The Minions went bananas at the box office this weekend.
Illumination’s “Minions: The Rise of Gru” — the latest animated film in the Despicable Me franchise — made an estimated $125 million domestically for its four-day opening weekend, according to Universal.
That gives the film the record for biggest opening over the July 4th holiday weekend, overtaking “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” which made $115 million in 2011.
The opening is a huge shot in the arm for theaters. The industry has been anxiously waiting to see if families — who have been somewhat reluctant to bring their children to the movies during the pandemic — would return to theaters. While there have been family-friendly hits such as “Sonic the Hedgehog 2,” this question became more pressing after Disney
(DIS)’s and Pixar’s “Lightyear” flopped at the box office last month.
But the performance of “Minions” shows that not only do families want to come back, but they’ll come back in large numbers for the right film.
‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ is long on silliness and songs, and short on plot
“Families want to be in theaters,” Jim Orr, Universal’s president of domestic theatrical distribution, told CNN Business. “They want the social event of it all.”
Why “Minions” did well is likely a mixture of good reviews (it holds a 71% score on Rotten Tomatoes), being the next installment in a franchise that’s made roughly $4 billion worldwide — and possibly even TikTok, after the social media site created a viral trend that had moviegoers dress up in formal wear to see the film.
“Minions” was originally set for release in 2020, but was delayed multiple times due to the pandemic. While other family films decided to go to streaming, Universal held “Minions” for theaters — a strategy that paid off handsomely this weekend.
“A knockout performance by ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ may not have been guaranteed, given the less-than-stellar results for some recent family films,” Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore
(SCOR), told CNN Business. “But the undeniable appeal of those silly Minions contained in a perfectly executed movie-theater-only confection was pure cinematic catnip for kids and parents.”
Now, theaters hope to keep the hot streak going as they prepare for what could be one of the biggest films of the year: “Thor: Love and Thunder.” The latest Marvel film, which has Chris Hemsworth reprise his role as the God of Thunder, hits theaters this weekend.
Centered on Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem, two very real Indian freedom fighters from the Telugu regions of Andhra and Telangana respectively, the film is a fantasy of the past. RRR imagines a fictitious, impossible friendship between these two figures of history as they come together and team up to fight the forces of British colonialism in 1920s pre-independence India. And it boasts two superstars of South Indian film — Ram Charan (who plays Alluri Sitarama Raju, also known as Rama Raju) and N.T. Rama Rao Jr. (who plays Komaram Bheem) as the two leads, both heirs to powerful film dynasties in Tollywood.
Rama Raju was an upper-caste man who helped lead the rebellions and resistance of Adivasis, the Indigenous people, against the British, while Komaram Bheem was an Adivasi icon and a revolutionary from the marginalized Gond people. They’re both key figures in Telugu history, albeit unequally. While Komaram Bheem, as an Indigenous protector of his people, has a lasting legacy, he’s hardly received the same level of sustained adoration as an upper-caste hero like Rama Raju, who was the subject of a classic ’70s film.
Statues of Rama Raju, left, and Komaram Bheem.
RRR director Rajamouli’s film is part of that legacy, bringing the two heroes together, playing like the apotheosis of his work. His films are full of big emotions, enthralling action set pieces, sweeping gestures, and memorably epic soundtracks. They’re the kind of movies you watch at a theater with a big audience, as people cheer and wolf-whistle. Coming off the Baahubali duology of sword-and-sorcery epics, which were some of the biggest Indian films of the past decade, RRR is a level-up. It’s a maximalist Blockbuster that feels like an ode to much of what we love about the theatrical experience.
To a global audience inundated with an endless slurry of corporate superhero content, facing a landscape more and more bound to franchises, shared universes, and IP, the film is an increasingly rare gem of Blockbuster filmmaking. It’s devoid of the trademark self-aware, winking irony of most American Blockbusters, instead going all-in on sincerity. But most importantly? It’s new. RRR’s influences are not familiar ground for most global audiences. It emerges from a wildly different cultural landscape and filmmaking tradition. Where else can you find a three-hour musical epic with an electrifying and rip-roaring dance battle in defiance of a colonizer’s cruelty?
Where else do you get a ridiculously thrilling title-drop 40 minutes into the film, as though you were watching Drive My Car, for an action epic that feels like an event?
It’s the kind of big movie that reminds you of the sheer power of movies. It’s why so many of the responses to the film tend to be in the realm of hyperbole, as the film almost invites such a reaction. It’s a film that embodies the history and strength of Telugu cinema when it comes to myth-making.
But for all its thrills, RRR also comes with a set of issues that need scrutiny.
The film is, certainly, admirably anti-colonialist with its searing hatred for the British Empire and the white man’s burden. Its contempt for the colonizers, with action scenes showcasing tigers and leopards devouring them, is delightful and resonant.
But it is also emblematic of a larger current trend in Indian film — movies that stoke the flames of nationalism in the current India and its troubling political climate. And it is the most successful film of them all to date, reaching a far wider viewership, which is why it matters.
In RRR’s case, the problem is that it is very much a fantasy of the upper-caste Hindu gaze, and all those willing to go along with its hegemony.
Now, what do I mean by that? To unpack that, let’s dig into that which has long ruled the fate of India: the caste system.
Hindutva and the casteist monster
The caste system has oppressed, and continues to oppress, legions across history. It’s a mechanism by which theological justifications are provided for a horrific hierarchy and inequality, raising up the upper castes and helping them shore up their power, while keeping down all they deem as “lower” than them. It has been historically used to dehumanize people, with evils such as the infamous “untouchability,” denial of access to public services, and prohibitions against inter-caste marriages. Issues such as land ownership and prosecution of crimes are key struggles informed by the realities of caste. While there has been progress over the past century, the grim prejudices persist.
At the top of the order are Brahmins (the priestly class), followed by Kshatriyas (the warrior/ruling class), then Vaishyas (the merchant class), and Shudras (the labor class). Below all of them are the Dalits, whom the system views as “the untouchables.” This hierarchical view of reality is a troubling one. And it extends to how the ruling elite view the Adivasis (the Indigenous people) who exist outside the caste system. They see them as below them and their Brahmanical supremacy.
During the early 20th century, this monster met another horrific monster: European fascism. Specifically, the Italian fascism of Mussolini and the Nazism of Adolf Hitler’s Germany. Forged in the flames of vile hatred, this would give birth to a political ideology that now rules over the current modern India: Hindutva, a belief system envisioned by extremist right-wing Hindu political figures and enforced by militant groups like the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Its goal is to see India transformed from a secular nation into a Hindu Rashtra/Hindu state. It views the Muslim as the ultimate enemy, a foreign invader and serious threat to their way of life. It conflates conspiracy with history, mythology with reality, and hopes to replace the constitution with something far more regressive and oppressive. This is especially relevant given that India is currently ruled over by the Hindutva RSS political party in the form of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Led by Narendra Modi, the modern face of Hindutva, the group won big and came into power in 2014. It represents a terrifying new India.
Hindutva is a project that aspires to flatten and reduce myriad diverse groups and people into a generic abstract of the Hindu. It’s useful to ask who benefits here; what is the purpose of this fascist flattening and uniting? Many of the chief architects of this ideology — founders, key influencers, or the architects and leaders of its militant enforcers — were, unsurprisingly, of the highest caste, Brahmins.
One of the central texts to Hindutva and its history, We, Or Our Nationhood Defined, makes the ideology’s ties to Nazism explicit. It suggests that India could learn from Nazi Germany and its attempts to “keep up the purity of the race and its culture.” Thus, the construction of the Muslim as the enemy, the invader, and the foreign threat, which serves to create a demonized Other against which a “unity” of the abstracted “Hindu” can be built.
When you give the people who might rise up against you a common constructed enemy who you outline as below them, you are saying, “Oppress them with us and you too can be part of our glorious hegemony.” Certainly, individuals from marginalized caste backgrounds can be granted power, but only as symbols to inspire other oppressed people into serving the system of oppression itself, which must forever be in place.
In the modern age, caste privilege is not gone, and neither is casteist discrimination. Hindutva being a hybrid of casteism and fascism means it is fundamentally an ideology of inequality. Its agents might tokenistically attempt to appeal to marginalized people, and attempt to co-opt radical icons, but the reality of it is systemic oppression, just masked a bit differently. Even in America, casteism runs wild, though communities attempt to keep the pretense of being post-caste, painting it as an ancient relic. It’s hard to escape upper-caste thinking, no matter where you are.
This is the context in which RRR was released. And while it might be an exciting romp, the film doesn’t offer any reprieve from the upper-caste vision that brought us here.
The way the caste system operates in the Telugu regions is crucial in this case. It’s slightly different from the conventional setup — divided into Brahmins, followed by a smattering of middle-caste non-Brahmins, and below them, Dalits. Certain non-Brahmins like the land-owning Kamma and Kapu castes, who dominate the region, are effectively upper-caste. And they’ve long held power over the arts.
The Brahmanical Hindu fantasy of reality
RRR, in the end, is unable to escape the shackles of this troubling system. S.S. Rajamouli comes from an upper-caste background, a fact that’s evident in his films but is important to note. So does N.T. Rama Rao (NTR). Rajamouli and NTR are of the Kamma caste, while Ram Charan is of the Kapu caste, both of which hold a strong sway in the Telugu states.
Rajamouli’s influences are very much the Hindu epics such as The Ramayana and The Mahabharata, as well as the Indian Amar Chitra Katha comics — largely retellings of classic Hindu epics or stories. The epics, and the comics drawing upon them, largely center on upper-caste heroes, whether the divine Ram in Ramayana or the mighty Pandavas in Mahabharata. These upper-caste champions inhabit Hindu worlds and mythologies that have caste built into them, and as such have very clear political implications and material impact. It is why there has been a long history of critique aimed at these epics. The interpretations, readings, and ideologies drawn from these stories have very real repercussions.
In the Ramayana, Lord Ram is the avatar of Vishnu, the divine protector who descends to the mortal realm to restore balance to the world. Ram is the ideal man, born into an upper-caste dynasty of kings in Ayodhya, and his reign is seen as the ultimate utopian period of existence. The idea of “Ram Rajya” (Ram’s reign/rule/kingdom), which emerges from the text, is the mythic idealized (Brahmanical) past that Hindutva agents view as their righteous duty to restore. It is the idea of the golden age of the past that has material consequences. It is why the Ramayana and Ram are invoked in many hate crimes committed by Hindutva assailants, with “Jai Shree Ram!” (All Hail Lord Ram!) being uttered amid many cruelties. It is why there’s been a decades-long conflict like the Ayodhya dispute, wherein Hindutva agents have sought to tear down a mosque to build a temple for Ram in its place. Given that these epics have been manipulated and shaped to serve pernicious ideas like the caste system and Hindu nationalism, invoking them requires care, consideration, and serious thought.
In that film, the Kalakeyas are dark-skinned, casteless, uncultured, and murderous savages who must be taken down by the “civilized” and fairer-skinned noble Kshatriya heroes of the caste system. Even the language of this obvious racist, colorist caricature is inspired by the southern language of Tamil. And the films are steeped in and reinforce casteist frameworks even in their imaginary fantasy visions. As Rajamouli himself posted on social media:
It’s every bit as visible in RRR, too. It may not trade in the “demonizing” creed of casteism, but it trades that for the more “benign” and “liberal” vision of the casteist lens. It is why you have Ram uplifted as the “well-educated upper-caste savior with a vision” and Bheem reduced to “uneducated noble savage who must be taught the ‘civilized’ ways.” For all that it claims to be a tribute to two legends, it is one that is deeply unequal.
Rajamouli’s work merely reproduces all the worst aspects of his influences and upbringing without ever critically questioning them. It’s an upper-caste boy’s privileged roller-coaster ride, which comes easily to someone who hasn’t had to experience the oppressive realities and horrors of the system. His work’s deep casteism reinforces a Brahmanical vision of the universe.
It is why Komaram Bheem, a well-educated man who could read and write, is reduced to an illiterate simpleton, playing to historic Adivasi stereotypes. It is why you have a scene wherein he exclaims he is but a simple tribal person who did not and could not understand the greater vision of the upper-caste savior Ram. It’s also why the Gonds are framed as a “simple” people, compared to sheep, with Bheem having to ask Ram for the gift of education.
The Gonds are framed as a “simple” people — Komaram Bheem included — and are reduced to Adivasi stereotypes.DVV Entertainment/Netflix
RRR manages to depict Adivasis as compatriots instead of enemies, and seems to think that’s generous enough. But the movie still presents Adivasis as, at best, simpletons who aid the journeys of the central, all-important upper-caste heroes. They are people who must be taught, civilized, and guided along by the vision of the upper-caste Hindu hand. All that they are or ever will be is because the upper-caste hero was there to help them along. Perhaps crystallizing that best is the fact that NTR, the upper-caste Hindu (and from the same Kamma caste as Rajamouli), is cast as Bheem, rather than any actual Adivasi performer. This is a fact made all the more bitter given the history of Gond resistance to the land-owning Kamma-Kapu dominance, and Komaram Bheem’s own anti-landlord politics.
Every choice made in the film is deeply steeped in and informed by a privileged upper-caste lens and framework that brutally reinforces the invisible Brahmanical hierarchy. That is precisely why its two leads, Ram and Bheem, are reduced to little more than the names and aesthetics of the real historical figures.
At every turn, Rajamouli de-specifies and decontextualizes, only to wrap everything up in his casteist status-quo-affirming lens. His work here is a casteist Hindu wash of history and the independence struggle.
This is a lens that is in line with Hindutva and very much appealing to it. It’s exactly this kind of convenient upper-caste Hindu viewpoint that helps sustain Hindutva ideology and its material harm. The film may not see Muslims as the demonic enemy to be slain, but it does see them as subservient (much like Bheem and the Adivasis are subservient) to a “Hindu unity” of heroism and fight for freedom. It’s effectively “You can exist so long as it’s within this invisible hierarchy, assimilated, wherein we’re still at the top and all-important.”
The end credits, which valorize historic heroes of the nation, put a fine, final point on this troubling upper-caste Hindu lens. Nowhere in this lineup of luminaries will you find icons of a secular India such as Mahatma Gandhi or Jawaharlal Nehru, the founders of the nation, whom Hindutva agents are not terribly fond of. And what of Muslim kings like Hyder Ali or Tipu Sultan, who also stood against the British and were part of key battles against them? And the presence of Muslim freedom fighters like Saifuddin Kitchlew? Not a chance. Do not even expect to see progressive and radical Dalit revolutionaries like B.R. Ambedkar, who stood firmly for the annihilation of caste. You will, however, find the Hindu king Chhatrapathi Shivaji in it, who never even fought the British, but has been co-opted to be a Hindutva favorite. The credits certainly feel like they’re peddling a curated vision of history and the freedom fight right in line with it.
RRR’s global success is a thrilling leap for Indian cinema. Its spectacle and stand against the British Empire is deserving of celebration. But it’s important to look at the Indian people not just in relation to their white oppressors. Instead, the complex inner dynamics must be considered and examined, for that is the way to see the Indian people in the film in all their humanity.
And by the time the credits have finished rolling, it’s hard not to see RRR as a product of careless upper-caste Hindu imagination. Its disservice and rewriting toward Bheem and the Gonds cannot go ignored. Its evident hierarchical view and minimization of Muslims in favor of a constructed Hindu “unity” must be noted. Its ideological positioning must be taken into account. And it must be considered for the troublingly casteist fantasy it is.
RRR has been described by some as revolutionary, and the title itself evokes revolutionary words. But that feels off-mark. Being revolutionary requires a willingness to tear down the oppressive hierarchies and systems that stand in the way of progress. RRR is all too content to blindly uphold them.
Ritesh Babu is a writer and critic whose work has appeared in Polygon, Panel x Panel, and many more outlets. He likes to spend his time reading postcolonial theory, genre fiction, and far too many sports manga. When not writing about capitalism, colonialism, and imperialism, he can be found talking about food, football, and formalism. He survives off a magical resource known as biryani.
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“Without a doubt, he was the most intimidating pitcher in the history of the game.” Utopia has revealed an official trailer for a sports biopic documentary titled Facing Nolan, profiling the baseball legend Nolan Ryan. This already premiered at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival last month, and will show in theaters on May 24th for a special event. In the world of Major League Baseball no one has created a mythology like Nolan Ryan. Told from the point of view of the hitters who faced him (which is a great setup for a doc about him) and the teammates who revered him, Facing Nolan is the definitive documentary film about a Texas legend. Directed by Bradley Jackson the film features new interviews with Nolan Ryan, President George W. Bush, Craig Biggio, Steve Buechele, George Brett, Rod Carew, Roger Clemens, Tom Grieve, Tom House, Randy Johnson, Pete Rose, Ivan Rodriguez, Bobby Valentine, Dave Winfield, Bobby Witt and many others. “Facing Nolan is a movie that transcends beyond baseball fandom and one that everyone will enjoy.” It looks great.
Here’s the official trailer (+ poster) for Bradley Jackson’s doc Facing Nolan, direct from YouTube:
Nolan Ryan’s numbers tell a story, but numbers do not capture his essence. Flashpoints have emblazoned him onto our subconscious: like pitching with his jersey covered in blood. Running a cattle ranch during the off-season. The iconic brawl where Ryan walloped the 20 years younger Robin Ventura. Despite mythical moments and statistical brilliance, Ryan’s career is a study in extremes. Not only does he hold the record for most walks and most wild pitches, but he has also given up the most grand-slams and the most stolen bases. Many of today’s baseball analysts do not consider him to be among the greats, but with all this in mind, where does Ryan fit in the ever-evolving game of baseball?Facing Nolan is directed by producer / filmmaker Bradley Jackson, making his feature directorial debut after directing a few short films and other projects, plus lots of comedy producing. This originally premiered at the 2022 SXSW Film Festival earlier this year. Utopia will debut Jackson’s Facing Nolan documentary in theaters nationwide with a special one-night Fathom Events screening on May 24th, 2022 this summer. Who wants to watch?
“I’m starting to confuse reality with my nightmares.” Well Go USA has revealed an official US trailer for a Russian supernatural thriller called Row 19 directed by Alexander Babaev. This already opened in Russia last fall and is getting a US release on VOD and disc to watch in May. A young female doctor with a 6-year-old daughter is on a night flight caught in a terrible storm. In a half-empty cabin, she faces the unexplained deaths of her fellow passengers, begins to lose her grip on reality and relives the worst nightmare from her childhood. Some evil force is back to finish what it started years ago. The movie stars Svetlana Ivanova, Marta Timofeeva, Wolfgang Cerni, Ekaterina Vilkova, Anatoliy Ko, and Victoria Korlyakova. This looks like it gets super intense once things get going. It’s an English-language dub of the film, which sucks, but I guess they don’t want anyone to know it’s from Russia anymore. Check this out below anyway.
Here’s the official US trailer (+ poster) for Alexander Babaev’s Row 19, direct from Well Go’s YouTube:
When several passengers on a flight going through a storm suddenly suffer gruesome, unexplained deaths, a young doctor also on board begins to suspect that the shadowy, terrifying force behind her own worst childhood nightmare may be back for blood.Row 19 is directed by Russian filmmaker Alexander Babaev, director of the films Bornless Ones and Wild Cards 2 previously. The screenplay is written by James Rabb. Produced by Samir Bagirovm Kirill Burdikhin, Dzhanik Fayziev, Irakli Karbaya, Stepan Korshunov, Nataliya Shishkina, and Vadim Vereshchagin. Well Go USA will debut Babaev’s Row 19 direct-to-VOD / dvd / Blu-ray starting on May 31st, 2022 coming up soon. For more info on the film’s release, visit their official site.
“It feels like a lifetime in this room, but I have never known…”Netflix has debuted a trailer for Trees of Peace, a true story film available for streaming later this summer. Four women from different backgrounds forge an unbreakable sisterhood while trapped and in hiding during the genocide in Rwanda. Inspired by true events. This premiered at film festivals last year, including at the American Black Film Festival in the fall, where it won the John Singleton Award for Best First Feature Film. In April of 1994, four women from different backgrounds and beliefs are trapped and hiding during the Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Their fight for survival against all odds unites the women in an unbreakable sisterhood. Starring Eliane Umuhire, Charmaine Bingwa, Ella Cannon, Bola Koleosho, and Tongayi Chirisa. This really looks quite beautiful, a heart-wrenching story about the struggle of survival and resilience. See the preview below.
Here’s the official trailer (+ poster) for Alanna Brown’s Trees of Peace, from Netflix’s YouTube:
In April of 1994, four women from different backgrounds and beliefs are trapped and hiding during the Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Their fight for survival against all odds unites the women in an unbreakable sisterhood.Trees of Peace is both written and directed by actress / writer / filmmaker Alanna Brown, making her feature directorial debut after one other short film previously. It’s produced by Brian Baniqued, Alanna Brown, Mike Bundlie, Barry Levine, Vicky Petela, Ron Ray, as well as Jeffrey Spiegel. This initially premiered at the 2021 Santa Barbara Film Festival, and it also played at the American Black Film Festival last year, where it won a number of awards. Netflix will debut Brown’s Trees of Peace streaming on Netflix starting June 10th, 2022 this summer. For more info, visit the film’s official site. Look any good?
Dania Pointe, a 102-acre premiere lifestyle destination in Dania Beach, announces the opening of the Regal Dania Pointe movie theatre where visitors will get to watch the latest and greatest movies on the big screen. Committed to being “The Best Place to Watch a Movie,” Regal Dania Pointe officially opened its doors to patrons Saturday, April 23, with Blockbuster releases including The Bad Guys, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, The Northman, Sonic 2, and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore to name a few. Regal will then celebrate the official grand opening with $3 tickets for all movies Friday, April 29 – Wednesday, May 4, 2022.
The theatre boasts state-of-the-art viewing features including 4DX, ScreenX, RPX, and VIP offerings for a special cinematic experience. 4DX provides the latest innovation in movie theatre technology to-date, providing an immersive experience with motion enabled chairs and environmental controls to simulate weather conditions – meaning Regal Dania Pointe moviegoers will feel like they’re in the movie itself! The ScreenX auditorium expands the movies to the left and right walls of the theatre creating an immersive 270-degree viewing experience. Finally, guests can also visit the VIP wing of the theatre featuring luxury recliner auditoriums.
Dania Pointe also features RPX, the Regal Premium Experience, with eye-popping laser images and powerful Dolby Atmos surround sound.
“Regal Dania Pointe compliments our open-air destination and adds even more entertainment options for our visitors – now with one of the finest movie theatre experiences in the area,” said Maynel Alvarez-Requejo, Director of Marketing for Dania Pointe. “Don’t miss out on the $3 special movie promotion to celebrate Regal’s opening, and come ready to shop and eat at our many stores and restaurants throughout Dania Pointe.”
The opening of Regal Dania Pointe is the latest addition to the destination, following the recent openings of Kendra Scott, CT Taco, and 14 North. The outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment destination continues to welcome new tenants, promising fun for the entire family. Throughout the week, all year long, visitors can enjoy Dania Pointe’s Signature Events, including Wellness Wednesdays, Night Market Fridays, Cultural Saturdays, Family Sundays, and Weekly Live Entertainment.
“We’re thrilled to join Dania Pointe and bring the beloved movie-going experience to everyone who visits,” said Richard Grover, VP Communications for Regal. “Our theatre offers the advanced high-tech experiences that make seeing a movie in-person a fun activity for the whole family. We look forward to showing all of the amazing films that are coming out this Summer and this year.”
To see showtimes, purchase movie tickets and more, visit Regal Dania Pointe to plan the best movie-going experience!
“We could live our own life, or spend the rest of our life wondering… what if?” Amazon’s Prime Video has revealed an official trailer for an indie coming-of-age film titled Anything’s Possible, marking the feature directorial debut of the iconic singer / actor Billy Porter. The film is debuting this July right in the middle of the summer season. A delightfully modern “Gen Z” coming-of-age story that follows Kelsa, a confident high school girl who is trans, as she navigates through senior year. When her classmate Khal gets a crush on her, he tries to get the courage to ask her out on a date. Eva Reign stars as Kelsa, with a main cast including Abubakr Ali, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Courtnee Carter, Kelly Lamor Wilson, Grant Reynolds, Caroline Travers, and Lav Raman. This looks charming and lively and funny, and not as “woke” as it may seem. It even calls out the “woke points” concept and focuses on being authentic sweet. Worth a look.
Here’s the first official trailer for Billy Porter’s Anything’s Possible, direct from PV’s YouTube:
Billy Porter’s film Anything’s Possible is a delightfully modern coming-of-age story that follows Kelsa, a confident high school girl who is trans, as she navigates through senior year. When her classmate Khal gets a crush on her, he musters up the courage to ask her out, despite the drama he knows it could cause. What transpires is a romance that showcases the joy, tenderness, and pain of young love.Anything’s Possible, formerly known as What If?, is directed by award-winning American singer / actor Billy Porter, making his feature directorial debut with this project. The screenplay is written by Ximena García Lecuona. Produced by D.J. Gugenheim, David Hinojosa, Andrew Lauren, and Christine Vachon. Amazon will debut Porter’s Anything’s Possible streaming on Prime Video starting July 22nd, 2022 this summer. Look good?
“The way you sing was God given, so there can’t be nothing wrong with it.” Warner Bros has dropped in the second official trailer for Elvis, the next ravishing Baz Luhrmann musical arriving in theaters this summer. It’s premiering this week at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, hence one more trailer to build some buzz before it’s big unveiling. The movie chronicles the life and career of rock-and-roll legend Elvis Presley, starring Austin Butler (seen in Yoga Hosers, The Dead Don’t Die, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) as the iconic musician. Covering his entire life, from childhood to stardom and beyond. It also stars Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker, Luke Bracey, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Dacre Montgomery, David Wenham, Richard Roxburgh, Kate Mulvany, Elizabeth Cullen, Natasha Bassett, plus Kelvin Harrison Jr. as B.B. King, and Olivia DeJonge as Priscilla Presley. This looks extraordinary!! I am very excited to see this, looks like they spared no expense telling his story with all the pomp and circumstance he deserves.
Here’s the second official trailer (+ poster) for Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, direct from WB’s YouTube:
Set against an evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America, Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming Elvis movie covers the rock legend’s growth from dirt-poor singer to global icon, seen through the prism of his complex relationship over two decades with manager Colonel Tom Parker (played by Tom Hanks). Presley reached a level of stardom matched only by the Beatles before his death in 1977 at the age of 42. This currently untitled Elvis Presley project, formerly known as Kat King or also just Elvis, is directed by acclaimed Australian filmmaker Baz Luhrmann, director of the movies Strictly Ballroom, Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!, Australia, and The Great Gatsby previously. The screenplay is written by Sam Bromell, Baz Luhrmann, and Craig Pearce. Produced by Gail Berman, Catherine Martin, Patrick McCormick, Andrew Mittman, Schuyler Weiss, and Baz Luhrmann. This is premiering at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival. Warner Bros will debut Luhrmann’s Elvis in theaters everywhere on June 24th, 2022 this summer. Looking good?
film-festival fare makes its way into the world and you can’t escape Oscar bait. But at least for the first half of the year? Action movies rule like nothing else.
It’s like the movie gods know what cinema lovers have been through the past couple of years, missing out on the big-screen experience because of COVID-19, and they’ve bestowed bountiful, explosive, eye-popping riches upon us. Michelle Yeoh rocks as an unlikely multiverse-hopping heroine, Batman aces a triumphant return, 10th-century Vikings are having a moment, Tom Cruise is back in the cockpit for a “Top Gun” sequel that – believe it or not – exceeds 36 years of expectations, and an Indian film is a joyous, jaw-dropping game changer on the level of “Mad Max: Fury Road.”
So, yeah, there are some seriously great action flicks among the year’s greatest hits. Here are the best movies of 2022 so far, definitively ranked:
10. ‘Turning Red’
Like the best Pixar originals, the animated comedy takes on a universal aspect of people’s lives in heartwarming fashion – in this case, female puberty. A Toronto teen (voiced by Rosalie Chiang) wakes up to discover that, when overly excited, she turns into an 8-foot-tall giant red panda in director Domee Shi’s funny and empowering tribute to monster movies, 2000s-era boy bands, Asian culture and growing up.
Review:Pixar’s ‘Turning Red’ tackles female puberty like no other Disney film would dare
9. ‘Master’
Set at a prestigious New England college built on land where a Salem-era witch was hanged, director Mariama Diallo’s superb social horror film stars Regina Hall as a new dean of students wracked by unnerving visions and Zoe Renee as a freshman assigned to a purportedly haunted dorm room. The twisty movie digs into institutional racism and white supremacy, with plenty of supernatural chills as well.
‘Master’:Regina Hall co-stars with ‘some very diva maggots’ in Sundance horror
8. ‘Kimi’
Paying homage to Hitchcock and “Home Alone,” Zoë Kravitz masks up for a magnetic turn in Steven Soderbergh’s pandemic-era paranoia thriller as an agoraphobic tech worker tasked to improve a company’s Alexa-like device. She hears something she’s not supposed to, reports it to her bosses and ends up on the run, trying to avoid COVID-19 and being murdered, in an old-school throwback with modern tweaks.
Zoë Kravitz:Actress talks sweaty first day on ‘Batman’ set, breaking the ice with Robert Pattinson
7. ‘The Northman’
Director Robert Eggers just makes really good, totally bonkers movies (“The Witch,” anyone?) and takes his biggest swing yet with an ultra-violent Viking revenge fantasy. Alexander Skarsgård plays a berzerker with simple life goals – avenge his father, save his mother (Nicole Kidman), kill his uncle – in a crazy tale with Slavic witches, a bloody ball game and a naked sword fight on top of an active volcano.
‘The Northman’:Why bonkers Viking epic just had to have ‘a naked sword fight on a volcano’
6. ‘Cha Cha Real Smooth’
It’s a long shot for writer/director Cooper Raiff’s film to follow the same path – all the way to a best picture Oscar – as last year’s Sundance Film Festival audience award winner “CODA.” But the sweetly unconventional dramedy “Cha Cha” is a similar feel-good charmer, starring Raiff as an aimless 22-year-old college graduate who starts to find himself as a party-starter at bar mitzvahs and forms a close bond with an older mom (Dakota Johnson).
Where to watch: In theaters and on Apple TV+ Friday
Sundance Film Festival:Dakota Johnson’s ‘Cha Cha,’ horror film ‘Nanny’ win top prizes
5. ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’
Don’t worry about having your brain broken and just go with wild flow of this action-packed, multiverse-hopping genre mashup directed by Daniels (aka Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert). Yeoh dazzles as a laundromat owner whose tax issues get shoved aside when she gets a crash course on alternate realities (including one where she has hot dog fingers!) and has to learn from the lives of her other selves to stop a nihilistic villain.
Director Joseph Kosinski’s sequel succeeds as loving nostalgia trip and rip-roaring airborne extravaganza, with Cruise’s ever-defiant flyboy Maverick returning to find the best young fighter pilots for a dangerous mission – including the son (Miles Teller) of his late wingman. All the “Top Gun:” boxes get checked but the movie goes the extra mile to land a white-knuckle narrative with a surprising amount of heart.
Where to watch: In theaters
Review:Tom Cruise’s excellent ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ takes to the skies, sticks to the formula
3. ‘The Fallout’
Director Megan Park’s soulful drama centers on the aftermath of a school shooting and Jenna Ortega stuns as a teen who goes numb to family and friends but hangs with a new confidant: the girl (Maddie Ziegler) she was trapped in the bathroom with during the carnage. The well-crafted film – given new weight in the wake of the Uvalde, Texas, shootings – offers a sense of hope tempered by an endless cycle of violence.
‘The Fallout’:Why Jenna Ortega, 19, is ‘drawn to the darker things’
2. ‘The Batman’
Grimy Gotham City and its Dark Knight detective both star in director Matt Reeves’ ambitious reimagining of the Bat-mythos. Robert Pattinson is the tortured dude in the cape and cowl – in his second year of fighting crime – and Reeves’ realistic spin colorfully revamps some pop-culture icons, including serial-killing Riddler (Paul Dano), feisty thief Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz) and power-hungry gangster Penguin (Colin Farrell).
The best of the Dark Knight:Every Batman movie (including ‘The Batman’), definitively ranked
1. ‘RRR’
S.S. Rajamouli’s exuberant and bromantic 1920s-set Indian musical epic – think Marvel and “Fast and Furious” having a Bollywood baby (but in Telugu language) – is the one movie everyone must see. Equal parts historical fiction and gonzo superhero story, “RRR” boasts three hours of over-the-top adventure, high-stakes emotion, true love, great songs, wild animals and even some dance fighting. But the main men make it all work: N.T. Rama Rao Jr. plays a burly warrior sent to Delhi to bring back a girl captured from his tribe by British colonialists, and Ram Charan is an officer in the English army who becomes his best bud but has hard decisions to make in regards to his loyalties.
“Pinocchio is not just a puppet, he’s a miracle!” Lionsgate has unveiled an official US trailer for an 3D CG animated movie called Pinocchio: A True Story, originally made in Russia by a Russian filmmaker. This is not the same as the upcoming Guillermo del Toro stop-motion animated Pinocchio movie that was also teased this week. It’s the third new Pinocchio movie in the last few years, along with the Italian live-action version recently. This release will be available with an English-language voice cast, featuring Pauly Shore, Jon Heder, and Tom Kenny (of “SpongeBob” fame). Young Pinocchio runs away from his genius creator Jepetto accompanied by the horse Tibalt to see the world and joins the traveling circus run by the hustler Modjafocco. No surprise, this looks awful, with bad animation, a bad story, and bad voice work. Stay away.
Here’s the official US trailer (+ poster) for Vasiliy Rovenskiy’s Pinocchio: A True Story, from YouTube:
Think you know the story of Pinocchio? Think again! In this thrilling, humorous take on the classic tale, the wooden hero is a skilled acrobat who performs stunts with his beloved horse, the wisecracking Tybalt. He runs off to join a circus, where he falls for the ringmaster’s daughter, Bella. But when Pinocchio learns the circus is a cover-up for robberies, he must stop the crime spree in order to save Bella – and, hopefully, become human. It’s a magical adventure the whole family will love!Pinocchio: A True Story, originally known as Пиноккио in Russian, is directed by Russian writer / filmmaker Vasiliy Rovenskiy, director of the films Two Tails, The Big Trip, Magic Arch 3D, and A Female Rodent’s Back previously. The screenplay is written by Vasiliy Rovenskiy, Maksim Sveshnikov, and Vadim Sveshnikov. This movie is set to open first in Russia starting in February 2022 this winter. Lionsgate will then release Rovenskiy’s Pinocchio: A True Story in the US direct-to-dvd / VOD starting on March 22nd, 2022 coming soon. Is anyone interested?
