How’s this for an exciting cast: Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke, Mahershala Ali, and Kevin Bacon. The quartet star along with Myha’la Herrold, Farrah Mackenzie, and Charlie Evans in writer-director Sam Esmail’s “Leave the World Behind”. Netflix has dropped the first trailer for this intriguing psychological thriller which is based on Rumaan Alam’s 2020 novel of the same name.

Roberts and Hawke play Amanda and Clay, a couple who have their Long Island vacation interrupted when the two mysterious owners of their Airbnb (Ali and Herrold) arrive to warn them of an impending blackout. The man claims that the “patterns of the world” indicate that something far more serious is on the horizon. The apocalypse perhaps? I love the look of this and can’t wait to find out where Esmail takes this story.

“Leave the World Behind” premieres on Netflix on December 8th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

Netflix has dropped a new trailer for their upcoming drama “May December” from director Todd Haynes. It’s written by Samy Burch and based on a story he conceived with Alex Mechanik. The film had its premiere in May at the Cannes Film Festival where it was promptly acquired by the Netflix for $11 million. The very premise is discomforting and by the looks of the trailer we’ll be able to say the same thing about the movie itself.

“May December” is anchored by two terrific leads, Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore. Portman plays an actress who visits a married couple’s home to do research for a film about their lives. It turns out that 20 years earlier the wife (Moore) and her significantly younger husband (played by Charles Melton) were involved in a scandalous affair that made headlines across the country. Their relationship begins to crumble as they’re forced to relive their troubling past in the presence of their watchful guest. Without question there is an ickiness baked into the story. I’m anxious to see what Haynes does with it.

“May December” opens in select theaters on November 17th before streaming on Netflix on December 1st. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

This week Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is bringing their supernatural horror film “Insidious: The Red Door” to home video. It’s the fifth movie in the Insidious franchise and the directorial debut for the film’s star, Patrick Wilson. Released in theaters earlier this year, the film was a financial success and now it’ll be available to own in this new combo-pack that is releasing just in time for the start of spooky season.

This Blu-ray + Digital edition of “Insidious: The Red Door” hits shelves on September 26th. See below for a full synopsis and release information.

Official Synopsis:

Year: 2023

Runtime: 107 Minutes

Director: Patrick Wilson

Screenwriter: Scott Teems

Story by: Leigh Whannell and Scott Teems

Produced By: Jason Blum, Oren Peli, James Wan, Leigh Whannell

Cast: Ty Simpkins, Patrick Wilson, Sinclair Daniel, Hiam Abbass, Rose Byrne, Andrew Astor, Juliana Davies, Steve Coulter, Peter Dager

Rating: PG-13 for violence, terror, frightening images, strong language and suggestive references

From the Studio:

The original cast from the horror franchise is back for the final chapter of the Lambert family’s terrifying saga, with Patrick Wilson (also making his directorial debut), Ty Simpkins, Rose Byrne and Andrew Astor. To put their demons to rest once and for all, Josh and a college-aged Dalton must go deeper into The Further than ever before, facing their family’s dark past and a host of new and more horrifying terrors that lurk behind the door.

Special Features:

• Special Featurettes
  • Past, Present, Further
  • A Possessed Director

Specs:

1080p High Definition / 2.39:1 • Audio: English, French (Doublé au Québec), Spanish 5.1 DTS-HD MA, English – Audio Description Track 5.1 Dolby Digital • Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish • Mastered in High Definition • Color

One thing about Nicolas Cage, he’s certainly not afraid to work. That has led to a a near assembly line of movies (five this year alone), many of which aren’t what you would call stellar quality. Yet this has also helped give him a cult status among moviegoers. It’s hard not to enjoy the wackiness that is Nicolas Cage. But it’s easy to forget that Cage is also a really good actor. He reminds us of that from time to time and it looks like he may be doing it again with “Dream Scenario”.

This new off-beat comedy from writer-director Kristoffer Borgli premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and is now set to be released by A24. It sees Cage playing a homely college professor who suddenly gains celebrity status after he begins appearing in everyone’s dreams. The trailer reveals a movie that looks really unique and a lot of fun. I’m excited to see how this thing plays out.

“Dream Scenario” hits theaters on November 10th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

It goes without saying that the state of DC superhero movies isn’t great. Whether it’s good movies like “The Flash” and “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” or a not so good movie like “Blue Beetle”, Warner Bros. is struggling to find an audience for their DC releases (there are several frustrating reasons why, but I’ll save that for another day). “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” seeks to remedy that. Its predecessor made over $1.1 billion at the box office. It’s hard to see the sequel matching those numbers.

All that downer stuff aside, I really liked the first Aquaman and all I want from its follow-up is more of the same fun and wacky flavor. The long-awaited first trailer certainly promises that. Director James Wan and screenwriter David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick return, as does the film’s fun-loving star Jason Momoa, reprising his role as Arthur Curry. Also returning is Patrick Wilson as Arthur’s brother Orm and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as the revenge-fueled Black Manta. Temuera Morrison, Nicole Kidman, and Amber Heard are also back. I really like this gonzo first look, and I hope the movie is as crazy as it looks.

“Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” swims into theaters on December 20th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is celebrating the 50th anniversary of William Friedkin’s 1973 horror classic “The Exorcist” with a new feature-rich 4K Ultra High Definition Blu-ray edition. It’s the first time the supernatural horror thriller has released in 4K resolution with High Dynamic Range. The beloved film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture (a first for a horror movie) and its influence is still being felt in the worlds of cinema and pop culture.

This terrific 4K UHD Blu-ray edition of “The Exorcist” will release on September 19th. See below for a full synopsis and release information.

Official Synopsis

Year: 1973

Runtime: 122 Minutes

Director: William Friedkin

Screenwriter: William Peter Blatty

Cast: Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Linda Blair, Lee J. Cobb, Kitty Winn, Jack MacGowran, Jason Miller, William O’Malley, Peter Masterson, Barton Heyman, Rudolf Schundler, Robert Symonds, Gina Petrushka, Arthur Storch, Thomas Bermingham, Titos Vandis

From the Studio:

Directed by William Friedkin from a screenplay by Academy Award winner William Peter Blatty, the film is based on Blatty’s 1971 novel of the same name. “The Exorcist” stars Academy Award winner Ellen Burstyn (“Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore”), Academy Award nominee Max von Sydow (“Pelle the Conqueror”, “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”), Academy Award nominee Lee J. Cobb (“On the Waterfront”, “The Brothers Karamazov”), Kitty Winn, Jack MacGowan, Academy Award nominee Jason Miller, and Academy Award nominee Linda Blair. 

Widely regarded as a supernatural masterpiece, the film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director as well as acting nominations for Burstyn, Miller and Blair.  The film won two Academy Awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay for Blatty.

In 2010, the United States Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

“The Exorcist” tells the now-famous story of a girl’s demonic possession, and a gripping fight between good and evil. Linda Blair, in a breakout role, plays Regan, a young girl who starts to exhibit strange, arcane behavior. Her mother (Burstyn) calls upon a priest, Father Karras (Miller), to investigate. But Karras, who has a spiritual crisis of his own, is suddenly confronted with the unimaginable evil of Regan’s possession. Father Lankester Merrin (Von Sydow), an archeologist-priest, is called to help, and a horrific battle for her soul begins.

The Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs include both the 1973 theatrical version of the film and the 2000 Extended Director’s Cut of the film which features eleven additional minutes of footage not seen in theaters.

Bonus Features:

“The Exorcist” Ultra HD Blu-ray disc (theatrical version) contains the following previously released special features:

• Introduction by William Friedkin
• Commentary by William Friedkin
• Commentary by William Peter Blatty with Special Sound Effects

“The Exorcist” Digital release (theatrical version) contains the following previously released special features:

• Commentary by William Friedkin
• Commentary by William Peter Blatty with Special Sound Effects Tests
• Introduction by William Friedkin
• “The Fear of God: 25 Years of the Exorcist”
• Original Ending
• William Peter Blatty Interviews
  • “The Original Cut”
  • “Stairway to Heaven”
  • “The Final Reckoning”
• “Sketches & Storyboards”
• TV Spots
  • “Beyond Comprehension”
  • “You Too Can See the Exorcist”
  • “Between Science & Superstition”
  • “The Movie You’ve Been Waiting For”
  • “Nobody Expected It”
  • “Life Had Been Good”
• Trailers
  • “Nobody Expected It”
  • “Beyond Comprehension”
  • “Flash Image”

“The Exorcist” Extended Director’s Cut Ultra HD Blu-ray disc contains the following previously released special features:

• Commentary by William Friedkin

“The Exorcist” Extended Director’s Cut Digital release contains the following previously released special features:

• Commentary by William Friedkin
• “Beyond Comprehension: William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist”
• “Talk of the Devil”
• “Raising Hell: Filming The Exorcist”
• “The Exorcist Locations: Georgetown Then and Now”
• “Faces of Evil: The Different Versions of The Exorcist”
• Radio Spots
  • “The Devil Himself”
  • “Our Deepest Fears”
• TV Spots
  • “Most Electrifying”
  • “Scariest Ever”
  • “Returns”
  • “Never Seen”
• Trailers
  • “The Version You’ve Never Seen”
  • “Our Deepest Fears”