[Trailer] Inherent Vice
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Joaquin Phoenix has been on an amazing streak of performances since his derisive mockumentary, I'm Still Here. After his return to acting following the experimental project, he returned to critical acclaim with Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master and Spike Jonze's Her, receiving a multitude of award nominations and film critics' awards. Phoenix's next film reunites him with Anderson in what may be his best role to date.
Inherent Vice marks the very first film adaptation of a Thomas Pynchon novel, which is surprising considering how many novels the enigmatic author has written. Phoenix stars as Doc Sportello, a private investigator hired by his ex-girlfriend to stop an intricate plot to have her current billionaire boyfriend admitted into a mental hospital by his wife and her boyfriend. Set in the '60s, Inherent Vice also explores other -inherent vices-, including sex, drugs, and all of the shenanigans the '60s were known for. The film also features an ensemble cast surrounding Phoenix, including Josh Brolin, Owen Wilson, Jena Malone, Benicio dell Toro, Reese Witherspoon, and Maya Rudolph.
Inherent Vice will be in theaters on December 12th. You can read the film's full synopsis below.
“Inherent Vice” is the seventh feature from Paul Thomas Anderson and the first ever film adaption of a Thomas Pynchon novel. When private eye Doc Sportello’s ex-old lady suddenly out of nowhere shows up with a story about her current billionaire land developer boyfriend whom she just happens to be in love with, and a plot by his wife and her boyfriend to kidnap that billionaire and throw him in a looney bin…well, easy for her to say. It’s the tail end of the psychedelic `60s and paranoia is running the day and Doc knows that “love” is another of those words going around at the moment, like “trip” or “groovy,” that’s being way too overused – except this one usually leads to trouble. With a cast of characters that includes surfers, hustlers, dopers and rockers, a murderous loan shark, LAPD Detectives, a tenor sax player working undercover, and a mysterious entity known as the Golden Fang, which may only be a tax dodge set up by some dentists… Part surf noir, part psychedelic romp – all Thomas Pynchon.
[Trailer] Predestination
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As you may already know by now, I absolutely love time travel films. They're like little puzzles that slowly reveal more twists and turns before the full solution is shown, allowing for some great creativity and innovation when in the right hands. Predestination was one of the films I really wanted to check at SXSW, but couldn't due to scheduling conflicts. Now, with the film having already been released in other markets, the hype for its currently unannounced US date begins.
Predestination, based on the short story "All Your Zombies" by Robert Heinlein, finds Ethan Hawke (Boyhood) as a temporal agent that goes back in time to prevent crimes from happening. The concept is very similar in the sci-fi genre, especially with films like Minority Report and Looper. However, based on some of the film's coverage from the festivals it's screened at, Predestination is full of twists and surprises for ardent viewers.
As previously mentioned, no US release date has been announced yet. However, it shouldn't be long before one is announced. You can read the film's full synopsis below.
PREDESTINATION chronicles the life of a Temporal Agent (Ethan Hawke) sent on an intricate series of time-travel journeys designed to ensure the continuation of his law enforcement career for all eternity. Now, on his final assignment, the Agent must pursue the one criminal that has eluded him throughout time.
[Trailer] The Babadook
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The Babadook has been buzzing ever since it debuted at this year's Sundance Film Festival. During Austin's Fantastic Fest last week, The Babadook was met with enthusiastic praise from audiences, which is a great sign for a horror film playing in front of an Austin crowd that takes its films very seriously. With the film releasing in a couple of months, the hype will continue to build.
The Babadook is Australian director Jennifer Kent's directorial debut about a recently-widowed mother (Essie Davis) finding trouble keeping her son, Sam (Noah Wiseman) disciplined. When Sam's violent nightmares manifest themselves through a mysterious storybook, The Babadook, that appears in their house, Sam's violent tendencies begin to grow. However, what may have seemed like nightmarish hallucinations in Sam's head could actually be a very real and sinister being.
The Babadook will be available on VOD and in theaters on November 28th, but if you're in Chicago, it will be screening at this year's Chicago International Film Festival on October 10th and 21st. You can read the film's synopsis below.
Six years after the violent death of her husband, Amelia (Essie Davis) is at a loss. She struggles to discipline her ‘out of control’ 6 year-old, Samuel (Noah Wiseman), a son she finds impossible to love. Samuel’s dreams are plagued by a monster he believes is coming to kill them both.When a disturbing storybook called ‘The Babadook’ turns up at their house, Samuel is convinced that the Babadook is the creature he’s been dreaming about. His hallucinations spiral out of control, he becomes more unpredictable and violent. Amelia, genuinely frightened by her son’s behaviour, is forced to medicate him. But when Amelia begins to see glimpses of a sinister presence all around her, it slowly dawns on her that the thing Samuel has been warning her about may be real.
[Trailer] John Wick
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Revenge films are some of the best action films. They always follow a simple premise of vengeance, sure, but the road to achieving that is where the fun and creativity come in. Sprinkle in some well-known actors, and the formula towards success is that much closer to being perfected, re: John Wick. Directed by stuntmen Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, whose stunt work has been seen in the Blade films, The Matrix trilogy, and more, you already know that the stunt work and action spots are going to be brimming with innovation and excitement.
Keanu Reeves stars as the titular John Wick, an ex-hitman who's trying to live a quiet life following the death of his wife. When a Russian mob boss' son kills his puppy, a gift from his dearly departed wife, Wick re-enters the assassin life to seek out revenge. The film also stars Willem Dafoe and John Leguizamo, two men who really need to be brought back into a more prominent spotlight in the action film scene. Reviews out of Fantastic Fest, where the film premiered, have been absolutely amazing, which makes me even more excited to see Reeves kick ass once again.
John Wick will be in theaters on October 24th.
[Trailer] Pauly Shore Stands Alone
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It's been awhile since Pauly Shore was in the spotlight... a very long while. And while he may not re-enter the spotlight, he does have a new project coming out that does sound a bit compelling. Pauly Shore Stands Alone is a road documentary that follows the comedian around during a recent Midwest stand-up tour. I don't know what it is, but I'm a sucker for introspective documentaries on washed-up celebrities. Shore had a hard time following his moderate success in the '90s, but it's good to see he's still active in the stand-up scene. I hope the documentary features just as much of his stand-up material as it does scenes about his personal life; that's not to say that his personal life isn't interesting, but I'd love to see the material he uses nowadays.
Pauly Shore Stands Alone will premiere on Showtime on December 4th. I suspect a Netflix/VOD release date would follow soon after.
[Red Band Trailer] The Interview
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Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's The Interview is shaping up to be one of the funniest films of the year. While the premise of two celebrity journalists are set up with an interview with North Korea's Kim Jong-un (who are then tasked by the CIA to assassinate him) sounds like a one-note joke, this new Red Band trailer for the film makes it seem fantastic. Whenever Rogen and James Franco are paired together, there's a level of magic and camaraderie between the two that shows in their performances, and The Interview seems to tap and focus in on this better than This is the End did. With this Red Band trailer specifically, they bring a heightened level of sex jokes that are legitimately funny - try telling me seeing Franco talk about his post-sex stank isn't one of the funniest things you've seen this year.
The Interview will be in theaters on Christmas. You can read the film's synopsis below.
In the action-comedy The Interview, Dave Skylark (James Franco) and his producer Aaron Rapoport (Seth Rogen) run the popular celebrity tabloid TV show “Skylark Tonight.” When they discover that North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un is a fan of the show, they land an interview with him in an attempt to legitimize themselves as journalists. As Dave and Aaron prepare to travel to Pyongyang, their plans change when the CIA recruits them, perhaps the two least-qualified men imaginable, to assassinate Kim Jong-un.
[Trailer] Big Eyes
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Could Big Eyes be Tim Burton's saving grace? After a litany of whimsical, fantastical films, Burton's next film could be the grounded, real film that Burton fans may have waited years for. Based on a true story, Big Eyes stars Christoph Waltz and Amy Adams as Walter and Margaret Keane. The titular "big eyes" are a reference to the mass-produced paintings from the early '60s featuring small girls with huge, anime-like eyes. They became a hit and drove Walter Keane to stardom. However, over time, it turns out that Margaret herself was the artist, not Walter, following a lawsuit that resulted in Margaret being awarded a large sum of money.
It seems like much of Burton's iconic tropes are missing from the film, which could be a good thing. At the same time, the trailer plays like mostly any other biopic/drama. Could Burton's creativity been stifled? Is that supposed stifling necessarily a bad thing? I'm not sure, but I do know one thing - I can't wait to see Big Eyes when it comes to theaters this December.
[Trailer] Men, Women & Children
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Jason Reitman's next film features an ensemble cast focusing on some modern topics like video games, online privacy, and more. Men, Women & Children is like a Crash-esque drama where each individual story is interconnected with one another to weave together a large narrative about high school students and their parents. With Reitman's filmography that includes films like Thank You For Smoking, Juno, and Up in the Air, Men, Women & Children should be the right mix of drama and smart-witted comedy Reitman's career has been noted for. The cast includes Adam Sandler, Rosemarie DeWitt, Dean Norris, Judy Greer, Ansel Elgort, and J.K. Simmons.
Men, Women & Children will be in theaters on October 1st. You can read the full synopsis below.
MEN, WOMEN & CHILDREN follows the story of a group of high school teenagers and their parents as they attempt to navigate the many ways the internet has changed their relationships, their communication, their self-image, and their love lives. The film attempts to stare down social issues such as video game culture, anorexia, infidelity, fame hunting, and the proliferation of illicit material on the internet. As each character and each relationship is tested, we are shown the variety of roads people choose - some tragic, some hopeful - as it becomes clear that no one is immune to this enormous social change that has come through our phones, our tablets, and our computers.