Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has announced the upcoming release of “Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant”. This riveting and engaging military action thriller reveals a different side of Ritchie with the filmmaker showing a patience and focus that makes this story both exciting and deeply human. There’s a visceral realism that captures the intensity and chaos of actual combat. Yet Ritchie never takes its eyes off the characters. Too many people missed it in theaters. Now is your chance to see and own it. You can read my full review of the film HERE.
The new Blu-ray combo pack of “Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant” will release on June 20th, 2023. See below for a full synopsis and breakdown of the bonus features.
OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS:
Year: 2023
Runtime: 123 Minutes
Director: Guy Ritchie
Screenwriter: Guy Ritchie, Ivan Atkinson and Marn Davies
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Dar Salim, Antony Starr, Alexander Ludwig, Bobby Schofield, Emily Beecham and Jonny Lee Miller
Rating: R (violence, language throughout and brief drug content)
ABOUT THE FILM
“Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant” stars Jake Gyllenhaal (Ambulance, Spider-Man: Far from Home), Dar Salim (Game of Thrones), Antony Starr (The Boys), Alexander Ludwig (Bad Boys for Life, Vikings), Bobby Schofield (Cherry), Emily Beecham (Cruella) and Jonny Lee Miller (T2 Trainspotting).
“Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant” follows US Army Sergeant John Kinley (Gyllenhaal) and Afghan interpreter Ahmed (Salim). After an ambush, Ahmed goes to Herculean lengths to save Kinley’s life. When Kinley learns that Ahmed and his family were not given safe passage to America as promised, he must repay his debt by returning to the war zone to retrieve them before the Taliban hunts them down.
I’m a sucker for character posters and Paramount Pictures has released a killer collection for their highly anticipated action blockbuster “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One”. The new posters highlight the film’s incredible ensemble led by the franchise’s star Tom Cruise. Also getting their own posters are Rebecca Ferguson, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Vanessa Kirby, Hayley Atwell, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, and Henry Czerny.
“Dead Reckoning Part One” is the latest installment in the action-packed globe-trotting espionage series that chronicles the adventures of Ethan Hunt and his team of fellow IMF agents. The film once again sees Cruise teaming up with director Christopher McQuarrie to tell what is believed to be the last leg of Hunt’s journey.
“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One” hits theaters July 12th. Here’s a look at the brand new character posters.
I revisited “Jurassic Park” on the big screen a short time ago, not out of some critical obligation, but for a much different reason. My son just started his freshman year of college and he’s taking a film appreciation course. His first assignment was to write an essay on his favorite film. Interestingly he chose “Jurassic Park”, the blockbuster mega-hit that turns 30-years-old this week.
Steven Spielberg is considered by many to be the father of the summer blockbuster. “Jaws”, the Indiana Jones films, “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” and of course “Jurassic Park” make a really strong case. “Jurassic Park” would become Spielberg’s biggest money-maker. It shattered box office records becoming the highest grossing film of all-time (until James Cameron’s 1997 “Titanic”). The film was a hit with critics and went on to win three Academy Awards. It’s still beloved by many besides my son.
Image Courtesy Universal Pictures
“Jurassic Park” was based on a Michael Crichton novel of the same name. Smelling a potential smash hit, Spielberg and Universal Pictures acquired the film rights to Crichton’s novel before it was even published. Crichton was then hired to write the screenplay with David Koepp. They set their story on a fictional island near Costa Rica where a wealthy entrepreneur and his team of scientists have created a theme park around the cloning of dinosaurs. It was a story ripe with potential, but only if the special effects could sell its ambition. “Jurassic Park” turned out to be an incredible visual achievement and a groundbreaking step forward for movie technology.
Richard Attenborough plays businessman John Hammond, a gazillionaire who bought his own island to build his dinosaur park. After an accident leads to the death of one of his dino handlers, Hammond is pushed by his investors to bring in a team of experts to verify whether the park is safe for the public. Hammond invites paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neil) and paleobotanist Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern). The lawyer for the investors Donald Gennaro (Martin Ferrero) invites math whiz and chaos theorist Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum).
Image Courtesy Universal Pictures
Once on the island the group are taken to meet Hammond. On the way they are astonished at the sight of a massive living, breathing brachiosaurus. They arrive at the park’s visitor center where Hammond gives them a tour of his laboratory. The group’s amazement turns to skepticism once Hammond reveals the science behind his venture. In one particularly terrific scene they all gather around a table for lunch and discuss the wisdom and ethics of Hammond’s venture. As Goldblum’s Dr. Malcolm candidly states, “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could they didn’t stop to think if they should.”
In a last ditch effort to impress his guests Hammond sends the group along with his two grandchildren Tim (Joseph Mazzello) and Lex (Ariana Richards) on an automated SUV tour around the park. Meanwhile Hammond’s disgruntled computer programmer Dennis Nedry (Wayne Night) has secretly been paid handsomely by an outside corporation to swipe dinosaur embryos from the park’s lab. Nedry shuts down the security systems enabling him to steal the vials and escape to a nearby dock where a boat awaits. But he inadvertently shuts down the SUVs leaving three doctors, a lawyer, and two kids stranded outside of a Tyrannosaurus Rex enclosure.
Image Courtesy Universal Pictures
With the electric fences deactivated the T-Rex escapes attacking the two SUVs in what many consider to be the film’s most memorable sequence. Watching it again I was blown away by Spielberg’s masterclass on scene construction. The framing of his shots, the crisp editing, the impeccable sound design, visual effects wizard Stan Winston’s mind-blowing animatronics, and other details such as Spielberg using no score during the bulk of the sequence. It’s a scene full of nail-biting tension even for people like me who already knows what happens.
In addition to the stand-out special effects, Spielberg, his DP Dean Cundey, and production designer Rick Carter deserve loads of credit for creating a convincing setting that grounds a fantastical concept. Shot mostly in Hawaii, the Dominican Republic, and on the Universal Studios lot, Spielberg and his team manage to sell Jurassic Park as a palpable place full of awe and wonder. And it still sparks the imagination after all these years.
Image Courtesy Universal Pictures
And while I’m doling out credit, Crichton and Koepp earn their’s by putting together a fun and engaging array of characters. Neil and Dern are the leads and they fill the shoes of their characters well. And there is terrific supporting work from Attenborough, Night, Ferrero, Samuel L. Jackson, and Bob Peck. But there is one thing I distinctly remember from my previous viewings and it still holds true today – Jeff Goldblum steals every scene he’s in. His Malcolm is smart, weirdly charming, hilarious, even heroic when he needs to be. Unfortunately he gets put on the shelf in the last act, but Goldblum still makes every scene he’s in better.
This was easily one of my favorite Retro Review revisits so far. It was nice to see how remarkably well “Jurassic Park” holds up, but I wasn’t expecting to have so much fun with it. It’s a movie that really flourishes on the big screen and puts an emphasis on the value of that experience. I can enthusiastically say that I liked “Jurassic Park” more this time than during my original 1993 theater visit. Maybe I’m just starving for a good summer tentpole movie. Or maybe this is simply Spielberg once again proving himself to not only be the father of the blockbuster but also the king.
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is releasing James Wan’s terrifying supernatural horror film “Insidious” on 4K UHD for the first time in this killer new limited edition steelbook. Premiering in 2010, “Insidious” would gain a big following and spawned a sequel and two prequels. With the fifth film set to hit theaters this next month, Sony has put together a coolly designed package that’s a must for fans and collectors alike.
The new 4K UHD steelbook edition of “Insidious” releases on June 13th, 2023. See below for a full synopsis and breakdown of the bonus features.
OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS
Year: 2010
Rating: R (thematic material, violence, terror and frightening images, and brief strong language)
Runtime: 103 Minutes
Director: James Wan
Screenwriter: Leigh Whannell
Produced By: Jason Blum, Steven Schneider, Oren Peli
Starring: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Lin Shaye, Leigh Whannell and Barbara Hershey
INSIDIOUS is the terrifying story of a family who, shortly after moving, discovers that dark spirits have possessed their home and that their son has inexplicably fallen into a coma. Trying to escape the haunting and save their son, they move again only to realize that it was not their house that was haunted.
4K ULTRA HD DISC
Feature presented in 4K resolution with Dolby Vision, approved by director James Wan
Earlier this year I remember first seeing “The Expendables 4” on the list of upcoming 2023 movies. I hadn’t heard anything about it before reading the list and have heard nothing about it since. But is until yesterday when Lionsgate dropped the first trailer for the next installment in the previously dormant all-star action franchise. It’s the first Expendables film since 2014 and it’s said to have been given a $100 million budget. Wow!
“Expend4bles” brings back many familiar faces including Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, and Randy Couture. New to the series is Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Megan Fox, Eddie Hall, Andy Garcia, Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais, and more. The new trailer is full of the machismo-fueled action that has been a staple of the series. It’s said to be Stallone’s last turn as lead character Barney Ross with Statham taking the reins of any future movies. I enjoyed the first two films but didn’t care for the third. I’m curious to see how this one turns out.
“Expend4bles” hits theaters September 22nd. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.
Lionsgate has released a hilarious collection of character posters for their upcoming horror comedy “The Blackening”. The film comes from director Tim Story (“Barbershop”, “Ride Along”) and is written for the screen by Tracy Oliver (“Girls Trip”) and one of the films stars, Dwayne Perkins. The cast is loaded with interesting talent that includes Perkins, Grace Byers, Jermaine Fowler, Melvin Gregg, X Mayo, Antoinette Robertson, Sinqua Walls, Jay Pharoah, and Yvonne Orji.
“The Blackening” plays with the idea that the Black character is often the first to die in slasher films. The story follows a group of friends who fit the many character types that often populate these movies. The difference in this case is they are all Black. The group must overcome a comical array of well-worn horror movie tropes if they have any hope of surviving. The character posters tap into what kind of humor we can expect.
“The Blackening” releases exclusively in theaters on June 16th.
Keith & the Movies