Not many filmmakers can remake a 102-year-old film and still provide a fresh, interesting take. Yet, to nobody’s surprise, Robert Eggers does so with 2024’s Nosferatu. The film is already faring well at the box office, as well as critically (you can check out Bumbray’s glowing review HERE) yet this movie has been shrouded in mystery. So, just like with Alien: Romulus, I’m taking a spoilery look at why this worked so well. Because sure, casting actors like Willem Dafoe, Emma Corrin, and Nicholas Hoult will certainly help any movie out. But there’s one person that absolutely walks away with this film: Lily-Rose Depp.

Yeah, I’m sure you thought I was going to say Bill Skarsgård and his rendition of Nosferatu and we’ll surely get into that later but it’s Depp’s performance that anchors the film. She is truly spectacular and works as the heart and soul. I, like many, was trepidatious when Anya Taylor Joy dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. Her prior collaboration with Eggars, The Witch, was incredible and it would have been great to see them reteam. Then it was announced that Lily-Rose Depp would step into the role instead. Cries of “nepo baby” were heard across the internet. But hey, In Eggers We Trust.

Depp’s Ellen is vulnerable while having such strength to her. She’s in control of her emotions at all times (how very different from Ellen herself) and is able to turn on the waterworks in an instant. But it’s all the small moments that spotlight her performance. The shivering of her lips, the vacant stare as she’s in Nosferatu’s trance, whatever it is, she makes you feel the moment fully. It’s easy to see why Hoult’s Thomas Hutter went to such lengths for her. This is really a love story after all. One side just happens to be an evil monster, intent on murdering everyone in sight if he doesn’t get what he wants.

Bill Skarsgard is able to deliver yet another villainous performance that completely stands on its own as Count Orlok. There aren’t even hints of his Pennywise here, as he lowers his voice a whole octave and has a heavy accent. While you can certainly see more of Bill’s visage through the makeup than his days in Derry, it’s all unsettling. The mustache makes him properly creepy (which Eggers did for historical accuracy) and helps this version not blend in with the rest. Even still, you can still see that classic Orlok design in the skull. But I’m not sure if anyone expected this to be as horny as it is.

You read that right. 2024’s Nosferatu is easily the horniest this story has ever been. There’s an innate sexual side to the feeding, with victims moaning in ecstasy. Ellen’s dreams have her making noises that would make the average person blush as she tries to resist his embrace. Then there’s the whole finale, where Orlok writhes on top of her. It really hammers home the sexual element. I’m curious to see how many people this will turn off but this just made me like the movie even more. We don’t have nearly enough horniness in movies these days and I’m sure most didn’t expect it to come from this 102-year-old “remake.”

Nosferatu may be a retelling of Dracula, but it still has enough new material to feel fresh. And how it’s presented allows it to stand out even moreso from the original. Eggers does a great job of presenting the material in a way that doesn’t feel like we’re just waiting for the next story beat. Sure, the story is familiar, but doesn’t hand hold in its delivery. The sound design really allows the pacing to remain energetic while still keeping things simple. Robin Carolan‘s score is subtle and properly conveys the dread needed for this world.

Ultimately, Nosferatu is an experience like no other. This is a taste of the past in a way that we don’t often get. It’s easy to get lost in the world that Eggers has created and get wrapped up in the dread that fills every frame. Lily-Rose Depp is absolutely phenomenal and this is a star-making performance from her (odd to say for the daughter of Johnny Depp, but it’s true). In a world full of imitators, Skarsgard’s Orlok is unique and terrifying, with Eggers giving him just the right amount of screentime. Nosferatu already feels like a timeless classic.

What did you think of Nosferatu? Where does it stand in Eggers’ filmography? Let us know down below!

The post Nosferatu: Why It Rocks (SPOILERS) appeared first on JoBlo.

In just a couple of short days, 2024 will draw to a close. With that in mind, this week we’ve run articles listing our favorite films of the year, as well as our favorite horror films of the year, but now it’s time for you, dear readers, to have your say. Indeed, it’s been a strange year. With the dual WGA/SAG strikes last year, the supply chain of films cooled down a bit. While the year got off to a fantastic start, with Dune Part II, Godzilla x Kong: The New Era, and several other movies being blockbusters, the first half of the summer of 2024 was disastrous. Audiences didn’t seem to want to check out the first crop of would-be blockbusters the studios put out, with the under-performance of The Fall Guy, Furiosa, and Horizon Part I (whose sequel has yet to be released) casting a chill over the industry. The unlikely saviour seemed to be Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, whose Bad Boys: Ride or Die reinvigorated the box office, with Inside Out 2, Deadpool & Wolverine and several other movies being smash hits.

The fall ended up being more of a mixed bag, with Beetlejuice Beetlejuice a smash, but Joker Folie a Deux bombed badly, while the third Venom movie underperformed. Yet, once again, an unlikely blockbuster, Wicked, seemed to reinvigorate the box office, and its ending on a strong note, with diverse fare (from animated films to musicals to gothic horror like Nosferatu) all performing well. But what was the best movie of 2024? We want to know your thoughts, so take our poll below and let us know!

The post Poll: What was the Best Movie of 2024? appeared first on JoBlo.

Live from New York, it’s criticisms of Saturday Night! By and large, reviews of Jason Reitman’s recounting of the final hour and a half before Saturday Night Live aired its first episode have been positive (our own Chris Bumbray gave it an 8/10). And while most of the original SNL cast members have been receptive of Saturday Night, one who was far from happy was Chevy Chase…which should really come as no surprise because he’s Chevy Chase (and you’re not).

As Jason Reitman recalled on SNL alumni Dana Carvey and David Spade’s Fly on the Wall podcast, Chevy Chase had some not-so-pleasant thoughts on the director’s latest movie. “So, Chevy comes in to watch the movie, and he is there with [wife] Jayni and they watch the film, and he’s in the group, and he comes up to me after and he pats me on the shoulder and goes, ‘Well, you should be embarrassed.’”

Reitman also told this anecdote on Ben Mankiewicz’s Talking Pictures podcast, also noting there that Chase has known him since he was a child, which added more sting to the comment. That Reitman is repeating this story on the circuit lends some credence to the point that he might be legitimately annoyed by Chevy Chase’s comments. He, too, could be looking out for Cory Michael Smith, who has by all accounts been fortunate enough to avoid the direct wrath of Chevy Chase as he earns much acclaim for playing him in Saturday Night.

Reitman continued, “I’m trying to balance it, because, in my head, I know, ‘Alright, I’m getting my own Chevy Chase moment that’s 1,000 percent only for me right now.’ And from a comedy point-of-view that’s really pure, and that’s kind of cool. But also, I just spent like two years of my life recreating this moment and trying to capture Chevy perfectly, and also even in the ego, find the humanity and give him a moment to be loved — no, none of that sh*t played. He’s not talking about that stuff.”

Unlike Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd (played by Dylan O’Brien) and Laraine Newman (played by Emily Fairn) had far more praise for Saturday Night, with Aykroyd calling it “engaging” and “funny” and Newman calling it “entertaining.”

What did you think of Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night? Give us your mini review below!

The post Chevy Chase told Jason Reitman he “should be embarrassed” by Saturday Night appeared first on JoBlo.

2024 was a really good year for video games. (But not so good for the people who make them.) And while it featured a ton of new games, both big and small, this was also a year with a lot of remasters and remakes.

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2024 was a really good year for video games. (But not so good for the people who make them.) And while it featured a ton of new games, both big and small, this was also a year with a lot of remasters and remakes.

Read more…

The battle between Mufasa: The Lion King and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 continues to be wildly unpredictable. In this week’s box office predictions, we assumed that Mufasa, which looked like it was tanking last weekend, would rally to a number-one finish. While that still seems like the most likely result, the difference in box office will only be around one million dollars or so. According to Deadline, it looks like Mufasa will eke out a win with a five-day haul of $61 million compared to Sonic’s $59 million. Yet, as for the weekend itself, Sonic looks like it will actually come out ahead of Mufasa with $37 million to the latter’s $35 million. That said, with the numbers so close, anything goes…

Nosferatu is proving to be a major success for Focus Features, with it aiming for a $20 million weekend and a $39 million five-day haul. Wicked looks like it’ll hit fifth place with an outstanding $32 million over five days, which is raising eyebrows as Universal’s sending the movie to PVOD on New Year’s Eve, despite the film still raking in big bucks in theaters. Moana 2 shouldn’t be too far behind with $27 million over the five day holiday. A Complete Unknown should strum its way to sixth place. While that doesn’t sound great, the holiday box office has been so good that the movie will likely make about $25 million over the five-day holiday. With an A-CinemaScore rating, word-of-mouth should be excellent. With another holiday weekend coming up, A Complete Unknown could end up scoring well north of $50 million by the end of the holidays, which would position it to turn a nice profit for Searchlight, who hasn’t had a breakout hit like this in years.

We’ll be back tomorrow with a full write-up of the weekend box office!

The post Box Office Update: Mufasa and Sonic 3 battle too close to call appeared first on JoBlo.

We’ve all gotten distracted watching a movie or TV show at some point. Maybe we pick up our phone or pour a fresh cup of coffee or send an email; whatever it is, we neglect to hit pause, just letting the program continue in the background, onscreen words and actions now meaningless. But Netflix has hit on a controversial strategy that is ensuring you that you don’t miss a beat of any of their content.

In a new article published by n+1 (via World of Reel), the author reports that there is a common note that is given to writers for Netflix original content that goes like this: “Have this character announce what they’re doing so that viewers who have this program on in the background can follow along.” Not only is this a tremendous insult to the writers but it serves as a way to coddle the viewer who can’t simply sit there and watch.

Here is the example the article gives, pulling from Netflix’s Irish Wish, starring Lindsay Lohan and Ed Speleers: “We spent a day together,” Lohan tells her lover, James, in Irish Wish. “I admit it was a beautiful day filled with dramatic vistas and romantic rain, but that doesn’t give you the right to question my life choices. Tomorrow I’m marrying Paul Kennedy.” “Fine,” he responds. “That will be the last you see of me because after this job is over I’m off to Bolivia to photograph an endangered tree lizard.”

This goes well beyond exposition. It even goes past bad writing. Knowing the backstory, this is Netflix execs demanding their staffed scribes make the content as vapid and repetitive as possible because some “viewers” can’t just view after they press play. What about the people who are paying attention? Does such dialogue even bother them? Shouldn’t it? On top of all of this, should we be solely blaming Netflix for this or are we – with our decreased attention spans – partly at fault?

As has been pointed out, Netflix even made “casual viewing” part of their genre selections, with cooking shows, reality programming and sitcoms making up the bulk of that content. I’ll admit I might throw on a show while cleaning the house, it’s always something I’ve seen, “casual” or not. Come on, who needs Kramer bursting into Jerry’s apartment and declaring, “I have now entered my friend’s place of residence!”?

What do you think of how Netflix reportedly handles their “casual viewing” content? Have you found yourself doing other tasks and not paying attention to a movie or show?

The post Is Netflix telling their writers to dumb down content for distracted viewers? appeared first on JoBlo.

Charles Shyer, the writer and director behind some of the most memorable comedies of their eras, has passed away at the age of 83.

Charles Shyer’s first film credit – after penning episodes of The Odd Couple and Happy Days – came with 1977’s Smokey and the Bandit, lending to what would become a fast-paced, quip-filled comedy that would be one of the highest-grossing movies of the year. Shyer would garner more industry attention with the following year’s House Calls, sharing a WGA nomination.

He would go on to win a Writers Guild of America Award for Private Benjamin, which found Goldie Hawn as a privileged 20-something who joins the army. Shyer, along with a team that also included frequent collaborator and one-time wife Nancy Meyers, would be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

While Private Benjamin would end up being Charles Shyer’s most defining work (it would later land on the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 funniest movies ever made), 1984’s Irreconcilable Differences allowed him to finally step behind the camera. Following that, Shyer continued almost exclusively in writer/director mode, giving us the enjoyable Baby Boom (1987), the 1991 remake of Father of the Bride and its sequel, and the Jude Law-starring update of Alfie. You may have even found yourself catching a Charles Shyer movie this month, as he co-wrote Best. Christmas. Ever!, starring Jason Biggs and Heather Graham.

The family of Shyer gave the following statement to Deadline: “It’s with an indescribably heavy heart that we share the news of our beloved father, Charles Shyer’s passing. His loss leaves an unfillable hole in our lives, but his legacy lives on through his children and the five decades of wonderful work he’s left behind. We honor the extraordinary life he led and know there will never be another quite like him.”

Other credits of Charles Shyers include Jack Nicholson’s second directorial outing Goin’ South (1978), 1992’s Once Upon a Crime, 1994’s I Love Trouble, and 1998’s The Parent Trap.

Leave your condolences for the great Charles Shyer in the comments section below.

The post Charles Shyer, Oscar-nominated Private Benjamin writer and Father of the Bride director, dies at 83 appeared first on JoBlo.

Some cliche somewhere said that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ This has proven to be the case for me and especially when it comes to fan art. I have always sought out great fan art and have wanted to share it with as many people as possible. “Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net” is the outlet for that passion. In this column, I will showcase the kick-ass artwork of some great artists, with the hopes that these artists get the attention they deserve. That’s the aim. If you have any questions or comments, or even suggestions of art or other great artists, feel free to contact me at any time at theodorebond@joblo.com.

Alien: Romulus by Tsaqif Baihaqi

Daria by Glen Brogan

Dredd by Jared Boyer

Interstellar by Amin Mashayekhi

Nosferatu by Huan Do

Shadow The Hedgehog by Bartos Gyorgy

Superman by Kevin Power

They Live by Scott Neilson

Watchmen by Tof Zapanta

Wicked by Seven Heavens Design

The post Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net: Alien: Romulus, Interstellar, Nosferatu, Superman, They Live, Wicked appeared first on JoBlo.

We’re in the final days of 2024, a chance to look back and assess the year that was. What were the highs and lows, the disappointments that left us bereft and the surprises that reignited our love for games? And, importantly, how did Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo navigate this awkward period in which all of their…

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