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Synopsis: The true story of Mamie Till-Mobley's relentless pursuit of justice for her 14-year-old son, Emmett Till, who was brutally lynched in 1955 while visiting his cousins in Mississippi. 

Writer: Michael Reilly, Keith Beauchamp, Chinonye Chukwu

Director Chinonye Chukwu changing the lens through which we revisit tragic events in Black history. Till focuses not on the murder of Emmet Till (Jalyn Hall) but who he was, the circumstances that led to his death, and his mother's refusal to permit what happened to be swept into the shadows. Chukwu's crafted a story grounded in honesty but not rooted in exploiting the gruesomeness of this crime. 

I said I was done watching pre-Jim Crowe narratives but Till is heart-wrenching, informative and Danielle Deadwyler as Mamie Till-Mobley gives a powerful performance that shouldn't be missed. It's a tribute to her strength, her pain, and critical contribution to the Civil Rights Movement. The oft ignored narrative of mothers is richly honored. 

Till is now playing in select theaters and opens wide October 28, 2022. 

Listen as Ro discusses with Kriss & Brandon why Till deserves our attention. 

 

 

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Director: David Bruckner

Screenwriter: Ben Collins, Luke Piotrowski, David S Goyer

Starring: Odessa A'zion, Jamie Clayton, Adam Faison, Drew Starkey

Synopsis: A take on Clive Barker's 1987 horror classic where a young woman struggling with addiction comes into possession of an ancient puzzle box, unaware that its purpose is to summon the Cenobites.

Not all horror films are created equal. There are films are classified as horror films but really just have horror elements. They're the kind of horror films that people that say "I don't like horror films" will watch. Then there are films like Hellraiser where...well...you know damn well it's the kind of horror film that people that don't like horror films won't watch. The 2022 Hellraiser is a great remake/continuous/soft reboot of the franchise. It is a very 80's type of horror film. For better or worse it has a lot of the same beats and tropes from an 80's horror film which actually makes it an even better remake. This also means that if there are people who will nitpick or complain about 80's horror films, they'll take some issues with this film. But for others, it's exactly what they would be expecting. You get the gore, the creepiness and yes, even the unnecessary nudity and sex scenes. It's all there.

Considering how niche Hellraiser is (yes, folks know of Hellraiser but most folks aren't checking for it), releasing this on Hulu is smart. This has actually been a pretty go strategy. They did the same with Prey. Release a very good film on streaming that has a cult following and get people excited for it. Then maybe the next can go to theaters and actually do well.

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Director: David O Russell

Screenwriter: David O Russell

Starring: Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Anya Taylor-Joy, Rami Malek, Mike Myers, Chris Rock, Michael Shannon

Runtime: 2 hour 14 minutes

Synopsis: In the 1930s, three friends witness a murder, are framed for it, and uncover one of the most outrageous plots in American history.

Amsterdam is another one of those movies that commits the mortal sin of underutilizing a great cast. Just about every name on this cast is some one that in some cases would be top or close to top billing. Unfortunately David O Russell's script doesn't do them justice. In a lot of instances, the cast actually saves this movie. Robbie is known for knocking her roles out of the park and this movie is no different. Christian Bale once again commits fully to his part. John David Washington is the odd man out here as he just doesn't have the chemistry needed to match what Bale and Robbie are bringing but it's still serviceable. Part of the problem outside of his chemistry is that Washington's character doesn't get the proper background and context through Russell's script. This is definitely one of those times where if you're gonna jump into some of the subject matter that Amsterdam does, you need to make sure you have the write people writing the script. Russell could have used a Black screen writer to address some of the racial topics in this film. A woman writer wouldn't have hurt as well but Margot Robbie has the start power (along with Anya Taylor-Joy) that I'm convinced they did a little editing and writing for their characters.

All in all, Amsterdam is an entertaining film that could have been and should have been so much more.

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"The Silent Twins” follows the harrowing true story of identical twin sisters Jennifer of June Gibbons. The daughters of immigrants who moved to the United Kingdom from Barbados, with their parents, in the early 1960s. After a series of moves related to their father’s work, the family settled in Haverfordwest, Wales in 1974. Labeled the Silent Twins for their repeated refusal to speak or read at school or socially engage with anyone but each other, Jennifer and June fell prey to machinations of a system with little room for the idiosyncratic, especially the foreign born. And after repeated trauma-inducing attempts to force them to speak and conform, by psychologists attached to the school administration, both girls were labeled mentally disturbed. In their late teens, a petty crime spree lands the girls in police custody. In lieu of being sentenced like ordinary mischievous kids, a judge confines the Gibbons girls to Broadmoor Hospital, a high security psychiatric facility indefinitely. “The Silent Twins” attempts to pull the reader into the world of the Gibbons sisters and bring their intensely creative drive into sharper focus and convey their actions as those of misunderstood eccentrics. 

“If you were telling your story, through me, how would you want it to begin?...”

Telling someone else’s story is tricky; especially if the world’s already decided what’s important to know about that person. So deciding to shun the standard method, a biopic, and go the route of an outsider art film inspired by their life-altering experiences, is a bold move. One that for director Agnieszka Smoczynska’s first English language feature film, is wildly successful emotionally and visually but woefully hampered by its script limitations. 

Smoczynska’s film begins with the elementary age sisters' voices reading the opening credits as though they’re radio disc jockeys. It’s a bright, fanciful introduction awash with color and the girls’ infectious laughter. Only for a knock at the door to abruptly shift everything to a shot of the twins (played with remarkable facility of emotion by Leah Mondesir-Simmonds and Eva-Arianna Baxter) sitting at a bench, facing a wall, with their heads bowed. A side view reveals the duo clenching their hands and one sister shooting a look at the other as though commanding her to remain quiet until their mother leaves the doorway. What follows is a quietly disturbing portrayal of these young girls being ostracized on top of being bullied just for being the only Black children in the community. Mondesir-Simmonds and Eva-Arianna Baxter have an increasingly heartbreaking symmetry that conveys more than any amount of dialogue could ever pull off. The duo imbue their performances with a hefty emotion and disturbing edge that’s riveting to witness. 

Unfortunately, “The Silent Twins” has a serious order of operations problem. Just as you're fully invested in experiencing all this upheaval and increasingly cruel attempts to force the girls out of their shell, the story shifts to Jennifer and June in their late teens. And this here's when it becomes painfully apparent Screenwriter Andrea Siegel’s script is inadequate, glaringly so. Because this is less a biopic and more a biographical art film based on Marjorie Wallace’s novel by the same name and the diaries and other writings of the twins themselves, the onus is on Seigel to ground every flight of fancy and internal exploration with its external counterpart.

We follow the teens journey into creative endeavors, and puberty, but with little wrestling with the events of their childhood in the mix. It dismantles a significant amount of the personality profile being revealed to this point. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that not incorporating those moments from their point of view strengthens the arguments made implicitly and by the end overtly that something is men...

Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood

Screenwriter: Dana Stevens, Maria Bello

Starring: Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, John Boyega

Runtime: 2 hour 15 minutes

Synopsis: A historical epic that is based in alternate history of The Kingdom of Dahomey, one of the most powerful states of Africa in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Overall The Woman King is a good/great movie. It highlights the importance of lighting and shooting black people in film properly. The A plot is extremely strong. And it has an ensemble cast that rises to the moment and delivers. Where Kriss and Ro disagree on this film is the B & C plots. For Kriss they were unnecessary and took away from the A plot. For Ro, not so much. Both agree the editing, especially in the second half of the film doesn't help. Despite that this is still a film most will enjoy and folks should go see.

 

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Disney's live action remake of Pinocchio has all the pieces to be another great live action remake of one of their classic animated films. It has the cast and visuals that put it on track for this. Unfortunately what was produced feels as soul-less as Pinocchio before the Blue Fairy showed up to turn him into a living puppet. 

The choices made for this film are puzzling. Why cast Cynthia Erivo as the Blue Fairy and then have her only sing one song at the beginning of the film and then never show up again? Why cast anyone in this cast and then so strictly follow the storyline of the animated film that it makes no sense to go for such a big name? Adults will find themselves wondering why certain actors are in this film and then criminally underused. Another problem is the pace. It feels as if someone held a gun to the head of those writing this screenplay and old them if the story lingered on a plot point or deviated too much from the animated film they would never see their family again. Throughout this entire film it felt as if the point wasn't to connect the audience with the nostalgic feeling of the original but to just check a box to say it was done. 

Pinocchio is probably good enough to keep young children entertained for almost 2 hours. That's what warrants a 7 in this review. This is a curved review scale that looks at a kids film and how likely it is to keep your kids distracted enough for you to have some down time. However, if the audience watching this film is older and expecting more out of the cast of the story, then they will be extremely disappointed. One has to wonder if maybe this is one of those films that fell victim to filming during the pandemic with Covid-restrictions. Something just seems off. Disney usually does a better job of ensuring that the magic isn't lost when translating from animation to live-action but Pinocchio is definitely missing something.

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Barbarian's opening sequence falls squarely in line with the trailer. Tess (Georgina Campbell) makes a late-night arrival to her rental only to discover Keith (Bill Skarsgård) already inside and settled in for the night. After a short exchange reveals each booked the rental in good faith, Keith offers Tess the bed. There's a torrential downpour and no alternate lodgings available. So despite her misgivings, Tess agrees to take the bedroom. In what might be an overkill of red flags, Cregger throws Tess and Keith together in a pitch-perfect setup of "she can't possibly be this stupid" trope. Buckle up because Georgina Campbell absolutely commits to proving that she can, in fact, be an increasingly bad decisionmaker. Plus, you can't even forgive her because she tells you up front, that she knows better. As first acts go, Barbarian delivers one that's uncomfortable, insidiously engaging and only makes promises it can keep. 

Running Away is ALWAYS an Option...

Clocking in at one hour and forty-two minutes, Barbarian is a decidedly modern take on a stack of horror tropes (hat-tip to all Final Girls) offered with some old school, locked-room mystery, flare. Cregger's roots in sketch comedy work in the storyline's favor adding an element of absurdity that further pushes against audience's boundaries. You'll find yourself laughing at the most inopportune times. Thankfully, this story doesn't ever go where you think it will.

With a fresh approach that savvily applies tried-and-true cinematic horror movie sleight of hand, Barbarian reinvigorates damn-near every horror visual trick. Just as you think you've got a handle on who to root for, a savvy scene change, long ever-increasingly terrifying sequence, or hard transition sets you back on your heels. Then deconstructs your assumptions bit-by-bit. While your milage may vary, Barbarian does not disappoint even when maybe it should. It thrives on that frenzied denial that rarely snaps us out of utterly stupid or horribly wrong actions before there's no taking it back. Barbarian will test your for tolerance for detestable characters. And then things get really horrifying.

This isn't a thinly drawn plot intended as just a vehicle for social commentary on the state of capitalism, gentrification, police/community relations, and dating dynamics. Cregger leans into the willful blindness people rely on to convince themselves to keep pressing forward. This talented ensemble is unexpectedly charismatic and constantly stress inducing. Barbarian is a full throttled horror movie. One that refuses to ignore the reality of the world (and neighborhood) it's set in. It's impossible to delve into the twists and turns without spoiling. So let's just say, if the rules exist for a reason, then Barbarian never got the memo. 

Listen as Ro, Kriss and Brandon dig into what worked (or didn't) for them about Barbarian. 

Zach Cregger's first feature, Barbarian, blends decidedly questionable decision-making and authentically horrifying twists and turns into an increasingly frenzied ride. It's a unique use of dark humor, classic 90s tropes, and some insanely twisted red herrings and death-defying turns. Set aside your expectations because Barbarian is certain to defiantly ignore them...and that's a good thing. 

Barbarian hits North American theaters on Friday, Sept. 9.

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A.S. Byatt’s short story, The Djinn In the Nightingale's Eye is a lyrical tale about being enamored with fantastical, mystical and the very nature of storytelling. Byatt weaves folklore, narrative strategy, a razor-sharp awareness of reality and intrusive flights of nightmare and fancy to build a fairytale about a whimsical woman narratologist (the study of narratives) and her encounter with a creature of myth, a djinn. The titular short story in an anthology of five, The Djinn In the Nightingale's Eye is a dense work that blends the magical and mundane in ways that practically beg for adaptation into a visual medium.

Needless to say, I was immediately drawn in when Australian director George Miller’s (Mad Max: Fury Road) announced his intention to finally tackle the project after years of thinking about it. It's not like he hasn’t proven adept at telling unwieldy adventures with a keen eye and insane commitment to visually stunning set designs, kinetic action, and smartly cast characters. The final result, Three Thousand Years of Longing offers an enticing fable and incisive, if imperfect, meditation on the nature of love, need, passion, betrayal, hope and freedom. 

Tilda Swinton stars as Alithea Binnie in director George Miller’s film THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING. Photo credit: Elise Lockwood © 2022 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Miller’s adaptation follows Alithea Binnie (Tilda Swinton), a middle-aged divorcee and narratologist as she travels to Istanbul for a conference. Slated to give a dual presentation with an old friend this slightly standoffish scholar blossoms when discussing the nature and purpose of myth in a world saturated with scientific explanation. Alithea chooses a glass trinket as a souvenir and accidently unleashes the Djinn (Idris Elba) trapped inside while cleaning it. What follows is a tale that makes the most of Elba's laconic wit and verve to weave rich and enthralling story of days past. There's action, adventure, trials and tribulations. Each successive vignette (there are three) more richly drawn and engaging than the last. But some woefully disjointed character (under) development leaves its contemporary elements feeling out of step.

Aside from its use of fairy tales and fables, a significant part of what makes The Djinn In the Nightingale's Eye work is its frequent birds-eye perspective on its characters. Miller's (and Gore) script shifts the storyline point of view. Now Alithea is the narrator. Her first act is to tell the audience that what follows is a true story but shared as a fairytale so people would be more inclined to listen. It’s a clever deviation from the winding strategy Batt uses to introduce her lead. But, when the point of the story is the telling of that story it’s crucial for viewers to care about the experience of the story’s primary narrator. And not far into the first act, it's inescapably apparent Alithea's story arc is missing some crucial pieces.  Miller cut too deep when compiling her core motivations, personality traits, and life experiences from the source material. So, although ably portrayed by Swinton, there just aren’t enough depth to build the necessary, consistent, investment in her part of the story. There's too much implied or left unexplained about this woman and the present day portions begin to feel uneven, intrusive or rushed.  

Despite, Miller and Gore’s script choices falling short of the mark in terms of creating the same sense of enchantment in the present day portion of the story, Three Thousand Years of Longing is still a grand adventure full of captivating glimpses into the life and lamentations of a djinn that's well worth seeing for yourself.

If there's one thing we hate here on Movie Trailer Reviews are films that have surprisingly good casts but a script that let's that cast go to waste. Samaritan is one of those films. Let's be clear here. At no point should anyone not looking at the cast list come into this film expecting a whole lot. The premise for this film feels like MGM wanting to cash in on superhero films without doing any work. You have an aging superhero, a society on the verge of collapse and a young kid who wants to believe in heroes. We've seen this before. But then you start looking at the cast list and you start thinking "well...maybe this will be good." Unfortunately the script is absolutely terrible. 

This film manages to waste Pilou Asbaek (Euron fucking Greyjoy) in a villain role. Sophia Tatum's character could have been an interesting second villain but is wasted. Dascha Polanco from Orange is the New Black is also underused. Oh and Shameik Moore (Dope and the voice of Miles Morales) is in this film and you'll probably not really notice him at all. It's a travesty all around. Sylvester Stallone actually isn't bad in this movie and does a pretty good job playing the "I'm too old for this shit" main character. Had he had more interactions with some of the aforementioned characters, this movie probably would have been much better. Instead he's forced to interact with Javon Walton's character who is written to be an annoying child character.

There's a lot of other things wrong with this film but the underused cast is the most glaring. The best thing this movie has going for it is that it's playing on Amazon Video so you don't have to leave your house to see it and you're not out any cash if you just turn it off.

 

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Kriss and Dpalm are back and this time we're revisiting a character we've spent some time talking about before: Dick Grayson aka Nightwing. We've covered Dick before in our previous Robin Part 1 Character Corner that covered Dick Grayson's years as the first Robin along with Jason Todd. This episode we're spending some time talking about his years after he put up the Robin suit and became Nightwing. 

Much like his best friend Wally West, Dick Grayson is one of those characters that started off as a sidekick but then became their own hero and eventually even took over the mantle. What's so great about this character is how both similar and different he is from Bruce Wayne/Batman. Dick Grayson is what Bruce would be if Bruce Wayne didn't hate being Bruce Wayne.

Issues:

* The Judas Contract

* The New Teen Titans #39

* The New Teen Titans #40

* Tales of the Teen Titans #42

* Tales of the Teen Titans #43

* Tales of the Teen Titans #44 - First appearance of Dick Grayson as Nightwing

* Tales of the Teen Titans #3

* Robin Year 1

* Nightwing Volume 1 (1995) 

* 4 issue miniseries and first Nightwing solo book

* Nightwing Volume 2 (1996)

* Issue #25 - Tim and Dick ride the train

* Nightwing Year 1

* Nightwing vol2 101 - 106

* Birds of Prey #8

* Batman Knightfall

* Battle for the Cowl

* Grayson

* Nightwing Rebirth

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