Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story has proven to be another big success for Netflix. However, just like the Jeffrey Dahmer season before it, the series is generating some controversy, including from one its subjects. Erik Menendez took to social media (through his wife Tammi) to slam Monsters co-creator Ryan Murphy for including “ruinous character portrayals” of both him and his brother.

While speaking with Entertainment Tonight, Murphy defended the show as he addressed Erik Menendez’s criticisms. “I think it’s interesting that he’s issued a statement without having seen the show,” Murphy said. “It’s really, really hard — if it’s your life — to see your life up on screen. The thing that I find interesting, that he doesn’t mention in his quote, is if you watch the show, I would say 60-65 percent of our show, in the scripts and in the film form, center around the abuse and what they claim happened to them. And we do it very carefully, and we give them their day in court, and they talk openly about it.“

Murphy continued, “In this age where people can really talk about sexual abuse, talking about it and writing about it and writing about all points of view can be controversial. It’s a ‘Rashomon’ kind of approach [in Monsters], where there were four people involved in that — two of them are dead. What about the parents? We had an obligation as storytellers to also try and put in their perspective based on our research, which we did.“

The show also includes suggestions that Erik and Lyle had a homoerotic and incestuous connection, which Murphy defended. “If you watch the show, what the show is doing is presenting the points of view and theories from so many people who were involved in the case,” Murphy said. “[Vanity Fair journalist] Dominick Dunne wrote several articles talking about that theory. We are presenting his point of view, just as we present [criminal defense attorney] Leslie Abramson’s point of view… and we had an obligation to show all of that and we did.“

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is currently streaming on Netflix and you can check out a review from our own Alex Maidy right here.

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Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story has proven to be another big success for Netflix. However, just like the Jeffrey Dahmer season before it, the series is generating some controversy, including from one its subjects. Erik Menendez took to social media (through his wife Tammi) to slam Monsters co-creator Ryan Murphy for including “ruinous character portrayals” of both him and his brother.

While speaking with Entertainment Tonight, Murphy defended the show as he addressed Erik Menendez’s criticisms. “I think it’s interesting that he’s issued a statement without having seen the show,” Murphy said. “It’s really, really hard — if it’s your life — to see your life up on screen. The thing that I find interesting, that he doesn’t mention in his quote, is if you watch the show, I would say 60-65 percent of our show, in the scripts and in the film form, center around the abuse and what they claim happened to them. And we do it very carefully, and we give them their day in court, and they talk openly about it.“

Murphy continued, “In this age where people can really talk about sexual abuse, talking about it and writing about it and writing about all points of view can be controversial. It’s a ‘Rashomon’ kind of approach [in Monsters], where there were four people involved in that — two of them are dead. What about the parents? We had an obligation as storytellers to also try and put in their perspective based on our research, which we did.“

The show also includes suggestions that Erik and Lyle had a homoerotic and incestuous connection, which Murphy defended. “If you watch the show, what the show is doing is presenting the points of view and theories from so many people who were involved in the case,” Murphy said. “[Vanity Fair journalist] Dominick Dunne wrote several articles talking about that theory. We are presenting his point of view, just as we present [criminal defense attorney] Leslie Abramson’s point of view… and we had an obligation to show all of that and we did.“

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is currently streaming on Netflix and you can check out a review from our own Alex Maidy right here.

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Could Halle Berry take center stage in a John Wick spinoff? Berry played Sofia Al-Azwar in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. Sofia is the manager of the Casablanca Continental who assists Wick when he’s labeled excommunicado. Although Sofia said that doing so could put her daughter in danger, we never find out what happened. While speaking with THR, Berry said she thought John Wick: Chapter 4 would pick up that thread, but it didn’t. The actress added that there have been talks of a Sofia spinoff, but if it’s going to happen, it should be sooner rather than later.

“Yeah, I wish that would’ve happened, but that’s not the route they went. I thought that would’ve been a cool storyline. We talked about it, that’s for sure. We seeded it in John Wick: Chapter 3, and we’ve talked about a spinoff with Lionsgate that could potentially happen,” Berry said. “We need to do it sooner than later, but that could potentially happen. And I love that universe. I love John Wick and I loved that character, so you never know. We’ll see.” Berry added that she’d return for a John Wick spinoff (or TV series) in a heartbeat. “I loved that character, and I love Chad.“

Our first John Wick spinoff movie will be Ballerina, which stars Ana de Armas as a young woman with killer skills who sets out to get revenge when hitmen kill her family. As the film takes place in the John Wick universe, it will feature appearances from several franchise characters, including Ian McShane as Winston, the owner of the Continental Hotel, the late Lance Reddick as Charon, the Continental’s concierge, and Anjelica Huston as the Director, the head of the Ruska Roma. Keanu Reeves will also make an appearance as John Wick. The film will also include Catalina Sandino Moreno, Gabriel Bryne, and Norman Reedus in undisclosed roles.

Halle Berry is currently starring in Never Let Go, a horror thriller that follows a mother (Berry) and her twin sons (Percy Daggs IV, Anthony B. Jenkins) as they’re tormented by a malicious spirit. Needing to stay connected at all times – even tethering themselves with ropes – they cling to one another, urging each other to never let go. But when one of the boys questions if the evil is real, the ties that bind them together are severed, triggering a terrifying fight for survival. You can check out a review from our own Chris Bumbray right here.

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Back in October of 2021, we heard that M. Night Shyamalan was producing the thriller The Vanishings at Caddo Lake, which was being directed by the duo of Celine Held and Logan George – who made their feature directorial debut with the 2020 drama Topside and went on to direct episodes of Shyamalan’s Apple TV+ series Servant. That movie, which now has the shorter title Caddo Lake, will be making its way out into the world next month, as it’s set to be released through the Max streaming service on October 10th… and following a teaser trailer that we shared earlier this month, a full trailer for Caddo Lake has now dropped online and can be seen in the embed above.

Held and George wrote the screenplay for the film, crafting the following story: When an 8-year-old girl mysteriously vanishes on Caddo Lake, a series of past deaths and disappearances begin to link together, forever altering a broken family’s history.

Lauren Ambrose (Servant), Dylan O’Brien (Teen Wolf), Eliza Scanlen (Old), Eric Lange (Lost), Sam Hennings (Memphis Beat), Diana Hopper (Goliath), and Dave Maldonado (The Devil All the Time) star.

Shyamalan and Ashwin Rajan produced the film under Shyamalan’s Blinding Edge banner, alongside Kara Durrett and K Period’s Josh Godfrey. Kimberly Steward, Harrison Huffman, and Will Greenfield are executive producing.

Shyamalan had this to say about his collaboration with Held and George: “The show Servant has given me the incredible opportunity to find new storytellers from around the world and tell stories with them. Celine Held and Logan George are an exceptional writing-directing team that directed two amazing episodes for us in Season 3. They are kind and dynamic genre storytellers and have written a film we believe will impact audiences deeply.“

The Motion Picture Association ratings board gave Caddo Lake its rating last year; it earned a PG-13 for some disturbing/bloody images, thematic elements, and brief strong language.

What did you think of the Caddo Lake trailer? Will you be watching this movie on Max next month? Let us know by leaving a comment below. I’ll probably be checking this one out at some point.

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After breaking the box office by unleashing the highest-grossing animated film ever, Inside Out 2, Pixar continues to dominate the animated corner of entertainment with today’s Dream Productions trailer. The spirited preview highlights two brand-new series coming to Disney+. The first title hails from Inside Out, called Dream Productions, a four-episode limited series inside Riley’s mind while she sleeps. The second title, Win or Lose, showcases Pixar’s first-ever original long-form series about a co-ed middle school softball team.

Pixar teased Dream Productions when we visited the studio earlier this year for an in-depth look at Inside Out 2. Directed by Mike Jones and set for a 2025 release, the limited series revolves around the studio inside Riley’s mind where dreams really do come true—every night, on time and on budget, thanks to acclaimed director Paula Persimmon (voice of Paula Pell). Riley’s growing up, her core emotions are on the job helping her navigate, but now Paula is facing a nightmare of her own: her signature combination of dreams featuring Rainbow Unicorn and copious amounts of glitter just isn’t working anymore.

To try and save her career, Paula teams up with Xeni (voice of Richard Ayoade), an overly confident daydream director looking for his next big break. With differing visions on what makes Riley’s dreams successful, can the reluctant pair come together to create the next big tween-dream hit?

Pixar teased the Dream Productions studio inside Riley’s head in Inside Out 2, showing fans how emotions can influence nightly visions. The Dream Productions series elaborates on entertaining Riley’s busy brain while she sleeps, with characters working around the clock to inspire her during slumber.

Dream Productions stars Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Tony Hale, Liza Lapira, Ally Maki, Richard Ayoade, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, and Kensington Tallman.

According to Pixar, Win or Lose follows the Pickles, a co-ed middle school softball team, in the week leading up to their championship game. Each episode offers a look inside the off-the-field life of a character—a player, their parent, the umpire—revealing their funny, emotional, and always relatable point of view in a unique visual style. ” The art style for Win or Lose reminds me of Turning Red, with every character looking ultra-expressive and fun to follow through a sports-related animated adventure.

Win or Lose features the voices of Will Forte, Kyliegh Curran, Izaac Wang, Ian Chen, Josh Thomson, Milan, Jo Firestone, Erin Keif, Rosanna, and Jean Foss.

What do you think about Pixar’s Dream Productions trailer? Are you surprised by the quick turnaround to feature Inside Out characters in another high-profile release? Let us know in the comments section below.

The post Pixar’s Dream Productions trailer introduces the studio’s Inside Out TV series and highlights the long-form comedy Win or Lose appeared first on JoBlo.

Belgian actor Matthias Schoenaerts (Rust and Bone, The Danish Girl, Red Sparrow) is heading to the DC Universe for the upcoming Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow movie starring Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El. Schoenaerts joins the highly-anticipated adaptation of Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow as the villain Krem of the Yellow Hills, who kills the father of a young alien girl. When the young woman crosses paths with Kara and ultimately pulls her into her orbit, Kara Zor-El and Krem come to blows.

Ana Nogueira (The Vampire Diaries, The Blacklist, Hightown) adapts King’s series for the silver screen with Craig Gillespie (Dumb Money, Cruella, Lars and the Real Girl) directing. Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is part of James Gunn and Peter Safran’s “Gods and Monsters” arc, which kicks off a new era of the DC cinematic universe.

“Kara Zor-El has seen some epic adventures over the years, but she now finds her life without meaning or purpose. Here she is, a young woman who saw her planet destroyed and was sent to Earth to protect a baby cousin who ended up not needing her. What was it all for? Wherever she goes, people only see her through the lens of Superman’s fame,” reads the official synopsis of the comic book. “Just when Supergirl thinks she’s had enough, everything changes. An alien girl seeks her out for a vicious mission. Her world has been destroyed, and the bad guys responsible are still out there. She wants revenge, and if Supergirl doesn’t help her, she’ll do it herself, whatever the cost. Now a Kryptonian, a dog, and an angry, heartbroken child head out into space on a journey that will shake them to their very core.”

“Superman is a guy sent to Earth and raised by loving parents, where Supergirl in this story, she is a character raised on a chunk of Krypton,” Gunn explained when the project was first announced. “She watched everybody around her perish in some terrible way, so she’s a much more jaded character.”

Schoenaerts is known for his roles as Booker in Netflix’s The Old Guard, Detective Lem Getweller from David O. Russell’s Amsterdam, and Django from the Spaghetti Western series Django. Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow gives Matthias Schoenaerts a fantastic opportunity to take center stage as he squares off with DC’s Angel of the Sky. Krem is responsible for some unspeakable actions in King and Evely’s story. I would not be surprised if Kara punched a hole through his chest. We’ll need to wait and see.

What do you think about Matthias Schoenaerts playing the villain Krem in DC’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Just before Halloween back in 2022, it was announced that Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner – who both have experience working in the Scream franchise, as Fitzgerald was in the Scream TV series and Gallner appeared in the 2022 Scream movie – were set to star in the “cat and mouse thriller” Strange Darling. The movie was given a theatrical release back in August, and JoBlo’s own Tyler Nichols loved it; you can read his 9/10 review at THIS LINK. Strange Darling is now set to receive a digital release next week, on October 1st, and as we approach that date, writer/director J.T. Mollner and producer Roy Lee have revealed that the film had a bumpy production and almost lost Fitzgerald at the demand of the studio!

Speaking on the podcast The Business with Kim Masters, Mollner revealed that Miramax shut down the production after just two days of filming! Mollner said (with thanks to our friends at Bloody Disgusting for the transcription), “It was very traumatic for me. It took almost six years to get [Strange Darling] off the ground. When we started shooting the movie, we were sending dailies back to the financier, and they just did not like what they were seeing. And I was floored because I really liked what we were shooting. But there were a couple executives who just had different tastes than I do, I think is what it came down to. They said, ‘We hate everything you’re sending us, we’re not enjoying this at all, and we’re not sure if this is going to work.’ We were shut down for almost a week.“

Lee added, “You’ve seen the movie, and you’ve seen how great Willa Fitzgerald’s performance is. They wanted to recast. And I said, ‘you cannot recast this movie.’” As Tyler Nichols said in his review, “Willa Fitzgerald absolutely shines as The Lady. She makes every moment she’s on-screen can’t miss.”

Miramax eventually let production resume. Although they did their own linear cut of the non-linear film, they ended up giving Mollner final cut after his version received positive scores at a test screening. So in the end, Mollner can say, “The movie that you’re seeing is the movie I wanted to make. I’m very happy with how the movie turned out.“

Reviews indicate that Strange Darling will work best if viewers have as little information as possible going in. We previously heard that it has something to do with a spontaneous hookup gone terribly wrong. The official synopsis reveals that nothing is what it seems when a twisted one-night stand spirals into a serial killer’s vicious murder spree. 

As mentioned, Strange Darling was written and directed by J.T. Mollner (Outlaws and Angels). Filming took place in Portland, Oregon. The film was produced by former Miramax CEO Bill Block, Chris Ivan Cevic, Steven Schneider, Roy Lee, and actor Giovanni Ribisi, who also served as the director of photography.

Fitzgerald and Gallner were joined in the cast by Oscar nominee Barbara Hershey (The Entity) and Emmy nominee Ed Begley Jr. (Better Call Saul). According to IMDb, the cast of the film also features Madisen Beaty (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), Bianca A. Santos (Ouija), Steven Michael Quezada (Breaking Bad), Eugenia Kuzmina (Bad Moms), Denise Grayson (The Social Network), and Duke Mollner – who happens to be the director’s father, and also had a role in Outlaws and Angels.

Have you seen Strange Darling? Will you be watching it once it gets a digital release next week? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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Legendary author Stephen King wasn’t yet a legendary author when he stayed at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado back in 1974 – but that stay helped him on his way to legendary status, because it inspired him to write the novel The Shining. Fifty years later, Blumhouse Productions and the Peacock streaming service have announced that they’re teaming up to take over the Lodge at the Stanley hotel for a weekend event called the Overnightmare, which is scheduled to take place from Friday, October 18th through Sunday, October 20th. For that weekend, rooms will be themed to one of four Blumhouse films – Insidious, The Purge, Happy Death Day, and Freaky.

A press release invites genre fans to “Step (and sleep) inside the worlds of Blumhouse’s Insidious, The Purge, Freaky and Happy Death Day at Peacock and Blumhouse’s “OVERNIGHTMARE,” a one-weekend-only experience at the iconic Stanley Hotel that promises to be a living nightmare from check-in to after dark. The thrilling experience starts immediately at check-in, where guests will be greeted by a conci-scare-ge and will continue throughout the weekend with encounters of various characters and frights throughout the space, including the Teacup Room, a spooky salon that will take guests inside the world of the new thriller series produced by James Wan’s Atomic Monster exclusively on Peacock, and the Blumhouse Bar, a haven for horror fans to have a sip and a scare, and play the company’s upcoming video game, Fear the Spotlight. Come sundown, things will quite literally go bump in the night. Each evening will feature an after-dark experience as guests are pulled from their rooms for one of four personalized, fully immersive activations, inspired by each of the Blumhouse films and featuring interactive characters, narratives, and scares. Experiences will be geared toward different horror levels to allow guests to face their fears no matter their terror threshold – from Freaky and Happy Death Day for those who want just a taste of the terrifying, to Insidious and The Purge for a full nightmare experience. As an added treat (no tricks), guests will also be invited to two nights of screenings, including episodes of the Peacock series Teacup from James Wan’s Atomic Monster, which premieres Thurs., Oct. 10.“

Sound like a good time to you? Then head over to the Stanley Hotel’s website and book your stay! “The weekend package includes a two-night stay in a double occupancy room in The Lodge, an interactive Scare Experience, a complimentary welcome dinner, $100 credit toward breakfast or lunch at Brunch & Co., nightly screenings, and two drink vouchers for the Blumhouse Bar per guest.“

And if you’d rather enjoy your horror entertainment in the comfort of your own home, Peacock says there will be 150 horror titles on their streaming service to watch, including “some of the best of Blumhouse, like Insidious, Happy Death Day, Halloween Kills and Get Out, with more coming on October 1, including The Purge franchise and Freaky. Plus, new episodes of Peacock original series Teacup will drop weekly through Halloween after its debut on Oct. 10. From “Freaky Franchises” to “Horror 101” collections, the full Peacock Halloween offering includes more than 150 titles to help you Face Your Fears. Don’t worry, no one will know if you keep the lights on.“

Will you be attending the Blumhouse / Peacock Overnightmare at the Stanley Hotel? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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When I made my TIFF Top 10 a few weeks ago, the movie that easily took the number one spot for me was The Brutalist. Former actor-turned-director Brady Corbet delivered a masterpiece with this post-WW2 story about a Holocaust survivor, László Tóth (Adrien Brody), an architect who immigrates to Pennsylvania, where he wins a wealthy patron (Guy Pearce) who wants him to build a sprawling city center. The success of the project allows him to bring his estranged wife, Erzsébet (Felicity Jones) and niece, Zsófia (Raffey Cassidy), to America, but it comes with a terrible cost that takes him years to realize.

Given the universally positive reviews, everyone expected A24 to give the movie a major award-season push this fall. Indeed, the film has now been slated for a December 20th limited release, while A24’s other big award contender, Queer, will go into limited release on November 27th. 

One thing worth noting about The Brutalist is that it was shot in 70mm VistaVision and presented on film at TIFF. Hopefully, A24 can make a celluloid run feasible, as there’s something incredible about seeing this 3.5-hour epic (which has a fifteen-minute intermission) that way. Trust me when I say this is not a movie built for streaming, and hopefully, word-of-mouth is good enough to get a robust release. It certainly seems bound to score a whole boatload of Oscar nominations, with Best Picture, Director, Actor (for Brody), Supporting Actor (for Pearce), and Supporting Actress (for Jones) a no-brainer, as well as nods for its cinematography, score and more.

If you live in New York, The Brutalist will be showing once again on 70mm film at the New York Film Festival. Otherwise, keep an eye on your local listings because this is one that can’t be missed (check out my rave review here). 

The post The Brutalist: A24 dates the TIFF breakout smash for an awards season run appeared first on JoBlo.

When I made my TIFF Top 10 a few weeks ago, the movie that easily took the number one spot for me was The Brutalist. Former actor-turned-director Brady Corbet delivered a masterpiece with this post-WW2 story about a Holocaust survivor, László Tóth (Adrien Brody), an architect who immigrates to Pennsylvania, where he wins a wealthy patron (Guy Pearce) who wants him to build a sprawling city center. The success of the project allows him to bring his estranged wife, Erzsébet (Felicity Jones) and niece, Zsófia (Raffey Cassidy), to America, but it comes with a terrible cost that takes him years to realize.

Given the universally positive reviews, everyone expected A24 to give the movie a major award-season push this fall. Indeed, the film has now been slated for a December 20th limited release, while A24’s other big award contender, Queer, will go into limited release on November 27th. 

One thing worth noting about The Brutalist is that it was shot in 70mm VistaVision and presented on film at TIFF. Hopefully, A24 can make a celluloid run feasible, as there’s something incredible about seeing this 3.5-hour epic (which has a fifteen-minute intermission) that way. Trust me when I say this is not a movie built for streaming, and hopefully, word-of-mouth is good enough to get a robust release. It certainly seems bound to score a whole boatload of Oscar nominations, with Best Picture, Director, Actor (for Brody), Supporting Actor (for Pearce), and Supporting Actress (for Jones) a no-brainer, as well as nods for its cinematography, score and more.

If you live in New York, The Brutalist will be showing once again on 70mm film at the New York Film Festival. Otherwise, keep an eye on your local listings because this is one that can’t be missed (check out my rave review here). 

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