The trailer for Anthony Maras’ “Hotel Mumbai” has dropped and I’m thinking it has some potential. The film is set during the 2008 attacks in Mumbai, India. For four days a total of twelve attacks were carried out across Mumbai. Nearly 170 victims died and over 300 were injured. The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and its nearly 450 guests was targeted on November 28th.

There is definitely enough there for a meaty story and we see some good things in the trailer. Here’s hoping they’re able to pull in off. I’m certainly interested.

“Hotel Mumbai” opens March 22, 2019. Check out the trailer below and tell me what you think. Will you be giving it a look?

With eight movies in the bag and over $5 billion in the bank I think it’s safe to say that the Fast and Furious franchise has been a huge (and probably unexpected) success. So in normal Hollywood fashion you gotta gave a spin-off, right?

The first of probably several offshoot films dropped its first trailer and lets just say it looks to be fully embracing the outrageous action and overall absurdity the series has become known for. That’s a good thing. “Hobbs and Shaw” thrusts Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham into the spotlight and there looks to be no shortage of big set pieces and goofy humor. Oh, and Idris Elba as the baddie? I’m in.

“Hobbs and Shaw” lands August 2nd. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing this sure-fire box office hit.

We definitely have our first candidate for Funkiest Movie Title of 2019. “The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot” would have me onboard just by its title alone. But there are several other things that excite me. First and foremost we get Sam Elliott in a starring role and who doesn’t like Sam Elliott? Second, it has a really cool look to it. Just take a gander at the trailer below.

It looks like “The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot” opens in select theaters and on streaming platforms February 8th. So tell me, will you be seeing it or are you giving it a pass?

Over the past several days we’ve celebrated the best films and best performances from 2018. This is not that. Today I’m wrapping up my look back at 2018 by giving the year’s biggest stinkers their moment to…..shine. While it was a pretty good year for movies it wasn’t without its blemishes. Here are the five worst films I saw in 2018.

#5 – “The 15:17 to Paris”

I admit to feeling bad about this one. I mean at least Clint Eastwood deserves credit for trying something interesting. But when the end product is this flat and the acting this atrocious, it’s hard to give it a pass. It’s an amazing true story but the incredibly messy script doesn’t do it justice and casting the real-life heroes to play themselves proved to be the wrong choice.

#4 – “Winchester”

There’s a good movie here somewhere but we certainly don’t get a sniff of it. My biggest beef with this film is that it is so frustratingly bland. This thing never seems to get its footing. It just sits in neutral spinning its wheels and going nowhere. It’s devoid of any scares whatsoever and the aimless story will have you nodding off before the halfway point.

#3 – “Vice”

I’m still struggling to understand how “Vice” is getting so much awards season attention. With the exception of Christian Bale (who gives a strong performance), there is little to salvage from David McKay’s bloated, messy, and heavy-handed manifesto. Outside of Bale it’s hard to find something to latch onto. A tonal disaster from the start, it’s hard to figure out what McKay wants this to be. It’s an exhausting film.

#2 – “Rampage”

Dwayne Johnson’s beefy personality and cheesy smile can only cover up so much. It certainly can’t save the painfully dumb “Rampage”. Talk about a movie with an identity crisis. On minute it’s trying (and failing) to be funny, next minute it’s deadly serious. One scene seems aimed at kids, the next scene is pushing its PG-13 rating. In the end absolutely none of it comes together.

#1 – “The Strangers: Prey at Night”

Part of my dislike for this film is due to disappointment. But the bulk of it comes from the simple fact that it’s a terrible movie. The first “Strangers” film was a good horror picture with some genuine tension. This uninspired sequel offers nothing new or original. Honestly it doesn’t even try. The shallow story is only outdone by the shallow characters, none of which are the slightest bit interesting. Shamefully lazy and painfully generic. This is one lousy sequel.

So what about you? Agree or disagree with my choices? What would have made your list?

Out of this year’s batch of January Netflix Originals none have intrigued me as much as “Polar”. There are several reasons for it, none bigger than the film’s star Mads Mikkelsen. This super stylized action flick is an adaptation of a graphic novel series focused on an international hitman. Who better to play an international hitman than Mads.

The trailer dropped a few days ago and the movie is set to land on Netflix tomorrow (January 25th). Check out the trailer below and tell me what you think in the comments section. Will you be giving “Polar” a look?

All week I’ve been sharing my favorite performances from 2018 and we finish it up today with the Lead Actor category. Once again this was a toughie and leaving of certain names was hard to do. But those are my self-inflicted rules so lets go with it. Here are my five favorite Lead Actor performances from the year that was.

#5 – Bradley Cooper (“A Star is Born”)

There are some mixed opinions on this Bradley Cooper performance. Some have said he goes too big while others have accused him of hogging scenes. I found him to be a near perfect fit as an aging music star worn down by his addictions. Cooper nails this role both musically and dramatically.

#4 – Viggo Mortensen (“Green Book”)

Viggo is another of those actors who can lose himself into any role he tackles. Here he adds fifty pounds and a healthy Italian accent to portray a streetwise lug who has his eyes opened to the ugliness of racism in the country and his own heart. It’s a role that could have gone really bad, but thanks to Viggo it never does.

#3 – John David Washington (“BlacKkKlansman”)

Spike Lee found the perfect guy to man his crazy, terrifying, and often hilarious “BlacKkKlansman”. From his very first scene, John David Washington’s charisma is off the charts. He also packs a sly wit that makes for some really funny scenes even among such vile and disgusting subject matter.

#2 – Joaquin Phoenix (“You Were Never Really Here”)

Joaquin Phoenix is an actor with a ton of range and a knack for giving deeply committed performances. His dark and physical turn in this brilliant Lynne Ramsay fever-dream is both frightening and mesmerizing. From mental anguish to brute physicality, Phoenix relays it all with a wicked precision.

#1 – Ethan Hawke (“First Reformed”)

There were so many good performances in 2018, but it was none other than Ethan Hawke who surprised me the most. I’ve always liked Hawke but never has he given a performance quite like this. It’s quieter and more reserved than anything he has done before. This is Hawke at his very best and that’s saying something.

That wraps up yet another look back at the previous year’s best performances. Please share your thoughts on Lead Actor or any other category I’ve covered. Let’s do it again next year. 👍