Sofia Coppola helms a new Suntory ad starring Keanu Reeves, bringing together the former flames to mark the whisky’s anniversary.

For relaxing times, make it Suntory time. Sofia Coppola has gone back to the renowned Japanese whisky Suntory to direct an ad for its 100th anniversary, with none other than Keanu Reeves leading the way.

In the Suntory ad, we see Keanu Reeves enter a bar as Joan Jett’s cover of “Crimson and Clover” is played on vinyl. From there, Reeves takes a seat with locals and enjoys a pour of the whisky, leading into a montage of various stills and clips, including some from Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation.

Sofia Coppola’s 2003 Oscar winner and WGA favorite Lost in Translation of course featured Suntory in one of its best scenes, with Bill Murray’s has-been actor Bob Harris sitting through a spot with a native Japanese director. But the Coppola connection goes back decades before, as her father, Francis Ford Coppola, appeared in a 1980 Suntory ad directed by one of the greatest Japanese filmmakers ever, Akira Kurosawa, a clip of which is featured in Sofia’s commercial.

Suntory singled out director Sofia Coppola in their YouTube write-up, saying, “The Suntory Whisky Anniversary Tribute tells the remarkable story of the brand’s heritage and whisky-making legacy over the last 100 years, depicting the meaning of ‘Suntory Time’ through the eyes of its creator. More than an iconic line in a brilliant film, ‘Suntory Time’ continues to evolve and gain recognition in Japanese whisky culture. Twenty years after the release of Lost in Translation, it is still embraced and echoed across the globe in connection with our world-renowned spirits. It all started with a glass of Hibiki, but today there is a ‘Suntory Time’ for every individual, every occasion, and every friend we meet along the way.”

Sofia Coppola and Keanu Reeves actually dated previously after the latter played Jonathan Harker for her old man in Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Wait, was Coppola fine with Winona Ryder “marrying” Keanu Reeves while filming…? On their Suntory collaboration, Keanu Reeves said, “It was cool [to get] a chance to work with Sofia Coppola and to work with [her brother] Roman Coppola on a kind of short commercial and then a docu-series. It was a really special opportunity…It was wonderful, really wonderful. It was extraordinary to have the opportunity to spend time with people from Suntory, in terms of going to the founding distillery Yamazaki, then going and just meeting master blenders and all the craftspeople.” And that, dear readers, is how you get a lifetime supply of one of the tastiest whiskys on the market.

What do you think of Sofia Coppola’s Suntory ad featuring Keanu Reeves? It’s OK, you can tell us: what’s your go-to whisk(e)y?

Some cliche somewhere said that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ This has proven to be the case for me and especially when it comes to fan art. I have always sought out great fan art and have wanted to share it with as many people as possible. “Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net” is the outlet for that passion. In this column, I will showcase the kick-ass artwork of some great artists, with the hopes that these artists get the attention they deserve. That’s the aim. If you have any questions or comments, or even suggestions of art or other great artists, feel free to contact me at any time at [email protected].

Astro Boy by Martin Ansin

Barbie by Kat Reeder

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial by Kailynn Heide

High Plains Drifter by Ted Hammond

The Little Mermaid by Kuitsuku

Pan’s Labyrinth by Dom Bittner

Pearl by Nick Charge

Star Wars Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi by JP Valderrama

Starship Troopers by Neil Davies

There Will Be Blood by Conor Fenner-Toora

The Little Mermaid is expected to take in around $105 Million for its opening weekend while its 4-day total could exceed $125 Million.

After a solid $10.3 million haul in Thursday previews, it looks like Disney’s live action remake/ re-imagining/ re-whatever is going to land at around $105 million for the 3-day weekend with the full 4-day holiday haul likely to exceed $125 million, falling nearly in-line with our predictions. A pretty decent opening weekend, although far from the highs of a Lion King ($191.7 million opening) or Beauty and the Beast ($174.7 million) but higher than the $91.5 million taken in by 2019’s live action Aladdin and far better than the straight to streaming Pinocchio from last year that starred Tom Hanks, was directed by Robert Zemeckis and still managed to be incredibly disappointing (to me at least).

This new version of The Little Mermaid was actually pretty good. It took the original and made it feel more epic which is basically all I want from these live action updates, of course that isn’t to say that I liked it better than the original classic, I didn’t, or that it wasn’t without its faults, as a lot of the added bits just felt completely unneeded. But overall, I enjoyed my time watching the film, even if it wasn’t a 100% faithful adaptation (where was that infamous priest scene?!) Halle Bailey was perfectly cast as Ariel. I know her casting has gotten a lot of chatter on the internet, but with the exception of us here at Joblo and of course our loyal readers, the internet is full of a bunch of… well anyway! Bailey’s voice was absolutely phenomenal, belting out the classic songs while her entire performance and demeanor in the film conveyed the innocence that was needed for the literal fish out of water tale. Critical reception for the film is mixed right now with most echoing what I said about it being an enjoyable film with great performances but a bit overlong with the added material (check out our own Chris Bumbray’s 6/10 review here).

Second place belongs to Family as Fast X is looking to take a pretty noticeable drop in its second week with what, as of right now, is looking like a near 70% decline from its already soft opening with just under $22 million. For what its worth, these movies are absolutely ridiculous, but I have been along for the ride since day one and will be until they stop making them. They are Ludacris (misspelling and pun intended) but entertaining as hell. To go from boosting DVD players to being international spies with superhuman level strength who are essentially immortal, that’s pretty impressive. Jason Momoa is definitely the best villain the series has seen by far because he just seems to be chewing every inch of scenery there is, and having a blast while doing it. I know you aren’t supposed to love the bad guy, but Momoa is just so damn good that it’s hard not to hope one day he can say grace at the family barbecue (and the way these films go, that is a very real possibility). 

Third and fourth place are going to the Chris Pratt double bill of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 with just over $20 million and The Super Mario Bros. Movie with just over $6 million while fifth place looks to be the Bert Kreischer led film The Machine opposite Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill with just over $6 million (you can check out our own Alex Maidy’s 8/10 review here). That is actually a flip from what I thought would happen as I felt the Sebastian Maniscalco film About My Father opposite Robert DeNiro would play better, but that one is faltering with just under $4 million for the 3-day weekend. I actually saw About My Father yesterday and found it to be a perfectly fine, if nothing overly special, way to kill an hour and a half. It played in the vein of a Meet The Parents or Wedding Crashers but just wasn’t on that same level of those classic films (you can check out Alex Maidy’s 6/10 review here).

Seventh and eighth place go to another pair of new releases as the Gerard Butler starring Kandahar will open around $2 million while the Julia Louis-Dreyfus film You Hurt My Feelings, which was a solid hit at this years Sundance Film Festival, is looking at around $1 million. The difference being that Kandahar was a wide release at over 2100 screens while You Hurt my Feelings was limited to just over 900, so in tickets sold, You Hurt My Feelings is actually the winner.

Have you made it to theaters yet this weekend or is it still on your list of things to do? Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to check back tomorrow when we have a full run down of this weekend’s box office numbers.

Grab your rocket launcher and your parkour shoes! We’re revisiting the late Ray Stevenson in the best Punisher movie, PUNISHER: WAR ZONE.

Hearing about Ray Stevenson’s unfortunate passing made me want to revisit one of his best movies….

Punisher: War Zone (2008)

Director: Lexi Alexander
Stars: Ray Stevenson, Dominic West, Julie Benz

IS THERE A PLOT?

Former family man Frank Castle spends his time violently eradicating organized crime, but after an eventful night of sending a mob boss face-first through a glass crusher and accidentally killing an undercover FBI agent, The Punisher finds himself being hunted by those on both sides of the law.

WHAT’S THE DAMAGE?

The Punisher has had an interesting foray in to live action over the years. The 1989 Dolph Lundgren movie still holds up, but he honestly could’ve been any generic vigilante. Jon Bernthal gave us a more psychologically complex Frank Castle in his Netflix series, while Thomas Jane provided what fans had long been clamoring for…The Punisher punishing Tampa, Florida. However, Punisher: War Zone with Ray Stevenson stands on their shoulders as the best of the best.

You’ll know you’re in good hands by the first scene, when the film opens with the title character single-handedly taking out an entire crime family in the most gruesome ways possible—no unnecessary setup or origin story needed. And not long after, around the time Frank Castle watches some guys doing rooftop parkour and kills one in midair with a rocket launcher, you’ll realize that you will love this movie forever.

The biggest compliment I can pay Punisher: War Zone is that it manages to feel like both an accurate comic book adaptation AND a loving homage to unapologetically violent action movies from the 1980s. It’s pretty much exactly what you want out of a film like this. The action is unflinching with a slightly tongue-in-cheek humor to it, enough to make the graphic murders palatable, but not constantly undercutting its effectiveness with jokes. There’s also the right amount of story and characterization to give the movie stakes and provide a glimpse of the Punisher’s humanity and personal demons, but not so much that the film drags in between all the headshots and broken bones.  

But mostly it’s just a lot of fun and a blast to watch, chock full of the utter carnage and excess a Punisher flick should have. This is a video game world of endless ammo and magically appearing guns, where ridiculous-looking vigilantes and villains can run down a busy New York City street  without anyone batting an eye, and where facial bones apparently don’t exist and a man without superpowers can punch a giant hole through your skull. It also takes place in a society where crazed serial killers can murder multiple cops, get arrested and make a plea deal with the feds, and walk free that same day. If ever there was a city that needed The Punisher, this is it.

Director Lexi Alexander, who made the also-underrated Green Street Hooligans, deserves most of the credit here for absolutely nailing both tone and the visuals of the movie, each bouncing between dark and gritty or delightfully outlandish when needed. (There are some excellent shots in Punisher: War Zone, with Castle always being framed as larger-than-life or his skull logo getting illuminated in darkness.) Alexander, a former world champion kickboxer and black belt in karate, also ensures that the action is *ahem* well-executed. The fight scenes and action sequences are all expertly-shot, easy to follow, and appropriately brutal. It’s a veritable smorgasbord for connoisseurs of skull stabbings, blown out kneecaps, beheadings—both via blade and shotgun, human arson, and even a chair leg through the eye. The missile launcher kill is probably my favorite, but I have to give credit to the scene where The Punisher  throws a man off a building, impaling him on the gate below and then jumps off the roof, landing on his head and breaking his neck. It’s a level commitment and dedication most vigilantes don’t have.

Also amazing—the effects are almost all practical, with a level of violence that might remind discerning viewers of the over-the-top gore in Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky. It’s honestly all just so well-done that I don’t know why Hollywood didn’t throw every action franchise at Alexander after this came out. (You know, aside from standard discrimination against female directors, especially in this genre.)

The cast is also icing on the violence cake. The Wire’s Dominic West gets the showiest role, playing Jigsaw with a wonderfully ludicrous accent and making full use of his makeup—giving a bigger and wilder performance as the movie goes on. He gets the honor of delivering a rousing Patton-style speech in front of an American flag, attempting to build an army of henchmen for the sole purpose of giving Frank Castle an endless supply of bodies to mow through in the last act. Doug Hutchinson is also delightfully unhinged as Jigsaw’s brother Loony Bin Jim, whether that means he’s hissing like a cat or chomping on people’s internal organs.

Colin Salmon, who you may recognize from the Brosnan Bond movies, has the unenviable task of playing the serious-minded straight man to all the insanity happening around him, but he still manages to hold his own by utilizing the legendary thespian tactic of…randomly yelling his lines. His “Goddammit, Castle!” reaction to the Punisher casually blowing off a man’s head with a shotgun actually made me do a spit take.

And then there’s the late Ray Stevenson as Frank Castle. Stevenson was one of those actors who was so effortlessly good in everything that he rarely called attention to himself–like playing the sneering villain in RRR, the boisterous Volstagg in the MCU, or delivering one of my favorite lines in The Other Guys. After Punisher: War Zone, I think he’s still the best Frank Castle, handling both the action and the occasional dramatic moments with ease. He’s just such an imposing, powerful presence in this movie and manages to do a lot with very little, considering the title character doesn’t need to speak much. So when he does open his mouth, Stevenson makes stellar one-liners like this really shine (said right before he sets this guy on fire):

“BEST” PARTS

ENJOYABLENESS CONTINUUM

PLAY ALONG AT HOME!

Take a shot or drink every time:

• The punisher reloads
• You have an audible reaction to an on-screen death
• Someone looks in or breaks a mirror
• Someone does cocaine
• A mid-2000s rock song plays

Double shot if:

Seen a movie that should be featured on this column? Shoot Jason an email and give him an excuse to drink.

With Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 wrapping up at Marvel, we began to wonder what were the best space operas? Let’s find out.

Movie goers have always been fascinated with films that take place in outer space. Infuse that with some fun adventures, and you’re guaranteed a big hit. With Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 hitting big in theaters and bringing fans to tears since it’s their last adventure, now is the time to look for other space operas to fill that gap. What should you be watching?

T​his film starts as a joke, making fun of the culture that can spring up around franchises like Star Trek. We see the cast attending a convention celebrating this long over TV series. Most of them seem like they want to be doing anything else, but we hear about the problems of them being typecast as their characters. At first, they think they are being courted for a new show but quickly find out that they are actually being recruited to help an alien race free themselves from being enslaved.

E​ssentially, Star Trek gets the Three Amigos treatment. While they feel entirely out of their depth dealing with this very real situation, they all step up and do what they can to complete their most important mission. The film works way better than it has any right to. The world they build within the movie feels vast and lived in while also being something new in the genre at the time. It works great and is a fun watch. A great twist that makes it one of the best space operas.

F​irefly started as a series on FOX, and while only lasting one short season, it gained enough of a following to warrant a full-length theatrical film. The series centered on the crew of the ship Serenity. Most of them are people looking to disappear or hoping to make some money pulling any job they can get hired for. This helped the show have a great variety in storytelling during its small run.

W​hen it jumped to the big screen, they tried to take everything they had done on the show previously and put it on a bigger scale. It was great to see all the characters fans loved returning and participating in the big adventure while we also got to revisit some fun locations from the series. One of the great things the series did was make this feel like a real world. People acted naturally, and we got to see how things operated outside of the confines of the ship. This feels like the closest thing to the Guardians movies that existed before they joined the MCU. Even though it lived a short life, it is still one of the best space operas.

Based on the old comic strips and movie serials, this 80s update to the character hit theaters trying to ride the wave of space films in the wake of Star Wars. An American football star and his girlfriend get mixed up with a Russian scientist. Before long, they find themselves on a trip to the planet Mongo. The planet is ruled by the evil Ming the Merciless, who intends to destroy Earth. Now Flash has to use his athletic ability to bring together the citizens of Mongo to stop Ming once and for all.

T​his film got a boost once again after the star and the film itself showed up in the Seth MacFarlane film Ted. The main characters were obsessed with the film and Flash himself, Sam J. Jones even shows up as himself. He would come back in the sequel as well. While it’s a little cheesy now, the film is still a lot of fun, and who can argue that the title song by Queen isn’t amazing?

T​his troubled series has had many ups and downs throughout its production history. The original 1984 film went through various versions before David Lynch could finally make the one released in theaters. He has talked about the horrible time he had making the film and how it was taken from him before he could complete it. Denis Villeneuve has been given a shot at it and has tried to take it back to what it was initially supposed to be from the book series.

A​ young man with an important destiny is charged with controlling the most valuable element in the universe. Spice. As many factions begin to fight over control of the planet, he is thrust into the middle of a war. While only the first part of the film has come out so far, fans have been positive about its direction and are excited to check out the next installment.

W​hile Star Wars seems to get the praise for its world-building, Star Trek helped push the outer space set adventures to a whole different level over numerous different incarnations. Starting back in 1966, the crew of the USS Enterprise was tasked with exploring space while trying not to interfere in the workings of other worlds. We followed the cast as they visited a new world almost every episode. T​his spawned multiple series that continues to this day and even a film series with the original cast.

Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan is probably the most well-known of those films. The crew of the Enterprise run into an old enemy and learns that he has plans to steal Project Genesis. With this device, he can destroy any world he wants while also bringing dead planets back to life. Since he blames Kirk for all his misery, he plans on destroying him and anyone else that gets in his way. T​he sprawl of Star Trek is vast, and there are always great stories to check out, no matter what generation you are into. It really is one of the best space operas.

T​his is the franchise probably most associated with the phrase Space Opera. In 1977, George Lucas wanted to make a fun space adventure that reminded him of old serials from his youth. He ended up making one of the biggest franchises in the world. Now owned by Disney, Star Wars is still going strong, with numerous series airing on Disney+ and more films in the works.

The original film now retitled A New Hope, was a great example of the hero’s journey and featured the evil Darth Vader as the main antagonist. As the film series went on, more and more lore was added to grow the world of Star Wars in numerous directions. Cartoons, films, and even cereal followed from the supernova that A New Hope spawned.

Out of the original Trilogy, most fans point to The Empire Strikes Back as the favorite film. The story goes a little darker, and various characters have to confront their flaws and mortality. With the big reveal that Darth Vader was, in fact, Luke Skywalker’s father, fans could not wait for another entry into the series. We see our heroes left in tatters as Han Solo is frozen in carbonite, Luke loses his hand, and the Empire seems unstoppable. Luckily we had plenty more Star Wars to come to keep fans hooked.

W​hat do you think are some of the best space operas? Let us know in the comments.

WandaVision’s Elizabeth Olsen has some strategic words to actors hoping to get into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Scarlet Witch can control minds, energy and time, but can she one-up some of the most important studio executives in the movie industry? Elizabeth Olsen, who plays Scarlet Witch aka Wanda Maximoff, has detailed her advice on how prospective Marvel actors can use their debut to their advantage…Now all they have to do is land that first movie, no big deal.

Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Elizabeth Olsen said the tactic to solidifying yourself as a powerful force within the Marvel Cinematic Universe comes down to the contract. “I’ve had some people ask about it…Just give them one [movie]…I think that way you have more control over…If you, let’s say, ‘Oh my God, this is the most fun I’ve ever had and I love this character so much, I want to do it again,’ you now have more creative control for the next one.” Um, Elizabeth, we have Edward Norton and Terrence Howard on the phone…

Elizabeth Olsen has of course played Wanda Maximoff several times for Marvel beginning with an uncredited cameo in 2014’s Captain America: Winter Soldier before landing more prominent roles in the third Captain America, the second, third and fourth Avengers entries, and of course headlining her own series, WandaVision (playing Wanda/Scarlet Witch), even earning an Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. Pretty good for being the other Olsen sister for so long…Your move, Shecky Hemsworth.

Elizabeth Olsen has been open about her Marvel contract before. While she didn’t strictly adhere to her own advice, it was far more limited than some of her counterparts at just two movies and a cameo. She also noted that, as of 2021, she had gone through three contracts with the studio. This, it turns out, has proved beneficial for her character. “It really has benefited me because they only continue to use me, not cause they have to, but because they think there’s a story that can be used….I have always felt like they had a plan for me, and never really let me in on what that plan was, but I knew that they would only use me if it was useful.”

What is your favorite Elizabeth Olsen moment within the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Are you hoping to see even more of Scarlet Witch? Let us know below!

Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth holds the record for longest standing ovation ever at the Cannes Film Festival at 22 minutes.

With the 76th Cannes Film Festival nearing its conclusion, it has been apparent that the most frequent stories have leaned heavily on how long the standing ovations have been. Johnny Depp’s Jeanne du Barry opened the fest with a seven minute standing O, while Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon landed nine and on and on and on. But none of these—or any others—have matched the reigning champ of Cannes ovations: Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth, which clocked in at an astounding 22 minutes.

Pan’s Labyrinth may not have won the Palme d’Or at the 59th Cannes Film Festival, but it did set the new record for standing ovation length, topping 2004’s Fahrenheit 9/11’s reported 20-minute reception. (Michael Moore’s film at least also received the festival’s top honor.) Reflecting on that memorable moment, director del Toro said such a response is overwhelming and creates a little confusion as to what to do. After all, he could have watched a standard sitcom episode during that time. “Twenty-five minutes is the commute to my office. It’s hard to describe what it is, to go that long, because the first three, four minutes, you’re bathed in a sort of realm of acceptance and joy. Ten minutes in, you don’t know what to do.”

However, del Toro had one of his trusty amigos there to give him a quick pointer: “And in the middle of that, Alfonso Cuarón, who was next to me, gave me a strong pat on the back and he said, ‘Allow yourself to be loved, man.’ And then I just opened myself up to that ovation and it went for the full 22 minutes.”

But did the 22-minute standing ovation at Cannes truly feel like it for del Toro? “It felt like 22 minutes…There was no way you didn’t notice.” Certainly del Toro also took notice of the recognition it received after the festival, as the film went on to earn six Academy Award nominations with three wins (although it got snubbed for Best Foreign Language Film, with all due respect to Germany’s stellar The Lives of Others).

Are you surprised that Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth has the record for standing ovation at Cannes? Do you typically applaud at the theater?