Netflix has a new movie scheduled for Mother’s Day, and it’s a far cry from some soft and lathery family drama or rom-com. “The Mother” looks to be a full-on action thriller that sees Jennifer Lopez coming face-to-face with the old life she tried to put behind her. The film is directed by Niki Caro (“Whale Rider”, “Mulan”) and also stars Joseph Fiennes, Gael García Bernal, Lucy Paez, Omari Hardwick, and Paul Raci. The new trailer gives us a really good taste of what we have to look forward to.

Lopez plays a mother who comes out of hiding to find her kidnapped daughter. After cutting a deal with the FBI following a botched mission that left several agents dead, her character went off the grid in order to protect her young daughter. Years pass and her now 12-year-old daughter is taken by enemies from her past. She immediately goes on the hunt and will do anything to get her little girl back. I like the look and sound of this. Sure, there are elements of the story that ring familiar. But I love seeing J-Lo letting loose like this.

“The Mother” premieres on Netflix May 12th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

The trailer for the latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe landed today and what can I say, “The Marvels” certainly looks like an MCU movie. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing will probably depend on how you view the current state of the MCU. Me, it kinda plays like I expected – very light, whimsical, and light on stakes. To be fair, it’s just a trailer so it’s hard to get a good gauge. But this first look doesn’t exactly ease my hesitation.

“The Marvels” sees Carol Danvers (Brie Larson), Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), and Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) swapping places with each other every time one of them uses their powers. It’s played more for comedy in the trailer, but I’m assuming (and hoping) there’s some kind of serious threat. Samuel L. Jackson returns as Nick Fury, adding a little old-school MCU weight to the story. How it will turns out is anyone’s guess. The trailer has a very ‘television’ feel to it, but again it’s a small sample size. What’s more concerning is that it doesn’t exactly boost my excitement for the movie. Who knows, maybe that’ll change.

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

If the new trailer is any indication, you may need sunglasses to watch “Barbie”. Bathed in bright and vibrant colors, this wacky live-action movie based on the popular Mattel fashion dolls certainly grabs your attention with its visuals alone. Then you have it’s silly sense of humor and its interesting cast that includes Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Will Ferrell, Helen Mirren, Ana Cruz Kayne, Issa Rae, and Simu Liu among others. But what excites me most is Greta Gerwig. Not only does she direct, but she also co-writes with her husband Noah Baumbach. That’s the selling point for me.

In the movie’s world of multiple Barbies and multiple Kens, we watch as one Barbie (Robbie) leaves Barbieland, venturing off for the real world of humans, accompanied by Ken (Gosling) who insists on tagging along. To its credit the trailer doesn’t give away much at all meaning there are still a lot of questions about the story. I wish more trailers took that approach. On the other hand, the movie’s wacky “vibe” is so pronounced that it’ll be interesting to see how it feels after 100 minutes of it. And how much corny innuendo can we look forward to? I’m a little on the fence after this trailer, but I’m there for Gerwig.

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

Though definitely not in the same league as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern or The Flash, Blue Beetle has all the ingredients to be a nice addition to DC’s movie universe. The character is getting his own DC movie and it will all come down to how well he’s handled. The brand new trailer for “Blue Beetle” dropped yesterday and it shows some real potential. At the same time, it also looks like a pretty standard superhero origin story. Hopefully it has enough of its own special sauce to set it apart.

Xolo Maridueña plays Jaime Reyes, a teenager who gains superpowers after he is “chosen” by an alien Blue Beetle scarab. Of course what follows (in the trailer) is Jaime learning his new powers (hijinks ensue) and eventually becoming a true hero. There’s some cool history with the Blue Beetle character (his comics debut was waaay back in 1939) which (again) leads to a lot of fun potential. Hopefully screenwriter Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer and director Angel Manuel Soto have more up their sleeves than just following a well-worn blueprint. I’m really looking forward to seeing more.

“Blue Beetle” lands in theaters on August 18th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

Apple Original Films, working in partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment, dropped an exciting bit of news today. Ridley Scott’s historical epic “Napoleon” will be receive a worldwide theatrical release on Wednesday, November 22nd. The film stars Joaquin Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby, Tahar Rahim, Ben Miles, Ludivine Sagnier, Matthew Needham, Youssef Kerkour, and Phil Cornwell. “Napoleon” will stream globally on Apple TV+ following its exclusive theatrical release. Along with the special announcement came a striking new image (see below) from the upcoming film.

Here’s the official press announcement:

Apple Original Films announced today that the epic historical drama “Napoleon” from acclaimed director Ridley Scott will first be released exclusively in theaters worldwide, in partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment, on Wednesday, November 22, before streaming globally on Apple TV+.

Directed by Scott from a screenplay by David Scarpa, “Napoleon” stars Joaquin Phoenix as the French emperor and military leader. The film is an original and personal look at Napoleon’s origins and his swift, ruthless climb to emperor, viewed through the prism of his addictive and often volatile relationship with his wife and one true love, Josephine, played by Vanessa Kirby. The film captures Napoleon’s famous battles, relentless ambition and astounding strategic mind as an extraordinary military leader and war visionary. An Apple Studios production in conjunction with Scott Free Productions, “Napoleon” is produced by Scott, Kevin Walsh, Mark Huffam and Phoenix, with Michael Pruss and Aidan Elliott serving as executive producers.

Momentum around the Apple Original Films slate continues to grow since the debut of Apple TV+ just over three years ago. In addition to Apple making history as the first streaming service to land the Academy Award for Best Picture with “CODA,” Apple Original Film “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” also recently earned the Academy Award for Best Animated Short. “Napoleon” will premiere alongside upcoming Apple Original Films including the broadly praised “Tetris,” which stars Taron Egerton and recently held its world premiere at SXSW; acclaimed documentary “STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie”; feature documentary and Sundance selection “Underrated: Stephen Curry”; “Ghosted,” a high-concept romantic action adventure film starring Chris Evans and Ana de Armas; “Killers of the Flower Moon,” the upcoming film starring Academy Award winners Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, as well as newcomer Lily Gladstone, from Academy Award-winning director Martin Scorsese; the star-studded spy thriller “Argylle,” with Henry Cavill, Sam Rockwell, Bryce Dallas Howard, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O’Hara, John Cena, Dua Lipa, Ariana DeBose and Samuel L. Jackson, and more.

Sony Pictures’ distinct commitment to exclusive theatrical windows has driven significant box office returns including that of hit films “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” “Uncharted,” “Where the Crawdads Sing,” “Bullet Train,” “The Woman King,” and “A Man Called Otto.”

Continuing their year-long celebration of their 100th anniversary, Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment has announced “Rebel Without a Cause” 4K resolution with High Dynamic Range (HDR). This beautifully packaged release also includes the film on standard Blu-ray and digital. This landmark coming-of-age drama features James Dean’s most celebrated role and was originally released less than one month after his tragic death. This handsome new edition is a must for long-time fans and collectors.

The 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and Digital edition of “Rebel Without a Cause” hits shelves April 4th, 2023. See below for a full synopsis and features breakdown of this brand new combo-pack.

Year: 1955

Rating: NR

Runtime: 111 Minutes

Director: Nicholas Ray

Starring: James Dean, Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo, Jim Backus, Ann Doran, Corey Allen, William Hopper, Rochelle Hudson, Edward Platt, Marietta Canty, Dennis Hopper, Virginia Brissac.

James Dean stars in a movie that shocked the United States with a performance that still electrifies the screen twenty-five years after his untimely death prior to the film’s release. In this archetypal drama of teenage angst and rebellion, three high school students who should lead idyllic lives in their stable, comfortable suburban families explode with a violence and sexuality that their parents cannot understand. This film–which ripped the façade from the post-war American dream to expose the rage of the country’s youth–resonates with an energy that has made it a modern classic and a powerful coming-of-age story.

The 1955 film is directed by Nicholas Ray from a story by Ray, a screenplay by Stewart Stern and an adaptation by Irving Shulman. It is produced by David Weisbart and James Dean, Natalie Wood, Sal Mineo, Jim Backus, Ann Doran, Corey Allen, and William Hopper.

In 1990, “Rebel Without a Cause” was added to the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry as being deemed “culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant”.

BONUS FEATURES

Rebel Without a Cause Ultra HD Blu-ray contains the following previously released special features:

• Commentary Douglas L. Rathgeb
• “James Dean Remembered” (1974 TV special)
• “Rebel Without a Cause: Defiant Innocents” (featurette)
• “Dennis Hopper: Memories from the Warner Lot” (featurette)
• Screen Tests
• Wardrobe Tests
• Deleted Scenes

Ultra HD Blu-ray Languages: English, Spanish, French

Ultra HD Blu-ray Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, Parisian French

Dolby Atmos TrueHD