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C O M I N G S O O N to the UK & US... | O N T H E H O R I Z O N cant hardly wait... |
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C O M I N G U P . . .
UNRELEASED FESTIVAL FILMS . . . ![]() • FrightFest: COLD MEAT. FAILURE. HERE FOR BLOOD. HOME SWEET HOME: WHERE EVIL LIVES. MINORE. THE MOOR. NEW LIFE. PANDEMONIUM. THAT'S A WRAP. TRANSMISSION. THE WEIRD KIDZ. WHAT YOU WISH FOR. WHERE THE DEVIL ROAMS. • Bifan: BAD EDUCATION. DISORDER. EGOIST. THE EIGHTH SENSE. HAPPYMERRYENDING. LIFE OF MARIKO IN KABUKICHO. PRIVACY. RESTORE POINT. SANA. THE SEEDING. WHALE BONES. YOU'LL NEVER FIND ME. • Flare: BREAD AND SALT. THE FABULOUS ONES. FIERCE: A PORN REVOLUTION. KENYATTA: DO NOT WAIT YOUR TURN. MEL. NARCISSISM: THE AUTO-EROTIC IMAGES. A PLACE OF OUR OWN. THREE NIGHTS A WEEK. WOLF AND DOG. XX+XY. SHADOWS FILM FEST |
REBEL MOON - PART ONE: A CHILD OF FIRE ![]() release US/UK 22.Dec.23 Zack Snyder is in full world-creation mode on this epic, which is being presented in two feature-length movies and will also get an extended director's cut, although as a Netflix project it's unsure why he hasn't just made his definitive version to begin with. Scenes shown to the press have been impressive, with superb effects and some engaging drama as well, nicely played by a terrific cast. The question is whether this is the kind of universe that can pull fans into a new franchise. ![]() AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM ![]() release US 22.Dec.23, UK 26.Dec.23 It feels like it's been an unusually long wait for this sequel to the 2018 breakout hit, even as Momoa has popped up in cameos in various DC movies in between. And now this movie is coming out at a time of extreme superhero fatigue - as audiences are getting tired of the dense mythology and increasingly cartoonish effects this one will especially require. The trailer certainly isn't very promising. But Momoa has such presence that we'll happily watch him do anything. ![]() THE COLOR PURPLE ![]() release US 25.Dec.23, UK 26.Jan.24 There are quite a few questions about this film, from how the material has been adapted into a musical (which won awards on Broadway) to relatively unknown filmmaker Blitz Bazawule. But the cast is exceptional, and of course the source novel is a classic. There are also some very high-powered producers on board, including Steven Spielberg (who directed the 1985 film) and Oprah Winfrey (who starred in it). Being awards season, I have a screening in the diary. ![]() MIGRATION ![]() release US 25.Dec.23, UK 2.Feb.24 While the animation style looks rather familiar at a time when filmmakers are trying out new things, this also promises to be a lot of fun thanks to its lively vocal cast and a sparky story about migrating ducks on an adventure in New York City. The trailer is high energy and very silly, with a nicely warm family vibe underneath the edgier nuttiness. Let's just hope it makes us laugh. Oddly, the UK release has been delayed by about six weeks. ![]() ARGYLLE ![]() release US/UK 2.Feb.24 Even my Matthew Vaughn's nuttier Kick-Ass/Kingsman standards, this movie looks almost overwhelmingly bonkers. The plot is intriguing, as it follows a writer of spy novels who is pulled into a sinister spy network. But the tone seems very much comical, and also deliberately over the top. Thankfully, it has a cast packed with genius scene-stealers like O'Hara, Rockwell and Jackson. And the ace performers surrounding them are the kind of wonderfully talented people it's never wise to underestimate. ![]() SHOWING UP ![]() release US 7.Apr.23, UK tbc The formidable partnership between Kelly Reichert and Michelle Williams (see also Wendy and Lucy and Meek's Cutoff) returns, this time with a comedy. The story centres around a sculptor grappling with the demands of friends and family as she prepares to open a new show. While the art world is often used as a movie setting, look for something more intriguing and nuanced from Reichert here. No sign yet of a UK distributor, and it's not even at London Film Festival in October. ![]() DUNE: PART TWO ![]() release US/UK Mar.24 It's not like we even need a trailer to whip up anticipation for this one: the first film did that expertly. Denis Villeneuve is such an accomplished filmmaker that there's very little doubt that this is going to be a glorious spectacle with unusually riveting dramatic foundations. Whether he can once again get each element so exactly right is another question. I don't have many doubts, but I'm trying to keep expectations in check. Alas, this is another film delayed from autumn to spring. ![]() CHALLENGERS ![]() release US Apr.24, UK tbc Completed in the summer but delayed until next spring by the actors strike, Luca Guadagnino's latest film seems designed to provoke conversation as it centres on three tennis pros who have been friends since they were teens and are now back in a cycle of rivalry on-court and in the bedroom. The powerhouse trio of Zendaya, Timothee Chalamet and Mike Faist makes this unmissable, especially as it seems like it might be a rare movie that pushes boundaries. ![]() Also on my want-to-see list... ![]() Autumn: LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND ![]() Winter: ANYONE BUT YOU ![]() FREELANCE ![]() SILENT NIGHT ![]() WONKA ![]() DAMSEL ![]() MEAN GIRLS: THE MUSICAL ![]() ONE LIFE ![]() ORION AND THE DARK ![]() Spring: GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE ![]() Summer: INSIDE OUT 2 ![]() KRAVEN THE HUNTER ![]() | |
Release dates: British film release schedules are much more fluid than American ones, so please be patient as I try to keep up with UK distributors. I'm working to keep this list up-to-date as they keep trying to outfox me. I'm sure it's personal. Embargoes: Britain's Film Distributors Association asks us to hold reviews until the week of release, and some distributors are even more restrictive. Normally, once the film is shown to a paying audience, either on release or at a festival, the full review can appear on the site. © 2023 by Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall HOME | REVIEWS | NEWS | FESTIVAL | AWARDS | Q&A | ABOUT | TALKBACK |