Things are heating up as the temperatures drop! More screenings, award season coming soon, and a lot of great holiday releases. We have new docuseries coming, theater and local events, and a lot more. Be sure to check out what was announced this week in entertainment!
Screenings
Local Events
Movie and Series Reviews:
Movie and Entertainment Updates:
BRAINWASHED Unpacking the Male Gaze Opens in Theaters Oct 21
In this eye-opening documentary, celebrated independent filmmaker Nina Menkes explores the sexual politics of cinematic shot design. Using clips from hundreds of movies we all know and love – from METROPOLIS to VERTIGO to PHANTOM THREAD – Menkes convincingly makes the argument that shot design is gendered. BRAINWASHED: SEX-CAMERA-POWER illuminates the patriarchal narrative codes that hide within supposedly “classic” set-ups and camera angles, and demonstrates how women are frequently displayed as objects for the use, support, and pleasure of male subjects. Building on the essential work of Laura Mulvey and other feminist writers, Menkes shows how these not-so-subtle embedded messages affect and intersect with the twin epidemics of sexual abuse and assault, as well as employment discrimination against women, especially in the film industry. The film features interviews with an all-star cast of women and non-binary industry professionals including Julie Dash, Penelope Spheeris, Charlyne Yi, Joey Soloway, Catherine Hardwicke, Eliza Hittman, and Rosanna Arquette. The result is an electrifying call-to-action that will fundamentally change the way you see, and watch, movies.
Barbarian Arrives on Digital October 25
20th Century Studios and New Regency present Barbarian, the scariest movie of the year. From writer/director Zach Cregger, and noted horror producer Roy Lee (The Ring, The Grudge, and It) comes a film both critics and audiences are raving about. The “exquisitely crafted scary story” (Simon Abrams, The Wrap) is Certified-Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes™ and fans can enjoy exclusive behind-the-scenes bonus features when the film arrives on all major digital platforms October 25.
Film Synopsis
Arriving in Detroit for a job interview, a young woman books a rental home. But when she arrives late at night, she discovers that the house is double booked and a strange man is already staying there. Against her better judgement, she decides to spend the evening, but soon discovers that there’s a lot more to fear than just an unexpected house guest. From 20th Century Studios and New Regency, Barbarian stars Georgina Campbell, Bill Skarsgård, and Justin Long. Written and directed by Zach Cregger.
Bonus Features*
Featurette
- Behind Barbarian -Director Zach Cregger and the cast and crew discuss both the unique and familiar horror elements that make Barbarian terrifying and reveal the inspiration behind the horrific tale.
Deleted Scenes
- Bonnie
- Doug Extended
- Tess Calls Marcus
- The Rat
*Bonus features vary by product and retailer
God Forbid: The Sex Scandal that Brought Down a Dynasty – Streaming on Hulu November 1st
In this revealing documentary, Giancarlo Granda, former pool attendant at the Fontainebleau Hotel, shares the intimate details of his 7-year relationship with a charming older woman, Becki Falwell, and her husband, the Evangelical Trump stalwart Jerry Falwell Jr. Directed by Billy Corben, GOD FORBID: THE SEX SCANDAL THAT BROUGHT DOWN A DYNASTY outlines Granda’s entanglement with the Falwell’s seemingly perfect lives and the overarching influence this affair had on a presidential election. GOD FORBID is executive produced by Corben and Alfred Spellman for Rakontur and Adam McKay and Todd Schulman of HyperObject.
HONK FOR JESUS. SAVE YOUR SOUL. Comes Home on Blu-ray & DVD 11/1
Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. is a satirical comedy starring Regina Hall as Trinitie Childs – the proud first lady of a Southern Baptist megachurch, who together with her husband Pastor Lee-Curtis Childs (Sterling K. Brown), once served a congregation in the tens of thousands. But after a scandal forces their church to temporarily close, Trinitie and Lee-Curtis must reopen their church and rebuild their congregation to make the biggest comeback that commodified religion has ever seen.
BLU-RAYTM, DVD & DIGITAL BONUS FEATURES
- Alternate Opening – Watch the never-before-seen alternate opening for a different take on the beginning of Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.
- Deleted/Extended/Alternate Scenes – Watch unreleased scenes from the laugh-out-loud comedy.
- Showtime
- Skate Rink
- Childs in the Attic
- Trinitie in the Bath
- Highway Pedestrian Guy
- Trinitie Bringing Food
- Trinitie Praying Over Lee-Curtis in Bed
- Trinitie Sees Sidewalk Woman Again
- Anita Speaks
- Gag Reel – A highlight reel of bloopers and outtakes featuring main cast.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Character Posters – In Theater November 11th
Check out new character posters and a featurette marking the one-month countdown until Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” debuts in theaters nationwide. Posters are now available for all key characters, featuring Letitia Wright (Shuri), Lupita Nyong’o (Nakia), Danai Gurira (Okoye), Winston Duke (M’Baku), Florence Kasumba (Ayo), Dominique Thorne (Riri Williams), Michaela Coel (Aneka), Mabel Cadena (Namora), Alex Livinalli (Attuma), Tenoch Huerta (Namor), Martin Freeman (Everett Ross) and Angela Bassett (Queen Ramonda).
In the film, Queen Ramonda, Shuri, M’Baku, Okoye and the Dora Milaje fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. When Namor, king of a hidden undersea nation, alerts them to a global threat and his disturbing plan to thwart it, the Wakandans band together with the help of War Dog Nakia and Everett Ross and forge a new path for the kingdom of Wakanda. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” directed by Ryan Coogler and produced by Kevin Feige and Nate Moore, opens in theaters November 11, 2022. Tickets are on sale now wherever tickets are sold. Fans, communities and organizations can arrange group bookings and theater buy-outs by visiting WakandaForeverTickets.com.
“Spirited” Teaser Trailer – in theaters on November 11 and globally on Apple TV+ on November 18, 2022
Apple Original Films unveiled the teaser trailer for the highly anticipated holiday musical comedy, “Spirited,” starring Will Ferrell, Ryan Reynolds and Octavia Spencer.
Each Christmas Eve, the Ghost of Christmas Present (Will Ferrell) selects one dark soul to be reformed by a visit from three spirits. But this season, he picked the wrong Scrooge. Clint Briggs (Ryan Reynolds) turns the tables on his ghostly host until Present finds himself reexamining his own past, present and future. For the first time, ‘A Christmas Carol’ is told from the perspective of the ghosts in this hilarious musical twist on the classic Dickens tale.
From director Sean Anders (“Daddy’s Home,” “Instant Family”), written by Sean Anders and John Morris, with original songs by Oscarwinners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (“La La Land”) and production numbers choreographed by Chloe Arnold (“The Late Late Show with James Corden”), this modern retelling is a sweet and spicy holiday treat.
LOUDMOUTH – In Theaters Dec. 9
Since bursting into the headlines in New York City in the late 1980s, preacher and activist Reverend Al Sharpton has been at the center of the national conversation around race. In the aftermath of George Floyd’s horrific murder in 2020, the veteran civil rights leader has further expanded the reach of his powerful bullhorn against America’s deafening complacency in the fight against racial injustice — amplifying the ugly truths about the ongoing impact of structural racism on this nation many would prefer to ignore. Rabble-rouser or activist? Opportunist or trailblazer? With never-before-seen archival footage and unprecedented access, Loudmouth puts a disruptive spotlight on the pastoral prodigy turned political firebrand turned media establishment figure.
AND JUST LIKE THAT… THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON -COMING TO DVD ON DECEMBER 13, 2022
Get set for the highly-anticipated return of Carrie Bradshaw and her stylish, best girlfriends as Warner Bros. Home Entertainment releases the first season of And Just Like That…, the new chapter of the groundbreaking HBO series Sex and the City on DVD December 13, 2022. And Just Like That… The Complete First Season will include all 10 episodes of the show’s first season and is priced to own at $24.98 SRP. The series, which has been renewed for a second season, is also available to own on Digital via purchase from all major digital retailers and is streaming on HBO Max.
From executive producer Michael Patrick King, And Just Like That…, brings the iconic characters of Sex and the City back for exciting all-new series, which finds Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) navigating the journey from the complicated reality of life and friendship in their 30s to the even more complicated reality of life and friendship in their 50s.
And Just Like That… also stars Sara Ramírez, Sarita Choudhury, Nicole Ari Parker, Karen Pittman, Mario Cantone, David Eigenberg, Willie Garson and Evan Handler.
The series is executive produced by Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Julie Rottenberg, Elisa Zuritsky, John Melfi and Michael Patrick King. Writers included King, Samantha Irby, Rachna Fruchbom, Keli Goff, Julie Rottenberg and Elisa Zuritsky. The HBO series Sex and the City was created by Darren Star and based on the book Sex and the City by Candace Bushnell.
10 Episodes
- Hello It’s Me
- Little Black Dress
- When in Rome…
- Some of My Best Friends
- Tragically Hip
- Diwali
- Sex and the Widow
- Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered
- No Strings Attached
- Seeing the Light
Digital
And Just Like That… The Complete First Season is available to own on Digital. Digital purchase allows consumers to instantly stream and download to watch anywhere and anytime on their favorite devices. Digital movies and TV shows are available from various digital retailers including Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu and others.
WOMEN TALKING – Only in Theaters this December
In Women Talking, a group of women, many of whom disagree on essential things, have a conversation to figure out how they might move forward together to build a better world for themselves and their children.
Though the backstory behind the events in Women Talking is violent, the film is not. We never see the violence that the women have experienced. We see only short glimpses of the aftermath. Instead, we watch a community of women come together as they must decide, in a very short space of time, what their collective response will be.
When I read Miriam Toews’ book, it sunk deep into me, raising questions and thoughts about the world I live in that I had never articulated. Questions about forgiveness, faith, systems of power, trauma, healing, culpability, community, and self-determination. It also left me bewilderingly hopeful.
I imagined this film in the realm of a fable. While the story in the film is specific to a small religious community, I felt that it needed a large canvas, an epic scope through which to reflect the enormity and universality of the questions raised in the film. To this end, it felt imperative that the visual language of the film breathe and expand. I wanted to feel in every frame the endless potential and possibility contained in a conversation about how to remake a broken world.
M3GAN – is in theaters January 13
She’s more than just a toy. She’s part of the family.
From the most prolific minds in horror—James Wan, the filmmaker behind the Saw, Insidious and The Conjuring franchises, and Blumhouse, the producer of the Halloween films, The Black Phone and The Invisible Man—comes a fresh new face in terror.
M3GAN is a marvel of artificial intelligence, a life-like doll programmed to be a child’s greatest companion and a parent’s greatest ally. Designed by brilliant toy-company roboticist Gemma (Get Out’s Allison Williams), M3GAN can listen and watch and learn as she becomes friend and teacher, playmate and protector, for the child she is bonded to.
When Gemma suddenly becomes the caretaker of her orphaned 8-year-old niece, Cady (Violet McGraw, The Haunting of Hill House), Gemma’s unsure and unprepared to be a parent. Under intense pressure at work, Gemma decides to pair her M3GAN prototype with Cady in an attempt to resolve both problems—a decision that will have unimaginable consequences.
Produced by Jason Blum and James Wan, M3GAN is directed by award-winning filmmaker Gerard Johnstone (Housebound), from a screenplay by Akela Cooper (Malignant, The Nun 2) based on a story by Akela Cooper and James Wan.
The film also stars Ronny Chieng (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), Brian Jordan Alvarez (Will & Grace), Jen Van Epps (Cowboy Bebop), Lori Dungey (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, extended edition) and Stephane Garneau-Monten (Straight Forward).
Universal Pictures and Blumhouse present an Atomic Monster production in association with Divide/Conquer. The film’s executive producers are Allison Williams, Mark Katchur, Ryan Turek, Michael Clear, Judson Scott, Adam Hendricks and Greg Gilreath.
THE LITTLE MERMAID- Teaser Art – May 26, 2023
The first poster for Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” the live-action reimagining of the studio’s Oscar®-winning animated musical classic, is here! “The Little Mermaid,” helmed by visionary filmmaker Rob Marshall, opens exclusively in theaters nationwide May 26, 2023.
The beloved story of Ariel, a beautiful and spirited young mermaid with a thirst for adventure, “The Little Mermaid” stars singer and actress Halle Bailey (“grown-ish”) as Ariel; Tony Award® winner Daveed Diggs (“Hamilton,” “Snowpiercer”) as the voice of Sebastian; Jacob Tremblay (“Luca,” “Room”) as the voice of Flounder; Awkwafina (“Raya and the Last Dragon”) as the voice of Scuttle; Jonah Hauer-King (“A Dog’s Way Home”) as Prince Eric; Art Malik (“Homeland”) as Sir Grimsby; Noma Dumezweni (“Mary Poppins Returns”) as Queen Selina; with Oscar® winner Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men,” “Being the Ricardos”) as King Triton; and two-time Academy Award® nominee Melissa McCarthy (“Can You Ever Forgive Me?” “Bridesmaids”) as Ursula. The youngest of King Triton’s daughters, and the most defiant, Ariel longs to find out more about the world beyond the sea, and while visiting the surface, falls for the dashing Prince Eric. While mermaids are forbidden to interact with humans, Ariel must follow her heart. She makes a deal with the evil sea witch, Ursula, which gives her a chance to experience life on land, but ultimately places her life – and her father’s crown – in jeopardy.
“The Little Mermaid” is directed by Oscar® nominee Rob Marshall (“Chicago,” “Mary Poppins Returns”), and written by two-time Oscar nominee David Magee (“Life of Pi,” “Finding Neverland”), with a live-action story adaptation by David Magee, Rob Marshall, and two-time Emmy winner John DeLuca (“Tony Bennett: An American Classic”), based on the short story by Hans Christian Andersen, and the Disney animated film by Ron Clements and John Musker. The film is produced by two-time Emmy® winner Marc Platt (“Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert,” “Grease Live!”), three-time Tony Award® winner Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Hamilton,” “In the Heights”), Rob Marshall, and John DeLuca, with Jeffrey Silver (“The Lion King”) serving as executive producer. The score is by multiple Academy Award® winner Alan Menken (“Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin”), who won two Oscars® for the music in the animated version of “The Little Mermaid,” with music supervised and produced by Mike Higham (“Mary Poppins Returns,” “Into the Woods”). Music is by Alan Menken; lyrics are by Howard Ashman and new lyrics are by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Production Set to Begin on “A Haunting in Venice” – In Theaters 2023
Production on 20th Century Studios’ “A Haunting in Venice,” an unsettling supernatural-thriller inspired by Agatha Christie’s novel Hallowe’en Party, is set to begin next month. The film, which is directed by Oscar® winner Kenneth Branagh (“Belfast”) and features a screenplay by Oscar nominee Michael Green (“Logan”), will shoot at Pinewood Studios outside London and on location in Venice. A brilliant acting ensemble portraying a cast of unforgettable characters will be featured, including Kenneth Branagh, Kyle Allen (“Rosaline”), Camille Cottin (“Call My Agent”), Jamie Dornan (“Belfast”), Tina Fey (“30 Rock”), Jude Hill (“Belfast”), Ali Khan (“6 Underground”), Emma Laird (“Mayor of Kingstown”), Kelly Reilly (“Yellowstone”), Riccardo Scamarico (“Caravaggio’s Shadow”), and Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”). “A Haunting in Venice” will open in theaters nationwide in 2023.
Set in eerie, post-World War II Venice on All Hallows’ Eve, “A Haunting in Venice” is a terrifying mystery featuring the return of the celebrated sleuth, Hercule Poirot. Now retired and living in self-imposed exile in the world’s most glamorous city, Poirot reluctantly attends a séance at a decaying, haunted palazzo. When one of the guests is murdered, the detective is thrust into a sinister world of shadows and secrets.
Kenneth Branagh says, “This is a fantastic development of the character Hercule Poirot, as well as the Agatha Christie franchise. Based on a complex, little known tale of mystery set at Halloween in a pictorially ravishing city, it is an amazing opportunity for us, as filmmakers, and we are relishing the chance to deliver something truly spine-chilling for our loyal movie audiences.”
Steve Asbell, president 20th Century Studios, says, “We are enormously privileged to continue our long collaboration with the incomparable Sir Kenneth Branagh and couldn’t be more excited by the bold new creative direction Ken, Michael, and the rest of the filmmaking team have taken with this latest film. We also remain grateful to James Prichard and the rest of our friends at Agatha Christie, Ltd., for their partnership and for once again entrusting us with, as Poirot modestly calls himself, ‘probably the greatest detective in the world.’”
“A Haunting in Venice,” the studios’ third film based on a novel by Christie, reunites the team of filmmakers behind 2017’s “Murder on the Orient Express” and 2022’s “Death on the Nile” and includes screenwriter Michael Green, producer Judy Hofflund, and executive producers Louise Killin and James Prichard, along with filmmakers Ridley Scott, Simon Kinberg, and Mark Gordon.
