Tag Archives: Movie

“Loro” Looks at the Luxury and Lavishness of a Contemporary Italian Aristocrat: Berlusconi

Video September 21, 2019 Lynxotic News Staff

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/ifc_films/loro/loro-trailer-1_h1080p.mov

Photo / Focus Features

Italian Import Out Now in USA theaters

Paolo Sorrentino is no stranger to creating stories about the culture of wealth in his country. Several of the Itlaian director’s movies, including the Oscar winning “The Great Beauty” (2013), focus on aristocratic men and the lavish lives they lead. However, Sorrentino’s latest movie, “Loro” seems to up the ante in this regard and deliver an in-depth look at the wild and crazy, yet true life of Silvio Berlusconi at the height of his unbelievable career.

Silvio Berlusconi is a billionaire businessman who, in the mid-2000s, served as Prime Minister of Italy. As a businessman and as a politician, he was egocentric, extravagant, and above all, rich. And he wasn’t afraid to show it either. As Sorrentino’s film will show, he filled his life with parties, women, and luxuries beyond the scope of most mortal men.

“Loro” aims to capture Berlusconi’s excessive lifestyle not only though narrative, but also through form and style. From the marketing alone, one can already tell that ornate set designs, infectious music, and loud energy fill this movie to the gills. Sorrentino is also reuniting with his signature cinematographer, Luca Bigazzi, who for “Loro,” seems to employ a technique of broken symmetry and jarring light, perhaps representing the zaniness that was Berlusconi.

Almost reliably, though, behind every story of wealth and rambunctiousness is a deeper layer of corruption, investigation, and deceit. Berlusconi’s story is no exception. The Loro, after all, refers to a group of fellow Italian businessmen and politicians who surrounded Berlusconi, aiding the man while also trying to get closer to the seat of power.

The movie will focus in particular on Sergio Morra, a sex-trafficker who manipulated and took advantage of Berlusconi as a client. It is but one example of the way lies and exploitation crept into Berlusconi’s eccentric little circle and those closest to him turned against him.

Trump Comparisons Inevitable?

Don’t paint Berlusconi as the victim just yet, though. Of course, the same also occurred the other way around. While Berlusconi served as the Prime Minister, he constantly—weather in material or symbolic ways—acted hedonistically, using his power and influence for jobs and treats that were not always in the country’s best interest. He acted similarly as a businessman, having huge control over Italian media to shape the ways people saw the country while he was in office.

For modern American viewers, this begs the question of weather or not “Loro” is meant to be a Trump analogy. The film is not American-made, but it will be getting an American release on September 20^th. It will be a challenge for contemporary audiences to watch the story of Berlusconi, a businessman turned politician, and not think of the current man in the oval office. The Trump administration and American politics may not be as blatantly scandalous or sexy as the Italian scene, but intension aside, perhaps the movie will still be able to resonate on multiple levels.

Silvio Berlusconi has been the subject of several documentaries and feature films over the years, but never in such a forward fashion or from such an established director. With a two-and-a-half-hour runtime, “Loro” is bound to be an exciting and enlightening experience. Let’s hope that the audiences can keep up.

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Movies

‘American Dreamer’: Comedian Jim Gaffigan Defies Expectations as Anti-hero and Leading Man

Video September 21, 2019 Lynxotic News Staff

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/independent/american-dreamer/american-dreamer-trailer-1_h1080p.mov

Deep waters run Dark in Ride-share Dramedy

Looking at the poster for the new movie “American Dreamer,” one might immediately assume that it is a lighthearted comedy. Even watching the trailer, you may find yourself waiting for it to turn comedic and for the premise of a down-on-his-luck rideshare driver to crack a joke and become burlesque.

However, the laughs never come, and instead of becoming lighter, the tone grows darker. Suddenly, you realize that “American Dreamer” is not a comedy at all, but a suspenseful thriller about drugs, kidnapping, and domestic drama.

Our initial expectations of humor in “American Dreamer” are due to the fact that the movie stars Jim Gaffigan, a renowned stand-up comedian who is best known for his self-deprecating stage presence as a buffoonish and lazy glutton. His most recognizable jokes are about food, he has written a book titled “Dad Is Fat,” and his current tour is called the “Secrets and Pies Tour.”

Gaffigan became a household name in 2005 when he released the hit comedy album “Beyond the Pale,” which features his famous “Hot Pockets” bid. Gaffigan’s success as a comedian has since earned him many roles as an actor. He has appeared in numerous movies and headlined his own sitcom titled “The Jim Gaffigan Show” on TV Land. All of these roles are relaxed and cheerful. For the most part, they just have the recognizable stand-up playing the same persona that he depicts on stage.

“American Dreamer” is something different, though. In it, Gaffigan plays the leading man, but the movie’s tone offers close-to-no comedic relief. Gaffigan’s character, Cam is a tragic father figure, a desperate divorced parent struggling to pay child-support. In order to make ends meet, Cam eventually starts chauffeuring a drug dealer around town.

From here, it looks like “American Dreamer” is taking a page directly from Clint Eastwood’s “The Mule” or TV shows like “Breaking Bad” and “Ozark,” employing the trope of average, but helpless people getting involved in the dangerous world of drug trafficking. Already, this is pretty sinister and uncharted territory for Gaffigan, but the plot only becomes more ominous when Cam kidnaps the drug dealer’s child for ransom, making him an undisputed anti-hero.

For the rest of the film, we are in a state of dramatic irony, as the drug dealer is trusting Cam to transport him while he tries to figure out what happened to his son. Little does he know that the culprit is actually right in front of him, right in the driver’s seat.

Clearly, the movie provides an opportunity for Gaffigan to play a new kind of character and branch out from his type-casted routine. Unfortunately, early reviews of the film have not been flattering, calling it clichéd and flat. However, despite their complaints about the movie as a whole, most critics have been relatively satisfied with Gaffigan’s performance.

Other than the leading comedian, “American Dreamer” touts a pretty novice cast and crew. German filmmaker Derrick Borte directed “American Dreamer,” and the decision to cast Gaffigan can perhaps be attributed to him along with producer Scott Floyd Lochmus and casting director Matthew Messinger. Actors Robbie Jones, Isabel Arraiza, and Tammy Blanchard co-star alongside Gaffigan. Overall, there are very few recognizable names attached to the project, not to mention the extensive list of indie studios behind the film—Saban Films, Storyland Pictures, XYZ Films, and Sugar Studios LA to name a few.

No Free Rides, Ever

At the end of the day, though, it may still be difficult to see a man that is known for innocent Hot Pocket and bacon jokes play such a complicated and immoral character. Going back to the movie’s mere poster, it is hard to look at a picture of Jim Gaffigan starring intensely at the camera and take it seriously, even (and perhaps especially) when he is surrounded by flames above the punny tagline “There Are No Free Rides.”

Given the persona that Jim Gaffigan is associated with, “American Dreamer’s” intensity could read as ironic, and familiar audiences may always be fighting an impulse to laugh at it. This makes it all the more difficult for Gaffigan’s character to come off as authentic. And the most tragic aspect of all this is that the comedian may really be a capable of playing diverse roles, but if this debut for him flops, even if it is for reasons beyond his control, it may restrict him to playing the funnyman for the rest of his career.

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Entertainment, Movies

‘Downton Abbey’ Crosses The Atlantic For The American Big Screen

Video September 20, 2019 Lynxotic News Staff

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/focus_features/downton-abbey/downton-abbey-trailer-2_h1080p.mov

2nd Official trailer for “Downton Abbey”

“Downton Abbey” will go down as one of the most prestigious and decorated television shows of the current decade. The period-piece debuted in 2010 on the UK’s ITV network and then aired in the states on PBS. It quickly gained a strong following and immense critical acclaim on both sides of the pond. During the show’s six seasons, it earned nearly a dozen Golden Globe nominations and wins along with countless Prime Time Emmy, BAFTA, and SAG Awards.

The show took place in the early twentieth century and it chronicled the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants on an English countryside estate. The plot is fictional, but it incorporated historical events such as British elections, the sinking of the Titanic, the Irish War or Independence, and World War I, showing how these incidents affected the characters.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/focus_features/downton-abbey/downton-abbey-trailer-1_h1080p.mov

Original Official trailer for “downton abbey”

The series ended with its praised finale in 2015, and at the time, it seemed like the story was over. In 2018, however, production began on a movie that would continue the Crawley family’s narrative. Now the film is finished and like the television show before it, it is coming across the Atlantic to show its face in America.

Michael Engler, who directed several episodes of the show, returned as director for the “Downton Abbey” film, and showrunner Julian Fellowes is credited as the movie’s sole writer. Cast members Michelle Dockery, Matthew Goode, Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern and Maggie Smith amongst others from the show are also coming back for the film.

Likewise, the film’s production designer Donal Woods and costume designer Anna Mary Scott Robbins are also veterans from the show, so the movie will happily retain the series’ signature post-Edwardian western European aesthetic.

As far as the plot goes, the movie picks up in 1927, two years after the events of the series finale. It focuses on Downton Abbey’s patrons preparing for a visit from King George V and Queen Mary, and all the consequential bustle and scandal that takes place within the estate.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/focus_features/downton-abbey/downton-abbey-featurette_h1080p.mov

Official trailer Featurette for “downton abbey”

The film came out in the UK first and it received pleasant reviews. It currently holds a fresh 82% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a comfy 7.8 stars on IMDb—higher than both Ad Astra and Rambo: Last Blood, its two main competitors for this weekend. Critics are saying that it captures the charming energy of the show well and that the cast has not missed a beat in reprising their beloved roles.

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Entertainment, Movies

‘The Game Changers’: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan and Chris Paul all champion Plant-based Diet

Video September 20, 2019 Madison Santel

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/independent/the-game-changers/the-game-changers-trailer-1_h1080p.mov

Official Original Trailer for “The Game Changers”

from Gladiators to Olympians, meat is losing favor

In recent years, you may have noticed plant-based diets becoming a growing trend in the United States. A plant-based diet is a diet centered around foods originating from plants—essentially vegetables, fruits, seeds, and nuts. The term has become somewhat of a buzzword as it broadly encompasses both vegetarianism and veganism in its liberal definition.

These meatless dietary choices are particularly topical nowadays, for studies have shown that they have significant health benefits and that avoiding meat can hugely reduce one’s carbon footprint, thus making it a powerful weapon against climate change.

Unfortunately, even though plant-based diets seem to have become increasingly popular in the past few years, polls suggest that the percentage of vegetarians and vegans in the U.S. has hardly changed in the past decade. Only about 5% of the country identify as vegetarians and only 1-2% call themselves vegans. Compare that to the nearly 10% of Canadians who avoid meat products.

Despite the hype, the actual numbers may be less optimistic sounding than you’d expect. However, the widely talked about benefits that come from meatless diets remain true, and now, those who have decided to go the plant-based route have some strong allies in their corner.

For years meat products have been marketed as the quintessential food group for creating toughness and strength, making the word “beefy” a literal synonym for “muscular.” As Arnold Schwarzenegger makes clear in the new documentary “The Game Changers,” though, “you have to understand that that’s marketing; it’s not based on reality.”

“The Game Changers” screened at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year and it got a larger release earlier this week. The film focuses and deconstructing the myths that meat is essential to fitness and that plant-based diets are detrimental to athleticism.

To prove this point, “The Game Changers,” turns to some of the world’s best athletes, all of whom have benefitted from cutting meat from their diets. On top of former Mr. Universe, Arnold Schwarzenegger appearing in the movie to talk about these meat-eating-myths, the documentary also features track athlete Morgan Mitchell, strength athlete Patrik Baboumian, cyclist Dotsie Bausch, surfer Tia Blanca, and Olympic weightlifter Kendrick Harris among many, many others.

These are some of the fittest people on earth, and they all managed to attain their impressive physiques and athletic accomplishments without meat. In fact, as the documentary shows, many of them even found that their performances improved when they switched to plant-based eating.

The film looks to more than just these contemporary athletes for proof, though. It also investigates plant-based eating from a historical perspective, looking all the way back to gladiators. Based on scientific records, gladiators—some of the world’s earliest and most renowned athletes—were vegetarians. This shows that the meat-toughness correlation in our culture is not just biologically inaccurate, but the fundamental ideology that conflates animal products with manliness is based on a farce. Gladiators are symbols of strength in Western culture, but notions of them wolfing down meat at every meal could not be further from the truth.

“The Game Changers” also has a lot of fascinating, environmentally-minded folks on the other side of the camera. Louie Psihoyos directed the film. Known for his ecological documentaries, Psihoyos created the climate-focused“Racing Extinction” in 2015 and won an Academy Award in 2010 for “The Cove,” which exposed animal abuse in Japanese dolphin coves.

Recognizable names also come up in the movie’s long list of producers. In addition to appearing in the movie, Arnold Schwarzenegger is also serving as an executive producer alongside fellow action movie star Jackie Chan. A familiar collaborator with Schwarzenegger, director James Cameron, is also helping produce the film.

Blockbuster Talent and Athletic Luminaries Join Forces

Cameron may be better known for blockbuster spectacles like “Titanic” and “Aliens,” but his short list of documentary directing credits include “Aliens of the Deep,” in which he explores the ocean’s uncharted depths. Clearly, the man has an interest in the natural world, and thus its preservation. Even some of his feature films can be viewed through an eco-critical lens. After all, both “The Terminator” and “Avatar” are essentially about organic beings combating industrial entities. It is not a stretch to see how they could be read as environmental narratives.

Louie Psihoyos’ picture may not be as enthralling as a war between man and machine, and it may not be as sublime as a journey to the bottom of the ocean, but as a documentary with a mission of deconstructing expectations and promoting a positive change in the way people see the world around them (and the food inside of them), it is effective. The project is powerful and passionate, and although it is only one in a long line of docs before it to champion environmentalism through sustainable eating habits, it offers an original angel, focusing on athleticism to tear apart the meat-myths and maybe inspire a few people to change their lifestyles for the betterment of all.

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Entertainment, Movies

“Ad Astra” will play with our Minds and Hearts, can it live up to Astronomical Expectations?

Video September 20, 2019 Lynxotic News Staff

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/fox/ad-astra/ad-astra-trailer-2_h1080p.mov

Above: Official Trailer 2 for “Ad Astra”

Director James Gray has certainly made some interesting movies in his career, but none have been as star-studded and hyped as the upcoming “Ad Astra.” Set to be released September 20th, “Ad Astra” is an original science fiction odyssey based on the screenplay written by Ethan Gross alongside Gray himself, and starring Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones, and Liv Tyler.

The plot looks complex and enthralling, as an astronaut played by Pitt crosses the solar system in search of answers about his deceased father. In a movie market where superheroes and fantasy tend to dominate the science fiction genre, “Ad Astra” looks like it will be a refreshing return to hard sci-fi, where the science is realistic and integral to the story.

Of course, that does not mean that the film will be a two-hour Neil Degrasse Tyson lecture. The trailer promises a high degree of action and emotion along with some great performances. Most notably, having Brad Pitt as the movie’s main protagonist comes at a good time, as Pitt’s recent performance in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood has earned the actor a late resurgence in popularity and buzz.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/fox/ad-astra/ad-astra-moon-rover_h1080p.mov

Official Moon rover sneak peek clip from “ad Astra”

Perhaps just as captivating as the talent on screen, though, is the talent behind the camera. After all, a movie that takes place in space is only going to get so far without strong visual effects and cinematography. In “Ad Astra,” Brian Adler of “Avengers: Endgame” is helming the position of visual effects artist, and Academy Award nominee Hoyte Van Hoytema — best known for movies like “Interstellar,” “Dunkirk,” and “Her” — is director of photography. This, along with a compelling score from composer Max Richter, is bound to make “Ad Astra” a treat for all senses.

In more ways than just Van Hoytema’s cinematography, “Ad Astra” looks quite reminiscent of Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar.” They are both examples of indie directors gaining enough of a reputation to piece together their own big-budget science fiction movie, and then using that opportunity to create something remarkably original and compelling within the genre.

At the same time, however, James Gray never had a groundbreaking studio Batman franchise to launch him into the spotlight. While “Ad Astra” may be getting more marketing and attention than any of Gray’s previous films, it is not guaranteed that it will rake in anything close to the $677 million that “Interstellar” earned in 2014. Then again, “Ad Astra” was made on an $80 million budget. While this is a far greater budget than any of Gray’s previous projects, it is hardly half of what it cost to create “Interstellar.”

We should not get caught up in the numbers, though. After all, even if “Ad Astra” looks similar to “Interstellar,” there is no assurance of them being comparable as final products. For all of the potential and prestige that “Ad Astra” touts, there is the risk that it will turn out less like the renowned “Interstellar” and more like the lackluster “Passengers”—the star-studded original sci-fi movie that managed to flop at the box office despite looking like a guaranteed success on paper.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/fox/ad-astra/ad-astra-trailer-1_h1080p.mov

Original official trailer for “Ad Astra”

Like deep-space itself, “Ad Astra” will likely deal with dark matter and other mysterious phenomena that it is not willing to reveal until the film hits theaters. The movie is destined to play with our minds as well as our hearts, but how it will do so in terms of narrative remains justifiably clouded. Lets hope that the film delivers on its cosmological story, makes the most of its talent, and maybe even launches James Gray to a new directorial status, allowing him to create more original movies with the budget to back them.

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Entertainment, Movies

‘Rambo: Last Blood’: Which America Will The Iconic 80s Action Movie Hero Be Fighting For In 2019?

Video September 19, 2019 Lynxotic News Staff

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/lionsgate/rambo-last-blood/rambo-last-blood-trailer-1_h1080p.mov

Official Trailer for “Rambo: Last Blood”

It may not be clear on the surface, but the Rambo franchise has traditionally been one of the most politically timely franchises in American movies. Behind all of the action, violence, and testosterone, the four Slyvester Stallone-starring movies all have narratives that match senses of American morale at the time of their respective releases.

The series’ original trilogy came out during the Reagan administration and their depiction of American heroism very much fit the kind of national mythos that the country pined for at the time. 1982’s “First Blood” showed Rambo returning from Vietnam. While it showcased the vulnerabilities of Vietnam veterans in America, it more potently reaffirmed these vets as tough, hard-bodied war heroes.

The 1985 sequel then gave Rambo the chance to go back to Vietnam and rescue stranded POWs, rewriting America’s military failures as victories. Once again, it fit in with Reagan’s hyper-nationalistic vision of the country. “Rambo III” then took the character to Afghanistan and showed him as more of an aggressor. Nonetheless, the film depicted this aggression in a positive light, once again paralleling Reagan’s sense of America’s purpose in the world, and specifically its actions during the Soviet-Afghan War.

Then, the late 2008 sequel, simply titled “Rambo,” again showed Rambo rescuing Americans from foreign enemies. While a long way off from the Reagan administration, Rambo’s 2008 return was still timely, as it was fit for a post-9/11 America that perhaps yearned for 1980s-style Hollywood protagonists to come back and depict uncompromising, triumphant heroics on the screen. After all, this was the same decade that also saw the return of Indiana Jones, “Die Hard’s” John McClane, and Rocky.

The character’s history and its alignment with American politics then raises the question—why is Rambo coming back in 2019?

It has been over eleven years since Stallone last played Rambo. Now he is saddling up the guns, knives, bows, and arrows for what seems like the last time in “Rambo: Last Blood.” Rumors of a fifth installment to the franchise date back to 2010, when Millennium Films hinted at a sequel to their 2008 movie. Setbacks and wrong turns, however, have delayed the project until now.

So far, every Rambo movie in the franchise has had a new director—Stallone himself directed the 2008 installment. For “Last Blood,” those reigns have been handed off to Adrian Grunberg, an up-and-coming filmmaker who has far more assisting credits to his name than his three directorial titles. However, he likely has good source material to guide him, for Stallone and Matthew Cirulnick wrote the screenplay.

Plot-wise, “Last Blood” will focus on the aged John Rambo (even more aged than he was in 2008) rescuing his niece, who has been kidnapped by Mexican Cartel. It sounds quite similar to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 1985 “Commando” and Liam Neeson’s Taken movies, employing the father-daughter (or in this case uncle-niece) kidnap and rescue trope. This convention is not a negative one necessarily. In fact it has produced some very good movies. Nevertheless, it has been done many times before.

At the same time, Last Blood also looks like it will mix up expectations a little by adding a dash of Western influence into its action narrative. Most of the movie is likely to take place in Mexico and the trailer shows Rambo living on a desert ranch, riding horses to the tune of a country remix of Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Old Town Road.”

After all, Rambo has always been a bit of a cowboy hero for a newer generation. Like Henry Fonda’s Wyatt Earp or John Wayne’s Ethan Edwards, Stallone’s Rambo is a loner, deadest on justice in an unjust society. Perhaps the version of Rambo we will see in “Last Blood” will be closer to Wayne’s Rooster Cogburn, though, the old cowboy who resurfaces for one final job in 1969’s “True Grit.”

Still, the original question remains—why is Rambo coming back now? And what kind of America will he be fighting for this time around?

Hitting a Nerve or Missing the Mark?

Despite how platitudinous of a statement it may be, America is very divisive at the moment, likely more so than when Rambo debuted during the Reagan administration or even than when he returned in the Bush years. What exactly is worth fighting for is not agreed upon across the country. Therefore, the larger socio-political interpretations of Rambo’s contemporary motivations will be harder to place.

Among the “Last Blood’s” themes will probably be revenge and redemption, as well as service, family, and pride. In today’s America, though, none of these terms are one-track, uniform signifiers. They have different definitions based on who you are talking to and what you are talking about. American mythos comes in many different forms, and Hollywood may be left-leaning when it comes to the stories it produces, but Rambo has traditionally been a red-blooded hero.

Nevertheless, it is not as if Rambo was walking around in the previous four movies with Reagan-Bush stickers pinned on his chest and anti-democrat slogans stitched on his sleeves. Politics were rarely made explicit in the films, and such interpretations, naturally, are voiced after the movie is finished and released to the general public.

Realistically, it is more likely that Rambo is coming back in 2019 because he is a valuable piece of intellectual property and studios want to capitalize on the retro-hero turned badass old-timer fad popularized by Hugh Jackman in “Logan” and Jamie Lee Curtis in “Halloween”.

Likewise, Stallone made a splashing comeback when he reprised Rocky in the Creed franchise, earning an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. If he can still play Rocky to perfection after forty years, then why shouldn’t he be able to play Rambo?

Of course, no movie will ever be free from ideology, but “Last Blood” was, no doubt, made more with entertainment and marketability in mind than social commentary. After all, most people remember the Rambo movies not for their theoretical significance, but for their characterization, action, and excitement. In the end, there will be many ways to read “Rambo: Last Blood,” and they should be explored within the context of the franchise’s legacy.

For now, though, choosing to close the film theory and history books and simply enjoy the movie as good old, popcorn entertainment is viable, and quite possibly, the most appealing option.

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Entertainment, Movies

‘Where’s My Roy Cohn?’: Ruthless and Unscrupulous Trump ‘hero’ in Documentary Film Exposé

Video September 19, 2019 Lynxotic News Staff

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/sony/wheres-my-roy-cohn/wheres-my-roy-cohn-trailer-1_h1080p.mov

Above: Official Trailer for “Where’s My Roy Cohn?”

Ask anyone who took American history in high school if they have ever heard of Roy Cohn, and you may get blank stares. Of course, those who lived in the United States during the sensational attorney’s controversial career should recall the name, but otherwise, this immensely powerful, remarkably influential, and at times, terribly harmful figure in American politics has mostly been kept in the dark, hidden away in a backlog of national figures despite the tremendous effects he’s had on the country.

The son of a New York City judge, Roy Cohn was born in the year 1927. After a Jewish upbringing in the Bronx, he received a BA and JD from Columbia University and made a name for himself as a prosecutor for the U.S. Department of Justice. He was particularly successful in locking up Communists and soon became a close member of Senator Joseph McCarthy’s counsel.

For the next few decades, he had vast, yet subtle influence over American politics, informally advising presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, and even representing a young Donald Trump in a business case. He stood as a pillar of xenophobia and homophobia, ingraining such values into our leaders, all in the interest of preserving a perverse image of the American way.

Indeed, Cohn is not the kind subject often discussed in a civics classroom. However, he is the perfect anti-hero for an enlightening and entertaining cinematic experience. With feature films like “Vice” focusing on Vice President Dick Cheney and docuseries like Netflix’s “The Family” about White House evangelist Douglas Coe, there is an obvious market for media that digs deep into the true stories of individuals manageing to garner and manipulate power without ever really entering the spotlight—individuals like Roy Cohn.

A Cinéma-Vérité view of Corruption as a Lifestyle

Sony Pictures Classics’ documentary “Where’s My Roy Cohn?” screened earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival and it is getting a wider release at the end of the week. Behind the camera is journalist-turned-director Matt Tyrnauer, who has previously proved his affinity for creating historical bio-docs with 2008’s “Valentino: The Last Empire” and 2016’s “Citizen Jane: Battle for the City.”

“Where’s My Roy Cohn?” of course places the attorney’s controversial work with American politicians at the story’s core, unveiling in striking detail the level of silent sway he managed to attain over some of the nation’s most public leaders. However, Tyrnauer’s film does not end there. The documentary does a thorough investigation into Cohn as a human being, starting at his childhood to try and understand the origins of his narrow American vision and his insatiable drive for preserving it.

The doc will also look at Cohn’s personal complications as an adult. Although the lawyer worked with Senator McCarthy to rid the federal government of homosexuals during the 1950s Lavander Scare, Cohn himself was allegedly attracted to men. Whether as a latent power trip or a hidden secret, Cohn reportedly had sexual relations with many men throughout his life, and suspicions surrounding his sexual orientation continued and even intensified after he died of AIDS in 1986.

Cohn with **senator Joseph McCarthy** Photo / Sony Pictures Classics

The documentary will also view his career as more than just the facts. Continuing with the intimate approach, the movie will look at the personal relations he held with Washington’s most powerful people. It will investigate what happened behind closed doors between him and sitting presidents, and it will look at the master-apprentice dynamic that he held with Trump during the 1970s.

Evidently, there is more to Cohn than just the egregious effects he had on policy and national morale. For everything he did on paper, Roy Cohn was a human, and the human soul is a convoluted thing. He is definitely not an American hero.

In fact, one could even call him a villain, but as Freddy Kruger, Jason Voorhees, or Dick Cheney have proved before him, villains, especially ones that hold power in the palm of their hands, make for fascinating movie topics. And if “Where’s My Roy Cohn?” approaches the topic of Cohn well, maybe the audience will also be able to learn something about America along the way.

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Entertainment, Movies

‘Jojo Rabbit’ wins top Award at Toronto Film Fest: Audience Award, Precursor to Oscar Nomination

Video September 17, 2019 Lynxotic News Staff

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/fox_searchlight/jojo-rabbit/jojo-rabbit-trailer-2_h1080p.mov

2nd Official preview trailer of “Jojo Rabbit“

New Zealand director Taika Waltiti’s new movie “Jojo Rabbit”will not be widely released until October 18th but a few lucky patrons were able to catch an early screening at the Toronto Film Festival. Their reactions were positive, and the film won the audience award putting it in line, if past years winners are any indication, for a possible Oscar nod. Waititi was also awarded the Festival’s new Ebert Director Award.

Waltiti is known for directing wacky comedies such as “What We Do In The Shadows,” “Hunt For The Wilderpeople,” and the borderline parody Marvel hit, “Thor: Ragnarok.” His latest film, “Jojo Rabbit” follows this same vein of outrageous, yet charming humor, but there is one key difference… “Jojo Rabbit” focuses on Germany’s Nazi party during World War II, making its hilarity just a touch more complicated.

More specifically, “Jojo Rabbit” is about a young boy in the Hitler Youth. Like many German kids of the time, he aspires to be a Nazi soldier when he grows up. He buys into the party’s ideologies and believes their propaganda. That is until he comes face to face with a Jewish girl and learns, despite what the Nazis have taught him, that she is harmless, pleasant, and appealing.

On the surface, the premise seems like the bones of a complex and sophisticated historical drama. With Waltiti behind the camera, though, such is obviously not the case. Instead of dry historical accuracy, Waltiti makes the Hitler Youth look like a summer camp filled with likable children and goofy leaders. Most boldly perhaps, Waltiti himself plays Adolf Hitler in the movie, but rather than depict him as the brutal dictator that he was, Waltiti makes him out to be the kind-uncle archetype, a socially inept, hilarious motivator and idol for the children in the story.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/fox_searchlight/jojo-rabbit/jojo-rabbit-trailer-1_h1080p.mov

Original Official preview trailer of “Jojo Rabbit“

Artful Comedy of a Bygone Era

Of course, radical World War II and Nazi-themed comedies have existed in the past. From Quinten Tarantino’s “Inglorious Bastards” all the way back to Charlie Chaplin’s 1940 “The Great Dictator,” filmmakers have mocked the Nazi party through satire for generations. “Jojo Rabbit” will be no different in that regard. Obviously, given the current political climate in America and the world, a movie about the buffoonery and absurdity surrounding Nazi ideologies is somewhat timely. It will probably be impossible to watch this movie from an apolitical perspective while retaining a clear conscious.

At the same time, though, “Jojo Rabbit” is not a Nazi satire or comedy quite like we’ve seen before. Despite the heavy subject matter, the movie doesn’t look particularly dark. In fact, it looks incredibly playful, almost like a children’s movie. In many ways, it seems reminiscent of Wes Anderson’s “Moonrise Kingdom,” which essentially turned a kids summer camp story into an artistic film for adults. “Jojo Rabbit” looks like it will do the same thing, but then go the extra subversive mile by putting that summer camp in Germany circa 1939.

The trailer effectively presents this by including German versions of heartwarming American songs like The Monkees’ “I’m A Believer,”and by showing examples of slapstick comedy and cute gags around the relationships between our young protagonists. The characters—even those playing Nazis—all seem to have endearing qualities to them. It looks heartfelt, and almost kid friendly, as the children banter, grow up, and learn about the world all before the harrowing and bizarre backdrop of World War II Europe.

So where do we place “Jojo Rabbit”? Is it a movie about friendship? A romance? A historical piece? A coming-of-age-comedy? A feel-good movie? Who is its target audience and what is its intended message? Is it a social commentary? If so, then for who and on what? All of these questions are impossible to answer in any general sense right now, for the movie looks of no particular genre and is unique on so many levels.

The only thing that seems predictable about “Jojo Rabbit” is that it will make us laugh and that it will make us think

There is no guarantee that it will leave us feeling any better or worse about the world, that we will necessarily learn anything from it, or if we will exit the theater any less confused than we are right now. All we know is that we don’t know what to expect, and we are all excited to see what Taika Waltiti has in stores… excited, but with a hint of respectful, perhaps even nervous, reservation.

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Entertainment, Movies

The Goldfinch: From a Pulitzer Prize Winning Novel, with an Esteemed Director, Cast and Crew

Video September 13, 2019 Lynxotic News Staff

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/wb/the-goldfinch/the-goldfinch-trailer-2_h1080p.mov

2nd Official Trailer for “The Goldfinch” Still image: BOYD GAINES as Mr. Barbour, OAKES FEGLEY as Young Theo Decker and NICOLE KIDMAN as Mrs. Barbour in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Amazon Studios’ drama, THE GOLDFINCH, a Warner Bros. Pictures release.

On September 13^th, director John Crowley releases his sixth feature film, a Warner Brothers and Amazon Studios adaptation of Donna Tartt’s 2014 Pulitzer Prize winning novel, “The Goldfinch”. The film, which goes by the same title as the book, will be Crowley’s first film since his 2015 indie hit “Brooklyn” and it will star an impressive cast including Ansel Elgort, Nicole Kidman, Finn Wolfhard, and Luke Wilson.

In addition to all of this talent on screen, there is a lot to be excited about behind the camera as well. The film’s two trailers show off a uniquely warm aesthetic through production design and costumes.

It is therefore no surprise that the film has some very exceptional individuals working in those departments. K.K. Barret, who received an Oscar nomination for creating the intricate world of Spike Jonez’s “Her”, is spearheading production design on “The Goldfinch”, and Kasia Walicka-Maimone, whose wardrobe work appeared prevalently in “Moonrise Kingdom” and “Ready Player One”, is leading costume design.

On top of these two astounding professionals creating the look of “The Goldfinch”, their work will be captured on camera by none other than Roger Deakins, the Oscar winning cinematographer behind “Blade Runner 2049”, “Skyfall”, and “No Country For Old Men”. All narrative aside, it is safe to assume that “The Goldfinch” will be a spectacular visual experience.

However, narrative cannot go un-noted when it comes to cinema, especially when the film in question is an adaptation of a renowned book. The two trailers seem to offer different versions of the same story about a boy who loses his mother in a museum explosion and grows up in the grieving shadow of this event.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/wb/the-goldfinch/the-goldfinch-trailer-1_h1080p.mov

Original Official Trailer for “The GOldfinch”. Still photo caption: (L-r) ANSEL ELGORT as Theo Decker and ANEURIN BARNARD as Boris in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Amazon Studios’ drama, THE GOLDFINCH, a Warner Bros. Pictures release.

The first trailer depicts the story as a straightforward coming-of-age family-drama, but the second trailer throws in hints of suspense, with scenes of the main character being questioned by authorities and withholding secrets about what is presumably a stolen piece of art.

Obviously, the movie is not trying to be any particular drama, and given that the screenplay comes from “Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy”, “The Snowman”, and “Frank” screenwriter Peter Straughan, “The Goldfinch” is bound to be narratively distinctive.

It thus feels like no risk to preemptively label “The Goldfinch” an art film. Although it was made on a somewhat lofty $40 million budget and has had more marketing than most indie flicks, it is far from a guaranteed blockbuster. If anything, it could be deemed Oscar-bait, but let’s not jump to Academy-anchored conclusions just yet.

Just because the film is based off of a revered novel and has emotionally charged trailers does not mean that it will find immense critical acclaim. It runs the risk of not living up to its source material, and also must beware of becoming emotionally overcharged or sappy. Consider films such as “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” or “Cloud Atlas”, both of which seemed like promising adaptations of acclaimed books with stellar casts and crew.

The outcomes, however, were somewhat underwhelming for a number of reasons—emotional and artistic over-saturation being just a couple of them. In total, Warner Brothers and Amazon Studios are taking in a big, juicy, tender bite by adapting “The Goldfinch”, hopefully they have the teeth to chew it and the stomach to handle it in a satisfying way.

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Movies, Music

As It Was: Oasis Frontman Triumphs in Survival and Redemption via Song

Video September 13, 2019 Lynxotic News Staff

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/independent/liam-gallagher-as-it-was/liam-gallagher-as-it-was-trailer-1_h1080p.mov

New – Official trailer for “as it was”

Liam Gallagher Comeback-Rockumentary Light on Noel and Oasis, but Heavy on Personal Career and Music…

Oasis was the biggest rock band to come out of Britain in the 1990s. Formed in Manchester during the year 1991, brothers Liam Gallagher and Noel Gallagher stood at the band’s center, writing songs that they would eventually perform around the world. Hits such as Wonderwall, Don’t Look Back In Anger and Champagne Supernova still play on the radio (and in our heads) to this day.

Sadly, in 2009, the brotherly dynamic duo broke up, and they did not do so quietly. Ever since then, the Gallaghers’ relationship has been soured and fans have been praying for the two to set aside their differences and reunite on stage.

Ten years after the band’s separation, the odds of Liam and Noel getting back together do not seem any more promising than they ever were. As far as fans know, the brothers’ relationship is muddier than ever, and their time in Oasis has become somewhat of a wistful legend in the world of rock n’ roll, a short-lived story of two haughty English brothers who were worldwide sensations and then, at their height, unexpectedly fell out of each other’s graces.

While 2019 cannot promise Oasis’ return in any way, shape, or form, it is offering a unique chance to look back at the band and learn about one of its members recent attempt at returning to the world of music. Coming out this week, directors Gavin Fitzgerald and Charlie Lightening will be releasing “Liam Gallagher: As It Was“, a documentary bio-pic that follows Liam Gallagher, his present life and work, and perhaps most interestingly, his time in Oasis the dynamic bond he had with his brother.

As It Was will be Fitzgerald and Lightening’s first collaboration together. Both are up-and-coming directors, with filmographies that only go back to 2010, but both have excelled in music-themed documentaries. In 2013, Lightening directed 12-12-12 about the Hurricane Sandy relief concert, and in 2017 Fitzgerald did the short The Truth About Irish Hip Hop.

Nevertheless, this upcoming Liam Gallagher pic —set to be released today— will probably be both directors’ most ambitious project yet. There have been many rockumentaries and concert videos centered around Oasis since the turn of the millennium, but few have approached the topic on such a personal level since the breakup. As It Was, however, is not meant to be an Oasis picture per-se, but a specific, in-depth look at Liam Gallagher’s past and present.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/independent/liam-gallagher-as-it-was/liam-gallagher-as-it-was-trailer-1_h1080p.mov

First – OFFICIAL TRAILER FOR “AS IT WAS”

In many ways, this Liam-centric focus provides a number of challenges for As It Was. Foremost, the film cannot rely as much on a backlog of historic stories from Oasis’ rise and fall, for it instead focuses on Liam’s unsteady career since the breakup and his slow (but ultimately successful) return to music with an upcoming solo album.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/independent/liam-gallagher-as-it-was/liam-gallagher-clip-second-chance_h1080p.mov

Official Teaser CLip from “As it was”

Similarly, because Liam and Noel’s relationship is still rocky, the latter brother did not want to be involved in the film, so the directors had to tell the story without his cooperation. They were restricted in how much old Noel footage they could use and were even deprived the right to include Oasis songs in their soundtrack without getting into a legal battle.

In a movie about triumph and bouncing back, it is perhaps only logical that the filmmakers would have to overcome a few obstacles behind the camera as well. Liam Gallagher spent lots of time in the shadows after his fall from stardom, but as the film will chronicle, he rose from his ashes, regained a following, and created the album Why Me? Why Not, which will be released on the September 20th.

When it comes to As It Was, let’s hope that Fitzgerald and Lightening have done as good a job as Gallagher has in hurdling the roadblocks towards creating their art, and that audiences will appreciate the inspiring story they aim to tell.

Film Poster for “As It Was” – Photo / Screen Media

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Entertainment, Movies

5 New Trailers just Released

Video September 12, 2019 Kat Lee

A Raft of New Trailers just came out – these are a preview of what’s coming in November and beyond:

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/universal/1917/1917-trailer-2_h1080p.mov

Official trailer for “1917”

Number 1: 1917 is an upcoming war film directed by Sam Mendes and co-written by Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns. It stars George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Mark Strong, Andrew Scott, Richard Madden, Claire Duburcq, with Colin Firth, and Benedict Cumberbatch.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/disney/jungle-cruise/jungle-cruise-trailer-1_h1080p.mov

Official Trailer for “Jungle Cruise

Second: Jungle Cruise is an upcoming American adventure film based on the Disney theme park attraction of the same name. Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, the film will star Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Jack Whitehall, Édgar Ramírez, Jesse Plemons and Paul Giamatti, and is set for release on July 24, 2020, by Walt Disney Pictures.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/disney/onward/onward-trailer-1_h1080p.mov

official trailer for “onward”

Third: Onward is an upcoming American computer-animated urban fantasy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. It is directed by Dan Scanlon, produced by Kori Rae, and stars the main voices of Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Octavia Spencer.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/apple/the-elephant-queen/the-elephant-queen-trailer-1_h1080p.mov

Official trailer for “the Elephant queen”

Fourth: Available via AppleTV+ starting on November 1 (free if you recently purchased qualifying Apple products) the Documentary showcases the majestic lives of an Elephant herd.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/sony_pictures/charlies-angels/charlies-angels-trailer-2_h1080p.mov

Official trailer for “charlie’s Angels” – Sony Pictures

Fifth: Charlie’s Angels is an upcoming American action comedy film directed by Elizabeth Banks, who also wrote the screenplay, from a story by Evan Spiliotopoulos and David Auburn. It is the third installment in the Charlie’s Angels film series.

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Entertainment, Movies, Tech

Apple TV+ to Launch on November 1: One Year Free with iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, Touch

Video September 10, 2019 Kat Lee

https://www.apple.com/105/media/us/apple-tv-plus/2019/ca7883f2_885a_42c7_b0cc_529b287c1925/films/morning-show/apple-tv-plus-morning-show-tpl-cc-us-2019_1920x1080h.mp4

Above: “The Morning Show,” a cutthroat drama starring and executive produced by Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston, and starring Steve Carell, explores the world of morning news and the ego, ambition and the misguided search for power behind the people who help America wake up in the morning.

On 11-1-19, Apple will start streaming original shows worldwide, to over 100 countries and have a subscription fee of $4.99 per month. For the uncertain there will also be a seven day free trail period.

Using the Apple TV app, It will be possible to view shows on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, Apple TV and also online at tv.apple.com. Some of the previously announced shows that will be available initially will be “The Morning Show”(see trailer above), “Dickinson”, “See”, “For All Mankind” and “The Elephant Queen”. New original shows, movies and documentaries will be added each month, according to Apple.

https://www.apple.com/newsroom/videos/see/AppleTV_Plus-see-cc-us-_1920x1080l.mp4

Above: “See,” an epic drama starring Jason Momoa and Alfre Woodard, is set 600 years in the future after a virus has decimated humankind and rendered the remaining population blind. When all humanity has lost the sense of sight, humans must adapt and find new ways to survive.

https://www.apple.com/newsroom/videos/for-all-mankind/AppleTV_plus-mankind-cc-us-_1920x1080l.mp4

Above: “For All Mankind,” a new series from Ronald D. Moore, imagines what would have happened if the global space race never ended and the space program remained the cultural centerpiece of America’s hopes and dreams.

https://www.apple.com/newsroom/videos/dickinson/AppleTV_Plus-dickinson-cc-us-_1920x1080l.mp4

Above: “Dickinson,” a darkly comedic coming-of-age story, explores the constraints of society, gender and family through the lens of rebellious young poet, Emily Dickinson.

Some of the originals to be added monthly include:

“Helpsters,” a new children’s series from the makers of “Sesame Street,” stars Cody and a team of vibrant monsters who love to help solve problems. It all starts with a plan.

“Snoopy in Space,” a new original from Peanuts Worldwide and DHX Media, takes viewers on a journey with Snoopy as he follows his dreams to become an astronaut. Together, Snoopy, Charlie Brown and the Peanuts crew take command of the International Space Station and explore the moon and beyond.

“Ghostwriter,” a reinvention of the beloved original series, follows four kids who are brought together by a mysterious ghost in a neighborhood bookstore, and must team up to release fictional characters from works of literature.

“The Elephant Queen,” an acclaimed documentary film and cinematic love letter to a species on the verge of extinction, follows a majestic matriarch elephant and her herd on an epic journey of life, loss and homecoming.

Oprah Winfrey joins the world’s most compelling authors in conversation as she builds a vibrant, global book club community and other projects to connect with people around the world and share meaningful ways to create positive change.

Following data provided by Apple:

More Apple TV+ originals will be added to the Apple TV app each month, including:

“Truth Be Told,” a gripping new series starring Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer and Emmy Award winner Aaron Paul, explores America’s obsession with true crime podcasts and navigates urgent concerns about privacy, media and race.

“Little America,” inspired by the true stories featured in Epic Magazine, brings to life the funny, romantic, heartfelt, inspiring and surprising stories of immigrants in America.

“The Banker,” a feature film inspired by a true story, stars Anthony Mackie and Samuel L. Jackson as two African American entrepreneurs who try to circumvent the racial limitations of the 1950s and quietly provide housing loans to the African American community in Jim Crow Texas. Nia Long and Nicholas Hoult also star.

“Hala,” a feature film and official selection of the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and 2019 Toronto International Film Festival, follows a high school senior struggling to balance being a suburban teenager with her traditional Muslim upbringing.

Starting today, viewers can watch trailers and add Apple TV+ series and movies to Up Next on the Apple TV app, so they can be notified when the first episodes become available. At launch, most Apple TV+ series will premiere with three episodes, with one new episode to roll out each week, while full seasons of some series will be available all at once.

Audiences worldwide can enjoy Apple TV+ originals subtitled and/or dubbed in nearly 40 languages, including Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing (SDH) or closed captions. Apple TV+ series and movies will also be available with audio descriptions in eight languages.

Apple TV+ is one of Apple’s newest services, joining Apple Arcade, the world’s first game subscription service featuring over 100 new and exclusive games; Apple News+, which brings together over 300 magazines, newspapers and digital publishers within the Apple News app; Apple Music, the home of over 50 million songs, thousands of playlists and daily selections from the world’s best music experts; Apple Card, a new kind of credit card created by Apple and designed to help customers lead a healthier financial life; Apple Pay, the most popular mobile contactless payment system in the world that gives customers an easy, secure and private way to pay using their Apple devices; as well as the App Store and iCloud.

Pricing and Availability

Apple TV+ will be available on the Apple TV app for $4.99 (US) per month with a seven-day free trial starting November 1 on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K, Apple TV HD, Apple TV (3rd generation), iPod touch and Mac. To subscribe to Apple TV+, customers must update to iOS 12.3 or later, tvOS 12.3 or later and macOS Catalina. The subscription will automatically renew at $4.99 per month at the end of the seven-day free trial.

Apple TV+ will also be available on the Apple TV app on select 2018, 2019 and newer Samsung smart TVs, and on Amazon Fire TV, LG, Roku, Sony and VIZIO platforms in the future.

Customers can also subscribe to and watch Apple TV+ at tv.apple.com in Safari, Chrome and Firefox.

Customers with AirPlay 2-enabled Samsung, LG and VIZIO smart TVs must update to iOS 12.3 or later or macOS Catalina to play or mirror Apple TV+ originals from the Apple TV app on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or Mac directly to their smart TVs. Customers with eligible Sony smart TVs will be able to enjoy AirPlay 2 support later this year.

Customers who purchase any new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch starting September 10 can enjoy one year of Apple TV+ for free. Beginning November 1, customers can initiate the one-year free offer in the Apple TV app on the device running the latest software. Customers have three months after device activation to claim the offer, or if the device was purchased and activated before the launch of Apple TV+, they will have three months starting November 1. The subscription will automatically renew at $4.99 per month after one year. Customers can cancel at any time in Settings at least one day before each renewal date. Customers who cancel during the offer period will forfeit the remainder of their offer. This limited time offer applies to both new and refurbished models, including devices from the iPhone Upgrade Program, is not restricted to any specific sales channel (e.g., Apple Store, resellers) and will be available in all countries where Apple TV+ will launch. Up to six family members can share one Apple TV+ subscription and watch using their own Apple ID and password. Only one one-year offer is available per family, regardless of the number of devices purchased.

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Entertainment, Movies

Hustlers gets Positive Buzz at Toronto Film Fest, J LO Oscar Talk

Video September 8, 2019 Madison Santel

Perfect Timing ahead of September 12th Release

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/independent/hustlers/hustlers-trailer-1_h1080p.mov

Based on an article published in “New York Magazine” in 2015, this feel-good stripper story is getting strong, effusive positive reviews after its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival this weekend.

Talk of an Oscar nod for J Lo is already out there based on her performance as the head of an underdog-stripper crime “family”. In a kind of “Robin-Hood as Stripper” twist based on the original report.

With a star studded cast, lead by Jennifer Lopez, Constance Wu (“Fresh off the Boat”, “Crazy Rich Asians”), Cardi B, Julia Stiles and Keke Palmer, the crime drama has the mixture of a heist movie with built in sex, money and post feminist empowerment all wrapped into one.

Fresh Fiction even went so far as to call it :

“Scorsese in stilettos, Goodfellas slathered in frosty lip gloss and body glitter, this is a must-see Girl’s Night Out movie.”
– Courtney Howard, Fresh Fiction

And also evoking the Italian Mob Variety opined:

“[It] does for a gang of New Yawk bad girls what Goodfellas did for the mob…adapted by writer-director Lorene Scafaria at her most Scorsese.”
– Peter Debruge, Variety

Written for the screen and Directed by Lorene Scafaria, “Hustlers” is riding the buzz straight into opening weekend with what appears like it will be a big first weekend beginning on September 12th.

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Entertainment, Movies

Terminator: Dark Fate – Can Linda Hamilton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and James Cameron Save the Fate of the Franchise?

Video September 6, 2019 Lynxotic News Staff

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/paramount/terminator-dark-fate/terminator-dark-fate-trailer-2_h1080p.mov

New OFFICIAL TEASER TRAILER FOR “TERMINATOR: DARK FATE”

New Trailer Fleshes Out the Return of Sarah Connor

Earlier this week, Paramount Pictures released a second trailer for “Terminator: Dark Fate”, the latest installment to the Terminator franchise that began nearly thirty-five years ago. The sixth movie in the series, “Terminator: Dark Fate” appears to be trying achieve a critical rebound. While the franchise’s last film, “Terminator Genisys” fared well at the box office, it met less than ideal reviews. In fact, Dark Fate is coming on the heels of several critically underwhelming Terminator flicks.

Given that James Cameron’s initial 1984 “The Terminator” and his 1991 sequel “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” are hailed as a couple of the greatest action movies ever created, no Terminator movie has managed fill such big shoes since.

From 2003’s “Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines”, to 2009’s “Terminator Salvation”, all the way up to 2015’s Genisys, the Terminator sequels have missed the mark in one way or another.

While it may be unreasonable to expect that Dark Fate will live up to the first two films’ standards, the trailer suggests that the new film has a couple promising tricks up its sleeve that may make the movie rise above other attempts at rehashing the series.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/paramount/terminator-dark-fate/terminator-dark-fate-trailer-1_h1080p.mov

OFFICIAL TEASER TRAILER FOR “TERMINATOR: DARK FATE”

Perhaps the biggest bump that Dark Fate promises its audience is the return of Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor. Sarah Connor has become somewhat of a pop-cultural icon since her first appearances in “The Terminator” and “Terminator 2”.

She is a hardcore female protagonist, the mother of mankind’s future resistance leader, dead-set on killing cyborgs and saving the fate of humanity. While the character appeared in “Terminator Genisys”, she was recast in that film and played by the young Emilia Clarke. While Clarke held her own in the role, Sarah Connor and Linda Hamilton are inextricable in many fans’ minds. Thus, having the original actress reprise the iconic role is likely to draw greater interest.

Stars reprising old roles to play aged protagonists has been a successful trend in many blockbuster films lately. Given the large number of late sequels and additions to franchises to come out in the past few years, many actors and actresses have been returning to characters that they have not touched in decades.

Flash-forward for Stars of Yesteryear

Harrison Ford came back for “Blade Runner 2049” and “Star Wars: Episode VII- The Force Awakens”; Jeff Goldblum appeared in “Independence Day: Resurgence” and “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom”; even Bill Murray made a brief cameo in the 2016 “Ghostbusters” reboot. Not to mention that Sylvester Stallone will be returning as Rambo this year, and 2020 will see a leather-jacketed Tom Cruise flying again in “Top Gun: Maverick”.

Evidently, Linda Hamilton’s return as Sarah Connor is not something entirely unexpected, but it is still alluring to see the actress back on the big screen playing her most recognizable character.

Hamilton is not the only Terminator veteran to return in Dark Fate, though. The face of the franchise and the original Terminator himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger will also be in the movie.

While Dark Fate’s initial trailer only showed a single shot of Schwarzenegger’s face, the second trailer offers a bit more exposure. We see Connor unsuccessfully try to kill Schwarzenegger’s character with a shotgun, and then, in a different scene, we hear him ask her “do you believe in fate, Sarah?” We also see a brief sequence of Schwarzenegger in action, firing machine-gun rounds into what is presumably an antagonist Terminator’s face.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/paramount/terminator-dark-fate/terminator-featurette-1_h1080p.mov

“Featurette” Official Teaser Trailer for “Terminator: Dark Fate”

Subsequently, at the trailer’s very end, Connor tells him matter-of-factly, “when we’re done, I am going to kill you.” In response, Schwarzenegger simply shrugs. It is most likely that Schwarzenegger is reprising his role as the T-1000, the Terminator model that has appeared throughout the franchise as both an antagonist and protagonist. However, given the character’s aged appearance and the various timelines in the franchise, we cannot confirm anything.

Nonetheless, it seems pretty certain that Schwarzenegger will be on the heroes’ side in Dark Fate, which happily paves the way for some quality humor.

Cameron’s Back, with Mojo?

That being said, the movie looks like it will maintain an overarchingly darker tone, one reminiscent of the first couple films in the franchise. Unlike Salvation and Genisys, which watered themselves down to PG-13 ratings, Dark Fate has promised an R rating, and the trailer’s sinister tone suggest that it will return to the uncompromising action-packed energy of James Cameron’s original installments. After all, the trailer boldly states “Producer James Cameron Returns.”

While Cameron will not be directing Dark Fate—that responsibility has been handed off to Tim Miller—his involvement in the project is a promising advantage over the previous sequels. Not only is he one of the producers, but he is also credited as a writer, implying that the film will be following his vision more so than other additions to his franchise.

Another text-card in the trailer perhaps confirms this, reading, “Witness the new chapter, in the original Terminator saga.” This diction is somewhat curious. Defining Dark Fate as part of the original Terminator saga suggests that other additions to the franchise may not have been part of the same storyline. If this is the case, does that make them outside of the canon?

If so, which parts of the story are real and which aren’t? Because all of the movies play with time travel to different degrees, the saga has the ability to create various narrative timelines, but because of that, lingering questions now remain regarding what has and has not actually occurred in the franchise’s diegesis.

“Terminator: Dark Fate” will come out on November 1st. Only then will we be able to tell if Linda Hamilton, once again fighting alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in the visionary world of James Cameron, will be enough to save the franchise’s fate, and whether or not the “original” saga is part of a timeline audiences still want to continue moving across.

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Entertainment, Movies

Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice – A Reintroduction to her Saga and Sound

Video September 6, 2019 Kat Lee

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/independent/linda-ronstadt-the-sound-of-my-voice/linda-ronstadt-the-sound-of-my-voice-trailer-1_h1080p.mov

Official Preview Trailer for “Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice”

The Latest Central Subject In The Celebrity, Activist, Bio-Pic Documentary Trend…

When it comes to cinema, documentary is not a distinct genre per-se. It is a mode in and of itself, a unique filmic language with its own rolodex of forms, tropes, and trends. Thus, it is hard to look at documentary as a whole and pick out the medium’s exact kinds of iconographic shifts. Most documentaries attempt to be didactic, and teach the audience something concrete through their narratives. Usually that something is culturally relevant.

A handful of recent documentaries have been looking to the past in order to say something about the present. “Apollo 11”, “Leaving Neverland”, and “Woodstock: Three Days That Changed A Generation” are just a few examples of docs that came out in the past year that have dug deep into the stories of previous generations.

On top of that, audiences have shown a fascination in celebrity stories with documentaries such as Won’t You Be My Neighbor about Fred Rogers and Amazing Grace about Aretha Franklin garnering success in 2018.

Lastly, documentaries about identity and social justice, particularly in light of the current political climate, have been ubiquitous. Netflix’s Knock Down The House and Magnolia Picture’s RBG have both been examples of films about strong females rising above all odds to inspire, empower, and evoke change.

With all of these popular trends at hand, it was only a matter of time before a documentary came out that combined them all. Perhaps the right subject or story just needed to come along.

Encapsulating her Unique and Meaningful Life and Career

Linda Ronstadt was a celebrity and musical sensation across the 1960s, 70s, 80s, and 90s. In addition to being a brilliant singer-songwriter, Ronstadt was an activist, using her music and influence during the Civil Rights era to stand up for the rights of many marginalized groups. In particular, she advocated for gay, feminist, Latinx, and immigrant rights and spoke out against oppressive policies in the second half of the twentieth century.

Additionally, Ronstadt was also an actress and record producer, influencing the entertainment industry in a highly patriarchal period of its history. Now, Linda Ronstadt adds to her impressive resume being the central subject of the new documentary, “Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice”.

Greenwich Entertainment and CNN Films are set to release “The Sound of My Voice” in select theaters beginning September 6th. Rob Epstein and Jeffery Friedman directed the film, the same duo that created “Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt” back in 1989. “Stories from the Quilt” chronicled the lives of people affected by the AIDS virus in the days before the 1987 gay-rights march on Washington. Clearly, the directors are not new to telling controversial stories and championing important subjects.

“The Sound of My Voice” promises to be just as enthralling and inspiring as Epstein and Friefman’s previous collaboration, but with a large dose of upbeat, Linda Ronstadt energy. The film will focus on Ronstadt’s bravery and initiative, how she stood up to adversary, overcame roadblocks, and helped other women achieve success and recognition in music.

These stories are told primarily through interviews with other musicians who knew and worked with Ronstadt during her prime. Footage of Ronstadt herself, in concert and making both personal and public appearances across her decades in the spotlight.

At the same time, it seems like the film will also be a celebration of Ronstadt’s amazing career. While Linda Ronstadt involved herself in many very heavy topics over the years, she remains a great artist at her core. The belief that she is a superb singer is unanimously held, and all politics aside, everyone can enjoy her music. At times the songs were sad, at times they were introspective, but at other times they were uplifting, soulful, and happy.

If the film does not lose sight of this, it will leave viewers appreciating Ronstadt in her entirety, as a musician, and as a singer; as a songwriter, as an actress, as a producer and as an activist; as sensation, and as an icon; as a woman.

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Entertainment, Movies

Strange But True Official Trailer: Intriguing labyrinth

Video September 6, 2019 Madison Santel

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/independent/strange-but-true/strange-but-true-trailer-1_h1080p.mov

2nd Version Official Preview Trailer for “Strange but true”

Neo-Noir Thriller that cuts close to home in 2019…

This weekend, Lionsgate and CBS Films will be releasing Strange But True, the Rowan Athale adaptation of John Searles’ 2004 bestselling coming-of-age thriller novel. Although Athale is but an up-and-coming director, his short filmography has merit and the film touts an impressive cast including Nick Ryan, Margaret Qualley, Amy Ryan, and Greg Kinnear amongst others. While Amy Ryan and Greg Kinnear are the film’s best known veteran actors at this point, each having an academy award nomination under their belts, it is the young Nick Ryan and Margaret Qualley who play the main characters, and thus will have to carry most of the story’s emotional weight.

Luckily, the two rising stars have already proven themselves as talented and recognizable through recent hit movies like “Love Simon” and “Jurassic World” for Ryan, and “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood” for Qualley.

British Helmer Athale sets unique tone

The cast is promising, but what really makes “Strange But True” stand out is its cross-genre energy and unique tone. Like Searles’ source material, the trailer presents the film as a generic blend of horror, teen movie, and family drama. It suggests that fantastical elements such as Immaculate Conception and spiritual entities will play a role in the plot, but also grounded concepts such as rape and murder. At the same time, though, it all seems somewhat disguised in a teenage love story and a heartbreaking tale about loss.

Essentially, the complex plot seems to boil down to this: on prom night, a couple gets into a car accident and the boy dies; five years later, the girl shows up at the boy’s house; she is pregnant with what she claims is the boy’s child, and the family must dissect whether this is some miraculous truth or if there is a more disturbing form of deceit at hand.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/independent/strange-but-true/strange-but-true-clip-there-could-be-trouble-for-you_h1080p.mov

Clip excerpt “there could be trouble for you” for “Strange but true”

Indie Cred and looking at Lies Vs. Truth

Needless to say, “Strange But True” is not the kind of straightforward blockbuster narrative that will rake in hundreds of millions of dollars, but it is understandably not trying to be. With limited marketing and a shared release date with “IT: Chapter Two”, “Strange But True” comes across as completely aware of its indie status.

In a way, the film is a thriller, but unlike “IT” or other conventional horror flicks, it does not seem like “Strange But True” will rely on monsters or jump scares, but rather on mystery, psychological twists, and a touch of social commentary.

Perhaps call it a neo-noir picture, with a layered and labyrinth-like structure that keeps viewers and characters alike wondering what is real and what is fabricated. As evident from the title alone, truth vs. untruth will be one of the film’s major themes.

The tagline on the film’s promotional poster reads “some things are impossible to conceive” and in the trailer, the words “the only thing stranger than the mystery is the truth” flash across the screen before one of the characters’ voice overs asks, “if we knew the whole truth, would we be less afraid, or more?”

Whether intentional or not, given current trends in media and politics, the movie’s focus on truth verses lies may serve as some kind of latent social commentary. Thrillers and noir films have a long history of reflecting socio-cultural trends in America, and “Strange But True” may be an interesting addition to that pattern.

Rather than creating a blatant political drama, by using the power of suburbia and family mixed a hint of fantasy the film tells a story that is timely and subtly relevant in a quasi-political sense.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/independent/strange-but-true/strange-but-true-trailer-1_h1080p.mov

Of course, all of this is just speculation for now. After all, a good mystery movie can only give away so much from its marketing. Actually seeing the movie is the only way that viewers will really be able to tell what kind of message and story Strange But True is trying to relay.

But from where we currently stand, just on the brink of knowing the actual truth, it seems like that there will be many different ways to watch and interpret Strange But True, and hopefully each way will meet expectations and deliver for a film that certainly seems unconventional, but appealing nonetheless. Strange, but somehow… intriguing.

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Entertainment, Movies

IT Chapter Two: Stephen King Based Killer-Clown Sequel will have to get by without 1980s Nostalgia

Video September 5, 2019 Madison Santel

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/wb/it-chapter-two/it-chapter-2-trailer-2_h1080p.mov

2nd Official trailer for “it chapter two”

It’s All Grown Up: Monster Stephen King novel takes a Scary Jump into Adulthood…

This week, the most anticipated horror movie of the year finally hits theaters. “IT: Chapter 2” is the sequel to Warner Brother’s 2017 blockbuster hit, “IT”, but audiences already know that the film will not be the most conventional of sequels, particularly based on the timeline and source material that it grapples with.

Based on Stephen King’s epic 1986 novel, the two “IT” movies, both directed by Andrés Muschietti, try to translate the over-one-thousand-page book into film. Thus, the project was pretty much always bound to be more than just one movie.

A pre-planned franchise is nothing new to Hollywood. More interesting is the way that Warner Brothers and Muschietti plan on adapting the novel’s intricate narrative structure. Over hundreds of pages, King’s original book switches back and forth between the main characters’ present lives and their childhoods.

It seems that the modern films have decided to take a more linear approach, though, with the first It focusing entirely on the characters as children and “IT: Chapter Two” telling their adult story.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/wb/it-chapter-two/it-chapter-two-teaser-1_h1080p.mov

1st OFFICIAL TRAILER FOR “IT CHAPTER TWO”

Liberties taken Could be the Ticket to Clarity

This may be a wise decision on Muschietti and Warner Brothers’ part, for a previous adaptation of “IT”—the miniseries that aired on ABC in 1990—attempted to follow King’s original structure and ultimately ended up congested and ill-paced.

Splitting the extensive story into two chronological films will likely be a more enthralling and digestible way to appreciate It, even if it does deviate from King’s literary form. Therefore, what makes this film an anomaly in the world of direct sequels, is that it takes place twenty-seven years after the events of the first film.

Of course, the “distant sequel” has been somewhat of a trend in Hollywood lately, with classic franchises like Star Wars, Blade Runner, and Men in Black (amongst others) all returning to the big screen within the past few years after decades-long hiatuses.

However, these distant sequels are effective in part because the temporal gap between them and their predecessors is usually mirrored in real time. Seeing beloved characters and settings come back on camera after such long absences can evoke a strong senses of nostalgia, and lure in wistful audiences, also introducing the stories to new generations.

“IT: Chapter Two”, however, has skipped the “real time” gap and instead simply re-casted the characters as adults. It also helps that first film took place in 1989, which causes the twenty-seven year gap to land the sequel right in modern times.

Grown-ups of the Present Day vs. Kids of our Memories

This may allow the sequel to have more contemporary relevance, the relatively short time since the 2017 original allows Warner Brothers to capitalize on the current fanaticism around the first film.

At the same time, though, it sacrifices a sense of authentic nostalgia, and given the amount of mileage the first film got out of retro 1980s references, the lack of nostalgia may put Chapter Two at a critical disadvantage.

Similar to they way that the childhood storyline from Stephen King’s novel took place in the 1950s and made references to the era’s classic horror movies, the first It movie exploited 1980s nostalgia, with music queues, cultural references, and cinematic troupes that brought viewers back to the thriller-filled decade of Nightmare on Elm Street, The Shining, and Friday the 13th, but also the blissful bildungsroman blockbuster era of Stand By Me and ET.

This was evident from the first movie’s marketing alone—the opening line of the 2017 trailer being “when you’re a kid, you think the universe revolves around you,” over shots of the tween-aged characters biking around town and jumping into swimming holes.

The trailers for Chapter Two — which is all we have to go on until the film opens — do not have the same 1980s nostalgic flavor.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/wb/it-chapter-two/it-chapter-two-teaser-1_h1080p.mov

“old’ original official trailer for “it chapter two”

It seems like the sequel will keep a small foot in that door through flashbacks, but the bulk of the movie will have to stand on its own unconventional two legs as a modern-day adaptation of a beloved thirty-year old horror novel.

Expectations are high and the trailers imply that “IT: Chapter Two” will deliver on scariness and epic-ness, but without the Kevlar of nostalgic charm that truly made the 2017 movie stand out, audiences will have to see if Chapter Two compensates those lost strengths.

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Entertainment, Movies

Joker: Tweets Extol in an Explosion of Praise

Video September 1, 2019 Danny Leeds

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/wb/joker/joker-trailer-2_h1080p.mov

2nd Official trailer for “joker” by warner bros.

New Trailer is a hit on YouTube and Twitter: Fans are Talking Oscars…

Joaquin Phoenix's performance in #JokerMovie is nothing short of Oscar-worthy. He fully commits to the role mentally and physically. Todd Phillips delivered a game-changing comic book film, and I cannot wait to see it again. #Joker pic.twitter.com/cnrL9bsdR2
— Dorian Parks (@DorianParksnRec) August 31, 2019

First, there was a Standing Ovation that clocked-in, reportedly, at over eight minutes. Now, tweets and reviews are gushing out with nothing but raves for the film, it’s director and star. It appears that the promise that could clearly be seen in the two trailers released so far (see above and below) has carried over, with a big bang, into the reaction to the full length film.

https://twitter.com/JesabelRaay/status/1167894781852147718

As one surveys the two trailers, so far released for the upcoming “Joker” origin-story from Warner Brothers, there is a sense that this is an epic not easily categorized within the Comic-Book movie genre.

Starring Joaquin Phoenix (Oscar nominee for “Walk the Line”, “The Master” and “Gladiator”), directed and co-written by Todd Phillips (“Borat” and “The Hangover Trilogy”) and with Robert De Niro (as TV host Murray Franklin), the focus on how Arthur Fleck becomes “Joker” screams a muted, uneasy tension, that’s oozing from every pixel revealed so far.

Joker isn’t just an awesome comic book movie, it’s an awesome movie, period: https://t.co/9HEP8HcGOU pic.twitter.com/w90Zg2Ssti
— Jim Vejvoda (@JimVejvoda) August 31, 2019

In “Joker”, Batman’s Gotham City is a cesspool of dirt and depravity where Arthur appears doomed to live and die encircled with nothing but depression and humiliation. Mentally Ill and mercilessly tortured by the “sane” members of society all around him, he finds some respite in his chosen career of clown-for-hire and hopeful comedian wannabe by night.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/wb/joker/joker-teaser-1_h1080p.mov

OFFICIAL teaser TRAILER FOR “JOKER” BY WARNER BROS.

We are all Clowns, Echoes of Antifa and Guy Fawkes

The potential for the story to transcend the genre of Comic book heroes and villains is hinted at in the placard with the words “we are all clowns” scrawled on it, that can be seen in a flash, about halfway through the new trailer (above).

Followed by scenes showing mobs of clown-mask-wearing demonstrators / rioters (shades of anonymous, Guy Fawkes, Antifa and Hong Kong), there’s an implication that an anti-social movement is growing up around, and identifying with, the anger and twisted humor of the emerging “Joker” super-villain character.

Joker (2019)Reviews:

IGN: 10/10
Variety: 5/5
Hollywood Reporter (THR): 4.5/5
Empire Magazine: 10/10
Total Film Magazine: 10/10
Collider: 9/10
Forbes: 10/10
L.A Times: 4/5
Guardian: 5/5
Daily Telegraph (UK): 5/5#Joker #JokerMovie pic.twitter.com/YqWn2H1o4Z
— 𝖓𝖆𝖍𝖆 (@nahaa_a1) September 1, 2019

The real life parallels in the fictional world of Gotham City and the way many could relate, after having suffered similar fates to those that produced the madness into which Arthur descends, are scary, already in previews, and could portend a film that is, not only horrifically entertaining, but thought provoking when seen in the shadows of current events and today’s zeitgeist.

Made it to the Joker premiere! #Venezia76 pic.twitter.com/KZpyaS5qGq
— James Jones (@jamesjonesfilm) August 31, 2019

In the wake of so many “uplifting” but heavily computer assisted films where Comic book superheroes battle cartoon villains (and each other) the emphasis on live action grit and human emotions and failings is, at first look, refreshing and terrifying (in an interesting way), an that seems to have hit a nerve with the general public, well before the first public screening of the film.

Once the reviews flood out this weekend, after the Venice Film Festival World Premiere, the question of, to what degree the full length feature will live up to the promise encapsulated in these first two trailers, will have at least a provisional answer.

There will be before Joker. And there will be after Joker. I don't know if the world is ready for this movie. Or maybe it is? It is GNARLY. It is crazy. It is audacious. It doesn't hold back. Wow. I can't believe it exists. But it does. And it's coming.
— Alex B. (@firstshowing) August 31, 2019

In the meantime we can just watch and re-watch these tender tidbits and prepare for October 4, 2019, when the film will see wide release across the USA.

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Entertainment, Movies

Joker: Positive Reviews Flood from Venice after Standing Ovation at World Premiere

Video September 1, 2019 Danny Leeds

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/wb/joker/joker-trailer-2_h1080p.mov

2nd Official trailer for “joker” by warner bros.

New Trailer is a hit on YouTube and Fans are Talking Oscars…

First, there was a Standing Ovation that clocked-in, reportedly, at over eight minutes. Now, critics at the Venice Film Festival, where the world premiere took place last night, have had nothing but raves for the film, it’s director and star. It appears that the promise that could clearly be seen in the two trailers released so far (see above and below) has carried over, with a big bang, into the reaction to the full length film.

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/wb/joker/joker-teaser-1_h1080p.mov

OFFICIAL teaser TRAILER FOR “JOKER” BY WARNER BROS.

We are all Clowns, Echoes of Antifa and Guy Fawkes

In the meantime we can just watch and re-watch these tender tidbits and prepare for October 4, 2019, when the film will see wide release across the USA.

Find books on Big Tech, Sustainable Energy, Economics and many other topics at our sister site: Cherrybooks on Bookshop.org

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Entertainment, Movies

Blinded By The Light: An Unexpected yet Powerful Homage to Creativity, and, of course, Bruce Springsteen

Video August 15, 2019 Danny Leeds

https://movietrailers.apple.com/movies/wb/blinded-by-the-light/blinded-by-the-light-trailer-1_h1080p.mov

Official Preview Trailer for Blinded By The Light Photo / Warner Brothers

In a perfect world, this film, which is about a young man trying to find a way to transcend his apparent destiny, will itself rise above the barriers that are likely to stand in its way. So far the writers, filmmakers and cast, have done exactly that.

The story is of Javed, a young Pakistani living with his family in Luton, England, a working class town about 40 miles north of London. His life changes, seemingly overnight, once he is introduced by a school-mate to the songs of Bruce Springsteen, an unlikely obsession in 1987, post new-wave Britain.

Ultimately, the star of the movie is not Bruce Springsteen, or even his music. Although the Director Gurinder Chadha has had successes, most notably with “Bend it like Beckham” it is not an obvious combination – a British Indian filmmaker taking on a film that is a full-on homage to New Jersey’s greatest songwriter.

Independence Day, and Universal Struggles Between Generations and Cultures

Based on a memoir by Sarfraz Manzoor the film is a fervent paean, not only to Springsteens genius for emotional and cinematic storytelling through his lyrics and music, but to all the struggles of people, all over the globe, that know the desire and struggle for something in life that appears always just out of reach

The battles and strife that arises between Javed (played with a perfect sense of discovery and awe by Viveik Kalra) and his father Malik (Kulvinder Ghir) echos the deep and dramatic conflicts that Springsteen often wrote about in his music. The deep sadness of those conflicts are not delved deeply into, since the story is about the amazing positive influence art can have, particularly on this young man.

Now I don’t know what it always was with us
We chose the words, and yeah, we drew the lines
There was just no way this house could hold the two of us
I guess that we were just too much of the same kind

Well say goodbye it’s Independence Day
It’s Independence Day all boys must run away
So say goodbye it’s Independence Day
All men must make their way come Independence Day
-Independence Day, By Bruce Springsteen

The influence of the artist, seemingly a world away on the Jersey Shore, on a Pakistani youth struggling though life in working class England, feels at times as an expression profound beauty and deep feeling.

If you know Springsteen’s stories and songs, you can completely understand why his music resonates so completely with Javed, who dreams of being a poet and a writer, and even with his fellow Springsteen fanatic friend that introduced him to this new and magical world.

The bleakness of the songs is, at the same time, powerful and uplifting, implying hope in a hopeless world, and strength to rise above the past and the shackles of “today’s world” whether “today” refers to 1987 in a small industrial town in Britain or to 2019 in any town, planet earth.

Well there’s a dark cloud rising from the desert floor
I packed my bags and I’m heading straight into the storm
Gonna be a twister to blow everything down
That ain’t got the faith to stand its ground
Blow away the dreams that tear you apart
Blow away the dreams that break your heart
Blow away the lies that leave you nothing but lost and brokenhearted
The dogs on main street howl
‘Cause they understand
If I could take one moment into my hands
Mister, I ain’t a boy, no, I’m a man
And I believe in a promised land
And I believe in a promised land
And I believe in a promised land
Promised Land, by Bruce Springsteen

That Sarfraz Manzoor’s memoir could, righteously and with the blessing of The Boss, make it to the silver screen, and that people seeing the film here in the US are watching it, is a homecoming of sorts. A boomerang of hope and desire, sent out through the airwaves as a Springsteen recording and making it’s way through the life and times of a young man in the UK, then, an entire generation later, back to the USA and, perhaps, offering some young people here and wherever the film is seen, a chance to carry further that same aching desire for something better.

Some way to rise above these “badlands”.

For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside That it ain’t no sin to be glad you’re alive I wanna find one face that ain’t looking through me I wanna find one place I wanna spit in the face of these
Badlands, you gotta live it everyday Let the broken hearts stand As the price you’ve gotta pay Keep movin’ ’til it’s understood And these badlands start treating us good
– Badlands, By Bruce Springsteen

https://video-lynxotic.akamaized.net/Interview-Clip-BBTL.mov

Condensed Preview Video Plus Interview Segment with Sarfraz Manzoor

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