It’s hard to believe we’re getting another Mummy movie. To be clear, this isn’t a part to the Brendan Fraser action-adventure franchise that’s rumored to be getting a sequel. Nor is it connected in any way to the 2017 film that was meant to jump-start Universal’s since cancelled Dark Universe. Instead, 2026’s film is entirely its own thing. Titled “Lee Cronin’s The Mummy” (to clearly differentiate itself, I’m sure), this is intended to be a new supernatural reimagining. And here’s the surprise – it looks quite good.
Cronin writes and directs this wild-looking feature which just released its first trailer. It’s story involves a devastated couple (Jack Reynor and Laia Costa) whose daughter went missing eight years earlier. One day they’re shocked by the news that their little girl has been found, but not in her normal state. Instead she was discovered in a 3,000 year old Egyptian sarcophagus wrapped as a mummy. The sheer horror that follows is equal parts gnarly and terrifying. Cronin doesn’t look to be pulling his punches which makes this a horror film brimming with potential.
“Lee Cronin’s The Mummy” arrives in theaters on April 17th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.
When not playing a key role in the box office shattering Avatar film series, Stephen Lang is still making a variety of modest independent movies. His latest is “Hellfire”, a small town action thriller that tells a familiar story in a familiar setting about familiar characters facing a familiar dilemma. But Lang makes anything watchable. And supporting turns from Harvey Keitel and Dolph Lundgren add to the fun.
Set in 1988, the residents in the small one-horse town of Rondo, Texas live in the iron grip of a local crime boss and drug runner named Jeremiah Whitfield (Keitel). Whitfield owns most of the town and uses his power to force the handful of citizens to do his bidding. If they refuse, there’s a heavy price to pay. And they know too much for Whitfield to let them leave town.
Image Courtesy of Saban Films
Among the oppressed townsfolk is Owen (Chris Mullinax) and his daughter Lena (Scottie Thompson) who run a local bar. They are frequently terrorized by an area thug named Clyde (Michael Sirow). He is Whitfield’s entitled son who happens to have an eye for Lena. The people get no help from their spineless and corrupt Sheriff Wiley (Dolph Lundgren) which leaves them with little choice but to do what they’re told.
Things heat up when a drifter (Lang) wanders into town. He begins doing odd jobs for Owen in exchange for enough money for a meal and a motel room. But Whitfield is leery of newcomers. So he orders the sheriff to make sure the drifter, who Owen nicknames “Nomada”, packs his things and gets out of town. But the drifter decides to stick around, much to the chagrin of Whitfield’s gang who quickly learn that Nomada isn’t some helpless vagrant. He’s a highly skilled military war veteran with a possible higher calling.
Image Courtesy of Saban Films
What transpires from there isn’t hard to figure out. And generally speaking, the story plays out just as we might expect. But director Isaac Florentine and screenwriter Richard Lowry help things by throwing in a surprise or two, including an unexpected dark turn which we never see coming. Meanwhile Lang is a steady and sturdy presence who consistently elevates the material. And he’s especially good in the action sequences, showing remarkable physicality for a 73-year-old.
“Hellfire” is an easy and involving watch, and at 95 minutes it doesn’t drag out what is a pretty straightforward story. With the exception of one especially sharp turn, it doesn’t get a lot of mileage out of its well-travelled story. And it doesn’t have enough of its own flavor to leave a lasting impression. Still, Stephen Lang anchors the movie with grit and commitment while Keitel, Thompson, and Lundgren offer solid support.
Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment is bringing two Academy Award winning classics to 4K Ultra HD for the first time. William Wyler’s 1959 religious epic “Ben-Hur” won eleven Academy Awards including Best Picture. Alan J. Pakula’s 1976 biographical political thriller “All the President’s Men” was nominated for eight Academy Awards, winning four. Both beloved films get their own individual home video edition that features stunning 4K resolution and loads of great special features.
These wonderful 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray editions of “Ben-Hur” and “All the President’s Men” include digital copies and will be available to purchase on February 17th. See below for a full synopsis of the films as well as a list of the special features.
“Ben-Hur”
About the Film:
Year: 1959
Runtime: 212 Minutes
Director: William Wyler
Screenwriters: Karl Tunberg
Cast: Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Haya Harareet, Stephen Boyd, Hugh Griffith, Martha Scott, Cathy O’Donnell, Sam Jaffe
Rating: G
A member of the Jewish nobility living in Jerusalem, Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) lives a religious life and peacefully opposes the tyrannical occupation of Judea by Rome. When a boyhood friend, Messala (Stephen Boyd), returns to the region as a Roman official, he and Judah become estranged due to Messala’s fanatical loyalty to Rome and ruthless indifference to the fate of Judea. Casting friendship aside, Messala fabricates a charge of treason against Ben-Hur, his sister and mother, all of whom are arrested by Roman soldiers.
Special Features:
“Ben-Hur” Digital release and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc contains the following new and previously released special features:
Ben-Hur: Anatomy of an Epic (NEW)
The Cinematography of Scale (NEW)
Charlton Heston & Ben-Hur: A Personal Journey
Ben-Hur: The Making of an Epic
Ben-Hur: A Journey Through Pictures
Screen Tests: George Baker and William Russell
Screen Tests: Leslie Nielsen and Cesare Danova
Screen Tests: Leslie Nielsen and Yale Wexler
Screen Tests: Haya Harareet and Make-Up Test
Commentary by Film Historian T. Gene Hatcher with Charlton Heston (2 Parts)
Music Only Track Showcasing Mikos Rózsa’s Award-Winning Score (2 Parts)
“All the President’s Men”
About the Film:
Year: 1976
Runtime: 138 Minutes
Director: Alan J. Pakula
Screenwriters: William Goldman
Cast: Robert Redford, Dustin Hoffman, Jason Robards, Jack Warden, Martin Balsam, Hal Holbrook, Jane Alexander, Stephen Collins, Ned Beatty, Meredith Baxter, Penny Fuller, F. Murray Abraham, David Arkin, Penny Peyser, Lindsay Crouse, Richard Herd, Rob Hale
Rating: PG
Academy Award winners Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman star in this true story as Washington Post reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, whose investigation of a seemingly minor hotel room break-in uncovers the greatest political scandal in United States history and leads to the downfall of President Richard Nixon.
Special Features:
“All the President’s Men” Digital release and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc contains the following new and previously released special features:
All the President’s Men: The Film and its Influence (NEW)
Woodward and Bernstein: A Journalism Masterclass (NEW)
It’s been seven years since a new Star Wars movie has released in theaters. The beloved franchise has steadily grown via animated and live-action streaming series, novels, video games, and so on. But for those of us who love seeing “The Galaxy Far, Far Away” on the big screen, it has been a painful drought. That changes in three months with the release of “The Mandalorian and Grogu”. This feature film follows three seasons of the popular Disney+ series “The Mandalorian”. And judging by the new trailer, we fans have a lot to look forward to.
Director Jon Favreau’s excitement over making his first Star Wars movie has been evident since it was first announced. And you can see it in the new trailer. “The Mandalorian and Grogu” looks to be a sprawling adventure, set upon some new planets and introducing some new characters to the universe. To LucasFilm’s credit, they’re still leaving the story details under wraps. But it looks as if Mando and Grogu are in for plenty of action and some unexpected threats. The trailer is full of new faces and some deep cuts for hardcore fans. I can’t wait!
“The Mandalorian and Grogu” soars into theaters on May 22nd. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.
There’s a throwback quality to writer-director Bart Layton’s “Crime 101” that you start to notice in its earliest moments. It’s hard to avoid comparisons to Michael Mann classics like “Thief” and “Heat” or Willian Friedkin’s “To Live and Die in L.A”. You can even see the DNA of some the great paranoia thrillers of the 1970s. Layton’s movie may not reach those lofty heights, but you can feel the pulse of those crime genre gems racing all through his latest.
“Crime 101” is based on a 2020 novella by crime novelist Don Winslow. It follows a Los Angeles jewel thief named Mike (Chris Hemsworth) who has successfully executed a string of high-end heists along the busy 101 freeway. After every completed robbery, Mike turns over the haul to his fence (Nick Nolte) who finds a buyer before helping Mike organize his next job.
Image Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios
Much like De Niro’s Neil McCauley from “Heat”, Mike keeps a low profile and intentionally has no personal attachments. And when working, he operates by a very strict set of rules. It’s what has made him a seasoned professional. But also like Neil, Mike breaks his own rules when he becomes involved with a charming young woman (wonderfully played here by Monica Barbaro) who has him second-guessing the life he lives.
Staying with the “Heat” similarities, Mark is furiously pursued by a police detective Lou Lubesnick (Mark Ruffalo) who instantly calls back to Al Pacino’s Vincent Hanna. Like Vincent, Lou’s fixation with his job has wrecked his home life. But he’s a good cop, and he’s hellbent on learning Mike’s identity and stopping his crime spree, no matter how much his lone-wolf obsession puts him at odds with his department.
But Layton tosses in several key characters of his own who add some interesting layers to his story. Tops among them is Sharon Combs (Halle Berry), a broker for a prominent insurance company who finds herself stuck in a VP position while her colleagues are being made partners. Then there’s Ormon (Barry Keoghan), a violently unhinged dirt bike-riding ruffian who begins stepping in on Mike’s action. Both end up playing significant roles in Layton crime movie web.
As its name so clearly implies, “Crime 101” is a straightforward crime thriller – the kind we don’t get as often as we used to. And much like those past crime thrillers, it’s stringently character-driven. Yet despite their similarities, “Crime 101” is no copy-and-paste of “Heat”. It takes its characters in its own distinct directions. It also dabbles in a range of themes involving class, corruption, greed, wealth gaps, childhood trauma, workplace inequality, etc. Not every character thread or thematic interest gets the time it needs, but it does open up some compelling paths for Layton to explore.
Image Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios
Layton’s script finds a healthy balance between action, drama, and suspense. He confidently crafts a compelling story that sustains tension on its way to an inevitable big finish. It has a few too many moving parts, but (for the most part) Layton keeps them corralled and working in unison. And it doesn’t hurt to have such a talent-rich cast that includes six Academy Award nominees. A grounded and restrained Hemsworth gives one his best performances while Berry, Ruffalo, Barbaro, and Keoghan are perfect fits for their roles.
“Crime 101” is a sleek, impeccably crafted, and thoroughly entertaining heist thriller that proudly embraces its ancestors while feeling surprisingly fresh at the same time. The action is exhilarating, characters are given plenty of room to bloom, and Los Angeles is brilliantly rendered through DP Erik Wilson’s evocative lensing. But it’s the script that anchors it all, with its high stakes, gripping suspense, and moral quandaries that push the story into some unexpected territory.
Emerald Fennell follows the empty shock value and cheap psychosexual spectacle of her previous film, “Saltburn” with an overheated and underdeveloped reimagining of a literary classic. Fennell’s new spin on “Wuthering Heights” is more in love with itself than with anything Emily Brontë put to page in her highly regarded 1847 novel. Sadly, it results in a surprisingly hollow and frustratingly scattershot exercise in overindulgence.
Fennell significantly reshapes Brontë’s story in a number of peculiar ways. So fans of the novel shouldn’t go in expecting a faithful adaptation. It starts with Fennell’s decision to transform the book’s dark, haunting, gothic tale into a soapy, sexually charged, period romance. Pseudo-eroticism is more of a focus than the raw dysfunction that Brontë explored. Also, any hint of the supernatural is erased. And main characters undergo jarring dramatic changes, often to fit within the film’s bawdy vision.
For the entirety of it unnecessarily long running time, Fennell’s story remains fixated on the relationship between Catherine (Margot Robbie) and Heathcliff (Jacob Elordi), essentially cutting out the entire second half of the novel. As a child, Catherine lived with her alcoholic and cartoonishly abusive father (Martin Clunes) in the family’s remote estate on the Yorkshire Moors. One day her father brings home an orphan boy he rescued from the street. The bossy and possessive Catherine names him Heathcliff and treats him as her pet. But over time the two children develop a close yet vaguely defined relationship.
Image Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
From there the film lurches forward several years with Catherine and Heathcliff now young adults yet still playfully cavorting around the neglected estate like children. That is until Catherine lays eyes on their wealthy new neighbors, the Lintons. With her father having gambled away the family’s fortune, Catherine maneuvers herself into the arms of Edgar Linton (Shazad Latif). When he overhears her plans to marry Edgar, a heartbroken Heathcliff rides away and doesn’t return.
More years pass. Catherine is now married to Edgar and living a life of luxury at the Linton’s villa. But everything changes when Heathcliff suddenly returns, now mysteriously rich and more dapper than ever. Suddenly the emotions she never expressed come rushing to the surface and the two begin a torrid affair. But outside of rampant sex, Catherine refuses to commit to Heathcliff due to her marriage to Edgar and the child they’re expecting which she keeps a secret.
The rest of the story erratically bops from point to point, force-feeding us a wild array of emotions that always feel more contrived than organic. Following along is never easy because there’s never a steady measurement of passing time. Worse are the gaps in the story that lead to bizarre character shifts with little buildup, as well as undercooked relationships that never make sense. This is especially true for the increasingly mopey second half.
Image Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
But while she leaves her characters and her stories begging for more attention, Fennell finds the time to inject her kinky fascinations, often to the detriment of her movie. Pointlessly crude flourishes are thrown in, seemingly to jolt the audience more than anything else. Meanwhile character work gets back-burnered to satisfy some lusty appetite. Take Edgar conveniently vanishing without a mention so that Catherine and Heathcliff can repeatedly and openly hook-up. As for Robbie and Elordi, they’re mostly served up as rain-soaked eye-candy, doing their best with what they’re given.
Whatever the goal, it’s hard to see 2026’s “Wuthering Heights” pleasing longtime fans of the novel or drawing new fans to it. But even if you take away its literary inspiration, Emerald Fennell’s latest even fails as a simple melodrama. The choppy storytelling impacts everything, including the characters who are left shuffling through ambiguity and absurdity. This despite the efforts of Robbie and Elordi, and great supporting turns from Alison Oliver and Hong Chau.
On a positive note, “Wuthering Heights” isn’t as galling or insufferable as “Saltburn”. And while its attempts at eroticism often feel silly and performative, the movie is visually sumptuous in ways that highlight Fennell’s impressive technical savvy. But overall it does nothing to recreate the excitement we felt with her debut film, “Promising Young Woman”. Instead it demonstrates a concerning trend where her expression is overwhelmed by excess.
Keith & the Movies 