There has been no shortage of true-crime movies, television shows, and streaming specials on Theodore “Ted” Bundy, one of the most notorious and frightening serial killers in United States history. And at this point I’m not sure if there is anything new to learn about the good-looking and charismatic sociopath. But the new trailer for “No Man of God” is hard to look away from and its ‘based-on-true-events’ story isn’t as much about the killings themselves as it is the confessions that finally came after months of lies, misdirection, and denials.

The most chilling thing about the trailer is Luke Kirby’s staggering resemblance to Bundy. His look, temperament, mannerisms all match the footage we’ve seen of the killer. Elijah Wood (who also produced the film) plays FBI Special Agent Bill Hagmaier, one of the Bureau’s first criminal profilers. Hagmaier is tasked with getting inside of Bundy’s head, earning his trust, and rooting out confessions. The movie shows the uncomfortable interviews and the effects it has on Hagmaier outside of the interrogation room. I like the film’s tight focus and it looks to be going for authenticity which is definitely the right move.

“No Man of God” lands in theaters and on VOD August 27th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

Fresh off its enthusiastic premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, “The French Dispatch” now gets in preparation mode for its upcoming release. Wes Anderson fans rejoice and enjoy this very Wes Anderson poster.

DIRECTOR – Wes Anderson

WRITER – Wes Anderson

STARRING – Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Léa Seydoux, Frances McDormand, Timothee Chalamet, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Elizabeth Moss, Edward Norton, Saoirse Ronan, Christoph Waltz, Jason Schwartzman, Rupert Friend, Willem Dafoe, Jeffrey Wright, Lyna Khoudri, Stephen Park, Liev Schreiber, Cécile de France, Anjelica Huston, Henry Winkler

RELEASE – October 22, 2021

From its earliest frames the new trailer for the upcoming immigration drama “Blue Bayou” shows us a movie that has a lot on its heart. From Korean-American actor and filmmaker Justin Chon, the film is inspired by heartbreaking personal stories and is clearly meant to be a conversation starter. “Blue Bayou” was picked up by Focus Features and had its premiere today at the Cannes Film Festival.

At the heart of “Blue Bayou” is the story of a unique American family struggling to make ends meet. Chon and Oscar-winner Alicia Vikander play Antonio and Kathy LeBlanc, a loving couple raising their young daughter in a small town in south Louisiana. Their lives are plunged into chaos when Antonio, born in Korea but adopted and raised in America since he was 3-years-old, is arrested is set to be deported from the only home he has ever known. The trailer really hits its mark and packs a powerful punch. The film looks to be a timely exploration with deeply human consequences. It’s biggest risk is being too forward. Regardless, this has all the markings of something really special.

“Blue Bayou” hits theaters September 17th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

Netflix continues it’s steady stream of new trailers with its upcoming action thriller “Sweet Girl”. The film stars Jason Momoa and marks the feature film directorial debut for Brian Andrew Mendoza. The new trailer reveals a story laced with big corporate conspiracies and government cover-ups. Oh, and there’s also quite a bit of action which is something Momoa should be able to handle with ease.

He plays Ray Cooper, a shattered and grieving husband who has just lost his wife to cancer. He finds out that in an effort to drive up prices a shady pharmaceutical company pulled a drug off the market that doctors believe could have saved his wife. Ray sets out to hold them accountable but discovers a far deeper conspiracy. He also learns that both the government and the corporations will do ANYTHING to keep it quiet. Ray’s priorities quickly turns to protecting his daughter (Isabela Merced) and he will do ANYTHING to keep her safe. I like the look of this and Momoa can be a force. I’m not sure it needed the Guns N’ Roses needle drop but that’s okay.

“Sweet Girl” premieres August 20th on Netflix. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

I haven’t done many animation first looks but this one is pretty interesting. Disney’s handling of their last animated feature “Luca” was pretty weird – pulling it from its theatrical release and sending it straight to streaming. So far it looks like their next film “Encanto” is slated for the big screen, but it’s still a few months away so I’m guessing anything can happen. The first trailer dropped today to the delight of Walt Disney Animation fans. Where they will get to watch it could still be in question.

“Encanto” comes from co-directors Byron Howard and Jared Bush with music by the seemingly everywhere Lin-Manuel Miranda. It follows the Madrigals, a Colombian family living in an enchanted mountain village. Every child in the family has a magical gift except Mirabel (voiced by Stephanie Beatriz). But when the household’s magic is threatened, Mirabel may be the only one able to save the day. The story sounds a little generic but the animation looks great and I really like the culture and setting.

“Encanto” is currently scheduled for a theater release November 24th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.

Val Kilmer’s career makes for a fascinating and sobering story. Now the 61-year-old actor gets a chance to share his life in the upcoming documentary simply titled “Val”, set to premiere this week and Cannes before streaming next month on Amazon Prime. There was a time in the 1980’s and much of the 90’s when Kilmer was everyone and a long and prosperous career seemed all but a certainty. But a two year battle with throat cancer left the star of such films as “Top Gun”, “Tombstone”, and “Heat” barely able to speak and on a feeding tube.

“Val” was put together from thousands of hours of video tapes and film reels shot and compiled by Kilmer himself. The new trailer gives us just a glimpse of the behind the scenes access we can expect, not just to his career but also his life. You get the sense from the trailer and from Kilmer’s Twitter account that this a deeply personal project for him; in many ways therapeutic and a means for him to regain his voice. I’ve always liked Kilmer and I’m really anxious to give this a look.

“Val” is getting a limited theater release July 23rd and lands on Amazon Prime August 6th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.