Film
We Can All Agree The Purge Was Ahead of Its Time
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher “This is your emergency broadcast system announcing the commencement of the Annual Purge, sanctioned by the U.S. Government. Commencing at the siren, any and all crime, including murder, will be legal for 12 continuous hours.” It’s almost Purge time. We didn’t get invited to the neighborhood party this year, but that’s probably fine, right? We’ve enabled our emergency systems, so grab the control for your creepy robot camera and meet us in the panic room for The Purge. We hear the dip is good. This episode of The Horror Virgin is a bit of a heavy hitter as Jenn, Todd, and Mikey talk about politics, moral relativism, privilege, and Covid-19. Mikey tries to figure out Purge logic, Jenn loves Ethan...
Zendaya and John David Washington Filmed a New Movie During Quarantine
While everyone was busy socially distancing and following quarantine rules, Zendaya and John David Washington were filming a new movie — and not from the comfort of their computer screens or private homes either. The movie is called Malcolm & Marie and it’s directed by Sam Levinson, the creator of Euphoria. The group shot scenes discreetly between June 17th and July 2nd at the Caterpillar House, an “an environmentally conscious glass architectural marvel” in Carmel, California, reports Deadline. What’s more, production on the film is apparently already completed. The idea first came from Zendaya, who called Levinson asking if he could write and direct a movie during quarantine. Within six days, he had a script ready to go and the hope of casting the Tenet star alongside her. The next b...
The Rise and Evolution of the Female Action Hero
Blockbuster Month is celebrating the true titans of the genre. In the weeks ahead, you’ll read through a variety of features digging deep into the greatest hits of Hollywood, from popcorn classics to underrated gems. Today, Jenn Adams traces the rise, evolution, and many tropes of the female action hero. Action movies are the bread and butter of the summer blockbuster. There’s just something about spending a hot summer night in an air-conditioned theater, watching jaw-dropping explosions and epic fight scenes. At the center of these movies is the Action Hero. The trope has been through many iterations over the years. From the brute strength of Rocky and Rambo to the realism of Jason Bourne. The tech savvy of James Bond, the wit of Will Smith, and the otherworldliness of Superman. But argua...
Netflix to Adapt Stephen King Short Story “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone” as Feature Film
Mere weeks after Stephen King released his new novellas collection, If It Bleeds, prolific producers Ryan Murphy and Jason Blum have already called dibs on “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone”, a short story from the book. According to The Hollywood Reporter, their feature film adaptation is being created in partnership with Netflix. Things are coming together quickly it seems. John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side, Saving Mr. Banks) has already been tapped to write and direct. In addition to Murphy and Blum, Carla Hacken will serve as a producer. Plus, Blumhouse Television’s Marci Wiseman and Jeremy Gold have joined as executive producers, too. For those who have yet to read the story, “Mr. Harrigan’s Phone” follows a young boy who befriends an aging billionaire who lives in his small-town neighborhood afte...
Brie Larson Covers Ariana Grande’s “Be Alright” in Stripped-Down Performance: Watch
Captain Marvel just might be the biggest Ariana Grande stan in Hollywood. Last year, Brie Larson covered “My Everything” and “God Is a Woman”. Now, she’s back with a new spin on another Grande classic: “Be Alright”. The breakout single from Grande’s 2016 album Dangerous Woman is light and catchy, and Larson upholds those qualities while giving it a stripped-down sheen. Armed with her own guitar and the quiet background of her peaceful home, the actress nails each note and vocal scale, proving once again that she’s just as good at singing as she is at acting. Watch her cover below. It’s not just a coincidence that Larson semi-regularly shares cover songs on social media and totally nails them. Back in 2005, before she was an A-list movie star, she dropped an album called Finally Out of...
Robert De Niro Says He’s Going Broke Due to Coronavirus
Not even a celebrity whose last name translates to “money” is safe from coronavirus-related pay cuts. Over the last few months, Robert De Niro has allegedly lost millions of dollars because the pandemic temporarily closed both Nobu and Greenwich Hotel, a restaurant chain and an upscale lodge that the actor has stakes in. De Niro revealed his financial losses in court where his estranged wife, Grace Hightower, called for an emergency order to bump her monthly American Express card credit limit from $50,000 to $100,000, reports Page Six. The divorce case took place over Skype where The Irishman actor had to explain why he was cutting back on her allowance. According to Caroline Krauss, his lawyer, De Niro is only required to pay Hightower $1 million a year if he’s making $15 million or more....
The Batman Spin-Off TV Series Coming to HBO Max from Matt Reeves
It’s long been known that the forthcoming Batman film starring Robert Pattinson is intended to launch a new trilogy. But it turns out there’s even more story to tell, as director Matt Reeves has signed on to bring a spin-off TV series to HBO Max. The streaming service today announced it has given a series commitment to the project from Reeves, The Batman producer Dylan Clark, and Boardwalk Empire creator Terence Winter. The police procedural will be set in the universe Reeves and Pattinson establish in the upcoming film. Winter will write the script, which will follow members of the Gotham City Police Department as they wrestle with Gotham’s colorful cast of ne’er-do-wells. A press release describes it as building “upon the motion picture’s examination of the anatomy of...
The Beach House Brings Body Horror to a Pandemic: Review
The Pitch: Terror surrounds two college sweethearts looking for a little R&R at their remote, family beach house. There’s something in the water, and for Emily (Liana Liberato) and Randall (Noah Le Gros), that something may spell their end. Love That Lovecraft: Look, if you couldn’t tell from that semi-bullshit pitch, I’m trying to keep things vague for your sake. Don’t read up on The Beach House. Don’t watch the trailer for The Beach House. And, for Christ’s sake, don’t go Googling for photos of The Beach House. Like every great horror flick, the devil’s in the details, and those details are everywhere right now — mostly because this title is hot, hot, hot. Ever since it dropped at Chattanooga’s digital film festival earlier this summer, horror hounds have been praising the sleek 90-m...
Movie Theater Chains Sue New Jersey to Reopen, Equating Themselves to Churches
Movie theaters vs churches (photos by Felix Mooneeram and Karl Fredrickson/Unsplash) Satire is dead and reality continues to dance atop its grave. Movie theaters, where folks can check out the latest Adam Sandler film, are now equating their value in society to that of churches, sacred spiritual spaces where people gather to worship. The unusual comparison is being made as reopening guidelines are allowing for churches, but not theaters to resume operations. As of July 6th, AMC, Regal, Cinemark, and other theater giants are suing the state of New Jersey for not being able to open for business due to COVID-19 restrictions. According to the legal complaint led by the National Association of Theatre Owners of New Jersey, their continued closure while churches and malls are allowed to operate ...
Jared Leto-Starring Tron Film Moving Forward At Disney: Report
A third Tron film is reportedly moving forward at Disney, with Jared Leto attached to star. News of Leto’s involvement in a Tron sequel first surfaced in 2017. At the time, it was reported that he would play a character named Ares, in addition to serving as a producer on the project. That iteration of the sequel was rumored to be called Tron: Ascension and center on programs from The Grid invading the real world, picking up after the events of 2010’s Tron: Legacy. Fast forward and three years and it seems development on a new take on Tron 3 is finally be moving forward. Via The Playlist, Disney Insider reports that the studio has nailed down a script and is currently searching for a director. Though details are being kept close to the vest, the film will likely be...
Johnny Depp Admits to Supplying His 13-Year-Old Daughter with Marijuana
Johnny Depp took the stand in a UK court on Tuesday as part of his three-week-long libel case against The Sun, the newspaper which accused him of being beating his ex-wife, Amber Heard. During today’s testimony, Depp discussed his drug usage over the years, at one point revealing that he supplied his then-13-year-old daughter with marijuana, reports Page Six. Depp said he was being a “responsible parent” because Lily-Rose Depp — a preteen at the time of this story, but who is now 21 years old — told him she went to a party where someone passed her a joint. That’s when the Secret Window actor opened up his personal supply, saying that he would rather her use his own “trustworthy” stash instead of a stranger’s weed potentially laced with other drugs. “It’s a safety issue;...
Jude Law in Talks to Play Captain Hook in Disney’s Live-Action Peter Pan & Wendy
17 years after famously losing out on the role of Pirates of the Caribbean’s Will Turner to Orlando Bloom, Jude Law is finally getting a chance to sail the seven seas. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the actor is in talks to play the infamous Captain Hook in Disney’s live-action Peter Pan & Wendy. The latest in Disney’s maddeningly successful series of remakes of classic cartoons, Peter Pan & Wendy updates the 1953 animated feature. David Lowery, who also helmed the studio’s supremely under-appreciated Pete’s Dragon in 2016, is directing from a script he co-wrote with his frequent partner Toby Halbrooks. The pair also shared writing credits on Pete’s Dragon, while Halbrooks produced Lowery’s The Old Man & the Gun and the coronavirus-delayed The Green Kn...
