Logan Myerz reviews the first great horror film to hit Netflix this year, The Ritual. The film is directed by David Bruckner (V/H/S) and stars Rafe Spall, Arsher Ali, Robert James-Collier, and Sam Troughton.
Synopsis: A group of college friends reunite for a trip to the forest, but encounter a menacing presence in the woods that’s stalking them.
While the Western Genre will never see the likes of Sergio Leone or John Ford again, there have been enough great modern Westerns to satisfy the fans, from critically acclaimed pieces like The Revenant and The Assassination of Jesse James to more genre focused flicks such as Bone Tomahawk and 3:10 To Yuma. The Ballad Of Lefty Brown fits more into the latter – there’s definitely an appreciation for the genre and for those more familiar with Westerns a strong execution keeps some of the more familiar elements from feeling stale.
On behalf of Momentum Pictures we are pleased to share the official trailer for the highly anticipated horror, comedy MOM AND DAD.
MOM AND DAD stars Oscar winner Nicolas Cage (Leaving Las Vegas, Raising Arizona), Selma Blair (Hellboy, Cruel Intentions), Anne Winters (“13 Reasons Why,” #RealityHigh), and Zackary Arthur (“Transparent,” The 5th Wave). Written and directed by Brian Taylor (Crank, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance), the film marks his first solo effort as a writer.
by Kevin Muller
Sit back and buckle up for the wildest ride of the year. Martin McDonagh’s Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri is a masterpiece and the writer/director’s best film to date. This is a film with balls that isn’t afraid to offend, while providing us with a story that is as hilarious as it is profound, this one is a true winner.
It has been too much damn time for Mildred, an amazing Frances MacDormand, since the gruesome death of her young teenage daughter, who was raped and burned to death a few months before the film begins. It doesn’t help that the last time they saw each other they had a typical mother/daughter fight that concluded with things said that both did not mean. The police haven’t made any progression on the case that seems to be the afterthought. In an act with desperation and rebellion, Mildred purchases three vacant billboards that sit outside of town. On them, she asks the police, specifically Willoughby, who is perfectly played by Woody Harrelson, why it is taking so damn long to solve the case? While Willoughby is bothered by it, it is a younger, and troubled, officer at his department, Dixon, who really takes it to heart. Dixon is played with such ferocity by Sam Rockwell. He is a simple minded man, who is the last person who should be an officer of the law. Mildred’s bold move acts as a catalyst, for not only the movie’s plot, but the spirit of the town. Everyone tries to fight her, but she refuses to give up.
by Kevin Muller
Before comic book films became the craze, the holiday season was reserved for films that had big casts, a large budget, and usually an adaptation of a famous novel. Who doesn’t want to see their favorite stars all together on screen acting with one another? Murder on the Orient Express has been adapted many times as both a film and a TV production. This time, Shakespearean lover, and the man who brought the mighty Thor to the silver screen, Kenneth Branagh, takes a shot at the famous Agatha Christie murder mystery.
Nile Fortner reviews the Netflix horror film Gerald’s Game based off of the Stephen King novel. The film is directed by Mike Flanagan and stars Carla Gugino.
Since the reviews for Thor: Ragnarok came out and was praised for its humor, it’s been hard not to see people’s complaints about Marvel being too light-hearted and trying to be too funny. I haven’t felt the superhero fatigue that others have yet, but it’s not hard to see why people feel that way. I bring this up because there was talks of Thor: Ragnorok being a reinvention of the MCU leading into Infinity War, and it’s really not in fact. If you’re not on board with the Marvel Model this won’t win you over. What it is in fact, is a funny, colorful, and entertaining movie that has Led Zeppelin on the soundtrack. Honestly, what more could you want or need?
With The Thick Of It and it’s cinematic partner, In The Loop, covering UK politics, and Veep covering the US, it can be argued that nobody has a better, or funnier, grasp on the ineptitude of politicians than Armando Iannucci. Now with his latest film, The Death Of Stalin, Iannucci tackles historical Russian politics to show that no matter where or when, politicians were and are idiots!
Loosely based on the true story of the Russian governments reaction to the death of Joseph Stalin (Adrian McLoughlin), the film finds the Russian cabinet – Deputy General Secretary Georgy Malenkov (Jeffrey Tambor), First Secretary Nikita Kruschev (Steve Buschemi), head of secret police Lavrentiy Beria (Simon Russell Beale) and Deputy Premier Vyacheslav Molotov (Michael Palin) – coming together to help guide the country through a period of mourning. Nikita sees the opportunity to ease up on Stalin’s torturous rule and induct a more liberal approach to the Russian Government, however, Beria starts mobilizing his Police Force to manipulate Malenkov into giving him more power, and seizing the chair for himself.
A FRONT ROW SEAT TO THE END OF THE WORLD!
Random Media and Abstract Forces Productions announce the DVD, Digital and VOD debut of the award-winning independent film festival favorite, I AM ALONE. When an unknown virus begins to spread through the population infecting people almost instantly, the CDC discovers a lone TV survivalist host’s resistance. The CDC tries to piece together why the Zombie-inducing virus has taken longer to transform the journalist than others, reviewing the events of the previous days through
footage to learn more, in hopes of a cure.
by Kevin Muller
Ah, okay, it is incredibly refreshing to be able to talk about a film without beating around the bush. Unlike ‘Mother!,” this film is just a standard action film with an A to B plot-line. Back in 2014, the original Kingsman: The Secret Service, hit theaters and knocked everyone out with its satire, kick ass action, and one hell of a leading man, Colin Firth. Once again, we are thrown back into the world of espionage, gadgets, and satire. Does it work again?
Cinephellas 