Meet a Passionate Animal Lover in 'For the Birds' Documentary Trailer

"I would die for them." Dogwoof has debuted an official trailer for the documentary For the Birds, which played at AFI Docs + the Sheffield Documentary Festival last year. The film is about a woman named Kathy, whose love for birds has changed her life – she lives with 200 pet chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys. The film begins by profiling her battle with local animal rescuers, but then shifts into focusing on her marriage to her husband Gary - and how her love for these birds has taken a toll on her marriage and her well-being. I'm a big, big fan of documentaries about animals and people who love them and care for them (also see: Buddy or The Biggest Little Farm), and this is right up my alley. Though I'm super nervous to see how this obsession has affected her so deeply, it looks a bit upsetting but still utterly compelling. Check it out below.

Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Richard Miron's doc For the Birds, direct from YouTube:

In Richard Miron's surprising and empathetic ​For the Birds​, we follow an unusual woman named Kathy who lives with 200 pet chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys. What starts as a story seemingly about Kathy's battle with the local animal advocacy groups slowly transforms into an intimate drama about her relationship with her husband Gary, and the toll the birds have taken on their marriage and her well-being. Filmed over the course of five years, this sensitive tale about one woman's world breaking down—poignant and absorbing in equal measure—is ultimately one of hope about the possibility of regaining one’s life. For the Birds is directed by documentary filmmaker Richard Miron, making his first full-length film after another short doc previously, and other work as a doc editor, too. This premiered at the Sheffield Documentary Festival last year, and also played at AFI Docs. Dogwoof will release Miron's For the Birds in select US theaters starting May 31st coming up. For more info, visit the official website. Who's interested?

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Watch: Clever Dark Comedy Short 'Wyrm' Needs You to Kiss Someone

"I like your black eye." A must watch short film - one of the best of the year so far. Wyrm is a short written and directed by Christopher Winterbauer, that originally premiered in 2017 and is now available online after playing on the festival circuit for a while. The nerdy-retro short is about a kid in school who must kiss someone in order to have his My.E.Q. Remote Monitoring collar removed. It's making fun of the feeling that you have to achieve some kind of romantic contact in order to progress in life. And while Winterbauer says Lanthimos's The Lobster was an inspiration, he did originally come up with the idea for this when he was 15 and afraid he was behind everyone else kissing a girl. Starring Reid Miller as Wyrm, with Azure Brandi, Skye Popov, Aidan Dorn Wallenstein, Davey Johnson. (And the voice of Bob Odenkirk.) There's some remarkably clever humor in this, plus the production design & everything else about it is outstanding.

Thanks to Short of the Week for the tip on this one. Originally premiered by Vimeo Staff Picks. Description: "Wyrm has two days to get his first kiss or he'll be held back as part of the school district's No Child Left Alone program, forced to wear his My.E.Q. Remote Monitoring collar through high school." Wyrm is written and directed by up-and-coming filmmaker Christopher Winterbauer, of a number of other short films as well. See more of his work on Vimeo. He's already working on a full-length feature version of Wyrm, which is now in post-production. This premiered at the San Diego Film Festival in 2017. Featuring cinematography by Heyjin Jun, and original music by David Boman. Winterbaum explains: "The Lobster was definitely an inspiration, but if Wyrm were to exist in a shared universe with said film, I'd worry we'd be The Phantom Menace to The Lobster's Empire Strikes Back." For more info, visit Vimeo. To watch more shorts, click here.

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First Trailer for Biopic Documentary 'Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am'

"Ultimately, I knew that words have power." Magnolia Pictures has unveiled an official trailer for an indie documentary titled Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am, an invigorating, inspiring biographic profile of the legendary African-American novelist, essayist, editor, and professor. This premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, and played at other festivals including at the Miami, Cleveland, Wisconsin, and Montclair Film Festivals this year. This documentary is described as an "artful and intimate meditation on the legendary storyteller" Toni Morrison that "examines her life, her works and the powerful themes she has confronted throughout her literary career." From this trailer the doc looks fantastic, with some powerful and fierce moments from Toni and from others who knew her and have been influenced by her. As Oprah says in here: "Morrison's work shows us through pain all the myriad ways we can come to love." See below.

Here's the official trailer for Greenfield-Sanders's doc Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am, from YouTube:

An artful and intimate meditation on the life and works of the acclaimed novelist. From her childhood in the steel town of Lorain, Ohio to ‘70s-era book tours with Muhammad Ali, from the front lines with Angela Davis to her own riverfront writing room, Toni Morrison leads an assembly of her peers, critics and colleagues on an exploration of race, America, history and the human condition as seen through the prism of her own literature. Inspired to write because no one took a "little black girl" seriously, Morrison reflects on her lifelong deconstruction of the master narrative. Woven together with a collection of art, history, literature and personality, the film includes discussions about her many critically acclaimed works, including novels "The Bluest Eye," "Sula" and "Song of Solomon," her role as an editor of iconic African-American literature, and also her time teaching at Princeton University. Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am is directed by photographer / filmmaker Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, of docs including The Black List, The Latino List, and The Out List previously. This premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. Magnolia will release the doc in select theaters starting June 21st. For more info, visit the official website.

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New US Trailer for 'Ophelia' Film Starring Daisy Ridley & Naomi Watts

"These are strange times in this castle." IFC Films has finally unveiled an official trailer for the indie drama Ophelia, a fantasy period piece drama based on Shakespeare's Hamlet. It's a re-imagining or retelling of the story from the perspective of Ophelia, Hamlet's secret lover who ends up killing herself in the original play. This premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2018, and an early promo trailer snuck out last year (but got pulled quickly), now they're finally opening it in theaters in June more than a year later. This film is just as imaginative and unique and has all the same intense drama in the play, but it's a big bloated mess that doesn't really work as well as it should. Ophelia stars Daisy Ridley, with an ensemble cast including Naomi Watts, George McKay, Clive Owen, Tom Felton, Daisy Head, Sebastian De Souza, Devon Terrell, Dominic Mafham, and Anna Rust. If you're still interested in catching this, give it a look below.

Here's the new official US trailer (+ poster) for Claire McCarthy's Ophelia, direct from IFC's YouTube:

Ophelia (adapted from the book by Lisa Klein) tells the story of the young girl (Daisy Ridley) who forms a forbidden love with Hamlet (George Mackay) as war brews on Elsinore Castle. A new re-imagining of Shakespeare's Hamlet, told from Ophelia's perspective. Ophelia is directed by Australian filmmaker Claire McCarthy, director of the films Cross Life, The Waiting City, a segment in The Turning, and a number of other short films previously. The screenplay is written by Semi Chellas; based on the book by Lisa Klein, obviously inspired by William Shakespeare's "Hamlet". This premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, and also played at the Moscow, Deauville, and British Film Festivals most recently. IFC will finally open McCarthy's Ophelia in select theaters on June 28th, then VOD July 3rd this summer. Still curious?

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Stephanie Simbari in Official Trailer for Adulthood Comedy 'Lady-Like'

"I just wanna get super weird today…" Signature Entertainment in the UK has debuted an official trailer for an indie coming-of-age comedy titled Lady-Like, from writer/director Brent Craft. This premiered at a film festival in 2017, and is just finally getting an official release this year - but only in the UK for now. It's another of these young woman must deal with becoming an adult comedies, starring Stephanie Simbari (from Coldwater, "We Got Issues", "Here and Now") as Allie. When a quick-witted but co-dependent college girl helps her best friend land a boyfriend, she's left on the outside looking in and is forced to deal with the realities of adulthood for the first time. The full cast includes Olivia Luccardi, Sarah Moliski, Corinne Mestemacher, Allie Gallerani, Chase Hemphill, Kera O'Bryon, and Maddie McGuire. Fun times.

Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Brent Craft's Lady-Like, direct from YouTube:

The riotous and witty Lady-Like follows Allie (Simbari), who is simultaneously a hilarious loudmouth and brilliant introvert, struggling to find her place at a prestigious university. Hindered by her inclination to simply throw on a pair of sweatpants, order take out, and watch Netflix, Allie effectively eludes the obstacles in her life-preferring gossip and humour to working hard and finding concrete solutions. However, when her best friend and social crutch, Kort, starts dating a transfer student, Allie's left to fend for herself; drinking, dating, and cursing her way into young womanhood with the tact and grace of a wrecking ball. Lady-Like is written & directed by first-time filmmaker Brent Craft, making his directorial debut. From a story by Matt Nemeth. This premiered at the Sunscreen Film Festival in 2017. Signature will release Craft's Lady-Like direct-to-VOD in the UK only starting June 3rd this summer. No US release yet.

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UK Trailer for 'Kind Hearts and Coronets' 70th Anniversary Re-Release

"It's clear that you are insane." Studiocanal UK has debuted a trailer for the 70th anniversary re-release of classic British film Kind Hearts and Coronets, which originally premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 1949. The film comes from the "Golden-Age of Ealing comedies", and is one of those amusing British crime comedies about Dukes and Duchesses and other royalty. A distant poor relative of the Duke of D'Ascoyne, named Louis Mazzini, plots to inherit the title by murdering the eight other heirs – all famously played by Alec Guinness – who stand ahead of him in the line of succession. Louis employs a variety of imaginative murder techniques in order to achieve his aim, and gradually his goal seems to be moving towards his grasp. The cast includes Dennis Price, Joan Greenwood, Valerie Hobson, and Audrey Fildes. The film has been restored in pristine 4K, and will be re-released to UK cinemas in June before arriving on home video.

Here's the new UK re-release trailer for Robert Hamer's Kind Hearts and Coronets, found on YouTube:

One of the Golden-Age Ealing comedies and a classic of British cinema, Kind Hearts and Coronets stars Dennis Price as Louis D'Ascoyne, the would-be Duke of Chalfront whose mother was disinherited by her noble family for marrying beneath her. When her dying wish to be buried in the family crypt is refused, Louis vows to avenge his mother whilst at the same time gaining himself the title of Duke, by engaging in the gentle art of murder, killing off one by one each of the eight successors to the title – all unforgettably played by Alec Guinness. Kind Hearts and Coronets is directed by British filmmaker Robert Hamer, also of It Always Rains on Sunday, The Spider and the Fly, To Paris with Love, The Scapegoat, and School for Scoundrels. It was originally released in the UK in 1949, and played at the Venice Film Festival that same year. Studiocanal UK will re-release the new restoration in select cinemas starting June 7th this summer, in addition to debuting a new box set "Collector's Edition" of the film later in June. Any fans of this classic?

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Crazy First Trailer for 'Sonic the Hedgehog' Live-Action Hybrid Movie

"Basically, it looks like I'm going to have to save your planet." Paramount has finally debuted the first full-length trailer for the live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movie, and it looks wild. Ben Schwartz stars as the voice of Sonic, the furry blue "hedgehog" who can run extremely fast and control electricity and do all kinds of wild things. Jim Carrey plays Dr. Robotnik, the nefarious evil scientist hellbent on capturing him for the government and using him for their means. Because, of course, that's always what they want. The cast includes James Marsden, Tika Sumpter, Neal McDonough, and Adam Pally. This looks pretty much exactly like you think it might, which is both good and bad. I don't even know what to think of this. Maybe it will be good fun? Maybe it will be a disaster? I'm not totally opposed to this, I'll admit that at least.

Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Jeff Fowler's Sonic the Hedgehog movie, from YouTube:

Sonic the Hedgehog is a live-action adventure comedy movie based on the global blockbuster videogame franchise from Sega that centers on the infamously brash bright blue hedgehog. The film follows the (mis)adventures of Sonic as he navigates the complexities of life on Earth with his newfound – human – best friend Tom Wachowski (James Marsden). Sonic and Tom join forces to try and stop the villainous Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) from capturing Sonic and using his immense powers for world domination. Sonic the Hedgehog is directed by filmmaker / VFX veteran Jeff Fowler, making his feature directorial debut after directing the short film Gopher Broke previously. The screenplay is credited to Patrick Casey, Josh Miller, and Oren Uziel; from a story by Van Robichaux and Evan Susser. And based on characters created by Naoto Ohshima and Hirokazu Yasuhara. Paramount will release the Sonic the Hedgehog movie in theaters everywhere starting on November 8th, 2019 in the fall. First impression? So who's down to watch this?

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Fun Trailer for Little Sister Indie Comedy 'Zilla and Zoe' Set in Portland

"It's a film that's bound to make your inner child smile." Perhaps? Indican Pictures has debuted an official trailer for an indie comedy titled Zilla and Zoe, which originally premiered at the Portland Film Festival in 2017. This amusing, heartfelt, fun comedy set in Portland is about a young 10-year-old girl named Zoe who is obsessed with gore and horror. To win the contest of her dreams and pursue a career in filmmaking, she will have to turn her sister's wedding into a horror film. Of course, it doesn't exactly go as planned. Or maybe it does? Aida Valentine stars as Zoe, with a cast including Sam Kamerman, Greg James, Kurt Conroyd, Mia Allen, Julie Elizabeth Knell, and Holden Goyette. It looks funny and endearing, and also very self-referential about a young filmmaker making a masterpiece film any way she can. Check it out.

Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Jessica Scalise's Zilla and Zoe, direct from Indican's YouTube:

The story of young Zoe (Aida Valentine), a 10-year-old obsessed with gore and horror. After aspirations to become a horror filmmaker end with Zoe in trouble at school, her father decides to put a stop to her gory escapades. Meanwhile, sister Zilla returns home with the unexpected news that she is marrying her college girlfriend. In an attempt to bring everyone together, Zoe will film the wedding. Unbeknownst to everyone else, young Zoe sees this as the opportunity she has been waiting for to make her horrific masterpiece. Zilla and Zoe is written and directed by American filmmaker Jessica Scalise, a Portland-based filmmaker making her feature directorial debut with this. This initially premiered at the Portland Film Festival in 2017. Indican Pictures will release Scalise's Zilla and Zoe in select theaters starting this spring. Who's interested?

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Game of Thrones: How ‘Hardhome’ Revealed The Great Threat

Before ‘Hardhome’ aired, the main question in Game of Thrones was who will end up on the Iron Throne. The White Walkers were just a deadly rumor lurking in the background of the series, losing any screen time to the drama in King’s Landing. However, this battle changed that. For the first time in the series, the audience gets to see a fight against the White Walkers. It brings into focus the idea that the true enemy was never a Lannister or a Baratheon. It was never a fight for a kingdom, but rather a fight for life itself.

Although Game of Thrones seems like a random collection of stories about the high born in Westeros, Hardhome shows how all the drama has been building to stopping the Night King (Richard Brake). Hardhome is our first look into the dead as a fighting force. Up until now, only shots of the ever-growing hoard of white walkers have been shown along with the aftermath of their march, like the offscreen fight at the Fist of the First Men. It begins as Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) and the Night’s Watch help evacuate the Wildlings, and then the White Walkers invade the camp at Hardhome.

The battle simplifies the conflict through two opposing colors: black and white. The Wildlings who run from the dead wear coats covered in white snow and the Game of Thrones ice zombies are literally called White Walkers. The men of the Night’s Watch wear black and the Wildings who fight alongside them have dark gray coats, such as Tourmund Giantsbane (Kristofer Hivju). The colors in the scene are used to show that there are only two sides in this fight. Those in black are the ones fighting for life, and those in white fight for death because avoiding the enemy does nothing to stop them.

Although Game of Thrones has its share of female warriors, the only group that embraces its women as equal fighters are the Wildlings. Since the women are featured as soldiers and commanders here, it gives a better idea that everyone is fighting. To expand on the metaphor, the Wildling commander Karsi (Birgitte Hjort Sørensen) is a mother. While men are shown as wannabe kings fighting for power, women are mothers fighting for the future through their children. This adds to the idea that the fight against the White Walkers is a fight for life.

Music is an essential part of storytelling, and the creators take advantage of it at Hardhome to show the lasting impact of this battle on the series. Rather than having one single piece for the battle, composer Ramin Djawadi divided the music into two separate pieces entitled “Hardhome Pt. 1” and “Hardhome Pt. 2”. The first piece is a mix of “Let’s Kill Some Crows,” the main theme, and “Three Blasts.” The initial attack from the White Walkers creates chaos among the Wildings trying to escape and the Night’s Watch trying to help, and it’s shown through their competing themes in “Hardhome Pt. 1.” By including the main theme as well, it lets the audience know the significance of this battle and the impact it will have on the entirety of the series.

The moment it all changes is when Jon slays a White Walker with his Valyrian sword, Longclaw, which cues in “Hardhome Pt. 2.” With the use of the “Warrior of Light” theme, it shows that this is the long night that the Lord of Light’s followers have been talking about. It begins to unify all the complex story-lines of Game of Thrones in this one battle, with different themes simplifying into a duet between the Night’s Watch and the White Walkers. The idea of only having two sides echoes what was shown with the colors with the Night’s Watch theme being the new soundtrack for those fighting for life.

Also, the battle highlights important moments for the series. For example, there’s the shot of the White Walker being framed with flames. This creates an image of the song of fire and ice, which is the title of the George R.R. Martin book saga on which the show is based. There are examples of foreshadowing in the battle too, such as part of the wall being knocked down by the dead and Jon being connected to the Lord of Light.

All of the characters who have wanted to sit on the Iron Throne believe that if they win the throne they will unite the seven kingdoms. However, the only instance of diametrically opposed enemies uniting over a common cause is at Hardhome when the Night’s Watch and the Wildlings fight for life side by side. And this fight shows how Valyrian steel, a weapon owned by each house in Westeros, can be used to kill White Walkers. Therefore, the only way for the kingdoms to unite and bring peace to Westeros is if they fight the dead together.

Although the fight at Hardhome could appear to be a loss for the living, it is actually a victory. If someone survives, then life prevails because death did not conquer all. The implications of this battle remain present through the rest of the battles directed by Miguel Sapochink, such as Battle of the Bastards and season eight’s battle at Winterfell. Hardhome introduces the final White Walker arc in the series, where the fight for life becomes way more important than sitting in a chair made of melted swords.

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Avengers Forever: Contemplating the MCU Post-Endgame

As much as Avengers: Endgame felt like a conclusion to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the film also opened many, many, many narrative possibilities for its characters. Sure, some actors are taking a break from the superhero game, but others will be much, much busier. If Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios continue to deliver films with satisfying and relatable character dynamics, there is no end in sight for their franchise machine. The Avengers are forever. So, let’s explore where Phase Three left its heroes and where they could go in the next eleven years.

↓Avengers: Endgame Spoilers Below↓

Iron Man

“I am Iron Man.” Tony Stark concludes his journey in the MCU by responding to Thanos’ arrogant proclamation of inevitability using his climactic defining moment from the first movie and putting a button on it with a snap of the Iron Gauntlet. The bad guys disappear, but the shock of cosmic energy caused by the clicking of fingers destroys Stark’s feeble human frame. He’s gone. Or is he?

In the comics, Stark recently died, spent a little time as an A.I. for Riri Williams’ Ironheart teen Avenger, and was resurrected as a clone. Hmmmm. I say, no. That will not be happening anytime in the MCU. If we’re ever to see Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark again, I think it’s most likely that it will be in the form of hologram messages a la his funeral scene in Avengers: Endgame. He seems like the type of guy who would record a whole mess load of those before attempting time travel.

Captain America

Witnessing Tony Stark finally accomplish the sacrifice play that once fueled his own morality, Steve Rogers decided that it was time to settle down and find a proper life outside of soldiering. As he similarly told his VA group during that post-Snap period of mourning, if he didn’t make the best of the time he was given than what was the point of all that they lost. He owes it to Stark to find happiness, and he did by breaking the rules they established before they mucked about and heisted the Infinity Stones. Does no one cry for Peggy’s original husband and children that were obliterated by this choice? Never meant to be, I guess.

Well, technically, we don’t know that Rogers married Peggy and lived happily ever after. He does not disclose all the details of that wedding ring to Sam Wilson when he inquires. We only know that the film ends on a reunion with Peggy, their dance, and their kiss.

Rogers hands the shield to Wilson and practically knights him as the new Captain America. Wilson tells Rogers that the shield feels like it belongs to somebody else. Rogers tells Wilson that it doesn’t. Stay tuned for the Disney+ spin-off program Falcon and Winter Soldier that will revolve around the emotional struggle Wilson has in filling the shoes of a man and a mantle he so greatly admired. Bucky will be his guide; his connection to Rogers and an emotional ally as well as a foe. Their friendly bickering experienced in Captain America: Civil War was merely a taste of what’s to come. By the end of this season of television, I imagine Sam Wilson will be fully prepared to don the Captain America costume for the next Avengers mission.

Black Widow

Natasha was another Avengers: Endgame sacrifice, but the one that hurt the most. Dammit, Hawkeye, it should have been you who splattered on the floor of those Vormir cliffs. Alas, Scarlett Johansson’s time with the MCU has come to an end. Wait, what? Isn’t there a Black Widow movie rising on the horizon?

Natasha’s death would seem to indicate that this new film will be a prequel of sorts. What works for Captain America and Captain Marvel should work for Black Widow. Except, when we watched those films we knew there was a future awaiting those characters. The idea of experiencing a prequel for Black Widow knowing that her destiny ends on a pile of rocks feels like a grim and painful cinematic endeavor. No thanks.

The casting of Florence Pugh could indicate a replacement Black Widow. Through flashbacks, we could see how Natasha was grooming a replacement on the occasion of her death. We could even see how the Winter Soldier ruined Natasha’s bikini body as alluded to in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, or maybe have a run-in with the villainous Ghost agent that plagued Ant-Man and The Wasp.

Personally, though, that’s too basic for my comic book tastes. I think the future of Black Widow could exist within…

The Asgardians of the Galaxy

Ok, hear me out. At the end of Avengers: Endgame, Thor sheds the pressure of royalty and decrees Valkyrie as the King of Asgard. Odinson has lost more than most characters in the MCU, and while he may have pulled himself out of his self-loathing Lebowski state, he still needs a great deal of healing. Thor will find new life amongst the Guardians of the Galaxy, and their first adventure could result in a resurrection of sorts for Natasha as well as Gamora.

When he’s not fending off Thor from the captain seat of the Benatar, Peter Quill is hunting for the time-displaced Gamora ripped from 2014 and brought to the battle of Avengers HQ. When Tony snapped the Iron Gauntlet, did she return to her time or did she wander off the battlefield to contemplate the insanity that brought her and Quill together in the first place? It doesn’t really matter; her appearance brought hope back to Quill and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will involve a Gamora-hunt.

We also saw at the end of Vol. 2 that the Sovereign queen Ayesha constructed a new unstoppable lifeform called Adam to accomplish her revenge against our loveable losers. In the comics, this is Adam Warlock, a one-time guardian of Soul World which we caught a glimpse of at the end of Avengers: Infinity War when Thanos snapped the Gauntlet eradicating half of sentient life. What he saw there was a child Gamora, her soul, asking him what this cosmic feast cost him. His response was “Everything.”

My theory is that the Asgardians of the Galaxy, in their hunt for Gamora, will encounter Adam Warlock. He will prove to be an adversary at first, but eventually, they will work together to penetrate Soul World and retrieve Gamora from its realm. While they are there, they could also encounter Natasha and bring her back too.

Ah, here’s the rub, the Black Widow film will certainly see the light of day before Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 does. Soul World may also just be too damn comic bookish for the MCU. Of course, I thought the same thing about Rocket Racoon once, and he’s sending out emails across the universe now. So, you never know. I’ll keep my fingers crossed.

Banner Hulk

He’s a pretty zen dude now that he’s merged the Bruce Banner and Hulk personalities. Professor Hulk feels like an end of sorts for him as well. If we never see him again, I’d be ok with that. There are other big brains in the MCU (Shuri, yes please, and thank you) that could fill his and Stark’s shoes. Let the big guy enjoy a retirement filled with selfies.

Spider-Man

Next month, Peter Parker closes out Phase Three of the MCU. Given the heroic tragedy of Avengers: Endgame, I’m really curious to see where his head is at during Spider-Man: Far From Home. He’s one of the lucky ones. Most of his friends were snapped when he was snapped. They get to pick up where they left off.

However, there is no Tony Stark to guide Parker along the way. As we see in the trailer, Happy Hogan will fill that role. When he’s not keeping Morgan H. Stark fed on hamburgers, Hogan will be worming his way into Aunt May’s love-life and making sure that Parker is sticking to the journey that Stark would have wanted. Meanwhile, Nick Fury is also there to groom him along with that Avenger lifestyle. The challenge for Parker will be determining who he wants to be with two dads carving a path for him. Stark would want Parker to be his own man.

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Game of Thrones: The Best Moments of ‘The Long Night’

So here we are. The Battle for the Dawn was won, and the Night King is officially no more. After all the squabbling over Azor Ahai and the Prince(ss) who was Promised, it ended up being Arya Stark who saved the Seven Kingdoms, taking out the Night King with the signature two-handed move she showed off last season dueling Brienne of Tarth. Overall, “The Long Night” proved to be a tumultuous journey, and while it definitely had its shortcomings (seriously, Jon, you’re going to scream at a dragon?), there were plenty of stellar moments in the longest-ever Game of Thrones episode. Here are the highlights.

Melisandre Lights Up the Dothraki Army

Okay, so turning the entire Dothraki army into cannon fodder in like five minutes is problematic on like five different levels when you consider the racial politics of the situation. That said, this scene was still badass. Yeah, maybe the nighttime setting of the battle made the action a little hard to follow at times, but sometimes the darkness paid off and this was definitely one of those times.

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So Much for the Light Brigade

After the awesome lighting ceremony and the epic cavalry charge, the “woah” quickly morphed to “oh NO” as the lights went out and then, after a tense silence, the dregs of the cavalry charge came fleeing back from the wight army. Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit.

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The Dragons Join the Fray

Back in season 7, the Battle of the Goldroad gave us a good taste of the epic content that a full-blown battle sequence featuring a dragon could be, but “The Long Night” dialed the dragon content up to 11, from Jon and Daenerys tag-teaming the wight frontlines to that dragon-vs.-dragon mid-air showdown. It does beg the question of why they didn’t send out the dragons to flambé the giant zombie army before they made it to Winterfell’s literal doorstep, but then again we are talking about the same strategic team who didn’t think of the possible incompatibility between fighting a guy who can reanimate the dead and hiding all the unarmed, vulnerable people in a crypt, so I guess they were at the very least consistent.

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We All Should Have Seen That Arya Moment Coming

Warning: the following contains spoilers for Game of Thrones season 8, episode 3, “The Long Night.”

In all the discussions leading up to “The Long Night,” the question of “who will kill the Night King?” was overwhelmingly considered in terms of aristocracy—i.e., who was born to do it by virtue of being the prophecized Prince(ss) that was Promised (PtwP) and/or Azor Ahai? But to quote book-Jorah, “prophecy is like a half-trained mule. It looks as though it might be useful, but the moment you trust in it, it kicks you in the head.” All us schmucks out there getting our Pepe Silvia on trying to figure out who the whole PwoP situation (and that also includes you, Melisandre) were doomed to fail, because, in the end, the Battle for the Dawn proved to be a meritocracy, and the person best trained to take out the Night King came out on top: Arya Stark.

Looking at social media in the direct aftermath of the big battle against the army of the dead, a lot of people felt like Arya’s achievement came out of nowhere—and not in a good way. But here’s the thing, dear reader: it did not come out of nowhere. Not at all.

Jon “I scream at zombie dragons” Snow turning out to be a massive red herring when it came to killing the Night King was admittedly a surprise. The whole resurrection thing in particular really seemed to point in the “ultimate hero against the battle against supernatural evil” direction, and he checked all the PtwP boxes pretty well. And Jon Snow’s plotline had crossed paths with the Night King’s more than any other character, which gave the impression that they were nemeses headed for an epic collision—at least, until the Night King turned his back on Jon Snow on the battlefield in the ultimate gesture of “you’re not even worth my time.” So yeah, there were a lot of neon signs pointing to Jon Snow being the one to stop the Night King pretty much from the moment the Night King was introduced, but misdirection is one of the most important storytelling tricks in the book, so that’s hardly something to riot over.

Once you get past prophecies and percieved foreshadowing, the simple fact of the matter is that Jon Snow has consistently had a whole lot on his plate besides preparing to kill the Night King. Look, he is an incredibly accomplished swordsman, of that there is no doubt. But ever since Jeor Mormont named him steward back in season one, Jon Snow has been forced to deal with this thing called “politics” that has required at least some of his attention at any given time ever since. He dealt with the King Beyond the Wall and the mutiny at Craster’s Keep, became Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch and then got killed by his own men (before being promptly resurrected), reclaimed Winterfell from the Boltons after Stannis’s army failed and got crowned King in the North in spite of expressing zero interest in the position. As of season 8, poor Jonny boy doesn’t even know what his actual name is anymore (Aejon?)—but he does know that his new lover is also his aunt, and that whole internal conflict is hardly helping the situation either. So, in sum, Jon’s had a lot of other stuff to distract him from prepping for the Night King, and also he’s in the middle of a major identity crisis at the moment, which is hardly conducive to peak battle performance.

While Jon dealt with a long series of complications, Arya honed her killing skills. Training with a blade has played a key role in her narrative journey since season one, but following her father’s beheading and especially in the aftermath of the Red Wedding, Arya’s plotline has revolved around killing. From Syrio Forrel, a former First Sword of Braavos, to Sandor Clegane, to surviving an internship with the most feared guild of assassins in the world—and defeating one of these assassins in single combat in pitch darkness (hint, hint), Arya might not have been preparing with the conscious goal of killing the Night King in mind, but she ended up being by far the most qualified for the task by the time push came to shove. She even previewed the fancy hand-work she used to kill him last season when she dueled Brienne of Tarth.

Since the end of the first season, Arya Stark has basically had two mottos: “anyone can be killed”—as she told Tywin goddamn Lannister to his face—and (“what do we say to the god of death?”) “not today.” Considering the wight army, and therefore its creator, the Night King, are literally death personified, as Gendry specifically described them to her just an episode prior, Arya taking out this most formidable enemy was not a baseless shock-value choice, but a well-developed twist that’s been a long time coming.

The post We All Should Have Seen That Arya Moment Coming appeared first on Film School Rejects.

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Emile Hirsch is Peel in Trailer for Quirky Coming-of-Age Drama 'Peel'

"I'm happy you're still alive." Sony Pictures has debuted an official trailer for an indie coming-of-age film titled simple Peel, from director Rafael Monserrate. This just premiered at the Santa Barbara Film Festival earlier this year, and is heading straight to VOD for release in May. Emile Hirsch stars as Peel, a sheltered boy who grew up within the confines of his childhood home. When his mother dies, he must venture out into the world alone and figure out how to survive, and how to find his family again. Peel's lack of cynicism and innocence has an inadvertent, yet powerful effect on those he meets, as he brings a group of marginalized misfits closer to their true home. Also starring Amy Brenneman, Jack Kesy, Shiloh Fernandez, Yaya DaCosta, and Jacob Vargas. Definitely looks a bit awkward yet amusing, but doesn't seem too promising.

Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Rafael Monserrate's Peel, direct from Sony's YouTube:

After his father takes his two brothers and leaves him, Peel (Emile Hirsch) is forced to grow up in a state of arrested development. Once his mother dies, he must forge his own path and move forward on his own, while attempting to find his lost brothers. Peel's child-like innocence and lack of cynicism has a healing quality on all the damaged characters he meets on his journey to rebuild his broken family. Peel is directed by producer / filmmaker Rafael Monserrate, director of the film The Dissection of Thanksgiving, as well as producing work on "Alone", "Ivory Wars", and "Bounty Wars". The screenplay is written by Lee Karaim, with additional material by Troy Hall. This premiered at the Santa Barbara Film Festival earlier this year. Sony Pictures will debut Monserrate's Peel direct-to-VOD starting May 7th coming up. Anyone interested?

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New Trailer for Re-Release of Early Internet Documentary 'Home Page'

"I really do live most on the 'net." Passion River is re-releasing the vintage tech documentary called Home Page, which originally premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 1999. The film never really got a release, but now 20 years later (in the midst of our current internet hysteria) they're re-releasing it for everyone to watch. Following one of the first and most notorious bloggers at the birth of the internet, Home Page shows us where our online navel gazing began and how it quickly led to where we are now. It profiles Justin Hall, who was described in 2004 as "the founding father of personal blogging", examining his early website The D-Word (which is now a site for documentaries) and the implications of the web years before the invention of modern social media. We're big documentary fans here at FS, and it's exciting to bring attention to a lost doc film that we probably should be thinking about more. Ebert was also a big fan of this doc. Dial in below.

Here's the new re-release trailer for Doug Block's documentary Home Page, found on Vimeo (via Kottke):

The year is 1996 and documentary filmmaker Doug Block, fascinated by this new thing called the internet, trains his wry, analytical lens on the burgeoning home page (i.e. blogging) phenomenon. He soon falls under the spell of 21-year old cyber superstar Justin Hall, whose (literally) bare-all online diary spares no details about friends, family, lovers and, inevitably, Block himself. When Hall goads the filmmaker into keeping his own online diary, the story takes an unexpectedly personal turn, with hilarious and deeply affecting results. Home Page is directed by American filmmaker Doug Block, who also directed the other docs The Heck with Hollywood!, 51 Birch Street, and The Kids Grow Up. This film originally premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in early 1999. It barely got any release after that, but will finally be available this year. Passion River Films already re-released Block's Home Page direct-to-VOD/DVD early this month - on April 16th. It's available to watch now on most digital outlets. For more info, visit the official website. Cool?

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‘Avengers: Endgame’ Made All the Money

Year after year, movies break box office records. Thanks mostly to the rise of ticket prices and inflation, domestic grosses will always be increasing. And yet, Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame has done so well in its opening weekend, that its achievements may never be topped. Some of the records will be broken again in the distant future because the value of money will be altered and eventually a $356 million domestic debut won’t be that rare. Nor will a $1.2 billion worldwide opening. But the attendance numbers, those will be hard to beat.

In just three days (plus Thursday previews), the series finale of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as we know it sold 39.4 million tickets in the US and Canada. That’s a new record, previously held by Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which opened in December 2015 to a crowd of 28.5 million. Last year’s Avengers: Infinity War came close with its first-weekend attendance of 27.5 million. The rest of the top 10 there includes three more MCU installments, two of which are Avengers movies, a non-MCU Marvel superhero franchise sequel, another Star Wars sequel, a Batman film, and Jurassic World.

No original movie will ever sell so many tickets, and there’s unlikely to be any other kind of franchise that has the sort of build up the MCU has. Star Wars concludes the “Skywalker Saga” this December, giving us another sort of finale to the original series narrative as well as the sequel trilogy begun with The Force Awakens. But while Star Wars: Rise of the Skywalker will surely draw an opening weekend crowd that puts it in the company of the aforementioned top 10 titles, but even diehard fans don’t feel a significance there the same way Endgame has had with not just Marvel fans but mainstream pop culture.

So, what could actually be fleeting with Endgame‘s status? Let’s first look at all the records the movie broke over these last few days that will eventually be broken:

– Best opening weekend domestic gross ($356 million)
– Best foreign opening gross ($859 million)
– Best worldwide opening gross ($1.2 billion)
– Best worldwide IMAX opening gross ($91.5 million)
– Best worldwide 3D opening gross ($540 million)
– Best opening day domestic gross ($156.7 million)
– Best Thursday night preview domestic gross ($60 million)
– Best single day domestic gross ($156.7 million)
– Best Friday domestic gross ($156.7 million)
– Best Saturday domestic gross ($109 million)
– Best Sunday domestic gross ($84.3 million)
– Fastest domestic grosser to: $100 million (1); $150 million (1); $200 million (2); $250 million (2); $300 million (3); $350 million (3)
– Fastest international grosser to: $1 billion (5)
– Widest release by theater count (4,662)
– Best wide-release per-screen average domestic gross ($75.1 million)
– Best opening day gross in China ($107.8 million)
– Best five-day opening weekend gross in China ($330.5 million)
– Best opening weekend gross in: Argentina; Australia; Brazil; Korea; Mexico; Spain; UK/Ireland
– Best non-local opening weekend gross in: France; Italy
– Best single-day gross in: Argentina; Brazil; Mexico; Spain; UK/Ireland
– Highest gross for a time-travel movie ($350 million plus)
– Highest domestic gross for a movie franchise ($7.6 billion)
– Highest international gross for a movie franchise ($19.9 billion)
– Highest domestic gross for a movie brand ($13.2 billion)

And here are the records that may truly be for all time:

– Best opening weekend domestic attendance (39.4 million)
– Best opening day domestic attendance (17.4 million)
– Best single day domestic attendance (17.4 million)
– Best Friday domestic attendance (17.4 million)
– Best Saturday domestic attendance (12.1 million)
– Best Sunday domestic attendance (9.4 million)
– Fastest to: 10 million tickets sold (1); 15 million tickets (1); 20 million tickets (2); 25 million tickets (2); 30 million tickets (3); 35 million tickets (3)
– Best wide-release per-screen average attendance (8,332)
– Best movie franchise total domestic attendance (892.2 million)
– Best movie brand total domestic attendance (1.8 billion)

Debuts are also one thing, but how big can Endgame go in the long run? After three days, the Marvel movie is in 50th place for all domestic debuts, unadjusted for inflation. To take the record there, Endgame has to do better than The Force Awakens‘ domestic total of $936.7 million. That won’t be impossible, but will a lot of regular folks go see the movie again as they did with the return of Star Wars? Could Endgame be the first $1 billion domestic grosser (without looking at inflated figures)? Possibly. But then it won’t be the last. And it won’t come anywhere close to the overall attendance of many old movies, including probably forever record holder Gone with the Wind. However, it could pass Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to be the first 21st-century release to crack the all-time top 10.

As for the all-time international chart, Endgame is at the moment already in the top 20. Number 18, to be exact. The movie to beat there, and maybe Marvel can make it, is James Cameron’s Avatar with $2.8 billion. All Endgame has to do is double its debut to pass the third placer The Force Awakens on the international chart, too, but the major coup would be if the sequel could knock off even second placer Titanic, which initially gave Cameron the record, which he’s kept via Avatar, more than 20 years ago.

Just a few more things about Endgame. Tracking for the movie just last week had the movie only maybe reaching the $300 million (33.2 million tickets) mark. Box Office Pro predicted it would land somewhere in the range of $280 million and $320 million. In early March, the same site had the number even lower, putting the domestic gross guess around $265 million (29.3 million tickets). So, it overshot by a lot. Chalk that up to Endgame not just being an event but a good one. The movie has a 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes, the MCU’s second best. And it’s the second Avengers installment and third MCU movie to get an A+ grade via Cinemascore, a mark up from Infinity War, so that’s helped with word of mouth. Speaking of comparing to other MCU movies here’s our usual graph:

Endgame is so dominant there, that it’s actually more interesting to see how it compares, after just three days, with the total domestic attendance of other MCU movies. This 22nd installment has already sold more tickets in North America than 10 MCU titles did in their entire domestic run, including all the Thors, the two Ant-Mans, Captain America: The First Avenger and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Doctor Strange, The Incredible Hulk, and Spider-Man: Homecoming. And it’s likely to pass the two Guardians of the Galaxys and the first two Iron Mans today.

Technically, Endgame did not, in fact, make all the money. Sorry for the headline lie. But at 90% box office market share of the top 12 domestic-release charting titles this past weekend, it came pretty close — the total for the dozen is $395 million. That share percentage another record, and attendance-wise that’s another that may never be broken unless theatrical moviegoing almost ceases to be a thing and we only occasionally get tentpole Marvel releases opposite small indies. If we add the weekend gross for Captain Marvel ($8.1 million), which shot back up to the second place at the box office, likely for those who needed to do a double feature with Endgame, Marvel had 92% of the market. Disney had 95% share.

That’s if we include Fox’s Christian film Breakthrough. Proper pre-merger Disney also has Dumbo, which is trudging along still disappointingly, and Penguins, the latest Disneynature feature, which cracked the weekend top 10 for the first time. That documentary’s success is also rather minimal compared to others in its brand. Another doc that is doing pretty well is the Aretha Franklin concert film Amazing Grace, which also moved up the ranks to round out that top 12 list of releases. The weekend’s per-screen average went to Endgame instead of an indie, for a rare occasion, but following the Marvel movie, congrats go out to Ralph Fiennes’ The White Crow, and the docs Hesburgh, Carmine Street Guitars, and If the Dancer Dances for rounding out that top five.

Here are the weekend’s estimated top 12 titles by the number of tickets sold with new and newly wide titles in bold and totals in parentheses:

1. Avenger: Endgame — 39.4 million (39.4 million)
2. Captain Marvel – 0.9 million (45.9 million)
3. The Curse of La Llorona — 0.8 million (4.6 million)
4. Breakthrough — 0.7 million (2.9 million)
5. Shazam! — 0.6 million (14.6 million)
6. Little — 0.38 million (4 million)
7. Dumbo – 0.36 million (11.9 million)
8. Pet Sematary — 0.14 million (5.8 million)
9. Us – 0.13 million (19.2 million)
10. Penguins – 0.12 million (0.6 million)
11. Missing Link — 0.11 million (1.7 million)
12. Amazing Grace — 0.06 million (0.2 million)

All non-forecast box office figures via Box Office Mojo.

The post ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Made All the Money appeared first on Film School Rejects.

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Watch: Imaginative Hand-Drawn Animated Short 'L'Ogre' from France

This is one of the most creative animated short films we've come across this year. L'Ogre, also titled The Ogre, is a short animated film written and directed by Laurène Braibant, produced by Papy3D based in Paris, France. The short is about an "insecure giant" who loves eating, but takes things too far when he goes to a business banquet and can't stop enjoying the food. The hand-drawn technique in this is gorgeous, and allows the storytelling to shine through such imaginative designs and mesmerizing animation that expands and bleeds through the elements in each frame. The story itself is intriguing and is an obvious parable for many aspects of life, big and small. Impressive work - looking forward to seeing more of Braibant's projects.

Thanks to Catsuka for the tip on this. Direct from Vimeo. Original description: "An insecure giant holds on eating, terrified at the prospect of revealing his ogresque self and so compromising his place in the society. During a business banquet, his true nature will be put to the test." The Ogre, or L'Ogre, is both written and directed by animation filmmaker Laurène Braibant - she has been working in visual arts for many years, making short films and additional projects. This short was developed and made at animation studio Papy3D based in Paris, France. Featuring original music by Pierre Caillet. The film won Best Short Film at Bucarest Anim'est 2017. For more info on the short, visit the official website. For more shorts, click here. Thoughts?

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Game of Thrones: The Ending of ‘The Long Night’ Explained

Here’s your warning: spoilers for this week’s episode of Game of Thrones, season 8, episode 3, “The Long Night” are contained within.

Eight seasons later and they did it. Arya did it. In one fell swoop, Arya defeated both The Night King and his entire army. The biggest battle in TV history came to a definitive conclusion in one 82 minute time span, and the looming threat over the entire series since day one has now come to an end. But how exactly did Arya pull off that surprising twist and kill off one of the show’s most threatening characters?

With years of training, a little encouragement from Melisandre, and some Valyrian steel, of course. Not a Valyrian steel sword though, but the dagger that Bran casually handed to her in season seven; the dagger that the cutthroat was sent to kill him with during season one.

For seasons now we’ve known that Valyrian steel could take down a White Walker, but unlike all of the dragonglass mined at Dragonstone last season, Valyrian steel isn’t plentiful in Westeros these days. Only five people going into this battle had a Valyrian steel weapon, Arya being one of them. With all of Bran’s foresight, he seemed to have some sense that giving Arya this dagger would have a purposeful effect in the wars to come.

And it did.

Arya may have had Gendry forge her special weapon, which took down plenty of wights at the beginning of the episode, but it was this dagger that ultimately took down the Night King and all of his minions. This is another payoff for information learned in season seven. You kill a White Walker, you kill all of his wight-children too. So, as Beric noted in the “Beyond the Wall” episode, it really comes down to defeating one figure: the Night King himself who spawned the entire army of the dead. Once he is defeated, his army is as well, and the long night–a harsh and seemingly endless winter–ends.

Throughout the episode, it seemed unclear who would be the one to accomplish this goal. As usual, Jon and Daenerys seemed like obvious choices. Dany did try to burn the Night King with dragon fire when she got the opportunity but to no avail. And Jon, despite his most valiant effort, missed the chance too, even though he truly seemed like the most probable choice. After all, while the army of the dead posed a threat to the entire Westerosi world, taking on the Night King seemed to be a personal goal of his for the longest time.

So, for it to be Arya who ultimately takes down the Night King was a very satisfying surprise, even though now it seems clear that it had to be her. She is the most skilled assassin on the show. Years of training led her to this moment and her devotion to Winterfell, even after being away from home for so long, is the strongest it has ever been. To see her combine all of the skills we’ve watched her hone throughout seasons of the show to save her home was immensely rewarding.

Jon, Dany, and Bran have their own destinies but this ending was Arya’s.

She was able to ambush the Night King after he was lured toward Bran in the Godswood. In one swift and stealthy move, she uses her Valyrian steel dagger to pierce him right where the Children of the Forest pierced him with dragonglass during his creation. It is the ultimate blow which shatters him. It is significant because as Benioff and Weiss noted in the “Inside the Episode,” it is what undoes his creation.

In turn, the rest of the dead perish. Just like that, the battle is over, but not without some notable casualties.

Throughout the episode, we lost Edd and Beric and Lyanna Mormont. Near the end, we watch as Theon bravely sacrifices himself and Jorah dies protecting Daenerys, two of the most touching scenes of the entire episode. And to close it all, we watch as Melisandre removes her necklace and turns into her old self only to wither away and die in the snow as the light shines again on Winterfell.

It’s a fate she’s long known she’s had coming, and it had to happen now because put simply, her job was done.

We first saw Melisandre’s true appearance at the beginning of season six when she was revealed to be much older than she appears. The magic of her red necklace concealed this truth. At the time it was a shocking revelation that was only now revealed to Davos in this episode as he watches her die. But beyond the twist it provided at the time, it also confirmed the magic behind her character. It also signified how crucial her role ended up being in The Great War.

The last time we saw Melisandre before this episode was season seven, right before she sailed off to Volantis from Dragonstone, following her eerie conversation with Varys. She tells him that she has brought ice and fire together, meaning Jon and Daenerys and that she was done whispering in the ears of kings. She also promises to return to Westeros one last time to die.

Now we know why she needed to return. Her role in the battle at Winterfell against the army of the dead was a prominent one. Not only did she light up the Dothraki’s swords and stall the wights with a fire barrier, but she sent Arya on her way to kill The Night King and end the war.

So what does her death mean for the show going forward?

Reflecting back on Melisandre’s role in the series, she’s played a major part. She’s participated in some of the show’s most tragic moments, like the burning of Shireen, but she also brought Jon back from the dead. With Melisandre now gone, her magic from the Lord of Light is too. With Beric and Thoros dead as well, the one religion in Westeros that has seemed to actively help our heroes is now fading away with the figures who spearheaded it. In a way, Melisandre’s death signifies a more definitive sense of mortality to our remaining characters. Jon told her before the Battle of the Bastards that he didn’t want to be brought back if he died, but now, he really can’t.

That being said, while Melisandre herself may be gone, some of her last deeds remain. After all, she did bring ice and fire together, something that we’ll see the full effect of now that the Northern threat has been resolved. With the Night King and his army now completely defeated, and three episodes still remaining in the series, the show must get back to its defining conflict and perhaps break some wheels along the way.

The post Game of Thrones: The Ending of ‘The Long Night’ Explained appeared first on Film School Rejects.

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First Trailer for Ben Wheatley's Film 'Happy New Year, Colin Burstead'

"You need to get your house in order!" Limelight Distribution has debuted a trailer for Ben Wheatley's latest film, a familial dramedy titled Happy New Year, Colin Burstead. This already showed on BBC TV last year, after touring around film festivals starting with the London Film Festival. The raucous "family reunion comedy" is about a man named Colin Burstead, of course, who has decided to rent a lavish country manor for his extended family to celebrate New Year. Unfortunately for Colin his position of power in the family is under serious threat from the arrival of his estranged brother David, sending everything into chaos. The cast includes Neil Maskell as Colin, with Sura Dohnke, Marvin Maskell, Nicole Nettleingham, Doon Mackichan, Bill Paterson, Hayley Squires, Mark Monero, Richard Glover, and Sudha Bhuchar. This looks great! This impressed me, and it still has Wheatley's style. I love the dramatic turn in the trailer.

Here's the first trailer (+ poster) for Ben Wheatley's Happy New Year, Colin Burstead, from YouTube:

Colin Burstead has hired a heritage mansion for a New Year's Eve party for his extended family and hangers-on, with his own wife Val, teenage daughter Fran, and infant son Jamie in tow. Colin's mother–the family's matriarch–dramatically injures her ankle before she has even crossed the manor house's threshold. Her indebted husband Gordon is desperately trying to secure a life-saving loan that Colin simply will not grant him. Uncle Bertie is secretly ill, and knows this might be his last time seeing the clan all together. Happy New Year, Colin Burstead is written and directed by acclaimed English filmmaker Ben Wheatley, of the films Down Terrace, Kill List, Sightseers, A Field in England, High-Rise, and Free Fire previously. This premiered at the London Film Festival last year, and played at the Stockholm Film Festival. This also debuted on UK's BBC late last year. There's still no US release date set yet - stay tuned for updates.

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New UK Trailer for 'My Days of Mercy' Starring Ellen Page & Kate Mara

"Why'd you come here?" "Because you're here." Signature Ent. + Great Point Media have unveiled another official UK trailer for indie drama My Days of Mercy, to go along with the US trailer from a few months ago. This first premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in 2017 under the title Mercy, and is already available to watch on VOD in the US. The relationship drama is about the daughter of a man on death row who falls in love with a woman named Mercy, who happens to be on the opposite side of her family's political cause. This tests her values as her world begins to unravel. Ellen Page stars as Lucy, and Kate Mara as Mercy, along with Elias Koteas, Amy Seimetz, Brian Geraghty, Beau Knapp, Tonya Pinkins, and Charlie Shotwell. This does indeed look like a powerful, authentic film that all of us can relate to in our own ways.

Here's the official UK trailer (+ poster) for Tali Shalom-Ezer's My Days of Mercy, direct from YouTube:

You can still watch the original US trailer for Shalom-Ezer's My Days of Mercy here, for even more footage.

Lucy (Ellen Page), the daughter of a man who is on death row, falls in love with Mercy (Kate Mara), a woman on the opposing side of her family’s political cause. As a result, Lucy’s value for truth is tested as her world begins to unravel. My Days of Mercy, formerly titled just Mercy, is directed by Israeli filmmaker Tali Shalom-Ezer, director of the films Surrogate and Princess previously, as well as all the episodes of the TV show "The Psychologist". The screenplay is written by Joe Barton. This originally premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in 2017, and also played at the Palm Springs and Guadalajara Film Festivals last year. Lionsgate already released Shalom-Ezer's My Days of Mercy direct-to-VOD earlier on April 5th in the US.

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7 Movies That Shamelessly Rip Off Your Favorite Marvel Heroes

Now that you’ve seen Avengers: Endgame, you’re probably looking for a hangover cure. The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s latest outing has brought eleven years worth of interconnected stories to a box office-smashing conclusion, and while the future of the franchise is unpredictable, Endgame is still the end of an era.

That said, we’re not here to talk about Endgame or the MCU for the millionth time. This article is all about acknowledging those cheap imitator flicks that have sneakily copied Marvel’s ideas for their own commercial gain. Whether depicting similar superheroes or flat out plagiarizing Marvel’s roster, these movies represent the Wild West of superhero cinema. They might not cure your Endgame hangover, but their audacious hucksterism is entertaining in its own right.

Metal Man (2008)

Metal Man is a cheap Iron Man knockoff that was released to coincide with the inception of the MCU. The story follows a college student who, with the aid of a special combat suit, must stop a mad scientist armed with nefarious plans and ninja stooges. At the time of writing, the movie has yet to receive a sequel. However, when Iron Man 2 was released, Metal Man was simply repackaged as Iron Hero in a bid to capitalize on the Marvel buzz once again.

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The Amazing Bulk (2012)

It doesn’t take a physicist like Bruce Banner to figure out that this movie was inspired by The Incredible Hulk. The creature in this spoof of Marvel’s temperamental green monster, however, is a purple blob that wouldn’t look out of place in an early ‘90s video game. The story is a shameless riff on Banner/Hulk lore, as we follow a scientist who turns into a monster after consuming a misguided formula. If you thought the two solo Hulk films were underwhelming, give this absurd copycat a try and see if it’s a more satisfying experience.

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Avengers Grimm (2015)

Avengers Grimm takes characters from fairy tales — Little Red Riding Hood, Snow White, Cinderella, etc — and puts them in a movie that wants to be an Avengers flick. The story centers around a team of fairy tale princesses who must defeat the evil Rumpelstiltskin and his army of thralls before they make life a misery for earthlings. This knockoff sets out to capitalize both on Marvel’s popularity and the TV show Once Upon a Time, so you really can’t fault its money-making ambition. A sequel called Avengers Grimm: Time Wars was released in 2018.

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Almighty Thor (2011)

Technically, Thor is a god from Norse mythology who Marvel re-imagined in their own compelling way. In that sense, Almighty Thor could be interpreted as an epic tale about Norse legends. At the same time, it was released by The Asylum to profit from Thor’s release. Plus, it features a similar story-line about a battle between the titular hero and his mischievous brother Loki here on Earth. Almighty Thor is still a shameless knockoff that isn’t fooling anyone into thinking the Asylum didn’t have Marvel on its mind during the film’s conception.

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Guardians (2017)

Some of you will be familiar with this Avengers-meets-X-Men blockbuster from Russia. The trailer was all the rage a couple of years ago and there was some mild excitement for the film rippling throughout the internet afterward. This was mainly because the trailer showed us a man/bear hybrid creature with a machine gun, which is the kind of wild idea the MCU should incorporate into its movies from time to time. Sadly, Guardians was a flop upon release and failed to put Russian superhero cinema on the map.

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Three Giant Men (1973)

The creators of this madness probably never even opened a comic book in their lives, but that didn’t stop them from using Marvel heroes without licensing the rights to do so. In Marvel lore, Captain America and Spider-Man are allies who team up to save the world from dangerous villains. In Three Giant Men, though, Spider-Man is the leader of a villainous gang that decapitates people with boat propellers. In order to put a stop to Spidey’s evil ways, Cap teams up with the Mexican wrestling legend Santo to rid Istanbul of its vicious crime lord. Yes, this is a movie that exists, and it inspired a trend of unauthorized Turkish remakes of popular American films that are well worth your time.

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Doctor Mordrid (1992)

Long before Doctor Strange found his way to the MCU, Charles Band and his Full Moon imprint wanted to give the Master of the Mystic Arts his own cinematic adaptation. However, the iconic B movie studio allegedly lost the film rights to the character before they had a chance to make the movie. Of course, this didn’t stop Band and co. from taking advantage of the Marvel character. Instead, they made another movie about a magician superhero starring Jeffrey Combs with a similar premise. Unlike the other movies on this list, Doctor Mordrid is actually a good flick and worthy of your attention.

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It’s About Time Mary Elizabeth Winstead Fully Embraced Her Action Chops

With films like Wonder Woman, Atomic Blonde, and Captain Marvel, Hollywood is getting better at making action movies that center around women. It’s still a male-dominated genre, though, and we need more movies that give women a chance to shine. One female performer who’s about to make some contributions to the genre in the near future is Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Is this the beginning of a new chapter in her career?

Variety recently shared the news that Winstead has signed on to star in the Netflix action-thriller Kate, where she’ll play an assassin who has 24 hours to live after being poisoned. Instead of spending those final hours waiting to die she sets out to hunt down her killer and deliver an onslaught of ruthless vengeance unto them. That’s a cool premise right there, and it’s one that has all the makings of an exciting thrill ride of a movie.

What’s more exciting, though, is the fact that Winstead seems to be embracing roles that will let her showcase her ass-kicking chops more so than ever before. Kate is the latest addition to an upcoming action-packed slate that includes Ang Lee’s Gemini Man and DC’s Birds of Prey. She has shown glimpses of her action hero potential in the past, with 10 Cloverfield Lane being a strong example, but never to this extent.

Of course, while Winstead is no stranger to appearing in action movies she’s almost never been at the forefront of it all. In Death Proof, she’s part of an ensemble cast of bad-ass women, but it’s her co-stars who get to engage in the car chases and brawling with Kurt Russell. In Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, she plays the titular character’s love interest as he fights off several opponents, but Winstead doesn’t get to do much fighting herself. In Live Free or Die Hard, she plays John McClane’s daughter, but that movie mainly belongs to Bruce Willis. It’s about damn time she got to be the main star.

To that end, Winstead has been eyeing meatier parts in action movies for quite some time. In a 2016 interview with Malibu Magazine, she revealed that she wanted to play strong bad-ass heroes, but only if they weren’t mere caricatures of men. Winstead only wants to play characters who have brains to go with their bronze.

“I think there need to be more female action heroines out there that are intelligent and not overly masculine […] Not necessarily the superhero perfect archetype of what an action hero is represented as a lot of times. I would love to find that kind of action heroine role to play.”

Judging by those comments, Winstead’s newfound status as an action star will hopefully see her play interesting characters with some depth. Furthermore, her upcoming movies don’t sound like brainless action fare, either.

Gemini Man, which co-stars Will Smith, is a fascinating one. The film has been over 20 years in the making and sees Winstead play an operative who helps Smith’s character take the fight to a younger version of himself. Lee’s previous forays into the genre have provided plenty of spectacle and thrills, but they also contain some meaningful characterization in between the moments of mayhem. A movie like this definitely seems up Winstead’s street.

As for Birds of Prey, which will see her portray Huntress, she’ll be part of a superhero flick that revolves around a gang of antiheroes. She’s not interested in playing the “perfect archetype”, but her character of Huntress is essentially a vigilante with a dark Mafia past and a real edge. Additionally, Birds of Prey is the first tentpole DCU blockbuster to follow an all-female team, which means that Winstead will be a big part of pop culture history. On top of playing a fun character, she’ll be part of an important movie that will do a lot of good for wider representation in Hollywood.

We don’t know a lot about Kate yet, but knowing Winstead and her desire to play action heroes with layers, her character will be more than a simple one-woman killing machine. Hopefully, she still gets to crack a few skulls and pop a few caps in some asses, though. Winstead has established herself as a consistently great performer who’s comfortable working in any genre she tackles. However, her inherent versatility, coupled with the fact she trains in kickboxing, means that she’s a perfect fit for action movies as well, and I hope she makes plenty of them going forward.

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