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Uma Thurman jetés into a fight for survival for 87North and Gulfstream Pictures’ indie action film Ballerina Overdrive

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Uma Thurman jetés into a fight for survival for 87North and Gulfstream Pictures’ indie action film Ballerina Overdrive

Uma Thurman is lacing her pointe shoes to star alongside Lana Condor and more in the action film Ballerina Overdrive.

Uma Thurman, Ballerina Overdrive

Are ballerina dancers Hollywood’s new hotness? With the John Wick spinoff Ballerina, starring Ana de Armas, pirouetting into theaters next year and the latest indie action film Ballerina Overdrive coming from 87North and Gulfstream Pictures, it could be time for me to slip into a tutu and show my sweet moves to some studios heads. While I will likely keep stretching along a long bar, Uma Thurman (Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill Vol. 1, Red, White & Royal Blue) is joining the cast of Ballerina Overdrive, an upcoming survivalist action film.

Uma Thurman joins Lana Condor (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, X-Men: Apocalypse), Iris Apatow (Funny People, This is 40), Millicent Simmonds (A Quiet Place, Wonderstruck), Maddie Ziegler (West Side Story, The Fallout), and Avantika (Senior Year, Spin). Previously, Lena Headey, Yara Shahidi, and Isabela Merced were supposed to star in Ballerina Overdrive but have since stepped away.

Vicky Jewson directs Ballerina Overdrive from a script by Kate Freund (Creepshow, Wyrm). The plot revolves around a troupe of ballerinas who find themselves fighting for survival as they attempt to escape from a remote inn after their bus breaks down on the way to a dance competition.

Uma Thurman has two films in post-production, one of which is the highly anticipated sequel The Old Guard 2, which stars Charlize Theron as the immortal warrior Andy. The plot for The Old Guard 2 remains unknown, though the cast includes Theron, Thurman, Henry Golding, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Matthias Schoenaerts, Kiki Layne, and more. Victoria Mahoney directs The Old Guard 2 from a script by the comic series creator Greg Rucka. In 2020’s The Old Guard, a covert team of immortal mercenaries is suddenly exposed and must fight to keep their identity a secret just as an unexpected new member is discovered.

Thurman’s other project is the Deong-ho Jang-directed biblical drama The King of Kings. The animated film stars Pierce Brosnan as Pontius Pilate, Oscar Isaac as Jesus Christ, Thurman as Catherine Dickens, Kenneth Branagh as Charles Dickens, Mark Hamill as King Herod, Forest Whitaker as Peter, Sir Ben Kingsley as the High Priest Caiaphas, Roman Griffin Davis as Walter Dickens, and Ava Sanger as Mary Dickens. The King of Kings tells the story of Jesus Christ as told by Charles Dickens and seen through the innocent eyes of a child.

What do you think about Uma Thurman joining the Ballerina Overdrive cast? Is this a Yellowjackets or slasher situation? We’re excited to learn more. How about you?

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He’s also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You’ll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.



Originally published at https://www.joblo.com/ballerina-overdrive-uma-thurman/

Die Alone trailer: Carrie-Anne Moss and Frank Grillo take on zombie-like creatures in the new film from WolfCop director

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Die Alone trailer: Carrie-Anne Moss and Frank Grillo take on zombie-like creatures in the new film from WolfCop director

A trailer has been released for the horror thriller Die Alone, featuring Frank Grillo, Carrie-Anne Moss, and zombie-like creatures

Last year, we heard that WolfCop and Another WolfCop director Lowell Dean was heading into production on a post-apocalyptic film called Die Alone, with Frank Grillo (The Purge: Anarchy), Carrie-Anne Moss (the Matrix franchise), and Douglas Smith (Don’t Worry Darling) in the lead roles. That movie is now ready to make its way out into the world, with Quiver Distribution planning to give it a theatrical, digital, and VOD release on October 18th – and today, a trailer for the film has arrived online! You can check it out in the embed above.

Scripted by Dean, Die Alone is “set in a future where society collapses following a catastrophic pandemic” and follows Ethan (Smith), a young man with amnesia, who bands together with Mae (Moss), a rugged survivalist. Under siege from the zombie-like monsters created by the outbreak, Ethan must use Mae’s survival skills to find his missing girlfriend, before a fateful encounter with Kai (Grillo) unravels a secret that lies just beyond his fractured memory. Here’s another synopsis: Lost in a world reclaimed by nature and overrun by mysterious creatures, a young man with amnesia teams up with an eccentric survivalist to find his missing girlfriend. Kimberly-Sue Murray (The Lizzie Borden Chronicles) is also in the cast.

Kevin DeWalt, Danielle Masters, and Benjamin DeWalt of Minds Eye Entertainment produced Die Alone while Archstone’s Scott Martin, Michael Slifkin, and Jack Sheehan serve as executive producers.

In addition to the WolfCop movies, Dean has also directed the horror movie 13 Eerie and the sci-fi action movie SuperGrid. He contributed to the anthology film I Heart Regina and has also directed episodes of the shows Opie’s Home, Keeping Canada Alive, Dust Up, and Blood, Lies and Alibis. I’m not all that familiar with Dean’s work, but that’s fine because I was already sold on this project as soon as I saw that Frank Grillo was going to be in the cast. Mix Grillo in with “zombie-like monsters” and I have been looking forward to watching Die Alone ever since I first heard about it fifteen months ago.

What did you think of the Die Alone trailer? Will you be watching this movie in October? Let us know by leaving a comment below – and while you’re at it, if you do want to see the movie, let us know if you intend to catch it during its theatrical run or watch it on digital or VOD.

Die Alone

Originally published at https://www.joblo.com/die-alone-trailer/

Sigourney Weaver confirms role in The Mandalorian & Grogu

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Sigourney Weaver confirms role in The Mandalorian & Grogu

Sigourney Weaver confirms she will appear in The Mandalorian & Grogu, adding that she even got to meet the little guy.

Sigourney Weaver confirms role in The Mandalorian & Grogu

It was reported earlier this year that Sigourney Weaver was in talks to join The Mandalorian & Grogu, which would continue her domination of the science fiction genre. While speaking with Deadline, Weaver confirmed that the Star Wars film is her next project and teased she actually got to meet Grogu.

I’m playing a role in The Mandalorian & Grogu [which will be directed by Jon Favreau],” Weaver said. “I got to meet Grogu for the first time the other day. I’m filming that before I go to London for The Tempest at the end of the year.” There’s no word on who Weaver will be playing in The Mandalorian & Grogu, but she’s always a fine addition to any project, so I’m pumped to see her join the Star Wars universe.

The Mandalorian & Grogu is currently in production under the direction of Jon Favreau. He will also produce alongside Kathleen Kennedy and Dave Filoni. “I have loved telling stories set in the rich world that George Lucas created,” Favreau said. “The prospect of bringing the Mandalorian and his apprentice Grogu to the big screen is extremely exciting.” Kathleen Kennedy added, “Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni have ushered into Star Wars two new and beloved characters, and this new story is a perfect fit for the big screen.” Aside from Pedro Pascal as the titular Mandalorian, Sigourney Weaver is the only other confirmed member of the cast thus far.

In addition to The Mandalorian movie, we’ve also got Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s post-Rise of Skywalker film about Rey (Daisy Ridley) rebuilding the Jedi Order. Dave Filoni is also developing a New Republic movie, which will tie together the stories featured in The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, and The Book of Boba Fett.

There will also be a project directed by James Mangold (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny) that takes place 25,000 years before the Skywalker Saga and explores the first Jedi and the discovery of the Force. “It was something that Jim [Mangold] immediately sparked to, and I think it’s a really nice compliment to what we’re doing with moving into the future with Rey, and then understanding a bit more of where this all came from,” Kennedy explained. “Because it will be at the heart of creating the new Jedi Order, so to get a real sense of where that might have began with the dawn of the Jedi could be pretty cool.

The Mandalorian & Grogu will be released in theaters on May 22, 2026.

Originally published at https://www.joblo.com/sigourney-weaver-the-mandalorian-and-grogu/

The Fantastic Four: First Steps set video reveals our first look at The Thing

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The Fantastic Four: First Steps set video reveals our first look at The Thing

A video from the set of The Fantastic Four: First Steps has given us our first look at The Thing, in all his rocky glory.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps set video reveals our first look at The Thing

A video from the set of The Fantastic Four: First Steps has given us our first look at The Thing. Based on the video, the character looks pretty damn close to The Thing we know and love, heavy brow and all. It would also appear that there’s actually someone inside the suit. Check out the set video below!

Michael Chiklis wore a practical suit as The Thing in Fantastic Four and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, while Jamie Bell went the mo-cap route for a digital Thing in the 2015 reboot. Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who will be playing Ben Grimm aka The Thing in the new movie, has previously confirmed that this new incarnation of the character will be done through motion capture. “In the past, I think they’ve done a suit. Michael Chiklis wore a suit that apparently was really uncomfortable, and it’s kind of… we’re past that,” Moss-Bachrach said on Jimmy Kimmel Live earlier this year. “It’s a little kind of cosplay, kind of amateur that kind of stuff now with the technology we have.

I suspect that the practical Thing suit seen in this Fantastic Four: First Steps set video is meant to be a stand-in and reference for other actors in the scene and visual effects artists.

The film stars Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic; Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm, aka the Invisible Woman; Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm, aka The Thing, and Julia Garner as the Shalla-Bal version of the Silver Surfer. Additionally, the great Ralph Ineson will play Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds. Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, and Natasha Lyonne have also joined the cast in undisclosed roles.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps will launch Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is being directed by Matt Shakman (WandaVision) from a script by Eric Pearson, Josh Friedman, Jeff Kaplan, and Ian Springer. Shakman has teased that the movie will be unlike anything we’ve seen from Marvel so far. “It’s different in so many ways,” Shakman said. “I wish I could be specific. I wish I could say more. But we are doing things very differently from a story standpoint, from an approach to the filmmaking standpoint, that really fits the material. I wish I could say more. I would love to, but I can’t. But I think it’s going to be unlike anything you’ve seen before, and certainly unlike anything at Marvel that you’ve seen before.

The official title of the film was unveiled at San Diego Comic-Con last month, as was a short teaser trailer that concluded with a glimpse of Galactus himself. Shakman confirmed that the film is set in an alternate 1960s inspired by famed concept artist Syd Mead. “We’re not just doing the ’60s, we’re doing retro-future ’60s,” Shakman said. “It’s part what you know from the ’60s, but part what you’ve never seen before.The Fantastic Four: First Steps will hit theaters on July 25, 2025.

Originally published at https://www.joblo.com/the-fantastic-four-first-steps-set-video-the-thing/

Francis Ford Coppola joins Letterboxd and shares twenty of his favourite movies

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Francis Ford Coppola joins Letterboxd and shares twenty of his favourite movies

Megalopolis director Francis Ford Coppola joins Letterboxd and shares a list of twenty of his favourite movies.

Francis Ford Coppola joins Letterboxd and shares twenty of his favourite movies

Megalopolis director Francis Ford Coppola has joined Letterboxd, the social cataloguing service where members can rate and review films and keep track of what they’ve watched. I’m a little addicted. Coppola has shared a list of twenty films that he would recommend to any cinephile or aspiring filmmaker, which you can check out below.

  • French Cancan (Jean Renoir)
  • The Bad Sleep Well (Akira Kurosawa)
  • The Bitter Tea of General Yen (Frank Capra)
  • Shanghai Express (Josef von Sternberg)
  • The Awful Truth (Leo McCarey)
  • The Ladies Man (Jerry Lewis)
  • The Burmese Harp (Kon Ichikawa)
  • Tokyo Story (Yasujirō Ozu)
  • The Last Laugh (F.W. Murnau)
  • The Blue Angel (Josef von Sternberg)
  • Splendor in the Grass (Elia Kazan)
  • Punch Drunk Love (Paul Thomas Anderson)
  • Empire of the Sun (Steven Spielberg)
  • Sunrise (F.W. Murnau)
  • Joyless Street (G.W. Pabst)
  • A Place in the Sun (George Stevens)
  • The King of Comedy (Martin Scorsese)
  • After Hours (Margin Scorsese)
  • Ashes and Diamonds (Andrzej Wajda)
  • Invitation to the Dance (Gene Kelly)

Here is list of films that I enjoy and recommend to any fan of cinema or aspiring filmmaker,” Coppola wrote in his introduction to the Letterboxd list. “This list is NOT complete as there are so many – the list is exhausting and goes on and on. I am thankful to Letterboxd for providing such a platform for me to share these meaningful films, show appreciation to the pictures that inspired me!” How many of these Coppola recommended films have you seen?

A new trailer for Megalopolis was released last week, but it was pulled just hours later when it became apparent that the quotes from negative reviews of Coppola’s previous movies, such as The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, and Bram Stoker’s Dracula, had been faked. “Lionsgate is immediately recalling our trailer for Megalopolis,” said a Lionsgate spokesperson. “We offer our sincere apologies to the critics involved and to Francis Ford Coppola and American Zoetrope for this inexcusable error in our vetting process. We screwed up. We are sorry.

The official synopsis for Megalopolis reads: “Megalopolis is a Roman Epic fable set in an imagined Modern America. The City of New Rome must change, causing conflict between Cesar Catilina, a genius artist who seeks to leap into a utopian, idealistic future, and his opposition, Mayor Franklyn Cicero, who remains committed to a regressive status quo, perpetuating greed, special interests, and partisan warfare. Torn between them is socialite Julia Cicero, the mayor’s daughter, whose love for Cesar has divided her loyalties, forcing her to discover what she truly believes humanity deserves.” The film is currently slated to hit theaters on September 27th.

Originally published at https://www.joblo.com/francis-ford-coppola-letterboxd/

Ryan Reynolds praises Deadpool & Wolverine stunt team & urges Academy to add Oscar category for stunts

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Ryan Reynolds praises Deadpool & Wolverine stunt team & urges Academy to add Oscar category for stunts

Ryan Reynolds praises the talented stunt team behind Deadpool & Wolverine while urging the Academy to add an Oscar category for stunts.

Ryan Reynolds praises Deadpool & Wolverine stunt team & urges Academy to add Oscar category for stunts

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has been under pressure to include a new stunt category at the Oscars for years, but it hasn’t happened yet. In a social media post, Deadpool & Wolverine star Ryan Reynolds praised the movie’s stunt team and added his voice to those who want to see an Oscar category for stunts.

Stunt work doesn’t have a category at The Oscars and I hope that’ll change someday,” Reynolds wrote. “So many films have smashed it this year. Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd and Chaplin were stunt performers as well as filmmakers. Telling stories with their entire bodies. This D&W stunt team over-delivered. A lot of them are friends I’ve worked with for years and I’ll spend the rest of my days doodling their names in my Heidi Stationary, dotting all the ‘i’s’ with little hearts.

Reynolds continued, “I’ve worked with Alex Kyshkovych since the very first [Deadpool]. He not only doubles me — he’s the Fight Coordinator. I’d take a sledgehammer to the face for Alex. Or rather, I’d ask Alex to take a sledgehammer to the face for Alex. Second Unit Director/Supervising Stunt Coordinator, George Cottle is a HUGE GET. You’ve seen his genius in Spider-Man NWH along with a ton of other gems. His skill is world class and he made the entire film better. I’d let Alex to take a rusty fork to the eye for George.

The actor added that although it’s “mind-boggling” how much stunt work Hugh Jackman does himself, Daniel Stevens is the one who steps in for the “truly dangerous stuff.” Reynolds said, “If you’d like to see The Academy recognize the amazing work of stunt teams ACROSS THE ENTIRE INDUSTRY, let them know!

Earlier this summer, Academy CEO Bill Kramer said, “We’re talking to members of the stunt community who are Academy members about the possibility of that. We added a new award that will launch in two years for Casting Directors, so we’re always open to those discussions.” I’m certain there will be a stunt category at the Oscars. It’s just a question of when it will finally happen.

Taking place six years after the events of the last movie, Deadpool & Wolverine finds Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) toiling away in civilian life with his days as Deadpool behind him. But when his homeworld faces an existential threat, he must suit up once again and convince a reluctant Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) to help save his universe. In addition to Reynolds and Jackman, the cast also includes Matthew Macfadyen, Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni, Brianna Hildebrand, Shioli Kutsuna, Rob Delany, Stefan Kapičić, and more.

Our own Chris Bumbray had a lot of fun with Deadpool & Wolverine, which sounds like a real crowd-pleaser. “Have you ever been to a concert and wished that your favourite band would stop playing their not-as-good new stuff and play the hits? That’s exactly what Marvel is doing with Deadpool & Wolverine,” Bumbray wrote in his review. “After a rough run of movies, with many saying their Phase 5 has been disastrous, this feels like an everything but the kitchen-sink attempt by the company to win back those fans who feel alienated by the new direction the company seemed to be heading in. With this, you have a rock ‘em, sock ‘em thrill ride that delivers fans exactly the movie they wanted to see, with nary a message to be found amidst all the charred, sliced and diced corpses our heroes leave in their wake. It’s glorious fun.” You can check out the rest of Bumbray’s spoiler-free review right here, and don’t forget to let us know what you think of Deadpool & Wolverine as well!



Originally published at https://www.joblo.com/deadpool-and-wolverine-stunts-oscar-category/

Patrick J. Adams, Elle Chapman, Beau Garrett, & Amiah Miller to star alongside Michelle Pfeiffer in the Yellowstone spinoff The Madison

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Patrick J. Adams, Elle Chapman, Beau Garrett, & Amiah Miller to star alongside Michelle Pfeiffer in the Yellowstone spinoff The Madison

Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone spinoff, The Madison, welcomes Patrick J. Adams, Elle Chapman, and Beau Garrett as primary castmembers.

Last Updated on August 21, 2024

Yellowstone, Michelle Pfeiffer, The Madison, Patrick J. Adams

Three actors are ready to check into Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone sequel series, The Madison. The series stars Michelle Pfeiffer as Stacy Clyburn, a family matriarch who moves her family from New York City to the Madison River Valley of Montana after her husband’s death. Today, The Madison welcomes Suits actor Patrick J. Adams, Elle Chapman (The Girl in the Mirror, A Man Called Otto), Beau Garrett (Firefly Lane, Tron: Legacy), and Amiah Miller (War for the Planet of the Apes, My Best Friend’s Exorcism) as primary cast members.

MTV Entertainment Studios, 101 Studios, and Bosque Ranch Productions produce The Madison, which aims to be a sincere exploration of grief and human connection after Stacy Clyburn’s family moves to Montana to start life anew. Patrick J. Adams joins The Madison as an investment banker, Russell McIntosh, while Chapman and Garrett play Clyburn’s daughters.

Elle Chapman is Paige McIntosh in The Madison, “a somewhat self-centered woman who indulges in a luxurious New York lifestyle provided by her parents and investment banker husband, Russell McIntosh (Adams), who has followed the life path set before him from the start.” The Madison is Chapman’s television debut after starring alongside Tom Hanks in Marc Forster’s A Man Called Otto and joining multiple projects like the Michael O Sajbel-directed Western Florida Wild and David Chang’s Refraction. Both films are in post-production.

Beau Garrett plays Abigail Reese, “a resilient and sardonic New Yorker who is a recently divorced mother of two.” After completing 24 episodes of the Netflix series Firefly Lane, Garrett stars in the upcoming drama James the Second. Max Amini directs James the Second from a script by Tim Tuchrello. The coming-of-age story stars Lynn Collins and Nick Stahl and focuses on a 13-year-old boy who can’t feel pain or emotion. Only when his classmate, Kristen, takes a liking to him does James’ condition improve. Actual events inspire James’ journey through adolescence and love.

Finally, Amiah Miller plays Bridgette, Abigail’s eldest daughter.

Despite Yellowstone’s end later this year, Taylor Sheridan continues to expand the rough-and-tumble universe through multiple spinoffs. In addition to Yellowstone, Sheridan’s world expands to 192319442024, and 6666. He’s also got the standalone series Lawmen: Bass Reeves and Tulsa King, starring Sylvester Stallone as Dwight “The General” Manfredi, a New York mafia capo.

Are you excited for Patrick J. Adams, Elle Chapman, and Beau Garrett to join The Madison cast? Let us know in the comments section below.

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He’s also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You’ll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.

Originally published at https://www.joblo.com/patrick-j-adams-the-madison/

Hell of a Summer: Finn Wolfhard horror comedy secures Neon distribution and 2025 release

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Hell of a Summer: Finn Wolfhard horror comedy secures Neon distribution and 2025 release

The camp-set horror comedy Hell of a Summer, directed by Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk, has secured a 2025 release in the U.S.

Hell of a Summer

A while back, Stranger Things and Ghostbusters: Afterlife actor Finn Wolfhard made his feature directorial debut with a horror comedy called Hell of a Summer, which he directed alongside Billy Bryk, who also appeared in Ghostbusters: Afterlife. JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray had the chance to watch the movie at the Toronto International Film Festival last year and gave it a 5/10 review than can be read at THIS LINK – and now, Variety reports that Hell of a Summer has secured a U.S. distribution deal with NEON, which sent Longlegs and Cuckoo out into the world. The company is planning to give Wolfhard and Bryk’s film a theatrical release sometime in 2025.

Months before Hell of a Summer was officially announced, Wolfhard said that he was planning to make his feature directorial debut with “a horror-comedy-slasher movie that takes place at a camp.” Sure enough, that’s what this movie is. The story follows counselors who are getting Camp Pineway ready the night before campers arrive when a masked killer begins slaughtering the staff. Variety notes that Wolfhard and Bryk have said they wrote the film with a goal of upending Gen Z stereotypes.

Wolfhard and Bryk both star in their directorial effort and are joined in the cast by Fred Hechinger (the Fear Street trilogy), D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai (Reservation Dogs), Abby Quinn (Mad About You), and Pardis Saremi (Career Opportunities in Murder and Mayhem).

30West financed and executive produced Hell of a Summer. Hechinger produced the film alongside Aggregate Films, Parts and Labor Production, Jason Bateman, Michael Costigan, Drew Brennan, and Jay Van Hoy. Filming took place in Ontario, Canada. 30West also co-represents the U.S. rights alongside CAA Media Finance. 

Are you interested in seeing a horror comedy directed by Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk? Share your thoughts on Hell of a Summer by leaving a comment below. I’m very curious to see this one, as I’m a big fan of camp-set horror movies like Friday the 13th, Friday the 13th Part 2, Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI, Sleepaway Camp, The Burning, Fear Street Part Two: 1978, etc.

Are you looking forward to seeing Hell of a Summer in 2025? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

Originally published at https://www.joblo.com/hell-of-a-summer-2025/

Strange Darling Review

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Strange Darling Review

We were absolutely blown away by Kyle Gallner & Willa Fitzgerald in this cat-and-mouse thriller with an incredible (and mysterious) narrative

Strange Darling review

PLOT: Nothing is what it seems when a twisted one-night stand spirals into a serial killer’s vicious murder spree.

REVIEW: I feel like I often say: stay away from spoilers for this movie for the most pure experience. And that’s very true with films like Cuckoo and Longlegs relying on the mystery for their narrative to succeed. Yet I’d say there’s no film more deserving of this “going in blind” approach than Strange Darling. I question what I’ll even be able to talk about but it would be a disservice to any potential viewer to not let them go on the same journey that I did. Because Strange Darling is one of the most unique and riveting films of the year. And it deserves to be experienced completely fresh.

Presented in six chapters and out of sequential order, the narrative is delivered in a very unique way. A one-night stand at a motel turns into a fight for survival. There’s a serial killer and multiple people in their path of destruction. Going out of order immediately adds such intrigue to the story, because it signals to the viewer that they need to be paying close attention. It results in one of the most unique cat-and-mouse thrillers in existence, propped up by incredible performances and some truly stunning cinematography. In terms of the plot, that’s about all I’m comfortable with saying.

Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner in Strange Darling (2024).

Kyle Gallner is among my favorite actors and his role as The Demon proves why. His performance is so layered and his attention to detail is rewarded with subsequent viewings. There’s a reason that Gallner has become a Scream King in recent years and it’s because he picks such interesting roles. His name being attached to any film is a quality seal of approval.  Just as incredible is Willa Fitzgerald, who absolutely shines as The Lady. She makes every moment she’s on-screen can’t miss. Pairing these two together was a stroke of genius that is expertly paid off in Strange Darling. I could watch these two read a newspaper together and be entertained.

But the great casting exists outside of the two leads, with some truly fantastic side characters making this world feel living and breathing. Ed Begley Jr. and Barbara Hershey are great as two mountain hippies a little off their rocker. And I’m not sure there’s a better actor to establish a trustworthy cop than Steven Michael Quezada. He gives the film a ray of hope in a very cynical and mean story.

Willa Fitzgerald in Strange Darling (2024).

From The Lady running through the woods with a cover of Love Hurts blaring in the background, to the red lights of the motel room, the visuals are out of this world. Writer/Director JT Mollner formulated this story with the simple visual of that bloodied girl running through the woods, but what he was able to springboard that idea into is nothing short of remarkable. I love how much it plays with expectations throughout the whole runtime, never truly knowing what something or someone represents. This out-of-order narrative helps lean into this and adds a mystery to elements that would have been known had it been told sequentially. And it doesn’t just feel like a gimmick either, with it being expertly worked out from one scene to the next. This wasn’t a random shuffle of the deck.

The cinematography is consistently breathtaking, with actor Giovanni Ribisi getting behind the camera as the Director of Photography. I had no idea he had such an eye but he makes Strange Darling one of the best-looking horror films in recent memory. I was constantly stunned by the use of color, with bright red clothing used against the forest greenery. The visuals combine perfectly with the intimate sound design to really put the viewer right in the middle of this cat-and-mouse pursuit.

Strange Darling is the most daring film of the year. I wonder how it will hold up to those who are subsequently spoiled by the change in direction. I’d still argue it holds up incredibly well; I will just always be a proponent of maintaining the mystery. But I’m no fool and know that this absurdly positive review will cause some to have sky-high expectations. I hope the film manages to deliver in the same way that it did for me as this hit nearly every element of cinema that I love: wonderful performances, stellar visuals, and a narrative that makes me want to start the film over right as the credits roll. And there’s nothing better than that.

STRANGE DARLING OPENS IN THEATERS ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 23RD!

9

Viewer Ratings (0 reviews)

Originally published at https://www.joblo.com/strange-darling-review/

Scott Peterson still insists he’s innocent in new Peacock documentary

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Scott Peterson still insists he’s innocent in new Peacock documentary

Through a new Peacock documentary, Scott Peterson is maintaining his innocence in the death of his wife Laci.

Last Updated on August 21, 2024

scott peterson doc

Nowadays, there’s always a little something extra we get with what might be called the “trial of the century.” It’s not just the endless media presence, the internet conspiracies or the water cooler stance of innocent vs. guilty – it’s the documentary. When we think of some of these trials tied directly to murder, a few names probably pop up more often than others: Casey Anthony, Amanda Knox, etc. And these subjects usually have no problem sitting down to again tell their side of the story and get the latest word in, even years after the conviction. The latest is Scott Peterson, who you probably remember was found guilty of both first- and second-degree murder of his wife, Laci, who was eight months pregnant at the time of her death.

Twenty years after the conviction, Scott Peterson – and the death of Laci – is the subject of two documentaries: Netflix’s American Murder: Laci Peterson and Peacock’s Face to Face with Scott Peterson. Even though most won’t be convinced otherwise, pinning him as the killer from the get-go, Peterson maintains that he is innocent, participating in interviews for the first time since before the conviction. As he states in Face to Face, “You know, there was a burglary across the street from our home. There were a lot of people in that burglary. And I believe that Laci went over there to see what was going on. And that’s when she was taken…It was the evidence they decided to ignore and to go with the theory…I wasn’t the last one to see Laci that day. There’s so many credible witnesses who saw her walking.” It should be noted that these conversations with Peterson took place from prison, as he is currently serving a life sentence after having initially been sentenced to death.

While officially deemed two separate incidents, the burglary and disappearance of Laci Peterson are at the forefront of this documentary. As per Peacock’s official synopsis, “While many still believe the jury got it right, Scott’s family and experts close to the case have spent over 20 years committed to uncovering inconsistencies in the evidence as well as finding new information around alternative theories surrounding Laci’s murder. And in a shocking twist on a murder the world thought was solved, the Los Angeles Innocence Project takes over Scott’s case.”

Many viewers of the Scott Peterson doc – as with the case of Amanda Knox and Casey Anthony, just to cite a couple of other high-profile cases that immediately became media fodder – will never be moved on their stance of the verdict, even with new analyses and potential evidence at the forefront. Knox was found guilty of murdering her roommate before having that conviction overturned, while Anthony was found not guilty of the death of her two-year-old daughter.

Do you see anything working to the advantage of Scott Peterson through the dual documentaries? Will the public perception change? Give us your thoughts and memories of the trial in the comments section below.

Originally published at https://www.joblo.com/scott-peterson-still-insists-hes-innocent-in-new-peacock-documentary/