PLOT: An astronaut who returns to Earth after a disaster in space only to discover that key pieces of her life seem to be missing. The action-packed space adventure is an exploration of the dark edges of human psychology, and one woman’s desperate quest to expose the truth about the hidden history of space travel and recover all that she has lost.
REVIEW: Man, the International Space Station is getting trashed lately. For years, films like Gravity and The Cloverfield Paradox as well as countless others have used the station as the setting for disaster, but this year alone has had more than one project featuring it. First, the horror filmI.S.S. made the triumphant existence of a joint space station a thing of terror and now Constellation fills viewers with a sense of foreboding surrounding the orbiting satellite. The resulting series is a psychological thriller that combines elements of horror, science fiction, and paranoid drama into a concept that tries to set up the first season of a conspiracy-laden ongoing tale. The problem is that for everything this series gets right, it gets just a little bit wrong. Led by the always-great Noomi Rapace and Jonathan Banks, Constellation would be fantastic if it wasn’t a little boring. Not every science-fiction story has to be full of action or violence, but the pacing lags at times in this series as it builds an intriguing narrative that you wish would give you a little bit more.
Constellation opens with Jo Ericsson (Noomi Rapace) driving through the backwoods of Sweden with her daughter. Worried when a police car follows her too closely, Jo arrives at a seemingly abandoned cabin with no electricity. A bizarre painting and other odd moments make you question what is going on. If you watched the trailer for Constellation, you know this series centers on astronauts so the Earthbound opening is a bit confusing. The series then shifts to Jo aboard the I.S.S. where a routine experiment goes wrong and is followed by an amputation, an evacuation, and a desiccated corpse in space. While all of this is going on Jo’s daughter, Alice (Rosie Coleman), and husband, Magnus (James D’Arcy), await news of her fate. Scientist Henry Caldera (Jonathan Banks) realizes a scientific breakthrough has occurred and begs for them to prioritize bringing it back from the station and that is when things start to get weird. With a dreamlike and surreal shift between sequences, Constellation is oddly enthralling from the first episode.
The trouble begins when Jo returns to Earth and things are not quite what they seem to be. People are a little different, including her daughter. It soon becomes apparent that something is going on that could be insanity, a parallel universe, aliens, or any number of conspiracy theories. Over the eight-episode series, we follow as Jo investigates why her daughter does not seem like the Alice she remembers. Creatively, Constellation casts twin siblings Rosie Coleman and Davina Coleman as doppelganger daughters. Whether the actresses play individual versions or switch back and forth, the differences are slight enough that they add to the surreal nature of this series. At no point can you trust what you think watching this series and that kept me watching through the entire season. Rapace is fantastic even if this feels like a variation of a character she has played before in Prometheus, Lamb, What Happened To Monday, You Won’t Be Alone, and other films. Equally good is Jonathan Banks getting to play a character far different than Mike Ehrmentraut and showcasing his breadth of talent.
James D’Arcy, Barbara Sukowa, and William Catlett also add a lot to this story in supporting roles but the problem I continued to have watching this series is that as each episode unfolds, there are countless red herrings and misdirects dropped, many of which are not satisfactorily resolved. By the end of the season, I was caught off guard that so much was left open-ended. Constellation is a thinking person’s thriller that blends jump scares, character drama, and contemporary fads like liminal spaces to build a series that has high expectations and a strong cast but does not quite stick the landing. In many ways, Constellation is like an outer space-themed variation on the tones of Severence, Apple’s other substantial hit. The difference is that Constellation is split between focusing on the psychological and true supernatural elements with neither really getting enough attention.
Peter Harness, best known for writing the UK-based series McMafia, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, and Doctor Who created Constellation and wrote the series alongside Sean Jablonski and Ragna Wei. Directing duties were shared between Joseph Cedar, Oliver Hirschbiegel, and Michelle MacLaren. McLaren is one of the best directors working today who has not made the jump to the big screen despite being in contention to helm Wonder Woman. With extensive experience directing series like The Deuce, Westworld. and Game of Thrones, McLaren helms the first two episodes with an eye for the visual eerieness that becomes the hallmark of Constellation. Everything about this series is designed to make the viewer question reality and the sanity of the characters, something that McLaren and her fellow directors build into every episode. The muted colors and intricate shifting of the settings are augmented by the intercut scenes courtesy of the series editors as well as the score from Ben Salisbury and Suvi-Eeva Aikas. Any faults that Constellation has are a result of the complex nature of this story not quite coming together cohesively despite looking pretty damn good.
With limited series setting a precedent for stories to get wrapped up in a dozen chapters or less, Constellation is firmly designed as the first season in an ongoing series. The final episode sets up far more than it resolves and leaves viewers with a jaw-dropping final scene that will have some waiting excitedly for news of season two while others are going to be left scratching their heads. AppleTV+ has been a surprisingly vocal outlet for science-fiction programming of the highest quality as compared to other streaming platforms and I am thankful that a unique tale like this has made it to wide audiences. If Peter Harness and his creative team can mine Noomi Rapace and Jonathan Banks for the level of acting they deliver this season with a stronger collection of episodes, season two will make Constellation a series to be reckoned with.
Constellation premieres on February 21st on AppleTV+.
After reinvigorating the Predator franchise with 2022’s crowd-pleasing Prey, filmmaker Dan Trachtenberg is getting back behind the camera for a new Predator film titled Badlands. The project is not a sequel to Prey but is said to take place in the future. Badlands will feature a female lead, with Trachtenberg penning the story while Patrick Aison writes the screenplay.
Trachtenberg is going into lockdown mode for Badlands, meaning he’ll keep details about the film under lock and key. Reports say development for Badlands is already underway, with July targeted as the project’s production start date.
Following the success of Prey, which many hail as the second-best film in the Predator franchise (or the best, depending on who you talk to), Trachtenberg commented on hopes for a sequel, saying, “I can’t really say anything about that right now, but I’ll say while we were finishing the movie, we were having really exciting conversations. The studio, myself, the writer, and the producers about what crazy things could we do next. And I’ve never stopped, no one stopped thinking about how cool things could be going forward.”
Adding to the discussion, Trachtenberg says he never approached Prey like a movie destined to debut on the Hulu streaming service: “I was in denial about that, that it was for streaming. I don’t even know that I would think it’s for streaming anyway and shoot that, the studio was in denial. No one was thinking, ‘Oh, let’s make a concession for streaming.’ Maybe there may have been, I don’t know. But even when I’ve done commercials that I know and people say, ‘Oh, it’s people looking on their iPhone.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, we watched movies on our iPhone that were shot, we have to treat it all as if it was the best version of itself.’”
What do you think about Dan Trachtenberg returning to the Predator franchise for another hunt? Where and when could the story take place? Did 2022’s Prey rekindle your love of the wicked alien warrior? We’ll bring you more details as soon as we hear more about Dan Trachtenberg’s Badlands.
I need to sit down, as the Batgirl flashbacks are real, folks. Another unreleased film could get the axe as Warner Bros. Discovery is reportedly scrapping and deleting the live-action animated hybrid Coyote vs. Acme after plans to secure a buyer have failed.
According to TheWrap, Warner Bros. rejected offers from Amazon, Netflix, and Paramount, with Paramount proposing a theatrical release for the film, which Warner Bros. denied. The report says WB wanted $70-$80M for Coyote vs. Acme and refused to entertain counter offers. Adding salt to the wound, TheWrap says WB executives, including president David Zaslav, failed to watch the film’s final cut, coloring the move to scrap the project as misguided and ill-informed about the project’s quality. The report also says that two executives, CEOs, and Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group co-chairpersons Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, reportedly screened a “director’s cut” of the film. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation president Bill Damaschke watched an audience preview of the live-action animated comedy starring John Cena alongside classic Looney Tunes characters.
Reacting to the report, Carsten Kurpanek, who helped edit Coyote vs. Acme, voiced their frustration on Twitter while simultaneously revealing the film’s themes, saying, “Coyote vs. Acme is about a giant corporation choosing stock over empathy, doing nothing “illegal” but morally shady stuff for profit. It’s a David vs Goliath story. It’s about the cynical and casual cruelness of capitalism and corporate greed. No wonder Warner doesn’t want to #releaseCoyoteVsACME.”
#CoyoteVsAcme is about a giant corporation choosing stock over empathy, doing nothing "illegal" but morally shady stuff for profit. It's a David vs Goliath story. It's about the cynical and casual cruelness of capitalism and corporate greed.
“With the re-launch of Warner Bros. Pictures Animation in June, the studio has shifted its global strategy to focus on theatrical releases,” a WB Motion Picture Group spokesperson said in November. “With this new direction, we have made the difficult decision not to move forward with Coyote vs Acme. We have tremendous respect for the filmmakers, casts, and crew, and are grateful for their contributions to the film.”
Coyote vs. ACME had a production budget of $70 million, giving Warner Bros. an estimated $30 million write-down. It’s reportedly not worth the cost for Warner Bros. to release the film in theaters or accept offers made by premiere studios.
Director Dave Green took to X/Twitter in November to comment on Warner Bros.’ decision to put his movie in the vault. “For three years, I was lucky enough to make a movie about Wile E. Coyote, the most persistent, passionate, and resilient character of all time,” he wrote. “I was surround by a brilliant team, who poured their souls into this project for years. We were all determined to honor the legacies of these historic characters and actually get them right. Along the ride, we were embraced by test audiences who rewarded us with fantastic scores. I am beyond proud of the final product, and beyond devastated by WB’s decision. But in the spirit of Wile E. Coyote, resilience and persistence win the day.”
What do you think about Warner Bros. Discovery scrapping Coyote vs. Acme and refusing to negotiate with studios for a proper release? Do you believe the details about executives not screening the film before deciding on such drastic measures? Let us know in the comments section below.
The sci-fi horror A Quiet Place franchise is heading to New York with its latest entry, A Quiet Place: Day One, which is set to reach theatres on June 28th. A trailer for the film arrived online just a couple days ago, and now we know that this is also one of the movies that’s going to be promoted during the Super Bowl this Sunday. We know that because the “Big Game” TV spot has already made its way online, and you can check it out in the embed above!
While John Krasinski directed the previous two films, he is producing A Quiet Place: Day One and has passed the helming duties over to Michael Sarnoski, director of the Nicolas Cage drama Pig (watch it HERE). Jeff Nichols (Midnight Special) was attached to write and direct A Quiet Place: Day One for a while, but when he dropped out he was replaced by Sarnoski. The story, which is credited to Krasinski and Sarnoski, does take place in the same world established in the first two movies, but doesn’t involve the Abbott family, the characters we followed through the first two movies.
Deadline’s sources said that after seeing Pig and being blown away by the film, Krasinski was quick to put Sarnoski on the short list of directors to take a meeting for the project. While insiders say Sarnoski’s vision for the film was still his own and different from what Krasinski had done with the first two, he still gave a pitch that fit the tone of the world they had created and felt he was the perfect fit for their next installment.
Krasinski is producing A Quiet Place: Day One under his Sunday Night banner, while Michael Bay, Andrew Form, and Brad Fuller produce through their company Platinum Dunes. Krasinski’s Sunday Night partner Allyson Seeger serves as executive producer.
The film stars 12 Years a Slave Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o, Alex Wolff of Hereditary and Pig, and Joseph Quinn, who is better known as Eddie Munson from the most recent season of Stranger Things. Djimon Hounsou, who played “Man on Island” in A Quiet Place: Part II, reprises that role here.
Here’s the official synopsis: Experience the day the world went quiet.
Are you looking forward to A Quiet Place: Day One? What did you think of the “Big Game” TV spot? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
It’s hard not to think of the 80s without thinking of Anthony Michael Hall. From Sixteen Candles to The Breakfast Club to Weird Science, he was part of many all-time great and formative comedies. As he grew we saw him take on darker roles. I’ll always love him as the mean boyfriend from Edward Scissorhands and even USA’s The Dead Zone. 2021 saw him take over the role of Tommy Doyle in Halloween Kills and made three words infamous. There’s even a new project that he’s apart of with Netflix titled Trigger Warning that sounds like a female version of Roadhouse. He’s consistently stayed working for over 40 years and has been impressive while doing it. And thankfully, he’s open to discussing it all.
I was lucky enough to chat with the incredible actor for an upcoming film of his, Air Force One Down. While Hall isn’t in the film a ton, it’s a nice throwback to 90s action movies. Plus, when you finally get the chance to talk to the man about drunk Gary, you do it! He was absolutely lovely and gave great insight into the behind-the-scenes of some of his biggest classics. The man is truly humble and an absolute joy to talk with. They often say “Don’t meet your heroes” but in this instance, that could not be more wrong. Make sure you check out the interview above and hopefully, we can will that Righteous Gemstones role into existence!
Air Force One Down plot:
On her first assignment aboard Air Force One, a rookie Secret Service agent faces the ultimate test when terrorists hijack the plane, aiming to disrupt a big energy deal. With the president’s life on the line and a global crisis at stake, her bravery and her skills get pushed to the limit in a relentless battle that could change the course of history.
AIR FORCE ONE DOWN is In Select Theatres February 9, 2024 and Available to Buy On Digital February 13, 2024.
JoBlo.com recently launched a new weekly documentary series called 80s Horror Memories, where each year of the 1980s has five episodes dedicated to it. Looking back at 1980, we discussed Maniac, Dressed to Kill,Alligator, Friday the 13th, The Shining, Prom Night, and The Fog. The second five episodes were a journey through 1981, covering The Funhouse, The Burning, Friday the 13th Part 2,My Bloody Valentine, Halloween II, The Evil Dead, The Howling, and An American Werewolf in London, as well as the careers of horror hosts Elvira and Joe Bob Briggs. The next five were, of course, all about movies that came out in 1982: Conan the Barbarian, The Thing, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, and Poltergeist, with an examination of the short-lived 3-D boom along the way. For 1983, we talked about a trio of Stephen King adaptations, Jaws 3-D, Sleepaway Camp, the rise of TV horror anthologies, and Psycho II. For 1984, we covered the creation of the PG-13 rating, The Terminator, Gremlins, Ghostbusters, and A Nightmare on Elm Street. Our trip through 1985 included Teen Wolf, Re-Animator, A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy’s RevengeFriday the 13th: A New Beginning, Fright Night, Lifeforce, Day of the Dead, and The Return of the Living Dead. For 1986, we covered David Cronenberg’s The Fly, the horror comedies that were released during the year (including Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2), Aliens, the connection between horror movies and heavy metal, and David Lynch’s Blue Velvet. Now we’ve reached 1987, and we got our journey through this year started with looks at Hellraiser, RoboCop, and Predator. For the latest episode, we’re heading into the woods to watch Bruce Campbell battle Deadites in Sam Raimi’s horror comedy classic Evil Dead II! You can hear all about it in the embed above.
New episodes of 80s Horror Memories are released through the YouTube channel JoBlo Horror Originals every Friday.
Here’s the info on 80s Horror Memories: It’s been over 40 years since the decade that shaped the horror movie industry began and having lived through most of those years personally, we at JoBlo/Arrow in the Head have decided to create a 10-part documentary series in which not only cover every nook and cranny of the biggest horror themes from 1980 to 1989 but also what was happening in the world at the time. Join us as we walk down Horror Memory Lane!
And here’s the info on this particular episode: Evil Dead II sits in a precarious position of being the middle film of the trilogy and while the first one is pure horror and Army of Darkness delves into fantasy sci-fi action, Evil Dead II felt the need to really tow the line between horror and comedy. Today on 80s Horror Memories, we will see why Evil Dead II is such an important and enjoyable movie almost four decades later.
This episode of 80s Horror Memories was written by Andrew Hatfield, narrated by Tyler Nichols, edited by Mike Conway, produced by Berge Garabedian and John Fallon, co-produced by Mike Conway, and executive produced by Berge Garabedian. The score was provided by Shawn Knippelberg. Special Guest: Legendary special effects artist Greg Nicotero.
Let us know what you thought of this episode, plus share some of your own ’80s horror memories by leaving a comment!
Two of the previous episodes of 80s Horror Memories can be seen below. To see more of our shows, head over to the JoBlo Horror Originals channel – and subscribe while you’re at it!
The Ghostbusters: Afterlife (watch it HERE) sequel Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (which, of course, also serves as a sequel to the original Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II) is set to reach theatres on March 22nd, so the marketing machine is running at full steam. With the release date just weeks away, a new promo for the film has arrived online and can be seen in the embed above. In this promo, we see cast members discussing the “bigger, faster, scarier” ghosts we’ll see in this one, ghosts with names like Garraka, the Sewer Dragon, Pukey, and the Possessor.
Ghostbusters: Afterlife stars Finn Wolfhard and Mckenna Grace are back for the sequel, reprising the roles of Trevor and Phoebe. They’re joined in the cast by Carrie Coon, playing Trevor and Phoebe’s mom Callie; Paul Rudd, back as his Afterlife character Gary Grooberson; William Atherton as Walter Peck, the antagonistic EPA inspector from the first Ghostbusters film; Celeste O’Connor as Trevor’s friend Lucky Domingo; Logan Kim as Phoebe’s friend Podcast; Annie Potts as Janine Melnitz; and new additions Kumail Nanjiani (The Big Sick), Patton Oswalt (The King of Queens), James Acaster (Hypothetical), and Emily Alyn Lind (Doctor Sleep). And yes, original Ghostbusters Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Ernie Hudson are in the film as well, and it looks like they have more prominent roles than they had in the previous movie.
At first, Afterlife director Jason Reitman was expected to take the helm of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, once again directing from a screenplay he was writing with Gil Kenan – but then it was revealed that Kenan will actually be directing the new film. He previously directed the animated movie Monster House, the live-action films City of Ember, A Boy Called Christmas, and the remake of Poltergeist, and an episode of the Scream TV series.
Kenan has said that he drew inspiration from the Real Ghostbusters animated series and its willingness to be weird and wild when they were coming up with the ghostly threats in this film.
Are you looking forward to Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire? Let us know by leaving a comment below… but first, check out that ghost-minded promo.
Season two of The Terminal List is shaping up. It was recently announced that Umbrella Academy‘s Tom Hopper is joining the cast for this adaptation. Hopper is reportedly set to play Raife Hastings in Terminal List: Dark Wolf, who is described as “a hunter, protector, guardian and Navy SEAL.” Now Deadline has revealed that Westworld‘s Luke Hemsworth will now also be joining the fight in this season of The Terminal List. Hemsworth is on board to play Jules Landry, who is said to be “a self-obsessed CIA contractor who hides a dangerously volatile personality beneath his muscled veneer.” The two join the series’ stars Chris Pratt and Taylor Kitsch.
The development of the season is picking up steam after the production was unable to move forward with the writers’ and actors’ strikes taking place last summer. While promoting The Equalizer 3, executive producer and director Antoine Fuqua would express his antsy excitement to return to the series, saying, “We’ve been scouting and we’re ready to go. I love that franchise and that series.” Chris Pratt hyped up the next season, exclaiming, “For those who are fans of Taylor Kitsch‘s Ben Edwards, I’m happy to say that we’re also working on a spinoff series that will delve deeper into his story and follow his journey from a Navy SEAL to a CIA operative. And to make it even more exciting, I will also be appearing in this prequel series! I promise you it will be just as thrilling and engaging as The Terminal List.”
Author Jack Carr previously revealed that the second season would be based on his novel True Believer. In it, the American government offers Chris Pratt’s James Reece a deal. As the first season ended, he was among the world’s most wanted fugitives, as he’s technically a domestic terrorist. Yet, when a London holiday fair is attacked, Reese winds up having a connection to a shadowy Iraqi commando that the government needs, leading to them cutting him a deal.
Meanwhile, Luke Hemsworth can be seen in the upcoming Land of Bad, which stars his brother Liam Hemsworth along with Russell Crowe, Ricky Whittle and Milo Ventimiglia. Luke is also an executive producer on that film. The plot for that film involves “a covert Special Forces operation in the South Philippines spiraling into a brutal 48-hour battle for survival. When an elite extraction team is ambushed deep in enemy territory, rookie officer Kinney (Liam Hemsworth) is left outnumbered but determined to leave no man behind. With an air strike closing in, Kinney’s only hope hinges on the guidance of Air Force drone pilot Reaper (Crowe), navigating unknowable danger where every move could be their last.”
About eight months ago, we heard that Natasha Henstridge of the first two Species movies and John Carpenter’s Ghosts of Mars, among other credits, had signed on to star in Cinderella’s Revenge, which gives the classic fairy tale a horror twist. The film was in production in the UK at the time, with Andy Edwards (Zombie Spring Breakers) directing for Sobini Films. Cinderella’s Revenge has since made its way through post-production, and now The Wrap reports that it’s set to receive a theatrical release on April 26th, courtesy of Iconic Events. They note that this theatrical release is part of an exclusive deal with Regal, with Quiver Distribution handling all other rights in North America.
Starring Lauren Staerck (Curse of Jack Frost) as Cinderella, this gory twist on the fairy tale will show us what happens when Cinderella’s wicked stepsisters and stepmother push her too far, leading her to swap her glass slippers in pursuit of blood-soaked vengeance with the help of her Fairy Godmother. My immediate assumption was that Henstridge would be playing the wicked stepmother, but she actually takes on the role of the Fairy Godmother.
Henstridge and Staerck are joined in the cast of Cinderella’s Revenge by Stephanie Lodge (Jack & Jill: The Hills ofHell), Beatrice Fletcher (Wrath of Van Helsing), Megan Purvis (Cannibal Troll), Ricardo Freitas (Conjuring the PlasticSurgeon), Stephen Staley (Dinosaur Hotel), Mike Kelson (Dragon Fury: Wrath of Fire), William Marshall (Demons at Dawn), Peter Watson (Once Upon a Time in Hollyweird), Zach Devereux (Punch), and Darrell Griggs (Curse of the Scarecrow).
Cinderella’s Revenge is being produced by Mark L. Lester, Cami Winikoff, Jessica Mathis, and Sobini Films’ Mark Amin.
Lester (who is, yes, the same Mark L. Lester who directed films like Commando, Firestarter, Showdown in Little Tokyo,Armed and Dangerous, Class of 1984, Class of 1999, etc.) told The Wrap, “I’m so excited for audiences to see this newly imagined horror version of Cinderella in theaters. The picture is scary and fun at the same time and horror fans will love it.“
Are you interested in seeing fairy tales turned into horror movies? Will you be seeing Cinderella’s Revenge during its theatrical release? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.
It’s Oscar night 1987, Jeff Bridges and Sigourney Weaver are dressed up all fancy, ready to tear open that majestic envelope and read the name of the best supporting actor of the year. The competition was tough but when but the victor of the night was that of Sir Michael Caine for his wonderful performance in the Woody Allen flick Hannah and Her Sisters. The audiences erupted with applause as they celebrated Mr. Caine’s triumphant Oscar glory. But then silence nothing… the actor is nowhere to be found. Where could he be? What event could drag him away from this ceremony? Unfortunately, it would turn out the Michael Caine was stuck in the furious jaws of Universal and was out battling stupid sharks instead. That’s right, Michael Caine missed this Oscars because of Jaws: The Revenge. Was it worth it? Of the universally panned sharkie fourquel, Michael Caine said, “I have never seen it, but by all accounts, it is terrible. However, I have seen the house that it built, and it is terrific.”
But that the thing with Michael Caine is that he can be perfectly placed in Oscar winners and silly stinkers. And Michael Caine isn’t even his real name. He took his stage name from The Caine Mutiny, he birth name is Maurice Micklewhite, which is way too British even for Michael Caine. But this actor did give everyone a new type of British leading man to root for… the Cockney kind.
Hollywood legend John Wayne once look Michael in the eyes and said, “You’re gonna be a star.” and boy howdy was The Duke right. But, with his retirement seemingly official, have we seen the last of the cockney legend?
Caine was born Maurice Micklewhite on March 14, 1933 in London, England. His family was relocated twice due to German attacks during World War II. He would struggle personally and financially and would later say he owes his survival at this time to the generosity of his friends. This gratitude and humility would carry forward, even as Michael Caine would go on to appear in movies that grossed over 8 billion at the worldwide box office.
Michael Caine’s first credited movie appearance was in the 1956 war drama A Hill in Korea, a role he was well-suited to play as Michael served in the British Army and actually faced death in the Korean War, an experience that would shape him for the rest of his life. Fun Fact: Christopher Nolan would go on to use the same soundstage used for A Hill in Korea for Batman Begins.
Caine’s early years as an actor in the 1960s are among his most compelling. Take, for example, Caine’s breakout role in the epic war flick 1964’s Zulu. It would earn $8 million on a $1.72 million budget and remain in television circulation for decades. The movie and Caine’s performance as the redeemed Lieutenant were well-reviewed. It really was a big deal at the time for a Cockney actor to portray a posh officer, and that endeared Caine to the working class of Britain.
With his pay for spending three months in the mountains of South Africa, he bought his daughter a horse and set up his mother in a new flat. He takes care of his people. After finding out that he had a disabled half-brother that his mother hid from the rest of the family for over 40 years, Caine took care of him in his final years.
One of Michael Caine’s most iconic and enduring characters was borne out of his appearance as spy Harry Palmer in 1965’s The Ipcress File. Caine found comfort in the role. He said it was “more like the real me” than his showing in Zulu. Caine would reprise the role in 1966’s Funeral in Berlinand 1967’s Billion Dollar Brain. The Palmer character ran parallel to early Bond features, even overlapping some creative and crew. The character would come to be seen as the “anti-Bond”, more human, more relatable, more grounded, like Michael Caine himself. Palmer is like if Bond needed glasses and concerned himself more with paperwork and pay raises than saving the world. The character would be revisited with Caine’s portrayal in 1995’s Bullet to Beijingand 1996’s Midnight in St. Petersburg.
If Zuluwas Michael Caine’s big acting break, 1966’s Alfiewas his break-through. “To be a movie star, you have to carry a movie. And to carry a movie where you play the title role is the supreme example. The third thing, for a British actor, is to do it in America. The fourth is to get nominated for an award. That picture did all four things for me.” In Alfie, Caine portrayed the titular crass womanizer anti-hero to perfection, and the performance legitimized him as a leading man. It’s a poignant and engaging story that serves as snapshot of romance in the 1960s and shows that sometimes people really do get what they deserve.
The Alfierole earned Michael Caine his first Academy Award nomination. He would go on to be nominated for an Oscar for five consecutive decades from the 1960s to the 2000s.
Michael Caine stayed busy throughout the late-60s. Standouts include WWII film Battle of Britainfrom 1969 and the comic capers Gambitfrom 1966 and The Italian Jobfrom 1969, which is a super fun exploration of British culture in the 1960s and features an awesome car chase, if that’s your thing. Caine’s charisma jumps off the screen in this movie. It’s probably the coolest he’s ever looked, in a film, and that’s saying a lot.
Then came those not-so-swinging 70s and Caine’s best movies of the 1970s include 1971’s Get Carterwhich would get a Stallone remake that featured Caine, 1972’s Sleuth(he also starred in that 2007 remake), 1975’s The Man WhoWould be King, where he starred alongside longtime friend Sean Connery. Their chemistry is palpable in the film, and Caine plays off of Connery perfectly. Despite the star power of the leads and the film’s director John Huston, the film made just $13m on an $8m, budget. It was well-regarded by critics and certainly appreciated in the years to follow. 1977 saw A Bridge Too Far, which was a well-received all-star war epic that’s become a classic. But, as always the quality of his films were hard to predict, as that same year he made one of his worst films ever, The Swarm, whch he inexplicably followed up with 1979’s Beyond the Poseidon Adventurefor the same director,whichis a pretty good lesson in how not to do a sequel.
Sometimes, Caine’s reasoning for taking roles could be questionable. Alfred Hitchcock wanted Michael for 1972’s Frenzy, but Caine refused “the part of a sadist who murdered women…a real killer who cut women to smithereens”. Hitchcock would balk at the rejection and hold a grudge against Caine that would last the rest of the legendary horror director’s life and just cast a dude who looks like Caine. Caine’s reasons for turning down Frenzy are rather odd considering his performance in Brain de Palma’s masterpiece Dressed to Killin 1980 which is basically a homage to Hitchcock and spoiler alert Caine is the killer. This Michael Caine shaped woman turned out to be Michael Caine in drag!
Other notable films include 1981’s Victory(opposite Sly!) and 1982’s Deathtrap. 1983 saw Educating Rita, which Caine says is his favorite of his films and features the performance he’s most proud of. He counts The Magus(1968), The Swarm (1978) and Ashanti(1979) among his worst. In Educating Rita, Caine’s genuine approach makes what would otherwise be a pretty unbelievable relationship believable. 1986’s Hannah and Her Sisters would net Caine the only Academy Award for a Woody Allen- directed male actor. Caine portrayed honest love and affection in an endearing and sincere way.
Indeed, Caine would earn his first Oscar as Elliot in Hannah and Her Sisters in 1987 and as you know missed the ceremony due to filming for Jaws: The Revenge. It’s a shame that Caine missed that ceremony, because when he did make an award speech, it was usually a memorable one. In his 1999 Golden Globe speech, for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for his role inLittle Voice, he quipped,
“My career must be slipping; this is the first time I’ve ever been available to pick up an award…I used to take every script that came in, and so I made a lot of crap. And a lot of money. So now I have enough money to be artistic and wait.” While some may not like Caine’s politics or may claim he comes off as arrogant, the peaks of his career are largely unassailable. If there’s any professional criticism that can be levied at Michael Caine, he was certainly never one to turn down a role, even if the movie was, as he said it, “crap”.
There was the genre-bending neo-noir Mona Lisaand 1988’s Dirty Rotten Scoundrelsis a fantastic comedic conman remake of the Marlon Brando-starring Bedtime Storyfrom 1964. Frank Oz of Muppet fame ably tapped into the great dynamic between Michael Caine and Steve Martin. Caine held his own with and even at times exceeded Martin, when it came to the comedic aspects of the role. 1992 brought us The Muppet Christmas Carol. Caine carries the movie as the lead Ebenezer Scrooge, playing it straight while having Muppets as his supporting actors, which is the best way to tell this type of story.
And then Michael Caine took on Tom Cruise, Jude Law, Haley Joel Osment, Michael Clarke Duncan in an epic Oscar battle royal in the Best Supporting Actor category. Look at that, I think this is my favorite group of nominees, such an interesting and wonderfully unusual bunch. But it was old man Michael who would reign supreme with 1999’s The Cider House Rules. It is visually beautiful and endearing, but it can lose you at times during its over 2-hour runtime but never Caine is on screen. Its a gentle heartbreaking performance which comes off like a loving grandfather wishing you goodnight… he may very well be my favorite cinematic abortionist.
He was in the 2000 anti-censorship film Quillsalong side Miss Congenialitywhich saw financial success, as did 2002’s Austin Powers in Goldmember. Mike Meyers has said that his own character drew inspirations from Caine’s iconic characters. Caine’s role reflected his recurring spy character Harry Palmer. After the film Last Orders, Caine gave one of his best performances in 2002’s The Quiet American, adapted from a Graham Greene Novel. Caine gives his characteristic measured and seemingly effortless performance and aids in the film’s flow through his narration.
Caine would consider retirement in 2003 before leaning into his typecasting as a sage advisor for 2005’s Batman Beginsand 2006’s The Prestige. Christopher Nolan, who would collaborate with Caine on an 18-year, 8-film streak, offered Caine his own poignant advice when pitching him 2005’s Batman Begins. “Read the bloody script.” Caine knew that at his age, he wouldn’t be playing the eponymous Batman, but didn’t know just how integral the role of Alfred was. With Michael Caine portraying him, the role, like many of his others, became iconic.
He went decidedly off-type for the excellent 2006 film Children of Men. Michael Caine farting and smoking weed on camera was unprecedented. Batman Begins marked the beginning of a series that stands as the best depiction of Batman on the silver screen. Caine’s depiction of his confidant Alfred helps ground the Christian Bale rendition of the superhero and the story. The Prestigeis Christopher Nolan in rare form, featuring a masterful blend of period and modernity and supplying genuinely surprising twists that are even more fun upon rewatch. Alfonso Cuarón’s Children of Menstretches across genres and nails them all while deftly exploring themes that are both relevant and timeless.
Caine reprised the role of Batman’s butler Alfred in 2008’s The Dark Knight, the best in a fantastic 3-movie series. While his passing and performance drew a lot of the focus on the movie toward Heath Ledger, Alfred continued to represent the audience’s perspective and father figure to Bruce. But Alfred is also more than that. He creates and enables logistical aspects of Batman’s plans and offers insight when Batman can’t see the bigger picture. “Endure, Master Wayne. Take it. They’ll hate you for it, but that’s the point of Batman, he can be the outcast. He can make the choice that no one else can make, the right choice.” Michael Caine was “the right choice” for Alfred, expressing love and loyalty through delivery in a way few can.
Michael Caine started the 2010s with another Christopher Nolan blockbuster: 2010’s Inception, wherein he portrayed (shocker) sage advisor Miles. Inceptionwas well-received for its original concept and innovative visual style. Leonardo DiCaprio and Joseph Gordon Levitt are largely the focus of the film, but Caine, as he so often has been throughout his career, is the glue that holds the crew and story together. Caine would venture into voice acting for 2011’s Gnomeo and Julietand Cars 2 before returning as Alfred to close the Nolan Batman trilogy with The Dark Knight Risesin 2012. He portrayed Arthur Tressler in 2013’s magic heist film Now You See Meand its 2016 sequel. He subtly and gradually introduced a subversive turn in a way that maximized what the script offered. Caine saw great box office success in 2014 with Nolan’s Interstellarand Matthew Vaughn’s Kingsman: The Secret Service. Caine brought a sense of urgency to a character that was committed to his goals, no matter the fallout. Interstellaris a visually stunning exploration of common Nolan concepts: memory, the passage of time, perceptions and conceptions of reality. It’s a film that really makes you feel and think.
Caine’s portrayal of Fred Ballinger in 2015’s Youthmight be the best thing about the movie, though the movie is impressive visually, as well. It just sometime feels like the actors, Michael Caine included, are doing the best they can with what they have, rather than telling a fully realized story. Following voiceover work for 2017’s Dunkirk, Caine’s last collaboration with Christopher Nolan as of early 2024 was in 2020’s Tenet, which didn’t break even financially and was met with mixed reviews. It just often feels in watching that the stunning visuals and intense plot are happening around the characters rather than to them. It’s not a bad movie, but Nolan sets an incredibly high bar, especially for his fans. I’m sure its a head of its time but we are still in its time.
Caine once said, “The basic rule of human nature is that powerful people speak slowly and subservient people quickly, because if they don’t speak fast nobody will listen to them.” He would combine these approaches to form his unique and influential voice. he gets what he wants. like he saw this woman in a coffee commercial, thought she was beautiful, tracked her down, married her and now they are celebrating their 50th anniversary cuz true love.
This fricking legend of a man considered himself retired in 2023, perhaps finishing strong with The Great Escaper, which was well received by critics and audiences. He has said that roles portraying 90-year-old supporting characters don’t excite him like they used to. He’s also said “I retire all the time, and then a script arrives and tempts me out of retirement.” Michael Caine not being featured in 2023’s Oppenheimerseems to have come down to a scheduling conflict. Or maybe he really is serious about retirement. Who knows? Maybe Christopher Nolan or the right script can tempt him out of retirement for another go-round.
Nolan kept Caine on his sets for so long because of his immense acting ability, but also for the example he sets for other actors when it comes to preparation and professionalism. Whether we’ve seen the last Michael Caine film or not, he has left an indelible legacy on the world of television and film. And through his perseverance through his early struggles, he has reminded us all, “Why Do We Fall, Sir? So That We Can Learn To Pick Ourselves Up.”
