Anyone can be a ⭐! With the right jawline, of course.
GUESS THE QUOTE
"Soylent Green is people!"
Luckily there's only one movie to cover this week (a very notable one) because there are looooots of trailers. The most we've ever had. Blame Comic-Con mostly. That few days where San Diego becomes the world's epicenter of entertainment as well as debates about whether teletubbies should be considered superheroes (taking over from the previous epicenter, a basement full of stoners in Michigan).
So yeah, if you like the 2:30 minute versions of movies, by all means, get at it.
Cutoff? Go here, click "most recent edition."
ONCE UPON A TIME...
IN HOLLYWOOD
AKA
"a tale to be sure,
but certainly not of the fairy kind"
R / 2 hrs 39 mins
Comedy-Drama / Columbia (Sony)
WHAT'S THE DEAL
In One Line: a really well reviewed Tarantino buddy (dark"ish") dramedy about changing times in 1969 Hollywood, starring (and paring for the first time) two of the town's most well known modern stars.
Contrary to the above image, and the fact it involves the Manson murders of Sharon Tate (played by Margot Robbie) and her friends, this movie is supposed to be fun. And how could it not be when you have two of the biggest movie stars (ever?) teamed up in an as it happens buddy movie directed by Quentin Tarantino, his 9th. Which on that note...
How many movies has Spielberg made? Scorsese?! Yeah, you don't know. No one does (pipe down IMDb). So why is it a relatively known quantity this is Tarantino's 9th? Hell if we know, but it's a thing, and we do, but probably because he (and studio marketing) has made it a thing. It does sort of makes sense because while filming his cinematic endeavors his M.O. is to be heavy on loquaciousness and run time, he's actually quite restrained and purposeful on those undertakings at large.
His purpose here is to essentially recreate a period in time, Hollywood 1969, as well as to present a juxtaposition of times fading and times rising. The former portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio as a fictional narcissistic TV / film star on the downslope and Brad Pitt as his just as made up calm but dangerous stunt double (driver / gopher / drinking buddy). While Margot Robbie highlights the latter as the real Tate, and the "you know it's coming" pivotal moment, albeit getting less screen time throughout.
Exactly what happens for the duration seems to be beside the point and everything towards it. You'll get to see DiCaprio and Pitt go about their almost mundane working men entertainment lives, but as directed by Quentin Tarantino, so yes, it should be enjoyable. And you'll see Robbie embody a person new to Hollywood, just discovering her place in it, and all the delight it brings her (laced with the foreboding knowledge of what's to come*, of course).
You could probably argue most of Tarantino's movies are made simply because he wants them to exist, but this one seems even more personal. It takes on Los Angeles and "the business" at a specific age that seems to be quite special to the director (hell, he made a three hour movie about it 🤷♂️), as well as the broader shift in culture. But that directorial intimacy is probably what will make it even more fun for the rest of us.
*while saying nothing of what it is (we don't actually know), the ending does apparently have some revinisiom that could be called "a twist."
REVIEWS
You can imagine there are some detractors, it's Tarantino, but the positive reviews are ardently positive and talk about how great the acting is, (especially by Pitt and DiCaprio) as well as the overall craft.
Leah Greenblatt of EW said "DiCaprio and Pitt are probably as good as they’ve ever been in anything: one superbly channeling the outsize ego and fragility of an actor in early-midlife spiral, the other a sort of beach-boy Lebowski with a singular gift for sudden violence."
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 89%
(123 reviews @ publish)
WHO'S IT (NOT) FOR?
For: you just like movies and everything that comes with them / you like to watch movie stars at their charismatic best / you've ever said, thought or nodded when someone said "they don't like movies like they used to"
(Not): you think any movie that doesn't outline its intentions within the first 10 minutes is garbage
SHARE THIS FLICK W/ FRIENDS
ALREADY IN THEATERS + BOX OFFICE
(3-Day Weekend / Domestic Total - $ = millions)
1) The Lion King ($191.8) NEW
Live action(?) remake
53% RT - Trailer - Showtimes
2) Spider-Man: Far... ($21.2 / $320)
New continent, same troubles
90% RT - Trailer - Showtimes
3) Toy Story 4 ($15.6 / $376)
Toys get new member / toys get existential
98% RT - Trailer - Showtimes
4) Crawl ($6.1 / $24)
Hurricane + alligators + trapped = bad time
85% RT - Trailer - Showtimes
5) Yesterday ($5 / $58)
The Beatles disappear, except to one guy
62% RT - Trailer - Showtimes
6) Stuber ($4.1 / $16)
Uber ride gone crazy
43% RT - Trailer - Showtimes
7) Aladdin ($4.1 / $340)
Live action remake with Will Smith as JG
57% RT - Trailer - Showtimes
8) Annabelle Comes Home ($2.6 / $67)
The creepy doll is still causing trouble
66% RT - Trailer - Showtimes
9) Midsommar ($1.6 / $22)
Daylight horror from Hereditary director
83% RT - Trailer - Showtimes
10) The Secret Life of Pets 2 ($1.5 / $152)
Anthropomorphized happy fun times
58% RT - Trailer - Showtimes
HOBBS AND SHAW
The Rock and Jason Statham blow shit up while battling a superhuman Idris Elba. It's "presented by" the Fast and Furious franchise cuz the characters are from that world.
LIMITED RELEASE SPOTLIGHT
LUCE
A white couple adopts a black orphan who becomes a model son / student, but is questioned by his teacher and ultimately the community after some "discoveries." Early reviews are really great and praise the lead, Kelvin Harrison Jr.'s, performance.
LIMITED RELEASE SPOTLIGHT
THE NIGHTINGALE
A vengeance story set in 1825 Australia. Reviews have been out for some time (screened at Sydney Film Festival) and they're mostly really good, but the story is reportedly quite brutal (and that turned some people off). Same director as The Babadook, the very well liked horror movie.
IT
CHAPTER TWO
September 6, 2019
Final trailer. The losers club gets all growed up, and gets terrorized all over again. Albeit somewhat willingly in order to kill Pennywise.
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MONOS
September 13, 2019
Kinda hard to explain, but deals with kid soldiers and reviewers have been referencing Lord of the Flies and Apocalypse Now. They've also been very positive on the flick.
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THE GOLDFINCH
September 13, 2019
Second trailer. Based on the very popular (Pulitzer Prize winning) novel about a boy whose mother is killed in a terrorist attack at the MET and his story since. Ansel Elgort (Baby Driver) is the lead and also stars a bunch of other other knowns, including Nicole Kidman. Directed by dude who made Brooklyn.
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AD ASTRA
September 20, 2019
Second trailer. Brad Pitt, astronaut, tries to find his father, Tommy Lee Jones, also astronaut, to help prevent the end of the earth (and maybe meet aliens?) - kinda future-y, but yet also very "now." Directed by James Gray (Lost City of Z, The Immigrant).
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THE HUNT
September 27, 2019
Teaser, but kind of an alt trailer as it's an ad for the service centered on in the movie. And that service is, hunting humans... Cast includes Betty Gilpin from GLOW and Emma Roberts as well as Hilary Swank. Another Blumhouse pic (Get Out, The Purge, Happy Death Day etc.)
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21 BRIDGES
September 27, 2019
Second trailer. Chadwick Boseman (aka T'Challa aka Black Panther) goes after cop killers in NYC.
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JAY AND SILENT BOB
REBOOT
October 15, 2019
It's basically Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back again, except Jay is silent and Bob is a loudmouth. Snoogens! The release is different since it's super fan focused and tickets are on sale already at limited theaters. Check it. FYI trailer is red band (sweary words). Note: you may noticing Jay's teeth (you will), Mewes has had addiction issues and they may be a result (i.e. heroine).
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JOJO RABBIT
October 18, 2019
Teaser. Yes, that's Hitler (kinda). Yes, it's Taika Waititi, the director of Thor: Ragnarok and Hunt for the Wilderpeople as Hitler (kinda). He's also directing this which is a satire against hate (the studio makes it VERY clear in all marketing) using Nazis. Scarlett Johansson, Rebel Wilson and Sam Rockwell also star.
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HARRIET
November 1, 2019
Biopic about Harriet Tubman (played by Cynthia Erivo, one of the better parts of Bad Times at the El Royal) of her own escape as well as the many she helped facilitate.
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A BEAUTIFUL DAY
IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
November 22, 2019
Tom Hanks is Mister Rodgers, because of course he is. Story centers around a journalist doing a story on the always amiable children's entertainer.
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CATS
December 20, 2019
The musical in movie form, as directed by Tom Hooper (Les Mis, The King's Speech) and starring: Jennifer Hudson, Idris Elba, Taylor Swift, Judi Dench and plenty more. This one got some flack. And can't say it's high on our list, but not sure what people were expecting? This is the stage show. So like, what else do they do?
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TOP GUN:
MAVERICK
June 26, 2020
Yes, he rides a motorcycle. Yup, he still wears the jacket. Of course, Iceman is back. Beach volleyball? You bet.
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