New Zealand Wine vs French Wine in 'A Seat at the Table' Doc Trailer

"Anything from the New World has to match up to the original classics." Samuel Goldwyn has released an official trailer for a wine documentary titled A Seat at the Table, which premiered at the New Zealand Film Festival last year and now arrives on VOD this July. "When Frenchman Daniel Le Brun moved to New Zealand in the 1970s, he decided the wine was 'nothing short of garbage'. Nearly 40 years later, Kiwi vino has gained respect and prestige around the globe; especially Marlborough's sauvignon blanc. A Seat at the Table asks whether Aotearoa wine truly deserves its top table status." For over a century France has reigned supreme over the wine world. Has New Zealand earned a seat at the table? This fascinating and provocative doc film examines the New Zealand wine industry and its recent rise to glory, spending time in both France and New Zealand, and asking experts if it's time to finally admit their wine is worthy of accolades. I want to try some, too! The best part of this trailer is when it cuts between the wine growing locales in each country.

Official trailer (+ poster) for David Nash & Simon Mark-Brown's doc A Seat at the Table, from YouTube:

For nearly a century France has reigned supreme over the world of fine wine. What if one country famous for punching above its weight took on the aristocracy, breaking the rules of the Old World and were "beating the French at their own game". This is the story of New Zealand's warp speed assent to the top of the wine world. We ask France's best winemakers, the world's greatest critics, and the most influential merchants one question: Has New Zealand earned a seat at the table? We hear both sides of each story from grape vines illegally smuggled in gumboots to climate change and the screwcap vs. cork debate. A Seat at the Table culminates with some of France's most well-respected winemakers tasting New Zealand wine for the first time. Their responses are astounding to watch. A Seat at the Table is co-directed by filmmakers David Nash (making his directorial debut) & Simon Mark-Brown (his first doc after making the film The Catch). This first premiered at the New Zealand Film Festival last year. Goldwyn will release A Seat at the Table direct-to-VOD starting on July 3rd this summer. For more visit the film's official website.

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Trailer for ESPN's 'Born To Play' Doc About Women's Tackle Football

"Being on the field just makes me feel alive. I feel that's where I'm supposed to be." ESPN has unveiled the first trailer for a documentary film called Born to Play, which is initially premiering on TV airing on ESPN coming up this weekend. Directed by Viridiana Lieberman, the film is a love letter to the game, written by people who you never knew played. Until now. Born to Play highlights the badass athletes of the Boston Renegades women's tackle football team. "With heart, hustle, and hope, the Renegades are on the path to redemption after losing in their championship game the previous year. These unpaid athletes put their bodies on the line while maintaining full-time careers that support their lifelong dream." These women just love playing football and won't let anyone or anything get in the way of their game nights. Looks damn good.

Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Viridiana Lieberman's doc Born to Play, direct from Vimeo:

Born to Play spends a season with the Boston Renegades, a women’s tackle football team on the path to redemption after going undefeated but losing their championship the previous year. These unpaid athletes put their bodies on the line while maintaining full-time careers that support their lifelong dream… proving that football is for everyone. Born to Play shines a light on a team of remarkable women, ranging in age from 19-49, from a vast spectrum of backgrounds who dedicate their time, bodies and paychecks to pursue their passion for playing football. Born to Play is directed by editor / filmmaker Viridiana Lieberman, her second doc after directing Fattitude previously, as well as a few short films and other production work. Produced by Theodora Dunlap, Sam Bisbee, and Viridiana Lieberman. ESPN will premiere Born to Play on their channel on July 1st. It will also air again later this summer. For more, visit the film's official website.

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Carla Juri & Alec Secareanu in First Trailer for Sinister Horror 'Amulet'

"Mother won't like it…" Magnolia has debuted the first official trailer for a horror thriller titled Amulet, marking the feature directorial debut of English actress Romola Garai. This premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year in the Midnight section, and it's also playing at the Bucheon Fantastic Film Festival in South Korea coming up this summer. An ex-soldier, living homeless in London, is offered a place to stay at a decaying house inhabited by a young woman and her dying mother. When he starts to fall for her, he cannot ignore his suspicion that something sinister is going on in this decrepit home. The film stars Alec Secareanu and Carla Juri, with Angeliki Papoulia and Imelda Staunton. Are these ladies witches?! Or demons?! Just waiting to devour this man's soul? This is a seriously creepy, gross, very unsettling trailer.

Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Romola Garai's Amulet, direct from Magnolia's YouTube:

Following an accident that leaves him homeless in London, former soldier Tomaz is brought to the rotting home of Magda, a lonely woman in desperate need of help as she looks after her dying mother. Though at first resistant, Magda eventually welcomes him into their lives and allows him to help her care for them. But as he worms his way into their routine and begins to fall for Magda, Tomaz starts to notice strange, unexplainable, and ugly phenomena. Something seems very wrong with the mysterious old woman who never leaves the top floor, and Magda may in fact be enslaved to do her otherworldly bidding. Amulet is both written and directed by English actress / filmmaker Romola Garai, making her feature directorial debut with this film after one other short film previously. Produced by Maggie Monteith and Matthew James Wilkinson. This premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year in the Midnight section. Magnolia Pictures will debut Garai's Amulet in select theaters + on VOD starting July 24th this summer. Scared yet?

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Nat Wolff Discovers He Has Powers in New Trailer for 'Mortal' Movie

"I don't care what he is. We need to get him under control." Signature Ent. has revealed the first official UK trailer for the action adventure superpowers movie Mortal, the latest from accclaimed Norwegian horror filmmaker André Øvredal (Trollhunter, The Autopsy of Jane Doe). Described as "Chronicle meets X-Men meets Thor," this "origin story" is about a young man, Eric, who discovers he has God-like powers based on ancient Norwegian mythology. Nat Wolff stars along with Iben Akerlie as Christine, a young psychologist trying to figure out what really happened when the authorities go after him. They both end up on the run, and Eric finally figures out who, or what exactly, he really is. The cast includes Priyanka Bose, Arthur Hakalahti, Anna Sedunova, and Per Egil Aske. This looks like Norway is trying (again) to reclaim its mythological heroes (mainly Thor) for its own tourism-as-cinema storytelling. Every shot looks gorgeous! Because Norway is gorgeous! Is anyone really excited about yet another superpowers origin story nowadays?

Here's the first official UK trailer (+ poster) for André Øvredal's Mortal, direct from Signature's YouTube:

Based on ancient Norse Mythology, a young boy named Eric (Nat Wolff) must discover the origins of his extraordinary powers before he is captured by authorities hell-bent on condemning him for an accidental murder. A breathtaking and thrilling origin adventure story set in Norway. Mortal, originally known as Torden in Norwegian, is directed by acclaimed Norwegian genre filmmaker André Øvredal, director of the films Future Murder, Trollhunter, The Autopsy of Jane Doe, and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark most recently. The screenplay is written by Geoff Bussetil, Norman Lesperance, and André Øvredal. Produced by Rory Aitken, John Einar Hagen, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, and Ben Pugh. This already premiered in Norway earlier this year. Saban Films will release in the US, but hasn't confirmed an exact date yet. Signature Ent. will release Øvredal's Mortal direct-to-VOD in the UK starting August 3rd this summer. Who's interested?

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Official Trailer for 'Boys State' Doc by Amanda McBaine & Jesse Moss

"Our masculinity shall not be infringed." A24 + Apple have unveiled an official trailer for the documentary film Boys State, which first premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year where it won the top Grand Jury Prize in the Documentary Competition. The film also won the Lone Star Special Jury Award at the SXSW Film Festival. This modern horror film presents a vérité look at the political divide in America by focusing on the kids. From Sundance: "Boys State is a political coming-of-age story, examining the health of American democracy through an unusual experiment: a thousand 17-year-old boys from across the state of Texas gather together to build a representative government from the ground up. High-minded ideals collide with low-down dirty tricks as four boys of diverse backgrounds and political views navigate the challenges of organizing political parties, shaping consensus, and campaigning for the highest office at Texas Boys State—governor." As scary as this debacle is to watch, it's a seriously impressive doc - highly recommend this one.

Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Amanda McBaine & Jesse Moss' doc Boys State, from YouTube:

A wildly entertaining and continuously revealing immersion into an annual, week-long program in which a thousand Texas high school seniors gather for an elaborate mock exercise: building their own state government. Filmmakers Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine closely track the escalating tensions that arise within a particularly riveting gubernatorial race, training their cameras on unforgettable teenagers like Ben, a Reagan-loving, arch-conservative who brims with confidence despite personal setbacks; and Steven, a progressive-minded child of Mexican immigrants who stands by his convictions amidst the sea of red. In the process, they have created a complex portrait of contemporary American masculinity, as well as a microcosm of our often dispiriting national political divisions that nevertheless manage to plant seeds of hope. Boys State is co-directed by filmmakers Amanda McBaine (producer of Ghosts of Attica, Speedo, The Overnighters) & Jesse Moss (director of Speedo, Con Man, Full Battle Rattle, The Overnighters, The Bandit). This first premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. A24 will release Boys State in select US theaters starting on July 31st, and it will debut on Apple TV+ starting August 14th this summer.

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First Trailer for Father-Son Story 'Made in Italy' Starring Liam Neeson

"You can't remember her… but I can't forget." Oh my this looks wonderful. IFC Films has debuted the first official trailer for Made in Italy, marking the feature directorial debut of English actor James D'Arcy - who wrote and directed this. The film hasn't premiered at any film festivals, but it will be available to watch on all formats (drive-in + VOD) starting in August. Liam Neeson stars in Made in Italy as a London artist who returns to Tuscany, Italy with his estranged son, as played by Micheál Richardson, to sell the house they inherited from his late wife. The film's cast also includes Valeria Bilello, Lindsay Duncan, Marco Quaglial, Gian Marco Tavani, and Helena Antonio. This is much more humorous than expected, but it still looks like it has a great deal of honesty and heart as well. There's a fresh, modern vibe that meshes well with the offbeat comedy. And, my oh my, Tuscany is so beautiful. This looks wonderful, can't wait to watch.

Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for James D'Arcy's Made in Italy, direct from IFC's YouTube:

Made in Italy is a heart-warming father son story set in glorious Tuscany about bohemian London artist Robert (Liam Neeson), who returns to Italy with his estranged son Jack (Micheál Richardson) to make a quick sale of the house they inherited from his late wife. Neither expects to find the once beautiful villa in such a state of disrepair… Renovations go badly, with father and son soon finding themselves at odds. Robert’s comical lack of DIY experience leads him to seek help from some colourful locals including the no nonsense Kate (Lindsay Duncan), an ex-pat now making her living selling villas who quickly captures his attention. Made in Italy is written and directed by English actor / filmmaker James D'Arcy, making his feature directorial debut after one short previously. Produced by Pippa Cross, Sam Tipper-Hale, Alessandro Mascheroni, David Campos Pavoncelli. This hasn't premiered at any film festivals or elsewhere. IFC Films will release D'Arcy's Made in Italy in drive-ins / theaters + on VOD starting August 7th later this summer.

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Let's Drink! Full Trailer for 'Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets' Dive Bar Film

"What kind of a party is it, if an Australian guy doesn't take his pants off?" Utopia has released the full-length official trailer for a documentary film called Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets, the latest feature from the Ross Brothers. This premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and stopped by the Berlin Film Festival earlier this year. The sort-of-faux documentary follows customers and staff at a dive bar in Las Vegas known as the "Roaring 20s" on their very last day in business. But it's not exactly that. The filmmakers brought the same customers and staff to another bar in New Orleans to film this, and asked them to act like themselves in the same way they did for real in the real bar. "Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets is a mosaic of disparate lives, teetering between dignity and debauchery, reckoning with the past as they face an uncertain future, and singing as their ship goes down." With the help of some alcohol. The first teaser trailer is a bit more creative than this trailer, but this still provides a good look at what this dive bar film offers: lots of drunken banter.

Here's the full official trailer for the Ross Brothers' doc Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets, from YouTube:

You can still watch the teaser trailer for Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets here, to see the original reveal again.

In the shadows of the bright lights of Las Vegas, it's last call for a beloved dive bar known as the Roaring 20s. That's the premise, at least; the reality is as unreal as the world their regulars are escaping from. Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets is a mosaic of disparate lives, teetering between dignity and debauchery, reckoning with the past as they face an uncertain future, and singing as their ship goes down. Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets is directed by American cinematographers / filmmakers Bill Ross & Turner Ross, aka the Ross Brothers, of the docs 45365, Tchoupitoulas, Western, and Contemporary Color previously. This first premiered at the Sundance & Berlin Film Festivals earlier this year. Utopia will release the Ross Bros' Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets into "virtual cinemas" starting July 10th. In addition to special one-day only virtual screenings of the film on "National Dive Bar Day" on July 7th. For more info, visit this website.

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New Trailer for Restored Re-Release of Zhang Yimou's 'Shanghai Triad'

"This is Shanghai. There are hidden rules in everything you do and say." Film Movement has unveiled a new trailer for the restored re-release of Zhang Yimou's Shanghai Triad, celebrating 25 years since its original release in 1995. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 1995, then opened in US cinemas in December that year. It won a special prize for Best Cinematography in Cannes, then went on to earn an Oscar nomination also for Best Cinematography. In the film, a provincial boy related to a Shanghai crime family is recruited by his uncle into Shanghai in the 1930s to be a servant to a ganglord's mistress. Over the course of seven days, he observes mounting tensions as triad boss Tang begins to suspect traitors amongst his ranks. Shanghai Triad is described as "a thrilling and sumptuously stylized potboiler about the Chinese criminal underworld of the 1930s from legendary director Zhang Yimou." Starring Gong Li, Baotian Li, Wang Xiaoxiao, Li Xuejian, and Sun Chun. This is the perfect time to catch this if you've never seen it.

Here's the official re-release trailer (+ posters) for Zhang Yimou's Shanghai Triad, direct from YouTube:

Hired to be a servant to pampered nightclub singer and mob moll Xiao Jinbao (Gong Li), naive teenager Shuisheng (Wang Xiaoxiao) is thrust into the glamorous and deadly 1930s demimonde of Shanghai's crime syndicates. Over the course of seven days, Shuisheng observes mounting tensions as triad boss Tang begins to suspect traitors amongst his ranks and rivals for Xiao Jinbao's affections. Zhang's inventive take on the gangster film is "assured and attention-grabbing" and Gong's central performance, "a portrait of a capricious and indulgent woman who gains depth as we watch her -- is one of her finest". Shanghai Triad, also known as Shanghai Serenade or "Yao a yao, yao dao wai po qiao", is directed by Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yimou, who directed the films Red Sorghum, Codename Cougar, Ju Dou, Raise the Red Lantern, The Story of Qiu Ju, and To Live before making this. The screenplay is by Bi Feiyu, based on the novel by Xiao Li. This first premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 1995. Film Movement is showing the restored re-release of Shanghai Triad in "virtual cinemas" starting on June 26th. For more details, visit their website.

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Watch: Fascinating Short Doc Asks 'Who The F*ck Is Jeffrey Gurian?'

"I didn't feel like I would ever accomplish anything." Who the heck is this guy?! Watch this short doc and find out! Who The F*ck Is Jeffrey Gurian? is a fascinating short film about a guy named Jeff Gurian - a fixture in the comedy world for the last 40 years. "From Dangerfield to Burle to Dice, Jeffrey has written for them. He has made films, written multiple books… He accomplished all of this while also running his own cosmetic dentistry practice. The contradiction of his two professions drew attention from almost every news station in New York and he was featured in the New York Times as well. While he has since retired from his dental practice, he is still very much in the comedy world pursuing his childhood dream of being a famous comedian." There's some kooky animated sequences in this visualizing moments in his life, and he tells so many other crazy stories. Wow to all of this. It's a bit tragic but also enlightening, a genuinely wild life story.

Thanks to Short of the Week for the tip on this. Description from YouTube: "Meet Jeffrey Gurian: a fixture in the comedy world for the last 40 years who has simultaneously pursued fame while also maintaining a cosmetic dental practice." Who The F*ck Is Jeffrey Gurian? is directed by up-and-coming filmmaker Derek Brown - he also produced, edited, and shot this short film, too. He directed the feature Nore Davis: You Guys Are Dope in 2018 previously, and works as a cinematographer as well. Featuring original music by Alex Collier & Lincoln Lute. "From the moment I met Jeffrey, I knew he'd be an interesting character to make a film about… Despite his long history in the comedy world having known and worked with everyone from Dangerfield to Dice to Lewis to Williams, I saw that at his core he still just wants to be accepted and respected in his community." For more info, visit SOTW or YouTube. For more shorts, click here. Thoughts?

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Trailer for 'Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado' Doc

"Love is the essence of everything." Netflix has unveiled the official trailer for a documentary feature titled Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado, the latest project by doc filmmakers Cristina Costantini & Kareem Tabsch. This premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, and it will be streaming on Netflix in July. Sundance explains: "Extravagant Puerto Rican astrologer, psychic, and gender nonconforming legend Walter Mercado charmed the world for over 30 years with televised horoscopes. Equal parts Oprah, Liberace, and Mr. Rogers, Walter was a celebrated daily part of Latin culture—until one day in 2007 he mysteriously disappeared. Over a decade later, the filmmakers find Walter and invite us into his home and interior world as he prepares to restore his legacy in the public eye." It examines his "complex story from the rural sugarcane fields of Puerto Rico to international astrology superstardom, rising above homophobia and the heteronormative beliefs of Latin society with a message of love and hope." Check it out.

Official trailer for Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado, from Netflix's YouTube:

Every day for decades, extravagant Puerto Rican astrologer, psychic, and gender nonconforming legend Walter Mercado charmed the world with his televised horoscopes. Equal parts Oprah, Liberace, and Mr. Rogers, Walter reached over 120 million viewers at his peak, enthralling the Latin world with sequined capes, opulent jewelry and horoscopes that shared a message of love and hope to his devoted viewers. Then, he mysteriously disappeared. Over a decade later award-winning directors Cristina Costantini and Kareem Tabsch and producer Alex Fumero capture Walter’s final two years, when the pioneering icon grappled with aging and also his legacy, and prepared for one last star-studded spectacle. Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado is co-directed by doc producers / filmmakers Cristina Costantini (Science Fair) & Kareem Tabsch (The Last Resort), working together for their first time. This premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, and also played at the True/False Film Festival. Netflix will debut the Mucho Mucho Amor doc streaming exclusively starting on July 8th this summer. Who's curious?

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Photographer Doc 'Elliott Erwitt: Silence Sounds Good' Official Trailer

"Success is freedom to do what you feel like doing at the moment." Cargo has debuted an official trailer for a photography documentary titled Elliott Erwitt: Silence Sounds Good, marking the directorial debut of filmmaker Adriana Lopez Sanfeliu. The 62-minute medium length film is a documentary about legendary Magnum photographer Elliott Erwitt, who is now 91 years old and still shooting. "Charming and engaging, with a youthful curiosity well into his 80s, Elliott Erwitt has always let his photos speak for themselves. His images of presidents, popes, celebrities and everyday folks span over six decades and multiple countries. Narrated by his assistant, this film takes us inside his extensive photo archives and along with Elliott as he travels to Cuba to take photos for his newest book and exhibition." I always enjoy good docu films about photographers, there seem to be more and more every year. This one debuts in "virtual cinemas" very soon.

Official trailer (+ poster) for Sanfeliu's doc Elliott Erwitt: Silence Sounds Good, direct from Vimeo:

And here's two additional videos with photographer Elliott Erwitt, both featuring interviews with him:

Photographer Elliott Erwitt has joked that he's been around so long, most editors think he's dead. The 91-year-old Magnum maestro has made iconic images of the Civil Rights movement, the Cuban Revolution, not to mention celebrities (he frequently shot Marilyn Monroe), and dogs. Silence Sounds Good finds the laconic visual legend very much alive and snapping as he travels back to Cuba for the first time since his iconic Newsweek photos of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara in a funny and humanistic portrait of one of the greatest living photographers. Elliott Erwitt: Silence Sounds Good is directed by first-time filmmaker Adriana Lopez Sanfeliu, making her feature directorial debut with this film. Cargo will release Elliott Erwitt: Silence Sounds Good as a double feature with JR's One Thousand Stories: The Making of a Mural, debuting in "virtual cinemas" nationwide (including ICP) starting on July 3rd this summer. For more info on Elliott & to see his work, visit Magnum Photos. For more on the film, visit Cargo. Who wants to watch?

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First Trailer for French Coming-of-Age Romance Film 'Spring Blossom'

"Boys your age can be dumb." But they're always dumb! Luxbox has unveiled the first promo trailer for a French coming-of-age sexual awakening romance titled Spring Blossom, marking the feature directorial debut of filmmaker Suzanne Lindon. She is the daughter of French actor Vincent Lindon, and this is her first film and first directing gig. She also stars in Spring Blossom (aka Seize Printemps) as a 16-year-old girl who is bored with her own age group, unable to connect with those around her. She becomes obsessed and sexually involved with an older man, an actor, at a theater she passes by. This also stars Arnaud Valois as Raphaël, plus Frédéric Pierrot, Dominique Besnehard, Rebecca Marder, Philippe Uchan, and Françoise Widhoff. This is so very French: the entire concept of young & old love, figuring out what love and sex means, building your life around romance. Originally supposed to premiere at Cannes this summer.

Here's the first promo trailer for Suzanne Lindon's Spring Blossom, direct from Luxbox's YouTube:

Suzanne (Suzanne Lindon) is sixteen. She is bored with people her age. Every day to go to high school, she walks past a theater. There she meets a man older than her who becomes her obsession. Thanks to their age difference, they think they are no longer bored together and fall in love. But Suzanne feels that she risks missing out on her life, that of her sixteen years that she had such a hard time living like the others. Spring Blossom, originally known as Seize Printemps in French, is both written and directed by first-time filmmaker Suzanne Lindon, making her directorial debut with this film. She is the daughter of renowned French actor Vincent Lindon. This was chosen as an official selection at the 2020 Cannes Film Festival this year, but will actually have its official premiere at the Toronto Film Festival this fall. It's currently scheduled to open in theaters in France in December. No other international release dates are set yet. Who's curious?

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Jennifer Hudson is Aretha Franklin in Real Teaser Trailer for 'Respect'

"I'd like you to call me Miss Franklin." MGM has debuted an official teaser trailer for Respect about the life of legendary singer Aretha Franklin. The film stars Jennifer Hudson as the singer, and it aims to tell her entire life story - from her start as a child singing in her father's church's choir to her superstar fame performing around the world. This was scheduled to open in October, but has been delayed until December - opening on Christmas Day in limited theaters. They're definitely hoping for awards buzz with this one. The cast includes Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Audra McDonald, Marc Maron, Tituss Burgess, Saycon Sengbloh, Hailey Kilgore, Skye Dakota Turner, Tate Donovan, and Mary J. Blige. This teaser contains some bits and pieces of actual footage, in addition to the big "R-E-S-P-E-C-T" centerpiece musical number seen in the first look teaser last year. So far, so good! This looks quite magnificent already.

Here's the real teaser trailer for (+ poster) for Liesl Tommy's Respect, direct from MGM's YouTube:

You can also watch the first look reveal for Tommy's Respect here, to view the original reveal teaser.

The film follows the rise of Aretha Franklin's (Jennifer Hudson) career from a child singing in her father's church's choir to her international superstardom, Respect is the remarkable true story of the music icon's journey to find her voice. Respect is directed by South African theater director / filmmaker Liesl Tommy, making her feature directorial debut after other TV work previously. The screenplay is written by Tracey Scott Wilson. It's produced by Scott Bernstein and Harvey Mason Jr. Originally planned to open in October. MGM will now release Tommy's Respect in select US theaters starting on December 25th at the end of this year; expanding to wide release on January 8th, 2021 after the New Year. Who's ready to watch already?

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Full Trailer for Sexual Awakening Comedy 'Yes, God, Yes' with Natalia Dyer

"His spirit moved each of you to sign up for this retreat." Vertical Entertainment has released a second, full-length trailer for the coming-of-age, sexual awakening comedy called Yes, God, Yes, which originally premiered at the SXSW Film Festival last year. This semi-autobiographical film is described as "a fresh, fun look at what solo explorations of sexuality can look like for a girl in the Midwest." Alice, a devout Catholic teen in the early 2000s, discovers her sexuality and the pleasures of masturbation, and struggles to suppress her new urges in the face of eternal damnation. Starring Natalia Dyer (from "Stranger Things") as Alice, joined by Timothy Simons, Susan Blackwell, Alisha Boe, Donna Lynne Champlin, plus Wolfgang Novogratz. Out of all the indie sex comedies coming up this year, this looks like the best one. Kinky and smart, and also a fun guide for rejecting the ridiculousness of religion. This might actually be worth a watch.

Here's the second official trailer for Karen Maine's Yes, God, Yes, direct from Vertical's YouTube:

You can still watch the first teaser trailer for Maine's Yes, God, Yes here, to catch the first look again.

In the Midwest in the early 00s, 16-year-old Alice (Natalia Dyer) has always been a good Catholic girl. But when an AOL chat turns racy, she discovers masturbation and becomes guilt-ridden. Seeking redemption, she attends a mysterious religious retreat to try and suppress her urges, but it isn't easy, especially after a cute boy (Wolfgang Novogratz) starts flirting with her. Alice's sense of shame is spiraling when she uncovers a shocking truth about the retreat's most devout. Desperate and confused, she flees and meets an unlikely ally (Susan Blackwell) who offers an alternative view of what it means to be good. For the first time, Alice realizes she can decide for herself what to believe and finally gets the release she needs. Yes, God, Yes is written & directed by filmmaker Karen Maine, making her feature directorial debut adapting her own short; she also co-wrote the screenplay for Obvious Child. This first premiered at the SXSW Film Festival last year. Vertical will release Yes, God, Yes direct-to-DVD / VOD starting July 24th this summer.

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What’s New to Stream on Netflix for July 2020, and What’s Leaving

Some people spend their days arguing over the merits of Netflix, but the rest of us are too busy enjoying new movies, engaging series, and fun specials. It’s just one more way to re-watch the movies we already love and find new ones to cherish, and this month sees some of both hitting the service.

The complete list of movies and shows hitting (and leaving) Netflix this month — July 2020 — is below, but first I’m going to highlight a few that stand apart from the bunch.

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Netflix Pick of the Month

Charlize Theron, Matthias Schoenaerts, and Chiwetel Ejiofor headline a movie about immortal mercenaries pledged to do good for humanity even as they grow tired of seeing humanity continue to display epic cruelties upon each other. I’m under embargo as I write this so I can’t offer an opinion — on my pick of the month — so I’ll only add that it’s directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (Beyond the Lights, 2014). The Old Guard premieres on July 10th.

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The Oldest Movies of the Month

One of the beefs that still get dropped on Netflix’s doorstep is their severe lack of older films — you can usually count on two hands the number of available movies made before 1980 — and it’s a legit gripe. For that reason, I like to highlight when they add “older” films to the service. Three movies from the 70s are arriving for July at the start of the month. First up is Fiddler on the Roof (1971) featuring singing, dancing, and Topol. Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets (1973) was his third narrative feature, but for many it’s the first of his films that fully feels like a “Scorsese film.” A Bridge Too Far (1977), meanwhile, is a World War II epic from Richard Attenborough featuring one hell of a cast including James Caan, Michael Caine, Sean Connery, Elliott Gould, Gene Hackman, Anthony Hopkins, Ryan O’Neal, and more familiar faces.

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A Series Based on the Life of Meg Shields

“After waking up in a morgue, an orphaned teen discovers she now possesses superpowers as the chosen Halo-Bearer for a secret sect of demon-hunting nuns.” Come on, how do we not get excited about that premise? Our own Meg Shields doesn’t like to talk about it, but if you catch her on the right day, she’ll regale you with stories about her previous career fighting evil in the name of the Lord. Which lord exactly was always unclear, but still, great stories. Warrior Nun arrives on July 2nd.

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Get Your Action Fix!

Sometimes you want some glorious but dumb as rocks action, and Swordfish (2001) can scratch that itch. Other times you want more character development, and Ben Affleck has you back with his fantastic sophomore effort as director, The Town (2010). And sometimes, just sometimes, you want the concluding chapter in a reliably great action franchise, and to that end Donnie Yen, Scott Adkins, and Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019) will be punching their way into your heart starting July 21st.

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The Complete List

July 1st
#Anne Frank – Parallel Stories (2019)
Abby Hatcher: Season 1
Airplane! (1980)
Ali (2001)
The Art of War (2000)
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)
A Bridge Too Far (1977)
Charlotte’s Web (2006)
Chico Bon Bon: Monkey with a Tool Belt: Season 2 — NETFLIX FAMILY
Clash of the Titans (1981)
Cleo & Cuquin: Season 2
Cloud Atlas (2012)
David Foster: Off the Record (2019)
Deadwind: Season 2 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Definitely, Maybe (2008)
Delta Farce (2007)
The Devil’s Advocate (1997)
Donnie Brasco (1997)
Double Jeopardy (1999)
The F**k-It List (2019)
Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
The Firm (1993)
Frida (2002)
I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (2007)
The Karate Kid (1984)
The Karate Kid Part II (1986)
The Karate Kid Part III (1989)
Killing Hasselhoff (2017)
Kingdom: Season 1-3
Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)
Mean Streets (1973)
Million Dollar Baby (2004)
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
Paranormal Activity (2007)
Patriots Day (2016)
Poltergeist (1982 or 2015?)
Quest for Camelot (1998)
Red Riding Hood (2011)
Say I Do — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Schindler’s List (1993)
Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Spaceballs (1987)
Splice (2009)
Stand and Deliver (1988)
Stardust (2007)
Starsky & Hutch (2004)
Sucker Punch (2011)
Swordfish (2001)
A Thousand Words (2012)
A Touch of Green: Season 1
The Town (2010)
The Witches (1990)
This Christmas (2007)
Total Recall (1990)
Trotro (2004)
Under the Riccione Sun — NETFLIX FILM
Unsolved Mysteries — NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY
A Walk to Remember (2002)
Winchester (2018)

July 2nd
Thiago Ventura: POKAS — NETFLIX COMEDY SPECIAL
Warrior Nun — NETFLIX ORIGINAL

July 3rd
The Baby-Sitters Club — NETFLIX FAMILY
Cable Girls: Final Season: Part 2 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Desperados — NETFLIX FILM
JU-ON: Origins — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Southern Survival — NETFLIX ORIGINAL

July 5th
Only (2019)

July 6th
A Kid from Coney Island (2019)

July 7th
Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax (2012)

July 8th
The Long Dumb Road (2018)
Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado — NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY
Stateless — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Was It Love? — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Yu-Gi-Oh!: Season 1

July 9th
Japan Sinks: 2020 — NETFLIX ANIME
The Protector: Season 4 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL

July 10th
The Claudia Kishi Club — NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY
Down to Earth with Zac Efron — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants in Space — NETFLIX FAMILY
Hello Ninja: Season 3 — NETFLIX FAMILY
O Crush Perfeito (Dating Around: Brazil) — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Old Guard — NETFLIX FILM
The Twelve — NETFLIX ORIGINAL

July 14th
The Business of Drugs — NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY
On est ensemble (We Are One) — NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY
Urzila Carlson: Overqualified Loser — NETFLIX COMEDY SPECIAL

July 15th
Dark Desire — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Gli Infedeli (The Players) — NETFLIX FILM
Skin Decision: Before and After — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Sunny Bunnies: Season 1-2

July 16th
Fatal Affair — NETFLIX FILM
Indian Matchmaking — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
MILF — NETFLIX FILM
Pride & Prejudice (2005)

July 17th
Boca a Boca (Kissing Game) — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Cursed — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Funan (2018)

July 18th
Gigantosaurus: Season 1
The Notebook (2004)

July 19th
The Last Dance (2020)

July 20th
Ashley Garcia: Genius in Love — NETFLIX FAMILY

July 21st
How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast): Season 2 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019)
Jack Whitehall: I’m Only Joking — NETFLIX COMEDY SPECIAL
Street Food: Latin America — NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY

July 22nd
61
Fear City: New York vs The Mafia — NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY
Love on the Spectrum — NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY
Norsemen: Season 3 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Signs — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Spotlight (2015)

July 23rd
The Larva Island Movie — NETFLIX FAMILY

July 24th
¡A cantar! (Sing On! Spain) — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Animal Crackers — NETFLIX FILM
Dragons: Rescue Riders: Secrets of the Songwing — NETFLIX FAMILY
In the Dark: Season 2
The Kissing Booth 2 — NETFLIX FILM
Ofrenda a la tormenta — NETFLIX FILM

July 26th
Banana Split (2018)
Shameless (U.S.): Shameless: Season 10

July 28th
Jeopardy!: Collection 6
Last Chance U: Laney — NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY

July 29th
The Hater — NETFLIX FILM
Inside the World’s Toughest Prisons: Season 4 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL

July 30th
Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie
Transformers: War For Cybertron Trilogy — NETFLIX ANIME

July 31st
Get Even — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Latte and the Magic Waterstone — NETFLIX FAMILY
Seriously Single — NETFLIX FILM
The Speed Cubers — NETFLIX DOCUMENTARY
Sugar Rush: Extra Sweet — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Umbrella Academy: Season 2 — NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Vis a vis: El Oasis (Locked Up) — NETFLIX ORIGINAL

What’s Leaving?

Leaving 7/4/20
Blue Valentine

Leaving 7/5/20
The Fosters: Season 1-5
The Iron Lady

Leaving 7/8/20
Solo: A Star Wars Story

Leaving 7/9/20
47 Metres Down

Leaving 7/11/20
A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III
The Adderall Diaries
Enemy
Ginger & Rosa
Locke
The Spectacular Now
Under the Skin

Leaving 7/12/20
Kevin Hart: Let Me Explain

Leaving 7/15/20
Forks Over Knives

Leaving 7/18/20
A Most Violent Year
Laggies
Life After Beth
Obvious Child
Room
Tusk

Leaving 7/21/20
Bolt
Inglourious Basterds

Leaving 7/25/20
Dark Places
Ex Machina
Mississippi Grind

Leaving 7/26/20
Country Strong

Leaving 7/28/20
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Her

Leaving 7/29/20
The Incredibles 2

Leaving 7/31/20
Back to the Future
Back to the Future Part II
Back to the Future Part III
Can’t Hardly Wait
Casper
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Chernobyl Diaries
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Freedom Writers
Godzilla
Guess Who
Hancock
Hitch
Jarhead
Jarhead 2: Field of Fire
Jarhead 3: The Siege
Open Season
QB1: Beyond the Lights: Season 1
Resident Evil: Extinction
Romeo Must Die
Salt
Scary Movie 2
Searching for Sugar Man
Sex and the City 2
Stuart Little
The Edge of Seventeen
The Interview
The Pianist
The Pursuit of Happyness
Twister
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

Follow all of our monthly streaming guides.

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How Wendy Carlos Created Iconic Scores With The Moog Synthesizer

Welcome to The Queue — your daily distraction of curated video content sourced from across the web.

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Wendy Carlos is a pioneer in the world of synthesizers, a trailblazing LGBTQ icon, and one of the most important figures in the history of electronic music. Her first studio album Switched-On Bach (performed entirely on the newly commercially available Moog synthesizer, which she helped invent) went platinum and won three Grammys.

If the name Wendy Carlos is not familiar, her work almost certainly is. After the success of Switched-On Bach, Stanley Kubrick invited Carlos to score A Clockwork Orange. Incidentally, before she knew Kubrick was planning to direct an adaptation, Carlos had already composed a piece based on her impression of Anthony Burgess’ novel. She would later describe the project as “a pleasurable venture” and work again with Kubrick on the score for The Shining. Carlos also provided the original score for Disney’s Tron, the first collaboration between Carlos and her partner Annemarie Franklin.

The influence of her sound overshadows her public self, which may very well be of Carlos’ own design. So it is something of a treat to see footage of Carlos in her element. In the following BBC Two interview Carlos, accompanied by her two cats, operates an original Moog synth and explains how she uses analog synths to create electronic dupes of real instruments.

You can watch the interview with Wendy Carlos on the BBC Archive, or below, here:

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Who made this?

Wendy Carlos was interviewed in her Greenwich Village studio by BBC Two program Horizon. The interview was originally broadcast on November 7th, 1989. You can check out Carlos’ official (and ridiculously detailed) website, here. And you can listen to some of her music on Spotify, here.

More Videos Like This

• Who is Robert Moog and what is the Moog Synthesizer? Here’s the goofy internet show To Tell The Truth with the answers
• Electronic musician Suzanne Ciani explains the basics of a synthesizer
• Here’s YouTuber and music theorist 12tone with a video breaking down “The Asymmetric Divisions of the Octave,” an article by Carlos that subversively proposes that the octave might not be that big a deal, actually
• The Listener’s Guide has a quick and thorough breakdown of Wendy Carlos’ career
• A 2014 video form Moog Music Inc. celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Moog Modular Synthesizer
• A discussion of Carlos’ score for The Shining 
• Here’s Glenn Gould presenting the Moog Synthesizer, an instrument pioneered, and popularized by Wendy Carlos

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Nero, Archie, and me: Preface to a new web essay

“Frame-Up for Murder” (“Murder Is No Joke”), Saturday Evening Post (21 June 1958).

DB here:

“It is impossible,to say which is the more interesting and admirable of the two.” Thus Jacques Barzun on Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin, the characters created by Rex Stout. I’d go farther. For me they are among the outstanding figures of American fiction, and Stout is one of the finest American writers of the twentieth century.

Wolfe and Archie are detectives, and Stout wrote mystery fiction. But that just goes to prove that genre work isn’t just good “of its kind.” It’s often good, period.

Stout started as a pulp novelist. He moved to what we now call literary fiction before pursuing a variety of more mainstream genres. He wrote quasi-experimental novels (one is told backward), comic romances, lost-world sagas, and a political thriller, The President Vanishes. (Stout admitted that Wellman’s film version was better than the book.) He introduced several other detective protagonists, but he wisely concentrated on Wolfe and Archie, whom he launched in 1934 and traced through dozens of adventures until his death in 1975.

Here is Stout with his wife Pola and daughter Barbara in 1935.

Are these stories still read? I hope so. When I quizzed the grad students in my seminar this spring, most seemed unaware of what for me–and, I think, other baby boomers–were major figures in popular culture. It’s partly because the ancillary media never did a good job spreading the word. The film Meet Nero Wolfe (1936) was weak, in keeping with the general failure of 1930s films to capture the strengths of supersleuths like Philo Vance and Ellery Queen. (Better were the Mr. Moto and Charlie Chan vehicles.) During the late 1990s, Bantam reprinted the books in quality paperback editions, with introductions by other writers (Westlake, Lippman et al.). There was a solid cable-TV series (A Nero Wolfe Mystery) back in the early 2000s, with a trying-a-bit-too-hard Timothy Hutton as Archie but a near-definitive Wolfe in the form of Maury Chaikin. But that’s all pretty far back now.

O well .  . . . If Perry Mason can come back, maybe Wolfe and Archie can too. And they won’t be scruffy and unshaven. Archie explains: “I was born neat.” So was his prose.

Today, I’m posting a long (22,000 words!) essay on Wolfe and Archie in an effort to show some reasons they and their creator matter. Background follows below.

 

Research? Say rather, obsession

Like most academics, I try to pour my obsessions into my research. My interest in mystery stories (fiction, film, even theatre and TV) is surfacing in my current project, a book studying principles of popular narrative as they emerge in thrillers and detective stories. In a way, the book turns inside out what I tried to do in Reinventing Hollywood. There I traced film techniques to sources in adjacent media. Now I’m looking directly at those media to consider their formal and stylistic strategies, with some consideration of how film shaped and was shaped by them.

My survey covers familiar ground. I consider the classic detective story (the so-called “Golden Age” of Christie, Sayers, Queen, Carr et al.), the hardboiled writers, the suspense thriller, and the crystallization of major techniques in the 1940s (a polemical point with me). Later chapters analyze the heist plot, the police procedural, and particular writers (e.g., Cornell Woolrich, Ed McBain, Richard Stark, Patricia Highsmith). As presently planned, the book ends with an odd-couple pair of chapters: the “puzzle film” trend of the 1990s, and the domestic thriller of recent years (Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train). Some chips from the workbench have littered this blog, as the links indicate.

One of my key questions is: What has enabled readers and viewers to welcome the sort of extreme complexity that we find in movies like Pulp Fiction or Memento? We’re all now connoisseurs of narrative intricacy, in not only crime plots but science-fiction and fantasy ones (which actually often rest on mysery premises; see Devs).

Another theme of the book is one I pitched in Reinventing Hollywood. I argued that very quickly “modernist” innovations in fictional technique were channeled into something more moderate and middlebrow. It’s there that wider audiences gained proficiency in handling flashbacks, ellipses, plunges into subjectivity, opaque exposition, and other challenges to linear storytelling. At the end of the 1920s, while Joyce and Woolf and Faulkner were pushing modernism into ever more recondite byways (Finnegans Wake, The Waves, The Sound and the Fury), other writers were adapting advanced techniques to traditional ends.

And traditional genres. I’ll argue that modernist experiments provided some strategies that mystery writers could recast within the bounds of their tradition. Stout’s first two serious novels, How Like a God (1929) and Seed on the Wind (1930) joined the trend toward mainstreaming modernism. By 1930 he had fully absorbed what the 1910s-1920s writers had achieved. What’s less obvious is the mark of modernist writing on his reader-friendly detective stories. Yet one lesson of modernism, I think, is the need to play with language, to “defamiliarize” literary texture. That, I think, is one of the tasks Stout took on in the Wolfe saga.

I had planned to include a chapter on the Wolfe/Archie series, but what resulted was far too long in comparison with its mates. So I’m posting it online as an essay. A shorter version will show up, somehow, in the finished book.

Luckily, thanks to the Internetz, the essay’s web incarnation can include some illustrations from magazine publication of the stories. Since most of the books’ drama takes place in Wolfe’s office, artists are challenged to find nifty ways to show people grouped around a desk.

I hope, then, that fans of the series will find some ideas and information of interest. Above all, I hope what I’ve said here and there will stimulate novices to venture on one of the great exercises in American popular storytelling. If you don’t care for it, all I have to say is: Pfui.

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There are many good websites devoted to mystery fiction. The most comprehensive is Mike Grost’s. You should also look into Martin Edwards’ fine blog Do You Write Under Your Own Name? See also the official Wolfe Pack site, full of links and assorted Stoutiana. John McAleer’s biography Rex Stout (Little, Brown, 1977) is vastly informative. Stout was not only a great writer but also a fascinating man.

Fer-de-Lance, serialized as “Point of Death” in American Magazine (November 1934).

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‘Irresistible’ Is a Flat Line In Search of a Point

You’d be hard-pressed to deny that Jon Stewart is capable of sharp, funny satire in service of a concerned, common sense, progressive agenda, and his time on The Daily Show and guest appearance on CNN’s Crossfire are all the evidence needed to shut down an argument to the contrary. That reality makes his latest endeavor all the more confusing as Irresistible points its gaze towards the American political process, but instead of barbed wit and incisive wisdom the film aims only for gentle nudges and the most obvious of criticisms of both sides.

Gary Zimmer (Steve Carell) is a Democratic strategist, who, like every single political pundit at the time, completely screws the pooch when it comes to predicting the presidential winner in 2016. Still reeling from the burn, he sees possible redemption when a viral video from Wisconsin is brought to his attention. In it, a retired Army colonel named Jack Hastings (Chris Cooper) makes an impassioned plea for better, more humane treatment of immigrants in his home town. Zimmer immediately sets out to groom Hastings for an upcoming mayoral election — he’s looking ahead to bigger races down the line — and starts seeing progress almost immediately. A hiccup arrives in the form of his Republican counterpart, Faith Brewster (Rose Byrne), who starts pumping GOP funds towards Hastings’s competitor leading to a battle that catches the nation’s attention. Who will win, and more importantly, will the town still be standing when the dust clears?

Irresistible is a lightweight and fairly flat comedy for much of its running time that only really perks up whenever Byrne appears on screen. Stewart’s script gifts her with some terrifically scathing banter, and Byrne’s delivery is fire guaranteed to melt fans even as it earns her new ones. Her performance aside, though, the jokes, interactions, and observations all feel safe and dated in their critiques of both the Right and the Left. This year’s The Hunt took a similar path at times, but at least it also went for the jugular (both metaphorically and literally). Jokes about Dems loving lattes share the screen with the (correct) suggestion that the NRA doesn’t want Black Americans on board their shoot ’em up train, and it continually feels like a recycling of punchlines from the past decade.

The cast is fine, although Carell should really consider taking a break from “meaningful” comedies and focus instead on finding some funny ones, but as mentioned, Byrne is the only real standout as her character is written in a go for broke way that’s missing from the rest. Seriously, the banter she initiates regarding an oral sex exchange is gold. That said, while she’s obviously “terrible” Stewart can’t help but ensure she’s also appealing. It works, to be sure, but it highlights one of the script’s biggest issues. We’re dealing with people’s inhumanity toward each each other, real life and death stuff, but the film goes out of its way to make it clear that no one here is bad or evil — at worst, Stewart suggests, the Republican voters are misguided victims of a giant soulless machine. He doubles down by having Zimmer and company declare that “We’re the good guys” before realizing that hey, maybe they’re just as misguided and immoral.

The problem there, one of many, is that excusing those on the Right who are actively working to endanger, threaten, and mute marginalized voices actually *are* bad people. Hilary Clinton was right to call out the deplorables, and that one statement is alone more honest and aggressive than the entirety of this film’s 101 minute running time. The Left is hardly filled with angels, but the film comes across as severely tone deaf four years into an administration that continually acts as a clear and present danger to Americans and America alike. Curiously, and tellingly, while it’s the plight of immigrants that draws Zimmer to “Rural America, Heartland USA,” those same immigrants are never seen again in the film as Stewart instead chooses to aim his sights on the games being played while the nation burns. Sure, Zimmer himself isn’t actually interested, but neither is the film.

As he did on CNN’s Crossfire, where he took both conservative and liberal pundits to task for turning everything into a shouting contest rather than working together to solve real problems, Stewart’s script makes its second ginormous blunder by burying its real target late into the film’s third act. Spoiler, he’s actually here to criticize this country’s political machine — from the billions of dollars spent each election cycle to the deceptive, manipulative, and ultimately empty practices employed by both parties in bald bids to win power. Brewster tells a straight-faced lie on live television, and Zimmer comments that “She said it, and now it’s the truth.” We all know how the media manipulates the willingly dense among us, but the film acts as if this is a revelation.

Irresistible goes out on a minor high note with some end credits shenanigans before Stewart dampens the mood with a clip featuring former Federal Election Commission chairman Trevor Potter talking about how the events of the film could legitimately happen due to current rules and our broken system. It’s a very real issue, but hiding it in the tail end of a lightweight comedy arguing that both sides are both good and bad lessens the film to mere fluff — Byrne ensures there are just enough laughs to make it fluff worth a watch if you have the time and nothing else to do, but coming from Stewart, a man who’s displayed real fury in his past observations, Irresistible is anything but.

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Short New Musical Trailer + Q&A for Pixar's Jazz-Infused 'Soul' Movie

"Music is life! You just need to know where to look." There's another lovely new 60-second promo trailer for Pixar's Soul to watch. It was debuted this weekend at the Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans - and a Zoom Q&A with the filmmakers from that event is also included below. Soul is about a jazz musician who has lost his passion for music is transported out of his body and must find his way back with the help of an infant soul learning about herself. Featuring the voices of Jamie Foxx as Joe Gardner, Tina Fey as "22", Daveed Diggs, Phylicia Rashad, and Ahmir-Khalib Thompson. This brief new trailer also features the song "Parting Ways", which was written, produced and performed by Cody Chesnutt. Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole worked as a cultural consultant on the film, and musician Jon Batiste wrote original jazz songs for it. The full-length trailer debuted in March earlier this year, and the new Pixar movie is now scheduled for release in November. This really looks like it's going to be the best ever, doesn't it? Can't wait to watch.

Here's the short new trailer (+ Zoom Q&A) for Pete Docter's Soul movie, direct from Pixar's YouTube:

You can still watch the early teaser trailer for Docter's Soul here, and the first full-length trailer here.

Pixar's Soul introduces Joe Gardner, a middle-school band teacher whose true passion is playing jazz. "I think Joe is having that crisis that all artists have," says Kemp Powers. "He's increasingly feeling like his lifelong dream of being a jazz musician is not going to pan out and he's asking himself 'Why am I here? What am I meant to be doing?' Joe personifies those questions." In the film, just when Joe thinks his dream might be in reach, a single unexpected step sends him to a fantastical place where he's is forced to think again about what it truly means to have soul. That's where he meets and ultimately teams up with 22, a soul who doesn't think life on Earth is all it's cracked up to be. Jamie Foxx lends his voice to Joe, while Tina Fey voices 22. Soul is directed by animation filmmaker Pete Docter (of Monsters Inc, Up, and Inside Out previously), and co-directed by filmmaker Kemp Powers (making his feature directorial debut after working as a writer for "Star Trek: Discovery"). The screenplay is co-written by Pete Docter, Mike Jones, and Kemp Powers. Produced by Dana Murray. Disney will release Pixar's Soul movie in theaters everywhere starting November 20th later this fall. Who's still looking forward to this? Follow @PixarSoul for more.

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Official Trailer for 'Gamemaster' Doc About the Board Game Industry

"The worst thing you can do as a game designer is fall in love with one of your designs… which [does] not work." Gravitas Ventures has unveiled an official trailer for a documentary titled Gamemaster, marking the feature directorial debut of Charles Mruz. If you haven't noticed, the board game industry is rocking these days - not only with tons of new games and innovative ideas, but more and more people are playing more and more games. Gamemaster is a deep dive into the world of the thriving board game industry and the creators behind popular games. Featuring interviews with Klaus Teuber (The Settlers of Catan), Matt Leacock (Pandemic), and Elan Lee (Exploding Kittens). This looks like an entertaining and amusing doc, telling the story of these new game designers and all of the people who love games more than anything else.

Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Charles Mruz's documentary Gamemaster, direct from YouTube:

Gamemaster dives into the world of the board game industry and hones in on five-game designers who have had big success or are trying to breakthrough. Talking heads include Klaus Teuber (The Settlers of Catan), Matt Leacock (Pandemic,) and Elan Lee (Exploding Kittens). Gamemaster is directed by gaming fan / filmmaker Charles Mruz, making his feature directorial debut with this film after producing a short and other production work previously. Produced by Jimmy Nguyen, Wally Schrass, Kristopher Wile, Jason Rose, and Jennifer Tocquigny. This hasn't premiered at festivals or elsewhere, as far as we know. Gravitas will release Mruz's Gamemaster doc direct-to-VOD starting on July 7th this summer. Who wants to play?

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‘The Ghost of Flight 401’ Never Takes Off

Welcome to 4:3 & Forgotten — a weekly column in which Rob Hunter and I get to look back at TV terrors that scared adults (and the kids they let watch) across the limited airwaves of the ’70s.

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There are countless supernatural movies that are based on “true” stories out there, but the eerie tale that inspired The Ghost of Flight 401 is quite intriguing. The year was 1973, and the captain of an Eastern Airlines flight from Newark to Miami was asked to check on a passenger who wasn’t supposed to be on the aircraft. He also happened to be an airplane captain who worked for the same airline, and he was dressed in full uniform when he was discovered on that flight. When the captain approached the other passenger captain, he found him staring into space and unable to respond to questions. It turned out that the passenger was Bob Loft, the captain who died on a flight from New York to Miami in December of 1972.

The crash — which happened in the Everglades — saw 101 passengers and crew members either die or suffer fatalities. At the time, the incident was the highest death toll for a single plane crash in United States history. Over the next year or so, the ghosts of Loft and flight engineer Don Repo were spotted on numerous flights, trying to communicate with the living. However, the employees who reported the spooky sightings were either sent to a psychologist or threatened with expulsion from their jobs.

Interestingly, though, all of the airplanes that had alleged ghost sightings just so happened to contain parts from the vessel that crashed in 1972. It’s not uncommon for salvageable parts from wrecked planes to be repurposed, but it is odd when they are possessed by ghosts. Talk about a chilling story, right? It’s understandable why they made a movie about it.

Where: NBC
When: February 18, 1978

Loosely based on John G. Fuller’s book of the same name — which provides a detailed account of the crash and the subsequent ghostly appearances — and directed by Steven Hilliard Stern, The Ghost of Flight 401 stars Ernest Borgnine as Dom Cimoli, the titular ghost who appears before the eyes of airline employees and passengers throughout the film. Borgnine’s character is essentially the film’s version of Repo, and like his real-life inspiration, this ghost spends most of his time absently gazing into the back of seats.

Viewers who enter The Ghost of Flight 401 looking for shivers and thrills might be disappointed. With the exception of names being changed for the sake of respecting the real victims, the film follows the same beats as the true story for the most part. Repo’s ghost was harmless according to the real accounts, which is good for those who supposedly encountered him back in the day. In the context of this movie, however, the spook in question is quite boring.

Borgnine is great during the scenes where his character is alive and kicking. The interactions he has with his wife and colleagues early on are upbeat and natural, and the actor is fun to watch during those scenes. Unfortunately, his talent is wasted when he’s acting the part of the vacant ghost. That’s the point of the movie, sure, but these moments make for some uneventful viewing as nothing really happens. You can’t fault the movie’s intention of trying to present the reported accounts as accurately as possible, but a film based on the character’s life would have been more interesting than his ghostly adventures.

The most interesting story in The Ghost of Flight 401 revolves around the conflict between the employees and airline management in regards to the ghost sightings. The powers-that-be want them to stay quiet because employees talking about supernatural nonsense is bad for business. There isn’t enough focus on this story to make it substantial, though, as the living characters spend the majority of the movie debating whether or not Dom’s ghost is real or not. It gets repetitive after a while.

That said, the film’s desire to tell a positive ghost story is admirable. Dom appears because his spirit still feels bound to his colleagues and family, and some viewers might find comfort in the thought of deceased loved ones watching over them. Personally, that idea freaks me out because who knows when the spirits will decide to keep an eye on you. Just imagine laying down with your lover and your grandfather’s ghost is in the room watching you both do the nasty, sporting a big smile on his face. There are no scenes like that in The Ghost of Flight 401, but there should be.

The performances are solid across the board, and there’s nothing wrong with the movie from a technical standpoint. Robert Malcolm Young’s script doesn’t contain enough flavor to offer the cast enough good material to sink their teeth into, and the story is too flat to recommend to viewers who crave excitement. The idea is much better than the execution here, so just read the book instead.

Turn the dial (okay fine just click here) for more 4:3 & Forgotten.

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