Author: dpugh007

“It’s not a question of can you make a video game movie, it’s a question of when.” Our latest episode of The First Word podcast is a full-on discussion about video game movies, featuring a special guest – filmmaker Jordan Vogt-Roberts of Kong: Skull Island, who is currently attached to direct a Metal Gear Solid movie in the works. Friends Alex Billington (@firstshowing) and Mike Eisenberg (@Eisentower30) team up to bring you a podcast providing in-depth discussion, analysis, and interviews about the latest movies, and some old ones too. For this episode, we wanted to discuss the new Tomb Raider but ended up just talking in general all about video games being made into movies, and why this so rarely works. Maybe it will one day? This is a good episode with Jordan and I’m glad we could have him on for this topic in particular. Listen in. ›››

Continue Reading The First Word Podcast – Video Game Movies, feat. Jordan Vogt-Roberts

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“There are things happening here I never thought could be possible…” The Orchard has debuted an official trailer for a new cult thriller titled The Ashram, from writer/director Ben Rekhi. After receiving a cryptic message from his missing girlfriend, American skeptic Jamie, played by Sam Keeley, travels travels to India to pick up her trail. Once there, he discovers a secret community in the Himalayas led by a guru with strange powers likely involved in her disappearance. As he tries to dig even deeper and immerse himself as a “seeker”, he discovers there might be a portal to another dimension that this cult is hiding. The cast includes Melissa Leo, Kal Penn, Manoel Orfanaki, Kallirroi Tziafeta, Radhika Apte, and Hera Hilmar as his missing girlfriend. This is a powerful trailer, I just hope the film lives up to the promise of potential here. ›››

Continue Reading Official US Trailer for ‘The Ashram’ About a Mysterious Himalayan Cult

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“Follow me down the rabbit hole…!” RLJE Film has released the full-length trailer for a very twisted, crazy cool, super stylish new assassins film called Terminal, formerly known as End of the Line in production. We previewed a teaser last week, but this full trailer is a must see, this looks unlike anything else this year. The film is the feature debut of director Vaughn Stein, and it stars Margot Robbie, as well as Simon Pegg, Mike Myers, Max Irons, and Dexter Fletcher. I can’t really paraphrase this since it’s just perfect, so here’s the plot straight up: “Terminal follows two assassins with a sinister mission, a fatally ill teacher, an enigmatic janitor and a waitress with a double life. Murderous consequences unravel as their lives meet at the hands of a criminal mastermind wanting revenge.” Damn this looks like a cinematic delight. See below. ›››

Continue Reading Full Trailer for Stylish Assassin Thriller ‘Terminal’ with Margot Robbie

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“It’s been a while since we’ve talked. Even a pastor needs a pastor.” A24 has debuted the first official trailer for the indie drama First Reformed, which premiered at the Venice / Telluride / Toronto trifecta of film festivals last fall. And you need to see this trailer. First Reformed stars Ethan Hawke as a middle-aged parish pastor at a small Dutch Reform church in upstate New York, dealing with a spiritual identity crisis. The film’s cast includes Amanda Seyfried, Michael Gaston, Cedric the Entertainer, Van Hansis, Philip Ettinge, Victoria Hill, and Satchel Eden Bell. Described as a “a gripping thriller about a crisis of faith that is at once personal, political, and planetary.” This had some mixed reviews coming out of the festivals last fall, but it looks darn good from this fine trailer here. I mean really: Hawke at his best, amazing cinematography, just the right amount of melodramatic spunk. I need to see this – what an excellent trailer. ›››

Continue Reading Ethan Hawke in First Trailer for A24’s Religious Drama ‘First Reformed’

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50 years ago, one movie changed all movies forever. The first movie premiering at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival has been revealed! Cannes has announced they will host the world premiere of an unseen, newly restored 70mm print of Stanley Kubrick’s groundbreaking science fiction epic, 2001: A Space Odyssey. The screening will be introduced by filmmaker Christopher Nolan, who will be attending the Festival de Cannes for the first time. Nolan will also participate in a Cannes Masterclass, set for Sunday, May 13th, in which he’ll discuss Kubrick’s films in addition to his own. After this event, Warner Bros will re-release the new 70mm print of 2001: A Space Odyssey in select US theatres starting on May 18th. The Ultimate Trip. ›››

Continue Reading Christopher Nolan Presenting a New 70mm Print of ‘2001’ at Cannes

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“The more that I try to control it, the more damage that I do…” 20th Century Fox has unveiled the first trailer for a superpowers movie titled The Darkest Minds, the live-action debut of Kung Fu Panda 2 & 3 director Jennifer Yuh Nelson. “From the producers of ‘Stranger Things’ and Arrival comes the latest YA survival thriller,” based on the novel by Alexandra Bracken. Here’s what this series is about: after a disease kills 98% of America’s children, the surviving 2% develop superpowers and are placed in internment camps. A 16-year-old girl escapes her camp and joins a group of other teens on the run from the government. This stars Amandla Stenberg (from The Hunger Games + Everything, Everything), Mandy Moore, Harris Dickinson, Wallace Langham, Golden Brooks, Mark O’Brien, Patrick Gibson, and Gwendoline Christie. This looks very YA, but it looks cool, dare I say. A mix of Chronicle and The Girl with All the Gifts. ›››

Continue Reading First Impressive Trailer for Superpowers Thriller ‘The Darkest Minds’

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“You’ve got to help me with this kid, Budzinski.” The Orchard has debuted a trailer for the indie drama And Then I Go, directed by Vincent Grashaw, based on Jim Shepard’s novel “Project X”. The film stars Arman Darbo and Sawyer Barth as friends in middle school. “In the cruel world of junior high, two friends suffer in a state of anxiety and alienation. Misunderstood by their families and demoralized at school, their fury simmers quietly until an idea for vengeance offers them a terrifying release.” The full cast includes Melanie Lynskey, Justin Long, Tony Hale, Carrie Preston, Melonie Diaz, Royalty Hightower, Michael Abbott Jr., and Sean Bridgers. This played at a number of smaller film festivals last year, and is going straight to VOD for release. It looks like a strong indie film about growing up as an awkward kid in school. ›››

Continue Reading Arman Darbo & Melanie Lynskey in US Trailer for Indie ‘And Then I Go’

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“I don’t feel I have to be everyone.” Cohen Media Group has released the full, official US trailer for Michel Hazanavicius’ somewhat controversial film Godard Mon Amour, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last year with the title Le Redoutable. The film focuses on famous French filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard, and his time in the 60s when he made La Chinoise with young Polish actress Anne Wiazemsky. He fell madly in love with her, the two eventually married, but the events of May 1968 shook Godard and things started to get a bit unstable. Louis Garrel plays Godard, and Stacy Martin plays Wiazemsky, with a cast including Bérénice Bejo, Micha Lescot, Grégory Gadebois, and Félix Kysyl. This film is more of an homage to Godard, than a profile of the director, but it’s honest and accurate. And it’s a surprisingly good film, that examines the challenges of an intellectual filmmaker in an ever-changing society. See below. ›››

Continue Reading Official US Trailer for Michel Hazanavicius’ Film ‘Godard Mon Amour’

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“So we’re supposed to be debt collectors, yeah? We didn’t collect anything.” An official international trailer has debuted for an action comedy titled The Debt Collector, which is the same title as a 1999 film starring Billy Connolly & Ken Stott. This new The Debt Collector is executive produced by and stars Scott Adkins, who plays a classically-trained martial artist who takes a job as a debt collector for the mob. The typical plot involves a client that “pulls him into a situation deeper than could ever be expected.” Also starring Louis Mandylor, Michael Pare, Tony Todd, and Vladimir Kulich. This looks like a crazy violent, awkward dark comedy, buddy movie and I’m not sure if that’s a good thing. Could be good, could be bad? Take a look. ›››

Continue Reading First International Trailer for ‘The Debt Collector’ Starring Scott Adkins

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“No art worth a damn was ever created out of happiness, I can tell you that much.” Netflix has debuted the trailer for an indie titled Kodachrome, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last year. Based on an article by A.G. Sulzberger, the film is about a father and son who take a road trip to Kansas in order to develop photos at Kodak’s last Kodachrome lab before it closes its doors forever. It’s set during the final days of the admired photo development system known as Kodachrome, with production finishing in 2010. This is clearly a love letter to the art of film and developing film and the days of film, but wrapped around the engaging story of a fun road trip. Kodachrome stars Jason Sudeikis, Ed Harris, Elizabeth Olsen, Wendy Crewson, Bruce Greenwood, and Dennis Haysbert. This looks quite good, it’s worth a watch. ›››

Continue Reading Ed Harris & Jason Sudeikis in Official Trailer for Netflix’s ‘Kodachrome’

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