FIVE REASONS THIS COULD BE GOOD: COCAINE BEAR (2023)
Every now and then a film title hooks you in immediately. Snakes on a Plane (2006) anyone? Now, another beast driven movie comes along and says, “Hold. . . My. . . Bear!”Enter the thrill-a-second trailer for – Cocaine Bear (2023)!
So here are five reasons, Cocaine Bear (2023) could be good!
The title of the film is Cocaine Bear (2023)!
It has a kill crazy bear high on cocaine in it!
It is amazingly inspired by a TRUE story!
It’s Ray Liotta’s R.I.P, final film.
The trailer is amazing – check it out here:
Cocaine Bear(2023) releases on February 24th 2023 in the US, UK and most of the world exclusively in movie theatres.
FIVE REASONS THIS COULD BE GOOD – DEATH ON THE NILE (2020)
Directed by: Kenneth Branagh
Produced by: Kenneth Branagh, Judy Hofflund, Simon Kinberg, Ridley Scott, Mark Gordon, Kevin J. Walsh
Screenplay by: Michael Green
Based on: Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie
Cast: Tom Bateman, Annette Bening, Kenneth Branagh, Russell Brand, Ali Fazal, Dawn French, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Rose Leslie, Emma Mackey, Sophie Okonedo, Jennifer Saunders, Letitia Wright
UK Release Date: 23/10/2020
The cinemas are now open again and while the reason for their closure was understandable, it’s great to look forward to seeing some of the more grand and expensive films on the giant screen. I have very much made the most of watching loads of films and television programmes at home via streaming and digital channels, yet it was a pleasure to be back at the cinema this weekend watching TENET (2020). Kenneth Branagh features heavily in Christopher Nolan’s latest high concept brain-twister. Moreover, he also has an updated version of DEATH ON THE NILE (2020) being released soon. Thus, as I’m such a sucker for these old-fashioned murder mysteries I thought I’d give five reasons why it could be good.
CAST
Following the box office success of MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS (2017), it comes as no surprise there is a sequel to the classy Hercule Poirot train-set murder mystery. Once again Kenneth Branagh directs and stars as the Belgian detective and he has also assembled a wonderful cast of A-listers and solid character actors within the ensemble. I’m especially pleased to see Annette Bening lend some gravitas to the glamour and whether GAME OF THRONES’ Rose Leslie can break out into bigger film roles. Gal Gadot and Letitia Wright leave behind recent comic book films for an altogether more period setting. Lastly, who doesn’t want to see French and Saunders reunited on screen.
NOSTALGIA & FAMILIARITY
I have always loved Agatha Christie’s work be it in literary, radio, television or film mediums. DEATH ON THE NILE (2020) is a favourite of mine, especially as the 1978 version was the first Christie adaptation I saw at the cinema. I must have seen that particular film about twenty times over the years. So much so I know the plot backwards. I guess the nostalgia for watching a film as a child and familiarity with the story create a kind of comfort film. Thus, another positive reason why I am looking forward to the new adaptation is how they recreate a familiar classic.
LOCATIONS
As I established in a recent film review, I for one have a massive fear of flying. Thus, watching films set in exotic locations can be a way for me to experience vicariously places I would not normally visit. Seeing as the film is set on a boat travelling up the Nile, there is no doubt there will be some incredible sights to see while Poirot tries to solve a devilishly complex crime.
MYSTERY
Agatha Christie truly knows how to create a masterful detective plot. In fact, she was a genius. What we now consider to be a cliched genre, the “whodunnit”, was practically invented and reinvented by Christie and this story has a particularly brilliant plot and ending. While the genre is familiar, I enjoy watching all the players in one location conflicting with each other. Of course, Poirot is an eccentric and brilliant detective, so even though I know he will solve the crime and how, paradoxically I still love the mystery of it all.
TRAILER
I have now watched the trailer a few times and it shone on the big screen at the weekend. It also does a great job of establishing the cast, characters and setting without giving away any of the plot. The Depeche Mode track really resonates with the grand voiceover, building to a crescendo where we get to meet Kenneth Branagh as the inimitable Poirot. Anyway, here it is!
5 REASONS THIS COULD BE GOOD – THE INVISIBLE MAN (2020)
Directed by: Leigh Whannell
Screenplay by Leigh Whannell – based on H. G. Wells The Invisible Man
Produced by: Jason Blum, Kylie du Fresne
Main cast: Elisabeth Moss, Aldis Hodge, Storm Reid, Harriet Dyer, Oliver Jackson-Cohen
UK Release date: 28th February 2020
*****SPOILER FREE*****
THE INVISIBLE MAN (2020)
A contemporary version of the science fiction classic The Invisible Man has been made. Here are five reasons it could be good.
1. LEIGH WHANNELL
Whannell has great experience writing and producing low-budget horror films including: Saw (2004) andInsidious (2010). His directorial debut Upgrade (2018) was a fantastic mix of 1980’s, sci-fi and horror movies. I loved it and it proved to be one of my favourite films of 2018.
2. ELISABETH MOSS
Elisabeth Moss is one of the best actresses around as she has proved with her brilliant work in television classics Mad Men and The Handmaid’s Tale. Moss is now breaking out in cinematic releases and proved she excels in horror having starred in Jordan Peele’s frightening film Us (2019).
3. BLUMHOUSE PRODUCTIONS
The prolific Blumhouse Productions certainly turn out a lot of product each year. Their modus operandi is to keep film budgets low in order to maximise profits on release. You could be forgiven for thinking Jason Blum greenlights just cheap exploitation films, however, Whiplash (2014) The Gift (2015), Split (2016), Get Out (2017),BlackKklansman (2018) and Us (2019) transcend the low-budget model to provide excellent cinematic experiences.
4. BASED ON A LITERARY CLASSIC
H. G. Wells original novel is an absolute genre masterpiece. It has been made, remade, re-imagined and re-booted in horror, comedy, thriller and romance genres. Arguably the most famous version was filmed in 1933 with incredible practical effects and an exceptional performance from Claude Rains. In this new version the conventional scientist-goes-mad following successful experimentation into invisibility remains, but he now seems to be targeting Elisabeth Moss’s character.
5. THEMES
The trailer reveals a slightly conventional female-protagonist-as-victim narrative. But I expect Leigh Whannell will have a number of twists and surprises up his sleeve. Indeed, science fiction and invisibility are ripe for the exploration of themes relating to toxic masculinity and hidden identity. Either that or it will simply be a fun, scary and suspenseful experience in the hands of the reliable Whannell.
FIVE REASONS THIS COULD BE GOOD: THE GENTLEMEN (2020)
Written and directed by: Guy Ritchie
Produced by: Guy Ritchie, Ivan Atkinson, Bill Block
Story by: Guy Ritchie, Ivan Atkinson Marn Davies
Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding, Michelle Dockery, Jeremy Strong, Eddie Marsan, Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant etc.
UK Release Date: 1st January 2020
***SPOILER FREE***
THE GENTLEMEN (2020)
Guy Ritchie’s new film is released on New Year’s Day 2020 in the UK, and here are five reasons why it could be good.
1. THE DIRECTOR
Having dipped a big foot in the Hollywood studio pool with franchise hits like Sherlock Holmes and most recently Disney’s live action version ofAladdin (2019), Ritchie is back to the crime genre where he made his mark. His reboot of The Man From Uncle (2015) was very under-rated, and while his King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017) didn’t quite work as a swords and geezer epic, Ritchie remains an excellent genre director and almost always produces very entertaining movies.
2. THE GENRE
With Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998), Snatch (2000) and Rock N Rolla (2008), Ritchie excelled at carving himself a name in fast-paced-twisting-crime stories. They are full of hard nuts, femme fatales, dodgy geezers, businessmen, travellers, assassins, gamblers, plus working and upper class types all trying to outwit and out do each other in a variety of dodgy dealings. The films also feature fine ensemble casts, crunching violence, colourful language and cracking soundtracks. All of this combines to create fine entertainment all round. It may lack subtlety, suspense and emotion, but crime has never been so much fun.
3. THE STYLE
Guy Ritchie may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but he certainly knows how to put together a movie. Some may also argue he’s all style and no substance. However, his visual style and ability to direct a brilliant action set-piece always stand out for me. Using lashings of music to compliment the freeze frames, voice-overs, whip-pans, flashbacks, flash-forwards, close-ups, canted frames, slow motion and anything else that smashes the story along is fine by me. Plus, don’t forget the over-the-top, but ever quotable zinging dialogue!
4. THE CAST
Ritchie must be a very positive on-set filmmaker to work with. Because ever since Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) was released he’s managed to bag a proper good cast in all of his films. The Gentlemen (2020) is no different. Here we get Matthew McConaughey, Colin Farrell, Jeremy Strong, Michelle Dockery, Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding and Hugh Grant too. The trailer shows Grant effecting an interesting Michael Caine impression, while Farrell looks like he’s having the most fun as a chav-meets-traveller type gangster up for a bit of trouble!
5. THE TRAILER
The trailer dropped recently and looks really quite decent. Here it is:
Producer(s): Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, James Gray, Anthony Katagas, Rodrigo Teixeira, Arnon Milchan
Written by: James Gray, Ethan Gross
Cast: Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, Ruth Negga, Liv Tyler, Donald Sutherland, Jamie Kennedy and more.
UK Release: 20th September 2019
5 REASONS AD ASTRA (2019) COULD BE GOOD
I haven’t done one of these for a while so thought I’d reignite my movie preview section. The main reason is the trailer for science-fiction epic, Ad Astra (2019) looked absolutely brilliant, so I’m very excited to see it at the cinema when released. Here are five reasons it could be good.
1) THE STORY
I love the science fiction genre and space especially is a great place to create mystery and drama. The narrative to Ad Astra (2019) finds Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) travelling to the depths of the galaxy to find his missing father (Tommy Lee Jones). While it appears to be an original script, the story owes much to Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.Thus, if we get anywhere near as incredible as Apocalypse Now (1979), but set in space, this could be really great.
2) THE DIRECTOR
Director James Gray has steadily built up a very impressive film C.V. of character and crime dramas. His last film, The Lost City of Z (2016). a jungle epic was a box office loser, but a really compelling drama about exploration and obsession in the Victorian era. Ad Astra (2019) is his biggest budgeted film so far, but given his filmmaking skills and experience, it could be his best yet.
3) THE STAR
Flying high from starring in Tarantino’s twisted movie fairytale, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019), Brad Pitt is proving his star quality still burns brightly. Pitt is always a commanding lead actor and he has played: Nazi Hunters, bare-knuckled fighters, disaffected thirty-something alter-egos, baseball coaches, infamous cowboys, romantic heroes, stoners, vampires, cops, psychopathic drifters, hit-men and many more characters. Here he plays an astronaut and I think it is only his second sci-fi film after the superb Twelve Monkeys (1995). Thus, Brad Pitt’s appearance is another reason to get excited.
4) SPECIAL EFFECTS
While I’m a screenwriter myself and more drawn to story rather than effects driven films, The Moving Picture Company are leading special effects experts. They have worked with Method Studios, Mr X, Weta, Brainstorm Digital etc. on this film and so the work on this space opera looks like it could be incredible. Indeed, The Moving Picture Company alone have provided effects for: Blade Runner 2049 (2018), The Jungle Book (2017), Sully (2017), The Martian (2016), The Guardians of the Galaxy (2015) and many more!
5) THE TRAILER
Because I am so experienced and probably jaded where trailers are concerned, it takes a lot to get my attention when at the cinema. But, the trailer for Ad Astra (2019) absolutely rocked. It did not give ALL the story away and made me want to watch the film. Don’t take my word for it – here it is:
In a new strand I have decided to have a look at some future film releases and reasons why they may be worth catching at the cinema.
TITLE: GET OUT
DIRECTOR/WRITER: JORDAN PEELE
RELEASE DATE (UK): 17 MARCH 2017
GENRE: Thriller, Horror, Social Satire
PITCH: Chris Washington (DANIEL KALUUYA) and his girlfriend, Rose Armitage (ALLISON WILLIAMS), have reached the meet-the-parents milestone of dating, so she invites him for a weekend getaway upstate with Missy (CATHERINE KEENER, Captain Phillips) and Dean (BRADLEY WHITFORD).
At first, Chris reads the family’s overly accommodating behavior as nervous attempts to deal with their daughter’s interracial relationship, but as the weekend progresses, a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries leads him to a truth that he could have never imagined.
FIVE REASONS THIS COULD BE GOOD!
It’s written and directed by the very talented Jordan Peele; known for his comedy, TV and sketch work on shows such as: Key and Peele and MADtv.
It’s produced by Blumhouse who are known for excellent lower budget films such as The Gift (2015), the Insidious series, Whiplash (2014) and most recently Split (2016).
It stars Daniel Kaluuya who was brilliant in Black Mirror and Sicario (2015). Plus there is fine support from Allison Williams and the incomparable Catherine Keener.
The narrative sounds like a tremendous mash-up of horror and social satire following in the footsteps of films such as: The Stepford Wives (1972), Night of the Living Dead (1968) and They Live (1988) which used horror stories as a means of social commentary.
Films such as Twelve Years a Slave (2013) take audiences to very serious places in regard to the treatment of slaves. The more contemporary vision of modern society and racial tensions in Get Out (2017) satirises middle-class America and thrillingly highlights such cultural and racial experiences within the thriller genre.Check out the trailer:
The Cinema Fix presents 