Steven Soderbergh has quite a first quarter lining up in 2025. He already has a creepy psychological (or is it supernatural) thriller releasing in late January called “Presence”. Yesterday Focus Features dropped the first trailer for “Black Bag”, a star-studded spy thriller directed by Soderbergh and starring the magnetic duo of Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender. This first glance looks to be a hearty feast for fans of the genre and those who love its two stars.

Presented as a more serious “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” or “True Lies”, Soderbergh’s “Black Bag” follows esteemed intelligence agents George Woodhouse (Fassbender) and his loving wife Kathryn (Blanchett). When suspicions arise that Kathryn is a double-agent, George is put on the case to find out the truth. He ends up caught between his loyalties to his wife and to his country. The trailer looks fantastic and Soderbergh certainly knows how to ratchet up tension.

“Black Bag” releases exclusively in theaters on March 14th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

Searchlight Pictures has released five terrific character posters for their upcoming Bob Dylan biopic, “A Complete Unknown”. The film is based on Elijah Wald’s 2015 book “Dylan Goes Electric” and is directed by James Mangold. It sees Timothée Chalamet playing the iconic American singer-songwriter in what is a brilliant snippet from Dylan’s early musical journey. “A Complete Unknown” also stars Edward Norton as Pete Seeger, Monica Barbaro as Joan Baez, Elle Fanning as a version of Suze Rotolo, and a scene-stealing Boyd Holbrook as Johnny Cash.

My full review of “A Complete Unknown” will be available in the next few days. Until then, check out these stylish character posters courtesy of Searchlight Pictures.

Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment is bringing the much anticipated and unexpectedly divisive “Joker: Folie À Deux” to home video. This is the beguiling sequel to the 2019 box office smash hit and Academy Award winning “Joker” from writer/director/producer Todd Phillips. It sees Joaquin Phoenix reprising his Oscar-winning dual role of Arthur Fleck aka Joker. New to the cast is superstar Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson, and Catherine Keener. Read my full spoiler-free review of the film [HERE].

This 4K Ultra HD edition of “Joker: Folie À Deux” includes a digital copy and will be available to purchase on December 17th. See below for a full synopsis and release info including a list of special features.

About the Film:

Year: 2024

Runtime: 138 Minutes

Directors: Todd Phillips

Screenwriters: Scott Silver & Todd Phillips

Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson, Catherine Keener, Zazie Beetz, Steve Coogan, Harry Lawtey, Leigh Gill, Ken Leung, Jacob Lofland, Bill Smitrovich, and Sharon Washington

Rating: R

“Joker: Folie À Deux” finds Arthur Fleck institutionalized at Arkham awaiting trial for his crimes as Joker. While struggling with his dual identity, Arthur not only stumbles upon true love, but also finds the music that’s always been inside him.

From acclaimed writer/director/producer Todd Phillips comes “Joker: Folie À Deux“, the much-anticipated follow-up to 2019’s Academy Award-winning “Joker”, which earned more than $1 billion at the global box office. The new film stars Joaquin Phoenix once again in his Oscar-winning dual role as Arthur Fleck/Joker, opposite Oscar winner Lady Gaga (“A Star Is Born”).

Working with Phillips behind the camera are his team from Joker, including Oscar-nominated director of photography Lawrence Sher, production designer Mark Friedberg, Oscar-nominated editor Jeff Groth, and composer Hildur Guđnadóttir, who won the Oscar for her work on the first film. New to the team is Oscar-nominated costume designer Arianne Phillips (“Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood”, “Don’t Worry Darling”).

Special Features:

Digital Ownership, 4K UHD and Blu-ray contain the following special features:

• Everything Must Go (4 Part Longform Documentary)
  • Can I Have A Cigarette?
  • Finding Lee
  • A Hundred Films In One
  • King of Nothing
• The Character Of Music
• Live! With The Joker
• Colors Of Madness
• Crafted With Class

While the movie industry continues to struggle in several areas, we live in a time when emerging talent is having big impacts on modern cinema. Among the most exciting names is John David Washington, a young star following in the acting footsteps of his famous father, Denzel Washington. The younger Washington has put together a small but eclectic filmography, having already worked with such directors as Spike Lee, Christopher Nolan, and David O. Russell.

But it’s Washington’s latest film that may best display his immense talent. “The Piano Lesson” is a key play in the late, great August Wilson’s The Pittsburgh Cycle – a series of ten plays, each set in the Steel City during different decades. Wilson’s aim was to offer a different way of looking at the Black experience in the 20th century. Adapting his work is nothing new for the Washington family.

Interestingly, Denzel Washington won a Tony Award for his Broadway performance in “Fences”, the third play in Wilson’s Pittsburgh series. Denzel later made a critically acclaimed film adaptation of “Fences” which earned four Academy Award nominations. Now his family’s connection with Wilson’s work continues with “The Piano Lesson”, a film featuring one of the best acting ensembles of 2024 and one of the most impressive directorial debuts of the year from Malcolm Washington, Denzel’s youngest son and John David’s brother.

As with other August Wilson adaptations such as “Fences” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”, the story’s stage roots are impossible to miss. But Malcolm Washington (who also co-wrote the script alongside Virgil Williams) has a cinematic eye that transcends any perceived limitations. And he understands that “The Piano Lesson” is a character-rich, performance-driven drama. He allows his cast all the space they need to fully realize their meaty roles.

The vast majority of the film is set in 1936 Pittsburgh in the aftermath of the Great Depression. After a brief yet brilliantly visualized prologue with lingering implications, the movie introduces us to Boy Willie (John David Washington) and his good friend Lymon (Ray Fisher) as they arrive in Pittsburgh with a truck full of watermelons. The pair have driven all the way from Mississippi to sell the melons, but Boy Willie has a lot more on his mind.

While in the city Boy Willie pays a visit to his sister Berniece (Danielle Deadwyler) who lives with their Uncle Doaker Charles (Samuel L. Jackson) who has a house in Pittsburgh’s Hill District. Through a series conversations we learn about the family’s complex history and the relationships that have survived over time. We also learn more about Boy Willie’s deeper motivations which involve and old family piano he wants to sell.

The problem is Boy Willie needs Berniece’s approval to do so and she’s not willing to part with it. He explains that he wants to take the proceeds and buy a patch of land down South that once belonged to their enslaved family’s owner. She’s determined to keep the family heirloom as it remains a symbol of their ancestors’ legacy. Both represent unique perspectives on accepting the past and moving on from it. And those perspectives fully form as the siblings repeatedly butt heads.

The performances are spellbinding throughout. Each cast member taps into a palpable pain which some of their characters bury deeper than others. They also keep the story grounded with moments of humor and tenderness. John David Washington leaks charisma from every pore and Samuel L. Jackson is effortlessly captivating. Meanwhile Danielle Deadwyler (who was frustratingly robbed of an Oscar nomination for 2022’s “Till”) is nothing short of heart-rending. Ray Fisher, Michael Potts, and Corey Hawkins also shine in meaningful supporting roles.

While “The Piano Lesson” is very much an authentic lived-in domestic drama, there is a tinge of the supernatural that may catch some viewers by surprise. But it’s key to Wilson’s vision and represents years of family trauma that inevitably reaches its boiling point. It all culminates in a heartfelt finish to this intelligent and assured stage-to-screen production that heralds Malcolm Washington as a filmmaker to be reckoned with.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment is bringing three motion picture classics to 4K Ultra HD for the very first time. Mel Brooks’ “Blazing Saddles”, Alfred Hitchcock’s “North By Northwest”, and James Cameron’s “The Terminator” are getting their own individual releases, each celebrating big anniversaries of their original premieres. Featuring sparkling 4K resolution with High Dynamic Range, each edition is a must for fans of these three beloved classics.

The 4K Ultra HD editions of “Blazing Saddles”, “North By Northwest”, and “The Terminator” will release November 19th. See below for a full synopsis and release information.

“Blazing Saddles”:

Year: 1974

Runtime: 93 Minutes

Director: Mel Brooks

Screenwriter: Mel Brooks

Cast: Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Slim Pickens, Harvey Korman, Mel Brooks, Madeline Kahn, Burton Gilliam, Alex Karras, Liam Dunn, David Huddleston, George Furth, John Hillerman, Carol Arthur

Ribald, tasteless and hilarious … this classic spoof of the Western genre by director Mel Brooks pokes fun at everyone and everything. A corrupt governor grants a reprieve to an African American convict if the condemned man agrees to serve as sheriff of a small Western town, believing that new sheriff will only live long enough to serve the needs of the governor and his nefarious railroad-baron backer.

The film is directed by Mel Brooks. The screenplay is by Brooks, Norman Steinberg, Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor, and Alan Uger and based on characters by Hughes.  The film is produced by Michael Hertberg.

“Blazing Saddles” received 3 Academy Award nominations for Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Madeline Kahn); Best Music, Original Song; and Best Film Editing. In 2006, “Blazing Saddles” was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the United States Library of Congress as being culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.

“North By Northwest”:

Year: 1959

Runtime: 136 Minutes

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Screenwriter: Ernest Lehman

Cary Grant stars as an innocent man mistaken for a spy in one of director Alfred Hitchcock’s greatest thrillers. While leaving New York’s Plaza Hotel, advertising executive Roger Thornhill (Grant) has the misfortune of raising his hand just as the name “George Kaplan” is paged–starting a lethal case of mistaken identity and a nonstop game of cat and mouse as he is pursued across North America by espionage agents trying to kill him–and by police who suspect him of murder.

The film is directed and produced by Alfred Hitchcock and written by Ernest Lehman. “North by Northwest” stars Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason and Jessie Royce Landis.

“North by Northwest” was nominated for 3 Academy Awards for Best Film Editing, Best Art Direction and Best Original Screenplay. In 1995, “North by Northwest” was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the United States Library of Congress as being culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.

“The Terminator”:

Year: 1984

Runtime: 107 Minutes

Director: James Cameron

Screenwriters: James Cameron & Gale Anne Hurd

Disguised as a human, a cyborg assassin known as a Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) travels from 2029 to 1984 to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton). Sent to protect Sarah is Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn), who divulges the coming of Skynet, an artificial intelligence system that will spark a nuclear holocaust. Sarah is targeted because Skynet knows that her unborn son will lead the fight against them. With the virtually unstoppable Terminator in hot pursuit, she and Kyle attempt to escape.

The film is directed by James Cameron and written by Cameron and Gale Anne Hurd. It is produced by Hurd and stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, Linda Hamilton and Paul Winfield.

In 2008, “The Terminator” was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the United States Library of Congress as being culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.

Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment is releasing “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” on home video in a terrific 4K Ultra HD edition complete with over two hours of special features. In 1988 director Tim Burton and star Michael Keaton came together to create the hilariously enigmatic “ghost with the most”, Beetlejuice. They reunite in the fittingly named “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”, a terrific sequel that also features Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Jenna Ortega, Willem Dafoe, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, and Arthur Conti. Read my full film review [HERE].

This 4K Ultra HD edition of “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” includes a digital copy and will be available to purchase on November 19th. See below for a full synopsis and release info including a list of special features.

About the Film:

Year: 2024

Runtime: 104 Minutes

Directors: Tim Burton

Screenwriters: Alfred Gough & Miles Millar

Cast: Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Jenna Ortega, Willem Dafoe, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, Arthur Conti, Burn Gorman, Santiago Cabrera.

Rating: PG-13 for violent content, macabre and bloody images, strong language, some suggestive material and brief drug use

Beetlejuice is back!  Oscar-nominated, singular creative visionary Tim Burton and Oscar nominee and star Michael Keaton reunite for “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” the long-awaited sequel to Burton’s award-winning Beetlejuice. “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” debuts for purchase and rental Digitally at home on October 8.

Keaton returns to his iconic role alongside Oscar nominee Winona Ryder (Stranger Things, Little Women) as Lydia Deetz and two-time Emmy winner Catherine O’Hara (Schitt’s Creek, The Nightmare Before Christmas) as Delia Deetz, with new cast members Justin Theroux (Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, The Leftovers), Monica Bellucci (Spectre, The Matrix films), Arthur Conti (House of the Dragon) in his feature film debut, with Emmy nominee Jenna Ortega (Wednesday, Scream VI) as Lydia’s daughter, Astrid, and Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe (Poor Things, At Eternity’s Gate).

Special Features:

Digital Ownership, 4K UHD and Blu-ray contain the following special features:  

• “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” Commentary by director Tim Burton
• The Juice is Loose! The Making of “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”.
• The Ghost with the Most: Beetlejuice Returns
• Meet the Deetz
• Handbook for the Recently Deceased
• Shrinkers, Shrinkers Everywhere!
• An Animated Afterlife: The Stop-Motion Art of “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”
• ‘Til Death Do Us Park