landline

Landline - Official US Trailer - When two sisters suspect their father (John Turturro) may be having an affair, it sends them into a tailspin that reveals cracks in the family façade. For the first time, older sister Dana (Jenny Slate), recently engaged and struggling with her own fidelity, finds herself bonding with her wild teenage sister Ali (Abby Quinn).

Get ready for a lot of references to 1990s pop culture to fuel your nostalgia for that era, because this movie has a lot of that. It can be a little distracting and sometimes feels a bit forced when they make those references, but it does add to the setting of that time period. Good '90s themed soundtrack at least. 

Besides the fact this story is taking place during one particular decade, the theme of the movie transcends just one era of time. This is a story about the characters, on what makes them tick, and how they aren't perfect. This is also a story about relationships, be it about family, marriage, or the basic boyfriend girlfriend stuff. This can be called a coming-of-age drama, or a slice-of-life story. Many will likely call this a comedy, although I would say that it's more tongue-in-cheek humor, than a full on laugh out loud extravaganza. 

During the first quarter of the movie, I was actually a little bored with it. Seemed like your typical eccentric quirky indie film with a dysfunctional family, that doesn't seem to add anything really new to the table. The story does improve very quickly soon after though, and then by the half way point of the movie, I was definitely all in with the plot. Thank goodness for the cast too, as Jenny Slate, Abby Quinn, John Turturro, and the rest, automatically makes their characters come to life, which only helps gets us more invested in their well being; especially the characters of Dana and Ali. 

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an inconvenient sequel truth to power

Watch the new trailer for An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power, the sequel to An Inconvenient Truth. In theatres July 28, 2017. #BeInconvenient Climate Changes, Truth Does Not. A decade after AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH brought climate change into the heart of popular culture, comes the riveting and rousing follow-up that shows just how close we are to a real energy revolution.

You know how people say that movie sequels are not as good as the first one? Weirdly enough, I have to apply that logic to this documentary. I'm not saying there's a major drop off in quality since the first film, because I still consider this movie a must see. I'm criticizing this documentary for some of the decisions on how it was going to tell it's story. The messaging about the climate crisis is still very much an important element, but the narrative is questionably a bit unfocused and disjointed at times. 

I suppose my primary complaint might be an odd one to make, and it's that there's too much Al Gore in this one. He may still be great at trying to get the message out to the world, but it seemed unnecessary for the movie to give more focus on who he is as a person. That's a subjective opinion of course, but having a segment about Gore's family home seems like a distraction, when I just wanted more meat and potatoes to the actual topic at hand. I like Al Gore, but the segue to his personal background felt like filler exposition. 

There are still new data, charts, and videos, showcasing the case on the climate crisis, so it's not missing all that. Some of what was said felt redundant when considering what was already said in the first movie however. I did like that this documentary is more or less just an update to where we are at now in regards to climate change, the progress to fix the problem, and the detractors who would rather just ignore it. This movie might feel like a stretched out bonus feature for the first "An Inconvenient Truth," but everything involving the messaging of this documentary is still good enough to recommend seeing this film anyway. 

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lady macbeth

Rural England, 1865. Katherine (Florence Pugh) is stifled by her loveless marriage to a bitter man twice her age, and his cold, unforgiving family. When she embarks on a passionate affair with a young worker on her husband's estate, a force is unleashed inside her so powerful that she will stop at nothing to get what she wants.

Based on the novel "Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District" by Nikolai Leskov; which is already inspired by the Shakespearean character of Lady Macbeth, the name of this movie should give you a hint of what direction it's going to go. If you have no idea why this movie is called Lady Macbeth, then please try not to spoil what this is all about. Just know that while the story seems typical enough, about a young woman in rural England who is in a loveless marriage with an older man, the plot progresses in ways you may not expect it to go. 

There's a lot of audacious and malevolent things that happen in this movie, and at the forefront of all that is actress Florence Pugh, in what is arguably one of the best acting performances of 2017. From scenes of her looking very vulnerable of being told to face a wall while completely naked, to montage sequences of her feeling bored, to her calm and composed ferocity as she discovers her own empowerment and ambitions. Pugh gets to show us some fantastic work in this film, in an unforgettable role, whose character does some unforgettable actions. 

Having the premise set in the mid 19th Century is a perfect setting for the story, as the patriarchal way of life in that era, helps add context to Katherine's reaction to everything that is happening to her; usually caused by men. Regarding the events that take place in the movie though, and without going into spoilers, you'll likely question what the moral of the story is by the end of the film. Either way, you're going to want to see how it ends. 

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annabelle creation

Evil has its beginnings. #AnnabelleCreation - in theaters August 11, 2017 -- Several years after the tragic death of their little girl, a dollmaker and his wife welcome a nun and several girls from a shuttered orphanage into their home, soon becoming the target of the dollmaker's possessed creation, Annabelle.

Alright, I think Director David F Sandberg definitely has a particular taste in the types of scary movies he wants to make. I say this because there are similarities between "Annabelle: Creation" and Sandberg's previous film; "Lights Out." Those similarities being a penchant to rely on jump scares; including the tense build ups to a jump scare, as well as lead characters doing stupid things. Needless to say, this isn't exactly an original entree to the scary movie genre.

Despite the movie's flaws, you'll likely still tend to watch some of the scenes in the movie between the fingers of your hand, as you try to cover your eyes. There is a level of enjoyment found in several of the scenes crafted for the purposes of creeping you out, and scaring you. From a kid's bedroom that has a dollhouse replica of the house it is residing in, a scene involving a bunk bed, to a hallway that's suddenly engulfed in pure darkness. Even though it's all a little bit derivative, I can't help but admire the set pieces in this movie anyway. 

Another strength that this movie has are the two female leads. Talitha Bateman as Janice, and Lulu Wilson as Linda. Those two actresses seem like they were born to be the new female faces of horror. Now if only their characters would make better decisions when trying to avoid a demonic entity that is stalking them. Until they figure that out, I'll just sit here and have fun watching how this movie attempts to make the effort to scare me. 

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detroit

From the Academy Award winning director of THE HURT LOCKER and ZERO DARK THIRTY, DETROIT tells the gripping story of one of the darkest moments during the civil unrest that rocked Detroit in the summer of '67.

Besides introducing the 1967 riots in Detroit to a larger audience that may not be familiar with that part of history, the primary reason to see this movie is for the recreation of the Algiers Motel Incident. That actual recreation itself is quite something, and is done in an almost real-time manner that it's easy to feel the tension of the scenes. It gets pretty tense at certain moments that it was almost on the verge of being like a horror movie. Some might say it's like torture porn at particular points. 

I'm not going to get into the finer details of the incident because I'm not doing spoilers, but let's just say that I was on the edge of my seat during the incident. That Algiers Motel Incident is the centerpiece that people will be talking about, but unfortunately the content surrounding it is at best serviceable. I'm unsure why Director Kathryn Bigelow and writer Mark Boal decided on the narrative structure they did, but the film as a whole is unbalanced. The reason I say that is although the incident itself is a strong visual dramatization that needs to be seen, the book ends that surround it just didn't work with me as much. The story started off at an acceptable level, but by the end of the movie, it felt like it goes on much longer than it needed to be. I however was admittedly captivated by the whole thing anyway. 

The cast is undeniable good in this. From Will Poulter, Algee Smith, Jacob Latimore, Hannah Murray, Ben O'Toole, Will Bouvier, John Boyega, to the rest of the huge ensemble cast. Kudos to their work in this. It's a powerful piece of cinema, but it's inherently flawed in the story telling aspects. 

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kidnap

The film is a heart-stopping action thriller following a mother (Halle Berry) who will stop at nothing to rescue her kidnapped son. Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KidnapMovie/ Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/kidnapmovie Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kidnapmovie/ Follow us on Tumblr: http://kidnapmovie.tumblr.com/ Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/user/Relativity

There are multiple things about this movie that people are going to have issues with that might prevent them from enjoying it, especially considering the premise which involves a Mother's child getting kidnapped. The caveats are somewhat problematic, with her cellphone not being available to her, the curiously lacking police presence, the utter destruction caused by the pursuit, and the fact her red mini-van is able to last as long as it does. The plot is predictably simple and straightforward as well, so don't expect a story telling masterpiece. 

With the issues I mentioned in mind, I think the biggest thing about the movie that is really going to make or break it for people, are the decisions that Halle Berry's character Karla makes in her pursuit of the kidnappers. The movie viewers are going to have to decide whether they can either understand the decisions Karla makes, or complain that they would have done a different but better choice. I can see people arguing about certain scenes, but I think that's actually what makes the movie fun to watch. 

Truth be told, despite the glaring issues the movie has, I still had some fun with it. I thought it was an entertaining enough as a thrill ride of a movie, that was predominantly just Halle Berry chasing the kidnappers. Just seeing the different scenarios play out the way they did were enough to keep me hooked until the end. I was on the edge of the seat on some parts, and in some other parts I was cheering on the tenacity of Karla. Yes, there are still those moments when I wanted to just yell at the screen to give her advice on what she should do instead, but I didn't find it to be a frustrating experience like some might, as I actually found all that engaging. 

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girls trip

This July, they're ready to SET. IT. OFF. Watch the #GirlsTrip red band trailer. Facebook - http://unvrs.al/GTFB Twitter - http://unvrs.al/GTTW Instagram - http://unvrs.al/GTIN Official site: http://unvrs.al/GTSite -- Producer Will Packer (Ride Along and Think Like a Man franchises, Almost Christmas) presents Girls Trip, a new comedy from director/producer Malcolm D.

What is probably the best compliment that I think I could give this movie is that it seems to know exactly what it is trying to be. It's a comedy with some dramatic moments, about four women who are looking to misbehave a little on their reunion trip to New Orleans. The comedy isn't shockingly outrageous; although it's not exactly innocent either. The more dramatic scenes aren't trying to win a prestigious movie award, but it does show a good amount of heart. It's basically what you normally expect from a 1980's style comedy, but with some modern sensibilities. 

You should basically know what this movie's story progression is, and I don't think it's trying to hide that fact either. The plot turns are just as you expect things to go, with it's healthy dose of cliches and story tropes. The supporting characters aren't exactly that well rounded, and are there to basically progress the plot. I can't completely fault this movie for having many derivative qualities or under-developed supporting characters though, because it does those things in an acceptably enjoyable and entertaining manner. 

The reason it's easy to forgive this movie for it's flaws, is because of the main four female leads. They are really entertaining to watch in this, and you just want to see what they are going to do next. Some scenes involving absinthe were in particular quite entertaining to watch. While the group as a whole are there together to make us laugh, there seems to be a divide in the plot lines based on the characters. Regina Hall and Queen Latifah help serve the more dramatic moments of the movie, while Jada Pinkett Smith and Tiffany Hadish are there for the more broad side of comedy. 

Don't count "Girls Trip" out because it doesn't add anything really new to the genre. It's a solid comedy that is thankfully not completely focused on just being shocking. It's fun enough to entertaining a viewing, plus Tiffany Hadish herself is outstandingly enjoyable in this to the point where I can easily recommend this movie just for her role in this. 

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the dark tower

From the epic best-selling novels by Stephen King comes The Dark Tower. In Theaters August 4. Subscribe to Sony Pictures for exclusive content: http://bit.ly/SonyPicsSubscribe Follow Us on Social: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheDarkTower/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/darktowermovie Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darktowermovie There are other worlds than these.

First and foremost, I have to fully disclose that I have not read a single word from The Dark Tower series by Stephen King. I understand that there is a rich mythology to the stories from the book, that contains a lot of fine details that was likely lost when it was turned into a 95 minutes film. With that said, the movie did benefit greatly from the strong world building that the novels have already established, and only made the adaptation better than it probably should have be.

As a non-book reader, I have to also point out that I wasn't lost or confused by the story, as it seemed that the screenwriters managed to condensed the intricately dense plot into an easily understandable bite-sized narrative. Unfortunately that also meant that it made the plot feel rather generic, derivative, and unremarkable; short of the world building that is. I'm sure the fans of the book will find that to be one of the more frustrating aspects about the big screen adaptation. What they should really be frustrated about is how heavy it is on exposition scenes and just the lack of wondrous joy there is in the final product of a movie. 

We're talking about a movie with a premise about alternate worlds, psychics, monsters from outside the universe, and a cowboy fighting the devil. How does a movie with that kind of description end up feeling like a generic retread of The Never Ending Story? It's not a horrible movie by any means, and there is some entertainment to be found; mainly from Idris Elba, and the smugness of McConaughey's Man In Black. However, by the end of the movie, I couldn't help but feel like there could potentially have been a much much better movie, just based on the fantastic world building that it teases. Missed opportunity, for sure. 

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atomic blonde

Welcome to Berlin. #AtomicBlonde in theaters July 28 -- Oscar® winner Charlize Theron explodes into summer in Atomic Blonde, a breakneck action-thriller that follows MI6's most lethal assassin through a ticking time bomb of a city simmering with revolution and double-crossing hives of traitors.

Set in November 1989, this Cold War spy thriller definitely has a pulpy feel to the story. It requires some suspension of disbelief when watching the events unfold, because while there's a noticeably realistic and grounded feel to the movie, there's also quite a bit of isolated detachment to the rest of the world. I suppose that is a common narrative trick when it comes to these hard boiled stories involving people working in the shadows as these spies tend to do. If you can accept that fact, then you're going to like "Atomic Blonde." 

First and foremost, Charlize Theron carries this movie effortlessly. That's a great thing, because watching her in the hand to hand action sequences is likely the biggest draw to seeing this film. Those action scenes really are quite something, and I do appreciate that they stuck with a fighting style that isn't too fantastical, and more towards the believable side of things. The painful side of things I might add. To top it off, there are several action sequences that were done in one shot that were mesmerizing to watch. Charlize being an action star and all, she is also great in the very serious spy role. With that said, the action scenes are what you'll remember her for here. 

Yes the action is great, but how is the story? It's good and interesting enough to grab your attention. It's not necessarily the most original though, as there is still a lot of the typical spy movie plot tropes here, from secret tricks, double crosses, to the usual gang of bad guys constantly out to kill the protagonists. If I was going to really criticize the movie, it's that the narrative style of telling the story that is used for this, kinda erases some of that tension with Charlize's character. Still the same, you're going to want to see it play out until the end. Plus James McAvoy's wildcard of a character will give you enough reasons to play the guessing game. 

As directed by David Leitch; adapting the graphic novel "The Coldest City" by Antony Johnston, "Atomic Blonde" actually follows a methodically paced story, that isn't afraid to slow things down when needed. It's not all balls to the wall action scene after action scene, which that fact might disappoint some people, but at least the content in between the punching and the shooting are well worth your time anyway. 

Oh, and the soundtrack that's filled with many songs from the '80s is also quite enjoyable. 

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valerian and the city of a thousand planets

VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS is the visually spectacular new adventure film from Luc Besson, the legendary director of The Professional, The Fifth Element and Lucy, based on the ground-breaking comic book series which inspired a generation of artists, writers and filmmakers.

When Willy Wonka sang "Pure Imagination," there was a verse that reads "There is no life I know, to compare with pure imagination." Based on the world that is presented here in "Valerian and The City Of A Thousand Planets," I feel like this movie represents that verse from the song. Just look at that title. It screams the fact that it has a lot of creative ideas that it wants to share with you. Put it this way, the opening of the movie; to the tune of David Bowie's "Space Oddity," has enough content to justify having it's own film based entirely on that five minutes sequence. That goes the same with many of the other sequences. 

There's a lot that I admire about this movie, and it's mainly because of it's incredible world building; that is mostly thanks to the original comic book source material. Just the sheer outlandish visuals and crazy concepts that Director Luc Besson was able to put on screen is an achievement that needs to be lauded. From the different kinds of life forms from other planets like somebody who can change their image at will, the different technologies and weapons, to the different fantastic locations like a grand market unlike any you've ever seen. Combine all that with awesome set pieces from a caper plot, chase sequences, to feeding a king, and what we've got is a movie that simply have many memorable things to experience. 

This movie fills that slot in the imaginative science-fiction fantasy epic category, and I definitely want to see more of this. Despite all my praise for this film, it unfortunately has two major flaws in it. The first flaw would be the script, as it's serviceable at best with a dash of derivatives, and some dialogue that can be described as clunky or cringe-worthy. The second flaw would be the two main leads in Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne, who aren't charming enough to carry the movie, don't have strong chemistry together, and just come off as being miscast for the roles that already doesn't have much in terms of great character development. 

As great as the rest of the movie is, those two flaws are pretty significant. Maybe not significant enough to ruin the whole experience for me, but enough to keep it from being an instant sci-fi classic. It at least has the elements of being a future cult classic, so there's that. Negativity aside, there's a lot that I really enjoyed with this movie, and would love to see more of it. If anything else, it's convinced me to consider reading the original comic book source material to get my fix. 

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