Recently, I wrote an article about how Ron Howard’s Cocoon was hard to find in any format. It came out on DVD many years ago but went out of print and has never been issued on Blu-ray. You also can’t find it digitally on any platform. This is a perfect example of why you should always hang on to your physical media, as I’m lucky enough to own the now out-of-print DVD of that movie, and while it’s far from an ideal copy, it’s something. 

But that got me thinking. What other movies are hard to find? I opened up the forum on Twitter, and I was shocked by how many prominent films aren’t available digitally and have gone out of print on disc, making them all the more precious for collectors. At the same time, there are some happy endings, such as Martin Campbell’s No Escape, which got a beautiful Blu-ray recently; too many of these films are caught up in legal limbo (or studio antipathy). 

Here are 10:

Cocoon: 

The one that started it all. How does a movie that won Don Ameche an Oscar and revitalized the careers of Jessica Tandy, Hume Cronyn, and the great Wilford Brimley go out of print? This is the movie that made Ron Howard an A-list director, and it was enough of a smash hit that it spawned a (pretty crappy) sequel, which, ironically, is very easy to find. What’s going on here? Disney may be working on a significant restoration, but it’s been gone for a long time.

Strange Days: 

Kathryn Bigelow’s Strange Days was a major flop when it came out in 1995 but has since been reevaluated as a classic. As it stars Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Lewis and Angela Bassett and is widely considered one of the greatest films of the nineties, some significant release – possibly through a company like Criterion would seem like a no-brainer. However, Disney has been sitting on this one for a while now, with the likely culprit being that James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment owns the movie. Presumably, any redux has to be cleared by him. With The Abyss, True Lies and Aliens all getting 4K re-releases, Strange Days may be coming. This one is streaming on Max but in the wrong aspect ratio. The existing DVD is non-anamorphic, meaning it gets window-boxed on your TV unless you stretch it out.

Showtime: 

This minor Eddie Murphy/ Robert De Niro comedy made a decent amount of coin when it came out, but it wasn’t a blockbuster. Yet, it’s a decent little action comedy, with a funny performance by William Shatner as himself. While it came out on DVD in an excellent anamorphic transfer, and you can buy it digitally in HD, it’s never been issued on Blu-ray.

Crossroads: 

This Brittany Spears cult classic would have gotten a Blu-ray re-release with all sorts of bells and whistles. Yet, outside of its original DVD run, it’s never been issued on Blu-ray and can’t be bought digitally. However, it was recently released to theatres in a special limited run to celebrate Spears’ new autobiography so the movie may be coming relatively soon.

UPDATE: Netflix has acquired streaming rights for Crossroads, and it will be available globally on February 15th.

Dawn of the Dead: 

This one comes with a caveat. George A. Romero’s zombie classic has been released on a beautiful 4K disc internationally and is region-free. Yet, it still needs to get a North American release on 4K and isn’t available digitally, which is a shame. Younger horror fans watch most of their stuff this way, and one hates to think they could be missing out on one of the genre’s best movies. 

Looking for Mr. Goodbar: 

This 1977 film helped establish Diane Keaton as a star and was a significant hit. It’s based on the true story of a teacher who was played the bar scene in the early seventies and was eventually murdered by a man she had a one-night stand with. It’s a haunting film with a disturbing ending, but very hard to find. It’s only ever been released on VHS and Laserdisc, with rights issues surrounding the film’s music, which is what’s kept this in limbo. It doesn’t help that Paramount Pictures is famously slow regarding releasing library titles. Again, this would be a great one for the Criterion Collection.

UPDATE: This is apparently streaming on Paramount Plus in Europe, but NOT North America.

Something Wicked This Way Comes: 

We recently covered this movie in our series Fantasizing About Fantasy Films, which was available on DVD/ Blu-ray for a while. Yet, Disney has vaulted this Ray Bradbury adaptation, and you can’t stream it or buy it digitally, either.

The Blood of Heroes (aka Salute of the Jugger):

This post-apocalyptic action movie comes from David Webb Peoples, the writer of Blade Runner, Unforgiven and Soldier. It was a rare directorial effort that reteamed him with Rutger Hauer, who stars opposite a young Joan Chen and Vincent D’Onofrio. Legal rights limbo has kept this one obscure in North America, with various cuts circulating in bad transfers. Hopefully, it gets some kind of restoration, and it’s a neat little sci-fi movie.

John Woo’s Hong Kong Films: 

Recently, John Woo mentioned that he would love to restore his Hong Kong classics with a company like Criterion, but that the rights to most of the movies are caught up in legal limbo. The Killer and Hard Boiled are streaming and on Blu-ray (albeit in interlaced transfers), but A Better Tomorrow 1 & 2 and Bullet in the Head are MIA.

The Heartbreak Kid:

Elaine May is a revered figure on film Twitter, but her biggest hit, The Heartbreak Kid, which got remade by the Farrelly Bros, is impossible to find. This is a shame as it’s one of star Charles Gordon’s best movies and features two Oscar-nominated performances by Jeannie Berlin (also May’s daughter) and Eddie Albert. 

What titles have we missed? Let us know in the comments!

The post 10 Movies That Are Surprisingly Hard to Find (So Keep Your Discs) – UPDATED appeared first on JoBlo.

Bad Boys apparently really are for life as it seems that this action-packed franchise isn’t ending anytime soon with SonyPictures’ Bad Boys 4 already in production. The series centered around detectives Mike Lowery and Marcus Burnett of the Miami PD has already produced three blockbuster films that have grossed over $840 million as well as a spinoff television show, L.A.’s Finest, making it one of the most successful buddy-cop action-comedy series in history. The most recent film, Bad Boys for Life, was one of the last movies to hit theaters before the pandemic shut them all down and was able to be a critical and monetary success – so why would the franchise stop now?

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence (Lowery and Burnett) recently announced that a fourth film will be coming to theaters and that they’ll both be returning to the buddy-cop franchise. This is music to the ears of fans of the series since Bad Boys for Life left several loose ends and potential plot-lines for the detectives to follow and adding another movie to the franchise is the perfect way to address them. So, all of that said, let’s take a further look into everything we know about Bad Boys 4.

Plot

So far, nobody besides the people working on the movie know the plot. That said, based off of the information and loose ends that occurred at the end of Bad Boys for Life we can make a couple of educated guesses.

The plot that makes the most sense for a sequel would most likely see Mike and Marcus working on a new case with AMMO with a side-plot of Mike mending/working on his relationship with his son. Fans will remember that the last movie ended with Mike and Marcus being put in charge of AMMO with Mike visiting his son, Armando, in prison and offering him a chance at redemption, so this plot would follow up on those loose ends. Again, this is all speculation, but it would be odd for the previous movie to give such heavy leads and them completely dismiss them.

Cast

Again, the fourth film was only recently announced so there aren’t a surplus of details yet. Stars Will Smith and Martin Lawrence will assuredly return as detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett, with Eric Dane (known for Euphoria and Grey’s Anatomy) playing the movie’s villain. Actor Ioan Gruffudd (known for Fantastic 4) has also been cast in an undisclosed role and Tasha Smith has been cast to replace Theresa Randle as Marcus Burnett’s wife. Better Call Saul star Rhea Seehorn also signed on for an undisclosed role.

Despite the cast not having a long confirmed list, just like with the plot, we can speculate about who may or may not appear in the film. Since Mike and Marcus were put in charge of AMMO it was assumed that the other members of the group would return as well, meaning that Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, Charles Melton, and Jacob Scipio could all easily show up. Indeed, Hudgens and Ludwig are back, but Charles Melton, who just broke out (and may be Oscar-nominated) for May December, doesn’t seem to be in the cast. Scipio also seems to be sitting the movie out, despite the fact that his character, who is revealed to be the son of Will Smith’s Mike Lowery, was teed up to be a major part of the sequel in the post-credits scene following Bad Boys for Life. However, Paola Núñez is returning as the newly promoted Captain Rita Secada. .

Everything Else

Fans assuredly will want to know when they can expect to see Miami’s finest detectives back on the big-screen, but unfortunately Bad Boys 4 doesn’t have an official release date yet. Not to mention, Bad Boys 4 is not the official title since the film has not revealed what it is yet, which should be revealed on the trailer finally drops (likely during the Super Bowl). This is Smith’s first theatrically released film since the infamous Oscar slap derailed his career. Whether this is a hit or not will tell us whether his career can bounce back.

The movie will be directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah (they took over for OG director Michael Bay after the first two films – although he had a cameo in the third film) and will be written by Chris Bremner, the same man who penned Bad Boys for Life. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who produced all the other movies is back too. It will be El Arbi and Fallah’s first film since Batgirl was scrapped by WB.

When Does It Come Out?

Bad Boys 4 is slated for June 14th, 2024.

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Deadline reports that Chris Pratt is set to star in Mercy, a sci-fi movie package acquired by Amazon MGM Studios which will be directed by Timur Bekmambetov.

Pratt has worked with Amazon on several projects, including The Tomorrow War and The Terminal List, but Mercy will actually serve as a reunion between himself and Bekmambetov. You may have forgotten, as I did, that Pratt made an appearance in Wanted all the way back in 2008 where he found himself getting smashed in the face with a keyboard wielded by James McAvoy.

So, what’s Mercy all about? The movie is “set in the near future when capital crime has increased” and follows “a detective (Pratt] who is accused of a violent crime and forced to prove his innocence.” The script has been penned by Marco Van Belle (Arthur & Merlin) and produced by Charles Roven (Oppenheimer), with production expected to kick off this spring.

“Amazon is the ideal partner for telling this crucial story about the future challenged by artificial intelligence and for engaging in this conversation with a wide audience,” said Timur Bekmambetov in a statement. “I’m happy to reunite with Chris Pratt on this project, who, since the release of ‘Wanted,’ has become one of the highest-grossing actors of our time. Collaborating with Chuck Roven will help us create an epic cinematic experience.“

Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon MGM Studios, added, “From the moment Chuck Roven brought us Mercy and we read Marco van Belle’s script, we knew the film was meant for the big screen. As our relationship with The Terminal List and The Tomorrow War’s Chris Pratt continues to extend across film, we can’t wait to watch him bring this action-packed story to life, guided by Chuck and the vision of director Timur Bekmambetov. We could not imagine a better star and filmmaking team to execute on and deliver what is sure to be a gripping thrill ride and look forward to audiences being able to experience it in theaters.“

Not to be left out, Charles Roven said, “I could not be more thrilled to partner with Amazon MGM Studios on the release of Mercy. I have a longstanding working relationship with both motion picture and marketing chiefs Courtenay Valenti and Sue Kroll— whom have institutional knowledge of theatrical and proven track records of success at the box office. I am looking forward to reuniting with them in this new capacity, along with Jen Salke and the rest of the terrific team at Amazon MGM.“

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Wolf Pack fans will be howling tonight as it’s been announced that Paramount+ has officially canceled the series after just one season.

Based on the book series by Edo Van Belkom, Wolf Pack revolves around “a teenage boy, Everett, and girl, Blake, whose lives are forever changed when a California wildfire awakens a terrifying supernatural creature. Wounded in the chaos of its attack, the teens are inexplicably drawn to each other and to two others, fraternal twins Harlan and Luna, who were adopted sixteen years earlier by a park ranger after another mysterious wildfire. As the full moon rises, all four teens come together to unravel the secret that connects them – the bite and blood of a werewolf.” The series was developed by Jeff Davis, best known for creating MTV’s Teen Wolf series.

The first season of Wolf Pack wrapped up nearly a year ago and a second season was looking likely, but sources say that the delays caused by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes meant that another season wouldn’t have been ready until 2025. Paramount wasn’t willing to have the series off the air for that long, especially as it would have meant an increased marketing budget to remind people about the show.

Author Edo Van Belkom took to X to comment on the cancelation. “Disappointing, of course, especially since all signs pointed to there being a season two,” he wrote. “But, while the show was a success, the WGA strike, followed by the SAG strike did the series no favors. I’m sad myself, season two was going to see me have a cameo and another set visit, but I was just having fun and playing in Hollywood for a bit. I feel more for the young actors and others who felt this was going to be their big break.“

Sarah Michelle Gellar, who starred in and executive-produced the series, was hopeful for a second season just prior to the Hollywood strikes. “We plan to do [season two],” Gellar told THR last year. “We haven’t gotten the official word. I think it’s a tough time right now with the strike coming up. It’s hard, but our numbers have been great and people are really finding the show and getting excited about it, so I’m hopeful for a season two.” You can check out a review of the series from our own Alex Maidy right here.

Are you sad to see Wolf Pack get canceled?

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THR reports that Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon) is attached to star in The Memory Police, an adaptation of the acclaimed science fiction novel by Yoko Ogawa.

The Memory Police takes “place on an unnamed island off an unnamed coast where a majority of the island’s residents are subject to collective amnesia. They endure a process of forgetting things, including objects, people and daily rituals, with the amnesia enforced by an organization called The Memory Police. In the story, a novelist tries to hide her editor, who can still remember, from the Memory Police, while he encourages her to write her book.” The film adaptation will be directed by Reed Morano, best known for The Handmaid’s Tale and I Think We’re Alone Now, with Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich) penning the script.

The project will reunite Lily Gladstone with her Killers of the Flower Moon director as Martin Scorsese is also attached to executive produce The Memory Police alongside author Yoko Ogawa. Reed Morano will produce alongside Margot Hand of Picture Films.

Lily Gladstone recently made history after becoming the first Native American actor to be nominated for an Oscar. She took home the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress earlier this month and is a definite favourite for the Oscar as well.

“At the turn of the 20th century, oil brought a fortune to the Osage Nation, who became some of the richest people in the world overnight,” reads the official synopsis for Killers of the Flower Moon. “The wealth of these Native Americans immediately attracted white interlopers, who manipulated, extorted, and stole as much Osage money as they could before resorting to murder. Based on a true story and told through the improbable romance of Ernest Burkhart and Mollie Kyle, Killers of the Flower Moon is an epic western crime saga, where real love crosses paths with unspeakable betrayal.“

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Rapper Travis Scott recently teamed up with the entertainment company A24 and director Harmony Korine (Kids) on two different projects. One was Circus Maximus, a companion piece to Scott’s album Utopia that reached theatres the day before Utopia was released. The other is the “action-oriented feature” Aggro Dr1ft, which was shot entirely in infrared and has been making the festival rounds. JoBlo’s own Chris Bumbray wasn’t very impressed with Aggro Dr1ft after catching one of its festival screenings, giving it a 5/10 review that can be read HERE. Next up is a February 7th screening at a strip club in Los Angeles called Crazy Girls (tickets are available at THIS LINK), and in anticipation of that screening a trailer for the film has arrived online. You can check it out in the embed above.

Aggro Dr1ft has the following logline: Breaking away from the traditional parameters of cinema, Aggro Dr1ft explores the onslaught of digital ephemera and interrogates modern life through the vernacular of video games. Shot entirely through an infrared lens, the film follows a Miami Beach hitman as he embarks on the relentless pursuit of his next target.

Scott stars and is joined in the cast by Jordi Mollà (Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan), Devon James (The Beach Bum), and newcomer Joshua Tilley.

Variety reports that EDGLRD, a multimedia design collective, is behind the experimental tour that will bring Aggro Dr1ft to unconventional venues across the United States, starting with Crazy Girls. Variety notes, “Each location will use backdrops featuring creative visuals designed by EDGLRD to highlight the company’s animation and visual effects style. Musical performances from Korine and Aggro Dr1ft composer Araabmuzik will accompany the screenings. Additional music acts will be announced at a later date.”

EDGLRD’s head of film strategy and development Eric Kohn said, “The distribution of Aggro Dr1ft goes beyond the limitations of the outdated moviegoing experience. You don’t just watch Aggro Dr1ft — you step into a new world, and these events will allow audiences to immerse themselves in it.“

What did you think of the Aggro Dr1ft trailer? Would you be interested in catching a screening of this movie during its experimental tour? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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Season 2 of the HBO series adaptation of the video game The Last of Us is expected to start filming in Vancouver, Canada sometime in February, and in the build-up to the production Deadline has learned the names of the directors who will be at the helm of the new episodes. The first season consisted of nine episodes that were handled by seven different directors, and it looks like season 2 is going to be split between seven directors as well. Showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann (who was also creative director on the video game source material) will be directing episodes, and the line-up also includes Mark Mylod, who just won an Outstanding Drama Directing Emmy for HBO’s Succession (he also directed the movie The Menu and worked with HBO on Game Of Thrones and Entourage); Kate Herron, who directed the entire first season of the Marvel / Disney+ series Loki; Stephen Williams, whose credits include the HBO shows Watchmen and Westworld; Nina Lopez-Corrado, whose work includes episodes of Supernatural, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and HBO’s Perry Mason; and Peter Hoar, who earned an Emmy nomination for directing episode 3 of The Last of Us season 1, Long, Long Time.

Deadline wasn’t able to find out which, if any, of the directors will be at the helm of multiple episodes.

The story of the The Last of Us video game is set years after a fungal plague wiped out much of humanity, transforming most into vicious zombie-like monsters, the story follows Joel, who’s living in a militarized quarantine zone. He has a close relationship with Tess, who operates in the black market of this community. Together, they’ve become known by the local criminal underworld for their ruthlessness. On a mission to reclaim their stolen guns, they run into the leader of the Fireflies, a resistance group, who tasks them with smuggling a young girl named Ellie out of the zone. This mission soon becomes much more than they were prepared for. 

For the HBO series, Pedro Pascal plays Joel, who is “tormented by past trauma and failure. He must trek across a pandemic-ravaged America, all the while protecting a girl who represents the last hope of humanity”. He is joined in the cast by Bella Ramsey as Ellie, “an orphan who has never known anything but a ravaged planet and who struggles to balance her instinct for anger and defiance with her need for connection and belonging… as well as the newfound reality that she may be the key to saving the world”; Anna Torv as Tess, “a smuggler and hardened survivor in a post-pandemic world”; Gabriel Luna as Joel’s brother Tommy, “a former soldier who hasn’t lost his sense of idealism and hope for a better world”; Merle Dandridge as Marlene, “the head of the Fireflies, a resistance movement struggling for freedom against an oppressive military regime”; Nico Parker as Joel’s daughter Sarah; Jeffrey Pierce as Perry, “a rebel in a quarantine zone”; Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett as Bill and Frank, “two post-pandemic survivalists living alone in their own isolated town”; and Storm Reid as Ellie’s best friend Riley.

Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson, who did the motion-capture performances for Joel and Ellie in the video game, are also in the cast of the show. Baker plays James, “a senior member of a group of settlers who must fight to keep their community alive in the face of increasingly brutal odds.” Baker also hosts a podcast that serves as a companion to the TV series. Johnson’s character is Anna, “a pregnant woman, alone and on the run, who must give birth under the most terrifying of circumstances.”

It was recently announced that Kaitlyn Dever from Booksmart and No One Will Save You has been cast in the role of Abby Anderson, a major character from the video game. Abby is described as being “a skilled soldier whose black-and-white view of the world is challenged as she seeks vengeance for those she loved.” Isabela Merced, whose previous credits include Dora and the Lost City of Gold and Sweet Girl, is set to play Ellie’s new romantic interest Dina. We also know that Young Mazino of Beef will play Jesse, “a pillar of his community who puts everyone else’s needs before his own, sometimes at terrible cost.” Jesse also happens to be Dina’s ex.

Are you looking forward to The Last of Us season 2? What do you think of the line-up of directors? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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With all the attention brought on Christopher Nolan with his first post-Warner Bros. film, Oppenheimer, the studio with the famous shield has been itching to reconnect with the auteur. Nolan, himself, says his issues with Warners is “water under the bridge” and it looks as if they’re going to try for a second take at getting audiences to see Tenet in theaters. The John David Washington time-bending vehicle was originally released in the thick of the pandemic and made an effort to make movies a safe place to go again after having closed down. However, Warner Bros. had also put into affect a temporary release plan that made Tenet available on HBO Max as the movie still played in theaters. This was not the ideal release for Nolan who made sure he filmed for the biggest screens possible with IMAX.

Warner Bros. has now announced that for one week only, Tenet will invert time to go back into theaters beginning Friday, February 23. Additionally, these screenings will feature exclusive footage from Dune: Part Two, and dovetails into the debut of Denis Villeneuve’s highly anticipated film, in theaters and IMAX on Friday, March 1.

The two visionary directors are excited for audiences to experience this event as both had their films made available for HBO Max during their theatrical run, which dissuaded audiences from going to the movies. Nolan remarks, “Seeing the way audiences responded to our large format presentations of Oppenheimer, I’m thrilled that Warner Bros. is giving audiences a chance to see Tenet the way it was intended to be seen, on the largest IMAX and large format film screens, and I’m honored to have our movie warm up the film projectors for Denis’ jaw- dropping Dune: Part Two.”

Villeneuve would also show his excitement, saying, “As an audience member, I have always valued Chris’s forward thinking when it comes to shooting on film and especially in large formats. As directors, we are completely in sync; on Dune, we shot several sequences for IMAX, and I simply loved it, so for Dune: Part Two, we pushed it to 100 percent of the movie. Working with the IMAX format was the only way to capture the experience of Arrakis, Giedi Prime and the Imperium for audiences. That is why I am just as eager to see Tenet again, but now in 70mm IMAX, the way they filmed it, to fully appreciate his vision for this incredible film.”

In addition to their ticket purchase, moviegoers will be gifted a once-in-a-lifetime piece of film history, literally: a collectible filmstrip from Tenet, while supplies last.

Tickets for Dune: Part Two are on sale tomorrow, January 26.

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PLOT: The life and times of Luther Vandross, the legendary Rn’B singer who always struggled to break out from the niche box the industry put him in.

REVIEW: Of all the singers in the world, Luther Vandross might be the one responsible for the most trips to the bedroom. As Jamie Foxx tells it in his interview for Luther: Never Too Much, whenever he wanted to get with a girl, he played her his music – and it worked about 100% of the time. It’s sadly ironic then, as revealed by Dawn Porter’s excellent documentary, that the singer himself was a lonely man who never found romantic love in his own life.

You see, as the documentary sensitively reveals, Vandross was almost certainly gay, but he stayed in the closet for several reasons, such as his need to protect his image. Still, also for personal reasons, the doc has the tact not to get into. Most of his friends acknowledged that he was gay, but they refused to speak for him, respecting the fact that in his own life, this was something he considered very private and chose not to discuss with anyone – even those closest to him.

As such, Vandross would likely be pleased that Dawn Porter’s film primarily focuses on his music and legacy over his personal life. His rise is interesting, as he was a successful vocal arranger, background singer, and singer of commercial jingles before he ever made it big. The money he made singing jingles paid for the production of his first album. Despite the faith of people like Roberta Flack and notably David Bowie, with whom he collaborated on “Young Americans,” companies were reluctant to sign Vandross. But why?

His talent was undeniable, but Vandross also struggled mightily with his weight his entire career, fluctuating between being rail thin and obese. Labels maybe didn’t think he suited the romantic image of his songs, but the charts said otherwise. Vandross ruled the R n’B charts throughout most of the eighties, but his record labels pigeonholed him. Despite the success of songs like “Never Too Much,” “Power of Love/Love Power,” and others, he never hit number one on the Billboard charts, as his songs weren’t pushed to mainstream pop radio like some of his contemporaries. 

This aspect bothered him his whole career, as did the fact that he couldn’t sit for an interview without someone asking him about weight gain or loss. Yet, despite these setbacks, he kept plowing along, and one thing that quickly becomes apparent in the doc is that he probably ranked among the most-liked men in the business. He worked with the same backup singers and musicians throughout his career, and many of them wind up in tears, speaking about how much they cared about him. 

The whole film builds up towards the tragic but ultimately triumphant final act in his career, when his song “Dance With My Father” won a Grammy and went platinum, only for him to be unable to enjoy the award due to a major stroke. However, the doc is far from depressing, as Vandross, despite his sad ending and setbacks (including a trial for vehicular manslaughter), had a great career and seemingly never made a single enemy. How many artists can you say that about?

Like another music doc, I saw here at Sundance, DEVO, Luther: Never Too Much works for both the man’s devoted fans and more casual viewers – such as myself. I found it a terrifically entertaining and ultimately empowering look at the life of an artist who was even more brilliant than I ever realized. 

Sundance

GREAT

8

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Antoine Fuqua’s Michael Jackson biopic, Michael, is ready to welcome Colman Domingo (The Color Purple, Rustin, Candyman) to the cast as the Jackson family patriarch Joe Jackson. MJ’s father is known as a controversial figure in the King of Pop’s life, with talk about Joe’s hard-driving, singularly focused personality being a specter in Michael’s life.

Lionsgate introduces Jackson’s nephew, Jaafar Jackson, to worldwide audiences in the starring role of the beloved musical icon. Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, The Equalizer films) will direct the film with Oscar winner Graham King/GK Films (Bohemian Rhapsody, The Aviator, The Departed) producing from a script by three-time Oscar nominee John Logan.

According to Lionsgate, Michael will bring audiences a riveting and honest portrayal of the brilliant yet complicated man who became known worldwide as the King of Pop. The film presents his triumphs and tragedies on an epic, cinematic scale — from his human side and personal struggles to his undeniable creative genius, captured by his most iconic performances. As never before, audiences will experience an inside look into one of the most influential, trailblazing artists the world has ever known.

Courtesy of Lionsgate’s official press release for Michael:

“Few actors present themselves with Colman’s screen presence and force of will,” said King. “We’re so fortunate to have an actor with his undeniable talent portraying Joe Jackson on screen. We couldn’t be more excited to have him join us on this journey.”

Fuqua added, “Colman has such incredible range – he puts in the work to deeply inhabit his characters and understand their true essence and motivation. I’m grateful to be working with an actor with his passion and ability to portray the many sides of Joe Jackson: a husband, a father and a manager.”

Domingo said, “I’m excited to be a part of a film that explores both the complicated soul of the legendary Michael Jackson as well as his impact on music and culture as a global icon. Not only am I fortunate to have a rich, complex and flawed character to portray in Joe Jackson, but I also have a front row seat for Jaafar’s incredible transformation. After seeing him in rehearsal, my mind was blown. There is something divine about the way that Jaafar is channeling his late uncle. His talent and embodiment of Michael’s essence is simply on another level.”

Sadly, Joe Jackson’s involvement in the Jackson family legacy is fraught with negativity. In the 1980s, Joe’s image was shattered when stories of him being abusive began making the rounds. Several of his children became estranged from him throughout the years, with Michael saying his father was physically and emotionally abusive. Joe denied the allegations when he was still alive. It goes without saying it will be interesting to see how Colman Domingo portrays Joe in Fuqua’s biopic.

Are you looking forward to Antoine Fuqua’s Michael? Let us know in the comments section below.

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