The dark and gritty 1994 film “The Crow” was equal part supernatural superhero movie and classic revenge thriller. Based on James O’Barr’s 1989 limited comic book series of the same name, the film gained a strong cult following in addition to being well reviewed by critics. But the movie was struck by tragedy following the on-set death of its star Brandon Lee, son of famed martial artist Bruce Lee, who was fatally wounded by a prop gun during filming.
After several not-so-great sequels, this year we’re getting a remake of “The Crow” from director Rupert Sanders. The film sees Bill Skarsgård playing murdered musician Eric Draven who is resurrected from the dead to avenge not only his death but also of his beloved fiancé (played by FKA twigs). The first trailer certainly embraces the violence of the 1994 film but lacks the dark stylish allure that was essential to the original movie’s success. I don’t know. I’m intrigued enough to give it a shot. Hopefully it delivers.
“The Crow” soars into theaters on June 7th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.
Following its world premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, the biographical drama “One Life” was greeted with quite a bit of praise from critics. Deservedly so. Now audiences in the States get their chance to experience this outstanding and heart-wrenching drama that once again highlights Anthony Hopkins as one of our greatest living actors.
Directed by James Hawes, “One Life” is based on the book “If It’s Not Impossible…: The Life of Sir Nicholas Winton” by Barbara Winton. It tells the fascinating true story of humanitarian Nicholas Winton, a London stockbroker who was instrumental in the rescue of 669 children, mostly Jewish, from Prague in the shadow of Hitler’s invasion of Czechoslovakia.
Image Courtesy of Bleecker Street
A little historical background…in 1938, following the Nazi occupation of Austria, Hitler wanted possession of the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia. In their misjudged hopes of avoiding war, Britain, France, and Italy gave in to Hitler’s demands. The very next day Nazi forces were marching into Czechoslovakia sending tens of thousands of predominantly Jewish refugees, many of them children, fleeing towards unoccupied Prague. Once there the homeless and starving refugees gathered with the worst of winter still to come and under the looming threat of a Nazi invasion.
Co-written by Lucinda Coxon and Nick Drake, “One Life” blends two inseparable timelines. One is set in 1987 where an elderly Nicholas Winton (Hopkins) lives in Maidenhead, England with his wife Grete (an outstanding Lena Olin). The other is set in 1938 where a 29-year-old Nicholas (played by Johnny Flynn) is determined to travel to Prague after hearing of the humanitarian crisis. As the scenes with the elder Nicholas show a man haunted by the children he wasn’t able to help save, the scenes with the younger Nicholas highlight the courageous work he did to save as many children as he could.
Hopkins delivers yet another powerful performance – an awards-worthy turn that’s subtle yet rich and emotionally layered. He carries Winton’s immense regret with sincerity and humility, showing him to be burdened by the weight of a reality he can’t come to terms with. Several moments help depict this part of Winton’s life including some superb scenes with his wife Grete and one particularly good scene with an old friend, Martin Blake (played by the great Jonathan Pryce in a “The Two Popes” reunion). And it all culminates in a finish that’s equal parts uplifting and crushing.
As for the scenes with the younger Nicholas, Hawes covers ample ground in giving us a comprehensive account of his selfless and harrowing efforts in Prague and in London. Flynn is excellent as an idealistic and driven Nicholas who is moved to action after seeing firsthand the number of endangered children. And Hawes shows Nicholas’s work wasn’t possible without the help of others including his straightforward and persuasive mother Babi (Helena Bonham Carter), Doreen Warriner (Romola Garai), the head of the British Committee for Refugees from Czechoslovakia, and Trevor Chadwick (Alex Sharp), a crucial player in getting the children out of German-occupied Czechoslovakia.
Image Courtesy of Bleecker Street
As the two-pronged story unfolds, Hawes puts a lot of effort into recreating his dual settings. The costume and production designs are key, as is the director’s ability to convey the tensions and emotions unique to each period. In some ways its framework resembles that of other biopics that came before it. But Winton’s story is inherently moving and the movie sticks close to it, touching us with his compassion, inspiring us by his diligence and courage, and shattering us with a cathartic release that feels honest and earned.
Through the years there has been no shortage of films dealing with the Holocaust. That’s a good thing, because as movies like “One Life” remind us, there are still affecting and consequential stories worth telling. Yes, there’s a slight by-the-numbers quality to this one and some may grumble that it keeps its hands a little too clean. But Hawes trusts his audience to fill in the gaps. And we get everything we need from Hopkins and Flynn and the undeniable kinship between their two portrayals. Hopkins gives us something particularly special – another sublime performance to be cherished from a beloved actor who never seems to disappoint. “One Life” hits theaters March 15th.
In some exciting news, Kino Lorber Studio Classics has brought Stanley Kubrick’s 1952 debut film “Fear and Desire” to 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray for very first time. This ambitious anti-war film was directed, produced, shot, and edited by the legendary filmmaker. This incredible new edition features a full 4K restoration of both the long-unavailable uncut premiere version and the 1953 theatrical version. And it’s jam-packed with special features including new audio commentaries and 4K restorations of three early Kubrick short films: “Flying Padre”, “Day of the Flight”, and “The Seafarers”.
From the Distributor:
Kino Lorber Studio Classics proudly releases the long-unseen Uncut Premiere Version of Stanley Kubrick’s “Fear and Desire”, the legendary filmmaker’s first feature-length film, making its debut on 4K UHD + Blu-ray. Both the Uncut Premiere Version and the 1953 Theatrical Version are presented in brand new HDR/Dolby Vision masters, from 4K Restorations of the 35mm Camera Negative and Fine Grain.
The extremely rare Premiere Version of “Fear and Desire” remained unseen for over 70 years, until the Library of Congress came into possession of a 35mm film element. Now, for the first time since its interrupted theatrical run, audiences can now see Kubrick’s first feature film as it was first released.
This 4K UHD + Blu-ray set also includes the 1953 Theatrical Version, with new audio commentaries by film historians Eddy Von Mueller (on the 70-minute Premiere Version) and Gary Gerani (on the 62-minute Theatrical Version). This set will also provide Kubrick completists with the director’s three short films that offer an early glimpse of his brilliant photographic eye and distinctive style: Flying Padre (1951, 4K restoration from original 35mm print), Day of the Fight (1951, 4K restoration from original 35mm print), and The Seafarers (1953, 4K Restoration from the 16mm A/B Camera Negatives and a 16mm Print). The release is also available in a Blu-ray edition.
The Uncut Premiere Version of “Fear and Desire” will also be available digitally in 4K on iTunes, Vudu, and Google Play beginning March 26.
In this existential drama—which has the feeling of a waking dream rather than a conventional war film—four soldiers return to their senses after crash-landing in a forest behind enemy lines. Blindly navigating their way back to their unit, they attack an isolated cabin occupied by enemy soldiers, then apprehend a peasant woman who is tormented by the deranged young soldier assigned to guard her. On the verge of freedom, they discover an outpost of enemy officers, and must decide whether to slip silently past or stage a violent confrontation with their doppelgängers.
Upon its initial release, Kubrick was stung by negative audience reactions and immediately decided to tone down the philosophical aspects of the film. These edits made the film less of a metaphysical experience and more of a conventional war film. For decades, this 62-minute version was all that existed of “Fear and Desire”, until the Library of Congress came into possession of a 35mm element of the original 70-minute premiere cut, which has not been seen since its interrupted theatrical run in 1953. Now, we can finally see “Fear and Desire” as it was first released, and witness the blossoming of a 23-year-old cinematic genius.
Special Features:
4K UHD Bonus Features:
DISC 1 (4KUHD):
Brand New HDR/Dolby Vision Masters for Both Cuts of Fear and Desire – 4K Restorations from the 35mm Camera Negative and Fine Grain
NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian Eddy Von Mueller (70-Minute Premiere Cut)
NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian/Screenwriter Gary Gerani (62-Minute Theatrical Cut)
Flying Padre (1951, Short Film by Stanley Kubrick) – 4K Restoration from the Original 35mm Print
Day of the Fight (1951, Short Film by Stanley Kubrick) – 4K Restoration from the Original 35mm Print
The Seafarers (1953, Short Film by Stanley Kubrick) – 4K Restoration from the 16mm A/B Camera Negatives and a 16mm Print
Triple-Layered UHD100 Disc
Optional English Subtitles (Features and Shorts)
DISC 2 (BLU-RAY):
Brand New HD Masters – 4K Restorations from the 35mm Camera Negative and Fine Grain
NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian Eddy Von Mueller (70-Minute Premiere Cut)
NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian/Screenwriter Gary Gerani (62-Minute Theatrical Cut)
Flying Padre (1951, Short Film by Stanley Kubrick) – 4K Restoration from the Original 35mm Print
Day of the Fight (1951, Short Film by Stanley Kubrick) – 4K Restoration from the Original 35mm Print
The Seafarers (1953, Short Film by Stanley Kubrick) – 4K Restoration from the 16mm A/B Camera Negatives and a 16mm Print
Trailers for Fear and Desire, Killer’s Kiss, The Killing and Paths of Glory
Not to be confused with David Michôd’s gritty Australian crime thriller with almost the same name, “The Animal Kingdom” from director Thomas Cailley couldn’t be more different. Part fantasy and part coming-of-age drama, Cailley’s movie (which he co-wrote with Pauline Munier) is filled with big ideas and even better intentions. But as it progresses those ideas grow more and more familiar. And those good intentions alone have a difficult time holding our interest.
“The Animal Kingdom” drops us into a world where a wave of unexplained mutations are causing humans to gradually transform into animals. Birds, wolves, bears, octopuses, chameleons, you name it. The movie never attempts to explain the origin of the mutations or why certain people become certain animals. In a sense it’s disappointing as it feels like a missed opportunity to take the story in some fascinating directions. But it quickly becomes evident that Cailley is much more interested in the human element which makes his focus on his characters understandable.
Photo courtesy of Magnet Releasing
Romain Duris plays Francois, a husband and father who has a lot on his plate. His wife Lana is in a facility undergoing treatment for her own animal mutation. Her doctors have no idea how to treat her and want to move her south to a new treatment center. Francois agrees – a decision that adds stress to his relationship with his teenage son Emile (Paul Kircher). Francois rents out a small house near Lana’s new location and gets a job as a cook while Emile enrolls in an area high school.
While transporting Lana, the bus carrying her and other mutants crashes during a storm leading them to escape into the nearby forest. Local authorities, including a sympathetic and compassionate officer named Julia (Adèle Exarchopoulos), begin searching for the patients but are ordered to stand down as the military takes over. Unhappy with the results, Francois and a reluctant Emile begin searching the forests despite them being ruled off limits by the police.
As Emile tries to please and support his heartbroken father, he also tries to fit in at his new school. He takes a special liking to a classmate named Nina (Billie Blain) and the two begin to grow close. Emile’s attempt to balance these two sides of his life play a big part in the story. And both become significantly more difficult after he himself begins showing signs of a mutation. He tries to hide the signs at first, knowing the consequences he’ll face in the mostly intolerant society.
Photo courtesy of Magnet Releasing
From that synopsis you get a taste of the social commentary Cailley is interested in. To his credit he’s not overbearing with it. But he’s not particularly subtle either. In fact, sometimes his messaging is so pointed that it can be hard to buy into certain scenes. But much more than that, the film’s biggest issue is with its pacing. There are several slow patches where the story doesn’t seem to go anywhere. It meanders to the point that you really feel the film’s 130-minute length.
“The Animal Kingdom” isn’t without its strengths. The performances are mostly strong led by Duris who never seems to deliver a bad performance. Here he often puts the film on his back and carries it. We also get some impressive makeup and digital effects, seen mainly in the mutations and in Emile’s gradual transformation. But the movie does start to drag and it could have benefited from having around 20 minutes shaved off. That’s what ultimately drags the film down and keeps it from really resonating the way it intends. “The Animal Kingdom” opens in select theaters and on VOD Friday, March 15th.
The 2024 awards season finally wraps up with the 96th Academy Awards. This year offered up an interesting collection of nominees on what was a long road to Oscar night. As is often the case, there was very little drama in some of the big categories as a lot followed the awards season trends. But there were a few surprises. And unlike last year, there were more winners that genuinely felt deserving. Anyway, enough chatter. Here are a few Random Thoughts on this year’s Oscars.
What a huge and well deserved night for “Oppenheimer”. While it hasn’t been the case in recent years, the Academy got it right by give Best Picture to this Christopher Nolan masterpiece. It was great seeing the best movie of the year recognized as it should have been.
FINALLY! It took forever but Christopher Nolan has finally won an Academy Award for Best Director. He has deserved it several times in the past and he certainly deserved it this time as well. Bravo!
This year saw Jimmy Kimmel return as the host and it again showed that we could easily have an Oscar ceremony without a host. Kimmel wasn’t glaringly bad. But he also wasn’t particularly funny. Some of his jokes were ill-advised and others downright bad.
Back to “Oppenheimer”, I was thrilled to see Cillian Murphy win Best Actor. He gave the performance of his career and that’s saying something considering he’s always great. I was so hoping he would win and felt confident. But you just never know. He was extraordinary and the anchor of that incredible movie.
But that’s not to say the Academy got it all right. In what was easily the most frustrating category of the night, Emma Stone wins Best Actress for the bafflingly acclaimed “Poor Things. It’s such a travesty that Lily Gladstone was snubbed by BAFTA and left to settle for a nomination from the Academy.
And speaking of Lily Gladstone, her getting hosed by the Academy means the exceptional “Killers of the Flower Moon”, which received ten nominations, went home with NO wins. It’s hard to image a world where that is a reality. Yet it has become a trend with the Academy and Martin Scorsese movies. Ridiculous.
One of the most sure-things of the night was Da’Vine Joy Randolph winning for Best Supporting Actress. But that didn’t make it any less exciting. She was absolutely tremendous in “The Holdovers” and delivered such a heartfelt speech.
While we’re talking incredible wins, how about Robert Downey Jr. He takes home the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for “Oppenheimer” and it was such a delight. And he didn’t disappoint, giving a great speech after a great win for a great performance.
This was an interesting category. The award for Best Original Screenplay went to “Anatomy of a Fall”. Things were looking up for it but there was a chance for “The Holdovers”. Both would have been worthwhile winners.
Best Adapted Screenplay was predictable but still disappointing. Christopher Nolan’s script for “Oppenheimer” was sublime. Yet the award went to “American Fiction”, a good movie but one where the screenplay was its weakest part. Oh well.
Best Hairstyle and Makeup went to “Poor Things”. But that’s the one Oscar I would have given to “Maestro”. It also won for Best Production Design, the one Oscar I would have given to “Barbie”. And it won for Costume Design. Sure….okay I guess.
How about that terrific “Beetlejuice” reunion? Wasn’t it awesome seeing Michael Keaton and Catherine O’Hara presenting together? Of course it’s always awesome seeing Michael Keaton.
Who didn’t cheer when hearing “Godzilla: Minus One” announced as the Oscar winner for Best Special Effects? It’s such a brilliant film even beyond its visuals. But there’s no denying it deserved this one.
One of my favorite wins of the night was “The Zone of Interest” taking home the statue for Beat International Feature. It would have been an absolute travesty if it had went home empty-handed. What an incredible film and a worthy win.
But then it won again! The Academy rightly awarded “The Zone of Interest” for Best Sound. It’s such a great thing to see considering sound plays such a crucial role in the film. Love it!
“Oppenheimer” wins for Best Editing as it should have. Again, things were trending in its direction. But it’s great to see the Academy get it right.
Also, “Oppenheimer” wins for Best Cinematography. Hoyte van Hoytema is a brilliant cinematographer and it has really shown in his collaborations with Christopher Nolan. “Oppenheimer” ranks among his very best work.
And staying with “Oppenheimer”, it also won Best Original Score. It’s the second Oscar for the infinitely talented 39-year-old Ludwig Göransson. This was such an aching, powerful, and driving work.
Speaking of reunions, I got a kick out of seeing Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito back together. The “Twins” stars are a blast even at this stage of their career. And when Michael Keaton gave them the evil eye from the crowd, the “Batman” vibes were off the charts.
Okay, so I’m not a fan of “Barbie”. But I have no problem admitting that Gosling’s performance of “I’m Just Ken” was pretty great. I mean he even got Slash to show up and jam!
I’m really not a fan of the far-away camera shots for the IN MEMORIAM segment. I get there are singers and dancers on stage. But maybe do something simpler so we can actually put the focus on where it belongs – on those lost over the last year.
It was great to see the Academy take time to acknowledge the stunt workers who have been such a pivotal part of movie-making since the very beginning. While the segment was nice, perhaps it’s finally time to create a category to properly award them.
And that wraps up another loooong awards season. This year was a significant improvement over last – just as predictable in many ways but at least the Academy got most of it right. Now we can fully focus on the movies of 2024. See you next year.
It’s kinda funny to have a third installment of a film franchise called “Chapter 1”. Yet that’s the case with “The Strangers: Chapter 1”, the third film in TheStrangers horror series. Directed by Renny Harlin, the film is a prequel to Bryan Bertino’s 2008 first film and is set to be the first of a new trilogy. Harlin shot all three movies in his trilogy over a two month period in 2022. And it sounds like the plan is to release them close together starting in May.
2008’s “The Strangers” was a terrifying horror film and one of the few to genuinely put me on the edge of my seat. Sadly its 2018 sequel was a major letdown. Judging by the first trailer, Harlin’s movies look to tap into the what made the first film so good. Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez play a couple terrorized by three masked strangers while staying at a remote Airbnb. It’s a simple concept, but one that can be effective if handled well. Will this one deliver the goods? We’ll soon see.
“The Strangers: Chapter 1” hits theaters May 17th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.
Keith & the Movies 