The name A24 has become synonymous with attention-getting independent movies. Their list of critically-acclaimed releases is pretty impressive and so far they have dabbled in a number of different genres. A year ago A24 acquired the rights to “The Kill Team”, a feature film adaptation of Dan Krauss’ 2013 documentary.

The first trailer for “The Kill Team” has dropped and for those unfamiliar with the subject matter (like me) it starts off looking like a pretty traditional war flick. But as the trailer plays out you get a better sense of what’s going on. Krauss serves as writer and director of this true story he is clearly invested in. Alexander Skarsgard stands out as a sociopathic Sergeant leading his military team into some pretty dark waters.

“The Kill Team” hits theaters October 25th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

By now anyone who is even remotely interested in the lucrative Marvel Cinematic Universe has heard the news. As of now (and that’s an extremely important phrase) Spider-Man will no longer be a part of the MCU. For the benefit of those living under the proverbial rock (don’t worry, it’s often the best place to be), negotiations between Disney/Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures to extend their unique Spider-Man partnership has broken off meaning the immensely popular webslinger is no longer part of the MCU.

A little history, Sony bought the film rights to Spider-Man and his unique universe back in 1999 for a reported $7 million. At that time there was never a thought of a huge Marvel-inspired interconnected cinematic universe. But in 2015 Disney/Marvel and Sony came to an unprecedented agreement to bring Spider-Man to the then blooming MCU. It was essentially a co-production deal that saw Sony keeping the rights to the character and Disney/Marvel getting full creative control.

Even more interesting is that no money changed hands at the time of the deal. That would come later. For Sony it was a good move considering how inconsistent their last three Spidey films had been. Plus Sony Pictures was suffering from some severe financial strain and they desperately needed a big money-maker to go alongside their James Bond films.

For Disney/Marvel the benefits were even more obvious. Aside from having full creative control, Marvel Studios could finally bring arguably their most popular character into their sprawling MCU. Better yet, Sony would only get money from solo Spider-Man films. His appearances in “Captain America: Civil War”, “Infinity War”, and “Endgame” – Sony didn’t get a dime. To top it off, it’s reported that in the deal Disney/Marvel receives all merchandising revenue.

So what has caused the sudden split and who is to blame? Many people were quick to put the blame on Sony Pictures which isn’t surprising. After all, as people we tend to defend what we love. But is that really fair? Is Disney/Marvel simply a victim of Sony’s greed? Should we as fans point fingers at Sony for taking Spidey away from the MCU. Well, maybe not.

It seems the biggest sticking point in negotiations centers around Disney/Marvel’s cut of the profits strictly from the solo Spider-Man films. In the previous agreement Disney/Marvel received 5% of the first-dollar box office gross (again in addition to all merchandising and 100% of the money for appearances in other MCU films). Disney/Marvel is now demanding 50% which Sony promptly (and understandably) declined. It seems Disney/Marvel then picked up their ball and went to (of all places) the media.

So what are we to make of all the drama. First, I still firmly believe a deal will indeed be reached. A lot of this is posturing by Disney/Marvel as well as them wielding the enormous power they have right now. And how better to do it than by provoking a public outcry. This looks to be a powerplay by Disney/Marvel and one of several concerning trends in their current business model.

On the other side Sony would be nuts to end negotiations (and trust me, both sides are still negotiating). They have made a lot of much-needed money by aligning their prized Spider-Man property with the MCU. And it’s all but certain to continue with an extended deal. At the same time it would be crazy for Sony to expect Disney/Marvel to stick to the original 5% considering their two solo MCU Spidey films grossed nearly $2 billion combined.

So, should Sony agree to Disney/Marvel’s 50% demands? Nope. Should Disney/Marvel be content with the current deal’s 5%? Probably not. So it all comes down to a willingness to meet in the middle and use some common sense. Both Sony and Disney/Marvel stand to win by continuing this fascinating partnership and lose by seeing its demise. Personally I applaud Sony for standing up to Disney who has been a bit bullish in getting its way. At the same time, if Sony isn’t willing to offer a bigger piece of the pie to Disney/Marvel it’s hard to see them as the victim.

But don’t worry MCU fans, I’m calling it here – a deal will get done. When it comes down to it, neither Sony Pictures or Disney/Marvel are dumb enough to turn down this kind of money this partnership generates.

– Keith Garlington (@KeithandMovies on Twitter)

You can’t watch the new trailer for “Underwater” and not see the bevy of movie influences. Right out of the gate William Eubank’s new undersea thriller looks like what you’d get if you crossed “The Abyss” with “Aliens”. Movies like this have always attracted my attention but they can also run the risk of being too conventional and by-the-books.

The trailer for “Underwater” leaves a strong first impression. The plot seems pretty familiar – a team of researchers man a station seven miles below the ocean’s surface. Their experiments (gasp) unearth something horrifying from the deep and the movie’s tense and claustrophobic horror elements take over. Kristen Stewart leads an otherwise okay cast that I hope give us more than cookie-cutter characters. If they get that right this movie could be a real treat.

“Underwater” is currently set to release January 10, 2020 (gulp). Check out the trailer below and let me know if you will be seeing it or taking a pass.

At first glance (see what I did there) you might be tempted to dismiss the new Bong Joon-ho film as simply a film auteur flexing his weirdness muscle. The early parts of the recently released U.S. trailer for “Parasite” lends to that idea. But the near universal enthusiasm and the heaps of critical praise should indicate that the 2019 Palm d’Or winner at Cannes has much more up its multi-faceted sleeve.

The new trailer shows that Bong Joon-ho has tons more on his mind that being ‘weird’. In fact the trailer alone shows “Parasite” to be a genre-hopping socially conscience experience. And there are so many striking images that stand out from the small slice we’re given. Is it horror, a comedy, or a thriller? Can Bong Joon-ho keep it all corralled? Does his social commentary smother out the drama? Will it get a good-sized American release? I don’t know, but I’m so excited to find out.

“Parasite” is set to release in the U.S. on October 11th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

Shamefully I must admit to being pretty ignorant of “Little Women”. I’ve heard of it most of my life, but I’ve never read Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel nor have I watched any of the previous seven film adaptations. So what changed with this newest version? Several things, specifically Greta Gerwig, Saoirse Ronan, and Florence Pugh.

This is Gerwig’s followup to her Oscar-nominated “Lady Bird”. She once again serves as writer and director for this period drama that follows the March sisters in the 1860s. It’s said Gerwig’s version will focus on the sisters as young adults and the new trailer shows that there is plenty of good ground to cover. With an exciting director, a fabulous cast, and an enchanting story, this could be a really big end-of-the-year movie.

The eighth film adaption of “Little Women” hits theaters December 25th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or giving it a pass.

A new Terrence Malick film brings a lot of excitement and just as many questions. He’s a filmmaker who manages to provoke a wide range of responses due to his distinctly Malickian (how’s that for a word) style of moviemaking. I’m prone to love much of what he does even though some of his most recent work missing their marks.

His latest “A Hidden Life” has me more excited for a Malick film than I have been in several years. He tells the story of Franz Jägerstätter, an Austrian conscientious objector who refused to fight for Hitler’s Third Reich during World War II. The new trailer shows Malick exploring the ideas of faith, morality, and oppression. And of course we get glimpses of the visual beauty this film is guaranteed to have.

The trailer hits all the right notes for me. I can’t wait to see it when it lands in theaters December 13th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.