Just in time for the weekend.

Hope it's a damn fine one.

Latham Arneson

Jan 24, 2025

THE QUOTE 🎬 💬

“The owls are not what they seem.”

hint: the first non-movie quote to be featured here in the eight year history of WIT+

THINK THOUGHTS 💭

NEWSY BITS 👾

Justin Baldoni Sues Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds for Defamation - this is in addition to suing the New York Times and in response to Lively’s suit against Baldoni. This is getting ridiculous you might say, and I’d say “Getting?!” - The New York Times

Robert Eggers Set For ‘Labyrinth’ Sequel At TriStar - the director of The Witch and Nosferatu???! Indeed. Slap that baby, make him ~~pee~~ free, indeed.- Deadline

2025 Oscar Nominations: ‘Emilia Pérez’ Leads the Way With 13 - Pérez is the Netflix semi-musical. The Brutalist was second with 10. All the Best Picture nominees below! - The New York Times

Anora
The Brutalist
A Complete Unknown
Conclave
Dune: Part Two
Emilia Pérez
I’m Still Here
Nickel Boys
The Substance
Wicked

EXTRA CREDIT MOVIE(S) 📝

Back in Action - if I were to say I forgot to callout Cameron Diaz’s return to movies (after a 10 year hiatus), where she pairs up with Jamie Foxx, last week when it released on Netflix because it looks forgettable, that’d be mean, right? Right. So I won’t say that. Instead, I’ll let the reviews do it for me. Streaming on Netflix Now

Star Trek: Section 31 - huge Star Trek fan here. But this doesn’t look like Star Trek… Even though it stars Michelle Yeoh as her character from a Star Trek show. The reviews say… it’s kinda not Star Trek?? Sure, it has the title, but it’s the ethos and vibe that really make up the Gene Roddenberry creation. Is it at least good sci-fi? Ummm, not so sure about that either. Streaming on Paramount + Friday

Inheritance - like father (Rhys Ifan) like daughter (Phoebe Dynevor) in the game of spies. The reviews, however, say the game is looking a bit tired. Playing in Limited Theaters Friday

NOTABLE NEW RELEASE(S) 🎟 & 📺

Presence

If a horror movie is told from the perspective of the ghost, does that make it a “human story” instead of a “ghost story?”

If that’s the case it, it might seem as if it’ll be much too simplistic—just a camera pointed at humans. But if you think about it, humans are fucking terrifying, no matter your pov. Seems like the perfect territory for, and yet another nice little filmmaking experiment from, Steven Soderbergh (Ocean’s 11, Sex, Lies and Videotapes).

Which, when you say “experiment,” it implies risk. And that’s true… but I might argue there’s less than a “normal” movie. Because at the very least, you’ll get presented with something you haven’t seen before.

Which, no matter your pov on the film, you’ll at least walk away with something new.

Watch the Trailer

Out: Friday

Where: Theaters

Details: 1 hr 25 mins | R | 🍅: 88%

Flight Risk

““Y’all Need a Filmmaker?”“
“Mel Gibson’s risible new movie, “Flight Risk”“
“Mel Gibson makes little attempt to instill any sense of physicality “
“had Gibson not made every single wrong directorial decision along the way.“
“Sloppy direction from Mel Gibson interferes with the best the film has to offer.“
“none of them are funnier than when the end credits start and you’re reminded, once again, that this movie was directed by Mel Gibson.“

🫣

Jesus. I don’t know if Mel Gibson pissed in the soup at a film critics convention, or if the new movie he directed is just this bad.

But it’s probably both.

Which explains why Lionsgate is marketing the movie on the prowess of Gibson as an esteemed filmmaker, using a movie from 30 years ago. Which like, sure, you what you got, but still, the average moviegoer is just gonna be like, why is Marky Mark half bald in this?

Watch the Trailer

Out: Friday

Where: Theaters

Details: 1 hr 31 mins | R | 🍅: 26%

Movies are better with (good) company.