What can I say, I’ve been a sucker for Kenneth Branagh’s star-studded adventures of Hercule Poirot. Branagh has directed and starred in 2017’s “Murder on the Orient Express” and 2022’s “Death on the Nile”. Now he returns with “A Haunting in Venice”, his third Agatha Christie adaptation that follows the ace detective as he solves murders across various exotic locations. The latest trailer is a lot of fun and it looks like Branagh is having a blast with the supernatural twist.
This time around we see Branagh’s Poirot take on a supernatural mystery in (obviously) Venice. Retired and living a quite life alone, Poirot reluctantly finds himself back on a case after a guest is murdered during a séance at an old and supposedly haunted palazzo. Michelle Yeoh, Jamie Dornan, Kyle Allen, Tina Fey, Kelly Reilly, Camille Cottin, Jude Hill, Emma Laird, and Ricardo Scamarcio fill out yet another intriguing cast – something the series has been known for. I’m in.
“A Haunting in Venice” hits theaters September 15th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.
In the dark of night, a man in blue coveralls and carrying a long narrow case slips into the side door of a movie theater. He makes his way to a service elevator and heads up to the roof. Once there he walks across and enters a door that takes him down several stairs and to the projection booth. He opens up his case and pulls out a bolt-action rifle. In the theater below a mob boss and his wise guys sit watching a Swedish skin flick, unaware that a gun is pointing at them from above.
I won’t spoil how things play out, but the scene is an explosive start to writer-director’s Fernando Di Leo’s “The Boss” (which was also released as “Wipeout!”). Everything about it, from its conception to its execution, emphasizes Di Leo’s skill and tenacity as a genre filmmaker. It’s bloody and brutal and instantly sets the tone for this violent and sometimes sleazy poliziottesco crime noir.
“The Boss” is considered the be the third film in Di Leo’s Milieu Trilogy following “Caliber 9” and “The Italian Connection”, both from 1972. The killer in the above described scene is Nick Lanzetta (played by the late Henry Silva). He’s a hitman working for Don Giuseppe Daniello (Claudio Nicastro). Don Giuseppe has been a father figure to Nick, taking him in off the streets and raising him as one of his own. Now Don Giuseppe runs a crew in Palermo with Nick as his trusted right-hand-man.
While taking out the rival boss at the movie theater may have solved some problems, it also opened up others. A gangster named Cocchi (Pier Paolo Capponi) takes charge of what’s left of the dead Don’s crew and is intent on revenge. He has some men kidnap Don Giuseppe’s nympho daughter Rina (Antonia Santilli). As expected this sends Don Giuseppe into a panic. He wants Nick to find and rescue Rina but is told to stand down by the regional boss, Don Corrasco (Richard Conte). He’s an old-school Sicilian who detests Calabrians. Still he doesn’t want to start a full-blown gang war as too much noise would catch the attention of the big bosses in Rome.
But soon Nick finds himself caught in the middle. Corrasco wants him to keep an eye on Giuseppe to make sure he doesn’t make a deal with the kidnappers that would threaten the family. Giuseppe wants him to help get Rina back without alerting Corrasco. Like most good spaghetti gangster movies, a slew of characters are introduced and few are left standing at the end. Allegiances form, friends turn on friends, enemies get their comeuppances.
There are several interesting variables that add some cool layers to the story. Gianni Garko is terrific as Commissioner Torri, a dirty cop who’s impossible to read. And Marino Masé is really good playing Pignataro, a mob enforcer who helps Nick once the heat turns up. Both are crucial pieces of the story that keep things moving in unexpected directions. Not so good is Rina, who only seems there to serve as a plot device and to give the audience a woman to ogle. She’s a flimsy character and a distraction that often pulls us away from the good stuff.
Overlooking that one poorly judged annoyance, “The Boss” is a captivating mob thriller full of rich and fascinating characters and with a good eye for gritty gangland action. The story may have the markings of a conventional mob tale, but Di Leo’s shrewdly absorbing script and direction brings a fresh feel to a pretty straightforward genre flick. It’s propulsive and energetic, eventually reaching a bullet-riddled payoff that’s both fitting and satisfying.
Back in 2020 Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions came together with director Tyler Spindel and conceived “The Wrong Missy”, an atrocious David Spade led comedy in-name-only for Netflix. The two give it another whirl with “The Out-Laws”, the new action-heist comedy that manages to be an improvement over their last effort. But let’s be honest, that’s hardly a ringing endorsement.
“The Out-Laws” sees Adam DeVine playing Owen Browning, an oblivious young bank manager, as nerdy as he is naive, who’s all set to marry the girl of his dreams, Parker McDermott (Nina Dobrev). With their special day fast approaching, the couple are surprised by an email from Parker’s parents, Billy (Pierce Brosnan) and Lilly (Ellen Barkin) saying they are coming to the wedding. Parker hasn’t seen her folks in years and Owen has never met them.
Well wouldn’t you know it, shortly after Billy, Lilly, and their mammoth-sized personalities arrive Owen’s bank is robbed. All signs point to his soon-to-be in-laws being the culprits but Owen needs proof before accusing them, especially to Parker. Hijinks and numerous vain attempts at humor ensue.
Image Courtesy of Netflix
It’s hard to know how much else to share because it’s not like the story offers anything fresh or even interesting. Spindel, with screenwriters Evan Turner and Ben Zazove, run with the ‘are they or aren’t they outlaws’ bit for a while before cranking up the action in the final 30 minutes. That’s when things really get silly. Through it all the jokes steadily become less and less funny while DeVine’s act quickly grows stale and irritating. Needless to say it doesn’t take long for his character to wear out his welcome.
Along the way we’re treated to a number of other characters, many played by some great faces. The always fun Michael Rooker squeezes out a few laughs playing an FBI agent investigating the bank robbery. I can’t say the same for Lil Rel Howery who is essentially playing yet another Lil Rel Howery character. Laci Mosley and Daniel Andrew Jablons have some good moments as Owen’s bank employees but they’re barely around. The only semi-reliable source of giggles is Richard Kind and Julie Hagerty as Owen’s odd-duck parents. They’re able to generate some genuine laughs and somehow make the cringiest material digestible.
“The Out-Laws” is the kind of throwaway movie that many people use to give streaming comedies a bad name. It’s generic, formulaic, and not nearly as funny as it wants to be. The writing is all over the map – funny on occasions but mostly bad. Meanwhile the performances range from decent to dreadful. All together it makes for the kind of processed time-muncher custom-made for people sitting on their couches to click on once and then never watch again. It’s not much to strive for, but if that was the goal I guess it succeeded. “The Out-Laws” is now streaming on Netflix.
For me the Mission: Impossible movies have become the epitome of Hollywood blockbusters done right. Tom Cruise has taken the series from its early days of experimenting with different directors and their different styles to its more cohesive current state as a consistently jaw-dropping action franchise that has thrived under the winning watchful eye of writer-director Christopher McQuarrie.
As most know, the Mission: Impossible films are famous for steadily upping the ante in terms of mind-blowing action set pieces that repeatedly push the boundaries of practical effects and stunt work. And of course leading that charge is Tom Cruise himself whose passion for giving audiences truly memorable big screen experiences has led to him constantly one-upping himself in terms of wild death-defying stunts.
The seventh installment in the franchise is finally here and it once again delivers exactly the kind of big-budget cinematic thrills that I’ve come to expect. “Dead Reckoning Part One” is the first of an epic two-parter with its direct sequel set to release June 28, 2024. McQuarrie returns to helm the massive project and the cast is overflowing with fan favorite characters and some really intriguing new ones. But once again it’s Cruise who is the linchpin both on screen and off.
Image Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Cruise reprises his role as IMF agent Ethan Hunt who this time finds himself on an unsanctioned mission to hunt down a sentient A.I. called the Entity (how timely) that has gone rogue. Different governments around the world want to harness and weaponize the Entity, but Ethan believes it to be too dangerous to control and sets out to destroy it. That puts him odds with the world’s intelligence agencies including his own.
The hunt begins with the search for a key that’s said to unlock the ability to control the Entity. The key is broken into two pieces, one believed to be in the possession of Ilsa Faust (the superb Rebecca Ferguson), an ex-MI6 agent and close ally to Ethan. IMF director Eugene Kittridge (Henry Czerny making his first appearance since the 1996 original film) has put a bounty on Ilsa’s head yet tips off Ethan to her whereabouts.
The other part of the key is tracked to Abu Dhabi International Airport where Ethan is joined by his loyal friends and team members Benji (Simon Pegg) and Luther (Ving Rhames). But they aren’t the only ones trying to retrieve it. A mysterious face from Ethan’s past named Gabriel (Esai Morales) is working for the Entity and is determined to get to the key first. Meanwhile an intelligence collective called The Community has sent a force led by Jasper Briggs (Shea Whigham) to secure Ethan dead or alive.
The wild card in the story is also the film’s best new addition. Hayley Atwell plays Grace, a smart and resourceful professional thief with (as Atwell herself described them) rather ambiguous loyalties. She snatches the key in the airport but soon finds herself in way over her head. Atwell has an infectious charm and her chemistry with Cruise fuels some of the movie’s best scenes.
As the story unfolds McQuarrie and company take us all around the world, making stops in Amsterdam, the Bering Sea, the Arabian Desert, Washington DC, Abu Dahbi, Rome, Venice, and the Austrian Alps. They’re all beautifully shot by DP Fraser Taggart. McQuarrie utilizes the numerous locations incredibly well resulting in a number of strikingly unique yet equally thrilling action scenes that pop off the screen.
Image Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
The story itself is compelling yet clearly building towards a proper conclusion which we should get in Part Two. Still it’s energized by the committed and often nuanced performances from a truly spot-on cast. Cruise, Ferguson, Rhames, and Pegg have a well-established chemistry which once again forms the centerpiece of the story. I’ve mentioned how great Atwell is. The same can be said for Morales who makes for a formidable antagonist who remains somewhat of a mystery even after the credits roll. Vanessa Kirby returns as the always fascinating White Widow while Pom Klementieff adds a cool maniacal twist.
It doesn’t have many, but there are a few shortcomings. For example, Ethan and Gabriel’s past certainly has a role to play in the film. Yet it doesn’t get the attention it needs to feel meaningful. Also as an unapologetic fan of Ferguson’s Ilsa, I really wish she had been given more to do. There’s a lengthy stretch in the first half where she’s nowhere to be found and then just pops up with no explanation. Same with Rhames in the third act.
But let’s be real, those are minor quibbles especially for a movie that delivers the kind of exhilarating entertainment we get from “Dead Reckoning Part One”. Cruise and McQuarrie have once again collaborated to make a poster boy summer blockbuster that lovingly embraces what makes the big screen experience so uniquely special. It’s kinetically paced and action driven, yet anchored by great characters and with more than a few laughs to break up the tension. Altogether it makes for a wonderful first part to what could be a truly unforgettable mission. “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” is in theaters now.
I can’t overstate how curious and excited I am for “Outlaw Johnny Black”, the upcoming genre smorgasbord from director, co-producer, co-writer, and star Michael Jai White. Deemed a “spiritual sequel” to White’s 2009 cult hit “Black Dynamite”, the film is a genre lover’s dream, mixing together elements of Westerns, martial arts, comedy, and adventure.
This week Samuel Goldwyn Films announced that the movie will be released exclusively in theaters on September 15, 2023. To coincide with the announcement the studio has released a brand new poster and trailer (see them below). Here is the official studio press release…
Samuel Goldwyn Films has acquired US rights to the western OUTLAW JOHNNY BLACK, written and directed by Michael Jai White, for a theatrical release on September 15. Donovan De Boer, Michael Jai White and Grant Gilmore serve as producers, with a screenplay by Michael Jai White.
From the same team that made the 2009 cult classic BLACK DYNAMITE, OUTLAW JOHNNY BLACK stars Michael Jai White (“As Good as Dead”), Anika Noni Rose (“The Princess and the Frog”), Erica Ash (“We Have a Ghost”), Byron Minns (“Black Dynamite”), Kym Whitley (“Act Your Age”), and Tony Baker.
“We’re thrilled to be reteaming with Michael Jai White after the success of our 2022 action movie AS GOOD AS DEAD. This spiritual successor to BLACK DYNAMITE not only showcases Michael’s abilities as an action and comedy star, but also his skills as a filmmaker,” said SGF president Peter Goldwyn.
Hell bent on avenging the death of his father, Johnny Black vows to gun down Brett Clayton and becomes a wanted man in the process. He goes into hiding, posing as a preacher in a small mining town that’s been taken over by a notorious Land Baron.
“I hope this movie, inspired by the late Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte, creates for others, the kind of joy I felt as a child when I could watch movies over and over with my family and get something new each time!” said writer and director Michael Jai White.
Samuel Goldwyn Films will release OUTLAW JOHNNY BLACK exclusively in theaters on September 15.
In December of 2018 Netflix released “Bird Box”, a movie that unexpectedly turned int an overnight sensation. It was a Sandra Bullock led post-apocalyptic horror thriller that quickly became the platform’s most-watched movie. Many were obsessed with it, setting social media ablaze. Others went even further as evident by the ‘Bird BoxChallenge’ craze where antics ranged from silly stuff like people covering their eyes and walking into walls to a 17-year-old Utah girl crashing her car after driving blindfolded into oncoming traffic.
As for the movie itself, it remained a fan favorite for quite some time. Talks of a sequel quickly followed. Then in 2021 we got our first hint of what was to come. It would be a Spanish-language spin-off set within the same universe. It was to be written and directed by the filmmaking duo of Álex and David Pastor.
“Bird Box Barcelona” does indeed spin off of the first film which was based on Josh Malerman’s 2014 novel. But it’s certainly no clone of its 2018 predecessor. The Pastors do a good job of giving their film its own identity, taking the same concept and building on it in a number of interesting ways. It does require at least some degree of investment in the Bird Box world. But don’t worry – mine was minimal at first. And by the end I found myself pleasantly (and unexpectedly) intrigued.
Image Courtesy of Netflix
There’s no doubt that the 2018 film was helped by having a Hollywood A-lister like Sandra Bullock attached. “Bird Box Barcelona” may not have that kind of celebrity draw, but Goya Award winner Mario Casas (“Cross the Line”) makes for an impressive lead. Not only does he maneuver his surprisingly layered character through the story’s literal urban hellscape, but he also takes him on an emotionally scarring journey soaked in themes of grief, parenthood, and lost humanity. It’s a subtly rich performance from Casas, even in the final act where his character arc loses some of its steam.
Cases plays Sebastián who we first meet well after the mysterious entities from the first film have plunged earth into dystopian chaos. If you remember, the entities (which the audience are never shown) possess the unexplained ability to make people violently kill themselves just by looking at them. So what few survivors remain are forced to blindfold themselves whenever they’re exposed to the outdoors. This is the world Sebastián and his young daughter Anna (Alejandra Howard) must navigate when we first meet them.
The Pastors do intermittently take us back a few months to when the chaos began, revealing Sebastián’s story through some truly terrifying flashbacks. We see where he was when reports of mass suicides began filling the airwaves. We see him trying to get home to his family as bedlam breaks out across Barcelona. We see what has forced Sebastián and his daughter to scavenge for their survival, not only evading the murderous creatures but the dangerous and equally deadly humans as well.
Image Courtesy of Netflix
But it’s an early first-act twist that sets the movie on an unanticipated trajectory. I won’t dare spoil it as it becomes the crux of story. But it’s an unforeseen jolt that tosses any expectations you may have had out the window. It also opens the door for the Pastors to do some fresh world-building – adding some new pages to the mythology and laying down the groundwork for what looks to be some pretty clear franchise ambitions.
As the story unfolds, Sebastián encounters a number of other survivors throughout the ravaged Barcelona. Some appear friendly such as Claire (Georgina Campbell), a doctor with some keen maternal instincts, and Sofia (Naila Schuberth), a young girl who was separated from her mother. Others appear quite menacing, including Padre Esteban (Leonardo Sbaraglia) and the cult-like group who some claim can look upon the entities and remain unharmed. They all help fill out the world and have their own roles to play in getting the story to the finish line.
After the credits roll there are still some pretty obvious questions yet to be answered: Exactly what are these entities? What do they look like? Where did they come from? Why are they doing what they’re doing? It’s not necessarily a bad thing. The Pastors utilize these mysteries to the fullest, adding in a few new ones of their own. Yet by the end we get the sense that answers are on the way. In true franchise fashion we’ll have to wait until the next movie to find out. But credit to the Pastors, they have me onboard and I’m certainly willing to dive back into this world they have shrewdly expanded. “Bird Box Barcelona” premieres today on Netflix.
Keith & the Movies 