Previews: Proud Mary Trailer, Jigsaw, More!

Plenty in this week’s preview of coming attractions, including the new Proud Mary trailer,  Jigsaw, The Snowman, and more…

Proud Mary Trailer

Here is the new trailer for Proud Mary. Well, you couldn’t really title a film that without featuring Tina Turner’s iconic song. Taraji P. Henson stars as a hit woman working for an organised crime family in Boston. Proud Mary will hit UK screens on 2nd February 2018.

Jigsaw Trailer

Above is the new Jigsaw trailer. The film reignites the Saw franchise, with the killer who was seemingly dead earlier in the series appearing to strike again. Fans of all things creepy will cheer the return of Billy the puppet. Jigsaw is set for release in time for Halloween, on 27th October 2017.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle Trailer

The latest trailer for Kingsman: The Golden Circle reveals a little more about the plot and new characters. The sequel sees the return of Taron Egerton and Colin Firth, who face a new challenge in America. They are joined by an enviable cast that includes Julianne Moore, Channing Tatum, Halle Berry, and Jeff Bridges. Kingsman: The Golden Circle will be released on UK screens on 20th September 2017.

IT Poster

Here is the latest poster for upcoming horror IT. Based on the classic Stephen King novel, the film is about the mysterious disappearance of children in the town of Derry. The film stars Bill Skarsgård as antagonist Pennywise. IT is out in UK cinemas on 8th September 2017.

Only The Brave Trailer

Only The Brave is based on a true story of an elite team of firefighters in American. The film stars Josh Brolin as the leader of the group, who trains his team from local firefighters to well-known task force. The film also stars Miles Teller, Jeff Bridges, and Jennifer Connelly. Only The Brave is set for release later this year.

The Snowman Trailer

This trailer for The Snowman really hones in on the mystery elements of the film. Based on the Jo Nesbø novel, the film is about a detective and his recruit trying to track down a serial killer. The film is directed buy Thomas Alfredson (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) and stars Michael Fassbender, Rebecca Ferguson, and Charlotte Gainsbourg. The Snowman will hit UK screens on 13th October 2017.

Blade Runner 2049 Trailer

Here is the latest trailer for the hotly anticipated Blade Runner 2049. Set thirty years after the original Blade Runner, the sequel sees the return of Harrison Ford’s Deckard, who has been missing all this time. Ryan Gosling plays K, a LAPD officer. Blade Runner 2049 is out in UK cinemas on 6th October 2017.

Previews: Blade Runner 2049 Poster, Wonder Woman, More!

This week preview of coming attractions features a new Blade Runner 2049 poster, The Dark Tower, Wonder Woman, and more…

Blade Runner 2049 Poster

Here is Harrison Ford in the latest Blade Runner 2049 poster. Ford reprises his role as Deckard from the 1982 sci-fi classic. He is joined by Ryan Gosling, who plays a LAPD officer who unearths a long-buried secret. Directed by Denis Villeneuve, Blade Runner 2049 is released in UK cinemas on 6th October 2017.

The Dark Tower Trailer

Here is the first trailer for The Dark Tower. The film is based on Stephen King’s best-selling novel. Idris Elba plays the last gunslinger, in a battle with the Man in Black (Matthew McConaughey). The Dark Tower will be released in UK cinemas on 18th August 2017.

Wonder Woman Poster

It is less than a month until the release of Wonder Woman, so here’s a new poster. Despite being far behind Marvel in terms of establishing a cinematic universe for their comic book characters, DC have beaten Marvel to the punch in having the first stand-alone film headlined by a female character. Gal Gadot stars as the popular hero, and is joined by Chris Pine, Robin Wright, and Connie Nielsen. Wonder Woman hits UK screens on 1st June 2017.

Valerian Poster

Here is a new poster for Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets. I don’t know who Melo is, but it looks interesting. Valerian is a new sci-fi adventure from Luc Besson. The film stars Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, and Rihanna. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets hits UK screens on 4th August 2017.

Summer 2017 Summer Montage

Every year, the esteemed Amon Warmann creates a montage of all the Summer’s biggest blockbusters. This year’s edition features a variety of hotly anticipated movies, including Wonder Woman, War for the Planet of the Apes (a sequel to 2014’s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes), and Spider-Man: Homecoming. Check out the supercut above.

Previews: Blade Runner 2049 trailer, Dunkirk, More!

Previews of upcoming attractions include the new Blade Runner 2049 trailer, John Wick: Chapter Two, The White King, and more…

Blade Runner 2049 Trailer

Here is the first Blade Runner 2049 trailer. The film sees the return of Harrison Ford as Dekard. He is joined by Ryan Gosling, who plays a new blade runner. Set thirty years after the events of the original film, Blade Runner 2049 is set for release on 6th October 2017.

John Wick: Chapter Two Trailer

Following the success of 2014’s John Wick, sequel John Wick: Chapter Two is coming next year. Keanu Reeves returns as the title character, and is joined by Laurence Fishburne, Ruby Rose, and Common. John Wick: Chapter Two will be released in UK cinemas on 17th February 2017.

Personal Shopper Trailer

After screening at a number of film festivals this year, Oliver Assayas’ Personal Shopper gets a UK cinema release next year. The film stars Kirsten Stewart as a personal shopper and a spiritual medium who tries to make contact with a deceased relative. Personal Shopper will be released in cinemas on 17th March 2017.

Jackie Poster

Here is the poster for Jackie. The film stars Natalie Portman as Jackie Kennedy, and focuses on the assassination and aftermath as seen through her eyes. With awards buzz around the central performance, Jackie will be released in UK cinemas on 20th January 2017.

The White King Clip

Based on the novel of the same name, The White King is a dystopian drama set during a fictitious dictatorship. The film stars Jonathan Pryce, Agyness Deyn, and Olivia Williams as this creepy robot. The White King will be released in UK cinemas on 27th January 2017, and on DVD on 30th January.

Dunkirk Trailer

Here is the first proper look at Dunkirk. Director Christopher Nolan has fared well with science fiction, mysteries, thrillers, and comic book movies, and now turns his hand to the war film. The film stars Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance, and Cillian Murphy. Dunkirk will be released in 2017.

Film Review: Priest

Adapted from a graphic novel, Priest is a mildly entertaining action flick. Nevertheless, the film suffers from the same pitfalls as many of its contemporaries.

In a world where humans faced a constant battle against vampires, a band of priests were charged with protecting the population against the undead. Having defeated their nemesis, the group are disbanded. When a group of vampires attack Priest’s family and kidnap his niece, he disobeys the Church and goes in search of young Lucy…

Priest offers very little to differentiate it from numerous films in the same vein. Moreover, the flaws are all too familiar. There is a lack of character development; it is difficult to respond to the one-dimensional protagonist, and even more so to the villain with no depth or motivation. The dialogue is awful at times, which does not help to generate the necessary tension. The little attempts to add a modicum of humour fall entirely flat.

Scott Charles Stewart’s film is an amalgamation of various genres. Priest points to Gothic horror with its vampires and religious overtones, although it is not at all frightening. The dystopian vision of the future is pure science fiction, while the narrative and even the landscape are suggestive of a Western. Despite the presence of the supernatural, the plot of Priest is incredibly similar to John Ford’s The Searchers.

Perhaps the best part of the movie is the animated sequence at the beginning. Giving a brief history of the battle between human and vampire, the segment has a delightfully rustic quality in its style. It is reminiscent of a similar sequence at the beginning of Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula. References to numerous other films are also palpable. The city scenes are unmistakably influenced by Blade Runner, while the isolated and uninhabited landscape is evocative of more recent fare such as The Book of Eli and The Road.

The highly stylised look of Priest gives the film an artificiality that is presumably the desired affect. Some of the underground sequences are so dark it is difficult to decipher what is happening. Special effects are fine, but unremarkable. The use of 3D seems wasteful; it adds nothing to the film.

Paul Bettany’s Priest is more Blade than Dracula‘s Van Helsing. A near-silent type, the character is more concerned with action than emotion. Cam Gigandet has suffered in some dud roles recently, but his delivery here is especially pained. Lily Collins has little to do as damsel-in-distress Lucy.

Priest‘s main failure is the feeling of déjà vu it generates. From the plot to the look to the flaws, it is all too familiar. The suggestion of a sequel at the end of the film is lamentable.

Film Review: Repo Men

If you are looking for a fast-paced violent thriller, and do not mind too much about originality, Repo Men is probably the film for you. If, however, you are expecting something more than this, you will most likely be disappointed by the end of this film.

Set in the near future, Remy, played by Jude Law, is works for a company that creates artificial organs. Along with partner Jake (Forest Whitaker), Remy repossess the organs of those who default on their payments. It is only after Remy has a heart replacement himself that he starts to have a conscious about what he and his partner do for a living…

The premise of the film is really quite interesting, until you realise how close it is to Repo! The Genetic Opera. Furthermore, elements of a number of other films appear to be present. Shots of the futuristic metropolis are immediately reminiscent of Blade Runner, whilst some of the technology can be likened to Total Recall.

Overall, the film imbues a feeling of technophobia. Like the aforementioned Blade Runner, as well as The Terminator and Brazil, there is a real sense of the ‘evil corporation’. Repo Men would, in fact, not be out of place with these mid- to early-1980s films. With a 2010 release, however, the ideas the film projects seem a little outdated.

Repo Men is an entertaining enough film, if it is not taken seriously. The action scenes well executed by director Miguel Sapochnik, and the performances are adequate. Furthermore, the soundtrack works well, using a range of songs from different eras to accompany at times disjointed scenes. The main problem with the film is that it is very much a case of ‘seen it all before’.