Sean Astin may not be getting the Goonies sequel he’s hoping for, but he does have a role in an upcoming movie that has a shot at achieving cult classic status: a horror comedy called The Invisible Raptor, which will be receiving a theatrical and digital release (courtesy of Well Go USA) on December 6th. The film had its world premiere at the 2023 Sitges Film Festival and currently, with seven reviews, has a 100% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Directed by Mike Hermosa from a screenplay by Mike Capes and Johnny Wickham, The Invisible Raptor has the following synopsis: After a top-secret experiment goes wrong, a hyper-intelligent invisible raptor escapes the lab and begins wreaking havoc in the surrounding neighborhood. When the creature’s identity is uncovered, it soon becomes clear that a disgraced paleontologist—alongside his ex-girlfriend, an unhinged amusement park security guard, and a local celebrity chicken farmer—is the town’s only hope for surviving the raptor’s ravenous rampage.
Astin is joined in the cast by writer Mike Capes (For the Win), David Shackelford (True Detective), Caitlin McHugh Stamos (The Vampire Diaries), Sandy Martin (Napoleon Dynamite), Larry Hankin (Friends), Richard Riehle (Office Space), and Vanessa Chester (The Lost World: Jurassic Park).
Hermosa previously directed the horror thriller Dutch Hollow, the drama The Righteous and the Wicked, and the comedy The Head Thieves, among other credits. In addition to writing and starring in the film, Capes also produced it alongside Wickham, Hermosa, Nic Neary, and William Ramsey. Bobby Gilchrist served as an executive producer, with Derek Alvarado, Marco Dapper, and Tyler Gildred as associate producers.
The positive reviews of The Invisible Raptor have described it as “the smart version of a stupid movie,” “hilariously dumb,” “downright batshit,” “joyously silly,” and “inventive throughout,” and it’s said to have “likeable characters” and some “genuinely entertaining gore.” That sounds like a good time to me, so hopefully a trailer will be dropping online soon.
Are you interested in The Invisible Raptor, and does this sound like a movie you’d like to check out December? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.
There’s nothing like the first time. Your first published novel. Your first Prom. First telekinetic murder spree. Whatever. In the case of the 1974 novel, Carrie, it was Stephen King’s first time having a book published. It would also be the first piece of his work to ever grace the silver screen. Carrie would be released in 1976 on its way to becoming an all-time horror classic. In the film, Sissy Spacek plays an extremely shy and sheltered High School girl who is bullied relentlessly at home and school. At home, her mother is a complete and total nutbar salad who has weaponized her religious beliefs against her daughter. She locks her in the closet with this little coked-out Jesus statue and has for all intents and purposes ruined her chance at a normal life. One day at school, Carrie gets her period for the first time while in the community showers. Because she’s been neglected at home, the poor girl has no idea what is happening to her. She, after an alarmingly odd shower sequence, freaks out and starts begging for help, rubbing her blood all over the other girls. Which, to be fair, is super gross. But she didn’t know any better. The other girls then laugh at her and throw tampons and pads at her, while chanting, “Plug it up!” Basically, your average Philadelphia Eagles visitors section experience. In the end, these breathtakingly mean kids go one step too far. She’s voted prom queen only to have a bucket of pig blood dumped on her head on the stage in front of everyone. Naturally, she freaks the f*ck out and uses her newfound telekinesis powers to lock everyone in the school before taking her revenge in one glorious bloodbath. And you thought Diddy’s parties were bad.
The Carrie freak out moment is the staple of the movie and what has shockingly become a four film franchise. So, today on “The Best of the Bad Guys”, we’ll honor this moment across the entire franchise. Consisting of the original film, one of the worst sequels to exist in the history of mankind, a made for TV remake, and another remake in 2013. Each of them with their very own Carrie freakout. Every one of these scenes, no matter how awful, have something to offer. Now plug it up and break out your dirty pillows. Let’s get into it! Let’s start with the first, and best: Brian DePalma’s 1976 classic, Carrie.
CARRIE (1976)
When the bucket of pig blood finally unleashes upon Carrie in the final act, it’s almost a relief for the audience. This because the tension leading up to it was almost excruciating as DePalma slowly unraveled the inevitable. Complete with these extremely uncomfortably up-close shots of Nancy Allen licking her lips. The tension keeps simmering post literal blood bath, as we are forced to be a party to the inner workings of Carrie’s brain breaking down like a Temu-bought toaster oven. Finally, she flashes the best crazy eyes in the franchise and the masterclass in filmmaking begins.
It is undeniable that the original is not only the best overall of the freak-out scenes but it is the most expertly crafted from behind the camera. We are treated to a split screenshot where can both see Carrie direct her symphony-o-death from the stage and witness the violence in real-time.
As the doors shut, that one escalating note from the score screeches out, and the lights turn bright red…. the aura is unmatched. It’s a truly frightening moment where all these annoying shits have finally poked the bear one too many times and you can feel the world crack beneath your feet.
Pandemonium ensues, the score dances with the technical sounds of electrical mayhem, and the gym teacher is doing what she loves most: striking kids in the face out of love. The firehose that comes to life has a snake-like creepiness to it, and cruelly sprays Norma in the face continuously after she’s stopped responding. She does NOT see anything she likes.
The gym teacher gets it here when a structure from the ceiling snaps and violently strikes her midsection. Multiple folks are electrocuted and finally, the stage is lit up in flames. Carrie’s walk out moment here, like most moments in the original, was far and away more frightening than anything that would come after. The way she almost floats out of the school doors is haunting. It goes without saying. This is the best of them all. But the others have their moments too! No, really! Come on!
THE RAGE: CARRIE 2 (1999)
In a shocking show of Hollywood restraint, the story of Carrie sat dormant for twenty-two years. Then, a script titled The Curse was reformatted 10 Cloverfield Lane style to become a sequel titled The Rage: Carrie 2. THE RAGE, MICHAEL! The story was different, but it all ended the same. A teenage girl with kinetic abilities was bullied to the brink before she went berserker style on a bunch of assholes, this time at a party not unlike the one Stu Macher threw in Scream.
When Mark (who I swear to God looks just like a third Dillon brother but isn’t) and the Home Improvement kid show a video of Rachel losing her virginity on their Buffalo Wild Wings sized monitors for everyone to see… she finally snaps. And believe me, we were all rooting for her at this point. For some dumb reason Rachel’s heart tattoo begins to beat and spreads across her body as she makes “I have to use the bathroom” face before the room comes crashing down. Chandeliers fall, glass goes flying, and heads literally roll. As the massacre unfolds, you have to give credit to the sweet double impalement with the fire poker. Then, she goes full Hellraiser III and starts firing CDs at everyone. Because the ’90s, bro.
Rachel sets Mark Wahlberg’s pool house on fire as Finch from American Pie looks on in his bucket hat… and things haven’t even begun to get stupid. The kids collect weapons to fight her with as she stands there like an idiot in the living room. Will someone please find her Papa Roach CD and return it already? The camera inexplicably goes into black and white mode and you KNOW her eyes are getting tired from her holding them open like that this entire time. We finally make our way to the pool when she telekinetically explodes the eyeballs of the girl holding the speargun. The victim… and here’s the best part… then turns around and fires it, double-kill style through Tim the Tool-man’s son’s man bits. Outstanding. *Shia LaBeouf clap*
Finally, the last bad guy dies by drowning after being too stupid to duck a pool cover and blinks himself to death in the water. Then her mom shows up and oh my God who cares, this movie is atrocious. But it does have the most Jason Voorhees-esque kills of all Carrie’s freak outs. Even though it’s not Carrie. Her name is Rachel. Not even the title makes sense.
CARRIE (2002)
In 2002, Bryan Fuller penned a television re-imagining of the original film, starring Angela Bettis (May). This would end in mostly the same way but would incorporate ideas from the original novel for the first time. Such as the telling of the story through the POV of the townsfolk, and the added emphasis on Carrie burning the entire town down. It would, though, tack on an ending where Carrie survived and went missing in the hopes that NBC could follow up with a TV series. This never happened.
If you’re wondering what the same Carrie freak-out scene in 1976 looks like in 2002 with the new technologies the world has to offer? Don’t. I understand we’re dealing with a made-for-TV movie; but what in The Langoliers special FX quality level ass is going on here?
I do love that a guy gets his arm stuck in the doors as she shuts them… but nothing can save us from these quick camera cuts and Windows Movie Studio 2001 effects. Some weird Halloween 6 score style guitar squeals and OH MY GOD she murders a girl with a basketball hoop! Fantastic idea. Inexcusable execution. This was 2002! Why does this all look like a 1997 CD Rom game? They didn’t even bother putting a net on it for God’s sake!
Every film gets a participatory trophy here on Best of the Bad Guys. So, the one and only thing I give this version of Carrie credit for is that it follows the original book in a way the others don’t. We actually focus a little bit more on the devastation she caused away from the school and through the POV of others. I also do enjoy that this tiny little film decided “f*ck it, we’re going to show it all. Twelve dollar budget or not.” There are absolutely atrocious looking scenes. But the willingness to go for it and show the whole scope of the city burning in a way none of the other films did is respectable. I also love the Night of the Twisters vibe in all of these downtown scenes. Look at some of the graphics in the shots! I mean that’s just hilarious. Carrie 2002 is the ballsiest, funniest, and most shameless of the films. That’s something.
CARRIE (2013)
In 2013, a sometimes shot-for-shot remake of the original film was forced upon us. Though there was already a perfect version of the film right there on home video. I digress. The main differences are an opening shot of the home birth of Carrie (which is actually pretty messed up) and an ending that goes full-on Final Destination-style 2000s schlock. The film has the gall to ask us to believe that Chloe Grace Moretz was the ugly duckling of her high school. It also asks Julianne Moore to do a straight up impression of one of the most amazingly awkward performances of all time in Piper Laurie’s Margaret White.
The main freak-out of 2013 starts as unimpressively as you’d expect. We have to deal with an awkward Ansel Elgort “What the hell!?!” that has the intensity of someone whose mom bought the wrong kind of Lunchables. “You know I hate turkey! GOD!” The film removes moral ambiguity by cutting the grey area from some of the high schoolers. Tommy was genuinely a good guy and it’s his death that sets Carrie off. So on, so forth. But the thing that really sets the film apart is what comes next…. when Carrie snaps and goes full on Ghost Ship opening sequence.
She throws her kinetic weight at the crowd with such a force, they go bowling over in hilarious fashion. It’s a pretty awesome shot, even if the CGI is blatant. The moment is capped off by an amazingly stupid and fun shot of a teen flying face-first into a door that doubles as the camera lens. It’s no DePalma, but I’ll be goddamned if it doesn’t tickle you a little bit. This is one of those moments where you remember Carrie was a RealD 3D and IMAX release at the time. Because when you think of 3D, you think of Carrie. Maybe in the next remake they’ll develop a technology that actually throws tampons at the audience. It’s horrid. But it’s pretty entertaining.
Actually, one of the best scenes of all the Carrie freakouts belongs to 2013. When Carrie does a quick “Your soul is mine” to a runaway and chomps his ass up in the moving bleachers. Excellent death. Original. No notes. We also see some twins get focused on as they are trampled to death with a high-heeled twist. Carrie again eschews the original film’s moral ambiguity by sparing the gym teacher before literally superhero flying away. Just her creepily floating out wasn’t good enough. Harder, faster, faster, dumber.
Our most obnoxiously hate-able Billy and Chris of all the films sit in their car having another stupid conversation between the American Horror Story rejects when Carrie finds them. Personally, I’ll take the quick and creepy, choppy style death and camerawork of the original… but some will find more joy in watching Billy get literally wrecked in slow motion here. Not to mention the slow motion shot we get of left in the oven too long Lindsay Lohan faceplanting into the windshield. It’s a weirdly cut-off shot but satisfying, nonetheless. I leave it to you folks… comment below… the original death of Billy and Chris? Or does this one satisfy your bloodlust more?
To give each film their final flowers, I’d say the 2002 remake gives us the closest story to the book. The 2013 film gives us a gnarlier look at the death scenes. Carrie 2 gives us one of the worst sequels to ever exist. Finally, the original has the best camera work, cinematography, acting, scares, and suspense of them all. They even had the scariest Jesus statue! GOOD GOD that’s horrifying.
Time for US to plug it up! Hope you enjoyed this video and will check out our previous versions of Best of the Bad Guys for everyone from Freddy Krueger to Damien Thorne. Have a great day and thanks for hanging out!
A couple of the previous episodes of The Best of the Bad Guys can be seen below. To see more, click over to the JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel – and subscribe while you’re there!
Earlier this year, The Horror Collective announced that they’ll be bringing us a Christmas-set (and 80s-set) slasher called He Sees You When You’re Sleeping this holiday season – and now we know exactly when we’ll have the chance to watch the movie! He Sees You When You’re Sleeping will be receiving a digital and VOD release on November 1st, and with that date right around the corner, a trailer for the film has dropped online. You can check it out in the embed above.
Directed by Charlie Steeds, who is also producing the film with Tom Malloy under his Trick Candle Productions banner, He Sees You When You’re Sleeping has the following synopsis: A young man’s Christmas homecoming turns into a nightmare as a killer in a Santa suit gruesomely picks off his estranged, wealthy family for their fortune.
Shaked Berenson, CEO of The Horror Collective’s partner company Entertainment Squad, is also a producer on the project.
Genre veterans Caroline Williams (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2), Lauren-Marie Taylor (Friday the 13th Part 2), and Nicholas Vince, who is best known for playing the Chatterer Cenobite in Hellraiser and Hellbound: Hellraiser II are in the cast, starring alongside David Lenik (An English Haunting) and Peyton Michelle Edwards (Goodbye Honey).
Steeds provided the following statement: “I knew David Lenik’s campy Christmas-themed slasher would be a blast to direct. It’s set in the 80s and we filmed on location in New York State. The script draws inspiration from horror classics such as Black Christmas, Scream and Silent Night, Deadly Night, which are all films I adore.“
Berenson added: “Christmas horror films blend holiday cheer with thrilling chills, offering a fresh and exciting twist on traditional celebrations. They’re perfect for those looking to spice up their holiday viewing.“
And Malloy, who also has an acting role in the film, had this to say: “I loved the title and loved the script, and was excited to work with filmmaker Charlie Steeds, whose work I’ve known for years.“
Charlie Steeds’ previous directing credits include Gods of the Deep, Freeze, The Haunting of the Tower of London, Werewolf Castle, A Werewolf in England, Vampire Virus, Death Ranch, An English Haunting, Winterskin, The House of Violent Desire, The Barge People, Escape from Cannibal Farm, and Deadman Apocalyse. I can’t say I’ve seen his previous works yet, but the fact that He Sees You When You’re Sleeping is an 80s-set Santa slasher with Caroline Williams and Lauren-Marie Taylor in the cast means I’m guaranteed to watch this one.
What did you think of the trailer for He Sees You When You’re Sleeping? Will you be watching this movie? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
The Jake Paul/Mike Tyson bout is officially a month away and Netflix has released the trailer to their first foray into live combat sports. The match was postponed from the summer after Tyson suffered a small health issue and the event is now set to take place on Friday, November 15 at 8pm ET / 5pm PT.
The official description from Netflix reads, “Netflix and Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) present a heavyweight boxing mega-event headlined by international superstar Jake “El Gallo” Paul (10-1, 7 KOs) vs. the Baddest Man on the Planet, Mike Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs). Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson will stream live globally, exclusively on Netflix on Friday, November 15, 2024 at 8pm ET / 5pm PT from the 80,000-seat capacity AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. In the co-main event, Matchroom’s undisputed super lightweight world champion Katie Taylor (23-1, 6 KOs) will defend her undisputed title over 10, two-minute rounds against boxing trailblazer and unified featherweight world champion Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano (47-2-1, 31 KOs) in the most anticipated rematch in women’s boxing history. Also on the main card will be the 12-round men’s championship fight for the WBC welterweight title between reigning champion Mario “El Azteca” Barrios (29-2, 18 KOs) vs. Abel Ramos (28-6-2, 22 KOs) and a 6-round super middleweight fight between India’s number one boxer and MVP’s first international signee Neeraj Goyat (18-4-2, 8 KOs) vs. Brazil’s multi-talented superstar Whindersson Nunes (2-2-1, 1 KO combined boxing record).
Netflix previously announced COUNTDOWN: PAUL VS. TYSON, a three-part documentary series with intimate access to the fighters; Episodes 1 and 2 will premiere November 7, Episode 3 will premiere November 12.”
The sanctioned fight was approved by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations and will consist of eight two-minute rounds (instead of the usual three-minute rounds). Both boxers will wear 14-ounce gloves, heavier than the standard gloves.
Earlier this summer, Tyson released the statement after the postponement, “Although we had to postpone the fight, I will resume training shortly. I am thankful to the medical staff that treated me and to MVP, Netflix, and AT&T Stadium for working diligently to find the best reschedule date for all parties. While we have a new date, the result will be the same no matter when we fight. Jake Paul is getting knocked out. On Friday, November 15, watch this in-person at AT&T Stadium or live on Netflix.”
Happy 30th to Pulp Fiction. Quentin Tarantino made a grand entrance with Reservoir Dogs, but it was 1994’s Pulp Fiction that solidified him as the director to watch with his unique brand of intermingling stories and 70s-inspired aesthetics. For the 30th anniversary, Pulp Fiction is returning to the silver screen in October for special presentations featuring pristine new 35mm prints in select theatres across the U.S. In addition, the film will be released on 4K Ultra HD in a 30th Anniversary Collector’s Edition on December 3, 2024, from Paramount Home Entertainment.
Pulp Fiction was such a milestone that not only did it catapult Tarantino’s career immensely, but the film would also become the comeback for John Travolta and it would be the breakout for Samuel L. Jackson. He would be a standout early on in the film with a Bible verse monologue right before executing an unlucky individual. Jackson celebrates the 30th anniversary of his life-changing film with a small video on his Instagram where he shows he can still recite the passage.
“30 years later, the acclaimed and award-winning film continues to thrill new generations of fans with its infinitely quotable dialogue, superb cast, ingenious plot, and chart-topping soundtrack,” reads Paramount’s official press release for the upcoming Pulp Fiction event.
The star-studded cast of Pulp Fiction includes John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, Maria de Medeiros, Ving Rhames, Eric Stoltz, Rosanna Arquette, Christopher Walken, and Bruce Willis. Each actor brings something unique to Pulp Fiction, a film known for its whip-smart dialogue, endless quotability, cutting sense of humor, selective gore, social commentary, overwhelming intensity, satisfying needle drops, and an iconic dance sequence that fans love to recreate.
You’ll find a list of participating theaters for Pulp Fiction‘s 30th Anniversary screenings:
Vista (Los Angeles) 10/4 – 10/10
Music Box (IL) 10/6, 10/8, 10/10
Artcraft (IN) 10/6, 10/9
Coolidge (MA) 10/6, 10/9
Alamo South Lamar (TX) 10/1, 10/2
Trylon (MN) 10/3, 10/5, 10/6
Metrograph (NY) 10/4, 10/5, 10/6
Hollywood (OR) 10/10
Plaza (GA) 10/6, 10/7, 10/10
In addition to theatrical screenings, Pulp Fiction will be presented on both 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray in a new Limited-Edition set that also includes extensive legacy bonus content and access to a Digital copy of the film in a collectible premium slipcase, a new slipcover with pop-up artwork, lobby card reproductions, photography select sheet, and decals. Bonus content is detailed below:
4K Ultra HD
Not the Usual Mindless Boring Getting to Know You Chit Chat
Here are Some Facts on the Fiction
Enhanced Trivia Track
Blu-ray
Cannes Film Festival – Palme d’Or Acceptance Speech
Not the Usual Mindless Boring Getting to Know You Chit Chat
Here Are Some Facts on the Fiction
Pulp Fiction: The Facts – Documentary
Deleted Scenes
Behind the Scenes Montages
Production Design Featurette
Siskel & Ebert “At the Movies”- The Tarantino Generation
For years, those behind the scenes of The Simpsons have been constantly questioned about when the show will end — and this is mostly coming from fans. Sure, the show is well past its prime, but that doesn’t meant there aren’t a few tricks up the sleeve, as demonstrated in season 36 opener “Bart’s Birthday”, which set itself up as The Simpsons’ series finale. Obviously it wasn’t, and unfortunately for some of the producers, they are only fielding more questions about when and how the longest-running sitcom ever will wrap up.
While producer Al Jean — who joined The Simpsons during its infancy — acknowledges that the show is probably nowhere near its finale, he did think the season opener gave a good opportunity to address the topic. “The idea was we’ve been asked that question so many times that we wanted to close further discussion of it. It’s not coming to an end, as far as I know, and that’s why it was the premiere — so people wouldn’t think it was the last episode. And I thought we were able to make a lot of statements. A lot of statements were made in that show that were very good about last episodes.”
Jean also cited The Sopranos finale as one in which the audience doesn’t necessarily get everything they expect, something that fellow showrunner Matt Selman also thinks could lend to a satisfying finale for The Simpsons. As he told People, “I just hope it’s just a regular episode with no Winky Winky stuff at all. Just a great family story, just like a classic story that’s just funny and involves the whole family and doesn’t feel like it needs to wrap up anything or change anything or tie anything up or be magic or talk to the audience directly.”
The Simpsons may be nearing 800 episodes, but that doesn’t mean the finale is in sight. Really, at this point, they may as well take it to 1,000, which would put it around season 46, a truly cromulent number to even think of. Outside of the contracted episodes, the show also has a number of specials lined up.
Do you see The Simpsons reaching its series finale before episode #1,000? What remains your all-time favorite episode?
Jeremy Strong played Kendall Roy for all four seasons of HBO’s Succession, but he has no intention of ever returning to that world. During an interview with The Times of London, Strong said that playing the role “f***ed me up” so much that he “sometimes lost touch with joy.“
“That show was an incalculable gift. The material a banquet. So I miss that,” Strong said. “But Kendall’s struggle was difficult to carry for seven years. And there’s just so much more I want to do… It’s not something I have any wish to do any longer. I’m aware it is one of the main chapters of my life, but I don’t miss it.“
Strong famously went deep into method acting (which his on-screen father Brian Cox disagreed with) while playing Kendall Roy, and when the series concluded, he immediately lept into his next gig to put Succession behind him. “I went right into Roy Cohn, partly just to sort of shake [‘Succession’] off,” Strong said. “Roy Cohn, you can’t overstate his influence in our country, his legacy of the denial of reality and certain things that he imparted to Donald Trump. His playbook has a tentacular reach that is staggering — the most fascinating person I’ve ever tried to inhabit. I should say a disclaimer: My job is to be a humanistic investigator of a subject and to withhold judgment. So while I personally might have a lot of judgment about Roy Cohn, that is not the part of me that engages in the creative work.”
The Apprentice spent months struggling to find a domestic distributor as Donald Trump’s legal team attempted to block its release, but it is now playing in theaters. Our own Chris Bumbray found it to be a “thoroughly entertaining film with a broader appeal than you might think” and considered Strong to be the true star. “Strong initially plays Cohn as a diabolical figure who uses Trump as a pawn in his own desire for power. But as the film goes on, we see that Cohn, in his own way, grew to love Trump as a surrogate son, only to be discarded as his profile became toxic and he lost what made him so fearful of an opponent,” Bumbray wrote. “His tragedy is nearly Shakespearean, and he makes you see that the human (and soul) is a man many consider utterly repugnant.” You can check out the rest of his review right here.
Is it time for this “talkies” fad to come to an end? I certainly think so. Films should be seen, not heard! Dune director Denis Villeneuve recently spoke at a BFI London Film Festival event (via ScreenDaily) and expressed his desire to make his own silent movie one day.
“I love dialogue, but not [always] in cinema,” Villeneuve said. “I hope one day I will be able to make a film that will not use spoken language. I try as much as possible to use the power of images.” Following a clip of a climactic scene in Dune: Part Two, Villeneuve added, “Zendaya gave an incredible performance, where she has mostly no dialogue but just the reactions – and we understand the tragedy.“
This isn’t the first time Villeneuve has expressed his preference for imagery over dialogue in movies. “I don’t remember movies because of a good line, I remember movies because of a strong image. I’m not interested in dialogue at all,” the director said earlier this year. “Pure image and sound, that is the power of cinema, but it is something not obvious when you watch movies today. Movies have been corrupted by television.“
Silent movies largely became extinct after Hollywood embraced sound. However, there have been a number of silent films (or largely dialogue-free) produced in the decades since, most notably The Artist, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2012.
Villeneuve is currently working on the third installment of the Dune franchise, but he recently said that he doesn’t view Dune 3 as the completion of a trilogy. “First, it’s important that people understand that for me, it was really a diptych,” Villeneuve said. “It was really a pair of movies that will be the adaptation of the first book. That’s done and that’s finished. If I do a third one, which is in the writing process, it’s not like a trilogy. It’s strange to say that, but if I go back there, it’s to do something that feels different and has its own identity.“
Would you like to see a silent movie directed by Denis Villeneuve?
The first Joker movie made over $1 billion worldwide and scored Joaquin Phoenix an Academy Award for Best Actor. Getting the ball rolling on a sequel was the obvious move, but unfortunately, Joker: Folie à Deux is bombing at the box office, and Variety reports it could lose the studio at least $150 million to $200 million.
While Joker was produced for just $60 million, the sequel pushed that budget up to $200 million, plus $100 million in marketing and distribution costs. In order to break even, the sequel reportedly has to get to $450 million worldwide (although sources at the studio say the number is $375 million). It’s unlikely that Joker: Folie à Deux will reach either of those goals. The film has grossed $165 million after nearly two weeks of release, while the original film earned $248.4 million after just three days. Not looking good.
However, Warner Bros. isn’t about to admit to anything at this point. “Any estimates suggested by anonymous ‘insiders’ or ‘rival executives’ are grossly wrong and continues a trend where rumor is reported as fact.” a Warner Bros. spokesperson said in a statement. “The film continues to play in theatrical release, included with this week’s opening in China, and will continue to earn revenue throughout its home viewing and ancillary run.“
Many fans of the first movie felt alienated by the sequel. “The first ‘Joker’ was a timely, fresh counterpoint to the dominant superhero narrative and tone, and it worked,” said David A. Gross of movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. “The filmmakers deserve credit for making more unconventional creative choices in ‘Folie,’ adding the romantic angle with Lady Gaga. But this time nothing worked.“
Our own Chris Bumbray wasn’t a fan of the sequel, feeling that it only exists because the first movie made a boatload of money. “Perhaps Joker was too big of a hit not to get a sequel, but watching Joker: Folie à Deux, you get the distinct feeling that this was an exercise in style for Phillips rather than a sequel that HAD to be made,” Bumbray wrote. “As it is, though, this Joker sequel spins its wheels and winds up being an often dull courtroom movie livened up by occasional flights of fancy into musical numbers. Those sequences are the best in the film, as without them, this would feel like a wholly unnecessary epilogue to what was originally a pretty powerful film.” You can check out the rest of Bumbray’s review right here, and be sure to let us know what you think of the film as well.
Joker: Folie à Deux will be released on 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray on December 17th.
The trailer for Venom: The Last Dance revealed the arrival of Knull, the God of the Symbiotes, who is considered to be one of the more powerful villains in the Marvel universe. While The Last Dance is being billed as the epic conclusion of the Venom trilogy, director Kelly Marcel told IGN that the movie is “just the beginning” for Knull.
“We know full well how important Knull is to the fans, so just as we laid a foundation for Venom, we hope we are doing the same for Knull. The King in Black is way too powerful for ‘one and done,’” Marcel said. “This film introduces Knull, but it just touches the beginnings of his story. Marvel’s greatest film villains are developed over time. Here, Knull is the threat lurking behind the danger that tests the absolute limits of Eddie and Venom’s partnership — but it’s their relationship that remains the heart of this story… This is just the beginning for Knull.“
Knull may not feature as heavily in Venom: The Last Dance as fans would like, but it seems he will have a role to play in future stories. “The universe is wide and rich, and one movie could never do justice to Knull,” Marcel said. “Beyond this trilogy, there are more stories to explore – God is coming.“
Tom Hardy returns as Eddie Brock/Venom alongside Chiwetel Ejiofor, Juno Temple, Rhys Ifans, Peggy Lu, Alanna Ubach, and Stephen Graham. Nothing has been officially announced as to who is playing Knull (although there are several options floating around out there), but we won’t have long to wait until we know for sure. The Last Dance finds Eddie and Venom on the run. Hunted by both of their worlds and with the net closing in, the duo are forced into a devastating decision that will bring the curtains down on Venom and Eddie’s last dance.
Advance tickets for the sequel went on sale earlier this month, and it was revealed that the runtime would be 110 minutes. This makes it slightly shorter than the original movie (112 minutes) but longer than the sequel (97 minutes). Venom: The Last Dance will hit theaters on October 25th.
