You know what time it is. It’s time for another Liam Neeson action thriller. These things are as reliable as the seasons and I admit to getting a kick out of them. Not all of them land. But enough do and I honestly enjoy watching Neeson do his thing. His latest, “Retribution” dropped its first trailer and it quickly caught my interest. It has a pretty wacky premise. But it’s the kind of premise that could provide some fun and reliable popcorn entertainment. That’s what I’ll be looking for.

Directed by Nimrod Antal, “Retribution” sees Neeson playing Matt Turner, a financier who finds himself in quite the pickle. While driving his two kids Matt gets a call from a mystery man who has put a bomb underneath his car. The man orders Matt to perform a specific series of tasks across the city or he will blow him and his children to bits. And as the trailer shows us the man certainly means business. Lionsgate did well with the trailer and this could be a fun and thrilling nailbiter.

“Retribution” hits theaters August 25th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

In December of 2018 Netflix released “Bird Box”, a Sandra Bullock led post-apocalyptic horror thriller that became an overnight sensation for the streaming platform. The film was based on a Josh Malerman novel and was directed by Susanne Bier. While critics were a bit tepid, the film gained a big following which has led to “Bird Box Barcelona”, Spanish spin-off from the filmmaking duo of Álex and David Pastor. Netflix has dropped the first trailer and it looks pretty wild.

“Bird Box Barcelona” introduces a new set of characters, this time in post-apocalyptic Spain. It follows a father named Sebastián (Mario Casas) and his daughter Anna (Alejandra Howard) as they navigate the titular city which is being decimated by an entity that can drive people to kill themselves simply by looking at it. Along the way they meet some who become welcomed allies and others who are as vile and deadly as the mysterious entity itself. It’s a pretty compelling and wicked trailer and I’m interested to see what the Pastor’s have in store for us.

“Bird Box Barcelona” premieres July 14th on Netflix. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is bringing home the year’s best horror film to date. “Evil Dead Rise” from director Lee Cronin brings the classic horror franchise back to life with a new installment that features several big changes while maintaining the terrifying, gory, and at times darkly funny identity the Evil Dead films are known for. This killer combo edition is light on bonus features but presents the film on stunning 4K Ultra HD. It also includes both a Blu-ray and digital copy. Read my full review of the film HERE.

The new 4K UHD combo pack of “Evil Dead Rise” will release on June 27th, 2023. See below for a full synopsis and release information.

OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS

Year: 2023

Runtime: 97 Minutes

Director: Lee Cronin

Screenwriter: Lee Cronin

Cast: Lily Sullivan, Alyssa Sutherland, Morgan Davies, Gabrielle Echols, Nell Fisher, Noah Paul, Richard Crouchley, Mirabai Pease, Anna-Maree Thomas, Mark Mitchinson

Rating: R (strong bloody horror violence and gore, some language)

FROM THE STUDIO

“EVIL DEAD RISE” is directed by Lee Cronin, starring Lily Sullivan (“I Met a Girl,” TV’s “Barkskins”) and Alyssa Sutherland (TV’s “New Gold Mountain,” TV’s “Vikings). The film will be available to purchase on 4K UHD Combo Pack, Blu-ray and DVD beginning on June 27.

From New Line Cinema and Renaissance Pictures, the film also stars Morgan Davies (TV’s “The End,” “Storm Boy”), Gabrielle Echols (“Reminiscence”) and introducing Nell Fisher (“Northspur”). The film was produced by longtime franchise producer Rob Tapert and executive produced by series creator and horror icon Sam Raimi and cult legend and “Ash” himself, Bruce Campbell, along with John Keville, Macdara Kelleher, Richard Brener, Dave Neustadter, Romel Adam and Victoria Palmeri.

In “Evil Dead Rise,” the action moves out of the woods and into the city, and tells a twisted tale of two estranged sisters, played by Sullivan and Sutherland, whose reunion is cut short by the rise of flesh-possessing demons, thrusting them into a primal battle for survival as they face the most nightmarish version of family imaginable.

I realize there’s a good chance the new poster for “Kraven the Hunter” won’t leave much of an impression on some of you out there. But in addition to simply looking cool, it features a pretty nice callback for old-school comics fan. The new film from director J.C. Chandor gives the character (who made his comic book debut in 1964’s “The Amazing Spider-Man” #15) a blood-soaked origin story that could (if done right) translate well to the screen. Whether it does or not is yet to be seen. But as for the poster…it really clicks. What do you think?

DIRECTOR – J.C. Chandor

WRITER – Art Marcum, Matt Hollowway, Richard Wenk

STARRING – Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ariana DeBose, Russell Crowe, Alessandro Nivola, Fred Hechinger, Christopher Abbott

RELEASE – October 6, 2023

Is it a superhero movie or a supervillain movie? I really hope the latter but who knows with the current state to the superhero genre. Either way “Kraven the Hunter” has a chance to be something pretty cool. Yes I know it comes from the Sony Pictures branch of the Marvel movie machine. But there’s some really good talent behind this one. And Kraven is a fascinating character who could drive a great story if told right. The newly released trailer leaves me hopeful.

The film is directed by J.C. Chandor (“A Most Violent Year”, “Margin Call”) and stars a well-cast Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the titular big-game hunter and Spider-Man antagonist. Joining Taylor-Johnson is Ariana DeBose, Russell Crowe, Alessandro Nivola, and Christopher Abbott. The trailer pulls no punches and Chandor is clearly going for a more violent and bloody origin story. It’s an approach that definitely fits the Kraven character. As with the other Sony movies it’ll all come down to the writing.

“Kraven the Hunter” premieres October 6th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

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.