Author: marleneardoin@yahoo.com

NEW MOVIES: May 8-15, 2024, “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” “Hidden Master: The Legacy of George Platt Lynes,” “The Last Stop in Yuma County,” “Mother of the Bride”

KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is a 2024 American science fiction action film directed by Wes Ball and written by Josh Friedman. The standalone sequel to War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) is the fourth installment in the Planet of the Apes reboot franchise and the tenth film overall. The film stars Owen Teague in the lead role alongside Freya Allan, Kevin Durand, Peter Macon, and William H. Macy. In the movie, 300 years after the war events, a young chimpanzee named Noa embarks on a journey alongside a human woman named Mae (Allan) to determine the future for apes and humans alike.

Development on a new Planet of the Apes film began in April 2019, following Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, with Ball attached as writer and director that December. Much of the script was written during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, with casting commencing in June 2022, following the script’s completion. Teague was cast in August’s lead role, with the film’s title and additional casting revealed in the following months. Principal photography began in October 2022 in Sydney and wrapped in February 2023.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes premiered in Los Angeles on May 2, 2024, and is scheduled to be released by 20th Century Studios in the United States on May 10.

Premise

300 years after the events of War for the Planet of the Apes,[3] ape civilizations have emerged from the oasis to which Caesar led his fellow apes, while humans have regressed into a feral, primitive state. When the ape king Proximus Caesar, armed with weapons forged from lost human technologies, perverts Caesar’s teachings to enslave other clans, the chimpanzee hunter Noa embarks on a harrowing journey alongside a human woman named Mae to determine the future for apes and humans alike.[4][5]

Cast

Additionally, Eka Darville,[16] Ras-Samuel Weld A’abzgi,[13] Sara Wiseman,[13] and Dichen Lachman have been cast in undisclosed roles.[4]

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HIDDEN MASTER: THE LEGACY OF GEORGE PLATT LYNES

HIDDEN MASTER: THE LEGACY OF GEORGE PLATT LYNES

DIRECTED BY SAM SHAHID2023USA96 MINS

Photographer George Platt Lynes achieved renown during his lifetime for his innovative celebrity portraits and striking fashion photography. However, his best work and greatest passion was for the explicit male nudes he made of his lovers, friends, colleagues, dancers, models — and any other handsome man he could persuade to disrobe in front of his camera. This articulate, wide-ranging, fabulously gossipy documentary brings to life the charming, complex man who wielded his good looks, natural talent, and massive ambition in pursuit of artistic creation and sexual pleasure.

Directed by famed art director Sam Shahid, this documentary portrait places the photographer within the more extensive network of gay artists and cultural figures who championed each other’s work. Showcasing a dazzling amount of Lynes’ photographs (including some rarely seen to this day), Hidden Master: The Legacy of George Platt Lynes mounts a convincing case that Lynes not only deserves rediscovery but should be remembered as one of the great masters of 20th-century photographic art.

George Platt Lynes began his career photographing celebrities, and it’s those portraits, along with his extravagant fashion work, that he’s best remembered for today. However, George’s heart, his passion, and his most remarkable talent lay elsewhere in his work with the male nude. This work, sensuous and radically explicit for its time, has only recently begun being fully discovered and appreciated for the revolution that it represents—a man capturing his fantasies as a gift, a window to a future his camera saw coming before anyone else.

From visionary art director Sam Shahid, HIDDEN MASTER features a stunning collection of photography from the 1930s-50s, uncovering the life of Lynes less known: his gifted eye for the male form, his long-term friendships with Gertrude Stein and Alfred Kinsey, and his lasting influence as one of the first openly gay American artists.

Expected Guests

Sam Shahid
Director
Matthew Kraus
Producer/Cinematographer
John MacConnell
Producer/Lighting & Sound
Nando de Carvalho
Producer
Conor McBride
Editor

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THE LAST STOP IN YUMA COUNTY

THE LAST STOP IN YUMA COUNTY

The Last Stop in Yuma County is a 2023 American crime thriller film written and directed by Francis Galluppi and starring Jim Cummings, Jocelin Donahue, Richard Brake, Faizon Love, and Michael Abbott Jr. It is Galluppi’s feature directorial debut.[1]

Cast

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MOTHER OF THE BRIDE 2024

MOTHER OF THE BRIDE 2024

Mother of the Bride is an upcoming American romantic comedy film directed by Mark Waters and written by Robin Bernheim. It stars Brooke Shields, Miranda Cosgrove, and Benjamin Bratt.

The film is scheduled to be released on Netflix on May 9, 2024.

Premise

After a year abroad in London, Emma returns home and stuns her mother, Lana, with the news that she’s getting married in a month at a resort in Phuket, Thailand. Things get worse when Lana discovers that the husband-to-be is the son of the man who broke her heart years earlier.

Cast

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5/7/2024: #Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, #Hidden Master: The Legacy of George Platt Lynes, #The Last Stop in Yuma County, #Mother of the Bride”

 

NEW MOVIES: May 2-8, 2024, “The Fall Guy,” “Jeanne du Barry,” “Rocket Club: Across the Cosmos,” “The Philadelphia Eleven”

THE FALL GUY

THE FALL GUY

The Fall Guy is a 2024 American action comedy film directed by David Leitch and written by Drew Pearce, loosely based on the 1980s TV series about stunt performers. The film follows a stuntman working on his ex-girlfriend’s directorial debut action film, only to find himself involved in a conspiracy surrounding the film’s lead actor. It stars Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Hannah Waddingham, Teresa Palmer, Stephanie Hsu, and Winston Duke.

The Fall Guy premiered at SXSW on March 12, 2024, and was released in countries including Australia and New Zealand on April 24. It will be released in the United States and Canada by Universal Pictures on May 3. Critics generally praised the film, which set a Guinness World Record for the most cannon rolls performed in a car.

Plot

Hollywood stunt performer Colt Seavers, who primarily works as the stunt double for famous action star Tom Ryder, is severely injured during a stunt gone wrong. Blaming himself, Colt abandons his career and his girlfriend, camera operator Jody Moreno.

Eighteen months later Colt, now a valet for a small Mexican restaurant, is contacted by Tom’s film producer Gail Meyer. She says Moreno is directing her first film, a science fiction epic called Metalstorm, and wants him to join the production in Sydney, Australia.

However, when Colt arrives on set, he learns that Jody never asked for him and is still angry about their breakup. Gail reveals that Tom has disappeared after getting involved with drugs, and she wants Colt to find him before his absence causes the film’s cancellation.

Not wanting to ruin Jody’s directorial debut, Colt visits Tom’s hotel room and a nightclub, where he gets into fights. In the hotel room, Colt finds a dead body in a bathtub full of ice, but when he returns with the police, the body is gone.

Cast

Lee Majors and Heather Thomas, who starred in the original television series, have cameo appearances in the film as police officers,[9] while Jason Momoa cameos as himself.

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JEANNE DU BARRY

JEANNE DU BARRY

Jeanne du Barry is a 2023 historical drama film directed, co-written, and produced by Maïwenn. It stars her and Johnny Depp in the leading roles. It also stars Pierre Richard, Benjamin Lavernhe, Noémie Lvovsky, Pascal Greggory, Melvil Poupaud, and India Hair. The plot centers on Madame du Barry, who uses her intelligence and allure to rise in society. She becomes King Louis XV’s favorite, they fall in love, and against all propriety and etiquette, du Barry moves to Versailles, where her relationship with the king scandalizes the court.

Jeanne du Barry is a collaboration between France, Belgium, and the United Kingdom. It was produced by Why Not Productions and Depp’s IN.2 Film, a European sister company to his L.A.-based Infinitum Nihil, and is distributed by Le Pacte. With a budget of $22.4 million, Jeanne du Barry was one of the most expensive French films in 2023, one of only three with a budget of over 10 million euros. The film had its world premiere as the opening film at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2023, and was released theatrically in France on the same day by Le Pacte, 15 months before its scheduled streaming release on Netflix in France.

Premise

Jeanne, a young working-class woman hungry for culture and pleasure, uses her intelligence and allure to rise step by step to the highest levels of society. She becomes King Louis XV’s favorite, who regains his appetite for life through her. They fall madly in love, and, against all propriety and etiquette, Jeanne moves to Versailles, where her relationship with the king scandalizes the court.[8]

Cast

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ROCKET CLUB: ACROSS THE COSMOS

ROCKET CLUB: ACROSS THE COSMOS

When Rocket Club’s mission to return a stranded alien to its home planet is jeopardized by their rival Calvin’s plan to freeze the Earth, our heroes must unite to unlock the secret of WUP speed to save the Earth before supper time.

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THE PHILADELPHIA ELEVEN

THE PHILADELPHIA ELEVEN

The Team

Picture
MARGO GUERNSEY
Director/Producer
Margo Guernsey is a documentary Director/Producer, impact strategist, and founder of Time Travel Productions LLC. Her films include Councilwoman (America ReFramed 2019) and No Time To Fail (America Reframed 2023). Before film, Margo worked as a union organizer, non-profit development director, and Spanish/English translator. Margo’s work has received support from Chicken & Egg Pictures, ITVS, Catapult Film Fund, GoodPitch, Perspective Fund, Ford Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. She speaks both Spanish and English and holds an MFA in Film (University of Miami), an MA in History (UMass Amherst), and a BA in History (Brown University). Margo teaches producing as an affiliated faculty member at Emerson College and is a current member of the Board of Directors of the Documentary Producers Association. 

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NIKKI BRAMLEY
Co-Producer / Director of Photography
Nikki is a documentary Director of Photography. Her work ranges from independent documentaries to high-end commercial projects. Recent broadcast credits include: Recent documentary camera credits include: Zora Neale Hurston: Claiming a Space (American Experience 2023), Runner (Festivals 2020), Frederick Douglass in Five Speeches (HBO 2022), This Is A Robbery (Netflix 2021), Trial 4 (Netflix 2020), Councilwoman (America ReFramed 2019), Breaking Big (PBS 2018), Seeing Eyes/Feeling Heart (American Masters 2018), NOVA “Addiction” (2018), NOVA “Prediction by the Numbers” (2017), Frontline (2017, 2015). Nikki graduated from the S.I. Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University in 2002 with a BS in Television, Radio, and Film Production.

Director’s Statement

I am not Episcopalian. I was raised in a Congregational Church, and this story is for everyone. It is about breaking down barriers with grace and being true to oneself in the process. It is about standing up to institutions that do not allow all people to be who they are called to be.

The story of the first Episcopal women priests has been under the radar for decades. Perhaps this is because they disregarded certain institutional edicts, or their story is inconvenient. After all, they challenged the very core of patriarchal culture. These pioneers have taught me new ways to think about whose history is recorded and remembered and who does the work of remembering. ​They also provide a vision for a just and inclusive community in practice. Suppose we are serious about loving every human being as they are. In that case, we must find new ways to disrupt the hierarchies we have inherited and replace them with the same kind of radical inclusivity demonstrated by these priests.
​
My greatest hope is that viewers will watch, listen deeply, and engage with others about how you might stand up so that we can fully live who we are called to be.

The women ordained as priests in 1974 and 1975

Merrill Bittner
Alla Renée Bozarth
Alison Cheek
Marie Moorefield Fleischer
Emily Hewitt
Suzanne Hiatt
Carter Heyward
Lee McGee Street
Alison Palmer
Jeannette Piccard
Betty Powell
Betty Bone Schiess
Katrina Swanson
Diane Tickell
Nancy Wittig

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April 30, 2024#”The Fall Guy,” “Jeanne du Barry,” “Rocket Club: Across the Cosmos,” “The Philadelphia Eleven”

NEW MOVIES: April 25-May 1, 2024, “Challengers,” “Unsung Hero,” “Breathe,” “Cash Out”

CHALLENGERS

CHALLENGERS

Challengers is a 2024 American romantic sports film directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by Justin Kuritzkes. The plot follows a professional tennis champion (Mike Faist) who plots a comeback with the help of his wife (Zendaya), a former tennis prodigy who retired after an injury, as he goes up against another player (Josh O’Connor), who also happens to be his former best friend and wife’s former lover.[3]

After being delayed from its initial September 2023 release date and pulled out from its slot as the opening film of the 80th Venice International Film Festival due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, Challengers premiered in Sydney, Australia, on March 26, 2024, and is scheduled to be released in the United States by Amazon MGM Studios on April 26, 2024. The film received critical acclaim, with the cast performances (especially Zendaya) being the main highlight.

Premise

Tashi Duncan, a former tennis prodigy turned coach after a career-ending injury, is married to a champion on a losing streak. Her strategy for her husband’s redemption takes a surprising turn when he must face off against his former best friend, Tashi’s former boyfriend.[3]

Cast

  • Zendaya as Tashi Duncan[4]
  • Josh O’Connor as Patrick Zweig[4]
  • Mike Faist as Art Donaldson[4]
  • Darnell Appling as New Rochelle Final Umpire
  • AJ Lister as Lily Donaldson
  • Nada Despotovich as Tashi’s Mother
  • Naheem Garcia as Tashi’s Father
  • Hailey Gates as Helen
  • Jake Jensen as Finn Larsen[5]

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UNSUNG HERO

UNSUNG HERO

Unsung Hero is an upcoming American Christian drama film directed by Richard Ramsey and Joel Smallbone. The film follows the Smallbone family, including Rebecca (stage name Rebecca St. James) and Joel and Luke Smallbone of For King & Country, who become Christian recording artists.

Plot

In 1991, the Smallbone family moved from Australia to Nashville, Tennessee.

Cast

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BREATHE

BREATHE

Breathe is an upcoming American science fiction action thriller film directed by Stefon Bristol, written by Doug Simon, and starring Jennifer Hudson, Milla Jovovich, Quvenzhané Wallis, Common, and Sam Worthington. The film is set in a world where oxygen levels on Earth have dropped making it impossible to live on the planet’s surface without specialised equipment.

Cast

Production

In December 2019, Doug Simon’s screenplay Breathe was revealed to be on that year’s “Black List” of the most-liked unproduced screenplays in Hollywood.[1] In May 2022, it was announced that Sam Worthington, Jennifer Hudson, Milla Jovovich, Quvenzhané Wallis, and Common were set to star in the film, to be directed by Stefon Bristol.[2]

Filming took place on location in Pennsylvania in late 2022.

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CASH OUT

CASH OUT

Cash Out is an upcoming American action film starring John Travolta, Kristin Davis, Lukas Haas, Quavo, and Joel Cohen. It was directed by Ives, and written by Dipo Oseni and Doug Richardson. The film is scheduled to be released on April 26, 2024.

Plot

In the tense thriller Cash Out, John Travolta is Mason, the leader of a high-end crew of thieves that hang it up for good after a double-cross spells a near miss with the law. Still, when thrust into his younger brother Shawn’s hare-brained scheme to rob a bank—and tempted by what could be his biggest score ever—Mason jumps right back into his old ways. Then the heist goes awry, and the thieves are trapped inside the bank with hostages while surrounded by SWAT teams, the FBI, and Interpol. Among the authorities waiting to nab the crew is someone Mason knows well: lead negotiator Decker (Kristin Davis) — Mason’s former lover.”

Cast

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4/23/2024#”Challengers,” “Unsung Hero,” “Breathe,” “Cash Out”

NEW MOVIES: April 18-24, 2024, “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,” “Abigail,” “Sasquatch Sunset,” “Villains Inc.”

THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE

THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is an upcoming spy action comedy film directed and co-written by Guy Ritchie. It is based on Damien Lewis’s 2014 book Churchill’s Secret Warriors: The Explosive True Story of the Special Forces Desperadoes of WWII. The film portrays a heavily fictionalized version of Operation Postmaster.

The film will be released in the United States on April 19, 2024.

Plot

Based in part on real historical events, the film’s storyline is about the Special Operations Executive, a covert British World War II organization formed in 1940 at the instigation of Prime Minister Winston Churchill for conducting espionage and sabotage in Nazi-occupied Europe. SOE operations contributed significantly to the Allied victory over Nazi Germany and were forerunners of modern-day black operations and irregular warfare.[2]

Cast

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ABIGAIL

ABIGAIL

Abigail is a 2024 American vampire horror film[3] directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett from a screenplay written by Stephen Shields and Guy Busick. Based on and a reimagining of the 1936 Universal Classic Monsters film Dracula’s Daughter, the film stars Alisha Weir as the eponymous daughter of Count Dracula, alongside Melissa Barrera, Dan Stevens, Kathryn Newton, William Catlett, Kevin Durand, Angus Cloud, and Giancarlo Esposito.

A reboot of Dracula’s Daughter was announced to be in development in April 2023, with Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett attached as directors, and Shields and Busick hired to write the screenplay. It was also announced that the film would be a co-production between Bettinelli-Olpin, Gillett, and Chad Villella‘s Radio Silence Productions, James Vanderbilt, Paul Neinstein, and William Sherak’s Project X Entertainment, and Tripp Vinson‘s Vinson Films. Barrera was cast that same month, with Weir, Stevens, Newton, Durand, Cloud, and Catlett hired the next month, and Esposito rounding out the main cast in June.

Principal photography began that month in Dublin, Ireland, but was suspended at the beginning of July due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Filming resumed at the end of that month and wrapped in December. This was the last film that Cloud worked on during his lifetime, as he died on July 31, 2023, shortly after wrapping filming of his scenes. Brian Tyler, a frequent collaborator of Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett, was hired to compose and conduct the film’s score.

Abigail had its world premiere at the Overlook Film Festival on April 7, 2024, and is scheduled to be released by Universal Pictures on April 19, 2024.

Premise

The film focuses on a group of kidnappers who capture and must watch over Abigail, the daughter of a powerful underworld figure from whom they demand a $50 million ransom. However, they soon get more than what they bargain for when they realize that they are trapped inside with no ordinary little girl but a vampire child who hunts them down one by one.[4]

Cast

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SASQUATCH SUNSET

SASQUATCH SUNSET

Sasquatch Sunset is a 2024 American surreal comedy film directed by David Zellner and Nathan Zellner, and written by David Zellner. Starring Riley Keough, Jesse Eisenberg, Christophe Zajac-Denek, and Nathan Zellner. The film follows a family of Sasquatch over one year. Ari Aster served as an executive producer under his Square Peg banner. It had its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2024. Bleecker Street released the film on April 12, 2024.

Plot

The film follows a family of Sasquatch over one year.

Cast

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VILLAINS INC.

VILLAINS INC.

After the death of their boss, Beatrix, Cain and Harold are left destitute living in an abandoned grocery store. Beatrix is determined that they will fight on their own and take over the world by any means necessary.

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4/16/2024#”The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,” “Abigail,” “Sasquatch Sunset,” “Villains Inc.”

 

NEW MOVIES: April 11-17, 2024, “Civil War,” “Arcadian,” “Housekeeping for Beginners,” “The Long Game”

CIVIL WAR

CIVIL WAR

Civil War is a 2024 dystopian action film written and directed by Alex Garland.[4] The film stars Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Nick Offerman. Its plot follows a team of journalists who travel across the United States during a rapidly escalating Second American Civil War, which has engulfed the entire nation.

Civil War had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 14, 2024, and is scheduled to be theatrically released in the United States by A24 and in the United Kingdom by Entertainment Film Distributors on April 12, 2024. The film received positive reviews from critics.

Premise

In the near future, a team of journalists travel across the United States during a rapidly escalating multiparty civil war that has engulfed the entire nation.[5][6] The film documents the journalists struggling to survive during a time when the U.S. government has become a dystopian dictatorship and partisan extremist militias regularly commit war crimes.[6][5]

Cast

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ARCADIAN

ARCADIAN

Arcadian (formerly titled Sand and Stones) is a 2024 action horror film written by Michael Nilon, directed by Ben Brewer, and starring Nicolas Cage.

The film premiered at South by Southwest on March 11, 2024, followed by a theatrical release in the United States on April 12, 2024, by RLJE Films.

Premise

A father and his twin teenage sons fight to survive in a remote farmhouse at the end of the world.

Cast

Production

In October 2022, it was announced that Nicolas Cage would star in the film.[2] In November, Jaeden Martell, Maxwell Jenkins, and Sadie Soverall had joined the cast, and filming began in Dublin, Ireland.[1] In February 2023, it was announced that filming wrapped and that the film was in post-production.[3]

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HOUSEKEEPING FOR BEGINNERS

HOUSEKEEPING FOR BEGINNERS

Housekeeping for Beginners (Macedonian: Домаќинство за почетници, romanized: Domaḱinstvo za početnici) is a 2023 drama film written, directed and edited by Goran Stolevski. It stars Anamaria Marinca, Alina Serban, Samson Selim, Vladimir Tintor, Mia Mustafi, and Dżada Selim. It is an international co-production between North Macedonia, Croatia, Serbia, Kosovo, Poland, Australia and the United States.

The film premiered on 6 September 2023, at the 80th Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Queer Lion. It was selected as the Macedonian entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards.[4] It was released in the United States on 5 April 2024, and later in Australia on 9 May 2024.

Summary

Dita is forced to raise her girlfriend’s two daughters even though she has never aspired to be a mother. A touching tale about an odd family’s battle to be together emerges when their separate wills collide.

Cast

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THE LONG GAME

THE LONG GAME

The Long Game is a 2023 American historical drama film adaptation of Humberto G. Garcia’s 2010 novel Mustang Miracle. The film is directed by Julio Quintana and stars Jay Hernandez, Julian Works, Jaina Lee Ortiz, Brett Cullen, Oscar Nuñez, Paulina Chávez, Gregory Diaz IV, José Julián, Cheech Marin, and Dennis Quaid.

The film is scheduled to be released theatrically in the United States by Mucho Mas Media on April 12, 2024.

Plot

The Long Game tells a true story of the San Felipe Mustangs, a group of Mexican-American youths located in Del Rio, Texas. In the 1950s, the group set out to play golf at a white country club in town. Despite prejudice, the Mustangs overcame these obstacles to become the 1957 Texas state champions.[1][2]

Cast

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4/9/2024#”Civil War,” “Arcadian,” “Housekeeping for Beginners,” “The Long Game”

NEW MOVIES: April 4-10, 2024, “Monkey Man,” “The First Omen,” “Someone Like You,” “The Old Oak’

MONKEY MAN

MONKEY MAN

Monkey Man is a 2024 American action thriller film directed by Dev Patel, who co-wrote the screenplay with Paul Angunawela and John Collee.[5][6] The film marks the directorial debut of Patel, who co-produced the film and stars in the lead role, alongside Sharlto Copley, Pitobash, Sobhita Dhulipala, Sikandar Kher, Vipin Sharma, Ashwini Kalsekar, Adithi Kalkunte, and Makarand Deshpande.

Monkey Man had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 11, 2024, and is scheduled to be released in the United States by Universal Pictures on April 5, 2024.[7][8]

Premise

Kid, an anonymous young man, sets on a journey to hunt down a group of corrupt leaders who are responsible for his mother Neela’s death. However, Kid’s journey of exacting revenge soon makes him become the savior of the poor and powerless people, who are tormented by the corrupt leaders.[9]

Cast

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THE FIRST OMEN

THE FIRST OMEN

The First Omen is an upcoming American supernatural horror film directed by Arkasha Stevenson, who co-wrote the screenplay with Tim Smith and Keith Thomas from a story by Ben Jacoby. It is a prequel to The Omen (1976), being the sixth film in The Omen franchise. The film stars Nell Tiger Free, Tawfeek Barhom, Sônia Braga, Ralph Ineson, and Bill Nighy.

The First Omen is scheduled to be released in the United States by 20th Century Studios on April 5, 2024.

Premise

The plot follows an American woman sent to work at a church in Rome who uncovers a sinister conspiracy to bring about the birth of the Antichrist.[2]

Cast

  • Nell Tiger Free as Margaret Daino, an American sent to Rome to work at an orphanage before taking the veil[a]
  • Sônia Braga as Sister Silvia, the Abbess of Vizzardeli Orphanage in Rome
  • Ralph Ineson as Father Brennan, a priest who warns Margaret of a conspiracy within the church[b]
  • Bill Nighy as Cardinal Lawrence, a senior member of the Catholic church
  • Tawfeek Barhom as Father Gabriel, a member of the Catholic clergy working at the orphanage
  • Maria Caballero as Luz Valez, Margaret’s roommate at Vizzardeli
  • Nicole Sorace as Carlita Skianna, an older child at Vizzardeli
  • Charles Dance[4]

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SOMEONE LIKE YOU

SOMEONE LIKE YOU

  • Director: Tyler Russell
  • Writer: Karen Kingsbury, Tyler Russell
  • Stars: Sarah Fisher, Jake Allyn, Lynn Collins
  • Genre: Romance
  • Release Date: 2024-04-02
  • Run Time: 118
Based on the novel by #1 NYTimes bestselling author Karen Kingsbury, “Someone Like You” is an achingly beautiful love story. After the tragic loss of his best friend, a grieving young architect launches a search for her secret twin sister.

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THE OLD OAK

THE OLD OAK

The Old Oak is a 2023 drama film directed by Ken Loach and written by Paul Laverty. It is a co-production between the United Kingdom, France and Belgium.[1]

After its world premiere at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the Palme d’Or, the film was released in the United Kingdom on 29 September 2023, by StudioCanal. The film was nominated for Outstanding British Film at the 77th British Academy Film Awards.

Premise

Pub landlord TJ Ballantyne, living in a previously thriving mining community in County Durham, struggles to hold onto his pub and keep it as the one remaining public space where people can meet in the town. Meanwhile, tensions rise when Syrian refugees are placed there, but Ballantyne strikes up a friendship with one of the refugees, Yara.[3][6]

Cast

  • Dave Turner as TJ Ballantyne
  • Ebla Mari as Yara
  • Claire Rodgerson as Laura
  • Trevor Fox as Charlie
  • Chris McGlade as Vic
  • Col Tait as Eddy
  • Jordan Louis as Garry
  • Chrissie Robinson as Erica
  • Chris Gotts as Jaffa Cake
  • Jen Patterson as Maggie
  • Arthur Oxley as Archie
  • Joe Armstrong as Joe
  • Andy Dawson as Micky
  • Maxie Peters as Tommy
  • Debbie Honeywood as Tania
  • Neil Leiper as Rocco

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4/2/2024# “Monkey Man,” “The First Omen,” “Someone Like You,” “The Old Oak’

NEW MOVIES: March 28-April 3, 2024, “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” “Carol Doda Topless at the Condor,” “Asphalt City,” “Problemista”

GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE

GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire[a] is a 2024 American monster film that is the sequel to Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) and features Godzilla and Kong in a team-up against new enemies. The film is directed by Adam Wingard, produced by Legendary Pictures, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is the fifth film in the MonsterVerse franchise. It is also the 38th film of the Godzilla franchise, the 13th film in the King Kong franchise, and the fifth Godzilla film to be completely produced by an American film studio.[b] The film stars Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Dan Stevens, Kaylee Hottle, Alex Ferns, and Fala Chen. Hall, Henry and Hottle reprise their roles from the previous film. In the film, Kong encounters more of his species in the Hollow Earth and must unite with Godzilla to stop their tyrannical leader and a powerful, climate-changing Titan from destroying the surface.

Premise

The film follows Godzilla and Kong, as they unite together against a mysterious Hollow Earth threat, and also focuses on the previously untold origins of the Titans and Skull Island.[6]

Cast

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CAROL DODA TOPLESS AT THE CONDOR

CAROL DODA TOPLESS AT THE CONDOR

Carol Ann Doda (August 29, 1937 – November 9, 2015) was an American topless dancer based in San Francisco, California, who was active from the 1960s through the 1980s. She was the first public topless dancer in the United States.[1]

In 1964, Doda made international news, first by dancing topless at the city’s Condor Club, then by enlarging her bust from size 34 to 44 through silicone injections. A year later, she was arrested along with the owners of the Condor Club, but all three of them were later cleared of charges.[2] Her breasts became known as Doda’s “twin 44s” and “the new Twin Peaks of San Francisco”.[3]

On June 19, 1964,[12] when Doda was 26 years old, the Condor’s publicist, “Big” Davy Rosenberg[15] gave Doda a “monokini” topless swimsuit designed by Rudi Gernreich.[7] She performed topless that night, the first noted entertainer of the era to do so. The act was an instant success.[7] Two months after she started her semi-nude performances, the rest of San Francisco’s Broadway was topless, followed soon after by entertainers across America.[9] Doda became an American cultural icon of the 1960s.[citation needed] She was profiled in Tom Wolfe‘s 1969 book The Pump House Gang,[16] and appeared that same year as Sally Silicone in Head, the 1968 film created by Jack Nicholson and Bob Rafelson, and featuring The Monkees. The movie was produced by Columbia Pictures.[17] She also appeared in a Golden Boy parody with Annette Funicello, Sonny Liston, and Davy Jones.[18]

 

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ASPHALT CITY

ASPHALT CITY

Asphalt City (originally titled Black Flies) is a 2023 American thriller drama film directed by Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire and written by Ryan King and Ben Mac Brown, based on the 2008 novel Black Flies by Shannon Burke. It stars Sean Penn, Tye Sheridan, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Raquel Nave, Kali Reis, Michael Pitt, Katherine Waterston, and Mike Tyson.

The film premiered at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 18, 2023. It is set to be released theatrically by Vertical Entertainment and Roadside Attractions on March 29, 2024.

Premise

In preparation for medical school, Ollie Cross joins veteran paramedic Gene Rutkovsky on a drive through New York City.

Cast

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PROBLEMISTA

PROBLEMISTA

Problemista is a 2023 American surrealist comedy film written, directed, and co-produced by Julio Torres. It stars Torres, Tilda Swinton, RZA, Greta Lee, Catalina Saavedra, James Scully, and Isabella Rosselini. The film follows a struggling aspiring toy designer from El Salvador who starts working for an erratic art-world outcast in New York City, hoping to stay in the country and realize his dream before his work visa expires.

Cast

Production

In July 2021, it was announced that Tilda Swinton would star in the film and Julio Torres would costar in and direct it, from a screenplay he wrote, with A24 set to finance and distribute.[4] In November 2021, RZA, Isabella Rossellini, Greta Lee, Spike Einbinder, Laith Nakil, Larry Owens, James Scully and Greta Titelman joined the cast of the film. Emma Stone serves as a producer under her Fruit Tree banner.[5]

Principal photography began by November 2021, in New York City.[6]

 

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3/26/2024#”Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” “Carol Doda Topless at the Condor,” “Asphalt City,” “Problemista”

 

NEW MOVIES: March 21-27, 2024, “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” “Knox goes Away,” “The Peasants,” “You Can Call Me Bill”

GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE

GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is a 2024 American supernatural comedy film directed by Gil Kenan, who co-wrote it with Jason Reitman. It is the sequel to Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) and the fifth film in the Ghostbusters franchise. The film stars Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Celeste O’Connor, and Logan Kim reprising their roles from Afterlife, alongside Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, and William Atherton reprising their characters from the earlier films, while Kumail Nanjiani and Patton Oswalt also join the cast. In the film, years after again stopping the apocalyptic deity Gozer the Gozerian in Summerville, Oklahoma, the veteran Ghostbusters must join forces with their new recruits to save the world in New York City from a powerful death-chilling adversary who seeks to build a spectral army.

Premise

In Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, the Spengler family decide to leave Summerville, Oklahoma and go back to where it all started – the iconic New York City firehouse – and help the original Ghostbusters, who’ve developed a top-secret research lab to take busting ghosts to the next level! But when the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second Ice Age.

— Sony Pictures[9]

Cast

Main article: List of Ghostbusters characters

Additionally, Emily Alyn Lind has been cast in an undisclosed role.

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KNOX GOES AWAY

KNOX GOES AWAY

Knox Goes Away is a 2023 American crime thriller film directed by Michael Keaton and written by Gregory Poirier. It stars Keaton, James Marsden, Suzy Nakamura, Joanna Kulig, Ray McKinnon, John Hoogenakker, Lela Loren, Marcia Gay Harden, and Al Pacino.

It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2023, and was released theatrically in the United States on March 15, 2024, by Saban Films.

Plot

John Knox, a contract killer diagnosed with a fast-moving form of dementia called Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, vows to spend his final days attempting to redeem himself by saving the life of his estranged adult son. Knox finds himself in a race against the authorities as well as the ticking clock of his own rapidly deteriorating mind. – FilmNation Entertainment

Cast

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THE PEASANTS

THE PEASANTS

The Peasants (Polish: Chłopi) is a novel written by the Polish author Władysław Reymont in four parts between 1904 and 1909. He started writing it in 1897, but because of a railway accident and health problems, it took seven years to complete. The first parts of the story were published in the weekly magazine Tygodnik Illustrowany. The novel has been translated into at least 27 languages. Władysław Reymont received the 1924 Nobel Prize in Literature for this work.

Description

Each of the four parts represents a season in the life of the peasants – Autumn (published in 1904), Winter (published in 1904), Spring (published in 1906), and Summer (published in 1909). This division underlines the relationship of human life with nature.

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YOU CAN CALL ME BILL

YOU CAN CALL ME BILL

“You Can Call Me Bill” is an intimate documentary that delves into the remarkable life and career of the legendary actor William Shatner. Here’s a concise summary and information about the cast:

  1. Summary:
    • Directed by Alexandre O. Philippe, the film chronicles William Shatner’s journey over nine decades on Earth.
    • It strips away the masks he has worn while embodying countless characters, revealing the man behind the iconic roles.
    • The documentary explores lessons learned, reflections, and significant moments in Shatner’s life, including his adventures in outer space in 2021.
    • Shatner shares his evolving feelings about space travel, emphasizing concerns about global warming and our interconnected planet.
  2. Cast:
    • William Shatner: The iconic actor himself, who is about to turn 93 years old.

The film provides a unique glimpse into the life of a living legend, touching on themes of curiosity, environmental awareness, and the enduring impact of his work in Star Trek and beyond.

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3/19/2024#”Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” “Knox goes Away,” “The Peasants,” “You Can Call Me Bill”

NEW MOVIES: March 14-20, 2024, “One Life,” “American Society of Magical Negroes,” “Arthur the King,” “Uniting”

ONE LIFE

ONE LIFE

One Life is a 2023 biographical drama film directed by James Hawes.[3] It is based on the true story of British humanitarian Sir Nicholas Winton as he looks back on his past efforts to help groups of Jewish children in German-occupied Czechoslovakia to hide and flee in 1938–39, just before the beginning of World War II. The film stars Anthony Hopkins and Johnny Flynn as Sir Nicholas, with Lena Olin, Romola Garai, Alex Sharp, Jonathan Pryce, and Helena Bonham Carter in supporting roles.[4]

One Life had its world première at the Toronto International Film Festival on 9 September 2023, and its European première at the 2023 London Film Festival. It was released in the United Kingdom on 1 January 2024 by Warner Bros. Pictures.[5][6][1] The film received mostly positive reviews, with praise for the performances of the cast, particularly Hopkins’.

Plot

When 29-year-old London stockbroker Nicholas Winton visits Czechoslovakia in 1938, just weeks after the Munich Agreement was signed, he encounters families in Prague who had fled the rise of the Nazis in Germany and Austria. They are living in poor conditions, with little or no shelter or food and in fear of the invasion of the Nazis. Winton is introduced to Doreen Warriner, head of the Prague office of the British Committee for Refugees from Czechoslovakia (BCRC). Horrified by the conditions in the refugee camps, Winton decides to save Jewish children himself. Actively supported by his mother Babette, herself a German-Jewish migrant who has since converted to the Church of England, he overcomes bureaucratic hurdles, collects donations and looks for foster families for the children brought to England. Many of them are Jews who are at imminent risk of deportation. A race against time begins as it is unclear how long the borders will remain open before the inevitable Nazi invasion.

Cast

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AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAGICAL NEGROES

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAGICAL NEGROES

The American Society of Magical Negroes is a 2024 American satirical comedy film[2] written, directed, and produced by Kobi Libii in his directorial debut. It stars Justice Smith, David Alan Grier, An-Li Bogan, Drew Tarver, Michaela Watkins, Aisha Hinds, Tim Baltz, Rupert Friend and Nicole Byer.

The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2024, and will be followed by a theatrical release by Focus Features in the United States on March 15, 2024.

Premise

Aren is recruited into a magical society of African Americans to follow their lifelong cause: to make the lives of white people easier.[2]

Cast

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ARTHUR THE KING

ARTHUR THE KING

Arthur the King is an upcoming American adventure film directed by Simon Cellan Jones, written by Michael Brandt, and starring Mark Wahlberg, Simu Liu, and Juliet Rylance. It is based on the 2016 non-fiction book Arthur – The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home by Mikael Lindnord. In the film, the captain of an adventure racing team befriends a wounded stray dog named Arthur, who accompanies the team on a grueling 435-mile (700-km) endurance race through the Dominican Republic.

The film was announced in 2019 as a Paramount Players release. It moved to Lionsgate in June 2020 and filming began in the Dominican Republic in January 2021. The film is scheduled to be released by Lionsgate on March 15, 2024.

Plot

A group of mountain climbers venture into the mountains to compete while coming face with a surviving stray who becomes attached to the head of the climbers.

Cast

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UNITING

UNITING

College reunion dramedy led by Michelle Harrison and Jesse L. Martin. The film is set to premiere in select Cineplex theaters across Canada on Friday, March 15. Gravitas Ventures, an Anthem Sports & Entertainment Company, has acquired the U.S. rights to Re: Uniting and will then release the film on digital and cable on demand on June 4, 2024.

“When Rachel, played by Michelle Harrison, receives life-changing news, she secretly grapples with her mortality while playing host to her friends who have grown up and gone their separate ways since college. Carrie, a mother of 3, Natalie, a workaholic neurosurgeon, former football star turned sportscaster Collin, and playboy man-child Danny join Rachel and her husband at their picturesque home on the beautiful and secluded Bowen Island,” reads the movie’s synopsis.

“As soon as they are all together it’s like no time has passed; they laugh, drink and dance the night away. Rachel’s nostalgia is echoed by the group as they realize how much time has gone by, and how much they have all changed. As secrets are revealed, they are forced to change the way they look at their futures.”

Uniting was written and directed by Laura Adkin. The film stars Jesse L Martin (Law & Order, The Irrational, RENT), Michelle Harrison (The Flash), Roger Cross (War For the Planet of the Apes), David James Lewis (Child’s Play), Carmen Moore (Nancy Drew), and Bronwen Smith (Firefly Lane). The movie was produced by Krista Rand, while Stirling Bancroft served as director of photography.

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NEW MOVIES#”One Life,” “American Society of Magical Negroes,” “Arthur the King,” “Uniting”

 

NEW MOVIES: March 7-13, 2024, “Cabrini,” “Kung Fu Panda 4,” “Love Lies Bleeding,” “American Dreamer”

CABRINI

CABRINI

Cabrini is an upcoming American biographical drama film directed by Alejandro Gómez Monteverde and written by Rod Barr, based on a story by both. The film details the life of Catholic missionary Francesca Cabrini, portrayed by Cristiana Dell’Anna, as she encounters resistance to her charity and business efforts in New York City.[1] The film explores the sexism and anti-Italianism faced by Cabrini and others in New York City during the late 19th century.[2]

Cast

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KUNG FU PANDA 4

KUNG FU PANDA 4

Kung Fu Panda 4 is a 2024 American animated martial arts comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Universal Pictures. It is the fourth installment in the Kung Fu Panda franchise, and the sequel to Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016). The film was directed by Mike Mitchell, co-directed by Stephanie Ma Stine (in her feature directorial debut), written by Darren Lemke and the writing team of Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger and produced by Rebecca Huntley. It features Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, James Hong, Bryan Cranston, and Ian McShane reprising their roles from the previous films, with Awkwafina, Ke Huy Quan, Ronny Chieng, Lori Tan Chinn, and Viola Davis joining the cast as new characters. In the film, Po (Black), who must find and train his successor as the new Dragon Warrior, teams up with a fox bandit named Zhen (Awkwafina) to defeat evil sorceress “The Chameleon” (Davis).

Premise

Po, who is set to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace, searches for his successor as the new Dragon Warrior while fighting a new shapeshifting foe called “The Chameleon”.[5]

Voice cast

Main article: List of Kung Fu Panda characters

Director Mike Mitchell stated that Masters Tigress, Monkey, Crane, Mantis, and Viper—known collectively as the Furious Five—would make an appearance in the film and that they are “off on their missions,” with producer Rebecca Huntley confirming that there will be “a glimpse of the Furious Five.”[7][8]

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LOVE LIES BLEEDING

LOVE LIES BLEEDING

Love Lies Bleeding is a 2024 romantic thriller film directed by Rose Glass from a screenplay she co-wrote with Weronika Tofilska and starring Kristen Stewart, Katy O’Brian, Jena Malone, Anna Baryshnikov, Dave Franco, and Ed Harris. Set in the 1980s, it chronicles the relationship between a reclusive gym manager with a crime family and an ambitious bodybuilder.

Love Lies Bleeding premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2024. It will be released theatrically in the United States by A24 on March 8, 2024, and in the United Kingdom by Lionsgate UK on May 3, 2024.

Premise

In the 1980s, reclusive gym manager Lou falls hard for Jackie, an ambitious bodybuilder headed through town to Las Vegas in pursuit of her dream. But their love ignites violence, pulling them deep into the web of Lou’s crime family.[2]

Cast

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AMERICAN DREAMER

AMERICAN DREAMER

American Dreamer is a 2022 American black comedy film directed by Paul Dektor (in his feature debut) and written by Theodore Melfi. Based on a segment from the radio show This American Life, it stars Peter Dinklage as a professor who tries to buy the estate of a lonely widow played by Shirley MacLaine. Kim Quinn, Danny Pudi, Danny Glover, and Matt Dillon also star.

The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 11, 2022. It is scheduled to be released in the United States on March 8, 2024.

Premise

Dr. Phil Loder, a low-level adjunct professor of economics at Harvard, has always dreamed of owning a home. His wish becomes possible when a lonely widow offers Phil her sprawling estate for pennies. The deal, however, is too good to be true.

Cast

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3/5/2024#”Cabrini,” “Kung Fu Panda 4,” “Love Lies Bleeding,” “American Dreamer”

 

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