Off Script Film Review

This week in Movie News, Disney smashes it's own box office record and we're only halfway through the year! Also, Quentin Tarantino's new film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood does pretty well at a $40 million opening, but it still can't hold a candle to last week's The Lion King. Film critics may turn their nose up at the numbers, but maybe there's more to this story than an R-Rating versus a children's film!

Moving into reviews, this week Andy and Zach devote the entire show to the nearly three-hour Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, a film that sees the return of Leonardo DiCaprio to the silver screen alongside his trusty stuntman Brad Pitt. Audiences can expect to find a different kind of Tarantino in his 9th film, but you'll have to tune in to hear what exactly you'll find inside his mythical 1969 Hollywood. One things for sure - if you're not normally a Tarantino fan, you may want to give Once Upon another look. It may just be the film you're looking for.

Finally, the guys go all-in on the Tarantino-fest by reviewing a recent article out of The Hollywood Reporter about violence as a punchline in Tarantino films - specifically, violence against women. Obviously it's not something to condone, but is it just a passing trend in Tarantino's films, or an ongoing theme? Why have it at all, really? And just what's the point? Tune in to find out!

This week in Movie News, Netflix loses subscribers in the U.S. for the first time in 8 years, 'Halloween' gets back-to-back sequels slated for 2020 and 2021, and 'Avengers: Endgame' becomes the highest grossing film of all time. Is Netflix on the downslide, do we need more Halloween sequels, and did Avengers really earn it's new title? The answer is no, but you'll have to tune in to find out why!

Moving into reviews, Zach digs into the plot of Disney's newest remake, 'The Lion King.' Can this new film's stunning visual animation make up for it's stunning lack of heart? It's hard to believe a film like The Lion King can lack anything at all, but then again, this is Disney, and they can do anything they want!

Next up, Marvel announces a fleet of films to start it's fourth phase in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Andy and Zach have the details on nearly every single film on offer. Reigniting the spark that's burned for nearly a decade in audiences the world over is no easy task following the Marvel's latest adventure in 'Avengers: Endgame', but if there's anything Disney can't do, it's wrong!

Finally, Andy reveals the plot of the new indie darling 'The Art of Self Defense' and how Jesse Eisenberg's descent into hyper-masculine madness may just be the most fun you have at the theater this year. Despite the violence, Art's got a lot going for it - keep an eye out for it on our Top 10 lists at the end of the year!

This week in Movie News, a surprisingly large subsidiary of 21st Century Fox falls by the wayside in the wake of Disney's takeover, Lashana Lynch (a woman - gasp!) is rumored to play 007 in the next James Bond film, and young up-and-coming actor Austin Butler is cast to play Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann's upcoming biopic about The King. Odds are two of these stories are good for Hollywood, and at least one has gotta be bad. Tune in to find out which is which!

Moving into Reviews, Andy spills the beans on the new action-comedy film 'Stuber' starring Dave Bautista and Kumail Nanjiani, and the guys talk about why the film works, and ultimately, why it's shared release date with 'Spider-Man: Far From Home' is putting the brakes on this car-based comedy. Rest assured, one day Stuber will come to streaming services, and when it does, it's well worth the price of admission. In the meantime, tune in to find out whether or not it's worth a trip to the theater.

This week on The Trailer Park, the guys review the trailers for Disney's 'Mulan' and Matthew Vaughn's third entry in the 'Kingsman' cinematic universe (ha ha) with 'The King's Man.' Which one of these films is destined to be a soulless spin on an otherwise washed-out franchise? We haven't seen the films yet, but we've seen the trailers and we've got hot takes!

Finally, Zach dishes on the new A24 film (available on Amazon Prime) 'Under the Silver Lake' from the director of 'It Follows,' David Robert Mitchell. It's a tough watch, and though it's constant tributes to the Hollywood of old may bolster some audiences, it's surrealist approach to generational divides have most audiences reeling. Or at least, that's what Zach thinks. Strap in for some bold cinema, folks - Andy comes out swinging on this one!

This week in news, Regal Cinemas is starting up it's own movie subscription service, Netflix is taking it easy on the big-budget indies, and Warner Media's planning on expanding their HBO streaming offerings in a big way. Do any of these companies still have their fingers on the pulse of the American movie-going public? Probably, but we're still a little skeptical.

Speaking of skepticism, Marvel swings back into theaters this week with the next film in the new (third?) Spider-Man franchise with Spider-Man: Far From Home, a movie that's fun for the whole family, but maybe not so much for the Marvel fanboys out there. The film's full of plot and has plenty of laughs, but can it hold up the mantle of the Marvel Cinematic Universe after the events of Avengers: Endgame? We've got the answers.

We've also got our annual Summer Movie Preview, and this summer's looking to go off with a whimper with films like 'Stuber,' 'Hobbs and Shaw,' and 'Scary Stories to Tell In the Dark.' Any chance this summer shapes up to be better than last year? Probably not, but either way, it'll be better than June. Wrapping up the show this week, the guys talk about Ari Aster's new film 'Midsommar' and dig into the perils of pain in this slow-burn of a horror film. Andy thinks it may be his favorite film of the year, but Zach's not so sure. At nearly 3 hours long, it's a tough nut to crack, but if you enjoyed Hereditary, odds are you'll like this one too. At least we think so.

This week in Movie News, what's going on in China? It may seem like a strange place to start, but it's no stranger than the 18-year-long-overdue premiere of Hayao Miyazaki's 'Spirited Away'. And speaking of China, what's the deal with this 'The Great War' film and why's the Chinese Government got a problem with it? And what does ANY of this have to do with the theaterical re-release of 'Avengers: Endgame' with an all-new-never-before-seen deleted scene? Here's a hint- it's got something to do with Disney.

And speaking of the House of Mouse, the guys take a look at Disney-Pixar's new film 'Toy Story 4' to talk about it's return to the toybox and whether or not Tom Hanks and Tim Allen can still hold up the roles that CGI built. Is the movie the visual masterpiece that Pixar's known for? How's it hold up to the emotional powerhouse that was Toy Story 3? And is Toy Story 5 on the way?

Lately it doesn't seem like anybody knows what's happening at the movies. Between J.J. Abrams, the Russo Brothers, Kumail Nanjiani, and a bunch of other Hollywood personalities, it's tough to nail down where exactly everybody lands on the future of film. But an aspiring New York Times writer took a crack at it anyway, and Andy and Zach have some hot takes about it in this week's edition of The Death of Cinema.

And finally, the guys take a stab (ha ha) at the new Child's Play reboot, and how. Mark Hamill and Aubrey Plaza may bring something to the film (or not) but it'll take more than a couple of half-baked performances to resurrect this little terror. Rest assured, Andy and Zach have some hot sports opinions about it - even if they both couldn't stand to finish the film in the first place. What's wrong with Chucky? Tune in to find out.

The Hunger Games is getting a prequel film? Apparently author Suzanne Collins is on board in this week's movie news and she's anxious to write a new book to go along with it, too. Also, director Danny Boyle wants nothing to do with franchise films after his experience working on the next James Bond film, so what's got him so rattled? And June continues to disappoint at the Box Office with a $30 million opening for Sony Pictures 'Men in Black: International'. And speaking of Men In Black: International, that's the first film up for review this week as Andy and Zach dive into the extraterrestrial adventure film to find out whether or not this sequel/reboot can hold up to it's Will-Smith-helmed predecessor. Can Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson keep everything together, or are the Men In Black doomed to fail?

Also, this week on The Trailer Park, the guys take a look at the trailers for 'Frozen II', 'Doctor Sleep', and 'Ready or Not', three drastically different films about three drastically different topics that all garner some drastically different opinions from our fearless hosts. Will Frozen II be able to live up to the hype? Any chance Doctor Sleep can pick up where Stanley Kubrick left off? And why is Zach seeing ads for this Ready or Not movie all over the place?

Finally, the guys take a look at 'The Dead Don't Die', the new zombie film from Jim Jarmusch. Or at least, most people THINK it's a Zombie movie. Is there more going on under the hood? Zach certainly seems to think so. Fact is, it wouldn't be a Jim Jarmusch film if it was like every other, and the guys explain why there may be more to this film that meets the eye. Is it worth your time? Is MIB: International worth your time? And are they REALLY gonna make a prequel to The Hunger Games? Tune in this week on Off Script to find out!

This week in Movie News, Warner Bros. skips their normal Comic-Con announcement hall in what many are speculating is a sign of the times. Is Comic-Con starting to lose it's luster? Also, the 'Shazam' spinoff film 'Black Adam' finds a director to helm the Dwayne-The-Rock-Johnson picture, and the new X-Men film 'Dark Phoenix' under performs at the box office.

And speaking of Dark Phoenix, Andy digs into the plot and explains why the new film feels so convoluted before the guys review the issues in direction, writing, and editing that seem to plague a franchise that was once so beloved. Can X-Men come back from their last few disappointing releases, or does the series need a reboot?

On The Death of Cinema, Hollywood Reporter put out an article about just that - the problems with Dark Phoenix - and Andy and Zach have some hot sports opinions about it. Fact is, studios never seem to acknowledge that a film may just be bad, but is that the case with Dark Phoenix, or is the real trouble with Franchise Fatigue? And how is Disney going to handle it going forward, now that they own the keys to the X-Men kingdom? Lastly, Zach reveals the plot for 'The Farewell' after the guys saw it at the Oak Cliff Film Festival. The two discuss the indie nature of the Chinese-American film, and how it's internal east-meets-west debate about family and death seems to be resonating with audiences everywhere. And though the film won't have a wide-release until July, it may just be a movie worth keeping your eye on.

This week in news, Rotten Tomatoes shifts it's Audience Review score to a qualifier some are deeming as biased to it's parent company, Fandango. Meanwhile, the Cannes Film Festival 2019 is over, and Bong Joon-Ho's 'Parasite' scoops the coveted Palme d'Or Award in a surprising win for South Korean film and a disappointing defeat for Quentin Tarantino's new film 'Once Upon a Time In Hollywood'. And this week at the Box Office, Disney's 'Aladdin' soars to a $113 million opening weekend while Olivia Wilde's 'Booksmart' fails to impress with a meager $8 million opening. Or at least the Hollywood Accountants think so.

Getting into reviews, Andy and Zach change tempo this week to dig into 'Booksmart', a comedy that's making waves online with a huge surge in surprisingly positive reviews - and for good reason. Despite it's Superbad-esque narrative, Booksmart does things that a Judd Apatow comedy can't, and with the heart and wit that only a rock-solid female-driven comedy can.

But Booksmart's successes can't outweigh it's box-office failings, and despite Twitter's best efforts, the film still failed to hit the high-water mark of it's other female-driven-comedy predecessors. This week on Death of Cinema, the guys dig into what the film has going against it, how Disney and the rise of streaming services may have hurt it, and ultimately, why it's immediate financial failures may not matter in the long run.

Finally, Andy and Zach dive into live-action magic and whimsy in Disney's latest remake 'Aladdin' to discuss the performances that make the film come alive, the safe strategies that hold it back, and why Disney's remake approach to it's masterpiece films may not do the studio any long-term favors with audiences. Will Disney's continued effort to grab cash with live-action remakes like Aladdin continue to turn a profit? Tune in to find out!

This week in News, Disney announces a new round of reshoots for their newly acquired X-Men horror film 'The New Mutants' and Maisie Williams isn't surprised. Also, Batman comic writer Tim Tom King is set to co-write DC's 'The New Gods' with director Ava DuVernay and Twilight star Robert Pattinson's confirmed to be the new Batman. What does this mean for DC films? Tune in to find out!

Getting into reviews, Andy kicks off the show with 'Godzilla: King of the Monsters' to talk about what works (and what doesn't) in the modern monster movie. And while it may be light on story, Zach thinks there may some moments that make the whole thing worthwhile.

Next up, the trailer park comes in hard this week with trailers for 'Ford Vs Ferrari', 'Rambo: Last Blood', and 'Terminator: Dark Fate.' What does this mean for the future of racing, rampage, and reboots? Only time will tell. Finally, Zach closes out the show with the Netflix original film 'Always Be My Maybe', written by and starring Ali Wong and Randall Park and Keanu Reeves as himself. And while it's plot may be a little messy, Wong and Park's wit and wisdom may just make it worth the price of admission.

This week in movie news, Disney CEO Bob Iger announces that former HBO 'Game of Thrones' writers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss will helm the first new Star Wars trilogy following the conclusion of the Skywalker Saga, with their first film slated to arrive in theaters in December of 2022. Also, Robert Pattinson is set to play the latest caped crusader in Warner Bros. 'The Batman' and he'll be facing off against classic Batman villains The Penguin and Catwoman. And Sony's dipping into the video-game-film-game with 'Playstation Productions', a new studio dedicated to adapting the Playstation Library into a series of independent films.

Kicking off the weekly reviews, Zach recaps the plot of 'Detective Pikachu', the latest Pokemon film (and first live-action entry in the series) before Andy reveals his past in the Pokemon franchise (hint - he doesn't have one). But regardless of the challenges of video-game adaptation (and the many failed attempts that have come before), Detective Pikachu sets itself apart in a way that's undeniably charming (and cute) for both children and nostalgia-hounds alike.

Next, the trailer for Quentin Tarantino's 9th film 'Once Upon A Time in Hollywood' drops on the internet just hours before the film's premiere at Cannes Film Festival and Netflix's 'Always Be My Maybe' lights the internet ablaze with a surprising amount of positivity. What are these trailers doing right, and how the do the films look? Tune in to find out.

Lastly, Andy and Zach review their Saturday-night screening of the new 4k Restoration of Stanley Kubrick's 'The Shining' at the historic Texas Theater, and how the clever combination of a charming theater-going experience and the higher resolution (and newly-remastered soundtrack) of Kubrick's 4k Restoration led to an experience that's guaranteed to still cast a spell on audiences everywhere nearly 40 years after the film's original release.