Lionsgate is bringing light in darkness, unveiling a character poster for Ana de Armas’ Eve Macarro, the titular ballerina of the upcoming John Wick spin-off movie, adding to the already peak anticipation for this expansion. Following their CCXP presentation Sunday, Lionsgate also released a new extended look featurette examining the film.
As you can see on the poster, Eve is tatted up, with one notable phrase standing out above the rest: Lux in Tenebris, which is Latin for Light in Darkness. That might feel a little on the nose, but it does give us a better glimpse into her psyche – especially when she’s got a gun in her hand. The poster has incredible coloring to it, too, which plays off of the trailer quite nicely. Check it out:
In the trailer that was released in September, we saw a familiar face right away, Winston Scott (Ian McShane), who approaches a young Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas) and offers to bring her to a ballerina school. Except these are no ordinary classes and soon she is prepped with: “To stop the assassin, you must become the assassin.” From there, it was cleverly set to Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” – but this ballerina isn’t exactly dancing in the sand, instead positioning herself as someone you don’t exactly want to tango with. And for those wondering, yes, Keanu Reeves does turn up in the trailer, with Eve stating, “You’re him. The one they call the Baba Yaga. How do I start doing what you do?”
While we will have to wait until June 6th for Ballerina to hit theaters, everything we’ve been given so far should hold us at least for a while. While the four John Wick movies have easily marked themselves as some of the best action movies to come out of the century – with plenty holding the argument that it’s one of the finest action franchises ever – we all got a little skeptical of the purpose of expanding once Peacock’s The Continental disappointed.
But based on the materials released up to this point, I’m expecting amazing things that fit well into the John Wick universe (hey, it’s right there in the clunky official title, too: From the World of John Wick: Ballerina). For the sake of understanding the narrative, Ballerina takes place between the events of 2019’s Parabellum and last year’s John Wick 4, hence the more battered John Wick.
In addition to Reeves and McShane, Ballerina will also bring back Anjelica Huston and the late Lance Reddick, with the film marking his final posthumous appearance. It will also introduce Gabriel Byrne, Norman Reedus and Catalina Sandino Moreno into the mix.
Are you looking forward to Ballerina? Where do you see the John Wick franchise going from here?
Gladiator II has been on fire at the box office since coming out two weeks ago, taking in nearly $350 million worldwide so far. And while those who saw it have been entertained by duels and sharks, there’s one thing we can all agree it was missing: a little song and dance! Fortunately, Saturday Night Live has it covered, releasing a spoof trailer that wonders, What if Gladiator II was a musical?
Set up as a rushed way to capitalize on both Wicked and Moana II, both of which topped Gladiator II at the box office this week, the trailer features star and SNL host Paul Mescal leading the additional 50 minutes of sure-to-be smash songs. After some singing by Devon Walker, Kenan Thompson and Bowen Yang – who have a number presumably called “There’s No Place Like Rome”, hitting on swords, sandals, whores, and scandals – Mescal gets his chance to try out his pipes.
As he eyes his reflection in his sword, Mescal sings, They look at me / And all they see / Is a killing machine / But they don’t know / That far below / I’m so much more than I seem / They call me Gladiatoorrr. With a pitch perfect mix of shakin’ and stabbin’, SNL might be onto something with this Gladiator II musical.
While Ridley Scott does have plans for a Gladiator III, it’s probably a safe bet that he won’t be toying with a musical. But if he could follow through on it with his proposed Gladiator II extended cut, we are absolutely down for an hour of musical numbers.
The Gladiator II musical then claims they pulled in Lin-Manuel Miranda to bring in some of his signature historical hip hop: Everybody in the Colosseum / Put your hands in the air and let me see ‘em / I’m the mad emperor with the bad temper-er…And I don’t mean to be a hater / But I ain’t like this gladiator / So say goodbye to this clown / ‘cause my thumb is going down. And then gets a little more vulgar…But we’ll let you enjoy that on your own.
What do you think of SNL’s Gladiator II musical trailer?
Gladiator II has been on fire at the box office since coming out two weeks ago, taking in nearly $350 million worldwide so far. And while those who saw it have been entertained by duels and sharks, there’s one thing we can all agree it was missing: a little song and dance! Fortunately, Saturday Night Live has it covered, releasing a spoof trailer that wonders, What if Gladiator II was a musical?
Set up as a rushed way to capitalize on both Wicked and Moana II, both of which topped Gladiator II at the box office this week, the trailer features star and SNL host Paul Mescal leading the additional 50 minutes of sure-to-be smash songs. After some singing by Devon Walker, Kenan Thompson and Bowen Yang – who have a number presumably called “There’s No Place Like Rome”, hitting on swords, sandals, whores, and scandals – Mescal gets his chance to try out his pipes.
As he eyes his reflection in his sword, Mescal sings, They look at me / And all they see / Is a killing machine / But they don’t know / That far below / I’m so much more than I seem / They call me Gladiatoorrr. With a pitch perfect mix of shakin’ and stabbin’, SNL might be onto something with this Gladiator II musical.
While Ridley Scott does have plans for a Gladiator III, it’s probably a safe bet that he won’t be toying with a musical. But if he could follow through on it with his proposed Gladiator II extended cut, we are absolutely down for an hour of musical numbers.
The Gladiator II musical then claims they pulled in Lin-Manuel Miranda to bring in some of his signature historical hip hop: Everybody in the Colosseum / Put your hands in the air and let me see ‘em / I’m the mad emperor with the bad temper-er…And I don’t mean to be a hater / But I ain’t like this gladiator / So say goodbye to this clown / ‘cause my thumb is going down. And then gets a little more vulgar…But we’ll let you enjoy that on your own.
What do you think of SNL’s Gladiator II musical trailer?
It’s that time of year again. The chestnuts are roasting, the eggnog is nogging, and some of us are getting ready for a house full of people that will turn this holiday season into a stressful one. So what do you do when you want to get into that merry spirit but also feel a slight bit of homicidal rage at your mother-in-law who just won’t shut up?
You put on some violent, blood-drenched action films that still capture that yuletide spirit. While others may embrace the holiday season with hilarious comedy, a hearty drama, a romantic rendezvous, or even Ernest, you can sit back and partake in one or all of the movies we here at JoBlo deem the top 10 best Christmas action movies.
10. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service:
Yes, a James Bond movie took place at Christmas, and it’s a doozy. Arguably the greatest James Bond film, this one stars George Lazenby in his sole outing as 007. Now, I know what you’re thinking. How is George Lazenby the star of the greatest Bond movie ever? The fact is, even if his performance is so-so, the film itself is fantastic. And it’s the movie where James Bond gets married. So, what does all this have to do with Christmas? Bond visits Blofeld’s allergy clinic on Piz Gloria over the Christmas holidays in Switzerland and makes his giant escape on Christmas Eve, underscored by Nina’s song “Do You Know How Christmas Trees Are Grown.” It’s the perfect counterpoint to the suspense of Bond being pursued by Blofeld, only to be rescued by Diana Rigg’s Tracy. He even makes a Christmas Eve proposal to her. What’s more Christmas than that? This isn’t higher on the list because only a tiny chunk of the film is set at Noël.
The one just came out a year ago but has already made it into many people’s Christmas-watching lists as a must-see holiday flick. So, how do we best describe it? Imagine Die Hard, but with Santa Claus instead of John McClane, as David Harbour’s Kris Kringle demolishes a gang of violent thieves led by John Leguizamo’s baddie.
The OTHER Santa Claus action movie. Of course, this isn’t your typical holly-jolly family tale. The story follows Mel Gibson as the titular fat man (Santa!) who gives a spoiled brat-rich kid a lump of coal in his stocking, so the kid does what any kid would do. He hires a hitman (played by Walton Goggins) to kill Santa Claus. This has all the ingredients of a classic Christmas film. Snow, Santa, presents, elves, but adds in guns.
It’s one of the most original movies to come out in quite some time, and seeing Mel Gibson play a Santa Claus that isn’t like any we’ve ever seen before is genius casting. This film portrays him as a down-on-his-luck, grizzled old man, while Goggins’s hitman is hot on his trail, not only to fulfill the job he was hired to do but to get some payback for his own childhood slight from the fat man.
If this was one you missed when it came out in 2020, do yourself a favour and buy it. I guarantee it’ll make your yearly rotation as it has mine.
7. Batman Returns:
Make no mistake, Batman Returns is a genuine Christmas movie; even if it was released on June 19th, 1992. The film opened with over 45 million, making it the highest-grossing opening weekend in box office history. What more can be said if you’re in the mood for superhero action in a Christmas setting? There is no other option than Batman Returns. You could throw on Iron Man 3, but I’d argue that one is more of a movie with some Christmas settings. Not a Christmas movie.
6. Reindeer Games:
This is one of those movies that’s kinda good and kinda not good but still belongs on your Christmas watch list. The plot, eh, it’s pretty simple—a guy’s in jail. Cellmate tells guy about a girl he’s been writing on the outside. The cellmate gets shanked and dies. The guy gets out of jail and pretends to be the dead cellmate so he can hook up with his sexy pen pal. Pen pal girl has a brother who wants to rob a casino the cellmate used to work at. Pen Pal Girl isn’t who we thought she was. The casino gets robbed, twists ensue and boom, the end. We’ve seen this story a million times before. Am I right? But when the lead actors are Ben Affleck, Charlize Theron, and Gary Sinise, you go along for the ride because they are all perfect in it. Plus, it’s directed by John Frankenheimer, who you call the father of modern action films. This movie starts with that Yuletide spirit by panning across several dead Santas. So, it is not exactly the movie you want to watch with your kids on Christmas Eve before reading them the night before Christmas, but, as with some of the other films on this list, Reindeer Games is one of those Christmas movies you watch early in December to get you in the Christmas mood.
5. To Live and Die in L.A.:
I know what you’re thinking; there’s no way William Friedkin’s seminal 80s neo-noir takes place during Christmas time. Well, you’d be wrong, as the film tracks the action via on-screen dates that make it clear the majority of the film takes place during the week between Christmas and New Year’s. There are no decorations anywhere, and no one mentions the holidays, which was a deliberate choice by Friedkin to give the film an even more hopeless, nihilistic vibe, as in the world of the film, even something like Christmas is inconsequential.
Fun fact: a deleted scene on the DVD shows some Christmas decorations in the background. But it was cut. Another I can’t believe this Christmas movie is First Blood, although I can’t say for sure that it’s an actual Christmas movie, as you never really find out when it takes place despite some tinsel and decorations in the police station. It may be set in January.
4: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang:
No one loves Christmas movies more than writer Shane Black, and appropriately, the following three films on this list are all written by him. And take place over the holidays. This comedy neo-noir mystery was Black’s feature directorial debut, and it was star Robert Downey Jr.’s ticket back to the big time after years of cinematic purgatory following some high-profile arrests. This movie, which casts him as a ne’er do well crook turned actor turned sleuth Harry Lockhart, proved he still had what it takes to lead a big film. Not only is it set at Christmastime, but it’s even arguably Christmas-themed, as it’s all about a man’s gradual redemption, with Lockhart not only putting his life on the line to solve a mystery but also finding a surrogate family in some ways. If only this had been spawned into a whole series of films starring Downey Jr. and the great Val Kilmer as his mentor partner, Gay Perry, probably Hollywood’s first, and to this date, last, openly gay action hero. This movie is a legit Yuletide favourite of ours here at JoBlo.
3. The Long Kiss Goodnight:
This film has gone down as a true Christmas classic, even though it was a box office bomb when it was released on October 11th, 1996. It had the missed fortune of coming on the heels of one of the most notorious bombs in box office history: the Geena Davis-starring Renny Harlin-directed Cutthroat Island, and so when people saw the same talent working on this movie, they simply wrote it off. But in the years since its release, the film has gained a massive cult following who all appreciate the perfect blend of Christmas spirit with hard R-rated action. Where else can you see a group of merry carolers with semi-automatic weapons pointed at their heads? And there’s a reason Samuel L. Jackson ranks this movie as his all-time favourite. Geena Davis owns this film, playing the sweet, naive, amnesiac mom in a Christmas Parade one minute and killing bad guys with military-like precision the next. Few actresses could easily pull off such a feat, and Davis does it. The film is written by Shane Black, who has paid a record-setting 4 million for the script from New Line. This one is undoubtedly in the top three when discussing actual true blue Christmas action movies.
2: Lethal Weapon:
The original pairing of Riggs and Murtaugh. One is a straight-laced, by-the-book cop who’s ready for retirement. The other is an off-the-rails suicidal cop who marches to the beat of his drum. This film is, again, from Christmas’s number one fan, Shane Black. The film would solidify its holiday classic status by staging the first big gunfight at a Christmas tree lot. Nothing gets us in the holiday spirit like some bad guys getting their comeuppance. Of course, as this is an L.A.-based film, we don’t get any snow to give you that cold holiday season feeling, but occasionally, a Christmas tree and lights will pop up to remind you when the movie was set. The film ends with a pile of dead bad guys, a lovely Christmas meal for Riggs and his new surrogate family, and Elvis singing, “I’ll be home for Christmas.”
1. Die Hard:
The quintessential, is it a Christmas movie or isn’t it? The debate can be put to bed once and for all; Die Hard is 100 percent, without question, a Christmas movie. Christmas is all over this thing! The film’s opening, in the airport baggage claim, has an accompanying score with the light touches of Christmassy bells; we then cut to a Christmas party at Nakatomi Towers with a giant Christmas tree. Sure, Holly Genero is still working hard, but the Christmas Eve setting is referenced several times within the first five minutes alone. But the natural Christmas touch comes when John McClane meets Argyle. Nothing says Christmas movie like a Christmas song to open your film, and the Die Hard music supervisor chose one of the best Christmas songs ever made for my money, “Christmas in Hollis:, by Run DMC. As the movie plays, Christmas becomes ingrained in this tale of bad guys, bad FBI agents, and the one guy who can stop them all. Even John McClane gets in on the holiday spirit when he sends the bad guys a heartfelt Christmas message:
And with that, there can be no other top choice for the best Christmas action movie ever made than Die Hard. And if you’re feeling extra action y, throw on Die Hard 2: Die Harder, and continue that Christmas action marathon. Part 2 was nearly as good as Part 1, but it did add the one thing Part 1 was missing. Snow!
What Christmas movies did we miss? Let us know in the comments!
The holiday season is here and that means there are lots of new releases coming out just in time to make the season bright. Below are some of the picks coming out sure to make the movie fan in your life smile. Whether it is an upgrade to a 4K edition, a reliable Blu-ray, or a special edition Box Set, this list has something for everyone!
One disclaimer: Deals as good as these can be fickle, so there’s no telling if and when a money-saving opportunity might end or if the price may change. So if you want something – snap that shit up quick! Don’t wait, only to have Festivus roll around and discover you’ve nothing to give or the price suddenly changed and you no longer have the bread. And remember that if you want to support JoBlo.com, please make all your purchases by initially clicking through our links, since that is beneficial for us
So click away, buy what you like, and happy Holiday hunting!
Typically, the first weekend of December is notoriously slow, with audiences still recovering from the Thanksgiving holiday. However, in this unusual year of ups and downs at the box office, many more people went to see movies this weekend than usual for this time of year. The box office was driven by strong holdover business for Moana 2 and Wicked, both of which blasted past the $300 million domestic mark this weekend. At the same time, the re-release of Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar proved to be a box office juggernaut.
Moana 2 had a slightly bigger week-to-week decline than I anticipated in my predictions earlier this week. According to Deadline, it fell 63%, possibly as a result of its good (but not great) A-minus CinemaScore rating, which suggests audiences aren’t as wild about it as other breakout hits this year (Inside Out 2 and Wicked both received A ratings). Nevertheless, the $52 million weekend was hefty. Wicked slipped 57% in week three to $34.8 million and a massive $320.5 million weekend. With the holiday box office season coming up, I think this has a shot at $500 million domestic.
Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II fell 60% to an ok $12.4 million. However, one has to imagine that the $132 million total is a bit soft for a movie that had a $200 million-plus budget (although overseas, it’s been a big hit – outgrossing Wicked). Red One, while initially a disappointment, has stuck it out at the box office, only slipped 45% this week to $7 million and an $85 million-plus total. Its performance is reminiscent of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, where it initially opened weakly but had solid word-of-mouth business in the weeks that followed.
The rest of the chart was dominated by specialty releases, led by the Indian-made sequel, Pushpa 2: The Rule, which made $5.9 million for a $10.5 million total. Perhaps the biggest surprise this week was the 10th-anniversary IMAX screenings of Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar. It made $4.4 million for a per-screen average in the $26k range (by far the biggest on the chart). That’s an excellent result for a movie that actually ranks as one of Nolan’s lower-grossing movies on the domestic side, proving that time has been kind to this sci-fi classic.
CrunchyRoll’s anime Solo Levelling- Reawakening played well to its audience, grossing $2.4 million, but A24’s Y2K absolutely tanked, earning $2.1 million on over 2000 screens. Other new releases, Werewolves, The Return, and The Order, opened well outside the top 10, with Werewolves and The Return having per-screen averages in the hundreds of dollars, which is a bad result for semi-wide releases. Fathom Event’s For King + Country: A Drummer Boy’s Christmas Live beat them with a $2.05 million weekend. Lionsgate’s The Best Christmas Pageant Ever has continued to be a solid performer with $1.52 million and a $34 million total.
The box office doldrums as far as new releases seem bound to continue next weekend, with neither Sony’s long-delayed Kraven: The Hunter nor Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim expected to drum up much business. Luckily, Sonic The Hedgehog 3 is on the way, along with one of the best movies of the year, Nosferatu, to dominate the Christmas season.
Typically, the first weekend of December is notoriously slow, with audiences still recovering from the Thanksgiving holiday. However, in this unusual year of ups and downs at the box office, many more people went to see movies this weekend than usual for this time of year. The box office was driven by strong holdover business for Moana 2 and Wicked, both of which blasted past the $300 million domestic mark this weekend. At the same time, the re-release of Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar proved to be a box office juggernaut.
Moana 2 had a slightly bigger week-to-week decline than I anticipated in my predictions earlier this week. According to Deadline, it fell 63%, possibly as a result of its good (but not great) A-minus CinemaScore rating, which suggests audiences aren’t as wild about it as other breakout hits this year (Inside Out 2 and Wicked both received A ratings). Nevertheless, the $52 million weekend was hefty. Wicked slipped 57% in week three to $34.8 million and a massive $320.5 million weekend. With the holiday box office season coming up, I think this has a shot at $500 million domestic.
Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II fell 60% to an ok $12.4 million. However, one has to imagine that the $132 million total is a bit soft for a movie that had a $200 million-plus budget (although overseas, it’s been a big hit – outgrossing Wicked). Red One, while initially a disappointment, has stuck it out at the box office, only slipped 45% this week to $7 million and an $85 million-plus total. Its performance is reminiscent of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, where it initially opened weakly but had solid word-of-mouth business in the weeks that followed.
The rest of the chart was dominated by specialty releases, led by the Indian-made sequel, Pushpa 2: The Rule, which made $5.9 million for a $10.5 million total. Perhaps the biggest surprise this week was the 10th-anniversary IMAX screenings of Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar. It made $4.4 million for a per-screen average in the $26k range (by far the biggest on the chart). That’s an excellent result for a movie that actually ranks as one of Nolan’s lower-grossing movies on the domestic side, proving that time has been kind to this sci-fi classic.
CrunchyRoll’s anime Solo Levelling- Reawakening played well to its audience, grossing $2.4 million, but A24’s Y2K absolutely tanked, earning $2.1 million on over 2000 screens. Other new releases, Werewolves, The Return, and The Order, opened well outside the top 10, with Werewolves and The Return having per-screen averages in the hundreds of dollars, which is a bad result for semi-wide releases. Fathom Event’s For King + Country: A Drummer Boy’s Christmas Live beat them with a $2.05 million weekend. Lionsgate’s The Best Christmas Pageant Ever has continued to be a solid performer with $1.52 million and a $34 million total.
The box office doldrums as far as new releases seem bound to continue next weekend, with neither Sony’s long-delayed Kraven: The Hunter nor Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim expected to drum up much business. Luckily, Sonic The Hedgehog 3 is on the way, along with one of the best movies of the year, Nosferatu, to dominate the Christmas season.
There was something special about seeing Art the Clown kill people in a Santa suit, wasn’t there? The visual subversion of what is usually a holly, jolly, spirit of Christmas elicits reactions few can manage. Then there was all the glorious violence. But what impressed me most about Terrifier 3 (other than its massive box office) is the fact that it doesn’t overly rely on Christmas for its structure. The film taught us that including the holiday doesn’t mean it has to overpower the narrative. Christmas simply serves as a way to show colorful visuals, play familiar songs to establish a tone, and expectations to easily subvert. Because of that, it manages to be a Christmas movie while also entirely standing on its own as an entry in the world of Terrifier. But it got me thinking: what other franchises should take the holiday plunge?
I scoured the genre and tried to figure out which would be best in terms of the theme, setting, and vibe. Not just “Who would look cool in a Santa hat? (though that was certainly my inspiration for some of the photoshops.)” We’ve already seen certain franchises dip their toes in the holiday, with Seed of Chucky getting in on the fun. And just like that film, I’m simply looking at films that don’t need it to be the entire driving force of the story, it can just provide a fun moment or two. Gives the film some much-needed texture. And given how often these films can have very similar visuals, what better way to help distinguish one from the rest? So lets take a look at which horror franchises should be taking the Christmas leap next!
Friday the 13th
This may just be the most obvious one of this entire list. How we haven’t officially gotten Jason in the Snow is a total mystery but then add in the Christmas element and it feels like a no-brainer. Jason peers from outside a cabin, staring at a young boy opening presents with his family; the father is a little slap happy with the mother and suddenly Jason finds his Momma’s Boy side coming out. It would be glorious! We got a little taste of what Jason in the snow could be with the fan film Never Hike Alone (which is where that sweet image above comes from) but I need more!
The Exorcist
Given its release on December 26th, one could make the argument that we’ve already received an Exorcist Christmas movie. But I’m talking about one that fully utilizes the holiday’s visuals and embraces the connection between religion and Christmas. This is one that really can play with the themes of the holiday, and not get too far away from the visuals we’ve come to expect from these kinds of films. Bursting Christmas lights, the possessed child singing at a school Christmas play, I get excited at all of the possibilities. And I would need the demon absolutely tearing about the capitalistic and commercial side Christmas has fallen into.
Hellraiser
Most people think of Christmas when they think of murderous S&M demons right? Just me? Well, the visual aesthetic of these films seems perfect for a holiday makeover. Pinhead in the snow, giving one of his speeches about pain and pleasure while flakes fall down around him? Perfection. And when it comes to human characters, I often associate those within this franchise with going through a ton of inner turmoil and what stirs up emotions quite like the month of December? We haven’t heard anything about that David Bruckner sequel for a while, but this seems like a great next step for those films.
Happy Death Day
We’ve heard rumors of a third film and what better time to set it than Christmas? The inevitable moments where Tree gets overwhelmed and is murdered by a candy cane, a woodchipper, or whatever other Christmas-adjacent item seems perfect for the “Groundhog Day” style series. The traditions that surround the holiday can work as great moments for Tree to get annoyed at, as they pierce her brain much in the same way it would for anyone working at a job that plays those tunes over and over. After all, she could be trapped in this loop for thousands of years. And one of the trademarks of the killer is a costume that they can easily blend in with the crowd, and what better costume than Santa at Christmas? I can already picture the false identifications a la Christmas Evil.
Leprechaun
This may seem a little outside of the box given that the Leprechaun is so often associated with St. Paddy’s Day. But the playful side of the Leprechaun (and specifically Warwick Davis’ version) seems perfect for some Christmas shenanigans. He already uses his mystical powers to murder people, just think what he can do with various Christmas decorations. And with how much he loves to repeat his little rhymes, the vast catalog of Christmas songs is ripe for the picking. This may seem like a dark horse pick but the more you look into it, the more perfect the character feels for the holiday.
What horror franchises do YOU think would be perfect for Christmas?
Even at 98 (with his 99th birthday next week), Dick Van Dyke is embodying “viva la vida” – that is, he is living his life like no other. And he has been demonstrating this quite a bit as of late, most recently doing so in a new Coldplay music video. But before you take any easy shots at Coldplay, remember just how much appreciation they have for our living legends. And you may as well get some tissues ready because this one goes for the heart.
Shot at Dick Van Dyke’s Malibu home in October, we first see the actor moseying to the backyard where Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin awaits. As the new song, “All My Love”, plays, we’re guided through a nostalgic tour through the history of pretty much everything we love about Dick Van Dyke, with footage that shows various photos, pieces of memorabilia and awards throughout his life and career. And then we’re treated to a delightful moment where Dick Van Dyke joins in with Chris Martin for the chorus. Van Dyke even starts dancing, showing just how sprite he remains as he nears 100.
The song is interspersed with interview snippets, with the actor offering the words of wisdom that we have come to love from Dick Van Dyke, especially over the past few years when he has sort of picked up where Betty White left off in the “We must protect this charming legend at all costs” department. In one scene, he states, “I’m acutely aware that I could go any day now, but I don’t know why it doesn’t concern me. I’m not afraid of it. I have that feeling – totally against anything intellectual – that I’m going to be alright.”
As we see moments from some of Dick Van Dyke’s classic works such as Mary Poppins, the actor considers, “I think I’m one of those lucky people who got to do for a living what I would have done anyway. When you think how lucky I am…I got to do what I do: play and act silly.” As someone who grew up watching The Dick Van Dyke Show on Nick at Nite, any chance I get to see the man perform, I’m absolutely drawn in and instantly reminded what a gem he is.
The video is co-directed by Spike Jonze, who of course has been behind some of the greatest music videos ever, including another with a fan favorite actor, Fatboy Slim’s “Weapon of Choice” starring Christopher Walken.
Even at 98 (with his 99th birthday next week), Dick Van Dyke is embodying “viva la vida” – that is, he is living his life like no other. And he has been demonstrating this quite a bit as of late, most recently doing so in a new Coldplay music video. But before you take any easy shots at Coldplay, remember just how much appreciation they have for our living legends. And you may as well get some tissues ready because this one goes for the heart.
Shot at Dick Van Dyke’s Malibu home in October, we first see the actor moseying to the backyard where Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin awaits. As the new song, “All My Love”, plays, we’re guided through a nostalgic tour through the history of pretty much everything we love about Dick Van Dyke, with footage that shows various photos, pieces of memorabilia and awards throughout his life and career. And then we’re treated to a delightful moment where Dick Van Dyke joins in with Chris Martin for the chorus. Van Dyke even starts dancing, showing just how sprite he remains as he nears 100.
The song is interspersed with interview snippets, with the actor offering the words of wisdom that we have come to love from Dick Van Dyke, especially over the past few years when he has sort of picked up where Betty White left off in the “We must protect this charming legend at all costs” department. In one scene, he states, “I’m acutely aware that I could go any day now, but I don’t know why it doesn’t concern me. I’m not afraid of it. I have that feeling – totally against anything intellectual – that I’m going to be alright.”
As we see moments from some of Dick Van Dyke’s classic works such as Mary Poppins, the actor considers, “I think I’m one of those lucky people who got to do for a living what I would have done anyway. When you think how lucky I am…I got to do what I do: play and act silly.” As someone who grew up watching The Dick Van Dyke Show on Nick at Nite, any chance I get to see the man perform, I’m absolutely drawn in and instantly reminded what a gem he is.
The video is co-directed by Spike Jonze, who of course has been behind some of the greatest music videos ever, including another with a fan favorite actor, Fatboy Slim’s “Weapon of Choice” starring Christopher Walken.
