4K is about to get a lot darker – no, not literally, don’t worry about that. Arrow Video has announced their November slate of 4K releases and a number of worthwhile entries that fit the horror and thriller bill, including Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, 2007’s The Invasion and Sam Raimi’s A Simple Plan.

Each of these entries – in addition to 1986’s At Close Range and manga adaptation Tomie – are getting upgrades this fall courtesy of Arrow, who has made a name for themselves as one of the premiere outlets for such presentations. Let’s take a look at some specs:

These Arrow 4K releases of Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, The Invasion and A Simple Plan will all have Dolby Vision/HDR presentations, bringing the movies into your homes like they never have been before. And each is undoubtedly worth a rediscovery. The Elvira character has always had a following but The Invasion got walloped upon release, failing to match the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers and the 1978 remake. Even still, it’s actually not all that bad of a movie, so it’s cool to see Arrow giving it some recognition. A Simple Plan, on the other hand, remains an “if you know, you know” film, a genuine masterpiece that we included in our “The Best Movie You Never Saw” series. So if you’re taking our advice, you might want to make it one of the best movies you’ve seen.

Expectedly, all of these 4Ks from Arrow are stocked with special features. Sure, you’re looking at some rehashed material, but what’s there is choice. Notably, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark has a three audio commentaries as well as a feature-length making-of documentary, while The Invasion serves up a number of behind-the-scenes docs and a brand new audio commentary by the hosts of The Faculty of Horror podcast (presumably giving a full reassessment of the movie). A Simple Plan has by far the most new content, with two new commentaries and a handful of interview-forward pieces with various cast and crew. By no means is that a complete list of special features, so if you’re interested in any of the movies, be sure to check out the full list.

Elvira: Mistress of the Dark and The Invasion both come out on November 12th while A Simple Plan hits shelves on November 19th.

Will you be picking up any of these Arrow Video 4K releases?

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The Instigators premiered on Apple TV+ last month, and while the streaming service hasn’t confirmed any specific numbers, it apparently did well enough that a sequel is a possibility. The heist comedy, directed by Doug Liman, stars Matt Damon and Casey Affleck as reluctant partners who are tasked with robbing a corrupt politician of his ill-gained earnings. For his part, Damon is down to return for another installment.

“That would be incredible if it happened,” Damon told Deadline when asked about a sequel. “Look, it was the greatest most fun group of people. Working with Casey and with Doug again after all those years, and Apple was just amazing the whole way. Casey and I were just talking about how great that whole rollout was, the way they handled the movie. They said that it was number one on all of the streaming, including the TV shows. So that’s wonderful; it just means that people are liking it as much as we liked making it. So yeah, that would be wonderful if that came to pass.“

Apple hasn’t dipped its toe into the realm of sequels too much, but a follow-up to The Instigators would not be the first for the streaming service. They’ve been planning a sequel to Tom Hanks’ WWII movie Greyhound, and it was recently revealed that a sequel to Wolfs was also in the works with George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and writer/director Jon Watts set to return.

The official synopsis for The Instigators: “Rory (Matt Damon) and Cobby (Casey Affleck) are reluctant partners: a desperate father and an ex-con thrown together to pull off a robbery of the ill-gained earnings of a corrupt politician. But when the heist goes wrong, the two find themselves engulfed in a whirlwind of chaos, pursued not only by police, but also backwards bureaucrats and vengeful crime bosses. Completely out of their depth, they convince Rory’s therapist (Hong Chau) to join their riotous getaway through the city, where they must put aside their differences and work together to evade capture—or worse.“

Reviews for the film were mixed, with our own Alex Maidy saying that while it wasn’t a bad movie, it was “not nearly as good as it should have been.” Still, he has plenty of praise for Damon and Affleck, but found that most of the supporting actors (who are quite good in their roles) never feel integral to the plot “other than to prop up the flimsy narrative.” You can check out the rest of Maidy’s review right here.

I haven’t seen the film myself, so I’ll leave it to those of you who have: Should The Instigators get a sequel?

The post The Instigators: Matt Damon is down for a sequel to the Apple TV+ heist comedy appeared first on JoBlo.

We’ve been waiting a long time for the Beetlejuice sequel, and it looks as though Warner Bros. will be rewarded at the box office. Recent reports state that the film could enjoy a worldwide opening as high as $145 million. That’s a hell of a lot of green for the ghost with the most.

Even if Beetlejuice Beetlejuice doesn’t quite reach that number, its opening box office haul will still be quite significant. Presales for the sequel are said to be ahead of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which wound up with a 3-day gross of $118.4 million. Warner Bros. is estimating a domestic opening of somewhere around $80 million. For comparison, the original Beetlejuice finished its run with $73 million, unadjusted for inflation.

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The first reactions to the long-awaited sequel have been very positive. Our own Eric Walkuski was a big fan. “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is an enjoyable, fast-paced bit of lunacy from Tim Burton that should please the many who’ve waited decades for its arrival. It certainly leans into nostalgia throughout, but it also manages to have some bizarre new tricks up its sleeve; it’s not just another retread playing the Greatest Hits from the original,” Walkuski said. “The returning characters are a sight for sore eyes, with Keaton and Ryder not missing a beat reprising their iconic roles, though it’s Catherine O’Hara who absolutely steals the show as the ever-frenetic Delia. There might be one subplot too many (the film juggles about three or four of them), but overall it’s a welcome return to zany form for Burton.“

Here’s the official synopsis for Beetlejuice Beetljuice: “Beetlejuice is back! After an unexpected family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still haunted by Beetlejuice, Lydia’s life is turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid, discovers the mysterious model of the town in the attic and the portal to the Afterlife is accidentally opened. With trouble brewing in both realms, it’s only a matter of time until someone says Beetlejuice’s name three times and the mischievous demon returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem.” The film will be released in U.S. theaters on September 6th.

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Now that Daniel Craig has hung up his Walther PPK, we’re on the cusp of yet another actor being tapped to play James Bond. Some believe that the time has come for a woman to play the role, but Jenna Ortega isn’t a fan of that idea, saying Hollywood should develop more original female badasses.

“I love that there’s a lot more female leads nowadays,” the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice star told MTV. “I think that’s so special, but we should have our own. I don’t like it when it’s like a spinoff — I don’t want to see like ‘Jamie Bond.’ You know? I want to see another badass.“

While there are plenty who would support the idea of a female James Bond, there are just as many who think the character should remain a man. Ana de Armas, who played CIA agent Paloma in No Time to Die, also believes that Bond shouldn’t be a woman. “There’s no need for a female Bond,” she said in 2022. “There shouldn’t be any need to steal someone else’s character, you know, to take over.” However, the actress did say that female characters in future James Bond movies could be more substantial. “What I would like is that the female roles in the Bond films, even though Bond will continue to be a man, are brought to life in a different way,” she said. “That they’re given a more substantial part and recognition. That’s what I think is more interesting than flipping things.“

Franchise producer Barbara Broccoli has previously stated that she doesn’t believe James Bond should be played by a woman either. “I think it will be a man because I don’t think a woman should play James Bond,” Broccoli said. “I believe in making characters for women and not just having women play men’s roles. I don’t think there are enough great roles for women, and it’s very important to me that we make movies for women about women. He should be British, so British can be any [ethnicity or race].”

Jenna Ortega will next be seen in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, which will be released overseas on September 4th, followed by a U.S. release on September 6th.

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Over the last few years, we’ve seen the rise of trigger warnings in all manner of media, from TV shows to movies and even plays. While speaking with The Times of London, Matt Smith gave his two cents on trigger warnings. The House of the Dragon actor worries about “everything being dialed and dumbed down” when audiences are given a warning on what and how to feel.

“We should be telling morally difficult stories, nowadays in particular,” Smith said. “It’s OK to feel uncomfortable or provoked while looking at a painting or watching a play, but I worry everything’s being dialed and dumbed down. We’re telling audiences they’re going to be scared before they’ve watched something.“

Smith continued, “Isn’t being shocked, surprised, stirred the point? Too much policing of stories and being afraid to bring them out because a climate is a certain way is a shame. I’m not sure I’m on board with trigger warnings. I used to go to a local video shop and get Slither, Basic Instinct, Disclosure — all these erotic thrillers. I was way too young to be watching them. I watched Friday the 13th when I was nine. Actually, that scarred me. Absolutely ruined me.“

I can totally understand that some people appreciate (and even require) these types of trigger warnings so they know what they’re getting into. However, I feel like there must be a better way to go about it than spoiling major plot points, which some of these warnings have done.

Many studios have also been including content warnings in their films. Earlier this year, the British Film Institute slapped a warning on a retrospective on James Bond composer John Barry. “Please note that many of these films contain language, images, or other content that reflects views prevalent in its time, but will cause offense today (as they did then),” reads the warning. “The titles are included here for historical, cultural, or aesthetic reasons, and these views are in no way endorsed by the BFI or its partners.” AMC also inserted a warning into Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas, which read, “This film includes language and/or cultural stereotypes that are inconsistent with today’s standards of inclusion and tolerance and may offend some viewers.” In these instances, I would love to believe most audiences are aware that films produced decades ago don’t always have the same values we have today. Times have changed. We know this. We can watch and enjoy an older film without trying to judge it through a modern lens. So often, these types of studio warnings feel like they’re trying to cover their asses in case that one person out of a million complains.

What are your thoughts on trigger warnings? Do they have their place, or do they go too far?

The post Matt Smith isn’t a fan of trigger warnings: “I worry everything’s being dialed and dumbed down” appeared first on JoBlo.

Let’s say, hypothetically, that you killed your husband on a cruise from the UK to New York. How would you get away with it and walk off a free woman when the boat arrives at port? That delightfully thrilling premise is only the start of 2021’s Overboard! It’s a murder mystery game that gives you the rare chance to…

Read more…

Let’s say, hypothetically, that you killed your husband on a cruise from the UK to New York. How would you get away with it and walk off a free woman when the boat arrives at port? That delightfully thrilling premise is only the start of 2021’s Overboard! It’s a murder mystery game that gives you the rare chance to…

Read more…

If you hadn’t heard the big news of the day, Sony and developer Firewalk Studios are shutting down Concord, the not-Guardians of the Galaxy hero shooter that has been flopping hard since its launch on August 23. The studio seems to be planning some kind of comeback, as the announcement says the shutdown on September 6…

Read more…

If you hadn’t heard the big news of the day, Sony and developer Firewalk Studios are shutting down Concord, the not-Guardians of the Galaxy hero shooter that has been flopping hard since its launch on August 23. The studio seems to be planning some kind of comeback, as the announcement says the shutdown on September 6…

Read more…

Disney, you might want to strike while the iron’s hot because one of Hollywood’s most in-demand actors, Anya Taylor-Joy, wants to let it all go in a live-action adaptation of Frozen. Admittedly, Taylor-Joy has a specific reason for wanting the role beyond acquiring the power to wield ice magic and bring chatty snowmen to life. It’s all about the kids. Elsa is a hero in the eyes of young women, and Taylor-Joy wants to represent that special twinkle in the eyes of many.

“It would be very fun to shoot ice out of your hand,” Taylor-Joy told Vogue Hong Kong. “Also, you’d just be the favorite at every kid’s birthday party. All of my siblings have children now, so I would love for them to be able to say ‘my auntie is Elsa.’ That would be pretty sick.”

In addition to starring in a live-action version of one of Disney’s most powerful films in decades, Taylor-Joy is keen to lead a musical, especially one as iconic as Frozen. “I would love to do a musical because I’m a bit addicted to hard work. I like having an impossible mountain to climb. The idea of having to be able to sing, dance, and act at the same time would just really thrill me.”

Taylor-Joy already has a leg up on the hypothetical competition because of her ballet history. She’s trained as a ballet dancer since childhood and would jump at the chance to apply those skills to the silver screen. “My background as a dancer has helped me with everything in my life,” she said. “It’s not only the discipline that it instills in you. I danced ballet from ages 3 to 15, and it doesn’t matter if you go to a party; you’re up at five o’clock in the morning to get to that six o’clock dance lesson. I see acting as a rhythm thing; I almost hear it as music, and that helps so much with stunt choreography because you’re in a dance with every other performer around you, so you don’t only know your own beats, you know everybody else’s beats in order to keep everyone safe.”

Anya Taylor-Joy is an actor who loves to get her hands dirty for whatever project she joins. When she signed on for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, she trained for the chance to perform her own stunts. “I relished the opportunity to be able to do as many stunts as I did, because there’s a very specific perfectionism that comes with stunts,” Taylor-Joy told Vogue. Imagine her putting that level of care and dedication into the singing and dancing required to play Elsa in a live-action adaptation of Frozen. Can we get this movie made already, or what, Disney? Let’s go!

Would Anya Taylor-Joy be a great choice to play Elsa in a live-action Frozen film? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

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