A rather cryptic yet unnerving brief teaser for “Smile” hit theaters a few weeks ago. A few days later, Paramount gave us the first full trailer for this creepy looking horror movie from writer-director Parker Finn. This is the feature film debut for Finn who is adapting his own 2020 film short titled “Laura Hasn’t Slept”. His new trailer is an interesting mix of the familiar and the fresh. I’m anxious to see how the movie actually turns out.

Built around a still mysterious premise, this New Jersey-set chiller looks to center around a doctor named Rose (Sosie Bacon) who begins witnessing eerie behavior from her patients. Before long, she begins to wonder if it’s her own mind that’s playing tricks on her. The trailer features lots of creepy laughing and a few unexpected angles that could make this a surprising little horror film. Oh and that jolt at the end…well done!

“Smile” hits theaters September 30th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

As I lay here mending from COVID-19 that I was unlucky enough to pick up during our Disney World trip, I received a really nice surprise via email. Rotten Tomatoes sent me a message telling me I’m now individually approved as a Tomatometer critic. All of my reviews for our newspaper were already included on RT. But individual certification means that even reviews from this little old website we be part of the Rotten Tomatoes meter. It was a nice bit of news.

Thanks Rotten Tomatoes!

I enjoy doing this ‘First Glance’ feature. It’s a chance to inform folks about upcoming movies on the horizon by showcasing new trailers. But this is the first installment where I’ve highlighted a movie while issuing this warning – You may not wan’t to watch the attached trailer! I say that because it’s an unfortunate case of the studios revealing waaaaay too much (at least I think so). In it we see a seemingly noteworthy reveal that (I’m guessing) plays a significant part in the movie. I’ll let you decide for yourself.

I’ll dance around the plot, but without spoiling things the story revolves around a young woman named Evie (Nathalee Emmanuel) who learns she has some extended family she’s never met. She travels to England to meet her newfound second cousin, Oliver (Thomas Doherty) who invites her to attend a family wedding. Evie is hesitant at first but agrees and that’s where the movie takes its sinister turn. The movie is directed by Jessica M. Thompson who co-wrote the script with Blair Butler. They certainly seem to have a knack for atmosphere and tension. I’m interested to see how this one turns out.

“The Invitation” drops exclusively in theaters on August 26. Check out the trailer below (at your own risk) and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

Cinema legend James Caan has passed away. He was 82. The incredibly versatile and charismatic actor’s career has spanned nearly 60 years. His filmography is filled with memorable appearances from early performances in movies like Howard Hawks’ “El Dorado” and Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Rain People” to his most well-known performance playing Sonny Corleone in “The Godfather”. He continued to do great work in the 70’s all the way through last year – “A Bridge Too Far”, “Thief”, “Misery”, “The Program” (an underrated performance), and of course the perennial Christmas classic “Elf” among many others.

Caan always had a magnetic screen presence and an inherent toughness that really came out in a number of eccentric yet entertaining movies. But he wasn’t restricted to tough-guy roles. He also had a sly sense of humor and was more than capable of handling more dramatic roles.

James Caan leaves behind quite a legacy and is sure to be missed by fans around the world.

RIP

Filmmaker David O. Russell’s long-awaited new film “Amsterdam” has dropped its first trailer and it’s something to see. The period dark comedy is Russell’s first film since 2015’s “Joy” and there’s no denying its impressive star power. It features Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Rami Malek, Zoe Saldana, Robert De Niro, Michael Shannon, Chris Rock, Mike Myers, Anya Taylor-Joy, Timothy Olyphant, Andrea Riseborough, Taylor Swift, and Matthias Schoenaerts among others. That’s a lot of talent.

The film follows three close friends – a doctor, a nurse, and an attorney (Bale, Robbie, and Washington) who find themselves prime suspects in a murder and drawn into one of the “most shocking secret plots in American history.” This thing looks kinda bonkers and I say that as a compliment. With the tag “a lot of this actually happened,” it looks to combine a bit of history with a bit of wacky humor. I’ve always been a bit mixed when it comes to Russell’s filmography, but this one looks to be a lot of fun.

“Amsterdam” opens this November. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

Viola Davis stars in the upcoming historical epic “The Woman King”. It’s a movie focused on the Dahomey Amazons, a name given to the brave and tenacious all-female military regiment who defended the West African kingdom of Dahomey during the 18th and 19th centuries. It’s directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood whose last movie was the not-so-good “The Old Guard” for Netflix. This one looks more promising with Lashana Lynch, Thuso Mbedu and John Boyega co-starring.

In the film’s first trailer we see Davis playing General Nanisca, the ruthless leader of the Agoji warrior women. The film follows their intense training and eventually their fight to protect their kingdom from the influx of white settlers. Judging by this first look, the movie looks to be epic in scale with incredibly detailed costume design by Gersha Phillips and some intense action-fueled set pieces. How in-depth will the story be? That’s the question. But everything else looks impressive.

“The Woman King” hits theaters September 6th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.