As the 40th anniversary of Return of the Living Dead approaches in 2025, DRagonSTUDIOS, the official copyright holders, proudly announce a brand-new cinematic universe! Kicking it off with the highly anticipated feature film: TRASH’s REVENGE part of The Return of the Living Dead Universe.

Legendary actress Linnea Quigley, who brought the iconic character Trash to life in the original film, has joined forces with DRagonSTUDIOS to return to the world of the undead in this thrilling new chapter.

And here’s the best part, you can be a part of this epic adventure! Join us in making horror history by supporting our crowdfunding campaign and becoming a key player in the next evolution of the Return of the Living Dead universe!

Click here to support the film: https://cinebacker.com/product/trashs-revenge-rotld-universe/

What is TRASH’s REVENGE all about

As the saga continues decades after the horrific events of the 1985 cult classic, Trash the notorious punk rocker, played by Linnea Quigley, finds herself trapped in a past where fame has faded. Once a rebellious icon, Trash now embraces the persona of a grotesque Norma Desmond from Sunset Boulevard, attending conventions to sign autographs while her co-stars rise to greater heights.

For Linnea, her legacy as a star of Return of the Living Dead becomes both a curse and a twisted ticket to notoriety in an industry obsessed with horror and scandal. But when a young filmmaker approaches her to make a documentary with staged re-enactments from the original film to celebrate the film’s 40th Anniversary, Linnea sees an opportunity to reclaim her place in the spotlight no matter the cost.

As the documentary delves into her past, a shocking truth emerges: Return of the Living Dead wasn’t just fiction, part of it was real. Linnea confesses that she still possesses three original cannisters from the film, hidden away in her basement. Cannisters that were never revealed to the public… until now.

• CONCLAVE
• Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci
• Directed by: Edward Berger
• Rating: PG
• Running Time: 2 hrs
• Focus Features

Our Score:  4.5 out of 5

Nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Ralph Fiennes), and Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role (Isabella Rossellini), “Conclave” is one of the best films to grace the silver screen this past year. Its dialogue is nothing less than superb and its overall screenplay is almost flawless. The stellar cast rises to the occasion at every mesmerizing moment during this somber, tense drama.

In the wake of the pope’s death from a heart attack, British Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Fiennes), the dean of the College of Cardinals with liberal views about the church’s future, convenes a conclave in Vatican City. Cardinals from around the world arrive for the secluded, secretive meeting. Four leading candidates emerge – liberal-minded American Cardinal Aldo Bellini (Stanley Tucci), socially conservative Nigerian Cardinal Joshua Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati), moderate Canadian Cardinal Joseph Tremblay (John Lithgow), and staunch traditionalist Italian Cardinal Goffredo Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto, “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”).

Trembly and Tedesco are both power hungry, although the former is more about subterfuge while the latter wears his feelings on his sleeve. Adeyemi and Bellini are more reserved and humbler about their ambitions. It’s a political minefield that Lawrence, who struggles with his faith and is adamant that no one should vote for him during the process, must make a delicate dance to get through. Further wrinkles include the unexpected arrival, via Afghanistan, of previously unknown Mexican Cardinal Vincent Benitez (Carlos Diehz), a back-and-forth relationship with Sister Agnes (Rossellini), the headstrong nun who oversees the cardinals’ accommodations, and a suicide bombing.

Watching “Conclave” is like savoring a finely aged red wine. It’s the kind of film that sticks with you long after viewing it. The political intrigue and infighting during the papal election process are mesmerizing to view. Each actor/actress deliver pitch perfect performances as they navigate the story’s twists and turns. While the climax has been enjoyed by some and hated by others, it is certainly something you won’t see coming. Fiennes is unforgettable with a brilliant performance of a man who is resolute yet conflicted. He absolutely deserves to win Best Actor. Overall, “Conclave” is one you should catch on streaming before the Oscar ceremony.

“Conclave” receives ★★★★ ½  out of five.

• SEPTEMBER 5
• Starring: Peter Sarsgaard, Jeff Magaro
• Directed by: Tim Fehlbaum
• Rating: R
• Running Time: 1 hr 35 mins
• Paramount Pictures

Our Score:  4 out of 5

Nominated for Best Original Screenplay at this year’s Academy Awards’ ceremony, “September 5” is an important and tragic historical drama detailing the massacre of Israeli athletes during the 1972 Summer Olympic games in Munich, West Germany. Told from the viewpoint of an ABC sports broadcast team, “September 5” is a haunting tale, told with quick pacing by director Tim Fehlbaum (“The Colony”), that still resonates today as humanity cannot seem to break the endless cycle of violence caused by terrorism.

Crammed inside a tight control room in Munich, the production staff of ABC Sports attempt to control chaos as split-second decisions are constantly being made to keep up with various sporting events. ABC Sports President Roone Arledge (Peter Sarsgaard, “The Batman”) and control room head Geoffrey Mason (John Magaro, “The Many Saints of Newark”) work tirelessly to ensure its all as seamless as possible. Athletic competition begins to take a backseat during the early morning hours of September 5, 1972, when shots ring out in the Olympic village as a Palestinian terrorist group takes several Israeli athletes hostage.

When it becomes clear that an unprecedented crisis is unfolding, Arledge and Magaro do their best to manage the chaos while broadcasting the situation live to the world. Not only do they have to keep a diverse group of people working together, even though women are relegated to secondary roles, but Arledge and Magaro must also maintain high standards of journalism even if they are just sports people. All the while, a series of mistakes by everyone involved, including the ABC crew, leads to a disastrous conclusion.

Like “Civil War” in which the story of war, albeit a fictional one, is told through the eyes of journalists, this film’s viewpoint is an intriguing one as well. We see the story unfold much like viewers did in 1972 – helpless to do anything about it and yet unable to pull our attention away from it. Archival footage is blended in with rich dialogue, solid ensemble acting, and an accurate depiction of historical complexities to bring back to life a sobering event that, much like the Holocaust, should never be forgotten.

“September 5” receives ★★★★ out of five.

• NOSFERATU
• Starring: Lily-Rose Depp, Nicholas Hoult
• Directed by: Robert Eggers
• Rating: R
• Running Time: 2 hrs 12 mins
• Focus Features

Our Score:  2 out of 5

Nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Achievement in Cinematography and Best Achievement in Costume Design, “Nosferatu”, the latest remake of the 1922 classic “Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror”, is a vampire flick with more yawns than frights. It meets the eye test for plenty of horrific visuals punctuated by great period costumes. However, it is about as terrifying as watching an episode of the PBS series “This Old House”. The film’s pacing is a bit awkward and its cast, while obviously talented, does not do anything to leave an indelible impression.

Sometime during the 1810s, a young, disturbed girl named Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp, “The King”) cries out for a supernatural being to prevent her from being lonely, but it ends up awakening a supernatural creature who makes her pledge herself to him. Fast forward to 1838 when Ellen, who is plagued by nightmares, and her husband, Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult, “Mad Max: Fury Road”) are living in the fictional town of Wisborg, Germany.

Desperate to make a better life for Ellen, Thomas takes on a commission offered by his eccentric employer that takes him to Transylvania where he meets Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgard, “It”), a sinister recluse whom the locals fear. It is not long before Count Orlok sets sail to Wisborg and in the process kills the entire crew and unleashes the bubonic plague upon the city. Ellen tries to resist him, which results in Count Orlok threatening to kill Thomas and the entire town if she does not repledge herself to him. Aided by a Swiss scientist (Willem Dafoe) who is an expert in the occult, Thomas sets out to confront Count Orlok and save his wife.

To be blunt, if you want to watch a horror film that will scare you, then I would recommend “The Exorcist”, “The Blair Witch Project,” or even 1992’s “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” starring Gary Oldham. While it looks creepy, “Nosferatu” is more window dressing than substance. Skarsgard is unrecognizable but his version of the character is somewhat boring, and the violence is gratuitous at best. Get some garlic and holy water and keep this vampire flick at bay.

“Nosferatu” receives ★★ out of five.

• WICKED
• Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande
• Directed by: Jon M. Chu
• Rating: PG
• Running Time: 2 hrs 40 mins
• Universal Pictures

Our Score:  3.5 out of 5

Nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Motion Picture, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, and Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, “Wicked” delivers a wickedly good time for young and old alike. Wonderful visual effects, fantastic costume designs, and an imaginative script all serve to breathe new life into the world of Oz. It is all topped off with a pair of superb performances by Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, the eventual fabled “Wicked Witch of the West”, and Grammy Award-winning singer Ariana Grande as Galinda, the future “Good Witch of the East”. Their chemistry is nothing short of mesmerizing on the silver screen, which is only enhanced by their powerful vocals.

After the Wicked Witch of the West has been killed by a bucked to water tossed on her, the citizens of Oz celebrate with joyful abandon as Galinda watches on. When questioned if she was a friend with the now deceased witch, Galinda reveals they did indeed know each other and she goes on a journey down memory lane to explain what happened. Their relationship began when they attended school at Shiz University where they also became roommates. Initially, they hated one another as Galinda was intent on being Miss Popular while Elphaba, due to her green skin, remained an outcast.

The two eventually become friends and it because of that friendship, the first Elphaba has ever experienced outside of the bond with her sister, that Elphaba takes Galinda with her to the city of Oz to meet the wizard (Jeff Goldblum), who has summoned her after hearing about her natural talents as a witch. Secrets are revealed and unsavory motivations come to light that end up testing the two ladies’ friendship. It all sets the stage for a “Wicked” sequel that will tell the second half of the story adapted from the stage musical by Stephen Schwartz.

Erivo (“Harriet”, “Bad Times at the El Royale”) provides a tangible sense of isolation within her character, causing Elphaba to be a much more sympathetic individual that one could imagine, that is if they have only seen the 1939 classic film. In it, the witch is abstract villainy and wholly unsympathetic. It is quite the opposite in this film as Erivo infuses her with a wide range of emotions, enough to cause the viewer to forget about all preconceived notions. Grande demonstrates just how powerful her vocal range while also proving she has acting chops, which are obviously good enough to get an Oscar nod. While Goldblum and the remaining cast with all the effects are great, it is “Wicked’s” two leading ladies who cast a spell over the audience.

“Wicked” receives ★★★½  out of five.

• LOVE HURTS
• Starring:  Ke Huy Quan, Josh Stoddard and Ariana DeBose
• Directed by:  Jonathan Eusabio
• Rated:  R
• Running time:  1 hr 23 mins
• Universal
• Our Score: 3 out of 5

With the Super Bowl coming up this weekend I’m reminded of a question that is usually reserved the game’s MVP:  “Hey Ke Huy Quan, you just won the Academy Award.  What are you going to do now?”  However, instead of proclaiming he’s going to Disney World, Quan declares, “I’m going to make an uneven action film.”

Valentine’s Day.  As a mysterious woman spends the morning defacing the many bus benches and yard signs featuring real estate agent Marvin Gable (Quan).  Meanwhile, Marvin is doing his best to sell his most recent house, repeating his mantra for prospective buyers, “I want a home for you.”  Returning to work, Marvin is stunned to learn that he has received a prestigious award for his realtor skills.  It’s a pretty good day for Marvin.  Except, of course, for the assassin hiding in his office.

Full of fun martial art battles, but not much else, “Love Hurts” seems to be a film that was hurried to theatres to capitalize on both Valentine’s Day and the fact that the cast includes a pair of recent Oscar winners (Ms. DeBose won hers a couple of years ago for “West Side Story.”)  While the action scenes are top notch – first time director Eusabio did a lot of stunt work for films like “The Fall Guy” and the “John Wick” series), the story is fragmented.  With a run time of only 83 minutes, including credits, it feels like there is more to the story that is missing.

That being said, the film boasts a strong cast.  If you’ve ever seen an interview with Quan, you know that he is a very likable person, and that personality fits Marvin to a tee.  Marvin has done his best to distance himself from his past, but even nice guys have bad days!  The rest of the cast play to their strengths as well, with a special mention to Sean Astin, who gives his character a true humanistic heart.

Overall, the film is enjoyable, but I can’t help but wonder about what it could have been.

On a scale of zero to five I give “Love Hurts” ★★★

Starring: Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin, Leonie Benesch
Directed by: Tim Fehlbaum
Rated: R
Running Time: 1 hr 35 mins
Paramount Pictures

Our score:  4 out of 5

George Orwell once lamented, “To see what is in front of one’s nose needs a constant struggle.”

It’s even more challenging when you’re also the one deciding how the rest of the world sees.

That’s the engrossing setup behind September 5, a recounting of how the Palestinian terrorist group Black September held members of the Israeli Olympic team hostage in 1972. The incident was the basis of Kevin Macdonald’s Oscar-winning documentary One Day in September and Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner’s gripping Munich.

Despite covering well-trodden territory, September 5 still feels fresh because it covers how ABC Sports found themselves in the middle of the crisis. Keeping on top of it proved Herculean and required the broadcasters to jerry rig technology where it hadn’t gone before. They also wrestled with ethical issues that would vex experienced hard news reporters.

At the beginning of September 5, the most newsworthy events for ABC’s audience had been the spectacular performance of American swimmer Mark Spitz. Things seem to be so settled that the head of operations, Roone Arledge (Peter Sarsgaard) thinks he can catch up on his sleep.

In his place is the relatively inexperienced Geoffrey Mason (John Magaro) and an overworked German translator Marianne Gebhardt (Leonie Benesch). The expected drudgery turns into relentless anxiety when gunshots ring out from inside the Olympic Village.

Instantly, the crew has a more urgent concern than Spitz’s next medal. Reporter Peter Jennings (Benjamin Walker) has to improvise ways to find out how to get the near the scene of the action and how to get heavy cameras and recording equipment where they were never designed to go.

Some of the tensions that worked its way from the Middle East also erupt in the control room when Jasques Lesgards (Zinedine Soualem), a Frenchman of Algerian descent, briefly clashes with ABC executive Marvin Bader (Ben Chaplin), who’s Jewish. Of course, it’s a given that both realize the story in front of their eyes is more important.

Sportscasters today make placing a distant event in your living room look easy. Much of the thrill of September 5 is that it shows how much effort goes into making something seem effortless. Bader, Arledge and Mason have to sneak 16mm film past guards (who failed to keep Black September out) so that viewers can see how pressing the situation is.

Because the heavens are littered with satellites these days, it’s shocking to learn that ABC Sports had to negotiate with other networks for access to the one satellite available in 1972. Simply staying on the air was almost impossible.

Knowing these facts helps make September 5 exciting. Tim Fehlbaum’s taut direction also helps. In a brisk 95 minutes, Fehlbaum, who wrote the Oscar-nominated script with Mortitz Binder and Alex David, never gives viewers a chance to catch their breaths.

The three acknowledge that ABC Sports completed a formidable achievement in September 5, but they also make Arledge and company completely human. When two technicians successfully figure out how to tap into the Munich police frequency, one makes the mistake of sending Gebhardt out for coffee when she’s the only person in the building who can understand what the cops are saying. Real, flawed people were working that day, and much of the vitality of the story comes wondering which mistakes they can afford to make.

One clever touch Fehlbaum ads is not casting an actor to play Olympics anchor Jim McKay. Instead the director incorporates the actual footage of McKay relaying the story as it came to him. It’s hard to imagine even the best of thespians replicating the power of McKay’s faithful announcements, and Fehlbaum and company seamlessly replicate what the people in the control booth might have been feeding him.

The movie also acknowledges that sometimes doing a good job isn’t always satisfying. Perhaps we don’t get more coverage of the kind ABC Sports provided is because tragedies like the one in September 5 affect the witnesses as well as the participants. Benesch’s turn as Gebhardt is especially moving because she and other Germans hoped the games would be a way for Germans to atone for their homicidal tyranny.

If September 5 is a fascinating look at the past, it’s also a chilly reminder of how terrorism hasn’t gone away and why we need alert and capable people to cover it.

“September 5” receives ♣♣♣♣ out of 5.  

• KRAVEN: THE HUNTER
• Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Russell Crowe
• Directed by: J.C. Chandor
• Rating: R
• Running Time: 2 hrs 7 mins
• Sony Pictures

Our score: 2.5 out of 5

Available on streaming platforms, “Kraven: The Hunter” was without a doubt, based upon its overall box office numbers and poor ratings, a bomb at the box office. It could, in fact, be argued that it may have landed with a larger thud upon Earth than the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs. However, yours truly has a somewhat more positive take on it even if it is just putting lipstick on a pig. Aaron Taylor-Johnson (“Avengers: Age of Ultron”, “The Fall Guy”, “Bullet Train”) delivers a solid performance and Academy Award winner Russell Crowe is entertaining as his ruthless father. The action is fun, and the story is watchable. The problem with it, and every other live action Sony film that is supposed to be a part of the Spider-Man universe is the complete lack of any tie-in to Spider-Man himself. More on that later.

For apparent majority of human beings who have not seen “Kraven: The Hunger” yet it begins with Russian Serge Kravinoff (Taylor-Johnson) and his meek half-brother, Dmitri (Fred Hechinger) being pulled out of their private school by their ruthless, cold-blooded father Nikolai (Crowe) to be trained to take over his criminal empire. While on a hunting trip in Tanzania, Sergie is fatally injured during a lion attack and is saved because of a mysterious potion given to him by a young girl named Calypso.

Sergie soon discovers he has developed incredible powers because of this experience, but instead of becoming his father’s heir, he runs off into hiding in the Russian wilderness. Years pass and Sergie, who now goes by the name of Kraven, has become a vigilante who sets out to kill the world’s worst bad guys. Still, Kraven is unable to escape his past when mercenaries kidnap his brother for a ransom to be paid by Nikolai, who refuses. It’s up to Kraven then to save his beloved brother before his abductors kill him, which leads to a lot of action that anyone is sure to enjoy

That is the shorthand recounting of the film, which is certainly better than “Morbius” and “Madame Web”. The common fatal thread with all of them, including the “Venom” trilogy to an extent, is that they don’t tie in together hardly at all much less to Spider-Man, the main protagonist of Sony’s franchise. What Sony has failed to understand is that not only is the web slinger probably the most popular character in the Marvel universe, but also no one cares to see standalone films about each of his greatest enemies. The brilliance of the Infinity Saga was that every film was tied together without the need for full movies dedicated solely to bad guys. At this point, it’s hard to say if even a fourth, live-action Spider-Man with Tom Holland will save Sony’s endeavor to create a universe of its own.

“Kraven: The Hunter” receives ★★ ½  stars out of five.

• THE WILD ROBOT
• Starring: Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal
• Directed by: Chris Sanders
• Rating: PG
• Running Time: 1 hr 42 mins
• Universal Pictures

Our Score: 3 out of 5

Nominated for three Academy Awards – Best Original Score, Best Sound, and Best Animated Feature Film – “The Wild Robot” is a wonderful film the entire family can enjoy, especially the little ones. Based upon the 2016 novel of the same name by American author Peter Brown and the first of a trilogy, “The Wild Robot” contains beautiful, animated imagery, well-written dialogue, and plenty of fun animal characters. What it does not contain is anything that is original. The story is reminiscent of every other animated feature like “WALL-E” or any cinematic work involving a robot who goes on an adventure that leads to them developing human emotions. Yawn.

Much like the Mayflower, a violent storm blows a cargo ship off course and in the process its ROZZUM robots, designed to do tasks humans don’t want to do, are lost at sea to later be washed up on an uninhabited island. When ROZZUM 7134, or Roz (Lupita Nyong’o, “Black Panther”, “Us”), is the sole robot to survive intact. She is soon accidentally activated by wild animals who are terrified of her as she believes her mission is to help them with their tasks. Even after learning animal languages, Roz can’t seem to fit in.

Without any task to fulfill, Roz attempts to contact the company who made her, but a lightning strike prevents her from accomplishing it. The failed attempt leads to her crushing a bird’s nest and the subsequent adoption of a young gosling named Brightbill (Kit Connor). Her only help comes in the form of a fox named Fink (Pedro Pascal), who initially wants to eat the gosling. From there, Roz develops an identity of her own, which runs contrary to her programming. This in turn sets up a “dramatic” confrontation with the heartless, villainous company that built her when they reach her location.

Don’t get me wrong, “The Wild Robot” is a story any age can enjoy. It’s filled with laughter, action, and a few tears. The voiceover work by Nyong’o is delightful as she does a brilliant job with infusing life into her character, who goes from zero to hero. Pascal, known best for his more serious roles, is perfect as the film’s comic relief. Still, “The Wild Robot” is nothing that has not been seen before a million times. Entertaining? Yes. Creatively original? No. It becomes almost forgettable after watching it, unless, of course, your five-year-old insists that you watch again for the 98th time.

“The Wild Robot” receives ★★★ out of five.

Starring: Phillip Cordell, Ravi Patel and Quinnlan Ashe
Directed by: Danny Dones
Rated: NR
Running Time: 96 minutes
Freestyle Digital Media

Our Score: 3 out of 5 Stars

I couldn’t pass up “Clone Cops.” The title and image at the top of the press release alone sold me. I didn’t need to read the synopsis or any of the other information in the press release. I just knew I had to watch something that looked like an incredibly low budget version of “Smoking Causes Coughing” that would worm its way into the brains of select audiences at 3 a.m. on Adult Swim. So, does it live up to the hype that I’m currently pumping it full of? Kind of, but I also think what it does is perfectly fine and fun.

With a backdrop that looks like whatever abandoned buildings were in the director’s neighborhood, “Clone Cops” introduces us to a world run by NefariCorp, a company that operates like a spite baby made by Amazon, Meta, and Pfizer. If you’re running the world, you need your own law enforcement, right? Enter the clone cops, who are all played by comedically self-deprecating and scenery chewing Phillip Cordell. The clones are made in a lab out of continuously recycled pink slime because they’re about as useful at stopping criminals as Stormtroopers are at stopping the Rebel Resistance. They’re deployed en masse, over and over again, to bust some criminals participating in a heist. Sounds like a great excuse to watch slapstick gore, but just when you think you’re about to watch a film on a 21st century version of the Keystone Cops, the movie flips on its head.

The silly bad acting action does unfold like an episode of “Power Rangers,” but the film manages to twist the story consistently while wedging in commentary on the social media age and the cruelty that inhabits it, the cutting corners ineptitude of corporate run public services, the idea of endless content to feed humanity, and how Earth may just now be where poor people inhabit it to provide for the rich on the Moon. However, all of that may be the film’s biggest problem because it really does way too much on top of the inherent comedy. I’m not saying it didn’t tackle these topics in fun ways, but it seems to overinflate the runtime and break up too much of the comedy and moments where we learn more about these absurd characters. It is a fun giggle-filled ride, but it could have been a low budget “The Other Guys” with some more fine tuning.

The film appears to pay homage to sci-fi genre amongst the laughs while developing a low-budget Troma charm (although not as gross out). Sometimes it leans into those low budget charms while other times it just does look and feel like a low budget film. I haven’t really talked about the plot, but that’s because so much relies on the twists which evolve over time. “Clone Cops” is just fun, and honestly, that’s all you can really expect, want and need out of a film that barely passes the hour-and-a-half mark.

• INTO THE DEEP
• Starring:  Scout Taylor-Compton, Callum McGowan and Richard Dreyfuss
• Directed by:  Christian Sesma
• Rated:  R
• Running time:  1 hr 30 mins
• Saban Films

Our Score:  3.5 out of 5

The ocean is a pretty scary place.  Especially if you’re a young girl just learning to swim.  While treading water with her father, young Cassidy (Quinn P. Hensley) is getting mad, as her father keeps kicking her legs.  Only dad is several yards away.  Uh oh!

Well-acted, with some equally good effects, “Into the Deep” tells the story of the now grown up Cassidy (Taylor-Compton) and her boyfriend, Gregg (McGowan) as they prepare to dive to recover a rumored sunken treasure.  Thanks to the constant guidance of her grandfather Shamus (Dreyfuss), Cassidy has conquered her fears to become a marine biologist.  When the pair, and their friends, are taken captive by modern-day pirates searching for 80 kilos of heroin that has been lost at sea, it will take every bit of Cassidy’s will to stay alive.

Of course, any shark-themed film will be compared with “Jaws,” and “Into the Deep” is no exception.  Even with Dreyfuss aboard, it’s not “Jaws.”  But then again, it doesn’t try to be.  If I compare the film to a Peter Benchley story it would be “The Deep.”  The film’s suspense comes from the interactions with the pirates.  They are bold and ruthless and not above executing innocent boaters or the coastal authorities.  The sharks ramp up the suspense even more, and the attacks are well staged.  Nothing over the top.  Very perfunctory and quick.  In this day of CGI overuse, it is a credit to the filmmakers that they don’t go overboard, so to speak.

The cast is strong, especially Taylor-Compton, who displays the silent toughness she will need to survive.  Kudos also to Jon Seda, who plays the leader of the pirates.  He takes a character that could be played over the top and keeps him grounded, making him even more menacing.  And what a great bit of casting to have Mr. Dreyfuss in the cast.  He has always had a way of holding the audience with just his words, and as we listen to his advice, shown through flashbacks, you hang on every word.  “Remember,” he tells the young Cassidy, “this is their world.  You are a visitor.  You are a guest.”  The film is well-paced, and moves along swiftly.  Production values are strong and the musical score, by Andy Fosbery, sets the tone well.

The final credits run alongside a very heartfelt PSA from Dreyfuss on the importance of sharks in our world and how to assist in shark conservation, something that was very important to “Jaws” creator Peter Benchley.

On a scale of zero to five, “Into the Deep” receives ★★★ ½  

The French film Emilia Pérez led the pack when nominations for the 97^th Annual Academy Awards were announced this morning, earing 13 nominations, including Best Picture and Best International Feature.  It was followed by the historical epic The Brutalist and the mega-hit musical Wicked, which each earned 10 nominations.  Other films gaining several nominations include both A Complete Unknown and Conclave, which received 8 nominations each.

As in recent years, there were quite a few first-time acting nominations including both Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong for The Apprentice, Kieran Culkin for A Real Pain and Guy Pearce in The Brutalist.  Other first timers: Demi Moore (The Substance), Monica Barbaro (A Compete Unknown), Ariana Grande (Wicked), Isabella Rossellini (Conclave) and Zoe Saldana (Emilia Perez).  On a personal note, I was pleased that Strong was nominated, as I championed his performance in my review of the film.

Below is a complete list of nominees.

Best Picture

Anora

The Brutalist

A Complete Unknown

Conclave

Dune: Part Two

Emilia Pérez

I’m Still Here

Nickel Boys

The Substance

Wicked

Best Directing

Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez

Sean Baker, Anora

Brady Corbet, The Brutalist

Coralie Fargeat, The Substance

James Mangold, A Complete Unknown

Best Actor In A Leading Role

Adrien Brody, The Brutalist

Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown

Colman Domingo, Sing Sing

Ralph Fiennes, Conclave

Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice

Best Actress In A Leading Role

Cynthia Erivo, Wicked

Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez

Mikey Madison, Anora

Demi Moore, The Substance

Fernanda Torres, I’m Still Here

Best Actor In A Supporting Role

Yura Borisov, Anora

Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain

Edward Norton, A Complete Unknown

Guy Pearce, The Brutalist

Jeremy Strong, The Apprentice

Best Actress In A Supporting Role

Monica Barbaro, A Complete Unknown

Ariana Grande, Wicked

Felicity Jones, The Brutalist

Isabella Rossellini, Conclave

Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez

Best Adapted Screenplay

A Complete Unknown, James Mangold and Jay Cocks

Conclave, Peter Straughan

Emilia Pérez, Jacques Audiard in collaboration with Thomas Bidegain, Léa Mysius and Nicolas Livecchi

Nickel Boys, RaMell Ross & Joslyn Barnes

Sing Sing, Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar; Story by Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar, Clarence Maclin and John “Divine G” Whitfield

Best Original Screenplay

Anora, Sean Baker

The Brutalist, Brady Corbet & Mona Fastvold

A Real Pain, Jesse Eisenberg

September 5, Moritz Binder and Tim Fehlbaum and co-written by Alex David

The Substance, Coralie Fargeat

Best Costume Design

A Complete Unknown, Arianne Phillips

Conclave, Lisy Christl

Gladiator II, Janty Yates and Dave Crossman

Nosferatu, Linda Muir

Wicked, Paul Tazewell

Best Makeup And Hairstyling

A Different Man, Mike Marino, David Presto and Crystal Jurado

Emilia Pérez, Julia Floch Carbonel, Emmanuel Janvier and Jean-Christophe Spadaccini

Nosferatu, David White, Traci Loader and Suzanne Stokes-Munton

The Substance, Pierre-Olivier Persin, Stéphanie Guillon and Marilyne Scarselli

Wicked, Frances Hannon, Laura Blount and Sarah Nuth

Best Original Score

The Brutalist, Daniel Blumberg

Conclave, Volker Bertelmann

Emilia Pérez, Clément Ducol and Camille

Wicked, John Powell and Stephen Schwartz

The Wild Robot, Kris Bowers

Best Live-Action Short Film

A Lien

Anuja

I’m Not a Robot

The Last Ranger

The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent

Best Animated Short Film

Beautiful Men

In the Shadow of the Cypress

Magic Candies

Wander to Wonder

Yuck!

Best Production Design

The Brutalist, Production Design: Judy Becker; Set Decoration: Patricia Cuccia

Conclave, Production Design: Suzie Davies; Set Decoration: Cynthia Sleiter

Dune: Part Two, Production Design: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Shane Vieau

Nosferatu, Production Design: Craig Lathrop; Set Decoration: Beatrice Brentnerová

Wicked, Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales

Best Cinematography

The Brutalist, Lol Crawley

Dune: Part Two, Greig Fraser

Emilia Pérez, Paul Guilhaume

Maria, Ed Lachman

Nosferatu, Jarin Blaschke

Best Film Editing

Anora, Sean Baker

The Brutalist, David Jancso

Conclave, Nick Emerson

Emilia Pérez, Juliette Welfling

Wicked, Myron Kerstein

Best Original Song

“Never Too Late” from Elton John: Never Too Late. Music and Lyrics by Elton John, Brandi Carlile, Andrew Watt and Bernie Taupin

“El Mal” from Emilia Pérez. Music by Clément Ducol and Camille; Lyric by Clément Ducol, Camille and Jacques Audiard

“Mi Camino” from Emilia Pérez. Music and Lyric by Camille and Clément Ducol

“Like A Bird” from Sing Sing. Music and Lyric by Abraham Alexander and Adrian Quesada

“The Journey” from The Six Triple Eight. Music and Lyrics by Diane Warren

Best Documentary Feature Film

Black Box Diaries

No Other Land

Porcelain War

Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat

Sugarcane

Best Documentary Short Film

Death by Numbers

I Am Ready, Warden

Incident

Instruments of a Beating Heart

The Only Girl in the Orchestra

Best International Feature Film

Brazil, I’m Still Here

Denmark, The Girl With the Needle

France, Emilia Pérez

Germany, The Seed of the Sacred Fig

Latvia, Flow

Best Animated Feature Film

Flow

Inside Out 2

Memoir of a Snail

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

The Wild Robot

Best Sound

A Complete Unknown, Tod A. Maitland, Donald Sylvester, Ted Caplan, Paul Massey and David Giammarco

Dune: Part Two, Gareth John, Richard King, Ron Bartlett and Doug Hemphill

Emilia Pérez, Erwan Kerzanet, Aymeric Devoldère, Maxence Dussère, Cyril Holtz and Niels Barletta

Wicked, Simon Hayes, Nancy Nugent Title, Jack Dolman, Andy Nelson and John Marquis

The Wild Robot, Randy Thom, Brian Chumney, Gary A. Rizzo and Leff Lefferts

Best Visual Effects

Alien: Romulus, Eric Barba, Nelson Sepulveda-Fauser, Daniel Macarin and Shane Mahan

Better Man, Luke Millar, David Clayton, Keith Herft and Peter Stubbs

Dune: Part Two, Paul Lambert, Stephen James, Rhys Salcombe and Gerd Nefzer

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Erik Winquist, Stephen Unterfranz, Paul Story and Rodney Burke

Wicked, Pablo Helman, Jonathan Fawkner, David Shirk and Paul Corbould

The winners for the 97th Oscars will be announced on Sunday, March 2, Conan O’Brien will host the live broadcast, which will air on ABC-TV and stream on Hulu.

Starring: Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin, Leonie Benesch
Directed by: Tim Fehlbaum
Rated: R
Running Time: 95 minutes
Paramount Pictures

Our Score: 4 out of 5 Stars

There’s one key criticism I’ve heard about “September 5” from people who’ve seen it and people who haven’t seen it yet are hearing me describe the film, and that is that it’s ethically repulsive. I wouldn’t make that criticism, but several people have told me that the film sounds like ignorant glorification of violence. There’s actually a term for this, “media contagion.” It’s the idea that coverage of violence can beget violence. In “September 5,” an ABC sports broadcasting team, led by Roone Arledge (Peter Sarsgaard), Geoffrey Mason (John Magaro) and Marvin Bader (Ben Chaplin), attempt to cover the unfolding act of terrorism against Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics.

Viewers are transported into the smokey ABC control room as the production crew grapples with covering the event via several cameras, witnesses and a young Peter Jennings (Benjamin Walker). As a journalist and former news producer, it’s a familiar scene, not so much the smoke and ashtrays. I immediately felt immersed because of my background, which I’ve told people, implies that I’m biased towards liking this movie. The big issue is when the control room realizes that terrorists may be figuring out their next steps because of the ABC live broadcast. This is exemplified in a scene where the cameras watch the armed forces encircle the building while realizing that the terrorists inside the Olympic village are tuning in to ABC to see where those pesky snipers are. It’s something that we would all, in the 21st century, state is obvious not to do.

But that’s where I defend “September 5.” While this isn’t the first time media covered violence live, it’s easily the earliest instance of live coverage of a terror attack. The film dives into the real-time decision making over ethical dilemmas that materialized second-by-second. It’s a watershed moment in how crisis situations are handled and yet throughout the film, we see how much of its handling has become the news product we digest now. The film artfully highlights moments of brevity and times of clumsiness on the ends of these individuals handling this incident. There is no time to reflect on the decisions, the decisions are made and it’s now onto the next media quandary.

“September 5” highlights the frenetic nature of a newsroom during a crisis. It tactfully shows how good and bad decisions happen all the time, but the people know that as long as the story is still unfolding, there’s no time to reflect, redact or change what has happened. Geoffrey does most of the decision heavy lifting while Roone serves as his parachute in case those decisions aren’t ethically sound. The tight editing and brisk 94 minutes add to the palpable tension, even if you know the tragic outcome of the hostage situation.

“September 5” doesn’t look to make some grandiose stand on news media’s past, present or future. It’s a fly-on-the-wall, reminding people that journalists are just people who have elected to work in a high-stress field. It’s easy to forget in today’s digital news day that human beings are still working hard to confirm facts, chase down leads, ask the difficult questions and follow the most dangerous stories until their bitter end. Sure, my love of this film is biased, but I hope that others love it for humanizing those who are constantly demonized for covering the burning world.

Directed by Jason Reitman (Juno), Saturday Night fictionalizes what happened behind the scenes during the 1975 series premiere of NBC’s long-running comedy series Saturday Night Live. It’s a well-made tribute that comes from the heart, but never really creates its own identity.  

Presented as a real time, ticking clock thriller, the film depicts the 90 or so minutes leading up to the famous moment when Chevy Chase bellowed the very first “Live from New York! It’s Saturday night!” With the camera constantly cruising the claustrophobic halls of Studio 8H, all the players who would become household names by 1976 are introduced. Lorne Michaels (played by The Fabelmans’ Gabriel LaBelle) is frantically trying to keep things together as he tries to revolutionize late night TV, while the NBC executives (Cooper Hoffman and Willem Dafoe) still aren’t convinced the show will work. The Not-Ready-for-Primetime Players — Chevy Chase (Cory Michael Smith), Gilda Radner (Ella Hunt), Dan Aykroyd (Dylan O’Brien), Garrett Morris (Lamorne Morris), John Belushi (Matt Wood), Laraine Newman (Emily Fairn), and Jane Curtain (Kim Matula) — rehearse, goof around, and butt heads as they prepare to make TV history. Head writer Michael O’Donaghue (Tommy Dewey), and producer Rosie Shuster (Rachel Sennott), who was also Michaels’ estranged wife at the time, both contribute to and attempt to shape the chaos around them. Musical director Paul Shaffer (Paul Rust), and host George Carlin(Matthew Rhys) both receive one dimensional screen time. Old guard comic Milton Berle (J.K. Simmons) makes fun of it all, and Succession’s Nicholas Braun pulls double-duty as both Jim Henson and Andy Kaufman.

Reitman and co-writer Gil Kenan (who collaborated on the recent Ghostbusters films) did meticulous research, interviewing everyone who was in the building on the day of the show’s premiere. As the disc’s special features reveal, some of those stories conflicted, and others took place on different days but were folded into the movie anyway, making for a jam-packed 109 minutes. Not all of it works, but there is some undeniably great craftsmanship at hand, from the luminous 16mm cinematography to the overwhelmingly impressive two-story set replicating SNL‘s famous Studio 8H — built in Atlanta for the film. Another highlight is the free-wheeling, jazzy score that was recorded live on the set by Oscar- and Grammy-winning composer Jon Batiste, who also doubles as Billy Preston, the very first SNL musical guest ever. Likewise, the cast was carefully selected in order to inhabit famous faces of 1975, and even the extras were auditioned in order to realistically play crew members. The performances range from effective mimicry to genuinely funny, but too much screen time is given to re-enacting famous bits (albeit in rehearsal mode), like Chase’s Weekend Update segment, Kaufman’s lip sync rendition of the Mighty Mouse theme song, and Morris’ raucous “Get Me a Shotgun” song. The originals were all really funny on SNL in 1975, but the cover versions fall flat in the context of the film. Batiste doesn’t look much like Preston, but he looks like he’s having fun. Which pretty much goes for the whole movie. Ultimately, as entertaining as some moments are, Saturday Night’s main issue is that it’s a fairly conventional, even predictable look at what was a very unconventional and unpredictable time.

The special features include an audio commentary, and two worthwhile featurettes that go behind the scenes, explaining the film’s genesis, the casting process, the incredible production design, complicated choreography, and more. There’s also some fun Super 8 footage of the cast on set, and a handful of too-brief promotional clips called Creating Comedy Icons. Strangely, there’s a separate doc about Batiste’s score, but it’s just over a minute long. What’s the point of that?

The commentary is the disc’s highlight. Reitman takes us through all aspects of the film’s origins and production process, and is joined by cinematographer Eric Steelberg, production designer Jess Gonchor, and costumer designer Danny Glicker. With Reitman acting as a de facto moderator, each contributor speaks about their particular involvement when the film presents opportunities, instead of just all talking at once. The track is conversational, insightful, well paced and well organized.

Lastly, I would recommend this film to die hard fans of the beloved SNL show. New onlookers who are not familiar (and not too many would fall in this category) with SNL would probably still enjoy the film (as I personally did) because of its hilarity. Picture and sound are great as they should be since this is a new release. 

Picture ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sound ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Extras ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Out of 5 stars 

• ONE OF THEM DAYS
• Starring:  Keke Palmer, Sza and Katt Williams
• Directed by:  Lawrence Lamont
• Rated:  R
• Running time:  1 hr 37 mins           

Our Score:  3.5 out of 5 

Your rent is due and you’re late for a job interview that, if you get it, will change your life.  But, of course, things don’t go the way you plan.  It’s just one of them days!

Meet Dreux (Palmer).  She has worked hard to move up the ranks at the restaurant she waits tables at and has finally been given the chance to interview for the opportunity to manager her own store.  Things in her life are going good unless, of course, you add in her roommate, Alyssa (SZA), a woman more interested in hanging on to her boyfriend then helping her friend succeed.  When Dreaux learns that Alyssa has given their rent money to the boyfriend, the two must devise a way to pay the rent before the clock strikes twelve or face immediate eviction.  Let the hijinks begin.

Fast paced and quick witted, “One of Them Days” manages to stretch a one-joke story into a solid hour and a half.  This is due, in part, to the outstanding performance by Ms. Palmer.  She gives Dreaux a great mixture of both humor and seriousness that suits the character.  As the roommate whose decisions always seem to be the wrong ones, SZA carries the bulk of the comedy and handles it well.  The supporting cast is strong, from Maude Apatow as a new neighbor whose sunny disposition is very rare for the apartment complex to the always fun Katt Williams, who does all he can to dissuade the girls from getting a payday loan, cautioning “if you don’t have the money this month, you’re not gonna have it next month!”

The film does its best to cram a lot of antics into the 97-minute running time.  I would have rather they stretch the adventures over a weekend then force so much into, by the script’s reckoning, was only a few hours.  The film also serves as a great reminder that the Honey Butter Biscuits at Church’s Chicken are worth fighting for.

On a scale of zero to five, “One of Them Days” receives ★★★½