Millie Bobby Brown

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Godzilla vs. Kong–Behind the scenes book focuses on concept art from the monster movie brawl

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April 30, 2021

Back in January we previewed the spring theatrical release Godzilla vs. Kong here at borg, asking: Could an aircraft carrier really support that kind of weight? A book coming next month might not answer that question but it will look behind the scenes of the movie. With a foreword by director Adam Wingard, Daniel Wallace’s Godzilla vs. Kong: One Will Fall–The Art of the Ultimate Battle Royale boasts being filled with concept art paintings that influenced the final look of the film. It also includes interviews with key production crew. It’s available for pre-order now here in the U.S. and in the UK at Amazon here.

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Godzilla vs. Kong trailer and poster–Fourth “MonsterVerse” movie merges the two MUTO franchises

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January 25, 2021

Could an aircraft carrier support that kind of weight?

Warner Brothers released its new trailer (below) for the next Godzilla movie this weekend–Godzilla vs. Kong–the follow-up to the 2019 sequel Godzilla: King of the Monsters (reviewed here at borg). It’s one of the hundreds of movies delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, this one originally scheduled for a Thanksgiving week 2019 release. The next effort of U.S. studios to one-up the Japanese kaiju genre doesn’t try to hide what it is: what the director calls a “massive monster brawl,” a straightforward mash-up of MUTOs (massive unidentified terrestrial organisms). It merges the 2017 King Kong reboot Kong: Skull Island, and the Godzilla reboot story centered around the secret agency Monarch, which began with the 2014 Gareth Edwards-directed Godzilla. For this fourth film in Legendary Pictures “MonsterVerse,” young director Adam Wingard brings back Godzilla storyline characters played by Millie Bobby Brown and Kyle Chandler and adds familiar action stars new to the franchise Eiza González (Bloodshot) and Brian Tyree Henry (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse). It doesn’t look like any characters are being brought over from the Kong franchise.

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borg’s Best of 2020–The Best Movies

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December 15, 2020

When we created last year’s preview of 2020 movies we were pretty sure we were going to have some great movies this year, but we were surprised by what ended up being the best, mainly because what were to be the big box office hits were delayed to 2021 because of the covid pandemic. All year we wondered what we’d get to see and what we wouldn’t–and thanks to Netflix, Amazon Prime, Vudu, and similar streaming services, an impressive array of movies kept us entertained, especially by way of genre content. Ultimately we think the Best Movies of 2020 will stand up against any other year.

Genredom. As always, we’re after the best genre content of the year–with our top categories from the Best in Movies. There are thousands of other places that cover plain vanilla dramas and the rest of the film world, but here we’re looking for movies we want to watch. What do all of this year’s selections have in common? In addition to those elements that define each part of genredom, each has a good story. Special effects without a good story is not good entertainment, and we saw plenty of films this year that missed that crucial element.

Come back tomorrow for our best on television and later this week for our print media picks and our annual borg Hall of Fame inductees. And if you missed it, check out our Best Kick-Ass Genre Heroines of 2020 here. Wait no further, here are the Best Movies of 2020:

Best Film, Best Sci-Fi Film, Best Drama, Best Director, Best Cinematographer, Best Writing, Best Suspense/Thriller, Best Retro Fix – The Vast of Night (Amazon Prime). The man of many hats, writer-director-producer-editor Andrew Patterson dazzled us this year with the sleeper sci-fi film The Vast of Night, from Amazon Prime. Amazon hadn’t before stunned us with a feature film, but this one sure blew us away. We knew this was the #1 science fiction offering of the year at first viewing, but when we went back and watched films again, it also stood out as the clear winner for top prize. Part American Graffiti, part The Twilight Zone and The X-Files, and filmed as faithfully to the era as a Francis Ford Coppola masterpiece (with Orson Welles flair), this story sneaks up on the audience thanks in part to its two talented young lead actors. The script is impeccable and rich, dotted with great jargon that dances artfully like music from the characters’ lips. Expert Chilean cinematographer Miguel Menz adds just the right lighting and camera angles for a film we hope can get recognized by the Oscars, if only so we can see more of these filmmakers and actors in the future. Honorable mention for Best Sci-Fi Film: Altered Carbon: Resleeved (Netflix).

Best Borg Movie, Best Superhero Movie, Best Borg – Bloodshot (Sony Pictures). The story of slain soldier Ray Garrison provided the year’s best look at life as a borg. What do you do with cybernetic enhancements, how do you use them, and what toll does take from your humanity? Jeff Wadlow’s story really kicked in once the audience slides into the plot twist. The Six Million Dollar Man didn’t get to decide to get his bionics, and neither does Ray. Once you give up control of yourself to someone else, more and more of you vanishes. Especially if the person in control is using you as a tool of evil. The best superhero films tend to be about the B-level superheroes, and Bloodshot proved that true again this year. Honorable mention for Best Superhero Movie: The New Mutants (20th Century Studios).

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All the movies you’ll want to see in 2021, and a look back at the releases and delays of 2020

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December 7, 2020

Happy holidays!

It’s that time of year again, time to take a look forward at what movies should be on your radar for 2021! But wait! Next year’s list sure looks a lot like the the films we previewed last December. The covid pandemic has delayed hundreds of film projects, but some made it through. When you walk back through last year’s list and compare it to movies released after theater lockdowns, you get some insight into how Hollywood thinks. Big movies and movies predicted to be successes were universally held back, while less popular films were released to low box office returns from theaters that remained open, and yet other films went directly to home streaming or related media platforms.

Last year we pulled 85 of the hundreds of films then slated for the 2020 movie calendar. The first two dozen made it to theaters (films like Underwater, Dolittle, and Birds of Prey) before the national shift began on March 11 with news of the NBA reacting to the pandemic by suspending pro basketball–the first national awareness of the scope of the problem. Suddenly we saw Vudu and other home platforms coming to the rescue for our entertainment fix, adding a new Theater at Home option, which captured movies like Anya Taylor-Joy’s Emma, Vin Diesel’s Bloodshot, and the animated Scoob! Disney began an interesting tiered release of Mulan, which for half the year showed a studio doing its best to maximize returns on what would have been a key release in any other year. After another delay The New Mutants made it briefly to theaters followed by home release after three years of getting kicked aside as the last vestiges of the Disney-Fox merger were shaken out. Other films, like Vast of Night, Extraction, The Old Guard, Rebecca, Radioactive, and Fantasy Island safely premiered on Netflix and Amazon Prime, with Chris Hemsworth’s Extraction standing out as the clear popular winner–the entire world needed some new entertainment and after what would only be the first of several months of shelter-at-home, it tentatively filled the void.

So our predictions for the year’s big genre films were flat wrong, every single one except Mulan was delayed to 2021, including Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Black Widow, No Time to Die, a new Fast & Furious, Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse, and superhero flicks Venom 2, Eternals, and Morbius. Wonder Woman 1984 is expected to have a theatrical release by year end. Altogether 35 of last year’s 85 movies previewed on our annual list are back again below, plus we found more than 35 new genre films we think will appeal to borg readers.

So what’s left and what’s new?

Grab your calendar and start making your plans–here are the movies you’ll want to see in 2021. Then compare the below list to our 2020 list, and look back to the 2019 list, 2018 list, 2017 list, 2016 list, 2015 list, or 2014 list. Last year we noticed studios moving genre content from the big screen to the small screen via streaming services, and the pandemic only stepped up that migration. Note: Warner Bros. has reported it will issue its 2021 releases simultaneously on HBO Max. Netflix has mostly dramas slated for 2021, but a few genre films are in pre-production, so expect a few surprises throughout the year. Amazon Studios has fewer, most partnerships with Blumhouse Productions.

As we learned well this year, many of these films will have revised release dates, and even get pushed to 2022.

January

Mortal Kombat. Based on the video game. New! Tentative release date: January 15, 2021. HBO Max.

Wrath of Man. Next Jason Statham action flick. New! Tentative release date: January 15, 2021.

The French Dispatch. Wes Anderson and his familiar actors in new quirky film about journalists. New! January 28, 2021.

The Dig. A film about a woman finding archaeological treasures on her land, starring Ralph Fiennes, Lily James, and Carey Mulligan. January 29, 2021. Netflix.

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Tags: 2020 movies, 2021 movie release schedule, 2021 movies, 2021 official movie posters, Adria Arjona, Alex Winter, Alexander Ludwig, Ali Fazal, Alice Braga, Alice Krige, Alicia Silverstone, Alison Brie, All the movies, All the movies 2021, Allan Arkin, Amanda Seyfried, Amazon 2021 movies, Amazon Studios, Amy Adams, Ana de Armas, Andrea Riseborough, Andrew Koji, Angelina Jolie, Anna Kendrick, Anne Dagg, Anne Hathaway, Annette Bening, Antebellum, Anthony Michael Hall, Antoine Fuqua, Antonio Banderas, Anya Taylor-Joy, Armie Hammer, Army of the Dead, Arsenio Hall, Awkwafina, Úrsula Corberó, Bad Boys for Life, Ben Affleck, Ben Whishaw, Benedict Cumberbatch, Benh Zeitlin, Bill Murray, Bill Nighy, BIOS, Birds of Prey, Black Adam, Black Widow, Blake Lively, Bloodshot, Bloodshot movie, Bob's Burgers: The Movie, Brian Tyree Henry, C.S. Forester, Carey Mulligan, Cassie Steele, Charles Dance, Charlie Heaton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Chris Pine, Chris Pratt, Christopher Plummer, Cillian Murphy, Claire Foy, Clancy Brown, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Clive Owen, Cloris Leachman, Colin Farrell, Colin Firth, Colleen Camp, Common, coronavirus delays, Dakota Fanning, Dan Aykroyd, Danai Gurira, Daniel Brühl, Daniel Craig, Daniel Mays, Dann Mintz, Danny DeVito, Darby Camp, Dave Bautista, David Harbour, Dawn French, Death on the Nile, Deep Water, Denis Villeneuve, Dev Patel, Diana Rigg, Disney, Dixie Egerickx, Djimon Hounsou, Dolittle, Donnie Yen, Downhill, Dune movie 2020, Dwayne Johnson, Dylan O'Brien, Ed Harris, Eddie Murphy and James Earl Jones, Eddie Redmayne, Edgar Wright, Eiza González, Elle Fanning, Emily Blunt, Emma, Emma Mackey, Emma Thompson, Ernie Hudson, Eternals movie, Eugene Merman, Ewan McGregor, Fantasy Island, Fast & Furious 9, Finn Wolfhard, Florence Pugh, Forest Whitaker, Frances Hogson Burnett, Frank Langella, Free Guy, G.I. Joe: Snake Eyes, Gary Oldman, Gemma Arterton, Gemma Chan, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Godzilla vs. Kong, Guillermo del Toro, Halloween Kills, Harrison Ford, HBO Max 2021 movie release, Helen Mirren, Henry Golding, Hong Chau, Horatio Sanz, Horse Girl, Hugh Bonneville, Hugh Grant, Hugh Laurie, Idris Elba, Iko Uwais, Infinite movie, J.K. Simmons, James Corden, James Marsden, Jamie Foxx, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jane Austin's Emma, Jane Krakowski, Janelle Monae, Jared Harris, Jared Leto, Jason Isaacs, Jason Momoa, Jason Scott Lee, Jeffrey Wright, Jena Malone, Jennifer Connelly, Jennifer Hudson, Jennifer Saunders, Jessica De Gouw, Jessica Henwick, Jet Li, Jim Gaffigan, Jodie Foster, Joe Keery, Joel Kinnaman, John Amos, John Cleese, John Krasinski, John Roberts, Jon Benjamin, Jon Bernthal, Josh Brolin, Josh Gad, Jude Law, Judi Dench, Judy Greer, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Julie Walters, Jungle Cruise, Karen Gillan, Keegan-Michael Key, Keely Hawes, Kelly Marie Tran, Ken Jeong, Kenan Thompson, Kenneth Branagh, King Richard movie 2020, Kristen Schaal, Kristin Scott Thomas, Kyle Chandler, Kyle Richards, Larry Murphy, Last Night in Soho, Letitia Wright, Li Gong, Lily James, Lois Lowry, Louie Anderson, Louis Wain, Luca movie, M. Night Shyamalan, Maggie Q, Maisie Williams, Manuel Garcia-Rolfo, Margot Robbie, Margot Robbie movie, Marie Curie, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Lawrence, Martin Short, Marvel, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Matt Damon, Matt Smith, Mckenna Grace, Michael B. Jordan, Michael Caine, Michael Jai White, Michael Keaton, Michael Rooker, Michael Sheen, Michelle Williams, Milla Jovovich, Millie Bobby Brown, Minions: The Rise of Gru, Miranda Otto, Monster Hunter, Morbius, Mortal Kombat, Movies in theaters 2020, Mulan, Nathan Fillion, Netflix, Netflix 2020 movies, Netflix 2021 movies, Nicholas Cage, No Time to Die, Octavia Spencer, Oscar Isaac, Paramount Studios, Patrick Wilson, Paul Rudd, PAW Patrol movie, Pedro Pascal, Peter Dinklage, Pixar, Promising Young Woman, Rachel Weisz, Ralph Fiennes, Rami Malek, Ray Liotta, Raya and the Last Dragon, Rebecca, Rebecca Ferguson, Respect movie, Richard Armitage, Robert Pattinson, Robert Zemeckis, Ron Perlman, Rose Leslie, Rufus Sewell, Russell Brand, Ryan Reynolds, Salma Hayek, Sam Rockwell, Samara Weaving, Samaritan movie, Samuel L. Jackson, Samuel Leakey, Scarlett Johannson, Sebastian Stan, shelter at home 2020, Sigourney Weaver, Skeet Ulrich, Sonic the Hedgehog, Sophia Lillis, Sophie Okonedo, Soul movie, Space Jam New Legacy, Spirit Untamed, Steve Carell, Sylvester Stallone, Tatiana Maslany, Tenet movie, Terence Stamp, The Call of the Wild, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, The Croods 2, The Dig, The French Dispatch, The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard, The King's Man, The Last Duel, The Many Saints of Newark, The Mauritanian, The New Mutants, The Old Guard, The One and Only Ivan, The Personal History of David Copperfield, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, The Suicide Squad, The Tomorrow War, theater at home, theater at home 2020, Timothée Chalamet, Tom & Jerry, Tom Clancy, Tom Cruise, Tom Hardy, Tom Holland, Top Gun: Maverick, Trolls World Tour, Universal Studios, Vanessa Kirby, Venom 2, Venom There Will Be Carnage, Vera Farmiga, Vin Diesel, Wendy movie, Will Forte, Will Smith, Wish Dragon, Without Remorse, Wonder Woman 1984, Wyatt Russell, Yifei Liu

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Fun sleuthing is afoot in Millie Bobby Brown’s Enola Holmes on Netflix

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September 25, 2020

Review by C.J. Bunce

Stranger Things’s Millie Bobby Brown leads up a cast of Harry Potter alumni in Netflix’s fun new Victorian mystery, Enola Holmes, a sure-fire selection for streaming this weekend on Netflix. Based on the novels by Nancy Springer, Enola Holmes puts a new face—and name—to the Sherlock Holmes legend. Enola (“Which backward spells alone”) is the much younger sister of the disapproving elder Holmes brothers, and their unconventional mother (played by Harry Potter’s Bellatrix Lestrange, Helena Bonham Carter). On the morning of her sixteenth birthday, Enola wakes to discover her mother has left without warning, leaving her only a hidden message in a book of flowers, and a hidden stash of cash. Disappointed in her brothers’ lackadaisical approach to solving their mother’s disappearance, Enola determines to do it herself—finding herself tangled in another mystery along the way. The runaway Marquess of Tewkesbury (Medici’s Louis Partridge) falls into Enola’s path, and she’s swiftly drawn into his case, which leads her from London, to his family estate, to a ghastly finishing school, and back again.

Brown turns in a strong performance as the headstrong Enola, the best moments of which come when she breaks the fourth wall to speak—or simply look—at the audience. She and Partridge have good chemistry, adding a hint of innocent young romance (but only a hint) to their partnership. Brother Mycroft (Sam Claflin, My Cousin Rachel) steps into the role of film’s antagonist, while Sherlock (in a fun performance by Superman Henry Cavill) becomes an unexpected, if distant, ally. Supporting cast includes Harry Potter film series alumni Frances de la Tour and Fiona Shaw, Doctor Who’s Claire Rushbrook, The Golden Compass’s Hattie Morahan, and one of England’s best villain performers, Burn Gorman.

Viewers looking for a faithful adaptation of the Springer books should prepare themselves for some changes. Enola and Tewkesbury are older, and Enola’s search for her mother reveals a secret life behind her disappearance. There’s more work for stuntmen and women, and less for the makeup artist, as the movie opts to showcase Enola’s physical prowess over her mastery of disguise and cryptography from the novels. Looks for some young adult/adult violence in excess of the middle grade books, too (16-year-old Enola is drowned, beaten, choked, kicked). It’s a bit difficult to pin down the time the movie takes place–a date of 1884 is given alongside the scene of Enola’s birth, which would put the date at 1900 for most of the action—but the plot centers around a suffrage reform bill before Parliament, the last of which was in 1884. The clothing and technology likewise span the last quarter of the 19th century, including elaborate bustle-era dresses alongside early automobiles and film (both of which arrived in the mid 1890s). So it’s a hodgepodge of Victoriana that sometimes works and sometimes confuses, but if you’re prepared not to take things too seriously, it all looks rather good (except for a gaffe with some obviously 21st century plastic shotgun shells).

Although it’d be fun to look forward to, unfortunately it doesn’t look like a series of movies lies ahead–marketing images for the film show Brown is not likely to be playing young teenagers much longer (which also doesn’t bode well for anyone wanting many more seasons of Stranger Things).

With attractive production design, lively performances, and a surprising mystery, Enola Holmes is a must-watch film for fans of Sherlock Holmes, detective stories, and Millie Bobby Brown. Enola Holmes is streaming now on Netflix. And be sure to check out Netflix Life’s recommendations for books to read if you enjoy the movie—including borg contributor Elizabeth C. Bunce’s new Myrtle Hardcastle Mysteries, coming to bookstores October 6.

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Victorian Girl Detectives are coming your way this Fall

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September 18, 2020

As ardent fans of Stranger Things, Victorian mysteries, and all things Millie Bobby Brown (Intruders, Godzilla: King of Monsters), we were indeed excited to see the preview for Netflix’s new Enola Holmes, based on Nancy Springer’s novels for elementary (ahem) schoolers. Teenager Enola Holmes is the much younger sister of two famous older brothers, Mycroft (Sam Claflin, My Cousin Rachel) and Sherlock (Henry Cavill, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.). When their unconventional mother (Helena Bonham Carter, Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter series) disappears, Enola sets off to track her down, much to the chagrin of her siblings. Proving she’s ever bit as clever as her brothers, Enola (naturally) stumbles into a mystery.

The direct-to-Netflix film looks to be chock full of delightful Victoriana, and the source material is a fun twist on the Sherlock story. We love seeing Milly Bobby Brown with her natural English accent.

And if you think this trailer looks like fun, allow me to point out even more diverting Victorian mysteries featuring an irrepressible young sleuth you’ll surely also enjoy. My own new novels, Premeditated Myrtle and How to Get Away with Myrtle (currently an Amazon #1 New Release!) are being published October 6, in a rare two-book launch event extravaganza (to quote a publisher of our acquaintance). Twelve-year-old Myrtle Hardcastle has an unconventional obsession with criminology and a passion for justice… and a Highly Opinionated Feline Sidekick. Netflix Life lists the Myrtle Hardcastle Mysteries as part of its “7 Books to Read if You Like Enola Holmes on Netflix.”

Here’s the trailer for Netflix’s Enola Holmes:

Begin by getting your first fix of Victorian sleuthing with Enola Holmes on Netflix September 23, and check out my new mystery series October 6, at Amazon and other fine booksellers.

Elizabeth C. Bunce / mystery novelist / borg contributor

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All the movies you’ll want to see in 2020

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December 25, 2019

Merry Christmas!

It’s that time of year again, time to take a look forward at what movies should be on your radar for 2020. 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 85 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? Ghostbusters: Afterlife! Scarlett Johannson solo in Black Widow! A new James Bond movie, No Time to Die. Vin Diesel in Bloodshot and a new Fast & Furious. The original Tom Clancy novel series is finally continuing with an adaptation of Without Remorse. Comic book adaptations are in less supply in 2020, but look for Venom 2, Wonder Woman 1984, Eternals, The New Mutants, Morbius, Birds of Prey, The Old Guard, and did we mention Black Widow? Compare the below list to our 2019 list and even the 2018 list, 2017 list, 2016 list, 2015 list, or 2014 list, and your takeaway may be seeing the studios moving genre content from the big screen to the small screen via streaming services.

Do you like sequels? There are far less coming to theaters in 2020 than in 2019, but many more remakes of movies, books, and TV shows are on the way. In fact, with all the blockbusters in 2019, 2020 looks pretty tame as the cinema marquee is concerned. Some films don’t have locked in release dates yet: Amazon Studios and Netflix haven’t revealed dates for the following 2020 releases (those we know you’ll find on the calendar below):

7500, a film about a highjacked airplane, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Amazon Studios)
The Dig, a film about a woman finding archaeological treasures on her land, starring Ralph Fiennes, Lily James, and Carey Mulligan (Netflix)
Horse Girl, Alison Brie stars and directs this story about an awkward girl who fuses her dreams with reality (Netflix)
Jingle Jangle, an animated Christmas story with the voices of Forest Whitaker, Keegan-Michael Key, and Hugh Bonneville (Netflix)
Louis Wain, biopic of the 19th century artist starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Claire Foy, and Andrea Riseborough (Amazon Studios)
The Old Guard, adaptation of comic book story, starring Charlize Theron and Chiwetel Ejiofor (Netflix)
Radioactive, a film about Marie Curie, starring Rosamund Pike and Anya Taylor-Joy (Amazon)
Rebecca, adaptation and remake of the Daphne Du Maurier classic novel, starring Lily James, Keely Hawes, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Armie Hammer (Netflix)
Welcome to Sudden Death, sequel to Jean-Claude van Damme 1995 movie starring Michael Jai White (Netflix)
The Willoughbys, animated adaptation of the Lois Lowry book, with voices of Maya Rudolph, Martin Short, and Jane Krakowski (Netflix)
Wonderland, murder conspiracy mystery starring Mark Wahlberg, Allan Arkin, and Colleen Camp (Netflix)

Some of these films will have revised release dates, or get pushed to 2021.

So grab your calendar and start making your plans–here are the movies you’ll want to see in 2020 (and some you might not!):

January

The Informer – Thriller, starring Joel Kinnaman, Rosamund Pike, Ana de Armas, Common, and Clive Owen – January 10.

Underwater – Thriller, stars Kristin Stewart in underwater horror story – January 10.

Dolittle – Family/Comedy, stars Robert Downey, Jr. in remake of the classic, with voices of Tom Holland, Rami Malek, Octavia Spencer, Emma Thompson, Antonio Banderas, Ralph Fiennes, and Michael Sheen – January 17.

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Forester, Carey Mulligan, Cassie Steele, Charles Dance, Charlie Heaton, Charlize Theron, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Chris Pine, Chris Pratt, Christopher Plummer, Cillian Murphy, Claire Foy, Clancy Brown, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Clive Owen, Cloris Leachman, Colin Farrell, Colin Firth, Colleen Camp, Common, Dan Aykroyd, Danai Gurira, Daniel Brühl, Daniel Craig, Daniel Mays, Dann Mintz, Danny DeVito, Darby Camp, Dave Bautista, David Harbour, Dawn French, Death on the Nile, Deep Water, Denis Villeneuve, Dev Patel, Diana Rigg, Disney, Dixie Egerickx, Djimon Hounsou, Dolittle, Donnie Yen, Downhill, Dune movie 2020, Dwayne Johnson, Dylan O'Brien, Ed Harris, Eddie Murphy and James Earl Jones, Eddie Redmayne, Edgar Wright, Eiza González, Elizabeth Debicki, Emily Blunt, Emma, Emma Mackey, Emma Thompson, Ernie Hudson, Eternals movie, Eugene Merman, Ewan McGregor, Fantasy Island, Fast & Furious 9, Finn Wolfhard, Florence Pugh, Forest Whitaker, Frances Hogson Burnett, Frank Langella, Free Guy, G.I. Joe: Snake Eyes, Gal Gadot, Gary Oldman, Gemma Arterton, Gemma Chan, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Godzilla vs. Kong, Gretel & Hansel, Greyhound movie, Halloween Kills, Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren, Henry Golding, Hong Chau, Horatio Sanz, Horse Girl, Hugh Bonneville, Hugh Grant, Hugh Laurie, Iko Uwais, Infinite movie, J.K. Simmons, James Corden, James Marsden, Jamie Foxx, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jane Austin's Emma, Jane Krakowski, Janelle Monae, Jared Harris, Jared Leto, Jason Isaacs, Jason Momoa, Jason Scott Lee, Jeffrey Wright, Jena Malone, Jennifer Connelly, Jennifer Saunders, Jessica De Gouw, Jessica Henwick, Jet Li, Jim Carrey, Jim Gaffigan, Jingle Jangle, Joe Keery, Joel Kinnaman, John Amos, John Cleese, John Krasinski, John Roberts, Jon Benjamin, Jon Bernthal, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Josh Brolin, Josh Gad, Jude Law, Judi Dench, Judy Greer, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Julie Walters, Jungle Cruise, Karen Gillan, Keegan-Michael Key, Keely Hawes, Kelly Marie Tran, Ken Jeong, Kenan Thompson, Kenneth Branagh, King Richard movie 2020, Kristen Schaal, Kristin Scott Thomas, Kristin Stewart, Kyle Chandler, Kyle Richards, Larry Murphy, Last Night in Soho, Letitia Wright, Li Gong, Lily James, Lois Lowry, Louie Anderson, Louis Wain, Maggie Q, Maisie Williams, Manuel Garcia-Rolfo, Margot Robbie movie, Marie Curie, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Lawrence, Martin Short, Marvel, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Matt Smith, Matthew McConaughey, Maya Rudolph, Mckenna Grace, Michael B. Jordan, Michael Caine, Michael Jai White, Michael Keaton, Michael Peña, Michael Rooker, Michael Sheen, Michelle Williams, Milla Jovovich, Millie Bobby Brown, Minions: The Rise of Gru, Miranda Otto, Monster Hunter, Monster Problems, Morbius, Movies in theaters 2020, Mulan, Netflix, Netflix 2020 movies, Nicholas Cage, No Time to Die, Octavia Spencer, Onward movie, Oscar Isaac, Paramount Studios, Patrick Wilson, Paul Rudd, Paul W.S. Anderson, Pedro Pascal, Peter Capaldi, Peter Dinklage, Pixar, Promising Young Woman, Rachel Weisz, Radioactive, Ralph Fiennes, Rambo: First Blood Part II, Rami Malek, Ray Liotta, Raya and the Last Dragon, Rebecca, Rebecca Ferguson, Richard Armitage, Roald Dahl, Robert Downey Jr, Robert Pattinson, Robert Zemeckis, Ron Perlman, Rosamund Pike, Rose Leslie, Russell Brand, Ryan Reynolds, Salma Hayek, Sam Rockwell, Samara Weaving, Samuel L. Jackson, Samuel Leakey, Sasha Baron Cohen, Scarlett Johannson, Scoob!, Sebastian Stan, Sigourney Weaver, Skeet Ulrich, Sonic the Hedgehog, Sophia Lillis, Sophie Okonedo, Soul movie, Sterling K. Brown, Steve Carell, Tatiana Maslany, Tenet movie, Terence Stamp, The Call of the Wild, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, The Croods 2, The Dig, The Gentlemen, The Informer, The King's Man, The Last Full Measure, The Lodge, The Many Saints of Newark, The New Mutants, The Old Guard, The One and Only Ivan, The Personal History of David Copperfield, The Rhythm Section, The Secret Garden, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, The Tomorrow War, The Trial of the Chicago 7, The Willoughbys, The Witches, The Woman in the Window, The Woman Who Loves Giraffes, Tilda Swinton, Timothée Chalamet, Tina Fey, Tom Bateman, Tom Clancy, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Tom Hardy, Tom Holland, Top Gun: Maverick, Tracy Morgan, Trolls World Tour, Troop Zero, Uncharted movie, Underwater, Universal Studios, Vanessa Hudgens, Venom 2, Vera Farmiga, Vin Diesel, Viola Davis, Voyager space probe, Welcome to Sudden Death, Wendy movie, Wesley Snipes, Will Ferrell, Will Forte, Will Smith, William Hurt, Without Remorse, Wonder Woman 1984, Wonderland, Wyatt Russell, Yifei Liu, Zac Efron, Zendaya, Ziyi Zhang

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Stranger Things: Darkness on the Edge of Town reveals a 1970s crime story from Jim Hopper’s past

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August 22, 2019

Review by C.J. Bunce

Every fan of Stranger Things will likely approach a Stranger Things novel looking for something like an “X-File.” Adam Christopher’s new novel Stranger Things: Darkness on the Edge of Town is about Jim Hopper (played by David Harbour in the Netflix TV series), and it takes place in 1977, seven years before a Christmas in 1984 where he is enjoying a winter in his cabin with his newly adopted daughter Eleven (played on the series by Millie Bobby Brown). A few weeks after the events of Season Two, Eleven finds a box of Jim’s mementos and wants to know more about his past, so he decides to tell her a crime story from his days as a New York City detective. So it will help the reader’s 432-page journey to know this is not an X-File–there is nothing fantasy or science fiction about Hopper’s past to be learned, no demogorgons or other monsters, and although it includes a few scenes with his wife Diane and daughter Sara, we never learn more about why they aren’t around when the series takes place.

Understandably reader expectations might be wrongly set by the folks advertising the book. This is how Stranger Things: Darkness on the Edge of Town is marketed:

Chief Jim Hopper reveals long-awaited secrets to Eleven about his old life as a police detective in New York City, confronting his past before the events of the hit show Stranger Things.

I don’t know what “long-awaited secrets” could mean for Stranger Things fans other than learning what happened to his wife and daughter.

But if you can get beyond a sci-fi/fantasy assumption, or if that is not even your expectation, then you’ll learn more about what makes Hopper tick. In a story laid out like a 1970s prequel Law & Order episode, Hopper goes undercover in the style of Donnie Brasco or The Departed, except the undercover work begins and ends not over several months but inside of 12 days (making Hopper very lucky or some kind of supercop) between the Fourth of July 1977 and the aftermath of the real-life July 13-14 city power outage. As a crime story for beginning readers of the genre, Christopher’s storytelling provides a thorough tale of an alternative cause for a real-life event. He uses gangs, connecting Hopper, a new partner, federal agents, and research on returning prison inmates to the public after serving out their sentences in a hot summer where the Son of Sam was still yet to be captured. It may very well say something about Hopper’s character, that he would select this story to tell his daughter.

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Tags: Adam Christopher, Darkness on the Edge of Town, David Harbour, Del Rey, Del Rey book, Jim Hopper, Killing is My Business, Millie Bobby Brown, Stranger Things, Stranger Things novel, Stranger Things: Darkness on the Edge of Town, Stranger Things: Darkness on the Edge of Town book review

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Stranger Things–A 1980s mall and this season’s standout performances keep viewers coming back for more

Filed under: Retro Fix, Sci-Fi Café, TV — Leave a comment

July 11, 2019

Review by C.J. Bunce

It’s not every location for a TV series that becomes the best part of the that series. For the third season of Stranger Things, which arrived on Netflix this Fourth of July weekend, the big win was Starcourt Mall. Maybe it’s the fact so many of us have vivid memories of their own mall for their first jobs, for birthday parties, or where they bought their favorite shoes, rendezvoused with friends, and watched their favorite movies–or just as likely, the fact that so many younger viewers weren’t around to witness malls of the 1980s and can only guess what they were like–whatever the reason, Stranger Things showrunners the Duffer Brothers (Ross and Matt) made a wise move setting a major part of this year’s eight episodes there. Initially Netflix kept its Starcourt Mall intact for a possible tourist attraction (actually a rebuilt section of Duluth, Georgia’s Gwinnett Place Mall, far away from Indiana), but early crowds and the inability to make a deal resulted in trashing the sets entirely (except Scoops Away, which went into storage). Now nothing remains of the rented space in the mall used for the series, but what a great idea gone to waste!

So what other than the mall makes for the good and bad this season on Stranger Things?

Six writers concocted interwoven storylines that matched the prior two seasons–the series is consistent, neither better nor worse than past seasons, but just as good and even great in places. That fandom phrase “I’d rather watch bad [insert: Star Trek, Star Wars, etc. here] than anything else” rings true for Stranger Things, although you’ll rarely find much that qualifies as completely “bad.” Each season has those early season episodes that make the story seem like the greatest thing since the 1980s, and yet other episodes stumble. That was true this season. The best thread tracked older teen Joe Keery′s Steve Harrington and one of the series’ main four kids, Gaten Matarazzo′s Dustin Henderson. Dustin has just returned from a science camp, to find the two series kid leads Finn Wolfhard′s Mike Wheeler and Millie Bobby Brown′s Eleven/El inseparable in their young romance. The best recurring question of the season is whether Dustin’s girlfriend Suzie is real or imaginary. Steve works at the mall now with a grumbly gal named Robin, played by Maya Hawke, who becomes another high point of the season, and integral to moving the story forward. What better way to launch the career of the daughter of popular and acclaimed actors Uma Thurman and Ethan Hawke than a fun season of Stranger Things? (Her work and quick development of a likeable character promises a huge career is in store for her). Growing out of the events of last season, Dustin and Steve, with co-worker Robin, embark on a mission to save their friends, Hawkins, and the world from a beast connected to El, Noah Schnapp′s Will Byers, and the Demogorgon of past seasons, and a new, perfectly timed 1980s nemesis: the Russians, led by Andrey Ivchenko as a thug mash-up of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Robert Patrick in their Terminator series roles.

The other series cast members are divided into three teams, each slowly piecing together clues to solve the season’s riddles, with older teens Natalie Dyer′s Nancy Wheeler and Charlie Heaton′s Jonathan Byers still a couple, but now struggling against 1980s office politics, including a vile co-worker played in typical Busey fashion by Jake Busey. The other kids–El, Mike, Will, Caleb McLaughlin′s Lucas Sinclair and Sadie Sink′s Max Mayfield, also still a couple, reflect most of the “coming of age” story that dominated past seasons. The best of this is the visual nostalgia accompanying an El and Max outing to the aforementioned Starcourt Mall. The adults are back, with top-billed star Winona Ryder getting some better development this season as Joyce Byers, the first to realize something is again wrong in Hawkins. David Harbour is back as police chief Jim Hopper, but unfortunately his character is the low point of the season–he gets tossed around and becomes the butt of jokes as with last season, instead of carrying forward that decisive, strong, cool personality we met in Stranger Things′ first season.

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Explore artists’ extensive monster concept art in The Art of Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Filed under: Backstage Pass, Comics & Books, Fantasy Realms, Movies, Sci-Fi Café — Leave a comment

June 11, 2019

Review by C.J. Bunce

One of the benefits of behind-the-scenes and making of/art books for major studio movies is that anyone diving into the production process for the first time can usually learn plenty about the stages of filmmaking from pre-production to final product. Just pick a film you like and jump right in. Abbie Bernstein′s The Art of Godzilla: King of the Monsters is no exception, but it will be particularly fun for anyone who is a fan of concept art and mega-monsters. It’s also weighted toward pre-production and the pre-visualization process. Readers wouldn’t expect a film with giant creatures to be filmed with practical sets, but with a modern studio Godzilla movie filmed in the U.S., you automatically expect a predominantly CGI movie. The Art of Godzilla: King of the Monsters is filled with trial pieces from artists showcasing the process of turning the classic Japanese kaiju characters into something new and different.

Fans of Scott Chambliss will want to read what guided him to make the choices and decisions for the look of the film. Chambliss has his own style, and when watching the film my reaction was how many sets, and specifically the color and lighting choices, felt like Star Trek 2009, a film in which Chambliss also served as production designer. Chambliss discusses the visual tricks he used to make Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorra appear to have immense scale, but also appear real. Several effects companies worked on components of this film, each trying to make their creations the best of the pack without competing against each other–the goal being to create the best final product they could. Some artists worked on familiar software programs, combining photographs and 3D imaging of locations like San Francisco’s Union Square to combine with actors in Atlanta. Others made sculptures of each creature–in a variety of materials–and then those sculptures were scanned and manipulated into what the audience sees on screen by others, after even more creators contributed their colors, texture, lighting, and other touches.

The Art of Godzilla: King of the Monsters is a great companion book to Mark Cotta Vaz’s Godzilla: The Art of Destruction, the behind the scenes look at Gareth Edward’s 2014 Godzilla film that was the starting point for Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and Simon Ward’s The Art of Kong: Skull Island. All of these massive monsters will come together soon in Godzilla vs. King, so it’s a good time to be a fan of kaiju. For fans of the new Legendary Pictures movie, it’s a good opportunity to understand the characters better from those who created them, and learn more from actors about their experiences on set, including Millie Bobby Brown, Vera Farmiga, Kyle Chandler, O’Shea Jackson, Jr., Elizabeth Ludlow, Thomas Middleditch, Anthony Ramos, and Bradley Whitford.

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