MONKEY MAN – Movie Review

By | April 5, 2024

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Here we go again with another one of my biases. I apologize but at least I’m being honest in the hopes that some or many of you might agree with me. There are certain movie genres that I just don’t get tired of. You hear the talk of superhero movie fatigue, cookie cutter flicks, not another teen movie, the same ol’ rom-coms, apocalyptic or post-apocalyptic films, James Bond, Ethan Hunt, Fast and Furious, the list goes on. One such genre that I don’t get tired of is what I call the classic revenge movies. There are so many, and so many different flavors, this story has been told since the beginning of time. Here with this film, we get another one but a very different flavor. I’ve heard someone refer to this as a John Wick but in India. Although this film is John Wickesque in so many ways, it is also very different. Firstly, I can’t recall a film of this genre completely set in India, and that’s the beginning of what makes this one stand out. Getting an inside look of what everyday life can be like in India was eye opening. This setting along with the dramatic story and hero’s motivation make this particular flavor of revenge very gritty.

I’ve recently heard, and agree with, that the greatest power on Earth, the greatest power known to man, is love. This movie, in part, demonstrates such power in the form of the love of a mother to a son and the love a son has for his mother. That’s our motivation, our reason to fight back, our trauma. I say our because throughout this film, you can feel the rage along with the main character a little more than usual. This also helps separate this one a bit from the rest. Speaking of rage, the fight sequences are pretty darn good. Lots of shock kills, ways to kill a person that you might have never have seen before. So yeah, the action in this movie is really good. And when it comes to the visual, the cinematography, the shadows, the color, the sets, the lighting, the camera angles, etc. also really good. Even the music all the way down to the man sitting on the floor masterfully playing some drums was a real treat. Probably the only thing I had a problem with was understanding what they were saying at times. When the dialogue was not in English there were subtitles, or at least most of the time, I think. Most of the English was clear but there were moments that the speech was too fast or too low in volume that it was hard to understand, even if it was English at all. Thankfully, because of this particular genre, you can always get the gist of what’s going on without understanding every bit of dialogue.

I’m beginning to truly believe that Jordan Peele has that Midas touch. Knowing that his name is attached to this film as producer, my expectations were a little higher and I was not disappointed. But the real star of this show is Dev Patel in every sense. For starters, not only was his performance amazing, he IS the performance of this film. Then, he also co-wrote the story, kudos for that, and to top it all off, it’s his first time directing a major motion picture, and wow, what a job he did. He is obviously extremely talented and has quite the future in this business. It is a risk to come out as writer, director, and headliner, for the first time, in a movie of this genre, but I’ll tell you what, this one is not typical.

CUCKOO – Trailer

By | April 4, 2024

Here is the trailer from the upcoming film “CUCKOO.” The film is directed by Tilman Singer, starring Hunter Schafer, Jessica Henwick, Dan Stevens, Marton Csokas, Mila Lieu.

Reluctantly, 17-year-old Gretchen leaves her American home to live with her father, who has just moved into a resort in the German Alps with his new family. Arriving at their future residence, they are greeted by Mr. König, her father’s boss, who takes an inexplicable interest in Gretchen’s mute half-sister Alma. Something doesn’t seem right in this tranquil vacation paradise. Gretchen is plagued by strange noises and bloody visions until she discovers a shocking secret that also concerns her own family.

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JANE Season 2 – Trailer

By | April 4, 2024

Apple TV+ revealed the trailer for the highly anticipated season two of Emmy Award-winning “Jane.” The mission-driven series for kids and families is inspired by the work of world-renowned ethologist and conservationist, Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and a United Nations Messenger of Peace. From Emmy Award winner J.J. Johnson (“Dino Dana,” “Endlings,” “Ghostwriter”), Sinking Ship Entertainment and the Jane Goodall Institute, the new five-episode season of “Jane” premieres globally on Friday, April 19 on Apple TV+.

Ava Louise Murchison (“Reacher”) stars as Jane Garcia, a 9-year-old budding environmentalist on a quest to save endangered animals. Using her powerful imagination, Jane takes her best friends David, played by Mason Blomberg (“Shameless”), and Greybeard the chimpanzee on epic adventures to help protect wild animals all around the world because, according to her idol Dr. Jane Goodall: “Only if we understand, will we care. Only if we care, will we help. Only if we help, can they be saved.”

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SLEEPING DOGS – Trailer

By | April 3, 2024

Here is the trailer from the upcoming film “​SLEEPING DOGS.” Directed by Adam Cooper, starring Russell Crowe, Karen Gillan, Márton Csókás, Thomas M. Wright, Harry Greenwood, and Tommy Flanagan.

An ex-homicide detective (Russell Crowe) with memory loss is forced to solve a brutal murder he can’t recall. But as evidence uncovers secrets tied to his forgotten past, he is led to a chilling truth – sometimes, it’s best to let sleeping dogs lie.

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SNACK SHACK – Trailer

By | April 2, 2024

Here is the official trailer from the upcoming film “​SWEET DREAMS.” Directed by Adam Carter Rehmeier, starring Conor Sherry, Gabriel LaBelle, Mika Abdalla with Nick Robinson and David Costabile.

Nebraska City, summer of 1991—Inseparable best friends AJ and Moose seize the opportunity to run the local pool’s rundown snack shack after their plan to gamble on dog races and sell home-brewed beer goes down the drain. Dreaming of striking it rich, things take an unexpected turn when they meet Brooke, an effortlessly cool lifeguard who puts their big summer plans and their friendship at risk.

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CHINATOWN – Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD Release Date

By | April 2, 2024

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“Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown.”

So ends a film that is widely recognized as one of the greatest in cinema history. The haunting noir classic CHINATOWN celebrates its 50th anniversary this year and Paramount is marking the occasion with a Limited-Edition 4K Ultra HD release on June 18, 2024.

Produced by the legendary Robert Evans, CHINATOWN was originally released on June 26, 1974 and received widespread critical acclaim along with 11 Oscar® nominations, including Best Picture. In 1991, the film was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.”

Robert Towne’s brilliant Academy Award®-winning screenplay weaves a tragic and shocking tale of corruption, greed, and the human propensity for evil. Powerhouse performances by Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway and John Huston, a riveting story inspired by real events, vivid imagery, and a stirring score combine to make an unforgettable film that is essential for every cinephile’s collection.

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New bonus content is detailed below:

  • A State of Mind: Author Sam Wasson On Chinatown – Sam Wasson, film historian and bestselling author of The Big Goodbye: Chinatown and the Last Years Of Hollywood, on the importance of the film and its legacy.
  • Chinatown Memories – Legendary producer Hawk Koch shares stories from his time as assistant director on the film.
  • The Trilogy That Never Was – Sam Wasson discusses the planned third installment of what would have been a trio of movies featuring the character Jake Gittes.
  • Additional legacy bonus content:

  • Commentary by screenwriter Robert Towne with David Fincher
  • Water and Power
  • The Aqueduct
  • The Aftermath
  • The River & Beyond
  • Chinatown: An Appreciation
  • Chinatown: The Beginning and the End
  • Chinatown: Filming
  • Chinatown: Legacy
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • CATCHING FIRE: THE STORY OF ANITA PALLENBERG – Trailer

    By | March 29, 2024

    Directed by Alexis Bloom and Svetlana Zill, CATCHING FIRE: THE STORY OF ANITA PALLENBERG is a vital portrait of the charismatic and fierce rock ‘n’ roller, actress, muse, and mother who rose to prominence in the 1960s and 1970s after a chance encounter with the Rolling Stones. Scarlett Johansson voices Anita (based on the words of her unpublished memoir) and the film includes her children, Marlon and Angela Richards, and their father, Keith Richards.

    Anita Pallenberg was at many points in her life a newspaper headline: a “rock n’ roll goddess,” a “voodoo priestess,” and an “evil seductress.” She was accused of trying to break up the Rolling Stones, among other things. But those who loved her considered her an exciting cultural force, and a loving mother – and innocent of the accusations. Never-seen-before home movies and family photographs explore life with the Rolling Stones and tell a bittersweet tale of both triumph and heartbreak. From Barbarella to the Swiss Alps, and the Lower East Side to London, Anita Pallenberg was a creative force ahead of her time.

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    BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE – Teaser Trailer

    By | March 29, 2024

    Here is the official teaser trailer from the upcoming film “​BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE.” Directed by Tim Burton, starring Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, Arthur Conti, Jenna Ortega, Willem Dafoe.

    Beetlejuice is back! After an unexpected family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia’s life is turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid, discovers the mysterious model of the town in the attic and the portal to the Afterlife is accidentally opened. With trouble brewing in both realms, it’s only a matter of time until someone says Beetlejuice’s name three times and the mischievous demon returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem.

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    SWEET DREAMS – Trailer

    By | March 28, 2024

    Here is the official trailer from the upcoming film “​SWEET DREAMS.” Directed by Lije Sarki, starring Johnny Knoxville, Mo Amer, GaTa, Bobby Lee, Theo Von, Brian Van Holt, Jonnie Park, Shakewell, Adam Faison, Erik Anthony Gonzalez, Beth Grant with Jay Mohr and Kate Upton.

    Johnny Knoxville, Mo Amer, Bobby Lee and Kate Upton unite in this wild and off-the-wall journey of second chances from the producer of The Peanut Butter Falcon. Forced into rehab at SWEET DREAMS recovery center, Morris (Knoxville) struggles to confront the wreckage of his life. But when their house goes up for auction, he reluctantly agrees to coach their misfit softball team of recovering addicts to win a cash prize and prove that everyone, despite their past, can hit a home run.

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    THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES – Official Trailer

    By | March 27, 2024

    Here is the official trailer from the upcoming film “​THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES.” Showrunners Aron Eli Coleite and Kat Coiro, starring oy Bryant, Lyon Daniels, Noah Cottrell, Mychala Lee, Jack Dylan Grazer, Christian Slater, Alyvia Alyn Lind, Charlayne Woodard.

    The Grace family moves from Brooklyn, New York, to their ancestral home in Henson, Michigan, the Spiderwick Estate. Helen makes the move with her 15-year-old fraternal twin boys, Jared and Simon, and her older daughter, Mallory. Shortly after moving to the Spiderwick Estate Jared discovers a boggart and realizes that magical creatures are real! The only one to believe him is his great-aunt Lucinda who implores Jared to find the pages of her father’s field guide to magical creatures and protect them from the murderous Ogre, Mulgarath.

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    COUP DE CHANCE – Trailer

    By | March 27, 2024

    Here is the trailer from the upcoming film “COUP DE CHANCE.” Directed by Woody Allen, the film stars Lou De Laâge (International Emmy winner, The Mad Women’s Ball), Valérie Lemercier (The Visitors, Aline), Melvil Poupaud (One Fine Morning), Niels Schneider (Heartbeats, How I Killed My Mother).

    COUP DE CHANCE is about the important role chance and luck play in our lives.

    Fanny (Lou de Laâge) and Jean (Melvil Poupaud) look like the ideal married couple – they’re both professionally accomplished, they live in a gorgeous apartment in an exclusive neighborhood of Paris, and they seem to be in love just as much as they were when they first met. But when Fanny accidentally bumps into Alain (Niels Schneider), a former high school classmate, she’s swept off her feet. They soon see each other again and get closer and closer…

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    AMERICAN SNIPER – 4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY AND DIGITAL RELEASE DATE

    By | March 27, 2024

    American Sniper, the 2014 biographical war drama directed by Academy Award Winning Director Clint Eastwood and starring Academy Award nominee Bradley Coopers as will be available for purchase on 4K Ultra HD Disc and Digital for the first time on May 14.

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    American Sniper Ultra HD Blu-ray disc contains the following previously released special features:

  • One Soldier’s Story: The Journey of American Sniper
  • Chris Kyle: The Man Behind the Legend​
  • Clint Eastwood: A Cinematic Legacy – The Heart of a Hero
  • Navy SEALs: In War and Peace
  • Bringing the War Home: The Cost of Heroism​
  • The Making of American Sniper​
  • Guardian
  • THE ABSENCE OF EDEN – Trailer

    By | March 25, 2024

    Here is the trailer from the upcoming film “THE ABSENCE OF EDEN.” Directed by Marco Perego, the film stars Zoe Saldaña, Garrett Hedlund, Adria Arjona.

    The Absence of Eden takes place at the border between the United States and Mexico – a hellish landscape inhabited by coyotes, armed officers, desperate immigrants, and refugees. When Esmee (Saldaña), a young woman working as a private dancer in Mexico, is forced to commit a violent act of self-defense that results in the death of a cartel member, she flees her homeland for sanctuary in the United States. Guided by a ruthless Coyote and a group of undocumented immigrants, she befriends a young mother and her daughter along the way. Before crossing the border, the mother is taken from the group, and Esmee promises to protect her daughter and help them reunite again in America, touching off an interlocking story about people struggling to survive on America’s border with Mexico.

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    LISA FRANKENSTEIN – Digital, Blu-rayTM and DVD Release Date

    By | March 25, 2024

    Kathryn Newton and Cole Sprouse star in Focus Features’ 80’s inspired dark comedy, LISA FRANKENSTEIN, available to own as a Collector’s Edition with never-before-seen bonus content on Digital March 29, 2024, and on Blu-rayTM and DVD April 9, 2024, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. The electrifying bonus material includes a hilarious gag reel, deleted scenes, and featurettes that give a behind-the-scenes look at Diablo Cody’s inspiration behind the film, Lisa’s relationship with Creature, plus a feature commentary by director Zelda Williams.

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    BONUS FEATURES on BLU-RAYTM AND DVD:

  • DELETED SCENES
  • GAG REEL
  • RESURRECTING THE 1980’s – Set in 1989, LISA FRANKENSTEIN is a loving tribute to the wacky, tacky, yet totally awesome 80s. Every department of production embraced the stylized world Diablo Cody created in her script and brought their A-game to making this colorful world a reality.
  • AN ELECTRIC CONNECTION – While it’s no easy feat to turn a 19th century dead guy into the perfect boyfriend, this piece explores Lisa and her charming Creature and what makes their relationship work. Kathryn Newton, Cole Sprouse, and filmmakers explore how Lisa and Creature really need each other to truly thrive, why Creature is the “perfect man,” and Lisa’s choice at the end of the film.
  • A DARK COMEDY DUO – Well-known for her ability to subvert genres, Diablo Cody delves into the inspiration behind LISA FRANKENSTEIN, what made her want to give the Frankenstein story a youthful, modern twist full of both horror and hilarity, and why Zelda Williams was the perfect choice to bring her story to life.
  • FEATURE COMMENTARY WITH DIRECTOR ZELDA WILLIAMS
  • THE FALL GUY New Trailer

    By | March 24, 2024

    Here is the new trailer from the upcoming film THE FALL GUY. The film is directed by David Leitch, starring Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Winston Duke, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham, Stephanie Hsu.

    He’s a stuntman, and like everyone in the stunt community, he gets blown up, shot, crashed, thrown through windows and dropped from the highest of heights, all for our entertainment. And now, fresh off an almost career-ending accident, this working-class hero has to track down a missing movie star, solve a conspiracy and try to win back the love of his life while still doing his day job. What could possibly go right?

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    THE BLUE ANGELS – Trailer

    By | March 24, 2024

    Here is the trailer from the upcoming film “THE BLUE ANGELS.” Directed by Paul Crowder. The film is a fitting tribute to the extraordinary teamwork, passion and pride of the hundreds of outstanding men and women of the Navy and Marine Corps who have had the honor to serve in the Blue Angels squadron…past, present and future.

    The Blue Angels have been enthralling people, across the country and around the globe, for more than 75 years. Now, Amazon MGM Studios and IMAX bring a brand new documentary – The Blue Angels – that will take audiences soaring with the Navy’s elite Flight Demonstration Squadron as never before. Filmed for IMAX, the immersive footage puts you in the cockpit for a firsthand view of the Blue Angels’ precision flying, while the aerial shots deliver a spectacular showcase of the breathtaking maneuvers that have made them the world’s premier jet team.

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    DEEP SKY – Trailer

    By | March 24, 2024

    Here is the trailer from the upcoming film “DEEP SKY.” Directed by Nathaniel Kahn. Deep Sky follows the remarkable story of the scientists and engineers who helped design and launch JWST, NASA’s largest science mission ever, now orbiting the sun a million miles from Earth, helping to unravel the mysteries of our origins and, perhaps, our future.

    Following NASA’s largest science mission ever, Deep Sky takes us along for a ride on the new Webb Telescope (JWST) as it deploys a million miles from Earth and beams back transformational images to our planet — images that reveal the beginnings of time and space and bring us closer to finding another living world out there among the stars.

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    ADIÓS BUENOS AIRES – Trailer

    By | March 22, 2024

    Here is the trailer from the upcoming film “ADIÓS BUENOS AIRES.” Directed by German Kral , the film stars Diego Cremonesi (Kryptonite, I’m Gilda, The Bronze Garden) and Marina Bellati (Betibú, Sunstrokes, No Kids, Maradona: Blessed Dream), alongside Carlos Portaluppi, Manuel Vicente, Rafael Spregelburd, Mario Alarcón and Luis Ziembrowski..

    Buenos Aires, November 2001. Argentina is embroiled in crisis, with the peso plunging deeper and deeper. Julio Färber, the charismatic bandoneon player of the “Vecinos de Pompeya,” a five-piece working-class tango band, is trying to keep his head above water, but every month he is earning less and less from their gigs as well as from the traditional shoe shop he inherited from his father. At the very moment he takes the decision to leave his beloved Buenos Aires forever, it clearly appears that life is conspiring against him: overnight, the government freezes all bank accounts in the whole country, preventing Julio from purchasing the flight tickets and sparking violent protests throughout the town. And Mariela, a witty young woman and feisty cab driver, bumps into his car at full speed, damaging Julio’s last possession of value before stealing his heart.

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    DOOM PATROL: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON – BLU-RAY AND DVD RELEASE DATE

    By | March 22, 2024

    Season 4: DC’s unlikeliest group of heroes, the Doom Patrol, are ready to save the world… kind of. After suffering horrific accidents that gave them superhuman abilities, Cliff/Robotman (Brendan Fraser), Larry/Negative Man (Matt Bomer), Rita/Elasti-Woman (April Bowlby), Jane/Crazy Jane (Diane Guerrero), and Vic/Cyborg (Joivan Wade) were each left scarred, disfigured, and ostracized – until mad scientist Dr. Niles Caulder (Timothy Dalton) brings the outcasts together to treat and protect them. Gritty and irreverent, Doom Patrol follows this part support group, part superhero team as they take on evil, otherworldly forces determined to destroy humankind – even if it wants nothing to do with them.

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    Season Four Episodes:

  • Doom Patrol
  • Butt Patrol
  • Nostalgia Patrol
  • Casey Patrol
  • Youth Patrol
  • Hope Patrol
  • Orqwith Patrol
  • Fame Patrol
  • Immortimas Patrol
  • Tomb Patrol
  • Portal Patrol
  • Done Patrol
  • MONKEY MAN – Trailer 2

    By | March 22, 2024

    Here is the trailer 2 from the upcoming film “MONKEY MAN.” Directed by Dev Patel, the film stars Dev Patel, Sharlto Copley, Pitobash, Vipin Sharma, Sikandar Kher, Sobhita Dhulipala, Ashwini Kalsekar, Adithi Kalkunte, Makarand Deshpande.

    Oscar® nominee Dev Patel (Lion, Slumdog Millionaire) achieves an astonishing, tour-de-force feature directing debut with an action thriller about one man’s quest for vengeance against the corrupt leaders who murdered his mother and continue to systemically victimize the poor and powerless.

    Inspired by the legend of Hanuman, an icon embodying strength and courage, Monkey Man stars Patel as Kid, an anonymous young man who ekes out a meager living in an underground fight club where, night after night, wearing a gorilla mask, he is beaten bloody by more popular fighters for cash.

    After years of suppressed rage, Kid discovers a way to infiltrate the enclave of the city’s sinister elite. As his childhood trauma boils over, his mysteriously scarred hands unleash an explosive campaign of retribution to settle the score with the men who took everything from him.

    Packed with thrilling and spectacular fight and chase scenes, Monkey Man is directed by Dev Patel from his original story and his screenplay with Paul Angunawela and John Collee (Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World).

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