Walt Disney Studios has released a collection of new character posters for their highly anticipated “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny”. The film recently premiered at the Cannes Film Festival where it was met with mixed reviews from critics. But franchise fans remain excited for the long awaited return of everyone’s favorite treasure-hunting, tomb-raiding, Nazi-evading, archeologist.

Harrison Ford returns to one of his most iconic roles for one last adventure. Created by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman and brought to life by Ford, Indiana Jones is a character beloved by fans across the globe. This fifth and final installment of the franchise is directed by James Mangold and sees Indy meeting some old friends and facing several new enemies. He’s joined but a fun cast that includes Mads Mikkelsen, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, John Rhys-Davies, Toby Jones, Shaunette Renee Wilson, Thomas Kretschmann, Boyd Holbrook, and more.

These all-new character posters look great and feature many of the characters. But any devoted Indy fan has to ask…Where’s Sallah????

The more I see of “Barbie” the more unsure I am about it. Based on the popular fashion dolls by Mattel, “Barbie” certainly seems to capture the goofy and playful spirit you might expect from such an undertaking. But with every new look we get I still find myself wondering if it’s going to be a bit too much. Like a sensory overload of bright pastels and overt silliness. The “main trailer” dropped today and it only cemented my feelings.

But as I’ve said before, in Greta I trust. Greta Gerwig is indeed directing from a script she co-wrote with Noah Baumbach. That alone is enough to get me onboard. The film’s star, Margot Robbie certainly looks, sounds, and acts the part of Barbie. The jury is still out of Ryan Gosling as Ken. Regardless there’s enough in the trailer to entice me to see it. Now here’s to hoping it delivers. We won’t have to wait long to find out.

“Barbie” hits theaters July 21st. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

Well Go USA Entertainment has announced the release of “Sakra”, the wuxia action film directed by, produced by, and starring international fan favorite Donnie Yen. Based on Louis Cha’s classic novel “Demi-Gods and Semi-Gods”, the film sees Yen teaming up with co-stars Chen Yiqi, Cya Liu, Kara Wai, Wu Yue, Eddie Cheung, and Grace Wong. Fans of Yen and/or wuxia will love this action-packed, visually stunning, big-budget feature.

The new Blu-ray and DVD editions of “Sakra” hits shelves on June 13th, 2023. See below for a full synopsis and breakdown of the bonus features.

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:

Year: 2023

Rating: R

Runtime: 131 Minutes

Directed by: Donnie Yen

Screenplay by: Sheng Lingzhi, Zhu Wei, He Ben, Chen Li, Shen Lejing, Xu Yifan

When a respected martial artist is accused of murder, he goes on the run in search of answers about his own mysterious origin story and the unknown enemies working to destroy him.

Action icon Donnie Yen returns to the director’s chair for the first time in nearly two decades, while also playing the lead role, in the martial arts wuxia adventure “SAKRA“, which debuts on Blu-ray^™ and DVD June 13 from Well Go USA Entertainment. The film is available on digital now. Based on the classic wuxia novel “Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils” by Louis Cha (known worldwide by his pen name Jin Yong), “SAKRA” stars Donnie Yen as Qiao Feng, respected leader of a roving band of martial artists called the Beggars’ Sect. After he is wrongfully accused of murder and subsequently exiled, Qiao Feng goes on the run in search of answers about his own mysterious origin story—and the unknown enemies working to destroy him from the shadows. With action direction by Kenji Tanigaki (Raging Fire, Enter the Fat Dragon, Snake Eyes), “SAKRA” also stars Yuqi Chen, Eddie Cheung, and Yase Liu.

Bonus content includes a “Making-of” featurette.

Cohen Media Group has announced the home video release of renowned filmmaker François Ozon’s affecting adult drama “Everything Went Fine”. Based on a memoir by the late Emmanuèle Bernheim that chronicled her own experience with her father’s death, the film tells a richly human story while taking on some heavy subject matter with warmth and sensitivity. It’s driven by a brilliant lead performance from Sophie Marceau – one of the year’s best. Read my full review of the film HERE.

The Blu-ray and DVD editions of “Everything Went Fine” are NOW AVAILABLE. See below for a full synopsis of this must-own feature film.

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:

Year: 2023

Rating: NR

Runtime: 112 minutes

Language: French with English subtitles

Directed and Written By François Ozon
Starring: Sophie Marceau, André Dussollier, Géraldine Pailhas, Charlotte Rampling, Éric Caravaca 
Produced by: Éric et Nicolas Altmayer
Cinematographer: Hichame Alaouie
Set Design: Emmanuelle Duplay
Edited By Laure Gardette

From François Ozon (“8 Women”, “Swimming Pool”) comes a powerful family drama in which a daughter is forced to reconcile with her father and their shared past after he contacts her with a devastating final wish. When André (André Dussollier) suffers a debilitating stroke and calls on his daughter Emmanuèle (Sophie Marceau) to help him die with dignity, she finds herself faced with a painful decision.

Based on Emmanuèle Bernheim’s memoir and an Official Selection of the Cannes Film Festival, Everything Went Fine’s matter-of-factness elicits moments of humor that renders an otherwise weighty topic accessible. Steering clear of the moral arguments such issues often raise, the film instead focuses on the reckoning Emmanuéle has with her stubborn and unrelenting father and how to help him, with Ozon tackling a difficult subject with exceptional intelligence and sensitivity. Featuring stunning central performances by Marceau and Dussollier as well as a scene-stealing cameo by Charlotte Rampling as André’s ex-wife.

“Fast X”, the 10th entry in the high-octane and gleefully over-the-top Fast & Furious franchise, opened to a rock-solid $319 million opening weekend. The Universal Pictures powerhouse knocked “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” out of the top spot thanks to its fiercely loyal following and a vigorous promotional campaign. It marks the second largest opening weekend globally of 2023 only behind the still-going “The Super Mario Bros. Movie”.

Directed by Louis Leterrier and featuring a massive cast of well-known names, “Fast X” didn’t exactly break records on the domestic front. It earned a decent $67.5 million in the United States which puts it seventh among the franchise’s opening weekend numbers. But it exploded globally with $251 million, making it the third best worldwide opening for a Fast & Furious movie and the top opening of 2023 so far.

The franchise’s global appeal makes sense as the movies feature a diverse cast and extends to locations all around the world. “Fast X” is set up to be the first of three movies that will bring the lucrative series to its action-packed finish. You can bet Universal will be watching its numbers closely.

Among the holdovers “Guardians 3” fell just 47% to bring in another $32.8 million. That brings its three-week total to $659 million worldwide – impressive, but a ways from matching its two predecessors. In its seventh week “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” still proves to have legs, crossing $1.248 billion and now sitting as the third biggest animated feature of all-time. “Book Club: The Next Chapter” fell off pretty dramatically in its second week and now sits at $13.1 million while “Evil Dead Rise” pushes its five-week total to $140 million globally.

Read my full review of “Fast X” HERE.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has announced the upcoming home video release of “Creed III”. This brand-new combo pack features the film in crisp 4K with HDR and includes both a Blu-ray and digital copy. “Creed III” is the third chapter in the Rocky spin-off story of Adonis Creed who’s memorably played by a returning Michael B. Jordan. The film also marks Jordan’s directorial debut. In addition it features a powerful supporting performance from Jonathan Majors. You can read my full review of the film HERE.

This new 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital edition of “Creed III” is light on bonus content, but the visual and sound quality is superb. It hits shelves on May 23rd, 2023. See below for a full synopsis and breakdown of the bonus features.

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:

Year: 2023

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 116 Minutes

Directed by: Michael B. Jordan

Screenplay by: Keenan Coogler & Zach Baylin

Story by: Ryan Coogler and Keenan Coogler & Zach Baylin

Produced by: Irwin Winkler, p.g.a., Charles Winkler, William Chartoff, David Winkler, Ryan Coogler, p.g.a., Michael B. Jordan, p.g.a., Elizabeth Raposo, p.g.a., Jonathan Glickman, Sylvester Stallone

Executive Producers: Sev Ohanian, Zinzi Coogler, Nicolas Stern, Adam Rosenberg

After dominating the boxing world, Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) has been thriving in both his career and family life. When a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damian (Jonathan Majors), resurfaces after serving a long sentence in prison, he is eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring. The face off between former friends is more than just a fight. To settle the score, Adonis must put his future on the line to battle Damian – a fighter who has nothing to lose.

“Creed III” stars Michael B. Jordan (“Just Mercy”, “Black Panther”), Tessa Thompson (“Thor: Love and Thunder”, TV’s “Westworld”), Jonathan Majors (“Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania”, “Devotion”), Wood Harris (TV’s “Winning Time”), Mila Davis-Kent, Florian Munteanu, and Phylicia Rashad.

“Creed III” is the third installment in the successful franchise and recently set a franchise record and scored the biggest domestic box office opening for a sports film in history.

BONUS FEATURES:

Creed III 4K UHD and Blu-ray combo packs contains the following special features: 

• Michael B. Jordan: In the Ring/Behind the Camera – featurette
• There’s No Enemy Like the Past: Donnie and Dame – featurette
• Deleted Scenes