Jessica Rothe

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Happy Death Day 2U–A genre-bending sequel as good-or better-than the original

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April 22, 2021

Review by C.J. Bunce

Not many sequels match the original. One of those rare gems is Happy Death Day 2U, an impressive, hilarious, amped-up horror meets sci-fi version of the original horror comedy featuring one of our favorite tropes: time loops. The first look audiences had of a sequel to the October 2017 surprise hit Happy Death Day was the trailer in front of the 40th anniversary screening of Halloween in October 2018, receiving overwhelming positive feedback. Director Christopher Landon’s 2019 sequel is so well-written, so well-acted by star Jessica Rothe, it may be better than the original, and it’s good enough to warrant an ongoing horror franchise on the scale of the Final Destination series. The movie revisits Teresa “Tree” Gelbman, a strong, quick-thinking college student who keeps waking up to the same day, learning she must save not only herself but her friends from a freakish masked killer. Yes, Happy Death Day 2U is Tru Calling meets Groundhog Day, but this time it suggests why the events of the first film happened, with the addition of some of clever sci-fi in the vein of Philip K. Dick’s The Man in the High Castle.

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Tags: Christopher Landon, college humor, Halloween 2018, Happy Death Day, Happy Death Day 2U, Happy Death Day 2U review, horror movies, Jessica Rothe, Now streaming, time loops, Universal Pictures

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All the movies you’ll want to see in 2019

Filed under: Fantasy Realms, Movies, Retro Fix, Sci-Fi Café, Superheroes — Leave a comment

December 25, 2018

Merry Christmas!

It’s that time of year again, time to take a look forward at what movies should be on your radar for 2019. Are you going to see them all? Heck no. These are the genre films we think borg readers will want to know about to make their own checklists for the coming year–and they are only the films we know about so far. We pulled 78 of the hundreds of films that have been finalized or are in varying stages of final production, slated for next year’s movie calendar.

What looks to top the list for most fanboys and fangirls? The last of the nine films in the Star Wars saga. Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame, and Spider-Man: Far From Home. Shazam! is DC’s contribution. Quentin Tarantino returns to movies to direct Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and Martin Scorsese is back with an all-star cast in The Irishman (on Netflix). M. Night Shyamalan finishes his dark superhero trilogy with Glass. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton return in Terminator. Jordan Peele is back with another horror film with Us.

Do you like sequels? This is your year. Another Men in Black, X-Men, Shaft, Happy Death Day, Lego Movie, Hellboy, John Wick, Kingsman, Jumanji, The Secret Life of Pets, How to Train Your Dragon, Fast and the Furious, Zombieland, Addams Family, Charlie’s Angels, Godzilla, Shaun the Sheep, Annabelle,and Stephen King’s It and Pet Sematary—Disney is trying to get you to move into your local theater with another Toy Story, Aladdin, Dumbo, Frozen, and Lion King–all in one year. Yep, lots and lots of sequels are coming.

Some films don’t have locked-in release dates yet. Amazon Prime and Netflix haven’t revealed dates for these 2019 releases:

Martin Scorcese’s The Irishman, a film about Jimmy Hoffa starring Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel, Ray Romano, and Bobby Cannavale (Netflix)
The Kid, a Western biopic with Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Dane DeHaan, and Vincent D’Onofrio (Netflix)
The Man Who Killed Hitler Then Bigfoot, starring Sam Elliott (Netflix)
6 Underground, a Michael Bay film starring Ryan Reynolds, Ben Hardy, Dave Franco, and Mélanie Laurent (Netflix)
The Last Thing He Wanted, Dee Rees directs Anne Hathaway, Ben Affleck, Willem Dafoe, and Toby Jones; journalist quits newspaper job to become an arms dealer for a covert government agency (Netflix)
The Laundromat, Steven Soderbergh directs Meryl Streep, Gary Oldman, Antonio Banderas, James Cromwell, about the Pentagon Papers (Netflix)
Radioactive, Rosamund Pike plays Marie Curie, with Anya Taylor-Joy (Amazon)

Some of these films will have revised release dates, or get pushed to 2020.

So grab your calendar and start making your plans–here are the movies you’ll want to see in 2019 (and many you might not):

January

Glass – Superhero, M. Night Shyamalan trilogy part 3, stars Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, James McAvoy; continues where Unbreakable and Split left off – January 18.

Serenity – Mystery/Thriller, stars Anne Hathaway, Jason Clarke, Djimon Hounsou, Jeremy Strong, Diane Lane; sorry, no relation to Firefly – January 25.

King of Thieves – Heist Comedy, stars Jim Broadbent, Tom Courtenay, Charlie Cox, Michael Gambon, and Ray Winstone – January 25.

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Tags: 2019 movies, 6 Underground, A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon, Aardman Animations, Ad Astra movie, Adam Lambert, Addams Family 2019, Al Pacino, Aladdin 2019, Alan Arkin, Alan Ruck, Albert Brooks, Alexandra Shipp, Alfre Woodard, Alison Brie, Alita: Battle Angel, Amy Adams, Anna Paquin, Annabelle 3, Anne Hathaway, Anthony Mackie, Antonio Banderas, Anya Taylor-Joy, Arctic 2019 movie, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Avengers: Endgame, Ben Affleck, Ben Hardy, Ben Mendelsohn, Beyoncé, Billy Magnussen, Bobby Cannavale, Bobby Moynihan, Brad Pitt, Bradley Whitford, Brie Larson, Bruce Willis, Call of the Wild, Call of the Wild movie 2019, Captain Marvel, Captive State, Cate Blanchett, cats, Channing Tatum, Charlie Cox, Charlie Heaton, Charlie Hunnam, Charlie's Angels, Charlize Theron, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Chloë Grace Moretz, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pratt, Christian Bale, Christmas 2018, Christoph Waltz, Clive Owen, Cold Pursuit, Colin Farrell, Common, Craig Ferguson, D.B. Sweeney, Daisy Ridley, Dakota Fanning, Dan Stevens, Dana Carvey, Daniel Dae Kim, Daniel Radcliffe, Danny DeVito, Dave Bautista, Dave Franco, David Harbour, Death on the Nile, Dee Rees, Dennis Quaid, Diane Lane, DJ Khaled, Djimon Hounsou, Donald Glover, Donald Sutherland, Downton Abbey, Dumbo 2019, Dwayne Johnson, Eiza González, Elisabeth Shue, Elizabeth Banks, Emma Thompson, Emma Watson, Emmy Rossum, Eva Green, Evan Peters, F. Murray Abraham, Finn Wolfhard, Ford vs Ferrari, Frozen 2, Gabriel Bateman, Garrett Hedlund, Gary Oldman, Gemini Man, Gemma Chan, Glass, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Greyhound 2019 movie, Happy Death Day 2U, Harrison Ford, Harvey Keitel, Helen Mirren, Hellboy, Hellboy 2019, Hellboy 2019 movie, Helter Skelter, Hobbs and Shaw, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, Hugh Jackman, Ian McKellen, Ian McShane, IT: Chapter 2, Jackie Earle Haley, Jake Gyllenhaal, James Cromwell, James Earl Jones, James McAvoy, Jason Clarke, Jason Statham, Jay Baruchel, Jeff Fahey, Jennifer Connelly, Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Renner, Jeremy Strong, Jesse Eisenberg, Jessica Chastain, Jessica Rothe, Jessie T. Usher, Jim Broadbent, Jim Carrey, Jim Gaffigan, Joaquin Phoenix, Joe Pesci, Joel Kinnaman, John Goodman, John Lithgow, John Malkovich, John Oliver, John Wick: Chapter 3, Joker movie 2019, Jon Bernthal, Jonah Hill, Jordan Peele, Josh Gad, Josh Lucas, Jude Law, Judi Dench, Jumanji 2, Karen Gillan, Keanu Reeves, Keegan-Michael Key, Keira Knightley, Ken Watanabe, Kenan Thompson, Kenneth Branagh, Kenneth Branagh movies, Kevin Dunn, Kevin Hart, King of Thieves, Kingsman 3, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Kristen Stewart, Kurt Russell, Kyle Chandler, Laura Dern, Laurence Fishburne, Lee Pace, Leonardo DiCaprio, Liam Neeson, Linda Hamilton, Little Women, Luke Kleintank, M. Night Shyamalan, Mads Mikkelsen, Mahershala Ali, Maisie Williams, Margot Robbie, Mark Strong, Martin Scorsese, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Masi Oka, Matt Damon, Matthew Broderick, Matthew Vaughn, Meghan Trainor, Melanie Laurent, Men in Black International, Meryl Streep, Michael Bay, Michael Fassbender, Michael Gambon, Michael Keaton, Michelle Rodriguez, Midway movie 2019, Mila Kunis, Milla Jovovich, Millie Bobby Brown, Mira Sorvino, Missing Link 2019, Mr. Rogers, Naomi Scott, Nicholas Hoult, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Oscar Isaac, Patrick Wilson, Patton Oswalt, Pedro Pascal, Pet Sematary 2019, Playmobil: The Movie, Pokémon Detective Pikachu, Quentin Tarantino, Radioactive, Rashida Jones, Ray Winstone, Rebel Wilson, Rene Russo, Richard Roundtree, Rocketman, Rosamund Pike, Ruby Rose, Ryan Reynolds, Sally Hawkins, Sam Elliott, Samuel L. Jackson, Sasha Lane, Serenity 2019, Shaft 2019 movie, Sharon Tate, Shazam, Sonic the Hedgehog, Sophie Turner, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Spies in Disguise, Star Wars Episode IX, Stephen Fry, Steven Soderbergh, Stuber movie, Taron Egerton, Terminator movie 2019, Tessa Thompson, The Aftermath, The Good Liar, The Hustle 2019, The Informer, The Irishman, The Last Thing He Wanted, The Laundromat, The LEGO Movie: The Second Part, The Lion King 2019, The Man Who Killed Hitler Then Bigfoot, The New Mutants, The Secret Life of Pets 2, The Woman in the Window, Thomas Haden Church, Tim Allen, Tim Blake Nelson, Tim Burton, Tim Miller, Timothy Olyphant, Toby Jones, Tom Bateman, Tom Courtenay, Tom Hanks, Tom Holland, Tommy Lee Jones, Toni Colette, Toy Story 4, Triple Frontier, Us 2019 movie, Velvet Buzzsaw, Vera Farmiga, Will Arnett, Will Smith, Willem Dafoe, Wonder Park, Woody Harrelson, Wyatt Russell, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, You Are My Friend, Zach Galifianakis, Zachary Levi, Zazie Beetz, Zoe Saldana, Zombieland Too

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Universal releases trailer for time loop sequel Happy Death Day 2U

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December 1, 2018

This October one of the trailers in front of the 40th anniversary screening of Halloween received some surprising positive audience responses. The trailer was for Happy Death Day 2U, the sequel to the mildly well-received horror movie ($50 million+ profits and better than average reviews), director Christopher Landon‘s October 2017 release, Happy Death Day.

We couldn’t wait to preview the trailer here at borg.com. But we waited. And waited.

At last Universal Pictures has released the October trailer online. As with the original movie, Happy Death Day 2U deals with one of our favorite sci-fi tropes, the time loop. The sequel appears to shift from a Tru Calling type time loop story to more of a full-on Final Destination vibe, as star Jessica Rothe‘s put-upon college student Tree Gelbman must save not only herself from those freakish masked fiends, this time she must save all of her friends.

We think the trailer is hilarious and Rothe delivers a particularly funny performance. Take a look at the trailer:

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Tags: Christopher Landon, Halloween 2018, Happy Death Day, Happy Death Day 2U, Happy Death Day 2U preview trailer, horror movies, Jessica Rothe, time loops, Universal Pictures, Valentine's Day 2019

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First look–Another time loop story coming your way in time for Halloween

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June 16, 2017

We here at borg.com can’t be the only ones who are fans of time loops, and the folks at Universal Pictures must think the same thing.

This time around, time loops–the story trope featuring a repeat of time usually offering the protagonist an opportunity to fix the recent past–are going to be coming at you for Friday the 13th–October 13, 2017. And unlike many horror movies that are pushed to a February release, this horror flick is being delivered when everyone wants to see it, right in time for Halloween. Does this indicate it might be better than the average horror flick? This next time looper comes on the heels of the teen mystery film Before I Fall, a release from January, which was preceded by last year’s sci-fi thriller, ARQ. Before that, time loops were found in everything between Groundhog Day and Source Code, TiMER, Looper, and television shows Early Edition, Haven, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Eureka, The X-Files, Star Trek, and Xena–Warrior Princess. Yes, we can’t get enough of the time loop. Check out our previous discussions of time loops at borg.com here and here.

And this one has a throwback horror title–Happy Death Day–which is either the title of a bad slasher flick (Happy Birthday to Me, My Bloody Valentine) or just a clever title for the kind of throwback gore flick horrors fans are all over. Which will it be? Happy Death Day appears to be less like the time loops listed above and more like Tru Calling, the Final Destination film series, Donnie Darko, Haunter, and Butterfly Effect, at least as the time loop element is delivered. You might recall Tru Calling was a weekly series starring Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s Eliza Dushku as she tried to save someone from dying each week via time loop. The Final Destination films added the bloody violence while also attaching to a rollercoaster ride full of “oh, no, they didn’ts.”

Happy Death Day hails from director Christopher Landon, screenplay writer on horror films like Disturbia, Paranormal Activity 2, 3, and 4, and Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse. It stars Jessica Rothe (La La Land) as the young woman who gets murdered, only to continue to get murdered in different ways by a creepy masked character no matter what she does to prevent it. Unlike most modern horror flicks with the kind of production quality in the trailer, the film does not have a single known quantity actor to anchor the film.

Here is the first trailer for Happy Death Day:

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