answer to that question isn't as interesting as it would be if the characters weren't so one-dimensional.

While it's a touch creepy to have Firth hitting on Stone who is more than half his age, the pair are immensely likeable and that helps make up for the script's many problems. Firth never quite seems comfortable in the misanthropic role but he and Stone have an unexpected chemistry when the film begins to resemble a true Hollywood romance. Stone is as lively and engaging as ever and the kind of female lead Allen has always favored, which may explain why he's enlisted her for his next film, too. Allen doesn't offer the supporting players much to work with. While I was no big fan of Blue Jasmine like so many others were, that film at least had a sizable number of character actors holding up their share of the load. The same can be said of Allen's most successful recent effort, Midnight in Paris, a film Magic in the Moonlight often seems to be emulating in both style and tenor. Much of that can be attributed to the breathtaking, picturesque visuals by DP Darius Khondji that will have you booking travel to the south of France by the closing credits.
Magic in the Moonlight certainly isn't You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger or the wretched To Rome with Love, but its shortcomings are similar just on a lesser scale. With Allen already working on his follow-up to arrive this time next year, one hopes he is again able to find that magic he has been looking for.

 Rating: 2.5 out of 5

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