Baltimore Screening Pass-palooza: Keanu!

keanuOkay, who doesn’t want a copy of this poster?  It’s adorable!  And with Key and Peele in charge (including Key and Peele director Peter Atencio), this film should be a hoot.  So, synopsis!

Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, a.k.a. the hugely popular comedy duo Key & Peele, star as Clarence and Rell, two cousins who live in the city but are far from streetwise.  When Rell’s beloved kitten, Keanu, is catnapped, the hopelessly straight-laced pair must impersonate ruthless killers in order to infiltrate a street gang and retrieve the purloined feline.  But the incredibly adorable kitten becomes so coveted that the fight over his custody creates a gang war, forcing our two unwitting heroes to take the law into their own hands.

I’m afraid I might spend the whole movie cooing over the adorable kitten…but I’m willing to take that chance.  Are you?  Well then… Continue reading

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TrailerWatch: “The Girl on the Train” mystifies

Girl on the train onesheetAnother mystery novel hitting the big screen, and this one looks very twisty.  I mean that in a good way.  Synopsis!

Each day, Rachel Watson (Emily Blunt) takes the train to work in London, heading past the town of Witney. The train passes her old house where her ex-husband, Tom (Justin Theroux), and his new wife, Anna (Rebecca Ferguson), live. She can also see the home of another married couple a few houses down. Rachel becomes endeared to this couple, whom Rachel nicknames ‘Jess and Jason’ (Haley Bennett and Luke Evans). They appear to have the perfect life, and Rachel is both envious and happy for them. One day while passing their house, Rachel witnesses something that changes everything she thought about the couple. Then Jess goes missing, and Rachel wonders if she is somehow connected to her disappearance.

Hmm…  All I can say is Emily Blunt is amazing in this trailer, and I’m always up for seeing Rebecca Ferguson, Laura Prepon, Allison Janney and Luke Evans on the big screen. Listen closely as you watch this trailer, and you’ll hear Kanye West doing an eerie cover of his “Heartless”. Ooh, spoopy!

The Girl on the Train comes into the station on October 7th, 2016.

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TrailerWatch: “The Magnificent Seven” saddles up!

The Magnificent Seven banner“I seek righteousness.  But I’ll take revenge.”

I’ve always been a fan of 1960’s The Magnificent Seven.  Then again, I’m a huge fan of Akira Kurosawa’s The Seven Samurai, the film Mag7 is based on.  So when I heard that Antoine Fuqua (Olympus Has Fallen, The Equalizer) was helming a remake?  Oh yeah baby.  And this first-look trailer doesn’t disappoint.  Synopsis!

Director Antoine Fuqua brings his modern vision to a classic story in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures’ and Columbia Pictures’ The Magnificent Seven.  With the town of Rose Creek under the deadly control of industrialist Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard), the desperate townspeople employ protection from seven outlaws, bounty hunters, gamblers and hired guns – Sam Chisolm (Denzel Washington), Josh Farraday (Chris Pratt), Goodnight Robicheaux (Ethan Hawke), Jack Horne (Vincent D’Onofrio), Billy Rocks (Byung-Hun Lee), Vasquez (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), and Red Harvest (Martin Sensmeier).  As they prepare the town for the violent showdown that they know is coming, these seven mercenaries find themselves fighting for more than money.

I’m loving the multicultural vibe of this film; it’s a representation of what the Wild West was made up of, so it feels natural.

Check out the trailer…The Magnificent Seven straps on their holsters September 23rd, 2016.

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Pony News: this year’s BronyPalooza lineup announced!

BronyCon_2016-BronyPalooza-Announcement-Press_ReleaseReady to shake a tail and get your hoof-stompin’ on?  Well, BronyCon has just released it’s list of musicians playing at BronyPalooza, and it’s a doozy! Tons of folks with mad skills, it should be amazing.  Best part?  THIS.

To celebrate BronyCon’s five-year anniversary, many of the musicians performing are writing exclusive tracks for this year’s BronyPalooza. Their songs can be found on BronyCon’s SoundCloud page, which will be updated with new tracks periodically between now and the start of the convention.

Exclusive tracks for BronyPalooza.  Niiiiice!  Read on for the full details — and see you at BronyCon!
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Baltimore Screening Pass-palooza- Captain America: Civil War!

Captain America Civil War first onesheetTime to pick a side, y’all.  Whether it’s it’s peanut butter v jelly, sunrise v sunset, cookie v cream, we all must choose.  (Except for cookies; the answer’s both, naturally.)

With Captain America: Civil War, it’s about what our gang of Avengers believe is right.  Synopsis!

Marvel’s “Captain America: Civil War” finds Steve Rogers leading the newly formed team of Avengers in their continued efforts to safeguard humanity. But after another incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability, headed by a governing body to oversee and direct the team. The new status quo fractures the Avengers, resulting in two camps—one led by Steve Rogers and his desire for the Avengers to remain free to defend humanity without government interference, and the other following Tony Stark’s surprising decision to support government oversight and accountability.

This time, the Pass-palooza is hard copy.  Which means it’s contest time!  And it also means that there’s only a handful, because Marvel is not overbooking this screening.  EVERY PASSHOLDER GETS A SEAT.  So, ready?  Here we go… Continue reading

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Elsewhere Review: Everybody Wants Some!!

As always, clicky the title below for the original piece!

Movie Review: Everybody Wants Some!!

everybody wants some onesheet“I know what we’re doing here.  We’re playing baseball.  What are all these other people doing here?”

Liked Dazed and Confused, with it’s ensemble cast and “day in the life of” vibe?  Well then, Everybody Wants Some!! will be more of the same, straight from D&C‘s Richard Linklater.  Everybody is a cool-ass trip for those of us who grew up in the 80s, but could scare a lot of kids who don’t really wanna know what their parents were up to when they were young.

Everybody starts off at fictional Southern Texas University in August, 1980, with baseball-scholarship frosh Jake getting to his digs for the year.  The baseball team has been given two houses just off campus, to help with the overcrowding at the dorms.  Jake meets his teammates, bon-vivant Finn (Glen Powell, Scream Queens), stoner Willoughby (Wyatt Russell), laid-back Dale (J. Quinton Johnson), badass Mac (Tyler Hoechlin, Teen Wolf) and many more.   He’s one of four freshmen added to the roster that year, so in the days before school officially starts, he’s got to navigate the new world of college as well as the bro-culture bonding of his House.  Not to mention finding the time to figure out who that cute girl is he saw when he first arrived. (That’d be Beverly, played by Ringer‘s Zoey Deutch…) No problem.  Bring on the keg stands! Continue reading

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“The Jungle Book” breathes new life into an animated classic

JUNGLE BOOK one sheet

Nutshell: astounding CGI, motion capture and first-class voice acting breathes new life into this live-action remake of Disney’s animated classic.  Much darker than the original, The Jungle Book is nonetheless entertaining, blending touching moments with action that will keep kids of all ages on the edge of their seats.  Young actor Neel Sethi is wonderfully human as Mowgli, the “man cub” of the forest. Grade: A

First off, let me just say that I’ve never seen all of the original Jungle Book.  I’ve seen bits and pieces, from the boa constrictor Kaa’s hypnotizing “Trust In Me” and King Louie’s “I Wan’na Be Like You” to Shere Khan’s bumbling animosity.  The 1967 film was definitely one for the kiddies, and that’s fine; it’s a much beloved classic.  I have, however, read several of Kipling’s Mowgli stories, and loved their blend of dark and light.  While fans of the original film will see echoes of their childhood favorites here, director Jon Favreau adds in a touch of the darkness that makes the Kipling tales so compelling.  And by doing so, brings a beloved tale into the 21st century.

In The Jungle Book, “man cub” Mowgli (Neel Sethi) is a child literally raised by wolves.  (I pity the grown adult who asks him that question if Mowgli is ever off his etiquette… “Why yes.  Yes I was.”)  His wolf-mother, Raksha (played by a wonderfully emotive Lupita Nyong’o) adores him, as do his wolf-brothers and wolf-father Akela (Giancarlo Esposito).  But Mowgli isn’t advancing like his wolf-brothers; Mowgli must resort to “tricks” like the use of tools or climbing trees in order to keep up.  Soon the pack must decide what to do with their beloved man-cub, but that choice is taken out of their hands when tiger Shere Khan ( Idris Elba) discovers Mowgli at a watering hole during a dry season “Water Truce”.  Shere Khan was maimed by a human man, and now feels that any other human must pay the price.  Panther/BFF Bagheera (Ben Kingsley) tries to take Mowgli to the Man Village, but is ambushed by Shere Khan along the way…leaving Mowgli to meet Kaa the snake (Scarlett Johansson), Baloo the bear (a perfectly cast – and dare I say spunky? – Bill Murray), and many other animals in the deeper parts of the jungle.  Meanwhile, Shere Khan waits for Mowgli’s return, and Raksha fears for both her pack and her man-cub.

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TrailerWatch: “Doctor Strange” brings strange days indeed

dotor strange teaser onesheetHello Marvel fans!  Ready for the newest entry into the MCU, Doctor Strange?  Well, Jimmy Kimmel dropped the brand-new teaser trailer last night when Benedict Cumberbatch visited.  And this is one groovy trailer. From the car crash that put a whammy on Strange’s career as a neurosurgeon (smashed hands means no more detailed surgery) to a possible peek at Strange’s home, the Sanctum Sanctorum, by way of Inception.  Sweet!

We see Doctor Strange doing his astral projection bit, albeit thanks to an assist from Tilda Swinton’s The Ancient One.  Guessing this is the intro, origin story part of the tale.  Then there’s the (most probable) Big Bad of the film, Dormammu!  Mads Mikkelsen looks amazing in the part, and his intro in the trailer is 100% cool.

Gotta say I was always a fan of the “weird” superheroes.  Aquaman, The Sub-Mariner, Doctor Strange, Swamp Thing, Constantine…so I’m loving that Marvel and DC are bringing many of ’em to TV and film.  Cumberbatch looks perfect in the role, and his 1%-er American accent is on point.  Peep the trailer — Doctor Strange projects into theaters November 4th, 2016.  And I couldn’t wish for a better birthday-month present.

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BronyCon announces the return of Tabitha St. Germain!

BronyCon 2016 Tabitha St GermainYOUGUYSYOUGUYSYOUGUYS!  Rarity in the house!  Well, to be more specific, it’s voice actress Tabitha St. Germain (the voice of our favorite fashion pony), and she’s coming back to BronyCon!

Ms. St. Germain also voices Derpy, Princess Luna/Nightmare Moon, Photo Finish, and more.  So it’s bound to be a whole lot of fun when her panel (panels, she asked hopefully?) makes the scene.

Read on for the full press release, and see you at BronyCon!

 

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Baltimore Comic-Con announces it’s first 100 guests! You heard me, the FIRST 100…

BaltimoreComicCon_logo_nodateHoo boy y’all.  BCC is coming out swinging this year, dropping 100 guests on our laps like it ain’t no thing.  And these first hundred folks look groovy.  Here’s just a few I’m psyched for:

Christy Blanch
Reilly Brown
Harold Buchholz
Frank Cho
Amy Chu
Steve Englehart
David and Meredith Finch
Chris Flick
Francesco Francavilla
Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez
Barry Kitson
Greg Pak
Yannick Paquette
David Petersen
Stephane Roux
Louise Simonson
Ben Templesmith
Frank Tieri
Vivek J. Tiwary
Mark Waid
Mark Wheatley
Thom Zahler…

And that’s just from a quick looksee.  Basically I’m stoked, is what I’m saying.  Read on for the full list of folks, and be sure to keep an eye on AFan for updates! Continue reading

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