Writer/director Boots Riley delivers a surreal and epic fantasy series about a 13-foot-tall hero.

Plot: A darkly-comedic fantastical coming-of-age joyride about Cootie, a 13-foot-tall young Black man in Oakland, CA. Having grown up hidden away, passing time on a diet of comic books and TV shows, he escapes to experience the beauty and contradictions of the real world. He forms friendships, finds love, navigates awkward situations, and encounters his idol, the real life superhero named The Hero. I’m A Virgo is a mythical odyssey that questions the purpose of the mythical odyssey.

Review: Boots Riley’s feature film directional debut, Sorry To Bother You, was a festival darling when it premiered in 2018. It has taken Riley half a decade to bring his sophomore effort to the screen. I’m A Virgo is a seven-episode series premiering on Prime Video, which has given Riley three times as much space to tell an epic and surreal story that is part fairy tale, part parable, and utterly unique. Evoking the same off-kilter filmmaking style as his feature film debut, Riley has delivered one of the weirdest streaming series in recent memory that pulls together statements on unemployment, racial bias, exploitation, and class warfare within the guise of a comic book-themed superhero adventure. I’m A Virgo is weird and weirdly wonderful.

Set in present-day Oakland, California, I’m A Virgo opens with the birth of an extremely large baby. Taken in by his Aunt Lafrancine (Carmen Ejogo) and Uncle Marisse (Mike Epps), the infant is named Cootie. Growing up in seclusion so that no one learns of his shocking size, Cootie is taught to fear the outside world. Becoming well-read and intelligent, Cootie grows to thirteen feet tall. When he is 19, Cootoe (Jharrel Jerome) yearns to explore the world and try a hamburger from fast food restaurant Bing Bang Burger. Francine and Martisse tell Cootie he cannot leave until he is twenty-one, but Cootie sees The Hero (Walton Goggins), a comic book writer turned real superhero, and wants to be free. Eventually, Cootie sneaks out, befriends a trio of people his age, and develops a crush on Bing Bang employee Flora (Olivia Washington).

As he explores more of the world, Cootie learns about the oppression of Oakland and surrounding neighborhoods. As his legend grows, Cootie becomes increasingly famous and a target for everything from celebrity agents to a cult awaiting the return of a giant to the world. There is a secret about Cootie and his origin that could change his life forever. Over the course of the season, clues and twists reveal an endgame that will take Cootie from a freak and an anomaly to a central figure in his own comic book adventure come to life. This comes with a heavy dose of satire, parody, spoof, and political commentary reminiscent of Boots Riley’s Sorry To Bother You blended with a take on Marvel and DC-style origin stories. I’m A Virgo also takes the ideas and themes from Boots Riley’s debut and ups the ante with a larger storytelling sandbox, thanks to Amazon Studios.

There is so much going on in each half-hour episode of I’m A Virgo that I expect some viewers to be turned off by the weirdness on display. The story moves at a unique pace, often taking detours to allow Cootie to explore the world. A lot of time is dedicated to his friends Felix (Brett Gray), Scat (Allius Barnes), and a sensational turn by Kara Young as Jones. The sweet relationship between Cootie and Flora is also a welcome element to the plot, but one of the best roles belongs to the fantastic Walton Goggins as Jay Whittle. From his very first scene holding a gun to his head, Goggins exudes energy few other actors can, and it works perfectly in the world Riley has created here. I’m A Virgo feels at home with the films of Michel Gondry, Spike Jonze, Wes Anderson, and more while thriving on an energy wholly unique from those acclaimed directors.

From his roots as a musician, Boots Riley brings a rhythm and beat to I’m A Virgo that imbues the series with a look and feel that is at once expertly crafted with an air of DIY creativity. The set designs blend the large scale of Cootie’s perspective with the standard size of the rest of the world, while the special effects and production design reminded me of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Being John Malkovich. Riley’s musical group, The Coup, lends music to the series along with indie band Tune-Yards. While Riley directs all seven episodes, he shares writing credits with Tze Chun (Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai), Marcus Gardley (The Chi), Michael R. Jackson, and Whitney White. The story of I’m A Virgo practically defies categorization, at once every genre and a new approach altogether.

The messages conveyed in I’m A Virgo range from subtle to blatant, but none feel heavy-handed or too on the nose. This series may be too bizarre for mainstream audiences, but those willing to take a chance on this series are sure to be enamored with this story. Boots Riley took half a decade to follow up Sorry To Bother You, and I am glad he did not sacrifice his vision to try and fit this story into a feature film. I’m A Virgo is very funny, sweet, weird, and altogether special in a way that very few series or films get to be these days. I hope I’m A Virgo ends up clicking with more audiences than I expect, as this will surely become one of the most acclaimed series of the year.

I’m A Virgo premieres on June 23rd on Prime Video.

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The new episode of the WTF Happened to This Horror Movie? video series looks back at Wes Craven’s 2011 sequel Scream 4

It’s time for another episode of the WTF Happened to This Horror Movie? video series, and with this one we’re looking at Scream 4 (watch it HERE), the one entry in the Scream franchise that had a surprising lack of success at the box office. The audience didn’t come back for this one, which was released eleven years after the previous film, but did return for the more recent sequels. To hear all about Scream 4 and its bad luck, check out the video embedded above.

Directed by Wes Craven from a screenplay by Kevin Williamson – which received uncredited rewrites from Ehren Kruger and Paul Harris Boardman – Scream 4 has the following synopsis: It has been many years since the Ghostface Killer cut a deadly path through the town of Woodsboro. In order to get over the trauma of those horrific events, Sidney Prescott has written a self-help book. She returns to Woodsboro for her book tour, and reconnects with old friends Gale Weathers and Sheriff Dewey. However, Sidney’s arrival also sparks the return of Ghostface, putting Sidney and everyone she loves in danger.

The film stars Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere, Rory Culkin, Anthony Anderson, Adam Brody, Mary McDonnell, Marley Shelton, Nico Tortorella, Marielle Jaffe, Alison Brie, Kristen Bell, Anna Paquin, Lucy Hale, Shenae Grimes, Aimee Teegarden, Britt Robertson, and Erik Knudsen, with Roger L. Jackson providing the voice of Ghostface.

This is what the WTF Happened to This Horror Movie series is all about: Hollywood has had its fair share of historically troubled productions. Whether it was casting changes, actor deaths, fired directors, in-production rewrites, constant delays, budget cuts or studio edits, these films had every intention to be a blockbuster, but were beset with unforeseen disasters. Sometimes huge hits, sometimes box office bombs. Either way, we have to ask: WTF Happened To This Horror Movie?

The Scream 4 episode of WTF Happened to This Horror Movie? was Written, Narrated, and Edited by Tyler Nichols, Produced by Lance Vlcek and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.

A couple of the previous episodes of the show can be seen below. To see more, head over to our JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel – and subscribe while you’re there!

What do you think of Scream 4? Let us know by leaving a comment!

Netflix has unveiled a full trailer for the epic animated adventure film Nimona, which reaches the streaming service later this month

Just four weeks ago, the Netflix streaming service unveiled a teaser trailer for the animated adventure film Nimona – and since we’re a little over two weeks from the film’s June 30th release date, it makes sense that a full trailer for the movie has now arrived online. You can check it out in the embed above.

Nimona had a bumpy ride on its way to Netflix. The project was scrapped by Blue Sky Studios when it was near completion, then canceled by Fox… but by the end of this month, it will finally be out in the world.

Inspired by ND Stevenson‘s (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power) webcomic-turned-graphic novel, Nimona was directed by Nick Bruno and Troy Quane from a screenplay by Robert L. Baird and Lloyd Taylor (with Baird, Taylor, Bruno, and Quane receiving story credit alongside Pamela Ribon, Marc Haimes, and Keith Bunin). Here’s the synopsis: When Ballister Boldheart, a knight in a futuristic medieval world, is framed for a crime he didn’t commit, the only one who can help him prove his innocence is Nimona, a mischievous teen with a taste for mayhem — who also happens to be a shapeshifting creature Ballister has been trained to destroy. But with the entire kingdom out to get him, Nimona’s the best (or technically the only) sidekick Ballister can hope for. And as the lines between heroes, villains, and monsters start to blur, the two of them set out to wreak serious havoc — for Ballister to clear his name once and for all, and for Nimona to…just wreak serious havoc.

The voice cast includes Chloë Grace Moretz (as Nimona), Riz Ahmed (as Ballister Boldheart), Eugene Lee Yang (as Ambrosius Goldenloin), Frances Conroy (as The Director), Lorraine Toussaint (as Queen Valerin), Beck Bennett (as Sir Thoddeus Sureblade), Indya Moore (as Alamzapam Davis), RuPaul Charles (as Nate Knight), Julio Torres (as Diego the Squire), and Sarah Sherman (as Coriander Cadaverish).

Coming our way from Annapurna Animation, Nimona was produced by Karen Ryan, Julie Zackary, and Roy Lee. Megan Ellison, Robert L. Baird, Andrew Millstein, and John Powers Middleton serve as executive producers, with ND Stevenson co-producing.

Nimona is described as “an epic tale about finding friendship in the most surprising situations and accepting yourself and others for who they are.” What did you think of the trailer? Will you be watching this movie when it reaches Netflix? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Although the movie was meant to be set in the previous DCEU, Blue Beetle is now the first superhero in James Gunn’s DC Universe reboot.

Earlier, the star of Blue Beetle, Xolo Maridueña, was wise not to put the cart before the horse in regard to the character’s standing as a franchise as he wanted to wait to see how the movie does, “If we get one movie or a trilogy and f*cking fold this into the Justice League shit, we’re ready for the whole nine. For me and Angel [Manuel Soto, director] and the team, we kicked ass with this movie. It just depends on numbers.“. However, it was a little murky on which regime of the DC film universe the origin story would fall under. The new head of DC at Warner Bros., James Gunn, recently appeared on the Inside of You podcast with Smallville‘s Michael Rosenbaum and has confirmed that Blue Beetle will be the first character in his DC universe.

According to The Wrap, the Superman: Legacy director stated, “I mean the first DCU character, for sure, is Blue Beetle, and the first full DCU movie is Superman.” While it may be a curious quote, to differentiate the first DCU “character” from the first “full DCU movie,” Gunn may perhaps refer to Blue Beetle being a film that was conceived and made for the previous universe incarnation before Gunn’s first officially produced film after accepting his new position at DC studios. However, as this is a Blue Beetle origin story, it would open up possibilities in the future for Gunn to bring the character into crossovers with the newly rebooted films apart from sequels.

The official synopsis for Blue Beetle reads,
Recent college grad Jaime Reyes returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it. As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the Scarab. When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armor capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the Super Hero Blue Beetle.

The movie stars Cobra Kai‘s Xolo Maridueña as the titular hero along with Adriana Barraza (Rambo: Last Blood) as Jaime’s grandmother, Nana, Damían Alcázar (Narcos) as his father, Elpidia Carrillo (Mayans M.C.) as his mother, Bruna Marquezine (Maldivas) as Jenny Kord, Raoul Max Trujillo (Sicario) as Carapax, with Oscar winner Susan Sarandon (Thelma and Louise) as Victoria Kord and comedian George Lopez (Lopez vs Lopez) as Jaime’s Uncle Rudy. Angel Manuel Soto of Charm City Kings directs the superhero film from a screenplay penned by writer Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, whose credits include Miss Bala.