New Releases:
Gran Turismo – Based on the true story of Jann Mardenborough, the film is the ultimate wish-fulfillment tale of a teenage Gran Turismo player whose gaming skills won a series of Nissan competitions to become an actual professional racecar driver.
Expectations: Sony Playstation rolls out their second feature film based on one of their popular titles after Uncharted and this one is special because it is an adaptation of one of their original games from when their first system launched. The supporting cast is very likeable, with Stranger Things star David Harbour, former Legolas, Orlando Bloom, all around the young British star, Archie Madekwe, known to horror fans because of Ari Aster’s Midsommar. I want to have faith that this is an entertaining film but I worry about the muddled nature of the storytelling as it comes from director Neill Blomkamp who has stumbled notably since his debut with District 9 in 2009. Hopefully, this will put him back on top with a whole new blockbuster rejuvenation.
Dreamin’ Wild – This film, the true story of love and redemption, is about what happened to singer/songwriter Donnie Emerson and his family when the album he and his brother recorded as teens was rediscovered after thirty years of obscurity and was suddenly hailed by music critics as a lost masterpiece. While the album’s rediscovery brings hopes of second chances, it also brings long-buried emotions as Donnie, his wife Nancy, brother Joe, and father Don Sr. come to terms with the past and their newly found fame.
Review: This film is a winning true story music-driven film that satisfies with great performances from the entire cast with Casey Affleck, Walton Goggins, Noah Jupe and Jack Dylan Grazer leading the way. An interesting story about a young talent that was kept hidden by so many conflicting elements and the juxtaposition of being appreciated for it decades later. It also raises the fascinating notion of the rediscovery of unappreciated art of the past. Really enjoyed this one.
You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah! – Stacy and Lydia are BFFs who’ve always dreamed about having epic bat mitzvahs. However, things start to go comically awry when a popular boy and middle school drama threatens their friendship and their rite of passage.
Review: Adam Sandler lands with his latest Netflix original movie and this time it’s a family affair with wife Jackie Sandler playing a supporting role and daughter Sunny shouldering the leading weight instead of her father. That said, this might be the most cohesive film he has released since Uncut Gems for sure and it is all from the sheer heart and likability displayed from the start. I can’t believe I’m going to say this but I really love this movie and I hope it gets popular.
Vacation Friends 2 – Picking up a few months after the end of “Vacation Friends,” this uproarious sequel finds newly married couple Marcus (Lil Rel Howery) and Emily (Yvonne Orji) inviting their uninhibited besties Ron (John Cena) and Kyla (Meredith Hagner), who are also newly married and have a baby, to join them for a vacation when Marcus lands an all-expenses-paid trip to a Caribbean resort. His reason for traveling there in the first place is to meet with the owners of the resort to bid on a construction contract for a hotel they own in Chicago. But when Kyla’s incarcerated father Reese (Steve Buscemi) is released from San Quentin and shows up at the resort unannounced at the worst possible moment, things get out of control, upending Marcus’ best laid plans and turning the vacation friends’ perfect trip into total chaos.
Expectations: The first film, when I initially saw the trailer, looked like a bottom of the barrel crude comedy that Fox and Disney didn’t see having the clout for a theatrical release and they were sort of right. I definitely don’t see this movie making box office waves but I thought it was pretty funny and that rests on the broad shoulders of John Cena who is pretty hysterical. Do I see his character having enough comedic muscle to carry a sequel? I definitely don’t want to count him out and I will be watching for sure!
Blu-Ray:
The Blackening – The film centers around a group of Black friends who reunite for a Juneteenth weekend getaway only to find themselves trapped in a remote cabin with a twisted killer. Forced to play by his rules, the friends soon realize this ain’t no motherfu**in’ game. Directed by Tim Story (Ride Along, Think Like A Man, Barbershop) and co-written by Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip, Harlem) and Dewayne Perkins (The Amber Ruffin Show, Brooklyn Nine-Nine), The Blackening skewers genre tropes and poses the sardonic question: if the entire cast of a horror movie is Black, who dies first?
Expectations: Horror comedy is a genre that will always have a warm place in my cinematic heart and when they pull at tropes that are solidified in how we look at slasher films, well, that gets me even more. The setup is all here but the unpredictability and winks to the audience will surely be what wins audiences over and if it is all executed right we could have a runaway hit, much like the writers of this film’s previous work, Girl’s Trip.
You Hurt My Feelings – Beth (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), a popular writer, and her husband Don, a well-liked teacher, share the kind of relationship that truly, seriously, for the love of God cannot be real: that is, they’re actually in love. Even after decades of marriage, parenting, and their own successful careers, their physical spark has somehow not diminished; in fact, they seem to relish the opportunity to share a single ice cream cone and drive others — including their son, Charlie — mad. Should it come as a surprise then that his own marriage is in crisis? But when Beth discovers that Don has been untruthful to her about his opinion of her work for years — Beth’s world comes crashing down. Has their whole relationship been one Big Fat Lie?
Review: On the surface, this looks like a film about rich New York intellectuals going through a tiff in their long marriage but writer and director Nicole Holofcener manages to craft a relatable story that can fit into any romantic relationship. With a deft character-driven nuance, this film navigates the unspoken thoughts that exist in relationships, the white lies or dismissive support that is sometimes given and the hurt that comes from the revealing of the truth. Dreyfuss and her counterpart Tobias Menzies play this film with a veteran’s touch that makes it not only believable but makes us root for their relationship and mental health.
Metalocalypse: Army Of The Doomstar – Picking up after the heroic rescue of Toki Wartooth, this new story finds Dethklok frontman Nathan Explosion traumatized in a brutal professional and romantic flat-spin all while he is tasked with fulfilling the prophecy and confronting the ultimate songwriting challenge: write the Song Of Salvation and save the planet. Can Nathan Explosion look beyond his brutally damaged ego to save his band, stop the Metalocalypse, and finally face the ultimate evil: Salacia?
Review: As a forever Metalocalypse fan, the mere announcement of this new movie sent me over a blood moon with excitement but those who aren’t clued into the blood-soaked and death metal-driven hilarity may just be left in the dark on this one. What other show about a fake band has spawned a real band that still tours to this day? Heck, there’s even a tour right now featuring Babymetal which seems amazing. As for the movie? If you love these guys then it’s just par for the course. So, throw your devil horns in the air and headbang to Dethklok… or die!
NCIS: Season 20 – Naval Criminal Investigative Service Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs leads a group of colourful personalities in investigating crimes — ranging from murder and espionage to terrorism — that have evidence connected to Navy and Marine Corps personnel. The team includes MIT graduate Timothy McGee, Ellie Bishop, who specializes in international threat assessment, charismatic and unpredictable Nick Torres, and forensic psychologist Jack Sloane. Dr. Donald “Ducky” Mallard brings his vast experience in forensics into play to help solve cases.
Review: Twenty years his show has been going for? Yes, the Boomers have definitely been keeping this and the other spinoffs from JAG alive but New Orleans ended its course a couple of years ago, and Los Angeles ended its run this past year, so what is keeping this one afloat? The original lead star, Mark Harmon, has already shuffled off into retirement with his character Gibbs, after a reveal of on-set nastiness, and now Gary Cole is the leading man and I kind of love that. It honestly could keep the show going for another handful of years. That complete series box set is going to be massive though.
Steve’s 4K & DVD Geekouts:
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off 4K – Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) has an uncanny skill at cutting classes and getting away with it. Intending to make one last duck-out before graduation, Ferris calls in sick, “borrows” a Ferrari and embarks on a one-day journey through the streets of Chicago. On Ferris’ trail is high school principal Rooney (Jeffrey Jones), determined to catch him in the act.
Review: One of my favourite movies ever made gets its full 4K treatment and it looks just gorgeous. Does the movie still hold up? Definitely, still one of the best high school comedies of all time and another brick in the incredible film foundation that John Hughes left us with. Broderick, Ruck and Sara are an endearing and iconic trio that was pitch-perfect in their casting and there are so many scenes that stick in my mind when I relive this classic. It’s a great addition to anyone’s collection and if you’ve never seen it before, that must be rectified immediately.
Are You Afraid Of The Dark?: Ghost Island – Four best friends and members of a Midnight Society get more than they bargained for when what they think is a fun summer vacation on a resort island turns into something sinister.
Review: Resurrected a while back by Nickelodeon, this original Canadian American horror anthology that chilled us all a teens has been pretty consistent in it’s return. I loved the kick off to it with Rafael Casal’s villainous top hat character and it has managed to stay consistent with this new season. This is purely gateway horror for the kids and, like me, it will prepare them to be total genre fans.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Complete Series – New York City has become the threshold for the crime lord Shredder and his evil associates, such as the genius Baxter Stockman and Hun’s gang of brutal street punks, the Purple Dragons. After fifteen years of living and training in the safe cover of the sewers, it’s time for Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo to venture topside and battle these threats to the city. With the help of their Sensei, Master Splinter, and other allies such as April O’Neil and Casey Jones, the four lean green brothers are in for the fight of their lives if they are to defeat their nemesis.
Review: For those keeping track, this is my second complete series for the Turtles, my last one being the computer-animated version from 2012. Now, this one isn’t the original version I grew up on but this is a pretty solid series of the New York sewer-dwelling heroes and it did last seven seasons and over a hundred and fifty episodes which is very impressive. I dig that a lot of the storylines were taken from the original Mirage comic book, giving it an authenticity that has been lost over the years in varying degrees.
Television:
Ahsoka (Disney+) – After the fall of the Galactic Empire, former Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy.
Review: A brand new Star Wars series arrives on the big Mouse streaming service and it is definitely the most heady of all the shows produced so far so a deep knowledge of everything in this universe is more than recommended to get a good foothold into the story. Lots across the internet are calling the first couple of episodes a bit of a snooze but I’m loving every second of it. Rosario Dawson is so commanding as Ahsoka Tan, like she was born to play it, and all of the villains are so formidable. I cannot wait to continue through it but am sad to have to go week to week for it. Also, rest in peace, Ray Stevenson. What a presence he was in this.
Invasion: Season 2 (AppleTV+) – Earth is visited by an alien species that threatens humanity’s existence; events unfold in real-time through the eyes of five ordinary people across the globe as they struggle to make sense of the chaos unravelling around them.
Expectations: I was honestly surprised with the pick up of this sci-fi thriller for a second season as the first season felt so slow burn that I was unsure if it would catch on. Some of the main cast is a reason why I checked it out, with the great Sam Neill playing a retiring small-town sheriff and the beautiful and intriguing
Golshifteh Farahani as a mother trying to keep her family protected during a global alien takeover. The story may be a little slight and formulaic but I expect it will take off in this new season. Well, it really needs to or it will certainly face cancellation.
Steve Stebbing 