First Glance: “The Current War”

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The upcoming historical drama “The Current War” was one of several projects sidetracked due to the despicable Harvey Weinstein scandal. Originally slated for a December 2017 release, rights to distribute the film were finally worked out and now it looks to be hitting theaters soon.

Led by an impressive ensemble, the film follows the electricity pioneers as they battle it out to see who will lead and control the fledgling industry. Check out this cast: Benedict Cumberbatch as Thomas Edison, Michael Shannon as George Westinghouse, Nicholas Hoult as Nikola Tesla, and Tom Holland as Samuel Insull. It’s directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon (“Me and Earl and the Dying Girl”) and Martin Scorsese is tagged as Executive Producer.

The first trailer has dropped and it offers up a ton of promise. “The Current War” hits theaters October 4th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or giving it a pass.

First Glance: “The Art of Self-Defense”

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I’m a sucker for weird, off-beat comedies and Riley Stearns certainly seems to have one for us with “The Art of Self-Defense”. Stearns writes and directs this darkly funny movie about a mild-mannered accountant who seeks to learn self-defense after being attacked by a bully motorcycle gang. It’s a pretty basic idea on the surface but there is definitely a quirky sense of humor at its core.

Who better to play a mild-mannered accountant than Jesse Eisenberg. In the first trailer we see him perfectly portraying the timid and insecure Casey who seeks help from a local Sensei (Alessandro Nivola). Imogen Poots also stars in what looks to be a dry and wacky independent comedy.

“The Art of Self-Defense” hits theaters July 12th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or giving it a pass.

First Glance: “Angel Has Fallen”

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Ooooh Boy! First Olympus fell. Then London fell. So what has fallen next? Gerry Butler himself. Yes he is back as Mike Banning, the secret service superman who spits out as many one-liners as he does bullets.

“Olympus Has Fallen” was a fun tongue-in-cheek throwback to the 80’s action genre. “London Has Fallen” was a lame, sloppy, ill-advised sequel. At first glance “Angel Has Fallen” looks more like the second film. The trailer shows Banning (somehow) framed for an assassination attempt on the president. Of course no one can hold Gerry down . He escapes law enforcement and sets out to find who set him up.

Look for lots of bullets, lots of blood, and tons of cheese. But knowing Butler’s track record, don’t expect much more than that. The film drops August 23rd. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or giving it a pass.

First Glance: “Ad Astra”

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Talk about something that brightened up my day. The much-anticipated first trailer for James Gray’s “Ad Astra” dropped yesterday and let’s just say it helped solidify the science-fiction drama as one of 2019’s movies I’m looking forward to the most.

Gray’s last film, 2016’s “The Lost City of Z”, was an underseen gem. Before that was the fantastic period drama “The Immigrant”. With “Ad Astra” (Latin for “To the Stars”) he heads to space and takes an intriguing cast with him – Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Ruth Negga, Donald Sutherland, and Liv Tyler. What’s most fascinating is the story co-written by Gray and Ethan Gross. Time travel, family drama, space sequences – I’m 100% in with this one.

“Ad Astra” hits theaters September 20th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or giving it a pass.

 

First Glance: “Rambo: Last Blood”

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I happily admit it – John Rambo was a pretty big part of my teen years. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched his “First Blood” trilogy of movies. They came out during the heyday of the 80’s action genre and I still enjoy popping them in from time to time. I can’t say I was as thrilled with 2008’s grittier, edgier installment simply titled “Rambo”.

Well it looks like Sylvester Stallone is taking one last turn in one of the roles that made him a household name. “Rambo: Last Blood” sees the much older but ever lethal John Rambo living the quiet life in a remote country farmhouse. That is until a group of baddies with yet unknown ties to his past show up. Obviously the results are sure to be violent and bloody.

Minus the hideous song choice, I’m into the newly released teaser trailer as a fitting farewell to an iconic 80’s character. But can they pull it off on a satisfying way? We will know when it hits theaters September 20th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or giving it a pass.

First Glance: “Annabelle Comes Home”

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I’m a huge fan of the two “Conjuring” movies which focus on the paranormal adventures of Ed and Lorraine Warren (so perfectly played by Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga). But there are other films considered to be part of the Conjuring Universe that are always interesting but a bit hit-or-miss when it comes to quality. The “Annabelle” films are a good example.

The first “Annabelle” movie fell flat while the second was a step in the right direction. Now we get a third installment titled “Annabelle Comes Home”. The second trailer has dropped and it doesn’t leave the best impression. Aside from the brief moments with the Warrens, it looks pretty uninspired. From what we see, Annabelle is unleashed through an eye-rolling act of stupidity and a lot of horror movie box-checking follows.

“Annabelle Comes Home” hits theaters June 26th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or giving it a pass.