Monthly Movie Preview: November 2015

October had some hits, but November is the biggest month of the year for hit movies. While Bond will likely take the top spot, there are about a half-dozen other films I’d spend my money on.

November 6 – Kill Your Friends

Starring: Nicholaus Hault, Craig Roberts, Rosanna Arquette, Tom Riley, James Corden

While the premise of this movie doesn’t really push any hot buttons for me – a movie starring a grown man version of Nicholas Hault does. You loved him as Beast in Days of Future Past, and Nux in Mad Max: Fury Road (collective orgasm noise from the audience), but this version of Hault is just as weird. Based off a 2008 John Niven novel, Kill Your Friends explores the ridiculousness of the music industry, and what it takes to stay alive. It could be interesting, but it reaches for a similar demographic that Spectre draws in; are you really going to miss out on Bond to see this? I didn’t think so. – Sherif

November 6 – Spectre

Starring: Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Léa Seydoux, Ben Whishaw, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris

It’s pretty rare when a James Bond movie strings a plot throughout more than one movie, but that is exactly what Spectre is doing. Tying in the story line of all of Daniel Craig’s Bond movies, Spectre pits Bond against the organization SPECTRE, last seen in 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever. Other than how the story has been plotted out, I’m most excited for another Bond movie. The explosions, the cars, the gadgets… it’s just damn cool. And I have wanted to hate Christoph Waltz again for a while now. His performance in Inglorious Basterds was the epitome of evil and seeing him in films as a good guy, while great, is just not the same. – Adrian

November 6 – The Peanuts Movie

Starring: Noah Schnapp, Bill Melendez (archival recordings), Hadley Belle Miller

Did somebody order a feel-good movie?? One that closes the gap between several generations? Charlie Brown and Co. have always been relevant, but the only thing parents have to show their kids are the old Holiday-themed ones from yesteryear. I’m a bit leery of this remake. There’s a decent chance that it will be too corny to incite nostalgia from adults, and too dated for kids to be relevant, but it’s guaranteed to be worth some laughs. The key might be to not walk into the theater expecting something revolutionary, but rather making you remember the simplicity of what made you laugh ages ago. Although, I’m still not on board with a DJ Khaled song making the trailer. – Sherif

November 6 – Trumbo

Starring: Bryan Cranston, Diane Lane, Louis C.K., Elle Fanning, John Goodman, Michael Stuhlbarg, Helen Mirren

You say Bryan Cranston, I say “how high?” The Heisenberg has been on a tear lately, portraying 50’s icons – first by playing Lyndon B. Johnson on Broadway, and now with his title role in Trumbo. Trumbo is based off the story of Dalton Trumbo, a famous Hollywood screenwriter and novelist in the late 1940’s during the Communist witch hunts of America’s post-war paranoia. Instead of adhering to the government’s wishes, he basically flipped them the bird and continued to write classic works like Spartacus and Exodus even though we was openly blacklisted. It’s not my top (or even top 3) choice for the weekend, but it looks like a solid informative biopic. – Sherif

November 6 – Spotlight

Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, Michael Keaton, Stanley Tucci, Liev Schreiber, Billy Crudup

Say your Hail Marys; Jesus can’t save the Catholic Church from Mark “F*cking” Ruffalo and the Boston Globe! Honestly, this is a story that needed to be told, and it’s full of headlining actors that push it from being a B-list lame documentary into a movie that people might actually give a crap about – and they should. Not even the infallible Pope Francis can stop this holy shitstorm from hitting theaters. – Sherif

November 13 – Entertainment

Starring: Tye Sheridan, Michael Cera, John C. Reilly, Lotte Verbeek

Let’s make a bold prediction. Entertainment will receive rave reviews. It’ll be considered genius and multi-layered and all the other fancy shit that Academy Award movies get called, but nobody will watch it. It won’t make sense to most of the world, and people will find it hilarious in a non-obvious, cathartic way. Basically like a Wes Anderson movie that takes itself too seriously. The movie’s focus is on small-time showbiz, but I think your focus should be on other movies. – Sherif

November 13 – By the Sea

Starring: Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie

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Some may call it narcissistic, but just based off the preview By the Sea looks quite beautiful. Angelina Jolie Pitt’s project (she wrote and directed) stars herself and her hubs Brad Pitt. The film follows a couple who is trying to save their relationship by going on a vacation. It obviously doesn’t end well; however, it does look like a great character study on relationships, people with addictions, and the fine line between love and hate. The two lovers haven’t starred in a movie together since Mr. and Mrs. Smith; this will be a far cry from the comedy. So far the reviews aren’t great. I am still really interested because I find their love incredibly elusive. I just hope this doesn’t turn into Tom and Nicole’s Eyes Wide Shut. – Adrian

November 13 – Heist

Starring: Robert De Niro, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Kate Bosworth, Morris Chestnut, Dave Bautista, Gina Carano

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For a moment there, I thought Robert de Niro was really going to accept that he’s an old man now. With movies like The Intern and the upcoming Dirty Grandpa, I thought he was aging gracefully into Morgan Freeman-like roles, but Heist looks like a bunch of cliché garbage that needed to come out solely to keep budgets up for next year. The cast is likable enough, although Morris Chestnut has been in just about one Tyler Perry movie too many to be considered muscle for the bad guy. Seriously, get out of my face, Heist. You’re embarrassing yourself. – Sherif

November 13 – The 33

Starring: Antonio Banderas, Lou Diamond Phillips

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If a group of sweaty coal miners is your thing, then boy are you going to love The 33. For those of you living under a rock – sorry, that was in poor taste – in 2010, a group of Chilean miners were trapped in a collapsed tunnel for over two months. Everybody got out alive. To be fair, it was a miracle. BUT, to be fair to me as a movie-goer, this does not seem like it would translate into a good movie at all. I’m glad they all survived, but screw going to watch a movie about how they did it. – Sherif

November 20 – Love the Coopers

Starring: John Goodman, Diane Keaton, Marisa Tomei, Amanda Seyfried, Olivia Wilder, Ed Helms, Anthony Mackie

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Holiday ensemble movies are a staple in Hollywood, and very rarely do they actually translate into anything timeless, let alone enjoyable. Here, though, I’m hopeful. Reason #1: John Goodman is at the top of my “Celebrities I Wish Were My Grandparent” list. Reason #2: There are funny people of all ages, not just the “main couple” of people to carry the comedy. Reason #3: Olivia Wilde is in it. I like Olivia Wilde. My wife has an unhealthy obsession with Olivia Wilde. The film doesn’t try to hide the dysfunctional family, but rather celebrate it. Love the Coopers might suck, but at least it will suck with good intentions. – Sherif

November 20 – The Night Before

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogan, Anthony Mackie, Lizzy Caplan, Jillian Bell, Michael Shannon, Mindy Kaling

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Now that I think about it, I’ve never seen JGL actually cut loose in a movie. He’s always actually acting – weird, huh? This movie smells a lot like a Christmas-themed This is the End, but simplifies the equation with actors that already mesh well together. Reuniting Seth Rogan with Joseph Gordon-Levitt (50/50, the funniest cancer movie ever), and adding in the most harmless token black guy (sorry, Anthony Mackie), The Night Before looks to join the rare breed of original adult comedies in an era crowded by adaptations and franchises. – Sherif

November 20 – The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Woody Harrelson, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Natalie Dormer

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I can’t believe the Hunger Games saga is finally at an end. Get ready for a lot of heartbreak, folks, because the end of the third book is full of it. Primarily focusing on the infiltration of District 13 into the Capitol, there is no going back for Katniss and crew – no more safe points. It’ll be a welcome change of pace from the other movies, and a good way to send the franchise out with a bang. Weird to think that the first movie debuted only 3 years ago; it feels like it’s been forever. So many crappy book-to-movie adaptations have come out in that time. Well, get your handkerchiefs out and sit down with somebody you love to watch the sun set on one of the most epic movie franchises of the decade. – Sherif

November 20 – Secret in Their Eyes

Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, Dean Norris

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I’m sorry, but I burst into tears laughing when I think of any character Julia Roberts plays committing murder in cold blood. Now that Sandra Bullock has successfully stolen any role that Roberts would be typecast for, maybe it’s time to turn over a new leaf. Secret in Their Eyes follows a detective who quit the force when one of the victims she found turned out to be her own daughter. Then she tracks down the killer and is forced to deal with the morality of whether or not to murder him… Welcome to the most recycled plot point in a cop show ever. Pass. – Sherif

November 25 – Legend

Starring: Tom Hardy, Tom Hardy, Emily Browning, Christopher Eccleston, Paul Bettany

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Tom Hardy plays twins Ronnie and Reggie Kray, who together ran an organized crime ring in London in the mid-1950s. The “based on real life events” thing comes into play and sort of spoils the ending here – both were arrested and served out life sentences in prison, but that doesn’t mean that a ton of crazy crap happen along the way. Hardy is one of the best character actors around (don’t believe me? Check out Bronson), and I’m sure he’ll do a splendid job playing the homicidal paranoid schizophrenic Ronnie. Crime, violence, and Tom Hardy. I’m in. – Sherif

November 25 – The Good Dinosaur

Starring: Raymond Ochoa, Jack Bright, Sam Elliott, Anna Paquin, Steve Zahn, Jeffrey Wright

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It’s an entertaining-looking movie based off a cliché concept: what if dinosaurs were still alive when there were humans? Any time I hear a new “dinosaurs + humans” concept, I start thinking about a reboot of We’re Back, the greatest human-dinosaur movie of all time. However, this is a Pixar movie, and we all know that Pixar movies are on a whole other level visually and in the feels department. It’s movies like this that will make dinosaurs cool again. It’s a buddy movie starring a young Apatosaurus and his pet human (THERE’S a twist). There’s a much larger cast, but it seems as though the movie revolves around these two. – Sherif

November 25 – Creed

Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Slyvester Stallone, Tessa Thompson, Wood Harris

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I’m not a Rocky fan by any stretch of the imagination. I make fun of the movies way more than I ever enjoyed them, and my wife has been haunted by Stallone’s guttural moan “Yo Adrian!” ever since she was a little kid. However, I am a huge Michael B. Jordan fan, and Apollo Creed was by far the best rival that Rocky faced in the ring, so a movie with Apollo’s son is interesting enough to get people out to the theaters. Hopefully it’s not full of the same lame nostalgia that Rocky V had. – Sherif

November 25 – Victor Frankenstein

Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, James McAvoy, Charles Dance, Noah Emmerich

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Mary Shelley’s work continues to grasp people nearly 200 years later. In the latest rendition, the story is told from Victor Frankenstein’s assistant Igor’s viewpoint. Starring Daniel Radcliffe (Harry freakin’ Potter!) and James McAvoy (Charles freakin’ Xavier!), the two decide to make a man of body parts. Their endeavors find them being investigated by detectives. Because it will be from Igor’s point of view, I don’t know how accurate the movie will be to Shelley’s masterpiece (Elizabeth doesn’t even seem to be in the movie, and she is an integral part to the book). It looks like this will be more about the poor humans, which if you’ve seen this meme, you should know isn’t the point. However, some of the dialogue seems to match with the original work, and the lighting and colors are spot on to what I have imagined when I have read the original 1818 work. Also, the Monster looks damn scary. – Adrian

Netflix’s 10 Best Movies to Get You in the Mood for Halloween

Fall is a very magical time of year if you ask me. The weather starts to get chilly, the skies are overcast, everything that was once green begins to die in the most beautiful fashion, and you can get pumpkin spice literally everything. I have always loved fall because I can feel a spark in the crisp air – a spark of something different, creepy and maybe even a little menacing. That spark is the impending joy that is Halloween. October is finally here and before we know it, we’ll be paying decent money to get the shit scared out of us at haunted houses and the trick-or-treaters will be at our doors. Halloween is a mind set, one that takes over most people for the entirety of the 10^th month of the year and there is no better way to get yourself in the spirit than cuddling up with a good scary movie to excite and spook you.

There’s no time like the present to start gearing up for Halloween, so why not take this weekend off, stay home, and binge watch until you’re too scared to turn the lights off. Without further adieu, here I are the 10 best movies to watch on Netflix to get yourself in the Halloween spirit: (In no particular order)

Banshee Chapter (2013)

1. Banshee Chapter (2013)

This is one of the best horror movies I’ve seen in years. It is based on H.P. Lovecraft’s story From Beyond and bases that premise on the chemical experiments the government performed on American soldiers in the 1960’s. Banshee Chapter has genuinely terrifying jump out scare moments, a truly disturbing story, minimal gore and violence, and one of the creepiest songs I’ve ever heard in my life. This movie will stick with you after you’ve watched it, you won’t want to sleep alone and especially not in the dark.

Creep (2014)

2. Creep (2014)

Creep is not your typical horror movie, and it continues to dodge your expectations all the way to the very end. This one won’t leave you sleepless, but it will hold your attention and make you uncomfortable while your watching it because it preys on the part of you that wants to trust people and give them the benefit of the doubt. Creep should absolutely be added to your list of things to watch; it’s very well written and like no other movie I’ve seen. Not to mention it’s just plain Creep-y (you see what I did there?)

Mr. Jones (2013)

3. Mr. Jones (2013)

This is another “Not-your-typical-horror-movie” movie. It will captivate you even though at first glance it kind of just seems like another found footage movie. In fact, the director utilizes several different techniques, including handicam, interviews, and separated wide shots. Mr. Jones is thoughtful, and introduces you to very real characters that are impossible not to care about. There are moments of suspense, very creepy artwork imagery, and a plot culmination that is not only scary but sweet and dances on the lines of the fantastical.

You’re Next (2011)

4. You’re Next (2011)

Oh this movie is so much fun. It’s gory, but there’s nothing too outlandish and the writing is clever and at moments very cynical towards the human race. You’re Next felt like watching The Strangers, but with so much more character and a way better plot base and story arc. I didn’t have very high expectations going into this movie and I was blown away – I laughed, I screamed, I jumped and then I watched it again. You’re Next won’t keep you up at night, but it will leave you exhilarated.

V/H/S (2012)

5. V/H/S (2012) and V/H/S 2 (2013)

These movies are perfect for getting in the mood for Halloween. Each film is a combination of short films with the longest being around 20 minutes. The stories are fun – some are ridiculously cheesy and others have some real merit to them. Each story is unique and the subjects range from ghosts to monsters to doomsday cults and there’s even one about what it would look like if you were wearing a GoPro while getting attacked by/becoming a zombie. Each anthology goes by quick, and after I watched the first V/H/S I immediately put on the second one because I wanted more. There is a third movie in this series and I have to suggest that you avoid it at all costs. It was such a disappointment, and there wasn’t a single moment in it worth watching.

We Are What We Are (2013)

6. We Are What We Are (2013)

We Are What We Are made it’s way quietly through the indie circuit, receiving more and more critical praise and making it one of the most buzzed about horror movies of the last few years. It moves a little slow and spends a lot of time really developing the story and characters so if you are expecting to jump into 90 minutes of non-stop hack and slash action this is not the movie for you. Instead, We Are What We Are almost feels like the intellect’s horror movie as it focuses on a family that believe they are normal even though they do horrible things in the name of tradition. There is a twist at the end of this one that left most viewers stunned and disturbed, so be forewarned. It didn’t bother me at all, but I’m a weirdo.

Hellraiser (1987)

7. Hellraiser (1987) and Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988)

I know these movies came out 28 years ago (good god that makes me feel old) but I really believe they’ve held up over time. The Hellraiser movies are similar to the demonic possession movies that were all the rage a few years ago, but they take that fear to the darkest place possible. Full disclosure: these movies still scare the shit out of me. The gates of hell can be opened and what comes out is way scarier than whatever possessed Emily Rose. The Cenobites are still, hands down, some of the scariest and most compelling monsters in cinema history and they are at their best in the first two Hellraiser films. Even after all these years the plot holds up, the effects hold up, and these movies will leave you disturbed and frightened.

Scream (1996)

8. The Scream Movies

These movies are classics. I’m pretty sure I still know the words to every single phone call from the first and second movies, not to mention basically all the lines. The Scream series has style and was incredible in its time, the first film single handedly reinvented the slasher flick genre and gave it validity again. I never thought the Scream movies were scary, just freaking amazing, so watching the series won’t give you nightmares, but it will probably make you giddy with nostalgia and joy.

Deep in the Darkness (2014)

9. Deep in the Darkness (2014)

This movie is kind of like The Village, if the monsters were real and not just dumb people in dumb costumes. Deep in the Darkness has some pretty freaky looking creatures that live in the woods and down in a series of caves around a small town and if the residents don’t keep them happy they basically go berserk. The monster people things are really scary, the acting is good, and the plot has enough action to keep things going while never really landing in cheesy territory. This movie may leave you more uncomfortable than you expected once it’s over, and wondering who or what could be outside your window or underneath your floor boards.

The House at the End of Time (2013)

10: The House at the End of Time (2013)

The House at the End of Time, or La Casa del fin de los Tiempos is easily one of the best horror movies on Netflix right now. It’s about a haunted/possessed house that a woman returns to once she is elderly to finally figure out the curse it holds that has ruined her entire life. This movie has excellent pace between the dramatic and terrifying moments and more than anything you’ll want Dulce to survive, succeed and find her peace. The House at the End of Time is scary and full of heart, which in this case will only make you more invested in it and more terrified as it unfolds.

Monthly Movie Preview: October 2015

Let’s be honest, September kinda sucked for movies. This month more than makes up for a lackluster late summer when the Oscar-worthy start rolling out.

October 2 – The Martian

Starring: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Kate Mara, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Donald Glover, Sean Bean, Michael Peña, Jeff Daniels

Space movie?! Matt Damon?! Being stranded on Mars?! Mutiny against NASA?! EHRMERGEHRD!!!!! The Martian will satiate my need for an epic outer space movie this fall, and I could not be more excited. Based off the book by Andy Weir (originally self-published in 2011 and then re-released in 2014), The Martian follows Mechanical Engineer and Botanist Mark Watney who become stranded on Mars after his crew has to abandon their mission. The cast is stellar and the comedy makes it that much more endearing. Can you tell I’m excited? – Adrian

October 2 – A Christmas Horror Story

Starring: William Shatner, George Buza, Rob Archer

When I first saw A Christmas Horror Story on my list of assignments this month I was a little confused about what I was getting myself into. And then I saw it had William Shatner in it and I cursed Adrian and Sherif (our lovely editors) for giving me such a project, which assuredly could only be horrible. I have to admit, I was wrong. This movie doesn’t look horrible, it looks ABYSMAL. Shatner appears to just be some sort of DJ who kind of narrates the whole thing for some dumb reason, and the rest of the movie focuses on the battle between Santa Claus and Krampus, and some stupid families that get caught in the middle, again for some dumb reason. If you’re into Santa’s elves running around like rabid zombies you may be into this, but I will be avoiding it all costs. If you like the idea of a dark twist on Christmas I recommend you save your time and money and wait until Krampus comes out in December. – Keriann

October 2 – Freeheld

Starring: Julianne Moore, Ellen Page, Steve Carrell, Michael Shannon, Luke Grimes

Based on a true story, Ellen Page and Julianne Moore star in a drama about two women determined to win equality from the New Jersey Police Department. When Laurel Hester is diagnosed with lung cancer all she wants is for her pension to go to her domestic partner Stacie Andree when she dies. Unfortunately, because they aren’t a married straight couple, their request is denied and a long journey for justice begins. This film looks amazing. I’m so incredibly excited to be seeing a lesbian narrative like this portrayed in the public eye. Of course, one seeing this film should first familiarize themselves with the original documentary on which it is based, but nonetheless I’m ecstatic about this being made. I actually started crying watching the trailer. I think they will do a phenomenal job, especially with Ellen Page playing Stacie. It’s about time a lesbian role goes to a lesbian actor. -Charlotte

October 2 – He Named Me Malala

Starring:Malala Yousafzi, Ziauddin Yousafzai

I’m sure we have all heard about Malala by now. If you haven’t get on that shit. Like right fucking now. I’m looking forward to this Documentary. I was it tears after the preview. I’m probably going to need a bucket for all the tears I’ll cry when I go see it. Malala is a truly inspiring young woman and you can feel how one life can really change the people around her. The film seems looks beautifully cut and a documentary that is more hopeful and inspiring than it is painful. – Jené

October 9 – Masterminds

Starring: Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig, Owen Wilson, Jason Sudeikis

Ah, finally, a good idiot comedy movie. Wells Fargo employees David (Zach G.) and Kelly (Wiig) plan to rob the bank they work for with a genius plan. Only problem, well… they’re morons. My favorite part is that it’s based off a real-life robbery in 1997, one which regarded the thieves as “masterminds.” The cast in this movie is amazing; I would go see a comedy starring any one of them, so with a zany plot and a bunch of good improv actors, this movie is sure to make bellies ache. Ironically enough, the production company, Relativity Studios, filed for bankruptcy and may end up pulling the film from its release date. Hope they don’t bank at Wells Fargo… – Sherif

October 9 – Pan

Starring:Hugh Jackman, Levi Miller, Jimmy Lee

I honestly have no idea what I think about the movie preview. I know that Hugh Jackman is excited to play a villain for once. Seeing Jackman as Blackbeard is intriguing to me and seeing Hook a “good guy” in this is an interesting twist. Cause we all know that’s not going to last. The cinematography looks absolutely stunning and seems worth seeing for that reason alone. I don’t know, the film could either be amazing or the absolute worst. Reserving judgement till I see it. – Jené

October 9 – Steve Jobs

Starring: Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Seth Rogan, Jeff Daniels

Remember that movie Jobs from two years ago?  You know.  The one with Ashton Kutcher.  I never saw it, but I know it exists.  Every time a see a preview for the new Steve Jobs movie that’s set to release this month all I can think about is Jobs.  That thought is followed immediately by anger and frustration at the ever growing lack of originality and creativity in Hollywood.  This is worse (or at least on the same level) than remaking Spider-Man or the Fantastic 4 every five years.  Yeah Fassbender is a great actor and I’m sure the production value on Steve Jobs is a lot greater than Kuther’s version.  I’m just growing a bit tired of the rinse-wash-repeat method for movies this day.  Sooo… If you never hear of Jobs, or if you could care less about Hollywood morphing into Jabba the Hutt, then Steve Jobs is probably a good choice for you this month.  Me?  I’ll pass.  RANT OVER! – Taylor

October 9 – Big Stone Gap

Starring: Patrick Wilson, Ashley Judd, Whoopi Goldberg,

Dubbed the town’s old maid, Ave Maria Mulligan (Ashley Judd) faces the complexities of aging, love, and grief in 1970’s Virginia. The film is based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Adriana Trigiani. I’m not totally sure what to make of this film. While I like the complexity of it and how it seems to challenge the idea that a woman has to get married at a certain age, the trailer just doesn’t excite me. This might be one of those films that just has too many subplots to keep the audience invested. Stories like these seem to do better on the page than the screen. -Charlotte

October 9 – Trash

Starring: Rooney Mara, Martin Sheen

Take one part Stand By Me, one part The Goonies, two parts Slumdog Millionaire and a splash of the Bourn Identity, and out comes Trash. Not trash as in “garbage;” rather, trash as in the brilliant title of this movie. When three young children discover something in the garbage pile where you roam, they find themselves fighting to stay alive. When the easy choice is the same as the wrong choice, they make the bold and brave decision to be rebels and fight for good. HAZAH! With the law on their tails it is a race to stay hidden and keep moving towards what needs to be done for the greater good. Foreign children are so noble! – Evan

October 9 – The Walk

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ben Kingsley, Charlotte Le Bon, Ben Schwartz, James Badge Dale

I first saw Man on Wire in 2009 in a college writing class. And I fell in love. The delivery of story telling was jaw dropping. A story that, to some, may seem blasé was portrayed with such passion and intensity, I was instantly drawn in. My fear with The Walk, based off the documentary, is that it will be less about “The Story” and more about “THIS IS IN 3D!”. I have a strange love of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, but I am pretty concerned with how much the preview relies on the 3D aspect. C’est la vie. – Adrian

October 9 – Knock Knock

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Lorenza Izzo, Ana de Armas, Ignacia Allamand

In my attempt to find the words to write to tell you awesome people what Knock Knock is all about, I’m succeeding only in sitting on my couch, blushing from head to toe and just feeling awkward.  Once you watch the trailer, you’ll understand why.  What I will impart upon you is that this film stars Keanu Reeves in a role very unlike his usual ones (if you’re thinking Jon Wick or The Matrix stop now, before you wreck yourself) and his magical journey of sexual entrapment at the hands of two slutty (and totally mentally unstable) young ladies.  I’ll probably go see it and never admit to it.  And for the love of God, PLEASE… don’t go watch this with your parents.  You’ve been warned. – Taylor

October 16 – Bridge of Spies

Starring: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Amy Ryan, Austin Stonewall, Domenick Lombardozzi

It’s been a while since Forth of July.  Need a good dose of patriotism to mix in with your witches brew this month?  Fret not good citizen, for Bridge of Spies hits theaters this month.  A story about a POW exchange between the Soviets and the United States during the Cold War, Tom Hanks takes on the role of James Donovan (a small time lawyer) to negotiate the exchange.  The film looks it’ll be educational and entertaining, typically a tough combo to pull off.  At the very least, Hanks should make the visit to the theater worthwhile. – Taylor

October 16 – Goosebumps

Starring: Jack Black, Odeya Rush, Dylan Minnette, Ryan Lee, Amy Ryan

Part of me is so very very sad that this movie did not come out when I was a kid, huddled in my bed reading every R.L. Stine book I could get my hands on, with my three shelf long collection every Goosebumps book ever written. I used to dream of being able to see those stories on the big screen, but alas, the day would seemingly never come. The Goosebumps movie coming out now does seems a little random, considering the series’ massive wave of popularity has come and gone but I truly do not think that will have any impact on the box office numbers. Many of us who loved R.L. Stine’s books as kids now have children of our own that we can attempt to initiate into that exciting world of literature. The Goosebumps movie is clearly aimed at a younger audience and the kids and preteens of today will likely still love it because it will have lots of laughs, sufficient enough scares, and assuredly a heartfelt moment or two. The movie takes a unique look at traditional storytelling as R.L. Stine is a character in the film played by Jack Black, and the Goosebumps books are very real, and are in fact based on actual monsters and beasts created by Stein himself. I’m a little disappointed to see that the monsters in focus in the movie are the ones that I deemed too goofy as a kid, but I totally see why that works. Goosebumps will probably be one of the best family movies of the year, and I recommend it for kids of all ages. – Keriann

October 16 – Crimson Peak

Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston, Charlie Hunnam, Jim Beaver

Any scary movie that can spook the legendary Stephen King already deserves your attention. The premise is simple enough. Sir Thomas Sharpe (Hiddleston) marries a sweet young lady (Wasikowska), even against the behest of his sister (Chastain). She gets brought home, sees evil stuff, and then spends the rest of the movie trying to escape evil stuff. It’s visually stunning, but seems kinda cliché in terms of the “oh he’s good, wait he’s evil. Wait, this house is evil!” plot line. Maybe the trailer just said too much. I do know that if Guillermo del Toro is involved, you are guaranteed to be frightened by this film. What more do you really want? – Sherif

October 23 – Burnt

Starring: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller, Uma Thurman, Omar Sy, Daniel Brühl, Matthew Rhys

If you’re like me, then you love Gordon Ramsay and how ruthless he is in the kitchen.  This also probably means we’ll love Burnt, a film staring Bradly Cooper and his portrayal of a very Ramsay-esque chef aiming to make his restaurant the best in the world.  Unlike many of Ramsay’s TV productions, Burnt has a much more serious and dramatic tone to it.  I don’t imaging Cooper will be shouting at his chefs to f*** off every ten seconds or wedging them between two pieced of bread hence dubbing them “idiot sandwiches.”  For the foodies and Ramsay fans out there, Burnt is probably one that should be on your list this month. – Taylor

October 23 – Difret

Starring:Meron Getnet, Tizita Hagere, and Abel Abebe

A story based on a true story. It looks like October is the month of really strong women and girls. This movie looks like another tear jerker. The movie is about an Ethiopian girl who kills her abductor in self-defense and the women who layers who come to her defense. It’s a previews and bring tears to your eyes and also a fire in the belly. Fuck yeah these women are awesome. Again, I think I’m going to need that bucket in the theater. Or, maybe I’ll wait to see it so no one has to hear my jobbing. – Jené

October 23 – I Smile Back

Starring: Sarah Silverman, Josh Charles, Thomas Sadoski

Did you know that Sarah Silverman can be a dramatic actor? I Smile Back, which debuted last year in the independent circuits, is about a married mother of two who is fighting mental instability. She seems happy enough on the outside, but deciding to go off her medication combining with several traumatic events are causing depression and rage to hit the surface. It’s a real movie about real life issues that looks genuine enough to be relatable, and crazy enough to be entertaining. What sets I Smile Back apart from other movies like it is that it sheds light on depression in women. You always see movies that follow the husband’s point of view, but what about what the wife feels? Probably won’t see this in theaters, but it’s worth a Netflix night. – Sherif

October 23 – Jem and the Holograms

Starring: Aubrey Peeples, Stefanie Scott, Hayley Kiyoko, Molly Ringwald

History Lesson: Did you know that Jem and the Holograms was the number one cartoon on air in 1986? Jem aka Jerrica Benton was a girl who could make holograms of herself using her super dope earrings and Synergy, a computer system created by her dad. Jem/Jerrica is pretty much always in disguise because of this, and her real identity is never known by the public. So basically, it is Hannah Montana, but you know, with computers and flashier earrings. This movie though? Um… YouTube is the disguise? Maybe photoshop? Not totally sure, but it seems like it is just about a band of girls being not-so-nice to each other. It’s supposed to make us feel good? Hmmmm. You’d think in the age of technology, they’d actually use some. – Adrian

October 23 – The Last Witch Hunter

Starring: Vin Diesel, Rose Leslie, Elijah Wood, Michael Caine, Julia Engelbrecht

This movie is right up my alley. Witches, magic, and swords! Plus Vin Diesel! Sold and sold. There are aspects of the preview that reminded me of Highlander, but with more magic and special effects. The storyline is an original, a shocking concept nowadays. This may not be the move for everyone, but when Vin Diesel flies and punches a giant monster through the chest, I knew it was the movie for me. – Adrian

October 23 – Nasty Baby

Starring: Kristen Wiig, Sebastian Silva, Tunde Adebimpe, Alia Shawkat, Mark Margolis

Nasty Baby stars Sebastián Silva, Tunde Adebimpe, and Kristin Wiig and tells the story of a gay couple trying to have a child together with the help of their female best friend. Then things take a crazy twist, the nature of which is not totally clear. Watching this trailer was a whirlwind of emotions. At first you think, “Oh cool. This looks like a sweet movie and it has a biracial gay couple and wow, this is super great,” and then it turns a total 180 and you have no idea what the hell you’re getting into. While I’m excited about the representation in this movie and the conversations this will inevitably open up, I really have no idea what to expect. One movie reviewer compared the twist to “Gone Girl,” which brings a whole other crazy expectation to mind, but until it’s actually released, it’ll be hard to have an opinion about it. Bottom line, I’m excited and a little bit terrified. This thing looks a little bit deranged. Hopefully it’s in a good way. – Charlotte

October 23 – Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension

Starring: Chris J. Murray, Dan Gill, Brit Shaw, Ivy George, Chloe Csengery

I know what you’re thinking, “Oh yay ANOTHER Paranormal Activity movie! Those NEVER get old!” (sarcasm sarcasm sarcasm) At least I hope that’s what you’re thinking because I tuned out of these movies after the second one. I’ve seen the first four, but the later two were bad enough that I didn’t even bother with the fifth. Anyhow, the newest Paranormal Acitivity has a few things going for it, as in it employs a new tactic the franchise hasn’t used before when you actually get to see the ghastly activity as it happens. Some if it looks genuinely creept, but other parts look just like the same stupid monster face gag they’ve been using since the first film. The whole ghost camera (a camera that is tied to that house because it can show you the beasties from beyond when you use it) seems kind of dumb, but it allows for a new scare tactic so it may work out for the best. I saw this trailer a few months ago and after re-watching it now I still have the same feeling towards it: it could either be so good and so scary, or horrendously dumb to the point you get frustrated while watching it. I’m on the fence because I’m tired of the Paranormal Activity gimmick, but if they successfully reinvent themselves the way they are trying to this could be one of the best horror movies of the season. – Keriann

October 23 – Rock the Kasbah

Starring: Bill Murray, Bruce Willis, Kate Hudson, Zooey Deschanel, Danny McBride, Scott Caan

Don’t play yourself, you know you are going to go see this movie simply because Bill Murray is in it. Basically, Richie Lanz (played by Bill Murray) winds up stuck in the Middle East after taking his rock superstar (played by Zooey Deschanel) to play a show for the troops overseas. However, things turn sour when his talent leave him high and dry, stealing his passport and identification. BUT WAIT! Things may take a drastic turn when Richie ends up discovering the next Kelly Rowland, only better. One might even say the next Beyoncé of the rock world. With this movie brining all start talent including Bruce Willis, Kate Hudson, Danny McBride and many others, I believe this movie has a solid chance to truly Rock the Kasbah…see what I did there *winky face*. The only thing this movie has to worry about is that it comes out on the same day as Tokyo Tribe…good luck. – Evan

October 23 – Suffragette

Starring:Helen Bonham Carter, Carey Mulligan, Meryl Streep

The Suffragette movement that inspired women in the U.S to demand representation in government and rights. I’m extremely excited about this film because it shows the brutality women faced in demanding their rights. The right to vote, the right to divorce, childcare, and workers’ rights wasn’t given to women they fought for it tooth and nail. This preview showcases this and refuses to gloss over it. Granted, the draw-back of this film is women of color and their involvement in the movement. Shakes fist at sky…Come on British Cinema. Still going to watch it, than burn my bra after. (Well, not really. FYI bra burning never actually happened. It’s a huge myth.) – Jené

October 23 – Tokyo Tribe

Starring: People, I assume…

Let’s all just be honest here, no one really has any idea what the hell this is. Is it gangs in Tokyo, rap battling while in the middle of a gang war…musical? Yup, that is exactly what it is. Possibly the saddest part about this whole thing is, is that I am too damn excited to see it. Maybe it’s because I love anime, rap music and kung fu thrillers. It’s like they took my drunken thoughts and made it a reality. With the biggest movie starts you have ever heard of as of five minutes ago, Tomoko Karina, Ryôhei Suzuki, and Hitomi Katayama star in this Japanese musical to show the world that shooting people for your tribe can be cool, but it is even cooler to stand together against…posers? Honestly, I’m not quite sure what this whole movie is all about. – Evan

October 23 – Our Brand is Crisis

Starring: Sandra Bullock, Scott McNairy, Billy Bob Thornton, Anthony Mackie

Another movie based off a documentary this month. Our Brand is Crisis was originally made in 2005 about the American political tactics used in the Bolivian presidential election in 2002. George Clooney and Grant Heslov are now producing a fictionalized account of the event. I am a fan of political movies, so I’m looking forward to this one; however, I will probably wait for it to come out on Redbox. This movie may be coming out at the perfect time; Scandal is at its height, but Our Brand is Crisis probably actually means something. – Adrian

October 30 – Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse

Starring: Patrick Schwarzenegger, Halston Sage, Tye Sheridan

I’d heard of Scout’s Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse, and foolishly I hoped it was about the Scout from Team Fortress 2 and that it was his guide, but alas, it is not. Instead it is a horrible cheesy, and likely insulting misogynistic piece of shit. Not only does this movie not look scary, but it also doesn’t look funny – aside from the crazy cat lady house full of zombie cats. That may be warrant a few laughs. However, the Zom Com has been done, quite well actually, and this film is way too late to the genre to have a leg to stand on without offering something unique of it’s own. It has no uniqueness of it’s own. Instead a bunch of teenage boys run around with a stripper learning how to fight off zombies and save the world. Personally, I hope they all die. – Keriann

Monthly Movie Preview: September 2015

August was just about as disappointing as it comes with movies, but that shouldn’t deter you from enjoying the theater this month.

September 4 – Dirty Weekend

Starring: Matthew Broderick, Alice Eve

I love Matthew Broderick. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is my favorite movie of all time, and much of that is thanks to him. But this movie looks god awful. Broderick and his business partner (Alice Eve) take a business trip where he looks into a sexual (possibly homosexual?) encounter he had there before. The plot isn’t really that clear, and what is the big deal if he is homosexual, or had a homosexual encounter? Also, the beginning of the trailer shows Broderick telling Eve they should get to know each other better. Then it cuts to them in a sex shop with a very large dildo in the foreground of the shot. That escalated quickly. – Adrian

September 4 – Dragon Blade

Starring: Jackie Chan, Adrien Brody, John Cusack

You know what’s less believable than Jackie Chan as an action star? A movie co-starring Adrien Brody and John Cusack as viable action stars. Give me a break. Jackie Chan, who has aged surprisingly well considering, is still a year over 60, and doesn’t have enough charisma left in the tank to carry a movie – especially one with a crappy concept weighed down by two ill-fitted actors well past their prime. Lucky for us, the entire movie summary is on Wikipedia. Give us the Chan-Jaa showdown we want before arthritis sets in. – Sherif

September 4 – The Transporter: Refueled

Starring: Ed Skrein, Ray Stevenson, Gabriella Wright, Loan Chabanol

While Jason Statham seems to have moved on to bigger and better things (like 8 Fast 8 Furious, y’all!), the all-but-forgotten Transporter franchise gets a beefed up new entry. It’s gotten quite a bit of crappy reviews, saying that it only wades in the same waters that the previous films did – but let’s keep in mind that this comes fresh off the heels of two seasons of the television show, which has seen favorable reviews. While this may be the bastard stepchild of action series, I’m sure there are enough fans to keep this from being a box office bleh. – Sherif

September 11 – 90 Minutes in Heaven

Starring: Hayden Christensen, Kate Bosworth

Hayden Christensen and Kate Bosworth both finally look like adults, but this movie looks a little too saccharin for my tastes. Christensen plays Don Piper, a pastor and a man who (in real-life) was killed in a car wreck in Texas. An on-looker prayed over Piper’s body, and Piper came back to life after 90 minutes. I know this story is a best-selling book and is recounted by many as a modern-day miracle, I felt myself cringe when Piper (Christensen) is wheeled into the church and he tells them, “You prayed. I’m here.” It almost sounds as if he is Jesus, and that just rubs me the wrong way. – Adrian

September 11 – A Brilliant Young Mind

Starring: Asa Butterfield, Rafe Spall, Sally Hawkins, Eddie Marsan

Of all the independent movies coming out this month, this is one I am really excited for. Asa Butterfield (he’s everywhere now!) plays a young man who has autism and also happens to be a brilliant mathematician. This is a coming-0f-age film, but the challenges the young man will have to face in light of his (dis)ability will make the plot more interesting. I couldn’t help but smile throughout this one. – Adrian

September 11 – The Challenger

Starring: Michael Clarke Duncan (RIP), Kent Moran, S. Epatha Merkenson

America loves boxing movies. Heck, so do I! The Challenger was made several years ago, but is finally making the independent circuit and doing really well at it, too. In Michael Clarke Duncan’s final role, he plays the coach to Kent Moran’s Jaden, a young man who boxes to prevent he and his mother from being homeless. I expect this to be motivational and really sad. – Adrian

September 11 – The Perfect Guy

Starring: Michael Ealy, Sanaa Lathan, Morris Chestnut, Charles Dutton

Finally, the movie that will get my wife to stop fantasizing about Michael Ealy. Why can’t this be starring Channing Tatum instead? Ealy plays good guy turned nightmare stalker in this thriller, where he stars alongside Sanaa Lathan (where are my Love & Basketball fans at??) and Morris Chestnut. It starts out innocently enough, but escalates into full-on crazy pretty quickly after she starts swaying a return to her ex (Chestnut). So, it’s basically like every other lover-turned-stalker movie, but this time with black people. – Sherif

September 11 – The Visit

Starring: The signature feeling of being letdown by M Night Shyamalan, Kathryn Hahn, Deanna Dunagan, Ed Oxenbould

Oh, great… another M. Night Shyamalan movie. This movie will go down in history as the second most disappointing thing to ever happen on 9/11. Hansel and Gretel meets Paranormal Activity, The Visit follows two kids who are dropped off at the grandparents’ house. Granny, it turns out, i possessed by an evil force. Everything would have been fine had they just stayed in their goddamned room after 9:30. Who knows? Maybe the surprise ending this time is that it isn’t a crappy movie. What a twist! – Sherif

September 16 – Pawn Sacrifice

Starring: Tobey Maguire, Liev Schreiber

I don’t care how many times you loop the .gif of Tobey Maguire dancing in Spiderman 3, I still think he’s a phenomenal actor. He could definitely kick Tom Holland’s ass. Anyway, so Spider-Man – I mean Tobey Maguire – and Sabretooth, err… Liev Schreiber duke it out chess-style in this movie. Maguire plays a reemerging Bobby Fischer, on the verge of mental breakdown as the pressure to be Soviet champ Boris Spassky during the Cold War mounts.I guarantee it’s the most exciting game of chess you’ll experience outside of a Wu-Tang album or Harry Potter book. – Sherif

September 18 – Black Mass

Starring: Johnny Depp, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kevin Bacon, Dakota Johnson

I have never seen Johnny Depp look so cold. The above preview, which is not the same they are showing on TV, gave me straight up chills. Straight up. Depp plays Whitey Bulger, the notorious crime boss who is now serving two consecutive life sentences in federal prison. Bulger is linked to 11 murders, drug trafficking, extortion, money laundering, and racketeering. He was also Number 2 on the FBI’s Most Wanted List, right under Osama bin Laden. So, not a very nice person. This is the movie I am most excited for this September; it is Depp’s most DiCaprio-like role yet. – Adrian

September 18 – Captive

Starring: Kate Mara, David Oyelowo, Michael K Williams (Omar), Mimi Rogers,

Known around the house as Stockholm’s Syndrome: The Movie, Captive takes the exact same concept as Labor Day, and rips the romance out of it through the butthole. Then sprinkles on some Olivia Pope-level drama to it and calls it a day. How does David Oyelowo go from playing Martin Luther King Jr. to a kidnapper in one movie? Shout out to Michael K. Williams (Omar from The Wire). Lastly, how does Kate Mara, who has been in just the crappiest movies, get more gigs than her sister Rooney? Don’t waste your time with this one (Sorry, Omar). – Sherif

September 18 – Cooties

Starring: Elijah Wood, Rainn Wilson, Alison Pill, Jack McBrayer, Jorge Garcia, Nasim Pedrad

Horror-comedy has emerged as one of the strongest genre of film lately. With movies like Tucker & Dale vs. Evil and Cabin in the Woods, a wider demographic is reached. There might be a scare or two along the way, but it’s all in fun and games! Cooties, while not on the level of the previous two, looks to be along the same lines of fun and danger. It’s quite a departure from Elijah Wood’s normal roles, but he looks just as silly as the rest of the typically-silly crew. My only worry is that it will be mostly made up of “screaming comedy,” where people just yell really loud observations and pass it off as funny. – Sherif

September 18 – About Ray

Starring: Naomi Watts, Elle Fanning, Susan Sarandon, Tate Donovan

“About Ray” does look like a potentially good film but given that there aren’t any transgender people actually working on it, it will never be the film transgender men deserve. Will it open up a dialogue about transgender people and the difficulty of transition? I hope so. However, Fanning simply cannot portray something this raw and complex when she has not experienced it herself. They should have cast a transgender actor. -Charlotte

September 18 – Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials

Starring: Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodeland, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Ki Hong Lee, Giancarlo Esposito, and Aiden Gillen

Kids run. They die. We eat popcorn. For the second time. Cue giant spiders, Gus Fring, and Carcetti. Enjoy. – Adrian

September 25 – 99 Homes

Starring: Andrew Garfield, Michael Shannon

I got 99 problems and Michael Shannon is pretty much all of them… Seriously though, Shannon playing an asshole? No way! As if the housing market wasn’t bad enough, Nash (Garfield) get evicted by Shannon, who plays a corrupt real estate broker (totally different from his role as a corrupt alien warlord in Man of Steel, or a corrupt police officer in Boardwalk Empire – this guy just has a face that says “dirtbag”). To save his home, he has to do the same thing to other families. It’s the white collar drug game, and maybe a little too on the nose for what’d been happening in the market a decade ago. – Sherif

September 25 – Everest

Starring: Jason Clarke, Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Brolin, Keira Knightley

The first thing you should notice is that it’s getting a PG-13 rating because of intense peril. What does that mean? How does the rating board judge that? In short a bunch of guys climb the tallest mountain in the world because what the hell else are we going to do with our time? Not climb mountains? Unlikely. Based on a true story of that one time the thing I just said happened, except when they get to the top of the mountain, they get hit by a big snowstorm. Being that it’s based on a true story, I’m betting the guy who wrote the story makes it out. If you like mountains, snow, guys who get out of stuff, and panicked women speaking brusquely into phones, this will be your jam. – Montgomery

September 25 – Hotel Transylvania 2

Starring: Adam Sandler, Andy Sandberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, Steve Buscemi, David Spade, Keegan-Michael Key, Mel Brooks, Molly Shannon

I would not have predicted that enough people watched the first Hotel to warrant a second, but then again, Adam Sandler’s that way. Not having seen the first one, I can remember none of its marketing apart from the intense disappointment I felt to learn that Genndy Tartakovsky was providing all the art. In case that name doesn’t ring bells, he’s the master behind Dexter’s Lab and Samurai Jack. The story in this sequel seems like it will be the same uninspired barf that encrusts children’s movie (oh, do they learn that family’s all that matters?) multiplied by the crusty barf named Adam Sandler, but the art… what happened? How is it that I’m watching something produced by Adam Sandler and feeling impressed with the animation? I bet it’d be fun to watch with that Mannheim Steamroller Halloween CD playing, and then just make up your own story. – Montgomery

September 25 – Hell and Back

Starring: Mila Kunis, Danny McBride, Bob Odenkirk, TJ Miller, Nick Swardson, Michael Peña, JB Smoove

This is, hands-down, the best cast of any movie out this month. Director Tom Gianas (Sarah Silverman Show)’s stop motion film is about three friends (Augie, Curt, and Remy) who jokingly make a blood oath, then break it. Joke over. Curt gets dragged to hell and the other two must save their friends from Hell. It looks silly, and I’d be hard-pressed to find a reason to pay to see it in theaters, but I do want to see it eventually. – Sherif

September 25 – Sicario

Starring: Emily Blunt, Benecio del Toro, Josh Brolin, Jon Bernthal

I see this playing out a lot like Training Day, but with the cartel and FBI instead of the LAPD. Emily Blunt plays Kate, a well-meaning FBI agent who is sent to the US-Mexico border to take down a drug lord. Josh Brolin is one of the leads on the mission, but is obviously shady as shit. John Bernthal (Shane from The Walking Dead) is also in there, which is pretty much a guaranteed sell for any movie. The action will be there. The story will be there. Can Emily Blunt pull off a believable badass field agent? – Sherif

September 25 – The Anomaly

Starring: Ian Somerhalder, Noel Clarke, Alexis Knapp

The preview for The Anomaly looks like a sci-fi version of the intro to CSI. But Ian Somerhalder is in it, so I’m sold (total objectification). – Adrian

September 25 – The Intern

Starring: Anne Hathaway, Robert de Niro, Nate Wolff, Adam DeVine

It might not share the same plot as The Internship, but I expect it to have just as many good feels! Robert de Niro, once one of Hollywood’s best tough guys, is a straight-up teddy bear in this film. He fills the role of “Senior intern” for Jules (Hathaway), a successful business mogul. Along the way, he teaches the young employees, Jules, and himself about life and stuff. There’s a lot of potential for this to be a generation gap-filler in terms of comedy and togetherness… If only real old people were anything like this. – Sherif

Monthly Movie Preview: August 2015

July had some of the year’s biggest blockbusters, but August still has a few tricks up its sleeve – a variety of action reboots, indy heart-warmers and weird concept films.

August 4-12 only – Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection F

Starring: The original voices of Dragon Ball Z

A great many of us grew up watching Dragon Ball Z after school, I still have a few of the VHS. I used to just be in love with the show. Akira Toriyama, the original creator, has written the screen play and a long time series animator, Tadayoshi Yamamuro directed. The big story about this movie is it heralds the return of Frieza, possibly one of the most important antagonists from the the series. Now, yes, Frieza did return once before, with his father even but that didn’t last very long. Now he’s been resurrected via the dragon balls and he’s back and stronger than ever and he seems to have yet another form. Frieza turns a nice bright golden yellow, very much like a super saiyan. One thing that the trailer hasn’t revealed yet are actually super saiyans though, which is strange because is a time line of the series we know that all of the saiyans have gone full yellow hair. Oh and Master Roshi has definitely juicing. – Scott

August 7 – The Fantastic Four

Starring: Michael B Jordan, Kate Mara, Miles Teller, Jamie Bell, Toby Kebbell, Reginald Cathey

The Fantastic Four movies are like paying someone 7-15 dollars to barf in your face. There just hasn’t been a good one yet, and it’s really difficult to convince me a good one could ever come. And if that’s not bad enough, FF2: and Silver Surfer Too! has probably obliterated any chance we’ll ever see a legit Silver Surfer movie. But then again… this trailer looks significantly better than any other FF movie stuff we’ve seen before. It looks like a movie that was intentionally made and not a CW after school special. It also seems like it’s adopting the Ultimate Fantastic Four story vein of (slightly) harder science, and more inclusive character rosters, and slightly updated themes and story ideas. I think overall I like the image of this movie: I’m legitimately excited about Reed’s interdimensional machine; Thing looks pretty great (his face looks wonky, but great otherwise); and it feels like I’m watching a trailer for a more respected sci-fi epic. I think I’m on board. The only thing that makes me nervous is how much they aren’t showing Doom: a single second in the whole 3 minutes. That’s iffy. I also heard they made him an angry blogger. That’s intensely dumb and possibly a movie breaker, but there’s enough here to make me willing to give it a chance. And if you haven’t read Ultimate Fantastic Four, you definitely definitely should. – Montgomery

August 7 – Shaun The Sheep Movie

Starring: Justin Fletcher, John Sparkes, Omid Djalili, Kate Harbour

This is basically another Wallace and Gromit but with sheep. I personally hate the Claymation style of movies but despite that, this looks like it could be very funny. It has a sort of Madagascar 3 vibe going on with the sheep on the run from animal control in an unknown city. The best part of the whole trailer is when they are brought to animal control, there is a Siamese cat in a collar that does the whole Silence of the Lambs Hannibal Lector thing. It’s pretty funny. – Robert

August 7 – Ricki and the Flash

Starring: Meryl Streep, Mammie Gummer, Audra McDonald,  Kevin Kline, Charlotte Rae, Rick Springfield, Sebastian Stan

Typically, I would not go for this kind of movie. But for some reason it is reminding of Stepmom in feel. Adult women looking back on their lives and their decisions and trying to make things better now. I kinda like that idea. Plus, you know, Meryl Streep. And she looks damn cool with that hair! Streep’s daughter, Mamie Gummer, plays Ricki’s daughter, and has said publicly it was hard being mean to her mom. I think it would be interesting just to see that dynamic. This is one I will definitely see, but maybe I’ll wait until Redbox. – Adrian

August 7 – Cop Car

Starring: Kevin Bacon, single separations of Kevin Bacon

Fuck da police!!! Naw, just kidding, cops can be alright sometimes I guess. However, Kevin Bacon is not one of these cops. As two young boys find an abandoned cop car with no signs of ownership within range, they decide to be young badasses and take the cop car on a joy ride through the country side. Yet, things may not be as they appear. Although it is unclear as to why Kevin Bacon wants the boys who took his car dead, I am guessing it has something to do with whatever is hidden in his trunk. Or it could have something to do with the body he was dragging away. Either way, the events which will occur on that day are for sure going to leave those two boys with severe trauma if they don’t end up dead. I think before ever seeing this movie, it is obvious that taking an abandoned, well working police car is a bad idea. Kids are stupid. – Evan

August 7 – Diary of a Teenage Girl

Starring: Kristen Wiig, Alexander Skarsgard, Bel Powley, Christopher Meloni, Margarita Levieva

The title really threw me off. I was not at all interested until I saw the preview. Diary of a Teenage Girl follows a 15 year-old who loses her virginity to her mom’s boyfriend (played by Alexander Skarsgard). As she searches for love, she also starts to think that love means sex. This movie immediately caught my attention when it began incorporating comic book elements; in my research, I found out that Diary of a Teenage Girl is a graphic novel released in 2002 by Phoebe Gloeckner. Like the book, I imagine the movie will be a disturbing, yet honest telling of what it is like to grow up female in America. – Adrian

August 7 – The Gift

Starring: Jason Bateman, Rebecca Hall, Joel Edgerton (Owen Lars to you Star Wars nerds), Tim Griffith, Allison Tollman

The Gift leaves me torn: on one hand it looks like a terrifying psychological thriller, on the other hand it may be so predictable within the first thirty minutes that the viewer is likely to fall asleep. The movie tells the story of a man (Jason Bateman) who moves home with his wife (Rebecca Hall) and runs into an old “friend” (Joel Edgerton). The friend comes on too strong in some odd ways and is told to stay away, at which point he starts doing insane things to the man and his wife, ultimately culminating in the revelation of a terrible secret from the past and what will likely be a gruesome and disturbing murder involving the wife and a baby. At face value this sounds like something that will be really scary in that dark way that sticks with you, in that way that you just cannot shake. However I have two issue with this – first, violence towards infants is typically a trashy tactic, and unless done extremely well and purposefully it will destroy and credit the film had up to that point. Second, the trailer seems to elude that as it turns out, th man (Bateman) may actually be the wolf in sheep’s clothing which has been done over and over before. I definitely think this movie is worth a shot, because it looks genuinely horrifying and like it will leave audiences speechless, but I cannot guarantee that it won’t lose it’s unique edge but inching into far too familiar territory. – Keriann

*Note: I am only speculating that there will be violence towards an infant. There is no guarantee, I am just fearing the worst from seeing the trailer. If that is something that will turn your stomach in an irreversible way you may want to avoid this movie on opening weekend to be on the safe side.

August 14 – Underdogs

Starring: Nicholas Hoult (Beast from Days of Future Past), Bella Thorne, Taran Killam (Wild N Out), Bobby Moyniham (ChoZen), John Leguizamo, Matthew Morrison

GOOOOOAAAALLLL!! If animated movies have taught me anything, it’s that the power tears can do all sorts of things. From bringing people back from the dead to making foosball figures come to life. The logic and power never ceases to amaze me. The town is about to be destroyed………… so we play a soccer match to save it. If only that type of business deal was conducted in today’s society. It was only a matter of time before they made a soccer movie I suppose. This movie has a pretty big list of well-known actors and looks like it will be full of laughs. – Robert

August 14 – People Places Things

Starring: Jemaine Clement (MIB III), Jessica Williams (The Daily Show), Regina Hall (Scary Movie 2), Michael Chernus (OITNB)

Maybe it’s because I’m getting older, but there’s something about single dad movies that really draw me in. Comedian Jemaine Clement, or Professor Koontz from Napoleon Dynamite, as some may know him, stars as Will Henry, a graphic novelist and teacher who walks in on his wife cheating on him. I’d explain the rest of the plot, but it can be summarized with “he tries to raise his two daughters and find himself.” It’s full of cute, dry humor, and would be an excellent movie to see with a partner. Or by yourself; I bet it works out for Will. – Sherif

August 14 – Ten Thousand Saints

Starring: Asa Butterfield, Ethan Hawke, Avan Jogia (Tut), Hailee Steinfeld, Julianne Nicholson, Emile Hirsch

Ender is all growed up! Asa Butterfield plays Jude, a teenager who is mixed up in sex and drugs at a young age. When his bff dies of a drug overdose, Jude is sent to live with his dad in Manhattan and becomes part of a straight-edge group, a total turn around from the life he has known. All of it is set in 1987 (the year I was born!), so I am really interested in it. Immediately, the trailer reminded me of The Perks of Being a Wallflower and The Wackness. I have a feeling this will be a hit for me. – Adrian

August 14 – The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Starring: Henry Cavill, Arnie Hammer, Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina), Elizabeth Debicki, Jared Harris, Hugh Grant,

There is so much yes that I have for this movie. Most modern movie updates seem blah, but this one is clearly packed with punch. Humor and action is exactly what this franchise needs. Cavill and Hammer have already proven themselves excellent actors, and I expect they will play well off of each other. I also really like that instead of trying to totally update the story, we will be transported to the 60’s. This will be the last good action movie of the summer, and will be totally worth it. – Adrian

August 14 – Straight Outta Compton

Starring: O’Shea Jackson (Ice Cube’s son), Corey Hawkins (soon to be Heath in The Walking Dead), Jason Mitchell, Aldis Hodge (Leverage), Neil Brown Jr. (Guillermo from The Walking Dead), Paul Giamatti

Just watching this preview makes me feel like a badass! I am ready to riot to some straight west coast rap and rebel against the establishment all for the sake of improving life’s conditions and watching a good movie. Ever since I first saw a trailer for this movie, months and months before it ever had a release date, I have been drooling with excitement. Being able to view the rise and struggles of NWA on a big screen seemed like a crazy idea only a few short years ago; however, today it will be a true work of art for hip-hop heads (hopefully). Although, I do not expect this movie to make a smashing at the box office due to its narrow audience. This movie appears to resonate with minorities, the hip-hop community who enjoy classics and history, and those interested in the overall culture NWA produced. Other than these individuals, I don’t see this having much appeal to other audiences. With Corey Hawkins playing Dr. Dre, Jason Mitchell playing Eazy-E, and O’Shea Jackson Jr. (Ice Cube’s son) playing Ice Cube, this movie is staying close to home. This movie is also said to portray Snoop Doggy Dogg, Suge Knight, Warren G and Tupac. I’m curious if Nate Dogg, Kurupt, or any other member of the Dogg Pound will make an appearance. Overall, this movie is bringing a lot of excitement and personally, I cannot wait to see it in theaters. – Evan

August 14 – Return to Sender

Starring: Rosamund Pike, Shiloh Fernandez, Nick Nolte, Illeana Douglas

Rape revenge story—totally have no plans of going to see it. Just watching the preview bothered me in ways that I have no desire to watch it.  I don’t think I’ll have to worry missing out on anything. The preview itself is edited in a hap-hazard and choppy fashion. It comes off as a Lifetime movie. And I feel you pretty much get the whole story in the preview. If you plan on to watch save your money; I’m sure it will be in the free movie section on demand in no time. – Jené

August 21 – Being Evel

Starring: Johnny Knoxville

I always refer to crazy drivers as driving like Evel Knievel , so this movie is a great opportunity to look at the origins of that phrase. It is a documentary style film with some of the biggest daredevils in the business talking about his life, how it changed everything and what it all meant to them. Johnny Knoxville seems to have a large part in the narration which should be enjoyable because of his hilarious personality. It will also be interesting to see how he feels about the legend and the way it shaped Jackass. – Robert

August 21 – Grandma

Starring: Lily Tomlin, Julia Garner, Marcia Harden, Judy Greer, Laverne Cox (OITNB), John Cho (Harold & Kumar)

Grandma looks absolutely hilarious. Lily Tomlin’s granddaughter finds herself pregnant and broke. Tomlin’s character is anything but senile and dottering. Her humor and personality is bigger than life. I was sold when Tomlin hits her granddaughters boyfriend in the crotch with a hockey stick. This is one indie I can’t wait for. – Adrian

August 21 – Hitman: Agent 47

Starring: Rupert Friend, Zachary Quinto, Hannah Ware, Ciarán Hinds (Mance Rayder from Game of Thrones)

Agent 47 is back and it looks like he will send the majority of the film with another clone like him. Being a major fan of the games, it is hard for me to look at this objectively. The entire game is supposed to be played without ever being noticed, and in the movie he gets into a shootout in the middle of a crowded intersection with an elite commando team of some sort. It does look like they tried to borrow as much as possible from the games but in the end it will probably be nothing like them. All that being said, I can’t wait to see this movie. – Robert

August 21 – American Ultra

Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Topher Grace, John Leguizamo, Connie Britton, Walton Goggins (“Damn you, Du-jango”), Tony Hale (Buster Bluth),

This movie has the potential to be amazing, but also to be trash. Jesse Eisenberg fits the role of stoner sleeper agent perfectly, and Kristen Stewart has finally shed the glittery stigma of her Twilight days. Then again, Topher Grace is leading the military charge against Jesse Eisenberg; I can’t believe that guy is still getting roles after he defiled Eddie Brock… Anyway, it’ll be full of murder, mayhem and pot jokes. Whether or not that is your thing will determine if this is worth your time. – Sherif

August 21 – She’s Funny That Way

Starring: Owen Wilson, Imogen Potts, Will Forte, Jennifer Aniston, Rhys Ifans,

This trailer reminded me of the She’s All That trailer. A character is married to another character, who’s sleeping with other character, who’s in love and date other character…The list could go on. The movie looks like it’ll be pleasant enough. And it’s been awhile since I’ve seen Owen Wilson in anything and him alone makes me think I’ll try to watch the movie. Jennifer Anniston is also in the film so, how wrong could the film go? Imogen Poots (28 Days Later) and Rhys Ifans (Elementary) are also in the film a few favorite British actors. I think the movie, based on the trailer will be a rather enjoyable and comedic watch. – Jené

August 28 – Sinister 2

Starring: Shannyn Sossamon, Robert Daniel Sloan, Dartanian Sloan, Lea Coco, Tate Ellington

Did you see Sinister? Yes? Good deal, then you don’t need to see Sinister 2. If not, you still don’t need to see Sinister 2, just go watch the fist one because the sequel has literally nothing new to offer you. What a disappointment this movie is. Sinister didn’t need a sequel, but because money rules the world Sinister 2 came into existence and tells the exact same story as the first one. Throughout history there has been this ghoul, and he does this thing where he corrupts children and gets them to kill their parents and siblings – and for some reason he has them film it too. Probably because that makes the movie seem scary when in reality it’s just a disturbing tactic to make you feel ill. Sinister 2 once again finds a father researching this ghoul without realizing that his obsession is subjecting his children to said ghoul. The kid will become evil and kill his family and the cycle will continue. It is the exact same as the first movie, only there will be different meat suits to kill off in interesting ways and stuff into body bags. This movie seems like nothing more than a ploy to try and make more money off of an idea that was poorly thought out in the first place. You can avoid this one, even once it comes to Netflix. – Keriann

August 28 – We Are Your Friends

Starring: Zac Efron, Emily Ratajkowski, Wes Bentley (Seneca Crane), Jon Bernthal

This is the white man’s Straight Outta Compton. It seems like the shadow of High School Musical will forever loom over Zac Effron. At least we won’t have to listen to him sing in this movie. I find it hard to watch movies about music because they often times try to appeal to various emotions in the most uncomfortable ways. That, and I can’t stand watching the main character construct his Magnum Opus of the film by putting together the most random collection of sounds ever found to make something that is played back either in slow motion or with a crappy flashback to him gathering the sounds. They show him recording a nail gun in the trailer for crying out loud. This has got to be the must miss of the season. – Robert

August 28 – Z for Zachariah

Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Margot Robbie, Chris Pine

With an all-star cast like Margot Robbie, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Chris Pine, you’d think we would have heard more about this movie, right? The world has ended (of COURSE it was a nuclear fallout – do you even have to ask anymore?), and a scientist (Ejiofor) connects with a young woman who fears she is all alone. Until, that is, he is super duper cock-blocked by Chris Pine. And I think that’s the jist of the movie. It’s like The Walking Dead if only Rick, Shane, and Lori existed… and if Lori was the hottest woman on the planet. – Sherif

August 28 – 7 Chinese Brothers

Starring: Jason Schwartzman, Stephen Root, Tunde Adebimpe (lead singer of TV on the Radio), Alex Karpovsky (Ray on HBO’s Girls), Alex Ross Perry (writing live-action Winnie the Pooh movie)

At first I thought this movie looked terrible but it actually seems to have some potential. It has Jason Schwartzman starring in it, who has an interesting sense of humor based on the few things I’ve seen him in. There have been plenty of movies out there like this, so it is hard to recommend someone drop money on an independent film. This is one that I will wait until it comes out at RedBox or Netflix…… and probably still not rent since I will have forgotten about this trailer. Also, what does this name have to do with anything? – Robert

‘Paper Towns’ Review

Genre – Young Adult Drama

Director – Jake Schreier

Producer – John Green
Cast – Nat Wolff, Cara Delevingne, Justice Smith, Austin Abrams, and Halston Sage.
Alluring element – Another John Green book comes to the big screen. Another giant victory for Nerdfighteria!

Check it out if you liked –  The Fault in Our Stars, Perks of Being a Wallflower

Plot – 7
Acting – 9
Representation of Genre – 9
Cinematography – 8
Effects/Environment – 7
Captivity – 7
Logical consistency – 6
Originality/Creativity – 7
Soundtrack/Music – 7
Overall awesomeness – 7

As an avid Nerdfighter and John Green fan, I was extremely excited to see Paper Towns when it came out this weekend. The Fault in Our Stars was such a brilliant adaptation of my favorite book that I was confident the same team would bring a similar energy and passion to the project. Unfortunately, while their passion for the project was evident, their decision to change the ending bothered me considerably.

Paper Towns tells the story of Quentin (Nat Wolff), a senior in high school who is hopelessly in love with his childhood best friend and neighbor, Margo (Cara Delevingne). While the two drifted apart after finding a dead body in a park when they were young, Quentin is still totally enamored by her. Margo is everything he’s not. She’s edgy, confident, and goes on crazy adventures one could only dream of. She is the “it girl.” Until her boyfriend cheats on her, that is. She crawls into Quentin’s room one night and drags him into a crazy night of revenge. Afterwards, she disappears save for a few clues that Quentin is convinced are from her. He spends the rest of the movie trying to track her down with the help of his two best friends, Radar and Ben and Margo’s best friend, Lacey.

Paper Towns is one of my favorite books and influenced my view on life significantly when I was in high school. It made such an impact on me, I contemplated changing my last name to Roth in honor of Margo’s middle name. Its message of imagining people complexly is something that I strive to do in my every day life. However, that message didn’t come through as strongly in the film adaptation as I was hoping. While I enjoyed that the film had quite a lot of detail from the book such as Margo’s sTraNGe cApiTAliZatIOn and Radar’s house filled to the brim with the world’s largest collection of black Santas, the changed ending negated a lot of the complexity of the story. Before I get to that, though, let me talk about what I did like about Paper Towns.

Margo (Cara Delevingne) and Quentin (Nat Wolff) shopping for their big night of revenge.  Photo credit: Michael Tackett

The fact that they made a movie of this book at all is great. We need more films about the complexity of human beings. We also need to break down the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope. Girls aren’t there to fix boys or bring them out of their shells. They aren’t plot devices. This movie — at least for the most part– achieves that.

It also challenges the audience to live their life to the fullest and do things that don’t always make sense. It makes us want to take a crazy risk, which is something that translates well from page to screen. It’s a good coming-of-age movie and the first two thirds of it is pretty great. While it didn’t drive home the moral of the story as much as I was hoping, it does open up a dialogue about not believing someone is more than a person. It’s a complex movie, but not as complex as I was hoping for. It’s a watered down version of the book, but a good watered down version.

Nat Wolff is the perfect Quentin. I love that he brought aspects to the character that I hadn’t thought about when I read the book. He made him more obsessed and a bit of an asshole, which is something I hadn’t pictured before, but realized I should have. There were a few times when I thought, “Quentin’s not this much of a dick,” but overall, I liked the complexity.

I absolutely adored Radar and Ben in this. They may have been my favorite part of the movie. They’re just as hilarious as they were in the book and provided some much needed outside input.  Justice Smith and Austin Abrams brought amazing life to these two characters.

Cara Delevingne was also great in this, though I felt that she wasn’t working with the same character material as the book. She still breaks down the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope, which again is great and needed to be done. She’s also just a really adorable, strong and funny person in real life.

Ansel Elgort’s cameo was absolutely hilarious. I couldn’t stop laughing when I saw him. It was a good nod to the fans.

Overall, it wasn’t a bad movie. It was actually pretty good, unless you’ve read the book or wanted the ending to be messier than it was. That brings me to what I didn’t like.

Best part of the film.

The only thing that really bothered me about the film was the ending; but it bothered me enough that I had to talk about it. It’s sort of key to the whole meaning of the story. The way it ended was almost completely fabricated for the sake of the film and not in a way that serviced the moral. In the book, it isn’t just Quentin who finds Margo. Radar, Ben and Lacey are all there to witness Margo’s new haven. And she isn’t sweet and apologetic. She screams and throws a fit and can’t believe they showed up out of the blue. Margo wanted to disappear. It’s revealed that she didn’t leave Quentin clues to find her, but to leave the abandoned Osprey to him. She’s furious with him for seeing her as this broken, lonely thing that he needs to find and take care of. “You didn’t come here to make sure I was okay,” she tells him. “You came here because you wanted to save poor little Margo from her troubled self, so that I would be oh-so-thankful to my knight in shining armor that I strip my clothes off and beg you to ravage my body.” The relationship between Quentin and Margo is much more complicated in the film than it was in the book. Quentin is obsessed with Margo and doing a disservice to who she really is, and Margo is a little insane with no regard for how her choices affect other people. While they end things on a good note, it takes time and a fair amount of arguing to get there. Margo gets mad before she admits she was wrong, but even then refuses to fix things back home. Quentin learns that he shouldn’t expect people to live up to his imagination of them and that expecting Margo to fall in love with him when they hadn’t talked in years was unrealistic and unfair. None of that was in the film.

Film Margo is lovable. She’s irresponsible but relatively sane. We’re not mad at her when she’s finally found. It doesn’t bother us that she’s not going back with Quentin. Margo is still the whimsical, amazing girl we fell in love with. She’s just on her own now. Book Margo is frankly not a very good person and challenges the way we look at people. When we read Paper Towns what we’re expecting is this great reunion and lovely ending of “Oh, Q! You found me! I’m so glad!” but what we actually get is much more interesting. We get a lost, crazy girl who just wants everyone to leave her alone and stop playing her up to be someone she’s not. What I loved about the ending of the book is that it shows even someone who seems to have everything together is just as scared and alone as everyone looking up to them. No one is perfect. Even someone as exciting as Margo has big, gaping flaws that terrify her. Book Margo teaches us to look at the whole of a person; not just the parts we want to see. That’s the point of Paper Towns as a book.

The film was less than successful at this endeavor. The only time Margo’s flaws are really mentioned is when Lacey brings up the fact that Margo wouldn’t go searching for any of them if they went missing. Sure, Margo talks about not wanting to be seen as something she’s not, but talking about it doesn’t make the audience feel it. The book’s ending was much more effective in this sense because it shows us she’s broken and mad about how people view her. It doesn’t just tell us she’s kind of bummed about it. It makes us want to do better than Quentin when it comes to imagining the people we love.

Quentin isn’t really affected by finding Margo in the film. He gets on a bus, goes back to Orlando and still imagines her as this beautiful creature. The film ends with him talking about all the things people think she’s doing and how he thinks whatever she’s up to, it must be amazing. He doesn’t learn to imagine people complexly, which was sort of the whole point. By changing the ending, this lesson doesn’t come across as strong as it did in the book.

Perhaps I would have enjoyed Paper Towns more if I hadn’t read the book, but I think by changing the ending, the filmmakers lost a wonderful opportunity. It’s not a bad movie by any means. It has a lot of great qualities and is overall a good coming-of-age story. I go back and forth between liking it and being upset about the change. I’m happy to see another John Green novel be made into a movie and I may even see it again to further understand why they changed what they did.  However, if you loved the book like I did, you might be a little disappointed.

NOOOOOOO!! Channing Tatum Leaving ‘Gambit’

Nothing is confirmed yet, but with this news spreading like wildfire, it seems like it is true.

Channing Tatum will no longer be Gambit.

It is unclear exactly what went wrong. Actresses were just being tested with the leading man. It is also unclear whether Tatum will still be producing the film.

This news seems really surprising. Tatum has championed this film similarly to what Ryan Reynolds did for Deadpool. Tatum planned on producing and acting in the picture. He has been talking about it on the press circuit. He even went to SDCC. I just don’t understand.

Who caused this? WHO CAN I BLAME FOR CHANNING?!

[Disclaimer: All view points presented in this article are totally and completely biased.]

Source: The Wrap

Mark Hamill will Reportedly Voice The Joker in ‘The Killing Joke’

Image of The Joker from The Killing Joke, image courtesy and property of DC Comics.

Everything you’ve ever dreamed of is now a reality: Mark Hamill will play The Joker in the upcoming animated movie, The Killing Joke. Reportedly.

I must try not to get too carried away with this story since the confirmation available is a little sketchy. After the story broke last week that Mark Hamill would love to come out of Joker retirement to voice the villain in The Killing Joke, apparently “sources reached out” to confirm that Hamill already recorded his voice work for the film. Hamill hasn’t publicly confirmed his role, and neither has Warner Bros.

The Killing Joke is the quintessential tale of The Joker for many Batman fans, and the same goes for how many people feel about Hamill’s voicing of the character. The two things coming together would likely be one of the best animated features of the year and within the Batman Universe.

Source:  Collider

New “The Good Dinosaur” Trailer Released

Disney Pixar’s newest project The Good Dinosaur has released a new trailer. In an alternate timeline, dinosaurs were not wiped out before human life began on Earth and after being orphaned, a lovable dinosaur (Raymond Ochoa) and a little boy (Jack Bright) engage on an epic adventure.

From the same creators as Finding Nemo and Inside Out, this movie looks very cute. My inner scientist is happy that finally a movie that involves both humans and dinosaurs is aware of the fact that these two creatures didn’t exist as the same time, hence the alternate timeline scenario. However, the main dinosaur looks super dopey. Pixar is so well known for their stunning animation, that it surprises me how much this doesn’t meet their standard. The rest of the characters are designed fairly well, but seeing as Ochoa’s character is the focus, you’d think he’d look a little nicer.

Visual aesthetic aside, this looks like a good kids movie and with Jurassic World being a little too violent for little kids (though it doesn’t seem to stop parents from dragging their screaming children into movie theaters anyway), The Good Dinosaur will be a good way to spark their interest in archaeology.

The Good Dinosaur comes out on Thanksgiving.

New “Mockingjay Part II” Trailer Released

A brand new Mockingjay Part II trailer was released today and it looks absolutely heart racing. From the trailer it looks like things are picking up right where Part I ended and boy are they heating up.

I’m super excited for this last installment of the Hunger Games franchise. So far the Mockingjay installment has been my favorite of the series. Something was missing from my chest when the lights went up after Part I. I was incredibly moved. The second part is bound to be just as breath taking.

This is a film America really needs to see right now. With the parallels of police brutality and class struggle between Panem and our own world, Mockingjay sends a powerful message. We need to unite as people and overthrow that which oppresses us. While a film franchise is hardly the solution to these problems, it raises awareness and gives the public a vessel through which to learn. Mockingjay Part II couldn’t come soon enough.

Mockingjay Part II hits theaters Nov. 20.

Feature image by Daily Mail.