Film
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm Lampoons an America Almost Too Ugly for Laughs: Review
The Pitch: Sacha Baron Cohen’s trojan horse/folk hero Borat Sagdiyev returns to America. Is nice. After disgracing his native Kazakhstan as the result of his successful 2006 motion picture, the once-famous journalist is asked to curry favor with President McDonald Trump’s good friend, United States Vice President Mike Pence (“Michael Pennis”) in the form of a gift: an animal. Borat must give Johnny the Monkey, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Culture and No. 1 porn star, to Pence. But there’s a snag. Inside Johnny’s crate is a stowaway named Tutar (Maria Bakalova), Borat’s 15-year-old daughter. Borat decides to offer his daughter to Pennis instead, a notorious “pussy hound” who can’t even be in the same room as women. When the plan fails — and we can explain why in a moment — Borat and Tutar, with...
Fast and Furious Franchise to End After Two More Movies
The Fast and Furious franchise has been speeding along for nearly 20 years now, but it looks like the series is gearing up for a proper end fairly soon. Universal Pictures have revealed that the “core film franchise” will conclude following two final movies, the 10th and 11th in the franchise. According to Deadline, longtime Fast associate Justin Lin is in talks to helm both flicks. The final two installments of Fast and Furious will see “a big story” unfold over the course of both movies. As is tradition, they will once again follow Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto on a series of ridiculous, entertaining, joy rides-turned-battles. Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, and Chris Bridges (aka Ludacris) are a few of the fan favorites who will be joining him onscreen. Also likel...
‘Away’ canceled at Netflix after one season
Netflix seems to be on a cancelation streak as of late, and the science fiction space drama Away is the streaming service’s latest victim. In the wake of cancelations handed down to Netflix shows like Glow, I Am Not Okay with This, Teenage Bounty Hunters, The Society, Altered Carbon, and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance, Away has been canceled after one season. You can read star Hilary Swank‘s response to the news below. [embedded content] Away is going away. Variety reports that six weeks after the series made its debut on September 4, 2020, Netflix has decided to not renew it for a second season. The series, which starred Oscar-winning actress Hilary Swank as the commander of the first-ever manned expedition to Mars, has come to an end after ten total episodes. Josh Charles (The Good ...
The Wire’s Wendell Pierce to Play B.B. King in New Biopic
Wendell Pierce (photo by Daniel Hambury) and B.B. King (photo courtesy of artist’s website) It must be three o’clock, because Wendell Pierce has the blues. The actor has announced he’ll be playing the late, great B.B. King in a new biopic about the legendary musician. Pierce is known for his roles as Detective Bunk Moreland in The Wire and, more recently, James Greer in Amazon’s Jack Ryan. He announced his casting as King himself, tweeting, “We are official. Preparation has begun on a film where I will be honored to play the great, BB King. Humbled.” In a separate tweet, he added, “I promised BB King before he died, I will honor him and his creative genius. An American Icon.” The project is entitled The Thrill Is On, playing off the name of King’s beloved cover of Roy Hawkins’ “The T...
Willow Sequel Series Officially Coming to Disney+
Move over Mando, there’s a new Lucasfilm property coming to Disney+. The streaming platform has ordered a sequel series to the 1988 classic epic Willow. The original film’s director, Ron Howard, has been teasing at a Willow follow-up for over a year. After confirming the project was “very active” over the summer, he’s officially set to return as executive producer. Star Warwick Davis is also back, reprising his beloved title role. Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians) will helm the pilot, which was written by Jonathan Kasdan (Solo: A Star Wars Story). The latter will also serve as showrunner alongside Wendy Mericle (Arrow). Howard called the show “a creative lean-forward” as opposed to “a nostalgic throwback,” something Davis said he’s thrilled to be a part of. “Many have told me they grew up wit...
New John Wick Roller Coaster Will Offer Fans a Killer Experience
For fans of tightly-choreographed action scenes and lovers of dogs, the John Wick film franchise has been mandatory viewing for over half a decade. Now, as Variety reports, Lionsgate has announced a brand-new adrenalized experience in the form of the “John Wick: Open Contract” roller coaster, coming to Dubai next year. This ten-story tall thrill ride is just the latest addition to the Motiongate theme park in the United Arab Emirates. And while it won’t actually be arming the park’s guests, “Open Contract” includes several elements to make you feel like you’re the one holding the gun (or knife, or pencil, or nothing at all). To start, it’s set at a scaled-down replica of the Continental, the underworld sanctuary that plays such a key role in the films. Then, the coaster itself of...
John Leguizamo on Latin Trump Supporters: “Latin People for Republicans Are Like Roaches for Raid”
John Leguizamo isn’t a fan of Donald Trump, and he doesn’t understand why any self-respecting Latinx person would be either. During a new interview with Bill Maher, the actor described Trump supporters who are Hispanic and Latinx as “self-defeating and selfish,” going so far as to say, “Latin people for Republicans are like roaches for Raid.” Leguizamo appeared virtually on HBO’s Real Time With Bill Maher this past Friday to respond to a report that suggests President Trump is popular among young Latinx voters “because of the machismo factor.” The When They See Us actor didn’t hold in sharing his contempt for Trump or fellow Latinx people who vote for him. “Latin people for Republicans are like roaches for Raid. Let’s get real. I just feel like there’s a level of self-hate or just lack of ...
Jeff Bridges Diagnosed with Lymphoma
Jeff Bridges has been diagnosed with lymphoma. The 70-year-old actor announced the news on Twitter on Monday evening. “As the Dude would say… New sh– has come to light,” he started his post, making a light-hearted reference to his beloved character in The Big Lebowski. “I have been diagnosed with lymphoma. Although it is a serious disease, I feel fortunate that I have a great team of doctors and the prognosis is good,” Bridges continued. “I’m starting treatment and will keep you posted on my recovery.” In follow-up tweet, Bridges thanked his family and friends for their “love and support”, and encouraged his fans to vote in the upcoming election. “And, while I have you, please remember to go vote. Because we are all in this together,” he wrote alongside a link to Vote.org. Editors’ P...
Netflix Releases Trailer for Chadwick Boseman’s Final Film Role in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom: Watch
Chadwick Boseman’s final on-screen role comes in Netflix’s upcoming adaptation of August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Ahead of the film’s December 18th release, the first trailer has been released. Watch it below. Originally written as a play by August Wilson in 1982, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom explores race, art, religion, and the exploitation of Black recording artists by white producers through the eyes of Black blues singer Ma Rainey. Like the play, the film will be set over the course of an afternoon recording session in 1920s Chicago. “Late to the session, the fearless, fiery Ma engages in a battle of wills with her white manager and producer over control of her music, reads a plot synopsis shared by Netflix. “As the band waits in the studio’s claustrophobic rehearsal ...
Room 237: The Shining Pop-Up Experience Opening in Chicago
All work and no play can make anyone feel dull, especially in 2020. That’s why Consequence of Sound, Morgan MFG, and The Losers’ Club invite all Chicagoans to Room 237, a new, massive pop-up experience and lounge inspired by Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. Starting October 15th, the West Loop hot spot will be transformed into The Overlook Hotel, where guests can take a tour of its haunted rooms, enjoy some themed cocktails in the Gold Room, and, of course, get lost in its giant hedge maze. The immersive experience was co-created by Heaven Malone, who designed the original Gold Room pop-up bar that entertained thousands of guests throughout the Winter of 2018 at Chicago’s The Rookery. This time, he went bigger. “During the shutdown, I was isolated in my apartment with all of these Room 237 p...
Marvel’s Avengers Cast to Assemble for Joe Biden Fundraiser
Fictional or not, Marvel’s The Avengers are assembling in support of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. As Variety reports, the blockbuster stars behind Disney’s billion-dollar franchise will soon get together for a virtual fundraiser. Set for October 20th at 6:45 p.m. ET, the event will see Don Cheadle, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Paul Rudd, Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Saldana, and the Russo brothers reunite for some Q&A and trivia with Harris. Most of these names should come as no surprise for anyone. After all, both Evans and Ruffalo alone have been incredibly vocal over the importance of this election. Some have even pestered Cap on whether he might one day run himself. Of course, that roster is about a third of the actual on-screen Avengers, which certainly leaves the door open for countless...
Bruce Willis Returns as John McClane for Epic Die Hard Car Battery Commercial: Watch
Yippee-ki-yay, folks: John McClane is back — and in a car battery commercial of all places. Today, Advance Auto Parts dropped a wildly epic commercial that finds Bruce Willis back in the saddle as his iconic Die Hard hero. The crossover makes sense, however, as the automotive market is highlighting a new line of — you guessed it — DieHard batteries. Like the best blockbusters, the gist of the commercial is pretty simple: McClane is stuck in a rock and a hard place as he car breaks down. Fortunately, he’s near an Advance Auto Parts, where they just so happen to have those aforementioned DieHard batteries. The catch? He just so happens to face all of his old foes and even one of his former sidekicks. Fans of John McTiernan’s 1988 original classic will no doubt notice a couple of familiar fac...
