In an era when the movie industry is growing more and more reliant on established IP, it’s great to see a franchise film really show its worth beyond just making money. Don’t get me wrong, “Alien: Romulus” is tracking towards a strong opening weekend at the box office. But what’s more exciting is seeing director and co-writer Fede Álvarez return to the franchise’s roots. Shades of his work in 2013’s “Evil Dead” and 2016’s “Don’t Breathe” are hard to miss. But it’s Álvarez’s clear esteem for the earlier Alien films that make this such a treat.

“Alien: Romulus” is the seventh installment in the long-running sci-fi horror franchise. Its story (co-written by Álvarez and his frequent collaborator Rodo Sayagues) is set between the events of Ridley Scott’s seminal 1979 classic “Alien” and James Cameron’s equally brilliant 1986 sequel “Aliens”. While it’s not directly connected to either of those movies, “Romulus” fits nicely with both, in style, in tone, and in quality.

“Romulus” tells a contained story which (much like the original “Alien”) proves to be a big strength. A small handful of characters, a confined setting, a terrifying unknown threat – it’s a formula that has fit this franchise well and Álvarez utilizes it to perfection. We may not learn much new and “Romulus” may not catapult the franchise into uncharted directions. But it is an extraordinary Alien movie.

One of the first things you’ll notice is that “Romulus” looks and sounds amazing. It has become somewhat cliché to say, but this is a film that begs to be seen on the big screen (it’s hard to believe 20th Century Studios once considered releasing it exclusively on Hulu). The movie is a technical marvel as seen in its spectacular practical and digital effects, Galo Olivares’ jaw-dropping cinematography, and awards-worthy production design from Naaman Marshall.

Narratively, the story does everything we need it to do. It patiently introduces the characters, defines their mission and motivations, and then plunges them and us into a perilous and propulsive nightmare. Álvarez nails the tone and steadily ratchets up suffocating tension on his way to a bonkers ending that hits you with something you’ll never see coming.

As for the cast and characters, Álvarez puts together a solid ensemble to play a group of young space colonists living on an oppressive corporate mining planet. The group of friends consists of Rain Carradine (Cailee Spaeny), her adopted android brother, Andy (David Jonsson), Rain’s boyfriend, Tyler (Archie Renaux), Tyler’s sister, Kay (Isabela Merced), the mouthy Bjorn (Spike Fearn), and Bjorn’s girlfriend Navarro (Aileen Wu).

The mining operation is ran by Weyland-Yutani Corporation, a name Alien fans are very familiar with. The company runs the colony through forced labor contracts which keeps the people obligated to work. Even worse, they withhold travel permits under everchanging contract quotas which further restricts their workers from leaving. Tired of their harsh conditions, the friends resolve not to end up like their parents who all died working in the mines.

After getting word that a derelict Weyland space station has drifted into the planet’s orbit, they hatch a plan – sneak aboard the vacant station and steal cryo-pods so they can make the long journey to a far away paradise planet. Once onboard they’ll have three hours until the station crashes into the planet’s rings and is obliterated. That would be more than enough time if not for the horrifying discoveries they make. You guessed it – xenomorphs.

Spaeny’s star is steadily rising and she continues the franchise’s trend of strong female protagonists. We don’t get much in terms of her backstory with most of it coming through Andy. We learn Andy was given to Rain by her late father who programmed him with a collection of bad dad jokes and a prime directive to take care of her at all costs. But over the course of the film, it’s Andy’s dramatic evolution that makes him the film’s most compelling character.

“Alien: Romulus” is sprinkled with cool nods to the franchise’s mythology including some ingenious connections to the original “Alien”. Much comes through the effort poured into the details, from the costumes to computer terminals to the space station design. And of course the alien effects are superb, once again proving the xenomorphs to be one of cinema’s most terrifying creations. Overall Álvarez may not bring many groundbreaking new ideas, but he understands the nuts-and-bolts mechanics and has the necessary passion. And that’s what makes this an exhilarating triumph that delivers everything Alien fans could want. “Alien: Romulus” opens in theaters today.

VERDICT – 4.5 STARS

It’s common knowledge that Sony’s run of non-MCU Marvel movies has been rocky at best. There have been some big box office hits and some major flops. Meanwhile the quality of the films has been mostly disappointing leaving people wondering what to expect from their upcoming offerings. Chief among them is “Kraven the Hunter”. After a series of strategic reshoots, the film was pushed to December. Now we have a new trailer and director J. C. Chandor says his movie is going to surprise a lot of people.

This R-rated Spider-Man spinoff sees Aaron Taylor-Johnson playing Sergei Kravinoff, aka Kraven. His complicated relationship with his father, Nikolai Kravinoff (played by Russell Crowe) puts him on a violent and bloody path to becoming on of Spider-Man’s most noteworthy adversaries. The movie also features Ariana DeBose, Alessandro Nivola, Christopher Abbott, and Fred Hechinger. The trailer looks fittingly brutal and Taylor-Johnson definitely has the grit for this kind of role. Hopefully it delivers.

“Kraven the Hunter” is set to release December 13th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment is bringing “The Bikeriders” to home video via a fabulous new collector’s edition. Written and directed by Jeff Nichols, “The Bikeriders” is a gritty period biker drama inspired by Danny Lyon’s 1968 photo-book of the same name. In the film, Nichols tells the story of the Vandals Motorcycle Club, putting a special focus on two close-knit brothers. Incredible performances by the trio of Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, and Jodie Comer drive this fascinating feature.

This special collector’s edition of “The Bikeriders” features the film on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and Digital. It will be available to purchase on August 13th. See below for a full synopsis and release information including special features.

About the Film:

Year: 2023

Runtime: 116 Minutes

Director: Jeff Nichols

Screenwriter: Jeff Nichols

Cast: Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon, Mike Faist, Norman Reedus, Boyd Holbrook, Damon Herriman, Beau Knapp, Emory Cohen, Karl Glusman, Toby Wallace, Happy Anderson, Paul Sparks, Will Oldham

Rating: R

“The Bikeriders” captures a rebellious time in America when the culture and people were changing. After a chance encounter at a local bar, strong-willed Kathy (Comer) is inextricably drawn to Benny (Butler), the newest member of Midwestern motorcycle club the Vandals, led by the enigmatic Johnny (Hardy). Much like the country around it, the club begins to evolve, transforming from a gathering place for local outsiders into a dangerous underworld of violence, forcing Benny to choose between Kathy and his loyalty to the club.

Written and directed by Jeff Nichols (“Mud”, “Take Shelter”), “The Bikeriders” boasts a power-house ensemble cast including Emmy, BAFTA, and Tony Award winner Jodie Comer (“Killing Eve”, “The Last Duel”) alongside Academy Award nominee Austin Butler (“Elvis”, “Dune: Part Two”) and Academy Award nominee Tom Hardy (“The Revenant”, “Dunkirk”, “Inception”). Other impressive cast members include two-time Academy Award nominee Michael Shannon, Boyd Holbrook (“Logan”, “The Predator”), Mike Faist (“Challengers”, “West Side Story”), and Norman Reedus (“The Walking Dead”, “Triple 9”).

Special Features:

Bonus Content for “The Bikeriders” includes:

     FEATURETTE: Johnny, Benny, & Kathy

From the accents to the attitude, get to know the lead characters of “THE BIKERIDERS”. Hear from the cast and producing team on how they took the personalities and environments from a book of photographs and brought a narrative to the big screen.

FEATURETTE: The Era of “THE BIKERIDERS“

Grab your leather jacket and gear up for a ride as we enter the era of “THE BIKERIDERS”. This piece focuses on the authenticity that was captured by the brilliant production team who nailed the look, feel, and sound of the late 1960s Midwest.

FEATURETTE: The Filmmaker’s Eye: Jeff Nichols

Go behind the lens with director Jeff Nichols as he shared his overall vision for the film, stylistic choices, and how he works with talent. Members of the ensemble cast along with producers chime in on the significance of working on a Jeff Nichols film.

Feature Commentary with Writer/Director Jeff Nichols

Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment are bringing the Summer’s best movie to home video. “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”, the high-octane prequel to 2015’s stellar “Mad Max: Fury Road”, sees visionary filmmaker George Miller returning to the dystopian wasteland he first introduced us to in 1979. This exhilarating spin-off digs into the backstory of Furiosa, played in “Fury Road” by Charlize Theron and here by Anya Taylor-Joy.

This 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray edition with Digital Copy of “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” will be available for purchase on August 13th. See below for a full synopsis and release information including special features.

About the Film:

Year: 2024

Runtime: 148 Minutes

Director: George Miller

Screenwriter: George Miller, Nico Lathouris.

Cast: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Burke, Alyla Browne, Lachy Hulme, John Howard, George Shevtsov, Angus Sampson, Nathan Jones, Josh Helman, Charlee Fraser, Elsa Pataky, Dylan Adonis, Lee Perry, David Collins, Clarence Ryan, Matuse

Rating: R for sequences of strong violence, and grisly images

Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth star in Academy Award-winning mastermind George Miller’s “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”, the much-anticipated return to the iconic dystopian world he created more than 40 years ago with the seminal Mad Max films. Miller now turns the page again with an all-new original, standalone action adventure that will reveal the origins of the powerhouse character from the multiple Oscar-winning global smash “Mad Max: Fury Road”. The new feature from Warner Bros. Pictures is produced by Miller and his longtime partner, Oscar-nominated producer Doug Mitchell (“Mad Max: Fury Road”, “Babe”), under their Australian-based Kennedy Miller Mitchell banner.

As the world fell, young Furiosa (Taylor-Joy) is snatched from the Green Place of Many Mothers and falls into the hands of a great Biker Horde led by the Warlord Dementus (Hemsworth). Sweeping through the Wasteland, they come across the Citadel presided over by The Immortan Joe (Hulme). While the two Tyrants war for dominance, Furiosa must survive many trials as she puts together the means to find her way home.

Miller penned the script with “Mad Max: Fury Road” co-writer Nico Lathouris. Miller’s behind-the-scenes creative team includes first assistant director PJ Voeten and action designer Guy Norris, director of photography Simon Duggan (“Hacksaw Ridge”, “The Great Gatsby”), composer Tom Holkenborg, supervising sound editor Robert Mackenzie, editor Eliot Knapman, visual effects supervisor Andrew Jackson and supervising colorist Eric Whipp. The team also includes other longtime collaborators: production designer Colin Gibson, editor Margaret Sixel, production sound Ben Osmo, costume designer Jenny Beavan and hair and makeup designer Lesley Vanderwalt, each of whom won an Oscar for their work on “Mad Max: Fury Road”.

Special Features:

“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” Premium Digital Ownership, 4K UHD and Blu-ray contain the following special features:  

4K UHD

• Highway to Valhalla: In Pursuit of Furiosa
• Stowaway to Nowhere
• Metal Beasts & Holy Motors
• Darkest Angel: Anya Taylor-Joy as Furiosa
• Motorbike Messiah: Chris Hemsworth as Dementus

Blu-ray

• Highway to Valhalla: In Pursuit of Furiosa
• Stowaway to Nowhere

Released on June 20, 1974, the rightly heralded “Chinatown” has firmly held its status as a classic for 50 years. Part old-fashioned film noir, part searing takedown of the ruling class and their institutions – “Chinatown” would go on to earn eleven Academy Award nominations, eleven BAFTA nominations, and nine Golden Globes nominations. But beyond all the accolades, what defines “Chinatown” most is how brilliantly it holds up today.

My last rewatch of “Chinatown” was inspired by Sight and Sound magazine’s most recent “Greatest Films of All Time” poll. For those unfamiliar with it, the poll has been taken every ten years since 1952. A select group of film critics and industry insiders are asked to vote for the ten greatest movies of all time. It has generally been a highly regarded poll partly due to the exclusivity of its voting body. But 2022 brought both controversy and skepticism, with S&S boosting its voters to 1,639 hand-picked participants (there were 145 in the 2002 poll; 846 in 2012). Naturally it resulted in some dramatic and head-scratching changes to list.

Here’s the thing, I didn’t revisit “Chinatown” because of its prominent place on the latest S&S list. No, instead it was because the landmark 1974 classic was booted from the list entirely. On the surface it seems like a mind-blowing omission and a real shock to the poll’s credibility (“The Godfather Part II”, “Rio Bravo”, “Raging Bull” and others also got the boot). So I fired up the film to see if something had changed. Nope, it still hits every mark and impressed me more this time than during any of my previous viewings. Sorry Sight and Sound. You got this one wrong.

“Chinatown” comes from director Roman Polanski, a blemish that alone probably cost the film several S&S votes. But the pure quality of the movie itself stands on its own. As does the exceptional Oscar-winning screenplay from the late Robert Towne. As does the cool and charismatic lead performance from Jack Nicholson – arguably the best of his career. As does the stellar supporting work from Faye Dunaway and John Huston. As does the period set design and costumes. As does Jerry Goldsmith’s transporting score. I feel like I could go on and on.

Set in 1937 Los Angeles, Nicholson plays a private detective named J. J. “Jake” Gittes. One afternoon a woman (Diane Ladd) identifying herself as Evelyn Mulwray comes to his office. She suspects her husband, Hollis Mulwray (Darrell Zwerling), is having an affair and she wants Gittes to find out. He takes the job and upon investigating learns that Mulwray is the chief engineer at LA’s Department of Water and Power. Gittes starts tailing Mulwray, eventually snapping some photos of him with a young woman – photos that mysterious end up in the newspaper.

The next day Gittes is confronted by the real Evelyn Mulwray (Dunaway) who hits him with a lawsuit. Steamed that he’s been used by someone to disgrace Hollis Mulwray, Gittes and Evelyn cut a deal. He’ll find out who set up her husband, and she’ll drop the lawsuit. Seems simple enough, but of course it’s not. What started as an infidelity case soon gives way to lies, city corruption, and (as in most good noirs) murder. Even worse, there’s something far more sinister underneath it all.

For lovers of classic noirs, “Chinatown” fits snugly within the bygone genre and feels right at home next to the many films that undoubtedly inspired it. Yet Polanski and Towne add their own special seasoning which makes this more than just a copy-and-paste experience. Much of it is in the way Polanski plays with POV or how he shoots his sun-baked Los Angeles (DP John A. Alonzo received an Oscar nomination). But it’s also evident in Polanski’s willingness to tinker with genre conventions, to the point that we’re never certain where he’s taking us.

Then you have Towne’s absorbing screenplay. It has a few signature noir movie twists with everything being revealed at the very end (Interestingly, Polanski added some grit to the ending, changing it up in a way that initially frustrated Towne. Later, Towne would admit that Polanski’s climactic finish was the right choice). But there is so much more to Towne’s dense and complex story. He offers a deep and compelling spin on the California Water War and all the political deception and chicanery that went with it. 

Towne also does some incredible character work. Written specifically for Nicholson, Gittes is a cynical wisecracking sleuth but with an uncommon sense of decency at his core. Dunaway’s Evelyn is an elegant and high-class femme fatale who does her best to hide her fragility. And of course there’s the devilishly good John Huston playing Evelyn’s wealthy and powerful father, Noah Cross. Towne fleshes them all out through his crackling dialogue and his patient attention to detail. They all have roles to play within his winding story, but they are also given plenty of room to develop.

“Chinatown” spends a lot of time covering a lot of ground, yet it’s surprisingly efficient. There’s simply no wasted scenes, no meaningless lines, and no throwaway moments. And while the disgraced director’s post-“Chinatown” offenses undoubtedly hang over his work, there’s a richness to Polanski’s direction. And I love how he entrusts his audience to follow along. In the end, every facet of great filmmaking can be found in “Chinatown”. And I hate to say it, but it’s hard to take a “Greatest Films of All Time” list seriously that doesn’t include this 1974 gem.

Filmland 2024 is just around the corner and the Arkansas Cinema Society has just announced this year’s lineup of feature films and shorts. Filmland is an annual curated celebration of local, national, and international cinema that takes place in Little Rock, Arkansas. Past guests have included Richard Linklater, Jessica Chastain, Adam Driver, Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Chloé Zhao, Will Forte, Ted Danson, David Arquette, Mary Steenburgen, David Gordon Green, and ACS co-founder Jeff Nichols among others.

This year’s Filmland begins Thursday, August 15th and continues through Sunday, August 18th. As usual, it will include feature films, blocks of short films, workshops, and numerous Q+A sessions with directors, writers, producers, and actors. Variety is serving as Filmland’s official Media Partner with chief film critic Peter Debruge hosting the inaugural Southern Storytellers Panel (more details below). All events will be held at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts – Performing Arts Theater.

Here is a rundown of the Filmland 2024 line-up so far, with more programming to be announced later this week….

Thursday – August 15th

(2:00 PM) “Voices of the Ogahpah” – “Voices of the Ogahpah” is a captivating journey into the heart of a resilient people whose history stretches back long before European colonization. This documentary delves deep into the origins, struggles, and triumphs of the Ogahpah, uncovering the layers of their unique culture. From their ancient traditions to their modern-day challenges. Voices of the Ogahpah is a living testament to the endurance and culture of a proud people. Through voices both past and present, this film brings to life the story of a people whose legacy continues to shape their identity and inspire those who hear their tale.

(3:30 PM) “The Peanut Butter Falcon” – A down-on-his-luck crab fisherman embarks on a journey to get a young man with Down syndrome to a professional wrestling school in rural North Carolina and away from the retirement home where he’s lived for the past two and a half years. Stars Shia LaBeouf, Zack Gottsagen, Dakota Johnson, John Hawkes, Jon Bernthal, and Thomas Haden Church.

(7:00 PM) “Los Frikis” – Inspired by true events, Los Frikis is a powerful coming-of-age story set in early 90s Cuba, centering around 18-year-old Gustavo who idolizes his older brother Paco and his punk, “Frikis” bandmates. When word reaches the Frikis of a potential reprieve from the effects of the economic crisis, they do the now unthinkable: deliberately inject themselves with HIV to live at a government-run treatment home. It’s there that these teenagers create their own utopia full of joy, rock’n’roll, and freedom.

Friday – August 16th

(12:30 PM) “I’ll Be There” – As the youngest of five children, Grace’s blended family was never easy to explain to her friends. As soon as graduation came around, she left the confusion and rawness of her home life behind. When the film finds her more than a decade later, she has built a new life for herself in Los Angeles and cemented her place as the outsider of the family. But her new life is upended when she learns that her older brother AJ has cancer and her now estranged family comes to town to support him. The film is set during the days after Michael Jackson’s death in the Los Angeles hospital that is next door to the L.A. Coroner’s Office, where the King of Pop was autopsied. As we unravel the family’s traumatic past, the pivotal role AJ played as Grace’s protector, and the chasm that now exists between them as adults, Grace comes to terms with the ghosts of her past and her former role as the family’s “Golden Child.” Michael Jackson played an important role in the siblings’ childhoods and the irony of the timing isn’t lost on Grace. As she tries to reconcile her complicated relationships with her siblings, she’s also saying goodbye to the icon who was the soundtrack to that chapter of her life.

(2:30 PM) “All Happy Families” – Haroula Rose’s charming dramedy stars How I Met Your Mother’s Josh Radnor as Graham, an actor and writer in a slump and still waiting for his big break while his hugely successful brother Will (Rob Huebel) stars in his own sitcom. On the weekend before new tenant Dana (Chandra Russell) is due to move into their childhood home, the siblings and their parents find themselves unexpectedly under the same roof again, where every corner reveals secrets and surprises and the family airs out long-held resentments. This slice-of-life film features a terrific ensemble cast, including the pitch-perfect Becky Ann Baker as Sue, the matriarch who’s tired of having to hold everything together and John Ashton as Roy, a grump who needs to change his ways but doesn’t seem capable of doing so. With a heartfelt and witty script co-written by Coburn Goss, Rose delicately weaves a deeply relatable portrait of family dysfunction, with all of its delightfully entertaining mess coming to the surface over the course of one eventful and unforgettable weekend.

(5:00 PM) “I Do This for a Living” – Jeff, a mechanic and southern family man, navigating the life of his recovering addict son who starts a relationship with a trans girl.

(7:00 PM) “Daddio” – New York City. JFK airport. A young woman jumps into the backseat of a yellow taxi, the cabbie throws the vehicle into drive as the two head out into the night toward Manhattan, striking up the most unexpected conversation resulting in a single, epic remarkable journey. Stars Sean Penn and Dakota Johnson.

Saturday – August 17th

(10:45 AM) Student Shorts: Block 1 – The first block of student shorts features the work of filmmakers Jonathan Michael Peterson, Janie Gentry, Aidan Kolokithas, Sophie Barnes, Paula Blanco Perez, Vita Long, and Ren Tsukamoto.

(12:30 PM) Student Shorts: Block 2 – The second block of student shorts features the work of filmmakers Brinson Davenport, Lexie Mosby, Nathaly M. Moreno, Christina Waterman, and Michelle Burney.

(2:30 PM) “Rise Above” – Rise Above is the riveting and potent story of an uneducated, poor, black and quietly gentle young boy who grew up in the ghetto of Augusta, GA (The Sandhills) and defied the odds of what was surely a preordained destiny of poverty for him. RISE ABOVE is the story of how a young boy- Carl Jackson, who dropped out of school at the age of ten to become the head of his household and provider for a family of 11, became an icon in the world of Golf: Longest serving Caddie from the Masters/54 years. the first Black man (non-pro) to golf at Augusta National. Black Golf Hall of Fame, Keys To The City of Augusta and Caddie Hall of Fame.

Sunday – August 18th

(10:45 AM) Pro Shorts: Block 1 – The first block of pro shorts features the work of filmmakers Kathryn Francis Tucker, Clayton Henderson, Cole Borgstadt, Alexander Jeffery and Chris Alan Evans, Hannah Alline, John Backstrom, and Brett Helms.

(1:30 PM) Pro Shorts: Block 2 – The second block of pro shorts features the work of filmmakers Ethan Edwards, Russell Sharman and Laura Shatkus, Emmanuel Joel Rodriguez, Chris Churchill, and Johnnie Brannon.

(3:45 PM) Variety’s Southern Storytellers Panel – Variety’s Chief Film Critic Peter Debruge will host the inaugural Southern Storytellers Panel, presented by Variety, with Jeff Nichols (The Bikeriders), Michael Schwartz (The Peanut Butter Falcon, Los Frikis), Christy Hall (Daddio, It Ends With Us),  Clint Bentley (Sing Sing, Jockey, Train Dreams) and Monique Walton (Sing Sing, Bull, Hollow Tree).

(6:30 PM) “Sing Sing” – Divine G, imprisoned at Sing Sing for a crime he didn’t commit, finds purpose by acting in a theatre group alongside other incarcerated men in this story of resilience, humanity, and the transformative power of art. Stars Colman Domingo, Paul Raci, Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin, and Sean San José.