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Sonic 2 movie set photos show Knuckles’ design for the first time

By  in May 23rd 2021   No Comment »
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New photos taken on the set of the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 movie show Knuckles for the first time.

The photos, taken by Twitter user pursuit23 and purchased by Just Jared, mainly show stars James Marsden and Tika Sumpter performing an action scene for the movie.

One shot, however, shows crew adjusting stand-in props for Sonic, Tails and Knuckles, which help give the cast a better idea of the height of the CGI characters they’re going to be interacting with.

Sonic 2 movie set photos show Knuckles’ design for the first time

paramount Pictures announced in February that the Sonic 2 movie would be released on April 8, 2022 following the original film’s box office success.

The first movie saw Sonic arriving in Green Hills, Montana and teaming up with local sheriff Tom Wachowski (Marsden) as he tries to escape the US Department of Defense aided by Doctor Robotnik (Jim Carrey).

The film ended with a teaser suggesting that a sequel would have Tails coming to Earth in search of Sonic. It’s now clear that Knuckles will also play a major role in the plot.

The Sonic movie performed above expectations, amassing $146 million domestically and $306 million worldwide before COVID-19 lockdowns forced paramount to release the film digitally and on home video sooner than expected.

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In its first weekend the film debuted with a three-day opening of $57 million in the US, which represents a new domestic record for a video game adaptation.

In addition, the Sonic movie’s four-day gross of $70 million is among the best showings ever for the long holiday weekend, which this year coincided with Valentine’s Day.

With a Rotten Tomatoes score of 63% and an audience score in the 90s, Sonic seems to have fared far better with moviegoers than with critics.

VIDEO: George Clooney Spotted Directing New Movie In Watertown

By  in May 22nd 2021   No Comment »
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WATERTOWN (CBS) — There was a star sighting on a snowy day in Watertown Friday. George Clooney was spotted at filming for his new movie “The Tender Bar.”

Clooney, wearing a winter hat and jeans, was directing a scene at Bemis Park off Waltham Street.

READ MORE: Mega Millions Jackpot Up To $515 Million For Friday Night Drawing

In January, Clooney was spotted in Ipswich scouting locations for the Amazon Studios project. According to The Hollywood Reporter, “American Horror Story” actress Lily Rabe will be joining “X-Men” actor Tye Sheridan and Cambridge native Ben Affleck in leading roles.

The movie adaptation of the J.R. Moehringer memoir is about the writer’s time growing up on Long Island and looking for a father figure among the customers at his uncle’s bar, according to The Reporter.

Dorchester native William Monahan, who won an Oscar for his work on “The Departed,” wrote the movie script.

MORE NEWS: Fall River Teen Arrested In Connection With Double Murder

 

Colson Whitehead With Margaret Atwood, Queen Latifah and Chris Bohjalian

By  in May 22nd 2021   No Comment »
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Hello, book lovers! Any reader will tell you “the book is always better than the movie” (or TV series), but what do authors have to say? According to Colson Whitehead and Margaret Atwood, screen adaptations take on a life of their own. Speaking of screen adaptations, Queen Latifah is taking on a magical post-Civil War story, but if that isn’t exciting enough, you can peruse Glamour‘s list of must-watch films based on books. If you’re just here for the books, don’t worry, we’ve got a lot of great recommendations for that upcoming beach trip. So, without further ado, enjoy this mix of stories from the book world.

Colson Whitehead and Margaret Atwood Discuss the Challenges of Book-to-Screen Adaptation: With Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale in its fourth season and Amazon Prime’s recent premiere of The Underground Railroad, the two authors had a chat about the process. — TIME

Queen Latifah Partnering With Jim Henson Company to Adapt Nicole Glover’s The Conductors: Glover’s magical twist on the Underground Railroad and the post-Civil War era had Latifah instantly captivated. — Deadline

Chris Bohjalian Pens His Timeliest Novel Yet in The Hour of the Witch: A gripping historical thriller, some readers have described Bohjalian’s latest as The Crucible meets The Handmaid’s Tale. — BookTrib

Must-Read Summer Books to Fill Your Beach Bag: With chilling thrillers to keep you cool while in the sun to tales that will fully immerse you in the sand and sea, these books are perfect for the upcoming season. — The New York Times

John Green’s First Nonfiction Work, The Anthropocene Reviewed, Is Out Now: Adapted from his hit podcast of the same name, Green’s essays contemplate the broad scope of human impact on the planet. — BookTrib

29 Must-Watch Book-to-Screen Adaptations: From Hidden Figures to The Perks of Being a Wallflower, some movie adaptations hold their own (even if the book was better). — Glamour

Sisters Cling to Lies to Maintain Their Not-So-Perfect Lives in Lauren Weisberger’s Latest: Weisberger, author of The Devil Wears Prada, crafts another fun, binge-worthy tale in Where the Grass Is Greener and the Girls Are Pretty. — BookTrib

On the Run: 7 Novels About Misfit Characters Looking to Escape: Featuring authors like James Baldwin and Cormac McCarthy, these reads will take you away from societal pressure. — Electric Literature

7 Irresistible Twists on Historical Fiction: From a canine narrator in WWII Germany to a cutting satire of an antislavery crusade, these bold takes on historical events are truly one of a kind. — Off the Shelf

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Actor Esther Chae speaks on Asian American representation in Hollywood – The Lafayette

By  in May 22nd 2021   No Comment »
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Representation is not just about bodies and faces. For actor Esther Chae, representation includes showing all the “nuanced gradations of dimensionality” of characters that are often only viewed as cultural archetypes.

This past Monday, Chae, an award-winning Korean American actress, playwright, educator and speaker, shared her insights and experiences regarding representation in Hollywood with the college community. This was the keynote event of the college’s first celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. 

Chae’s television credits include “NCIS” and “Law and Order,” and she has recently done voiceover work for Disney and Pixar’s “Soul” and Netflix’s “Over the Moon.”

The conversation for the evening began with a few questions from the moderator, Government Law Professor and Asian Studies program chair Seo-Hyun Park.

Park first asked Chae about the opportunities she has had and challenges she has faced as an Asian American actor.

Chae reflected on her experiences with her work in “Over the Moon” in response.

“[‘Over the Moon’] was a very important movie for me because that movie…was based off of a Chinese legend of Chang’e [a Chinese moon goddess], and so in front of the camera, back of the camera, the producers and the creators were predominantly Asian American…The producer, Gennie Rim…had mentioned that she had specifically asked for us to be Asian Americans,” said Chae.

“Over the Moon” also features Asian American actors Philippa Soo, Ken Jeong and Sandra Oh, among others.

Chae further explained that bilingual artists and interracial actors are most often cast in roles that require them to perform a voice-over in both languages. This leads to a lack of opportunities in mainstream, English-speaking shows despite the fact that a lot of these actors speak English as their first language.

“In that particular movie [‘Over the Moon’], there was no foreign language, no Asian language required…in this ADR looping voice-over world…you don’t really get to see the players in this, there’s very little diversity. So, the producers had to push and make a very specific request that the group of actors coming in would be of such background. In my 20-year career, particularly in voice-over, that was the first time I actually had an experience like that where we were just doing work that predominantly Caucasian actors do all the time,” said Chae.

Chae then shared an experience in a casting room as the only non-Black actor being considered for a character who was part of a biracial couple, signifying the lack of representation in a production that, according to Chae, generally does a good job of portraying diversity.

“Diversity means Black in Hollywood,” Chae explained.

“That also erases and makes a lot of the other underrepresented communities invisible,” Chae said. “These are all the limitations that happen where in theory and practice it really doesn’t match up…In theory, there might be an intention and a thought, and yet in practice…there’s many factors where there’s a lot of invisible barriers that actors or sometimes the creators won’t have access to or be able to see.”

As another example of this discrepancy between theory and practice, Chae highlighted unequal pay between actors from marginalized ethnicities or nationalities and their white counterparts.

Following this conversation, the floor was opened to questions from the audience.

One student asked about the issue of representation of subgroups within a specific community, specifically how Chae felt about a role made for a Japanese person, for instance, that a Korean or Chinese actor might take instead.

Chae emphasized that as an actor with a “range of scope and toolboxes,” she personally wouldn’t want to be limited because of her ethnicity. Rather, she would feel comfortable playing any Asian American role unless the character required a specificity that she would be unable to bring because of these limitations.

For Chae, visibility goes far beyond having access to opportunities and people knowing her face—she said it is to be fully thriving and able to have stability and a full life in the kind of space that she wants.

Compare SpecsThe Best Movie Streaming Services for 2021

By  in May 21st 2021   No Comment »
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Cord cutters have tons of options for watching their favorite on-demand shows and live TV without the burden of a cable bill. Movie fans don’t have to miss out on the fun. Many video streaming services offer extensive libraries of popular titles and support high-end streaming standards. You might need to wait for premieres to land on the service of your choice, but the variety of films on a service can likely tide you over. You may even discover a new favorite movie that you would never see in theaters or purchase outright.

What Movies Can You Stream?

The movies available for streaming on a service depends on the distribution rights and media properties of the service’s parent company. It’s similar to the way that live TV streaming services must negotiate with cable channel owners to get streaming rights. The services that already own the rights to huge catalogs of content (or have the money to get streaming rights) have an advantage. Take, for example, four of the biggest names in the media business: Comcast (Peacock), Disney (Disney+), ViacomCBS (paramount+), and WarnerMedia (HBO Max).

Comcast owns several movie studios, including Universal Pictures, Focus Features, DreamWorks Animation, and Illumination. Disney+ has classic Disney films, Marvel movies, Pixar animations, and Star Wars films. ViacomCBS owns paramount Pictures. WarnerMedia’s HBO Max includes movies from Warner Bros (17 of which are releasing on HBO Max at the same time as theaters in 2021) and New Line Cinema, plus has exclusive streaming rights to Studio Ghibli films in the US. One note about the simultaneous HBO Max releases; WarnerMedia announced that it would return to initial theatrical releases in 2022, albeit with a shorter window of exclusivity.

Services like Netflix and Prime Video aren’t backed by traditional media behemoths, but they still allow you to stream large (albeit constantly changing) libraries of movies. Netflix also offers a physical-disc rental service, called dvd by Netflix, which expands its library considerably. Check out our features on what’s arriving on Netflix and Prime Video to stay up to date with the streaming offerings.

Both Netflix and Prime Video also produce original movies, some of which have earned critical acclaim. Some of the top Netflix original movies are El Camino: A Breaking Bad Story, I Care A Lot, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Roma, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, The Irishman, and The Trial of the Chicago 7. Prime Video’s best original movies to date include Honey Boy, I Am Not Your Negro, Manchester By The Sea, One Night in Miami, Sound of Metal, and The Big Sick. Part of the reason that Netflix and Amazon need to produce their own titles is that some of the traditional media powerhouses are making movies exclusive to their own services. Both still have about the same number of quality films though. Hulu doesn’t produce many original movies, but it is owned by Disney, which likely has some financial upside.

Apple TV+ doesn’t license content from traditional media giants, and thus is in the unenviable position of creating most of its content in-house, though it has acquired some films and documentaries. This means that its movie library is extremely limited compared to that of other services. On top of that, Apple TV+’s focus appears to be on creating original series more so that original movies. In any case, the most notable Apple TV+ films available for streaming are Greyhound, Hala, The Banker, and The Elephant Queen.

Other services have a more specific focus. The Criterion Channel focuses on classic and foreign films. Filmatique, Mubi, and Ovid.tv curate a rotating library of indie movies and documentaries. Check out our roundup of the best documentary streaming services, if that is your primary interest.

KweliTV is one of the best video streaming services for celebrating Black art. Tubi and Crackle, which are completely free services, offer a selection of popular movies from years past, though you probably won’t recognize a good portion of the titles in their libraries.

Note that you won’t be able to watch the absolute latest movies from traditional film giants on these services (except for the aforementioned 2021 Warner Bros. films on HBO Max); often there is a theatrical release period for a film, thus allowing it to qualify for awards. However, AMC Theaters is facing financial troubles and changes are always possible for awards eligibility.

Do Video Streaming Services Support 4K, HDR, and Surround Sound?

Some video streaming services do support high-end audio and video standards. Apple TV+, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, and Prime Video all support 4K streaming, for example. Other streaming services top out at 1080p streaming for movies, among them Filmatique, KweliTV, Mubi, Ovid.tv, Peacock, Shudder, and The Criterion Channel. Tubi’s and Crackle’s maximum streaming resolution is 720p.

Some services, such as Apple TV+, Disney+, HBO Max, Netflix, and Prime Video, support HDR streaming (either HDR10 or Dolby Vision). Support for higher-end audio standards (5.1 Surround Sound, Dolby Atmos, or Dolby Digital Plus) is more common. Apple TV+, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, Prime Video, and Tubi all support at least one of these standards.

Note that not every movie on these services is available to stream at the absolute highest quality. The best way to find content that supports these high-end video and audio standards is to search for them in a service’s interface.

You also need a playback device that supports these standards. Check out our roundups of the best media streaming devices, projectors, smart TVs, and soundbars to find all the top audiovisual gear, keeping in mind that some services restrict the highest playback standards to certain devices. For instance, Netflix subscribers on macOS only recently gained the ability to stream in 4K. Prime Video restricts 4K streaming to select media streaming devices and smart TVs.

Accessibility Options

Most of the video streaming services in this roundup include closed captions for the vast majority of their content, but not all of them allow users to fully customize them. Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, IFC Films Unlimited, IMDb TV, Netflix, Peacock, Prime Video, and Tubi support subtitle customizations.

Only a few services support audio descriptions, which are audible narrations of on-screen events that would not be discernible through dialogue alone. Currently, Apple TV+, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, IMDb TV, Netflix, and Prime Video all have this accessibility feature.

Streaming vs. Physical Media

One major reason to consider a video streaming service over physical media for watching movies is the potential savings. If you buy one or more 4K UHD Blu-rays every month (typically $15-$30 depending on how recently they were released), it’s likely cheaper to subscribe to a video streaming service—at least as far as watching movies goes. However, if you only buy 4K UHD Blu-rays occasionally or only feel the need to buy standard dvds or Blu-Rays, you might end up paying less over the same period compared to if you had subscribed to a video streaming service.

HBO Max and Netflix’s Premium plan (the only tier that supports 4K streaming) cost the most of any of the on-demand services we’ve reviewed at $14.99 and $17.99 per month respectively. The Criterion Channel and Mubi are both $10.99 per month. At the lower end of the price range, paramount+ is $9.99 per month, Prime Video is $8.99 per month, Disney+ charges $7.99 per month, and Ovid.tv is $6.99 per month. Hulu’s ad-supported plan, KweliTV, and Shudder are all $5.99 per month.

For about $5 per month, you can get Apple TV+ or Filmatique. Crackle, Peacock, and Tubi are free, though you need to pay $4.99 per month to get all of Peacock’s content. Philo, a live TV service, is $20 per month, but that’s inexpensive for the category.

On one hand, the constantly changing library of video streaming services may not appeal to people who like to rewatch movies from time to time. When you buy a physical disk, presumably it’s because that movie is one you specifically want to watch many times or otherwise keep for collection purposes. The fact that a service might not have all of the movies you want to watch is problematic, too. Other people may just like the prospect of having physical disks offline for eternity (unless you lose them). If you buy a digital movie from iTunes or Amazon, a recent lawsuit reminds us that digital content ownership may still be subject to factors outside your control.

On the other hand, the opportunity to discover new films is a definite benefit of a changing library of movies. Mubi, for instance, updates its Now Streaming section of 30 curated films every day, so you always have something new to watch. There are ways to use video streaming services offline, too. Many services support offline downloads on mobile devices, for example. It may not be ideal to watch a movie on a small screen of a mobile device, but it’s still more convenient than carrying around a portable dvd player or laptop with a compatible disc drive.

There are other options for people who don’t like the prospect of streaming services, but still want to go digital. For example, you could purchase digital copies of movies online and organize them in one place with Movies Anywhere. Alternatively, you can upload any films you already own to a Plex server and enjoy them anywhere.

More Than Just Movies

When you pay for an on-demand video streaming service, you generally aren’t limited to just watching movies, of course. Some of the best new shows are exclusive to on-demand services and are the only place to watch classic shows on your schedule, too. For instance, Netflix is the only place to watch The Witcher and Disney+ is the streaming home of WandaVision. This all-you-can-watch style of subscription makes the cost of these services easier to justify. Other services, including Hulu and Prime Video allow you to add on live TV components. Philo is primarily a live TV service.

Video streaming services may not be perfect for watching movies, but those with large movie libraries, support for high-end standards, and the best features are certainly viable alternatives to purchasing physical discs or paying an exorbitant amount for a movie ticket.

TV Movie Guide 19 – 25 April | Movie News | SBS Movies

By  in May 21st 2021   No Comment »
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  • Closed Captions (CC) available for Bedevil, Woodstock, The Game, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, Captain Fantastic and Shutter Island
  • Audio Description (AD) available for New York, New York, The Game and Shutter Island

 

MONDAY 19 APRIL

Twelve Canoes
10:00am, NITV

PG
Australia, 2009
Genre: Drama, Omnibus Film
Language: English
Director: Rolf de Heer, Molly Reynolds
What’s it about?
A series of short films that paint a compelling portrait of the people, history, culture and place of the Yolngu people whose homeland is the Arafura Swamp of north-central Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory.

Streaming after broadcast at SBS On Demand:

Totem and Ore
12:15pm, NITV (repeats Saturday 24 April, 8:30pm)

M
Australia, New Zealand, 2019
Genre: Documentary
Language: English
Director: John Mandelberg
What’s it about?
In Australia, Indigenous communities have had to live with nuclear weapons testing since the 1940s. This documentary explores this history, outlining the effects of radioactive fallout and nuclear waste dumps on these communities, especially in the context of the bombing of Hiroshima in 1945.

Streaming after broadcast at SBS On Demand:

 

TUESDAY 20 APRIL

New York, New York
12:00pm, SBS VICELAND

PG, AD
USA, 1977
Genre: Drama, Music, Romance
Language: English
Director: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Liza Minnelli, Robert De Niro, Lionel Stander, Dick Miller, Mary Kay Place
What’s it about?
In Martin Scorsese’s epic, ambitious follow-up to Taxi Driver, an egotistical saxophone player (De Niro) and a young singer (Minnelli) meet on V-J Day and embark upon a strained and rocky romance, even as their careers begin a long uphill climb.

NOTE: No catch-up at SBS On Demand

Chi-Town
8:30pm, NITV

M
USA, 2018
Genre: Documentary
Language: English
Director: Nick Budabin
What’s it about?
An underdog basketball player from Chicago goes on a meteoric rise to become one of the best college point guards in the nation. But while he pursues dreams of the NBA, his success contrasts with the effects of gun violence on his friends back home.

Streaming after broadcast at SBS On Demand:

 

WEDNESDAY 21 APRIL

Takeover
1:00pm, NITV

M
Australia, 1979
Genre: Documentary
Language: English
Director: David MacDougall, Judith MacDougall
What’s it about?
This documentary observes the profound effect on an Aboriginal community of political and bureaucratic decisions made far away. Although specific to time and place, the film is timeless and universal in its observations of a conflict between an Indigenous minority and a powerful government.

Streaming after broadcast at SBS On Demand:

 

THURSDAY 22 APRIL

Do the Right Thing
8:30pm, NITV

MA15+
USA, 1989
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Language: English
Director: Spike Lee
Starring: Spike Lee, Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson, Giancarlo Esposito
What’s it about?
This award-winning and critically acclaimed drama, written and directed by Spike Lee (who earned a 1990 Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay) takes place on the hottest day of the year on a street in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn. Everyone’s hate and bigotry smoulders and builds until it explodes into violence. 

SBS On Demand: Vice Guide To Film: Spike Lee

NOTE: No catch-up at SBS On Demand

 

FRIDAY 23 APRIL

Bedevil
12:00pm, NITV

M, CC
Australia, 1993
Genre: Horror
Language: English
Director: Tracey Moffatt
Starring: Lex Marinos, Tracey Moffatt, Riccardo Natoli 
What’s it about?
BeDevil is a trilogy of ghost stories that follows characters pestered by visions – real, remembered and imagined. These contemporary tales travel from the sparseness of the outback, through the murky, rotting swamps of the islands, to the Brisbane docks in a stylish vision from writer/director and celebrated visual artist Tracey Moffatt.

Streaming after broadcast at SBS On Demand:

The Flintstones
7:30pm, NITV (repeats Saturday 24 April, 10:00am)

G
USA, 1994
Genre: Fantasy, Comedy, Family
Language: English
Director: Brian Levant
Starring: John Goodman, Elizabeth Perkins, Rick Moranis, Rosie O’Donnell, Kyle MacLachlan, Halle Berry, Elizabeth Taylor
What’s it about?
Modern Stone Age family the Flintstones hit the big screen in this live-action version of the classic cartoon. Fred (Goodman) helps Barney (Moranis) adopt a child. Barney sees an opportunity to repay him when Slate Mining tests its employees to find a new executive. But no good deed goes unpunished.

NOTE: No catch-up at SBS On Demand

Sasquatch’n
9:15pm, NITV (repeats Saturday 24 April, 11:35am)

PG
Canada, 2017
Genre: Documentary
Language: English
Director: Kerr Lee Sugiyama
What’s it about?
A groundbreaking investigative documentary that dives deep inside secret Native societies to uncover knowledge about the Sasquatch never revealed before.

Streaming after broadcast at SBS On Demand:

My Life As I Live It
10:10pm, NITV (repeats Saturday 24 April, 12:30pm)

G
Australia, 1993
Genre: Documentary
Language: English
Director: Essie Coffey
What’s it about?
Following 1978’s landmark My Survival As An Aboriginal, Essie Coffey returns to her home in Dodge City where she and the A-Team are running in the shire elections. Inter-cutting between 1993 and 1978, the film presents the fascinating contrasts of a society in transition.

Streaming after broadcast at SBS On Demand:

Woodstock
11:25pm, SBS

M, CC
USA, 2018
Genre: History, Documentary, Music
Language: English
Director: Barak Goodman, Jamila Ephron
What’s it about?
In August 1969, nearly half a million people gathered at a farm in upstate New York to hear music. What happened over the next three days, however, was far more than a concert. It would become a legendary event – one that would define a generation and mark the end of one of the most turbulent decades in modern history. 

Streaming after broadcast at SBS On Demand:

England Is Mine
1:05am, SBS VICELAND

MA15+
UK, 2017
Genre: Drama
Language: English
Director: Mark Gill
Starring: Jack Lowden, Jessica Brown Findlay, Simone Kirby, Peter McDonald, Jodie Comer
What’s it about?
The 17-year-old Steven Patrick Morrissey (Lowden) is a young dreamer amid the tough, macho world of 1970s northern England. When his parents’ relationship begins to deteriorate, Steven blocks out family life and spends most of his time writing savage music letters to the NME. But what Steven really wants is to become the frontman of a band – this film tells the story of how Morrissey formed The Smiths.

Streaming after broadcast at SBS On Demand:

 

SATURDAY 24 APRIL

Beat Street
12:00pm, SBS VICELAND

PG
USA, 1984
Genre: Drama, Music
Language: English
Director: Stan Lathan
Starring: Guy Davis, Rae Dawn Chong, Saundra Santiago, Doug E. Fresh, Mary Alice
What’s it about?
The gang wars and violence of the ’60’s have given way to the hip-hop culture. No longer do warlords and their gangs roam the streets possessively guarding their territory. But rather, break dancers, rappers, DJs, and graffiti artists have expanded their territory and goals beyond immediate physical borders.

NOTE: No catch-up at SBS On Demand

The Game
9:25pm, SBS

M, AD, CC
USA, 1997
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
Language: English
Director: David Fincher
Starring: Michael Douglas, Sean Penn, Deborah Kara Unger, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Carroll Baker
What’s it about?
Nicholas Van Orton (Douglas) is a joyless San Francisco investment banker who receives an unusual birthday present from his estranged younger brother, Conrad (Penn). The gift enrols Nicholas in CRS (Consumer Recreation Services), a company that designs elaborate real-life games for each specific participant. Nicholas then becomes the victim of a series of pranks that quickly turn malicious and dangerous. Directed by David Fincher (Se7en, Fight Club, The Social Network).

1997 Movie Show Review

NOTE: No catch-up at SBS On Demand

Primal
10:15pm, NITV

MA15+
Australia, 2010
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Language: English
Director: Josh Reed
Starring: Zoe Gameau, Krew Boylan, Lindsay Farris
What’s it about?
A group of friends travel to the bush to view ancient cave paintings but soon find a horrible sickness gripping one of their own, which leaves them with nothing in their mind but a primal blood lust. Their only hope of survival is through a cave, where one of them learns too late the meaning of the paintings they came to study.

Streaming after broadcast at SBS On Demand:

Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
11:45pm, SBS

MA15+, CC
UK, China, USA, 2016
Genre: Drama, War
Language: English
Director: Ang Lee
Starring: Joe Alwyn, Kristen Stewart, Chris Tucker, Garrett Hedlund, Vin Diesel, Steve Martin
What’s it about?
Based on the widely-acclaimed, bestselling novel, this adaptation from Oscar-winning director Ang Lee (Life of Pi, Brokeback Mountain, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) is told from the point of view of 19-year-old private Billy Lynn (Alwyn) who, along with his fellow soldiers in Bravo Squad, becomes a hero after a harrowing Iraq battle and is brought home temporarily for a victory tour. The film reveals what really happened to the squad – contrasting the realities of the war with America’s perceptions. 

NOTE: No catch-up at SBS On Demand

Captain Fantastic
12:30am, SBS VICELAND

M, CC
USA, 2016
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Language: English, Esperanto
Director: Matt Ross
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, George MacKay, Samantha Isler, Annalise Basso
What’s it about?
Raised in the forest and living off the grid, six children venture out into the world for the first time after their recently widowed father (Mortensen, in an Oscar-nominated performance) takes them on a road trip. Also starring 1917‘s George MacKay. 

Streaming after broadcast at SBS On Demand:

Shutter Island
1:45am, SBS

MA15+, AD, CC
USA, 2010
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Language: English
Director: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Michelle Williams, Patricia Clarkson, Ben Kingsley
What’s it about?
In 1954, as Cold War tensions grow and modern psychiatric treatment starts to adhere, two U.S. Marshals arrive on a secluded island in Boston Harbour to investigate a multiple murderess who has vanished from her cell at a highly secure hospital for the criminally insane. Trapped on the island by a looming storm, one of the officers (Dicaprio) struggles to discover the island’s true purpose even as events from his past intertwine with the case.

NOTE: No catch-up at SBS On Demand

 

SUNDAY 25 APRIL

Russia: 1000 Years of History
7:30pm, SBS

PG
UK, 2021
Genre: Documentary, History
Language: English
Director: Alice Lee
What’s it about?
Narrated by Fiona Shaw (Killing Eve), this is a journey through a history of infamous Tsars – including Ivan the Terrible, and the gruesome story of how he earned his nickname; and Peter the Great, who turned Russia into a power to rival the European empires, and Catherine the Great, who would add half of Eastern Europe to Russia’s Empire. But the shocking highs and lows of Tsarist rule were nothing compared to what would come next: one of the most significant events of the 20th century, the Russian Revolution.

Streaming after broadcast at SBS On Demand:

Movie ‘The Ravine’ premieres in Overland Park Friday

By  in May 20th 2021   No Comment »
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OVERLAND PARK, Kan. —

The movie “The Ravine” premiered in Overland Park Friday night.

The film follows a seemingly happy family whose world explodes in a shocking murder-suicide.

A local couple produced and independently financed the film. They said they chose to debut it on Good Friday because it’s a story of redemption.

“It is extremely special to know KC has really stepped out and supported us and this message,” said Kelly Pascuzzi, film producer.

“To have this experience here is really meaningful, so thanks to everyone who came out tonight,” actor Kyle Lowder said.

Lowder, who is a Missouri native, starred in “Days of Our Lives.”

Other cast members include Eric Dane from “Grey’s Anatomy” and Peter Facinelli from “Twilight.”

Celebrate Friday The 13th With ‘Freaky’

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It's Friday the 13th and a cursed dagger causes teenage M...

Photo credit: Universal

It’s Friday the 13th and a cursed dagger causes teenage Millie (Kathryn Newton) and the Blissfield Butcher (Vince Vaughn) to swap bodies in “Freaky.”

Companion viewing

“Freaky Friday” (1976)

“Student Bodies” (1981)

“Happy Death Day” (2017)

It’s Friday the 13th so celebrate with a horror comedy set on that unlucky day. “Freaky,” the latest from the director of “Happy Death Day” opens Friday at South Bay Drive-In.

Evening Edition

Reported by Beth Accomando

Remember “Freaky Friday”? There was one in the 1970s (with Barbara Harris and Jodie Foster) and one in 2003 (with Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan) and both served up a fantasy tale in which a mom and a daughter swapped bodies to see how the other half lives.

Well, since it’s 2020, a year that seems particularly cursed, things are going to be a little freakier in a new film version of that familiar story. So now we have a serial killer and a teenage girl changing bodies.

Millie (Kathryn Newton) is a mousy high schooler with best friends who check the proper diversity boxes of Black and gay. She gets bullied at school and ignores her own desires to make her widowed mom happy. Then one night after a school game, she’s waiting for her neglectful mom to pick her up and she encounters the Blissfield Butcher (Vince Vaughn), a masked serial killer pumped up as an urban legend. He attacks her but because he’s using a cursed dagger he stole from a previous murder, his attempt to kill Millie instead prompts a body swap. When they wake up in the morning the killer is in a teenager’s body and Millie is in his.

While Millie is understandably shocked and upset, the Blissfield Butcher realizes that he is now free to roam the high school in a perfect disguise.

Writer-director Christopher Landon created “Happy Death Day” in 2017 and its sequel “Happy Death Day 2U” last year. Both films were surprisingly delightful horror comedies smartly sending up genre tropes with a breezy comic flair.

Landon isn’t quite as clever riffing on horror cliches in “Freaky” as in the “Death Day” films. And since he’s revisiting the “Freaky Friday” films, which were also Disney films, he could have made fun of the Disney tropes as well for added enjoyment. A nice twist might have been instead of giving the final girl the expected gay and Black friend, making the gay or Black character the lead. A final boy could have been refreshing.

The film is also frustrating because its heroine in wolf’s clothing doesn’t always do the obvious smart thing (like why doesn’t she just try to convince her cop sister of what happened) but the fact that she makes some lame decisions does not seem to be done with intentional humor.

But the film does have two main attractions: clever gory kills and Vaughn as a bullied high school girl finding empowerment in the 6’5” body of a deranged murderer. Vaughn is a delight whether he’s doing a spirit cheer to convince Millie’s friends that bodies have been swapped or flirting with Millie’s mom in an awkward moment.

With “Happy Death Day” Landon had a very clear, sharp vison of what he wanted to tackle and play with. In “Freaky” his focus seems less clear. The film is at its best in the high school setting when it touches on real problems of bullying and getting revenge in unexpected ways. It also might have been fun if each of the swapped characters got a little insight into the other, a kind of perverse twist of seeing how the other half lives from the original films.

I think if Landon had been as on the money with “Freaky” and he was with “Happy Death Day” I wouldn’t have been pondering missed opportunities as I watched the film.

Despite some shortcomings, “Freaky” proves to be a fitting Friday the 13th distraction. And since 2020 has been such a rollercoaster maybe we need the emphasis to be more on the comedy than the horror on this particular Friday the 13th.

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Let’s Talk Anime | BOOK RIOT

By  in May 19th 2021   No Comment »
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Sharifah and Jenn discuss the 2021 Locus Award finalists, a new Dragon Ball movie, that Green Knight trailer, and do a group-watch of two anime.

Follow the podcast via RSS here, Apple Podcasts here, Spotify here.
The show can also be found on Stitcher here.

To get even more SF/F news and recs, sign up for our Swords and Spaceships newsletter!

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Regina King To Direct ‘Bitter Root’ Adaptation Of Image Comics Series For Legendary

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2021 Locus Award finalists

New “Green Knight” trailer

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Anime

Maquia: When The Promised Flower Blooms

Cowboy Bebop: The Series (1998)

John Cho to star in Cowboy Bebop remake

A Quiet Place Part II: Critics praise delayed sequel to 2018 horror hit

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The Telegraph, meanwhile, welcomed what it called “a nerve-shredding treat”, calling Blunt “a steely joy” and co-star Millicent Simmonds “entirely captivating”.

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